Three Reviews in One!

Reviews by Jen Nofziger

I did not read one book for this month's Coffee and a Book.  I read three. Well, at least parts of three. Lucky for me I got an early start this month! In case you may think this early start is typical I should tell you that what I really wanted to read was the rest of the “Hunger Games” series, but I knew if I started book two, I'd want to move on to book three, and I just wouldn't have the time to get those AND a book review done by the deadline (though I did wonder how interested WoW Connect! readers would be in hearing about what I think about “Hunger Games”).

So I started with the book at the top of my “Books that Look Interesting for Coffee and a Book” list:  A Wedding Invitation by Alice Wisler.

Here's the thing: I don't see the point of telling you about a book I didn't like. There are a gazillion books out there, and how can it be helpful for me to tell you to avoid a book that you would probably not come across if I hadn't mentioned it? I will tell you this much: I read this book through to the end, but did not really enjoy it. A Wedding Invitation is a light read, a modern day love story. That it took place in a city I had lived in years ago (Washington, DC) and the city I currently live in (Winston-Salem, North Carolina) was strangely coincidental, but sometimes the story is hard to follow, and the characters weren't all that interesting to me. I couldn't find a lot of nice things to say about this book,so I decided to try again.

The next book on “The List” (that was also available at the library) was Journey to Riverbend by Henry McLaughlin. I picked this one up: 1) Because it was available; 2) Because it was interesting that it was a historical fiction romance written by a male; and 3) It had a “Jerry B. Jenkins Christian Writers Guild” award, so it had to be well written, right? 

Here's something you should know: when it comes to sharing my opinions on books, I really have no idea what I am doing. I noticed this particularly this month because as I read A Wedding Invitation, I knew from the start that I did not like this book. When I picked up Journey to Riverbend, I knew right away it was better, but I don't know why. It seems if I am going to impersonate a reviewer of books, I should know these things, but I don't. Journey to Riverbend was well written, from what I read of it. After getting about 70 pages into it, I decided to put it down and try something else. Like I said, it was well written, it seemed to have the makings of a good story, but it was a historical fiction romance, and I just felt we had already gone there and didn't need to do it again. On to book number three.

My third, and final, attempt at a book this month is Kingdom's Dawn, the first book in Chuck Black's “Kingdom” series. Kingdom's Dawn is a short book, which is lucky for me, since time was running short! It is also very well written and engaging, which also made for a quick read. It is actually geared toward teen readers (the back cover says it's “Pilgrim's Progress for the X Box generation”) and pre-teens and teens might especially enjoy this book and series. Black has written this series of allegories, albeit sometimes thinly veiled allegories, as Bible stories written as medieval fantasy stories with knights and castles and lots of action. I was sucked in right away and would recommend Kingdom's Dawn.

So there you have it. Three books and my humble opinion. Happy reading!

The Fence My Father Built, by Linda S. Clare

Review by Jen Nofziger

Muri Pond is seeking peace. She has packed up everything she owns and her kids, left Portland and headed to the land of her Native American ancestors in the Oregon desert. Muri's dad has passed away, her husband has fallen in love with someone else, and she has lost her job. She could use some peace, and maybe the rolling hills and rural life is where she will find it.

The Fence My Father Built, by Linda S. Clare, tells the story of Muri and of finding home. Muri hasn't seen her father since she was three, when her mother left him. Though Muri has fond memories of her father, her mother was sure to let Muri know that he was a religious nut with a drinking problem and Muri was better off without him. Still, Muri has always meant to find him, but he passes away and leaves his land to her before she does.

Muri learns of her father's death and that there is a battle for her father's land in a letter from her Aunt Lutie and Uncle Tiny - and off to Murkee she goes. Life does not get any more peaceful for Muri when she arrives in Murkee. Her father's land may not be hers for very long if the town “bully” gets his way, her fourteen year-old daughter runs away leaving no trace, and it turns out her aunt is as much an annoying religious fanatic as her father supposedly was. Through it all, Muri wonders, if this God of her father and aunt exists, how could he possibly care about or understand what is going on in Muri's life?

