Riven

"Riven" by Jerry B. Jenkins

This book was amazing! Sometimes when I read a book I am left to wonder how in the world the author could come up with something so amazing. This was one of those books, I found it exceptional. Let me quote from the cover, "When a condemned man with nothing to lose meets a weary man of God with nothing to gain, everyone washed by the endless ripples of that encounter will forever recall the day a little bit of heaven invaded a whole lot of hell." That is what this book is about and it will make you think, cry and wonder at the things God can do. I couldn't get through it fast enough and when I was done I put it down and all I could say was, "wow". This book will allow you to see God through the eyes of a condemned man. I have never read a book like it and probably won't ever again. The book shows how God relentlessly pursues us no matter the sin committed. I am left praying that God would use my life like He uses the life of the man in this book.

Heartland

"Heartland" by Davis Bunn

This was a very lighthearted book, an easy read. This book is about a man who finds himself on a TV set as an actor after leaving his home town and getting into a crash where he thought he had died. He doesn't know how he got there but everyone is looking to him to be their hero. There is a bit of a love story mixed in too. I actually loved the simplicity of the writing. "You don't want to believe God can use you. But God has decided to use you. Don't let your weakness be an excuse to turn away." Sometimes we think we can't be used by God because of our failures and weaknesses, but He can and He does.

The Poisonwood Bible

"The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver

I really enjoyed this book. It made me laugh and also made me angry. I enjoy a book that can invoke different emotions in me. This book is about a preacher who moves his family to the Congo for a mission trip. The story is told through the words of his daughters and his wife. One of the daughters is a teenager and totally self-centered. Her writing is just hilarious. This was a well written book and though long it kept me hooked throughout all 550 pages. A quote I liked, "Misunderstanding is my cornerstone. It's everyone's, come to think of it. Illusions mistaken for truth are the pavement under our feet. They are what we call civilization." I would say this book is worth a read. It gets you to thinking what missionaries give up to serve Christ and also how we go into other cultures with many misconceptions, trying to push our ways on them.