Dopple Ganger - The First Escape

 First I have to say I would never have picked this book up if it wasn't on the Tyndale Summer Reading List AND available at the public library.  It is a tween/teen book.  I'm not sure how to sum it up rather than weird.  However, by the end of the story I did have to wonder what mayhem Sadie, Saskia, and Erik will get themselves into next.  The book went back and forth between novel and graphic novel.  I wasn't really a fan of that back and forth.  I didn't feel the characters were really developed.  The sisters were always up to no good.  Erik seemed to dislike them, yet he came to their rescue.  I wasn't sure why.  I did like the fact that the evil was exposed and the kids decided to do the right thing.  Of course they were rewarded for that as well.  The questionable Muzzy was rescued only to "rescue" them.  I assume the Companion referred to God.  I'm not sure about Madame Raphael; an angel?  It was an OK story.

Renegade by Mel Odom

 Renegade by Mel Odom is the second in the Called to Serve series.  The characters pick up where they left off from book one but this book focuses on Pike Morgan.  Therefore you could read book two without reading book one, but why would you?  Pike Morgan grew up in a series of foster homes before ending in an orphanage, and then running off.  The demons of his past torment him constantly.  He's lived his life with the purpose of laying low until he can exact revenge against those that killed his only constant - Petey.  Pike is like 2 people.  The violent side that is always under the surface, and the loner that attempts to slip through life without making waves.  Pike finds himself glad to be deployed to Afghanistan because he's become uncomfortable with his emotional attachment to young Hector.  He's unsure how to let anyone in because then he risks losing them.  However, events in the battles he find himself in, keep reminding him of Hector and/or Petey.  He seems to be unable to shake them.  Others see a difference in him, but can't get close.  He especially notices the changes in Bekah Shaw who found Christ in book one.  Yes the story is violent.  War is violent.  God is woven throughout the story.  Scripture references that those in Pike's past have spoken come to him in moments that are shaping him.  Slowly the reader sees changes in Pike that he himself notices by the end of the story.  I look forward to the next installment in Called to Serve.

Roadtrip to redemption

 This book wasn't exactly what I expected, but it was good nonetheless.  It was much more a parenting book, than a memoir.  I was thinking it would be more of a memoir of this epic family trip to heal the family.  While it was that more or less toward the end, it wasn't all about that.  Since I'm not a parent at times it wasn't relevant to me.  But I still gathered some great thoughts.  For instance, "earned faith."  He states we don't like the ultimate grace concept because it excludes us from having anything to contribute. We "need" to have a role - any role - in the great story of our lives.  As hardworking religious folks it doesn't seem fair that we don't get credit for our efforts.  Yet when we lean on grace plus our efforts, we end up having guilt, shame and failure.  Another one - When facing a storm, which we'll all have, we have 2 choices.  Stay where we are out of fear of the dangerous unknown, or take a risk and fight through the fear to push us on.  Staying put often feels safe, but it's a choice not to grow, a choice to hold on to our fears.  While our goal is to keep things from getting worse, God's purpose is to do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine. One last, is one I've heard and/or experienced so many times.  We keep asking for God to show up, to answer our prayers, and we end up frustrated when our heart cries go unanswered.  But God does answer.  We miss His response because we expect Him to show up the way we planned it.  I'll quote him directly. "When we feel like our prayers have been deemed unimportant in God's eyes, we have to learn to quiet ourselves and remember what he has told us.  Then we wait patiently in prayer, keeping our spiritual eyes open to the unexpected yet wonderful ways God will show up."  Reminds me of one of my favorite verses.  "Be still and know that He is God!"

Still Lolo

 Still Lolo was a interesting story.  I felt there were positive and negative things about the book itself.  The beginning chronicled so much of Lauren's early years and the parents split, then reunion.  While it might have been worthy of sharing, I didn't see the need for so much detail.  I felt it took awhile to get to the actual point of the book.  One other thing was the abundance of help Lolo received.  I'm glad she could have the best of therapy,  several arm and hand prosthetics, and 2 parents who could choose not to work when she needed them.  Personally I doubt see that being reality for most of us.  While great for Lolo, it might be discouraging for others in horrific accidents.  The positive was the faith of the family.  I liked that they were real.  Their struggles, their doubts, fears, pain, hope and trust came shining through.  Yes they have Christ.  Yes they still had to process the emotions and ways it would change them all forever.  Too often I feel Christians portray their faith and trust, without revealing the other emotions are real and necessary.  Lolo is a very determined young woman, who draws her strength from God and His blessings in her life.  Worthwhile read overall.

Band of sisters

 Gohlke has another winner with Band of Sisters.  I thoroughly enjoyed a work of fiction that revolves around another work of fiction.  Olivia reads In His Steps by Charles Sheldon and challenges those around her to ask themselves the question "What Would Jesus Do?"  Introduce 2 immigrant sisters from Ireland making their way through Ellis Island and entering America.  Maureen is determined to do it herself.  She weaves careful lies to make it seem like she's got it together.  She trusts the wrong people and quickly is in over her head.  So many times God placed people in Maureen's path who could have helped, but she allowed fear to determine her life.  The book dealt with a difficult subject - human trafficking.  Her characters were realistic and well developed.  The reader had a view of God's handiwork in each character's life.  Good plot, time frame and subject. 

Dead Lawyers Tell No Tales

 I LOVE a good mystery.  It takes a master storyteller to keep me in suspense the entire book.  Randy Singer captured me in this legal crime story, and I NEVER figured out the "who done it?"  There were at least 2 surprises at the end that I didn't see coming.  The story had a lot of characters, but they were all well developed and important.  He wrapped everything up quite well.  Sometimes when there are numerous characters "someone" gets left hanging.  Really only 1 person didn't have an "ending" but his role in the story was over.  Good combination of grace, trust, loyalty, second chances and the negative side of human emotion - greed, selfishness, revenge, hatred.  Characters were believable and their motives relatable.  Another great read by Singer.

I still believe. Do you?

 I have loved Jeremy Camp's music for many years.  I think I have all his CDs.  While I knew some of his story, reading I Still Believe filled in a lot of gaps, so to speak.  What an inspiring message.  Even in our darkest moments we can choose to believe.  We can chose to trust.  No one ever said it would be easy, but we still have that choice.  Something I thought was powerful was when he shared how a friend though he had a strong relationship with God, until he suffered great lost.  He realized that he was only in the meadow near the cross.  After it happened, he went to the foot of the cross and stayed there.  Suffering is an opportunity.  None of us volunteer for suffering.  We have no option to go through it, but we have the option of how we respond.  Will we get up and walk to the foot of the cross?  Will you?  Will I? I pray I always chose to still believe!