Rob Stennett's The End is Now ~ Reviewed

The End is Now
By Rob Stennett
Published by: Zondervan
ISBN# 978-0-310-28679-0
335 Pages


Back Cover:

Goodland, Kansas is a small Midwest town where nothing new or exciting ever happens…until now. Are the recent happenings and catastrophic weather mere coincidence, or more? The town spirals into chaos and confusion as its residents discover the end is no longer near-the end is now.

Stuck in the middle is the Henderson family: Jeff, a struggling salesman who lives with nagging fear; Will, who’s just trying to figure out life in the fifth grade; Emily, whose greatest concern is that she won’t be nominated homecoming queen; and Amy, who is growing stir-crazy from being a housewife-and is convinced this was God’s plan B for her life.

Rob Stennett’s second novel is both satire and a story of apocalyptic proportion, a thriller, and an exploration of family, community, belief, unbelief, and the two thousand-year-old Christian tradition of looking to the sky because the end is near.


REVIEW:

“Goodland, Kansas, is the test market for the rapture. The ultimate warning sign for all to repent,” That’s what the locals feel they are anyway.

“..Once everyone sees how powerful the rapture is, they will hit the floor and repent of their sins. Everyone, everywhere, will know the truth. Not only that, but this event will provide God a chance to see what worked and what didn’t. He can watch the good, the bad, and the ugly of the apocalypse so He can know how to improve it when He takes it global.”

I don’t know about you but this is funny stuff!! Rob Stennett takes a serious subject many talk about all over the world and puts a “what if” scenario to it. He reminds me of a comedian Steven Wright who said, “I received a post card from my friend. It was a picture of the whole world. My friend wrote, “Wish you were here!”. Steven says, “I thought I was!”

This book also reminds me of Eli, a story written by Bill Myers, that entertains the scenario of, ‘what if Jesus were to be born for the first time in our generation.’ Sad to say the same things would happen to Jesus, maybe just happen a little sooner in this generation because of instant communication.

Do you live by these rules? a character asks, “What I believe, sir, are two simple rules: Plan for the worst and hope for the best. Better safe than sorry. Those two rules have kept me alive for a long time, and they’ll keep me alive when everyone else is running around like chickens with their heads cut off.” Do these rules sound familiar?

Rob got me thinking about some questions he brought up in, The End is Now. How would we know the end was here? What would it look like? Why has Goodland, Kansas felt that they were the test market for the rapture? This author says stuff out loud-and in print, that we would never dare verbalize to our friends (or anyone else for that matter).

As you read and start smiling then laughing, you’ll be caught off guard by some definite things to ponder- things you hadn’t thought of before about the end. For example, “God didn’t need the test market for the rapture. After all, He is God. He already knows everything. He was, is, and forever will be omnipotent…. Maybe the testing was more for all of us. This is the age of skepticism. This is the age where the answers to any of life’s questions are just a Google search away. So, perhaps humankind will need a sneak preview of what the rapture looks like so they can know how to respond.” And ready their hearts (I added the last comment).

When the rubber meets the road and The End is Now, what do you really believe? This story will make you laugh out loud and then hit a cord in your heart when you read something a character said or thought. Something that you hadn’t considered or felt you believed until you read it. I really loved that about this story. It’s funny, honest, and makes you think.

I can now see why God will NOT tell us exactly when the END will happen – we just could not take it. It is way more information than the human race can handle. Thanks Rob, for taking me away into a scenario I haven’t thought much about--until now. It just goes to show me that my Father in Heaven loves me so much, wants the best for me; which means He’s keeping his mouth shut about the exact moment the END will happen. Rob, I appreciate you making me laugh, look at life, relationships and what’s really important. We’re here to do more than sleep walk through life. Each chapter in this book is from a different characters point of view on their take as to what is really happening in Goodland Kansas. It’s a hoot!! You just have to read this book. So, grab a copy and read about The End! It just might give you the nudge you need to really start living your life. You won’t be sorry you did.

Reviewed by: Nora St. Laurent Book Club Servant Leader

ACFW July Book Releases

1. A Promise Kept, Heartsong Presents Historical Ohio Book 1 , by Cara C. Putman from Heartsong Present. Newleyweds Josie & Art must choose whether to honor the promises they've made when their relationship experiences the fire of pain.

