DEATH WITHOUT COMPANY
Craig JohnsonFrom the publisher: “Johnson delivers great storytelling in an intelligent mystery packed with terrific characters and an engulfing sense of place...capturing life in a breathtaking, unyielding landscape. (The Portland Oregonian)”
From me: This is the second novel featuring Sheriff Walt Longmire, and it is just as satisfying as the first. The mystery doesn’t matter as much as the depth of the characters. While it’s impossible to read without seeing the actors from the A&E/Netflix series and hearing their voices...I’m okay with that.
Page 56/Sentence 5: For what?
THE PRODIGAL: A Ragamuffin Story
Brennan Manning and Greg Garrett“From the inspirational author of The Ragamuffin Gospel comes a powerful contemporary retelling of the Parable of the Prodigal Son. The Prodigal illustrates the power of grace through the story of a broken man who finally saw Jesus not because he preached his greatest sermon or wrote his most powerful book, but because he failed miserably....It’s the same grace that Brennan Manning devoted his life to sharing: profound in nature and coming from a God who loves us just as we are, and not as we should be.”
This is the last book Manning ever wrote, and his first (only) novel. He didn’t even live to see it published, but it evokes the underlying theme of everything he ever said. It’s certainly an easy read, and I’m not sure if it’s a compliment or a criticism to say that the movie in my head as I was reading it probably would fit best on the Hallmark Channel.
56/5: He had worked at the store through high school, and in the summers when he was home from college.
ERASING HELL: What God Said about Eternity, and the Things We’ve Made Up
Francis Chan & Preston Sprinkle“Recent works by evangelicals on the postmortem future(s) of humanity have raised important questions and brought some sobering and uncomfortable issues to the fore. Chan and Sprinkle provide a remarkable service to the church by engaging these issues with courage, clarity, and grace. This book is a model of careful biblical scholarship, providing fresh light from the Jewish context of the New Testament. They also write as pastors seeking to provide wisdom for ministry, enabling the people of God to embody the love of God for the world.”
That description you just read might make this book sound kind of dry and scholarly, but it’s not. Whenever Sprinkle’s research and talk about Greek words threatens to turn this into a textbook, Chan the communicator slaps us awake by reminding us how important it is to get this topic right. This is a readable, accessible, understandable answer to Rob Bell’s hell-denying Love Wins.
56/5: While there’s some difference of opinion regarding the duration of hell, its existence as a place of punishment that awaits the wicked was nearly unanimously held.
JESUS ON TRIAL: A Lawyer Affirms the Truth
David Limbaugh“In Jesus on Trial, David Limbaugh applies his lifetime of legal experience to a unique new undertaking: making a case for the gospels as hard evidence of the life and work of Jesus Christ. Limbaugh, a practicing attorney and former professor of law, approaches the canonical gospels with the same level of scrutiny he would apply to any legal document and asks all the necessary questions about the story of Jesus told through Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.”
I cannot tell a lie. I didn’t finish reading this. Having had a particularly disheartening online exchange with someone who was denying that there was any evidence pointing to the possible validity of Christianity, I felt the need to seek out some logical reasoning that I hadn’t already considered. This book, however, doesn’t fit that bill. Nothing really fresh here. The first part of the book has so much stuff that was apparently compelling to the author but that wouldn’t slow down your friendly neighborhood atheist...I just wasn’t moved to invest the time it would take to read the rest of the tome. While browsing through the second half, I DID stumble on a few decent quotes, but again, nothing that made me want to read the whole thing.
RED GREEN’S BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO WOMEN: (For Men Who Don’t Read Instructions)
Red Green (Steve Smith)“Arranged in approximately chronological order, from teen dating to the last words of men (‘You know, honey, in the past couple of years you’ve really packed on the beef’), this is the essential guide to every aspect of finding a mate and then learning to deal with her growing disappointment in you.”
I was ready for some light-hearted giggles and grins, and this book certainly provided them in abundance. But wouldn’t you know it, the author casually throws in some actual words of wisdom from time to time: “You might think it’s impressive for a guy to have had 18,000 one-night stands in his life, but I think it’s a lot more significant to have one 18,000-night stand. That’s a fifty-year marriage. To the same woman.”
56/5: That’s probably a sign of inequality, but I don’t think it’s fair for women to change now that I’m long past my Don Juan phase.
ON THE EDGE OF THE DARK SEA OF DARKNESS: The Wingfeather Saga Book One
Andrew Peterson“A riveting tale-for-all-ages, following the Igiby children and their trusty dog, Nugget, in escape from the vicious Fangs of Dang who seek the lost jewels of Anniera. Adventure. Peril. And the fearsome Toothy Cows of Skree.”
I first heard about On the Edge... in a Facebook group about remembering Rich Mullins...because there’s a barefoot, wandering minstrel/agitator in this book who goes by the name of Armulyn. Hmmm.... It took me a little while to get interested in the tale while I slogged through the strange names but Peterson’s storytelling and wit soon won me over. It is clearly written, methinks, for the slightly pre-teen crowd (the protagonist is a 12-year-old boy), but it truly can be appreciated by readers of all ages.
56/5: I’m sure those ghastly dragons would love a few plump vittles after their silly show, don’t you think?
