by Ruth Reid

Boy meets girl. Boy is from completely different world than girl. They get close. They move apart. The angel Nathaniel stretches his wings over the girl. The demon Tangus whispers in the boy’s ear. Okay, this is not just your typical love story.

Rachel is a young Amish girl who behaves a little differently from the other girls. She can’t cook, can’t sew, and loves to race her horse and buggy. I found it refreshing that she had a mind of her own, yet still was part of her culture. A strident feminist would not be believable in this context, but a girl whose talents are a bit different from most, I found credible.

Jordan, who is just visiting the Amish community, is her love interest. He is drawn to her and her culture, but also feels the tug of the outside world. I found the course of their relationship predictable, and far too drawn out. But the addition of the angel and the demon, and how they contribute to the struggles with faith both Rachel and Jordan share, added interest. I would recommend this book for readers who enjoy a charming love story.

I was provided this book for free, in exchange for my unbiased review, by the Thomas Nelson BookSneeze program.

Stephen Mansfield has written an intellectually stimulating, painstakingly fair assessment of Oprah Winfrey’s spiritual take on life, as evidenced by her talk show’s guests. In “Where Has Oprah Taken Us? The Religious Influence of the World’s Most Famous Woman,” Mansfield explains what makes a theology doctrinally unsound, and how New Age fuzzy thinking can actually do harm to its adherents. The problem I have with this rigorous analysis is that Oprah Winfrey is no theologian. She is a talk show host.

When Oprah does a show on medical issues, with the requisite panel of experts, is there oversimplification of the medical factors involved? Yes, of course there is. Few of us could follow the discussion if there were not. Might some misguided viewer say to herself, “Oh, no, I must have (fill in the blank with dreaded disease here)”? Yes, of course. And many more might decide to call that doctor/have that test and figure out what’s wrong with them.

How many book club discussions have we witnessed in which a tearful woman clutches a work of art to her chest, and proclaims, “This reminds me of me?” I cringe. Is this literary criticism of the highest order? Of course not. Did a woman open a book who hadn’t read one in years? Might she open another?

I once had a professor who asked our small seminar, “If you have a class of 18 who will have difficulty with the material, and 3 who will fully understand you, who will you teach to?” She chose to teach to the 3. I respectfully – yet profoundly – disagree. I would teach to the 18, and hope that once I met them where they were, I could take them further. Here’s hoping that someone drawn to a spiritual life by way of Oprah’s “Spirit” shows might be tempted to take her understanding one step further, and read a book like “Where Has Oprah Taken Us?”

I was provided this book for free, in exchange for my unbiased review, by the Thomas Nelson Book Sneeze program.

I’d like to say that the terror and sorrow of this day remain unprecedented in Brenda’s life. I’d like to say that. But I can’t.

There will be many more days that bring Brenda to her knees in despair, and to her knees in prayer.  Even through the best of times – her marriage to NFL superstar Kurt Warner – when Brenda has more money than she’s ever dreamed of,  the stress is considerable. There’s the unending media attention, the lack of privacy, Kurt’s injuries, all the uncertainties of a football career. First Kurt is a star quarterback. Then he isn’t. Then he is. The couple is besieged with requests for autographs and favors from practically everyone around them.

But something in Brenda always stands up. Every single time. It may be her training as a marine, or it may be her deep faith in God. Perhaps both. But you will find yourself cheering for this lovely, brave woman as she bounces back again and again from adversity.

I was provided this book for free, in exchange for my unbiased review, by the Thomas Nelson BookSneeze program.

Cherished

by Kim Cash Tate

Melodies used to run through Kelli’s head, day and night. Music was as essential a part of her life as Brian was. Now Brian is long gone, and Kelli can no longer hear the music. She fears that God is punishing her for her past by taking music away from her.

Brian, meanwhile, is a successful Christian rap artist – and a Ph.D. candidate in biochemistry. Does God intend for him to continue his ministry in music? Or should he walk away and dedicate his life to science? And how can he be right with God unless he gets Kelli to forgive him?

Kim Cash Tate’s beautiful new novel, “Cherished,” takes you inside churches and concert halls. Her knowledge of the music industry is impressive. (Although every character who can sing, play, or compose inevitably renders everyone present speechless. Surely some performers are “just good.” ) But what was most refreshing – and illuminating – about this book is that it is a story about grown-ups. Each character struggles to find their own path, to uncover God’s plan. Sometimes they’re joyful, sometimes they’re anguished. But they never whine. They hold each other’s hands and they pray. There is a lesson here – gently presented – for everyone.

I was provided this book for free, in exchange for my unbiased review,  by the Thomas Nelson BookSneeze program.

Ms. Weber evokes the sights and sounds of Oxford so vividly you can feel the cobblestones beneath your feet, the ancient stone wall under your hand.  She has suffused her memoir with pleasure – good friends, a warm cup of tea by a blazing fire. She utterly dispels the notion of a dour Christian who finds no joy in life and who cannot think for herself.

But I do have some quibbles. First of all, I have a personal antipathy to the word “smirked.” Oh, how Caro loves this word! Earnest, intelligent students smirk. Distinguished erudite professors smirk. Even Caro herself smirks. The only beings I’ve ever actually seen smirk are small children.

More importantly, the cast of characters is a bit muddled. Is this kind, supportive, caring male the gay one or the cynic who parties too much?  Is this supportive, amazing woman the widow or the college professor? As for TDH (Tall, Dark, and Handsome, of course), Caro’s love interest, he is simply too good to be true. Surely the most caring and Christian of men have an annoying habit – or two.

What rings true in this memoir is Caro’s spiritual journey – from her initial defenses, to her questioning and seeking, to her final joyous acceptance. I know what it feels like to seek guidance and lift your eyes to meet the gaze of someone who is exactly who you need right now. I too have heard the audible click the universe makes when your feet hit (or stray onto) the right path. (Caro hears a click and a ping. I’ve only ever heard the click. Perhaps I have further to go on my spiritual walk.)

Any reader – believer or not – will enjoy Caro’s humor and her academic and spiritual courage.

I was provided this book for free in exchange for my unbiased review by the Thomas Nelson BookSneeze program.

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