The Choice by Robert Whitlow

 

Sandy Lincoln, popular cheerleader, dating a football player finds herself pregnant her senior year in high school.  Despite the temptation to abort her baby, she decides to carry him to term.  Her boyfriend deserts her and she must make a temporary new home with her aunt in another city and another school.  As her pregnancy progresses, she begins to think that she is carrying twins.  At a gas station a stranger approaches her and tells her that the babies must be separated at birth.  Sandy follows this advice and the boys grow up ignorant of the fact that they each have a twin.

Sandy goes on to establish a successful life for herself as a teacher, but still wonders where her boys are and how they have fared in life. She becomes involved in helping a student who is pregnant and in a twist of fate she meets one of her sons and then the other.  She must decide if she should reveal  her secrets.

I have been a Robert Whitlow fan and have read all of his previous books.  This one, however, left me disappointed.  The writing seemed flat and I had to force myself to finish the book.  It did pick up speed and suspense in the last 30 pages, but previous to that I read out of duty and not enjoyment.  I appreciate Mr. Whitlow’s underlying message, but thought that his writing didn’t carry it effectively.  If you are a Robert Whitlow fan, stick with his other books.  I appreciate the publisher giving me a free copy and this is my honest review.

The Reason by William Sirls

 

This book’s plot revolves around the idea of what might happen if Jesus returned to earth as a carpenter today.  How would He impact the lives of those around him?  Whom might he heal?

The little boy in the story has contracted leukemia.  As his mother pursues treatment for him, she comes in contact with several doctors and a carpenter, Kenneth.  The doctors do their best to treat him and Kenneth tells her that her son will be made well if she will only believe.  Meanwhile, miracles seem to occur in Kenneth’s proximity—things that he will not explain.  Despite their relationship with Kenneth,  the little boy worsens.  Will her faith be rewarded?

The author gives one of his characters an answer as to why the miracles occur—because God loves you.  However, this raises more questions.  Why was the blind minister healed but not his mentally challenged son?  Does God not love him?  The story was interesting, but I found that the theology left me with questions.  However, the author’s personal story at the end of the book was very fascinating and made as good reading as his novel did.  I enjoyed this book but found it wanting for some strong theological underpinnings.

God Loves You--He Always Has and Always Will by David Jeremiah

God Loves You—He Always Has and Always Will by David Jeremiah

Dr. Jeremiah recounts the many ways that the Bible shows God loves each one of us.  Although many of these are very basic, to review them is a powerful thing.  He includes examples from the Ten Commandments and the parable of the prodigal son, among others. 

This book is well-written, packed with many interesting illustrations.  It is a captivating book, because who wouldn’t want to believe down deep that God always has and always will love them?  Although Dr. Jeremiah quotes scripture to make some points, it is never preachy, but rather feels like the author is holding a conversation with the reader.

I would highly recommend this book to mature Christians and non-Christians alike.  Dr. Jeremiah has something valuable to say to both groups.  In short, it is a worthwhile book for everyone.

Five Miles South of Peculiar by Angela Hunt

 

Fifty-year old Darlene Caldwell, her twin Carlene and their younger sister Magnolia, find themselves under one roof again—at Sycamores, their childhood home and the aging estate of their grandfather.  Life together isn’t easy as Darly and Carly have secrets in their past to overcome while the clock is ticking down to the time when Sycamores will revert ownership to the county.  Darly, widowed, and Carly, recently retired from Broadway, along with Nolie, who has never left the estate, must learn to forgive each other free each other from past offenses.

Angela Hunt, one of my favorite authors because of her varied subjects and plots, deals with sin, love, forgiveness and second chances.  She peels back the layers in the story one at a time, allowing the reader greater understanding of the characters and the plot.  Despite this process, she keeps the reader’s attention and encourages the reader to examine his or her own past and its relevance to the present.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and its characters.  I would recommend it highly.  The publisher provided my free copy and this is my honest review.

Running For My Life by Lopez Lomong

 

At a church service, six year old Lopez Lomong was torn from his parents, thrown into the back of a truck with other children and then forced to endure weeks of harsh captivity.  If he survived the deprivation of food and water his only choice was to become a child soldier in the Sudanese civil war.  Unbelievably, he is cared for by 3 “angels” as he calls them and is led in a dangerous escape into Kenya, where he is taken to a refugee camp with other “lost boys.”

Despite many hardships he perseveres and learns to live without his biological family.  As part of his daily routine, he runs and plays soccer, and attends school. In an unusual circumstance, he watches Michael Johnson win the 400-meter dash on a small black and white television during the 2000 Olympics and it changes Lopez’s life. He now dreams of being an Olympian. 

When he has the opportunity to come to the United States, Lopez is taken in by Rob and Barbara Rogers in New York.  His account of learning to live in the United States is very touching.  After seeing his natural ability in running they encourage him to pursue his dream.  The book spells out the rest of his story and how his dream comes true.

This is a story of faith, hope and perseverance.  Lopez has a refreshingly positive attitude and is a great role model for budding athletes.  I intend to watch his career and life to see what other amazing feats he will accomplish.  This book was given to me by Thomas Nelson and this is my honest review.    

Beauty to Die For by Kim Alexis and Mindy Starns Clark

Juliette Taylor is a retired super model with her own line of spa products.  On her way to a conference at a world famous spa she runs into Raven, a former co-worker and super model.  Raven, definitely a selfish diva, has the potential to make Juliette’s weekend miserable, but before that can happen Raven dies during a mud wrap.  Was it murder?  And if so, who would want to kill her and why?  While running the conference Juliette tries to piece together the facts of Raven’s death.  In doing so, she finds herself in danger, too.

This novel  definitely took place in a different setting than most novels that I have read.  It was an entertaining read.  The plot was not too much of a surprise.  It seemed a bit formulaic.  The characters were interesting as much as they were developed.  I found myself drawn more to Crystal, one of the supporting characters, rather than the main character Juliette.  I would hope that a future book might include more of Crystal’s story, as her character had more depth and facets than Juliette’s.  If you enjoy a murder mystery with a bit of romance in a unique setting, you would enjoy this book.  I am grateful to the publisher for the free e-book and this is my honest opinion. 

Brink of Chaos by Tim LaHaye and Craig Parshall

This is the third book  in the End Series featuring Joshua Jordan, an American hero.  He has fled the United States because of being falsely accused of treason.  He is the designer of the RTS defense system, which has made him welcome in Israel, but also hunted by Israel’s enemies.  His wife, Abby, is a high profile lawyer, trying her best to clear his name so that they may be together again.  She must work behind the scenes because she has refused to be tagged by the government and is on their list to be apprehended.  Also included in the story are their adult children, Deborah and Cal.  Joshua survives several attempts on his life and must make a difficult decision to sacrifice himself to save his family.

This book surprised me.  I was expecting another Left Behind series, and it did have some elements of that.  However, the writing was fast paced and kept me turning pages.  It has some interesting parallels to politics and world events today.  It made me think about possible end times scenarios and my response to them.  In short, it was a good, well-thought out story and had a satisfying, but surprise ending.

If you enjoyed the Left Behind series, but want something with a bit more relevance to today’s events, this book should satisfy you.  Even though it was the third in the series, I could easily follow the story line.  I think many readers will enjoy it like I did.  I appreciate receiving a free copy from the publisher and this is my honest review.