Start Here

The Harris twins are at it again. Their first book, Do Hard Things, challenged teens to step out and become "rebelutionaries" by doing unexpected things for God. Now they offer Start Here, full of examples, practical tips and vision.

Have a teen that needs some inspiration or has a desire to serve God in a particular way but is not sure where to start? No idea is too big or too small, according to Alex and Brett Harris.

"When we're willing to take risks, pursue excellence, dream big, be faithful, and do what's right no matter the cost, our actions shout that Christ is worth serving above all others." (pg. 63-64)

Start Here, by Alex and Brett Harris.
2010 offered by Multnomah in paperback.

I have two copies to give away.

Lady Carliss and the Waters of Moorue

Another fun adventure from Chuck Black, Lady Carliss and the Waters of Moorue is the fourth in the series, The Knights of Arrethtrae.

Lady Carliss, a Knight of the Prince, sets out to find those responsible for kidnapping her friend Salina's family members. Along the way she is reunited with a fellow knight, Sir Dalton, and realizes her feelings of affection for him have not left, despite all her efforts to ignore them. Meanwhile, Sir Dalton is bitten by a mysterious, vicious, poisonous creature which is able to camouflage itself in any surrounding. She finds herself in a race against time to find the antidote to the poison.

In her search she encounters a powerful Shadow Warrior and uncovers his plot to overtake the Kingdom. Will her faith in the Prince keep her strong? Who are the mysterious Silent Warriors? Can she make a choice between the life of Sir Dalton or many innocent lives?

It's geared toward teens, but if you like to read about knights, mysteries, good vs. evil, and parables of faith, you too will enjoy this winner from Chuck Black.

Paperback, 2010, from Multnomah.
I have one copy to give away.

The Friends We Keep

(note: this is a much belated review since I received the book last fall)

This is an account of the experiences of the author and of other women she consulted concerning friendships. She uses personal stories, cultural references, and historical facts to analyze friendships among women. She tries to answer questions such as why we need other women as friends, what it means to have a safe friendship, and how to embrace whatever a friend has to offer.

I stopped reading about halfway through. I found it rather boring. Susan Zacharias Davis made many references to movies, the majority of which I had not seen. Whatever comparison point she was trying to make about the way women acted towards each other in the particular movie did not mean anything to me. I am not familiar with many of the books she referenced, so again, the connection was lost.

I think I am not one for deeply analyzing relationships. I have friends and am a friend. Some friendships have come and gone over the years, depending on the circumstances and situations. True friends enjoy one another's company, recognize one another's strengths and weaknesses, and value the friendship. I believe God puts us together with other women so we can strengthen them and be strengthened by them.

There are guided discussion questions at the end of The Friends We Keep.

Paperback, 2009 from WaterBrook Press.
If you are interested, I have two copies to give away.

The Golden Cross

Need a little spring break? Want to go somewhere but can't? My suggestion is to pick up a good book or two and lose yourself in an adventure. The Golden Cross, by Angela Hunt, took me to 1642 in Dutch Batavia on the island of Java. It focused on the rough life in and around a wharf side tavern; the girls, the rowdy sailors looking for more than drink, and the opposing gentility who would not dare to set foot in that part of town.

Aidan O'Connor, after her father's death at sea, is left to be raised by her mother as a barmaid in a tavern near the docks. She has learned the skills of conversation, pick-pocketing, and how to deflect unwanted advances by drunken sailors. She also has a God-given talent for drawing and capturing the essence of her subjects. She meets a world-famous cartographer and artist who becomes her mentor. He wants to take her on a voyage searching for a new world to add artistic embellishments of flora and fauna to the maps he will will be making.

I did not care for the epilogue portions of the book. While they tried to give some background, I felt they were unnecessary.

Intrigue, disguises, romance, and adventure surround Aidan in The Golden Cross. If you want a fun, fast-paced book, I think you will enjoy this.


Paperback, 1998, by WaterBrook Press
I have one copy to give away.

Dancing with My Father

Soothing. That's my reaction to Sally Clarkson's new book, Dancing with My Father. Personal reflection led her to realize, as she was moving day after day through task after task, she was missing something in her life. What was it? Joy. Not happiness, but the joy of delighting in God's presence.

She determined to begin focusing on recognizing how she delighted God and how she could find delight and joy in His presence no matter the circumstance. Dancing with My Father shares her gleanings. "Joy, then, comes in embracing the opportunity to be a part of his world of righteousness and preparing to live with him in that kingdom for eternity." (page 50)

Feeling worn down? Wondering where the joy is in your life? Take a stroll through Dancing with My Father and you will be refreshed.


Published by WaterBrook Press in paperback, 2010.
If you should choose to use them, there are introspective questions at the end of every chapter for more in-depth focus and study.
I have one copy to give away.