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.

The Bride Collector, by Ted Dekker

Review by Jen Nofziger

Boy, I am excited to start another year of WoW Connect! I have spent some time this summer getting familiar with a new library system and collecting book ideas to share with you.  So, grab a cup of coffee (though, if I can get my hands on some cider, I think I would warm myself a cup), settle in and enjoy a book with me!

Okay, have you read any of Ted Dekker's books? I have just finished reading Dekker's The Bride Collector. I picked it up off the "recently returned books" shelf at my new local library. The "recently returned books" shelf is one of my favorite places to start a random book search. I also recognized the book as one a friend had once recommended, so I thought I'd give it shot.

After reading The Bride Collector, again, I am surprised by the world of "religious fiction" as I travel along this 'coffee and a book' path. I've been reading and writing this blog for a while now and I know I keep being surprised.  At some point it has to stop, doesn't it? In this case though, I'm not sure just how "religious" this book would be considered. God and faith definitely are an important part of the plot and the characters, but not in a role that I would expect (though I guess we have already established that I may not know what I am talking about). The killer has a tainted view of God and God's love that drives him to do what he does, and what he does is quite horrible. The book does speak to the incredible deep love that God has for His children. The message is there, but the delivery is a little . . . umm, frightening? Eerie? Twisted?

A serial killer, dubbed the "Bride Collector" because he covers beautiful young women with a veil after brutally murdering them, has killed again. The killer believes he is serving God by bringing Him those he believes God loves most. Trying to stop this gruesome serial killer is FBI agent Brad Raines. Looking for help, the FBI turns to a hodge-podge group of  mentally ill and incredibly intelligent residents at the Center of Wellness and Intelligence. Raines is particularly drawn to one resident who just may be able to help him see into the murderer's mind and catch the murderer before he strikes again.

By the time I got to the end of this thriller, there are parts I liked about it. I liked how Dekker presents a well written, provoking, and clear picture of the confrontation between good and evil. I like the incredible suspense, the many twists and turns and surprises. This is definitely a psychological thriller. And of course, I prefer books with an ending I didn't see coming!

What bothered me about this book was that there are parts of the story that are, well, maybe not for everyone. It gets quite macabre, and there are some disturbing images and actions (some of which may be considered inappropriate) that would lead me to hesitate to recommend the book to just anyone. I may read other Ted Dekker books in the future, but I think for the next WoW Connect, I am going to try to find a sweet story!

Who's Grace, by James R. Coggins

Review by Jen Nofziger

Now, I don't want to give away all my secrets when it comes to finding the book I choose to read for my "Coffee and a Book" blog.  I will confess, though, that in the past it has had a lot to do with eye-catching colors and the thickness (or thinness) of the book.  This month's choice was a little different.  Since I had some extra time to browse Sugar Grove Church's Resource Center, I thought it might be interesting to find a book that has not been read by many people.  It's probably a good thing (as far as the Resource Center is concerned) that I didn't find a book that had never been checked out, but I did find a book that had only been checked out twice in the last 5 years or so.  Hmmm, as I write this though, I realize just because there are only two dates stamped on the back, that doesn't mean only two people read it, because it appears I neglected to actually check the book out myself!  But you get the idea: this particular book does not seem to have a high rate of circulation. 

The book I found is Who's Grace by James R. Coggins.  On the cover the book, it says this book is "A John Smyth Mystery." Apparently, it is the first of three books in the mystery series.  Coggins' book takes place in Winnipeg, Canada, where John Smyth is the editor of a church denominational magazine (as is the author of the book), who thinks he witnessed a murder from his airplane as it prepared to land at the Winnipeg airport.  He decides to report what he saw, but (surprisingly enough) is met with skepticism by both the Winnipeg police and the Mounties.

The book takes all sorts of fantastic twists and turns (at one point even the "religious fanatic" John Smyth himself is suspected) and can be quite fascinating.  It is a nice, quick read that tells an interesting story while sharing the idea of God's grace and what all that entails with the reader.

Who's Grace can be a little tricky to follow sometimes with quite a few scene changes that can be rather abrupt.  There are also a lot of characters to keep track of in this book, and there really isn't much depth to any one character, which I found a little frustrating.  I wonder if the author was setting up some of them for future appearances in his series. I won't ruin the ending for you, but I will say you won't see it coming and I don't necessarily mean that in a good way.

Overall, I would say Who's Grace is a nice little story to read.  It wasn't a great book, but is a good book and it is probably worth "checking out."