2. Blackmail, sixth and final book in the Bayou Series, by Robin Carroll from Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense. The sixth and final book in Robin Carroll's romantic suspense bayou series.

3. Cranberry Hearts, by Lena Nelson Dooley, Beth Goddard and Lisa Harris from Barbour Publishing. What will happen when three Massachusetts women find their journeys home lead them down dangerous paths?

4. Deadly Intent, by Camy Tang from Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense. Massage therapist Naomi Grant must prove her innocence when her client is murdered in her family's Sonoma day spa.

5. Gripped By Fear, The Chicago Warriors Series, by John M. Wills from TotalRecall. Two Chicago Detectives struggle to capture a serial rapist.

6. Hometown Courtship, by Diann Hunt from Steeple Hill Love Inspired. A carpenter and a hair stylist work to build a house together--but are they building much more?

7. Lonestar Secrets, Lonestar Series Book 2, by Colleen Coble from Thomas Nelson. A young veterinarian returns to her childhood home and finds the man who humiliated her may be in custody of a daughter she thought had died.

8. Love's Rescue, The Sierra Chronicles Book One, by Tammy Barley from Whitaker House. A headstrong Southern woman falls for her kidnapper, a Western cattleman she blames for the loss of her family.

9. Maggie Rose, Second in The Daughters of Jacob Kane series , by Sharlene MacLaren from Whitaker House. Mission-minded Maggie Rose takes a job at an orphanage in New York City, never expecting to fall in love with a hardnosed newspaper reporter.

10. Menu for Romance, Brides of Bonneterre Series Book #2, by Kaye Dacus from Barbour Publishing. The Chef and the Party Planner Each Seek the Kind of Love that Requires No Reservations.

11. Montana Rose, by Mary Connealy from Barbour Publishing. Love Comes Softy, with mayhem, comedy and gunfire.

12. Ransome's Honor, Book 1 The Ransome Trilogy, by Kaye Dacus from Harvest House PUblishers. Once Youthful Sweethearts—Can Their Love Be Renewed?

13. Rose of the Adriatic, Sequel to Jewel of the Adriatic , by K.M. Daughters from The Wild Rose Press. Messages of hope and peace for the world from Our Lady of Medjugorje woven into a prayerful, fictional love story.

14. Second Chance Family, Fostered by Love Series Book 4, by Margaret Daley from Steeple Hill Love Inspired. Whitney and Shane, two wounded people, come together to try and help each other heal from their past through the appeal of a little boy who is autistic.

15. The Kidnapping of Kenzie Thorn, by Liz Johnson from Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense. Kenzie Thorn is surprised when she's kidnapped from the prison where she teaches a GED course, and even more shocking is that someone wants her dead.

16. The Last Resort, The Wanderlust Mysteries Book 2, by April Star from Five Star Gale I Cengage Learning. One woman's murder and a bottle washed ashore on the St. Anastasia beach open a Pandora's box and unleash secrets pursued by an entire camping resort . . . and the truth proves as elusive as the killer in their midst.

17. The Sacred Cipher, by Terry Brennan from Kregel Publications. An ancient, secret scroll could trigger nuclear war or world peace, four Americans are caught in the crossfire, and opposing radicals will stop at nothing to silence The Sacred Cipher.

Patti Lacy's What the Bayou Saw ~ Reviewed

What the Bayou Saw
By Patti Lacy
Published by Kregel Publications
ISBN-10: 0825429374

Description:

The past can't stay buried forever Rising author Patti Lacy's second novel exposes the life of Sally, set amid the shadows of prejudice in Louisiana. Since leaving her home in the South, Sally Stevens has held the secrets of her past at bay, smothering them in a sunny disposition and sugar-coated lies. No one, not even her husband, has heard the truth about her childhood. But when one of her students is violently raped, Sally's memories quickly bubble to the surface unbidden, like a dead body in a bayou. As Sally's story comes to light, the lies she's told begin to catch up with her. And as her web of deceit unravels, she resolves to face the truth at last, whatever the consequences.

Review:

Patti Lacy writes with abandon--exuberant prose with a magnetism aimed straight at the reader. Her second novel, What The Bayou Saw, is a compelling, page-turning read that recalls a tumultuous past, this time for Sally Stevens, a college professor. When one of her students, a gifted African-American girl, is brutally beaten, old memories that Sally has kept hidden for thirty years are stirred. As the layers are peeled back, Sally discovers not only the misdeeds of others, but also a blackness in her own soul that stemmed from an incident with her childhood friend, Ella.

