Sarah, Marek Halter

Book Review: From the lands of ancient Ur comes a story of an amazing woman. A woman who's beauty was unrivaled, who became the mother of a civilization so great its numbers rival the grains of sand. A woman who went from the palaces of her pagan childhood to the tents of the beduin people; those who followed the One True God.

In Sarah Halter takes us in the footsteps of an amazing woman in Biblical History, Sarah wife of Abraham. But before she was Sarah, she was Sarai, "born in a house with thirty rooms in a city that contained a hundred similar houses, its most beautiful temple as high as the hill of Qiryat-Arba, its outer walls thicker than an ox."

Our Bible characters, are sometimes without faces; without personalities. They are the people who were inspired by God. This book brought this most mysterious of women to my attention... She was more than Abraham's wife, she was more than 'the woman who was barren but God healed'; in this books Halter brings her to life. Her fears, her desires, her destiny are all alive and shining with the brilliance of God's plan for her life. A truly worthy read!

Book Synopsis: Yet another entry in the burgeoning subgenre of fictional portraits of biblical women (see, for example, Rebecca Kohn's retelling of the story of Queen Esther in The Gilded Chamber), Halter's novel (the first in a trilogy) adheres to a by now familiar formula: frank sexual and emotional revelations presented against a backdrop of burnished interiors. Halter's Sarah is born Sarai, the daughter of one of the most powerful lords of Ur.

At the age of 12, she is pledged in marriage to a man she has never met, and despite the finery of her bridal chamber ("Everything was new.... Linen rakutus as smooth as a baby's skin"), she flees in distress. Dragged back to her father's house, she doses herself with an herbal concoction that leaves her barren and is made a priestess of Ishtar, Ur's goddess of war. Six years later, an encounter with her childhood love, the handsome Abram, furnishes her with the chance she's been waiting for: she escapes with him and joins his nomadic tribe.

Her contentment is short-lived, because Abram is called by God to leave his tribe and set out for a new land, whereupon the familiar (but freely adapted) Bible story unfolds. The misery Sarah feels at being barren, the indecent love her nephew Lot expresses for her, her encounter with Pharaoh and her quarrel with Hagar, the slave woman who gives Abram a child, shape the novel's second half. Halter isn't afraid to present headstrong Sarah as bitter in her old age, and his complex portrait of the biblical matriarch gives this solid if predictable novel a dash of freshness.

Synopsis Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition. Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.com

The Outsider, Ann H, Gabhart

Book Review: My friend bought me this book and when I saw it I thought it was going to be a really good book. It was a good christian romance novel, but as a christian I didnt believe in the things the "shakers" believed. I am not going to get into what they believe, but if you are a christian then you probably will be the same way. If you like romance then this book is good for that. All I really have to say is that I am glad that I was not raised the way the children are raised in this book.

Book Synopsis:Shaker romance" might seem like an oxymoron, but Gabhart (Summer of Joy) pens an interesting if emotionally lukewarm historical tale that explores the fascinating world of a religious Shaker community. The predictable story line is less compelling than the details about the Shakers and their stringent religious beliefs, with celibacy key to the plot. Set amid the War of 1812, the point of view shifts between the two romantic leads. Twenty-year-old Sister Gabrielle Hope's spiritual visions enable her to see future events. Although she's committed to the Shaker community of Harmony Hill (based on Kentucky's real-life Pleasant Hill), a few words and a kiss from the widowed outsider Dr. Brice Scott cause her to question the life she and her mother have chosen. More uncertainty follows as the strict rules of the community separate mothers from their children. Disappointingly, the romance never tingles, and even the novel's darker scenes of suicide and military execution are emotionally flat. But fans of Beverly Lewis's Amish novels may find Gabhart's well-researched historical fiction to their liking. (Aug.)Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

for more information or to purchase:http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbninquiry.asp?r=1&r=1&ISBN=9780800732394

The Immortal, Angela Hunt

Book Review:

Claudia Fischer is known as "the Seer", a jury consultant who has a remarkable ability to read people. She is content to work for even clients she is certain are guilty, convincing herself they are "innocent until proven guilty" and deserve the best defense they are able to get. That is, until she signs up for a consulting job with an organization created to promote peace among the nations.

Her new job takes her to Rome where she meets up with a man named Asher Genzano who claims to be 2000 years old, a man who's first-hand accounts of the Crucifixion, the Inquisition, the Holocaust, and countless periods of history are so filled with details that she is uncertain if he is telling the truth or a raving lunatic who spouts bible prophecy and is convinced he must stop the rise of the Antichrist.

Her search for answers amidst tragedy, global espionage and organizational conspiracies uncovers more than she expected, not just about Asher and the organization she works for, but about herself and about God.

I found the book intriguing and enjoyed reading about the main character's adjustment to living in another country and culture, but I was not as drawn into the story as I had hoped I would be. I know the author is great at research, but she states in the back of the book she's never been to Italy and I found that evident while reading. Angela seemed to skim the surface of some details and it seemed to drag at times. Even though there was some closure, I agree with the synopsis that some threads were left danging at the end of the book.

I enjoyed the book enough, but I thought it was not one of her better works and it would not be my first recommendation of her books.