I enjoyed The Fence My Father Built. I found Linda Clare's storytelling style easy to read. I loved the themes of this story: home-coming, peace-seeking/finding, family-unifying. I especially enjoyed Joe Pond, Muri's father. He appears in the book through his journal entries and is easily my favorite character. Through his journal entries, he shares his love for his daughter, but the pain of having to live without her; his addiction to alcohol, but his desire to “live right”; his Native American heritage, and his faith in his God. The story is hard to follow in parts. The writing and time line is awkward in places, which was distracting and could get frustrating. There are times when there is too much detail, and times there is not enough. It's not great literature, but overall, it was a nice story.

P.S. If you have a Nook or Nook app, I can lend you this book. ;-)

The Novelist, by Angela Hunt

Review by Jen Nofziger

In The Novelist, Angela Hunt writes of Jordan Casey Kerrigan, a wildly successful author struggling with her grown, alcoholic son who appears to be spiraling out of control. In the midst of this, Jordan Casey Kerrigan undertakes a new task, teaching college students how to write their first novel. Here, she finds she has the opportunity to learn more than she could possibly teach. Challenged by an ornery student, confronting her faith as it relates to her work, and trying to reach her son, Jordan decides to create an allegory that she hopes will portray the love of God and his plans for his people.

According to her website, Angela Hunt has more than 100 titles to her credit. As far as I can remember, I have not read any of her books before this one. I am definitely going to read some more! I didn't want this book to end. I was drawn to the characters and to their stories. The story within the story is so well written; creatively and clearly sharing the author's vision of who she believes her God to be and what he is capable of. Between the two stories, we, along with the protagonists, explore faith, sovereignty, free will, creation, and creator.

Hunt shares many amazing truths about God in this story. One of my favorites is when the “creator” meets her creation and realizes what she has learned about her creator:

“You know what? I used to think the creator tested me to discover how strong I was. Lately, though, I've begun to realize he has an entirely different purpose in mind. The author of my life knows everything about me, so he already knows how strong I am. The tests come to me – and to you – so we know how strong the creator is when he carries us through what we can't handle alone.”

Hunt writes of an author who writes a story where she can work her will, as the creator, and develop her characters. In the end, she is reminded that her creator has done the same. A great lesson for us all. Sometimes we need to learn it, and sometimes we need to learn it again. This book is a delightful way to be reminded.

Homespun Bride, by Jillian Hart

Review by Jen Nofziger

This book got my attention on the very first page, where I read: “For 60 years, Harlequin has been providing millions of women with pure reading pleasure. We hope you enjoy this great story!” Now, I don't know what “Harlequin romance” conjures up in your mind, but I will tell you, an eyebrow was raised a little when I read that little snippet! It appears Harlequin is in the “inspirational historical romance” business now. Who knew?!

So, with this rather intriguing information roaming around in the back of my mind, I started Homespun Bride by Jillian Hart. As you may have guessed, from its Harlequin beginnings, Homespun Bride is a romance; a mushy, sappy, predictable love story that I happened to find myself enjoying.

Jillian Hart writes a story that effortlessly whisks you off to another time and place. While there in the Montana Territory during the 1880's, you get to know Noelle. Noelle has lost just about everything: her parents, her eyesight, the love of her life, and the hope for a family of her own. But then her long lost love returns to town after ten years – and breaking her heart – and they both discover God's plans for each of them may not be what they expected.

There were a few things that I did not enjoy about this story, but they may only be applicable to me. A common plot in romantic fiction that makes me crazy is when the protagonist seems to slip into a martyr role, believing that she must make incredibly difficult, self-sacrificing decisions, thinking she knows what is best for someone else, whether or not she really knows what is best. I know it adds layers to the story, but I can find it tiring. Toward the end of the book, the author uses the word “darlin'” a gazillion times (give or take).  It was awkward and distracting, which probably seems nit-picky, but it really was annoying. Also (and I hope you read this book and get back to me, because I wonder if I am losing my mind), the author seems to switch perspectives in the story randomly, so sometimes I found myself a little confused.