Home Another Way, by Christa Parrish

Review by Jen Nofziger

On the third Thursday of each month, ladies  from Sugar Grove Church (mostly, but not all) meet to discuss the book of the month for the WoW Book Worms book club.  For the last 6 months or so, I have had the privilege of "leading" this group.  Basically, "leading" means showing up (Coffee and conversation? Yeah, it's tough!) and picking out the books we read.  Choosing the books is obviously the harder task.  I try to get input from other participants and mix it up so that we have opportunities to read from different genres (sometimes that gets me in a little trouble, though).   I have enjoyed reading books I wouldn't usually pick to read for myself, and it is always interesting to hear everyone's opinions and thoughts on the books we have read.

For this month's blog, I thought it might be a good idea to write a review for a book we read for the book club, partly because when someone from the club suggested it, it sounded like a brilliant idea, and partly because the deadline for this month's blog really snuck up on me.  For March, we read Home Another Way by Christa Parrish.  It would probably make for a more interesting blog if I chose a book that everyone did not agree on (hmmm, after hearing some early discussion about April's book, I may have next month's blog book already chosen), but everyone that made it in March really enjoyed Home Another Way, myself included. 

Christa Parrish writes a captivating first novel. This book is not the "Christian cliché" you might think (well, I certainly thought) when you hear it is the story of a big city girl with a chip on her shoulder going to a little town where just about everyone seems to be a Christian.  It is a heartwarming, funny, sweet story and I was drawn in right away. From the first sentence of the book,  "I had twenty-three borrowed dollars in my pocket, and the deed to a house in a town I couldn't find on any map," I wondered where this book was going to take Sarah Graham.

Sarah does eventually find her way to Jonah, New York where she is going to have to stay 6 months in order to receive her inheritance from her estranged father. Lucky for Sarah, Jonah is filled with all sorts of  real to life people, people who make mistakes and have pasts they're not proud of, who are there to help her find her way and fight her demons. 

Besides enjoying the book, just about everyone else in the group seemed to agree on one other thing:  the ending was not how we would have done it! I'm not sure if it was disappointment or surprise, but I think it is fair to say everyone is hoping this great writer pens another book so that we can find out how is Sarah is doing!

I really enjoyed Home Another Way and I hope you check it out of the SGC resource center and enjoy it too!

Blue Night, by Cindy McCormick Martinusen

Review by Jen Nofziger

About a year ago, I started keeping a list of books that I would like to read.  I add to it when friends recommend books, when I hear about something on the radio, conversations on facebook, etc.  I keep it as a list with our family's on-line calendar so I can access from anywhere, any time (you never know when you'll have the opportunity to acquire reading material).  If I read a book on the list, I cross it off, but it remains on the list so that I know: 1) At some point, for some reason, I wanted to read that book, and 2) I have read that book (sometimes I forget things and sometimes books aren't memorable).  At this point, just counting the books not crossed off, there are well over fifty books on the list! 

Now, not everything I read is on this list, but when I find myself without a book to read, it is nice to have this list to go to.  Also, if I find myself reading a book (whether from this list or not) that just isn't working for me, I know that there are (now that I have counted them for this piece) at least 50 other books I want to get to.  This should make it easy for me to put down a book I am not enjoying.  It doesn't.  I like to tell myself that I can always quit a book, but I rarely do it.  I'm not sure if it is because I am obsessive (can not leave a single task incomplete, now can we? ) or because I am an incurable optimist (some good has to come out of this, doesn't it?). 

Books like Blue Night by Cindy McCormick Martinusen are partly to blame for this sort of dilemma.  Just when I would almost give up hope and find myself reading along, thinking "Hmm, where is this going and how long is it going to take?!"  BAM! there would be a twist or development I didn't see coming and I would be hooked again.  I was about halfway through the book when I couldn't put the book down.  And the further I got the more hooked I was.  You just never know if a book is going to turn like that.  I'm glad I persevered and finished it (and not just because if I didn't I would have had to find another one and finish it before this review was due!).

 Once things started coming together in this book, I could hardly wait to find out how it was going to end!  Martinsusen does a masterful job tying together World War II Austria and present day Kate Porter.  One of the more enjoyable aspects of this book is how Martinsusen takes you to some beautiful locations including Austria and Venice.  As Kate's search for her missing husband crosses paths with Nazi history, the story becomes not only informative, but also more and more attention-grabbing.  The fact that I love both Voyage of the Dawn Treader and My Utmost for His Highest and the author uses these classics to add texture to the story is probably another reason I found myself enjoying her book.

After I finished this book, I discovered Blue Night is actually the second of three in a series.  As far as I can tell, I didn't miss out not having read the first book (and I don't know if the others are in the Resource Center at Sugar Grove as this one is), but I'm  thinking I will add those other books to my list because I really enjoyed this one!

Blue Night is available in the SGC Resource Center.

To purchase, click here.

The Apothecary's Daughter, by Julie Klassen

Review by Jen Nofziger

Let me just get this out of the way:  I loved this book!  I really did!  At first glance, this book isn't the type I would usually pick up and read.  I hate to admit this, but the only reason I read it in the first place was because it was free and delivered to my e-reader! That being said, I was captivated from the very beginning by this enjoyable, fascinating story.