Book Synopsis:

From Publishers Weekly: Christy Award-winning author Hunt takes on the Legend of the Wandering Jew in this apocalyptic evangelical Christian novel. Asher Genzano, an employee of Rome's peace-loving Global Union organization, stuns his American colleague Claudia Fischer when he claims to be 2000 years old. Cursed to wander the Earth until Christ's return, he has sought and fought prospective anti-Christs in each generation. He is convinced that the anti-Christ of 2000 is their suave, cosmopolitan boss, rapidly rising to international power by covertly crushing his opposition. The plot is creative, though not quite up to the standard Hunt established with By Dawn's Early Light; a few loose threads still dangle at the conclusion.

Synopsis courtesy of amazon.com For more info go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Immortal-Angela-Hunt/dp/1595540423/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242583971&sr=1-1

Magdalene, Angela Hunt

Book Review: I fell in love with this book. I read this one around Easter, and again it was so fitting. This was a powerful story of redemption, beautifully written. The ending was absolutely amazing and had me on the edge of my seat and in tears. A must read.

Book Synopsis:
Mary Magdalene
The controversial woman with a past only one Man could forgive. A true love story that changed the face of history.
"I was Miryam of Magdala, seller of fine fabrics and wife of Yaakov the fisherman. With my husband and son, I held a place of honor among my countrymen until a company of rogue soldiers took everything from me. I might not be Roman, but I knew injustice when I saw it. And I had been most grievously wronged."
In an era when women are sequestered and silenced, Miryam of Magdala lives a contended life until her son’s careless gesture evokes a hostile action that shatters her serenity. With no hope of justice, Miryam commits and unthinkable act…and descends into depths of darkness that threaten her life and her sanity.
Even after Yeshua the Messiah dramatically restores her life, Miryam can neither forget nor forgive unresolved injustices. Prodded by a hunger for vengeance she will not deny, this woman of uncommon courage risks her life and her heart by drawing destiny into her own hands.
Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.com

For more information or to purchage, go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Magdalene-Angela-Elwell-Hunt/dp/1414310285/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1241661130&sr=1-1

Burned, Ellen Hopkins

Book Review: I was in Barnes and Nobles just looking around and I picked this book up and I told my husband that I wanted it, so we bought it. I read it that night, I really enjoyed this book about a Mormon girl. I related to a lot of things she was going threw and the things she wanted to do. I thought it was a good read. I also loved the poetic way of writing in this book, it made it easier to read!

Book Synopsis:Raised in a stern, abusive Mormon household, a teenage girl starts to question her religion and struggles to find her destiny.

Her father is abusive, her mother is submissive, and her church looks the other way. Confused and angry, Pattyn Von Stratten acts out and is sent to live with an aunt on a Nevada ranch. She finds the love and acceptance she craves, with disturbing consequences. Courtesy of Barnes and Nobles (www.bn.com)

For more information or purchase:http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Burned/Ellen-Hopkins/e/9781416903543

In the Shadow of Lions, Ginger Garrett

Book Review: I was on the hunt for an historical novel through the leaden shelves of our local library but couldn't seem to find anything that piqued my interest! So I randomly picked out a few seemingly semi-interesting novels and was heading out with a heavy sigh when my eye caught a jade green satin gown- illustrated spine...Hmmm....I wonder....Ginger Garrett? Never heard of her...but the cover suggested a thrilling read in historical fiction so I shoved it under my already full arm and headed out.

I got home, sifted through my loot and settled on my lucky find. Not expecting much, I flipped to the first page and discovered four hours later that...four hours had passed...

Suffice it to say, I couldn't put the book down! I took it with me everywhere! And I mean, EVERYWHERE until I'd devoured every intriguing, exciting word!

I consider myself an avid reader of anything historical, be it non-fiction or fiction, romance or autobiographical, educational or poetry. But I had yet to have read a book written by a Christian author, that brought to light startlingly, vividly and with breathtaking clarity the richness of period prose coupled with Christian themes and wielded by characters who were richly arrayed with history.

This book isn't one of your "typical" Christian novels pushing the Christian agenda. Instead it simply tells a story where the Word of God is unquestionably the basis for history itself. Garrett's characters are spectacular in their faith, and that faith is unerringly Christian.

Book Synopsis: "I am the first writer, The Scribe. My books lie open before the Throne, and someday will be the only witness of your people and their time in this world. The stories are forgotten here, and the Day draws close. I will tell you one of my stories. You will record it."
So begins the narration of one such angel in this sweeping historical tale set during the reign of England's Henry VIII. It is the story of two women, their guardian angels, and a mysterious, subversive book . a book that outrages some, inspires others, and launches the Protestant Reformation.
The devout Anne Boleyn catches the eye of a powerful king and uses her influence to champion an English translation of the Bible—Scriptures the common people could read for themselves. Meanwhile, Rose, a broken, suicidal woman of the streets, is moved to seek God when she witnesses Thomas More's public displays of Christian charity, ignorant of his secret life spent eradicating the same book, persecuting anyone who dares read it.
Historic figures come alive in this thrilling story of heroes and villains, saints and sinners, angels and mortals ... and the sacred book that will inspire you anew.

Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.com

You can purchase this book at http://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Lions-Chronicles-Scribe-Book/dp/0781448875