Deeply honest, the prose sometimes stings with gritty reality about the prejudices of the South--from the swamps of Sally's childhood to Katrina-ravaged New Orleans. Ultimately, it's a story of faith, the sometimes twisty road to forgiveness, and God's abundant grace. I think you'll be delighted with the detours in the scenery, as Sally and Ella wrap themselves around your heart.

Patti Lacy is a gifted storyteller, with a knack for drawing rich settings that linger long after the last page.

Reviewed by Carla Stewart

Jim Stovall's The King's Legacy ~ Reviewed

The Kings’ Legacy
By Jim Stovall
Published by: David C. Cook
ISBN# 978-1-4347-6593-2
156 Pages



Back Cover:

In a land and time far from our own, there was an enchanted kingdom ruled by a benevolent and much-loved king. He had led his people through times of uncertainty and turmoil into a golden age of prosperity and peace

Now nearing the end of his storied reign, the king longs to leave a lasting legacy for future generations. He considers soaring monuments, precious coins bearing his likeness, larger-than-life statues. But then the king's most trusted advisor steps forth with a remarkable idea: To discover the wisdom of the ages, the greatest secret of the known world to benefit the entire human race.

So the king invites citizens from all walks of life and all corners of the realm to share with him the best of their life lessons. Yet as the king encounters a wealth of wisdom from his subjects, he faces a new dilemma, just how to determine the single greatest truth in life. Little does he know that the profound answer will come from the most unexpected and unassuming of places.

REVIEW:

Jim Stovall is popular speaker and has written several books. Another book I’ve read by this author was, The Ultimate Gift, it’s an amazingly powerful book that’s been made into a movie – that’s really good; make sure you watch it with tissues handy- it’s a tear jerker.

This book is written in a fairy tale fashion. Each chapter has a picture on the left hand side and the beginning of the chapter on the right. The first sentence of this book starts out, “ONCE UPON a time, there was an enchanted kingdom in a land far, far away….”

The king summons his wise men together and says, “Now that our land is enjoying a season of prosperity and peace, I wish to leave a permanent legacy of my reign as your ruler.” After talking to his wisemen the King realizes that he can’t do this task alone. He starts to seek the wisdom outside his counsel and opens up talks with people from all walks of life.

Each chapter of this book is about the King giving audience to his people from all walks of live, in search for wisdom; the very wisdom that will benefit all people and forever improve the lives of all humanity. Some of the people the King talks to are a merchant, a soldier, a poet, a farmer, a physician, a jester, a teacher, a parent and so on. The book ends with two chapters called ‘The Wisdom of the Ages’ and a special chapter just for you called ‘The Wisdom of You.’

This small book packs a thought provoking punch. It gives you a glimpse of so much wisdom from so many angles. I enjoyed it. It doesn’t take long to read. I think it’s something I’m definitely going to read to my kids.

Reviewed by: Nora St. Laurent – Book Club Servant

Siri Mitchell's Love's Pursuit ~ Reviewed

Love's Pursuit (Paperback)
by Siri Mitchell
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Bethany House; 1 edition (July 1, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0764204327

Book Description:

In the small Puritan community of Stoneybrooke, Massachusetts, Susannah Phillips stands out both for her character and beauty. She wants only a simple life but soon finds herself pursued by the town's wealthiest bachelor and by a roguish military captain sent to protect them. One is not what he seems and one is more than he seems.

In trying to discover true love's path, Susannah is helped by the most unlikely of allies, a wounded woman who lives invisible and ignored in their town. As the depth, passion, and sacrifice of love is revealed to Susannah, she begins to question the rules and regulations of her childhood faith. In a community where grace is unknown, what price will she pay for embracing love?

Read the first chapter HERE.

Review:

This is an uncomfortable read. It is fabulous story telling, and the themes are ones that need to be told. But it is not warm and fuzzy, and nor does it need to be to be told well. Siri Mitchell is an incredible author and her writing is good. She delves into the harder sides of characters lives and deals with stories that need to be told in a manner where many would just walk away from the pain and hardships. The structure took a bit to get used to and for a while was driving me crazy with jumping from one narrator to another with no hints as to which person's thoughts you were hearing as a reader.

