Wayne Thomas Batson
"Fourteen-year-old Archer Keaton is a dreamtreader, one of three people in the entire world destined to defeat evil forces lurking in the Dream. The dreamtreaders’ mission is to stop the Nightmare Lord, who terrorizes the dreams of innocent people all over the world. However, Archers fellow dreamtreaders have gone missing, so he’s all alone in his fight.."
Reading that description from the back cover, it’s kind of surprising I actually read this thing, but it was in a pile of free stuff offered to employees at LifeWay (there are printing defects on several pages) and I thought it was about time to see just how Christian the Christian Youth Fiction books we stock really are. Bottom line answer is Not Very. If by “Christian” you mean “no vulgar language or explicit sexuality,” then fine, but as far as any actual spiritual or scriptural content that empowers or encourages...even in the form of allegory...don’t look for it in these pages. That being said, it’s only fair as a piece of fantasy. The attempt at establishing an alternate reality of lucid dreaming falls flat. I could write more, but I’ve already given this more words than it’s worth.
Page 56/Sentence 5: After mussing his flop of wavy brown hair, he continued on.
Lee Strobel
"[This book] provides simple, understandable answers to questions you’ve probably asked - or heard - about Christianity. Bestselling author Lee Strobel, a former atheist, uses his investigative journalism skills to dig deep into science, history, and the Bible to find the truth. Then he offers what he has learned in an approachable question-and-answer format."
Truth be told, this book probably works better as an extended ad for all of Strobel’s “The Case for...” books than an actual apologetic go-to resource. Almost every answer here is a quote from, or condensation of, a much more complete answer in one of Strobel’s other books. Also, I found it interesting that the author goes beyond evidence for the reliability of Scripture and the historicity of the resurrection and enters into the territory of explaining theological concepts like the trilogy and faith. I thought that a little strange until I realized that some people object to Christianity based on a misunderstanding of what it really is.
56/5: And this was true among very diverse congregations scattered over a wide area.
Robert Ludlum
"Reenter the shadowy world of Jason Bourne, an expert assassin still plagued by the splintered nightmares of his former life. This time the stakes are higher than ever. For someone else has taken on the Bourne identity—a ruthless killer who must be stopped or the world will pay a devastating price ."
No need to discuss “Which is better; the book or the movie?” The only similarity between the two is the title. I’m not kidding, there is not a scrap of plot in the movie that can be found in this book. And that’s just fine. I think books and movies should be enjoyed or evaluated on their own merits and not compared to each other at all. Bottom line, Ludlum knows how to give just enough description to give you a sense of place but not enough to drag the story down to the level of a travelogue. The action and suspense felt real and carried me through the 474 pages quite nicely.
56/5: He had survived the brutal training and become Delta.
Jim Estep, David Roadcup, Gary Johnson
"The world at its worst needs the Church at her best. A practical resource for the equipping of congregational leaders who serve as elders of the Church"
This is the third book in the series my fellow-elders and I are reading as an exercise in growth and self-betterment (though it’s the second one I’ve read...when you’re sharing a couple sets, you don’t always have the luxury of reading them in order). Like the first, it gives plenty for us to discuss and gain from. The chapter on strategic planning struck me as a little heavy on man’s participation and light on “if the Lord wills”, but the author had a point to make.
56/5: When an effective, long-term minister retires or resigns from the local church, the congregation can flounder.
Cary Elwes
"From Cary Elwes, who played the dashing hero Westley in The Princess Bride, comes the first-ever behind-the-scenes look at the making of the cult classic film. Filled with never-before-told stories, exclusive photographs, and interviews with the film’s cast and crew, As You Wish captures the enchanting experience of being on the set three decades ago, and is sure to delight all fans of this treasured film."
An enjoyable and enlightening read indeed. Be warned, this really is intended for fans of the movie, if you’ve never watched The Princess Bride, don’t bother with this tome. But if you have, you’ll find a treasure trove of inside stories and humble gratitude from the author and interview subjects.
56/5: It wasn’t just that he wanted the film to be successful; I think he was actually fearful it might fail.
Brennan Manning
"Brennan Manning does a masterful job of blowing the dust off shopworn theology and allowing God’s grace to do what only God’s grace can do: amaze." - Max Lucado
As I was ending my period of employment at LifeWay Bookstore, I bought a copy of every Brennan Manning book on the shelves (that I didn’t already have). I hadn’t heard of it before, but it turns out to be one of his later works, copyright 2000. I’ve highlighted so much of it, it might have used less ink if I had just crossed out the parts I didn’t want to read again.
56/5: A tangible spirit of silent wonder, radical amazement, and affectionate awe filled the warehouse that served as a holy place.
J. W. Rinzler
"Using his unprecedented access to the Lucasfilm Archives and its trove of never-before-published interviews, photos, production notes, factoids, and anecdotes, [the author] hurtles readers back in time for a one-of-a-kind behind-the-scenes look at the nearly decade-long quest of George Lucas and his key collaborators to make the ‘little’ movie that became a phenomenon."
I started reading this coffee table book a few YEARS ago, and just recently picked it up again. (And by “coffee table book”, I mean if you put legs on this monster, you could use it as a coffee table.) Its 300+ pages are stuffed full of inside info, candid photos, and fairly significant revelations. And for the record, any time Lucas ever told interviewers that he always knew Darth Vader was Luke’s father...he was lying.
56/5: We called the sound department and we asked Ken Miura, who is a friend of ours, ‘Who’s the next Walter Murch?’ and they sent us Ben Burtt.
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