In spite of these shortcomings, I thought the story was sweet and pleasant. I found the characters to be interesting and enjoyed spending some time with them. Their story was endearing and their hopes and obstacles were pleasant to share with them. In this book, love and determination triumph (surprise!) and all is well in the end.

It's not great literature.  It's not going to change your life, but if you have some time to snuggle up and be taken to another time and place by a (mostly) well written story where the characters will remind you of God's faithfulness, timing, and plans, this is a good book just for that!

Facing Your Giants, by Max Lucado

Review by Jen Nofziger

As I sit down to write this month's column, I believe this just may be the shortest review ever. It could go something like this: You should read this book; it is really good. Short and sweet. Or it could be the longest one ever as I could go on and on about what I liked, why I liked it, and how there's so much useful and applicable information in it.  So, please settle in and let's see how this goes.

It has been many, many years since I have read a Max Lucado book, and after reading Facing Your Giants, I wonder why that is. The book is subtitled:“A David and Goliath Story for Everyday People,” and the author takes us on a journey through David's ups and downs while showing us how we can face our giants.

David's giant was a nine-and-a-half foot Philistine. Our giant comes in countless forms: bills, revenge, remorse, fear, depression, parents, children, work, school  . . .  The one thing we need to know is that we can overcome our giants the same way David did his, by focusing on our God. As Lucado points out, if we focus on our giants, we will stumble, but if we focus on our God, our giants will stumble. And really, if you can remember that, why read the book, because that is pretty much all you need to know, isn't it? But I would recommend reading the book because as Lucado goes through David's life, we see sometimes how David does it right and sometimes how David does it wrong (and how we might avoid similar pitfalls when facing our own giants). 

There are times when Lucado feels he needs to share what he imagines would be the thoughts and actions of David and others in the Bible. If I have one complaint about the book, it would be this. I found this bothersome, partly because I don't see that the Bible needs to be modified in order to be relevant. But some may enjoy these vignettes and maybe even find them helpful in relating the Biblical account to their own lives. They were a distraction to me. This is just one technique the author uses as he digs deep into David's life, into his struggles and successes, as he helps us to see how to apply what he finds.

The book is well written, the ideas clearly presented and incredibly thorough, covering many topics. I found it to be an easy read that drew me in and kept me interested throughout. There are familiar David stories as well as new (to me) David stories. Lucado follows a simple, effective formula in each chapter as he covers many episodes from David's life. There are the highs (Goliath, Brook Besor) and lows (grieving, family), victories and defeats. Like Lucado says “In David's good moments, no one was better. In his bad moments, could one be worse? The heart God loved was a checkered one.”

And then in the end,  Lucado leaves us with five stones (like David had picked up) we need to overcome our giants. Pick up the book and check it out, even if you're not facing any giants at the time, it is always good to remember who our God is and what He has done, just in case!

Arena, by Karen Hancock

Review by Jen Nofziger

While we lived in Goshen, I had a very tried and true scientific method for picking out books for the WoW Connect! columns. I would walk into the Sugar Grove Church Resource Center, scan the spines of books, and grab one that caught my eye. Being behind schedule, in a hurry and having a deadline would be variables that helped perfect this technique. Now that the SGC Resource Center is no longer an option, my technique has been tweaked . . . a little bit.

So, it is off to the "new" public library for me.  My tried and true technique gets a little tricky here. Ideally, I would walk into the library, head to the Religious Fiction section, pick up a book that catches my eye, and be done. I have a good reason for picking "the one that catches my eye."  If I do too much reading of back covers and reviews and such, then I might pick only books that seem interesting and/or potentially good (in my opinion) and therefore won't get the variety necessary to make this column more interesting for everyone.