However this book is not all prickles and stings, there are the shimmers of light one needs to grab onto to keep on going. One must grab them though and not let them pass on by. In my opinion, this is one of those stories where after reading it, you do not just get up and go back into a loud world, but you sit and contemplate and let what has been experienced soak in.

Love's Pursuit is a perfect title for this book. Through out you assume things to be one way, yet reading the back cover blurb another, and then as plot thickens and other things change you assume another. Yet to me, in reality, the title is meant in a different frame of view entirely. The first half of this book was a bit for me to trudge through, but I am so glad that I did and I do recommend the book. I recommend when you get to parts that you might want to put it down, that you keep on going, because the gift that you are given by accomplishing this read are well worth your effort.

Reviewed by: Margaret Chind



Bonus Review:

One of my all time favorite books is Geraldine Brook's Year of Wonders. Siri Mitchell's Love's Pursuit comes close. Both are tragic and horrifying in their raw honesty. Both are beautiful in description and detail, in character, and in ability to transport the reader to a vastly different time and place.

Mitchell has earned her spot in a short list of authors that I'm guaranteed to want to read regardless of the title or subject matter. And Love's Pursuit is not a book I'd pick up based on the title or the cover. A romance this is not, love story, yes. But as we all know a love story is not guaranteed a clean and happily-ever-after ending. Some reviewers have struggled with the back and forth first person point of view and the slower pace. The novel is literary fiction, meant to be absorbed, and if you expect slow going you will probably have less struggle.

The aspects of faith are woven seamlessly into the struggle of the characters' lives. But be warned that the horror of the hardships and brokenness of some characters could be troublesome for sensitive readers. The details of the Puritan life were fascinating. Mitchell, wielding a brush of vivid and stark prose, creates a story full of abuse, sexuality and violence, and paints the lives of a people attempting to create a new Zion or a city of light on a hill, and falling far short.

Reviewed by: Kelly Klepfer

Robin Shope's Wildcard ~ Reviewed

Wildcard
By Robin Shope
Published by: The Wild Rose Press
ISBN# 1-60154-487-1
221 Pages


Back Cover:

What would happen if someone secured a microchip that could be manipulated to give his or her candidate the edge to win the next presidential election? Not enough votes for a landslide, but just enough to put their candidate over the top in a decisive win.

During Ivy Dillion’s last week as a Washington Intern, she and Ms. Geneen Waters, the secretary to the President of the United States, overhear a conversation about voting machines and missing software. Months later Ms. Waters body is found floating in the Potomac River.

FBI Special Agent Ian Serby, who swears he will give his life to protect her, takes Ivy into protective custody. Ian is smart, sexy and seems to have a hidden agenda all his own.


Review:

“Ivy, never react to any situation emotionally. I survived all these years because I remained in the shadows and kept my emotions in check. It would behoove you to do the same.” This is advice from FBI Special Agent Ian Serby. .

Ivy starts an investigation of her own. Agent Sherby had told her she couldn’t trust anyone but herself - especially after uncovering information about a microchip used to manipulation election figures. Things get complicated and life threatening -the stakes of getting to the bottom of this situation are high. Ivy quickly realizes she has to stop reacting to things emotionally, like Agent Serby said. She has to think clearly and not feel—this can save her life and that of her loved ones.

When Ivy’s friend; Ms. Geneen Waters turns up dead, realization of how dangerous her predicament is comes to light. She knows she could be blamed for Ms. Geneen’s death; but why?

An agent tells Ivy she could be accused of stealing something from Ms. Waters, this is all so crazy! She tells the agent, “Look here, the only thing she had that I wanted was her love and her kindness…The most important things in life can’t be held in your hand, only in your heart.”

If the scenario in this book ever happened in real life it could rock the world. At the end I began to wonder if we’d already experienced affects of the microchip. Robin pens an endearing, action packed; suspenseful story that will keep you turning pages to find out what happens next. In parts it will make you smile as Ivy learns, who to trust and discovers the really important things in life.

