Friday, April 10, 2015

Book Review: Heart Wide Open

Heart Wide Open is a book intended to help you open yourself up and grow closer to God. The goal is to fully surrender to Him and grow your passion for Him as you allow Him to ignite it further. The book was set up well, and the layout and purpose was attractive. Unfortunately, for me, most of the points were things I had already known or practiced.

The one point that was really helpful to me was to admit that you don't love Him. It was a bit surprising at first, but the point the author made was that you can't grow closer if you are not being honest. And sometimes honesty hurts. God already knows what's going on in your heart, so you may as well admit it and ask Him to help you from where you currently are. It was an interesting point.

This isn't a book that I would recommend on a regular basis, but possibly to a new believer somewhere down the road. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher for this review. These opinions are my own; I was not required to write a positive review, nor was I compensated for this review.

Thursday, April 9, 2015

Book Review: The Patmos Deception

I had a particular interest in reading this book, primarily because the location of it is set on the Greek island of Patmos, which I have had the pleasure of visiting myself a few years ago. Naturally, then, I was really interested in checking it out. The setting portrayed the book just as I remembered Patmos from my own experience--relaxed and beautiful, and quiet in the off season (which was the same time I was there). Additionally, the book mentioned particular sites on the island that I had visited, which was really cool. 

The story had an intriguing plot, and kept me interested throughout it. The last book I had read that was similar in genre and type leaned more heavily on the suspense than the Patmos Deception did. The suspense in this book wasn't quite as exhilarating, but rather lingered in the background more, sort of like a weight behind the scenes. The characters were interesting and multi-dimensional, although I don't think I had a favorite. The ending had a cliffhanger that didn't catch me as much, but drove my roommate, who also read the book, absolutely crazy.

Overall, I think the Patmos Deception was a well written novel with an interesting setting and premise. While it may not be on my top five books to recommend, I would still recommend it. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher for this review. These opinions are my own; I was not required to write a positive review, nor was I compensated for this review.

Book Review: Mattimeo [Redwall Series, Book 3]

Mattimeo is the third book in the Redwall series. I've loved the Redwall series since I was in middle school, but this is one of the few that I had not had the opportunity to read until now. Although I like rereading the series, it was a refreshing change to read one of the Redwall books without knowing how it would end, what characters would eventually die, what challenges they would face or the sacrifices made.

I liked all the characters in this book, but I am particularly fond of Queen Warbeak (the Sparra language always entertained me), and Matthias. I thought it was cool that Matthias was the current Redwall Warrior, but that his son was kidnapped, which in turn spawned the adventure that occurred. The co-existence of the current warrior and the future warrior was an interesting aspect, and made me question at times if one would die before the end. Jacques also did well in his integration of previous books, as the villain was the child of one of the villains in a previous book and therefore had a greater agenda than just being evil.

Overall, I thought this was an excellent addition to the Redwall series, which I would certainly recommend. I bought this book, and therefore was not asked nor required to write a review. These opinions are my own; I was not required to write a positive review, nor was I compensated for this review.