Here is where my "technique" breaks down:  There are 10 libraries in our "system" and, as far as I can tell, they are not organized in any fashion that makes my life easy. Some branches (but not the most convenient for me) separate the religious fiction from other fiction, others sometimes use stickers on the spine to differentiate in the general fiction, but, as far as I can tell, often times no distinction is made (depending on the branch). Obviously, as far as libraries go, I can't complain. I mean really, 10 branches, one of which is three floors full of books, glorious books? (And an 'old fashioned' typewriter, which is kind of cool.)  You might be thinking all my troubles would be solved if I just did some research ahead of time, determined a book, looked online for which branch or branches carries it and where in that library that book would be found. I'll let you know how that works  . . . someday . . . hopefully!

That being said, the book I found for this month (quite miraculously) was located in the general fiction section of the main library, with a "science fiction" sticker on it. You can find it at the Goshen Public Library in the Youth section (hmmm) or in the Inspirational Fiction section of the Main and Cleveland branches of the Elkhart Public Library. (Maybe categorizing library books isn't as easy as I think!) And, of course most bookstores.

Arena, by Karen Hancock was a thoroughly enjoyable book. I wasn't too sure I would like it when I picked it up off the shelf because it was 'stickered' as "science fiction," but Karen Hancock was an author we had read once in the WoW book club. Science fiction might be an interesting area to delve into, so I checked it out.

This allegory reminds the reader of how God can and does use all sorts of circumstances to reach His people. While the circumstances for the characters in this story would be quite outlandish, it is science fiction after all, it still points to this basic truth, which is applicable to "real life".

Callie and her friend Meg are pulled into a world beyond imagination where they face amazing trials and adversity while trying to get back home. They meet many people along the way that may or may not be there to help. There's adventure, there's love, there's aliens . . .

The story is an account of faith, a reminder to have faith, have faith, have faith (and then keep the faith).  And a story of how that faith can grow. And fail. And be questioned.  And then there is forgiveness. In their new world there are boundaries that exist not to keep people out, but to encourage people to make the right choices before they find their way out.

This book was just so well written. A wonderful story that I am glad I "happened" to come across when I was wandering around the library.

Firstborn, by Robin Lee Hatcher

Review by Jen Nofziger

If you read last month's installment of "Coffee and a Book," you know that this month I was going to try to find a wholesome story to enjoy - and hopefully recommend to you! Firstborn, by Robin Lee Hatcher, fit the bill rather well. This was a nice contemporary fiction book to curl up with and enjoy a nice warm salted caramel mocha (to which I may be addicted).

Erika Welby has quite the idyllic life in Idaho. She has married her high school sweetheart and together they have raised their son as they lived their “happily ever after." That's a great place to start, now isn't it?

Erika and Steven have been Christians for about ten years and have done a pretty good job of raising their son, Ethan. Steven's best friend since forever, Dallas, and his wife find the Welbys' faith a crazy idea that may work for others, but just is not for them. Except for Erika's cantankerous father and their shaky relationship, everyone is cruising right along and enjoying their smooth life. Until . . .  Erika gets a letter. 

Erika has managed to hide quite the secret for over 20 years, and now things are going to get interesting. Erika and Steven's marriage faces a crises when Erika receives the letter from the daughter she gave up for adoption 22 years ago. Kirsten is on her way to Boise from Philly to start a new job (Interesting side note: she makes a stop near South Bend while on her way). Not surprisingly, as everyone has to come to terms with what is happening and how they are going to deal with it, Steven and Erika's marriage is tested and revealed for what it really is.

I did enjoy reading this book. The story was a little formulaic, which may have been comforting after the last book, but not usually a characteristic I enjoy.  So, I wouldn't say it was “can't put down” good, (though I wish I had found that was the case, because then maybe writing this wouldn't have been so last minute!), but more “that was a heartfelt, well-written story” good. Hatcher clearly communicates to the reader everyone's thoughts and feelings as they work through an incredibly trying time. The author tells the tale of betrayal through the eyes of the Christian whose faith is tested, the Christian who "fails," the unbeliever who is drawn to God, the “baby” Christian who shows maturity beyond his years and a God who is always faithful. There is incredible trauma, great triumph and improbable forgiveness in this book, and gives you the opportunity to ask what you would do.