Reviewed by: Nora St. Laurent – Book Club Servant Leader

Michael Snyder's Return Policy ~ Reviewed

Return Policy (Paperback)
by Michael Snyder
Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Zondervan (June 1, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0310277280



From the Back Cover:

In his second book, novelist Michael Snyder introduces us to three very unusual and distinct voices all torn by tragedy: Willy Finneran, washed-up genre novelist with an espresso maker that just won’t die and a habit of avoiding conflict even if it means putting the truth on a sliding scale. Ozena Webb, single mother and Javatek’s top customer service representative. She spends every evening playing board games with her twelve-year-old son who is mentally crippled from an early childhood accident. Shaq, a small and scraggy homeless man with trauma-induced blank spots on his memory, trying to piece together the story of his life while assisting Father Joe at the Mercy Mission. As their stories intersect, the narrative vacillates between hope and naivete, comic relief and postmodern ennui. Startling in its authenticity, this unforgettable novel reveals that no matter how far one has strayed from hope, there is always a way to return.

Review:

I was a little hesitant to read Return Policy. I loved Russell Fink and the characters Michael Snyder created so much that I was a little afraid that he couldn't quite do it again.

Return Policy is a very different book. Same unique lad-lit voice, similar deeply flawed and broken characters, same creative and capable wordsmithing, but very different. This time Snyder uses three first person points of view to tell a series of separate stories that end up connecting in a somewhat unbelievable spider web. I saw a few connections unfolding early on, but a couple snuck up on me right before the t's were crossed and the i's dotted.

Snyder's strengths are in excellent characterization. I grew to care about these people and kept reading to find out what would happen to them, hoping they would find good things at the end of the book. Snyder also manages to write almost heartbreakingly poignant scenes that scream with the unfairness of life and the tragedies that seem to wait around the corner ready to pounce on the unsuspecting and innocent. Gifted with a bizarrely charming sense of humor, Snyder laces his prose with quirky thoughts and situations. The spiritual skeleton in Return Policy is buried under the subtle layering of muscle and skin and becomes the frame on which the story is hung. Bottom line, someone not looking for a religious read may not even notice that Jesus has entered the story.

Not everyone who reads Return Policy is going to love it. Fans of action packed page turning novels will likely get frustrated with the introspection and pace of this novel. Those who read only G-rated and scripture laced fiction may have issues with some of the situations, a few words and the fact that there are no conversions in this story. Discussions, yes, but. Toward the end the pace hurried a bit, and the final strings were tied very neatly, maybe a bit too neatly. I didn't have any trouble following the changing POV, the sections and scenes are marked.

Overall, I'm a solid Michael Snyder fan and look forward to his next novel which I hope is in the works.

Reviewed by: Kelly Klepfer

Jimmy Gleacher's Silly Little Rich Girl ~ Reviewed

Silly Little Rich Girl
by Jimmy Gleacher
Publisher: Casperian Books LLC
Pub. Date: April 2009
ISBN-13: 9781934081174
144pp

Book Description:

Liza Davis is looking for something. Looking for hope, for meaning. For her sister, or her best friend. Maybe she's even looking for herself.

In Silly Little Rich Girl, Jimmy Gleacher introduces a fascinating and contradictory heroine. Privileged, famous, beautiful...Liza seems destined for a successful career on Wall Street until a series of events loosens her grip on reality and sends her on a cross-country quest. From New York to Florida to Seattle, she visits the fringes of the underworld, gets an hour's worth of fifteen minutes of fame, falls in love for the first time, and believes her obsession with finding her sibling is sisterly love.

Liza's journey is a classic road trip with a postmodern spin. Through Liza, Gleacher takes on American popular culture, from the sacred to the profane. Reality television, politicians, and evangelical Christians are just a few of Gleacher's targets in this incisive sophomore novel.

Review:

Silly Little Rich Girls is a short, short novel that packs a lot of story. Taut writing and interesting characters take readers for a walk on the wild side with Liza who sets out cross country to find her missing sister and takes her bipolar-pocked mind along for the ride. An ironic look at American culture and obsessions and a fascinating peek into mental illness, Silly Little Rich Girls is satisfying on several levels and horrifying on a few, too. R-rated with a scene of disturbing sexuality and several references to the same scene, and a smattering of F-Bombs, I’d recommend that those looking for uplifting family entertainment look elsewhere. But for those of you who find character studies and mental illness fascinating, Silly Little Rich Girls could be just the summer read you’re looking for.

Reviewed by: Kelly Klepfer