The Apothecary's Daughter, by Julie Klassen, is the story of Lillian Haswell and her yearning for something more.  As a woman in 1800's England, she is not allowed to follow in her father's and grandfather's footsteps as an apothecary.  This really is not a problem for Lilly, because she cannot wait to bust out of her tiny village and find adventure beyond Bedsley Priors.  When her opportunity to escape to London with her aunt and uncle comes along, she is quick to take it and start her long-hoped for adventure.  In London she enjoys the life of a lady, and, with the help of her aunt and uncle, she seeks an appropriate suitor.

This is where I would usually close the book (or hit the power button) and be done.  First of all, it's historical fiction.  Historical fiction tends not to be a "go-to" book for me to read under just about any circumstance, but hey, it was free!  Secondly, there is all this love-interest intrigue stuff.  While Klassen weaves an absorbing tale, I found myself (as a friend put it):  "irritated by her Jane Austen-like dithering over possible beaus!" (Kathy, I had to steal that line, it's spot on!) I think it would be fair to say that romantic historical fiction is a genre I usually avoid and rarely like. I know there are many readers that really love that element in a story - and they would probably love this book even more than I did!  

Ms. Klassen does an especially good job developing the characters in her story, they are so authentic and likable.  You get to know them quite well and can't help but be interested in their stories and their lives.  Another "character" in the book is apothecary.  The author must have done extensive research to make it so real to the reader and it was such a fascinating aspect to read and learn about.

One thing I really liked about this book is that it wasn't just a good story with some Scripture thrown in to make it "Christian fiction," nor was it "preachy" and overbearing with Christian themes.  The book tells the story of faith for the characters that struck me as genuine.  It's a story of a true relationship (or lack thereof) between a person and how his/her faith can play out.

I would have to say that my favorite part of this book is that even with all the twists and turns, it is believable, and that you don't see the end coming from the beginning (you should know by now how I feel about that!).  Check this book out of the Resource Center (when it arrives in the near future), and let me know what you think!

This book will soon be available in the SGC Resource Center

To purchase, click here.

Women's Intuition, by Lisa Samson

Reviewed by Jen Nofziger

Wow!  Sometimes I just get lucky!  The theme for this month's 'issue' of WoW Connect! is "New Beginnings".  And dear sweet patient Laurie, who does a most fantastic job of getting this blog up and running every month, gives me much leeway and freedom when it comes to trying to read a book that follows the theme every month.

This is a good thing because this month I walked into the resource center at SGC, not even remembering what the theme was supposed to be, and picked out Women's Intuition by Lisa Samson.  I picked it out because: 1) It was at eye level (I was in a bit of a hurry - and not just because I had waited until the last minute to get to work on this project) and 2) It had a pretty green color on the spine that caught my eye.  There.  Now you know my top-secret book-selecting technique that will revolutionize the literary world! 

I had never heard of the author, Lisa Samson, before, though I could see from reading the back of the book that she has written a dozen books. So I may be the only one that hasn't enjoyed at least one of her books.  As I have said in previous blogs, I really need to expand my Christian fiction world!

Also, I may have mentioned before that one of the reasons I tend to avoid Christian fiction is I'd rather pass on some of the 'preachiness' that might be found in such a book.  I like to be entertained, maybe learn something, even enlightened and encouraged, but not preached at. I know that not all Christian fiction preaches, but with so many other options, why take that chance ;-) !  I loved and was impressed with how this book tells the story of God's love and mercy and forgiveness without the preaching (it sort of preached without being 'preachy).  If you have never heard the message before, it's in there and you can't miss it.  And if you have heard the message a hundred times, you'll find it here fresh and real.

But here's the best part (for me, anyway):  this book is about new beginnings!  Women's Intuition tells the story of four women who are brought together under one roof under less than desirable conditions.  Lark and her daughter must return to Lark's childhood home where Lark's mother and her longtime housekeeper welcome them with open arms. This beautiful story of growth and forgiveness and mercy is told in the first person from each of the women's perspective and the author does an amazing, amazing job of telling each woman's story using each character's own voice.  The women are all so different.  Different fears, different faiths, different stages of faith, different ages, different: generations, each with her own quirks and secrets and strengths and weaknesses.  They become so real and memorable as the story unfolds.  And, even though each of them is so different, I would guess you would see a bit of yourself in each one. 

I really enjoyed Women's Intuition. It is just a beautifully written, captivating story that kept my attention throughout.  I couldn't help but get wrapped up in each woman's life, their ups, their downs, their struggles and their triumphs.  It's in the Resource Center, so check it out!

Available in the SGC Resource Center.  Click here to purchase e-book.