Deadline

Deadline

by Randy Alcorn

Jake Woods, Gregory "Doc" Lowell, and Finney "Finn" Keels have all been best friends since they were young boys. Having grown up together and then fought in the Vietnam War together, they were as close as friends could be. The following is a description from the back cover of the book:

Doc's shoulder jammed into Jake as he swerved the Suburban sharply to the right, cut between a telephone pole and a billboard, then careened into a ten-foot-high embankment. Sometime between the sound of Doc's last cry and the sickening crunch of bent metal from the car's first roll, Jake lost consciousness. The last sensation he felt was of being crushed between the two men he had known since childhood. When tragedy strikes those closest to him, award-winning journalist Jake Woods must draw upon all his resources to uncover the truth about their suspicious accident. Soon he finds himself swept up in a murder investigation that is both complex and dangerous. Unaware of the threat to his own life, Jake is drawn in deeper and deeper as he desperately searches for answers to the immediate mystery at hand and - ultimately - the deeper meaning of his own existence. Deadline is a dramatic and vivid novel of substance, filled with hope and perspective for every reader who longs to feel purpose in life. 

When I first started reading this book, I wasn't sure I had the interest to get drawn into such an "involved" book. When I say "involved," I mean I thought it was going to have several offshoots in the story line that would make it hard to stay focused. I was right about the offshoots, but I was wrong about not being interested. I knew I had loved Alcorn's Safely Home when I read it last year (see my review here), and wanted to see if I would feel the same way about other books of his. I definitely loved this book. I loved seeing Jake's character change throughout the book, and enjoyed the descriptions of what Alcorn thought Heaven might be like. There were times when I felt the Heaven storyline was detracting a bit from Jake's story (I will be honest - I really wanted to find out what was happening to Jake and kind of skimmed at times through the Heaven parts). While the Heaven parts were interesting, it seemed like they would be better suited for another book.

However, overall, I loved this book. The parts I really enjoyed were Jake's conflicts in the world of journalism, and political correctness. I didn't realize it when I first started reading, but this book was actually written in 1994. I thought that might make it a bit dated, but surprisingly, it was very true to the times we are living in. I had to chuckle a bit at the references to a "car phone." But the abortion, homosexuality, and politically correct debates were right on target. I am definitely looking forward to reading Alcorn's other books in the series, Deception and Dominion. This book easily gets 5 stars.


About the author:

Randy Alcorn is the best-selling author of Heaven, with more than 500,000 copies sold. His novels include Dominion, Deception, Edge of Eternity, Lord Foulgrin's Letters, The Ishbane Conspiracy, and the Gold Medallion winner Safely Home. He has written numerous non-fiction books as well, including The Treasure Principle, The Purity Principle, and The Grace and Truth Paradox. A former pastor, Randy is the founder and director of Eternal Perspectives Ministries. He and his wife, Nanci, live in Oregon and have two married daughters and five grandsons.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Waterbrook Multnomah. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising." 

Waiting for Morning

Waiting for Morning

by Karen Kingsbury

Karen Kingsbury has been my favorite author for some time now. I have read most of her books, and always wait eagerly for her next one. So when I saw that Waterbrook Multnomah was offering Waiting for Morning for review, I quickly requested it because it was one of the few books by Kingsbury that I hadn't read. 

Hannah Ryan has just lost her husband, Tom, and oldest daughter, Alicia, in a horrible car crash, due to a drunk driver. Her youngest daughter, Jenny, survived, but Hannah only seems to see Tom and Alicia as the victims in the accident. Hannah harbors a deep hatred for Brian Wesley, the drunk driver who killed her family, and starts to believe that the only thing that will bring her peace will be to see him behind bars for life. 

She is also bitter towards God and starts to believe that a God who would allow suffering couldn't possibly exist. Believers Matt Bronzan, the district attorney, and friend Carol Cummins, who volunteers for the local Mothers Against Drunk Driving, come alongside her during her darkest time. Will she allow God back into her life, or will her bitterness overtake her?

I loved this book. I believe it was God's prompting me to read this book during a time of my life when I really needed to read the message in it. I had been harboring bitterness towards someone, and couldn't seem to find my way out of it. After I finished this book, I felt like I had not only read Hannah's story, but my own as well, even though our stories were very different. I came to the realization that I need to forgive, and I could forgive, because Jesus did the same for me. Forgiveness is a process, and it is not easy, but it is what God asks us to do. 

Do I recommend this book? Absolutely, with 5 stars! If I could give it 6, I would!

To read a section of the book, click here.

Please rank my review here.

About the author:

After graduating from college in 1986 with a degree in journalism, Karen became a full-time reporter for the Los Angeles Times. Her first book, Missy’s Murder, was based on a murder story she covered in Los Angeles as a reporter. She sold a version of the story to People magazine in 1989. A New York agent read her People story and asked her for a book proposal. The book hit stores in 1992. She then wrote three more true crime novels. Next she wrote four collections of answered prayers and miracle stories before transitioning to inspirational fiction in 1998.

Her first novel, Where Yesterday Lives, was a real challenge for Karen to get published. Although publishing companies said they liked the story, they were not sure what to do with it since it didn’t contain foul language and had no sex scenes. Finally, the Christian publishing house Multnomah, published her novel and gave her a multi-book contract. Her books made a real connection with contemporary romance fans. Since her first novel, Karen has written more than 40 faith based novels, many of which have hit #1 on national lists. There are more than 15 million copies of her award-winning books in print.

Dubbed by Time magazine as the “queen” of Christian fiction, Karen receives tens of thousands of letters from readers who say that Karen’s fiction has dramatically changed their lives. These letters and e-testimonials of improved marriages, spiritual awakenings and new found hope have enabled her to formally trademark her work Life-Changing Fiction™.

Karen lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, Don. They were married in June, 1988 and have six children, three of whom were adopted from Haiti. You can read her Adoption story. 

They celebrate their faith daily by laughing, loving and living life to the fullest. You can contact Karen atmoc.yrubsgniKneraK@neraK.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Waterbrook Multnomah. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising." 

Life In Spite of Me: Book Review

Kristen Anderson tells a powerful story of the second chance she was given at life in Life, In Spite of Me. When she was 17 years old, after a series of traumatic incidents in her life, she made the decision to lie down in front of a train. Miraculously, she survived, but lost her legs. The story that follows captures her struggles with recovery and then the ultimate discovery of what really makes her life worth living.

I read this book almost straight through in one evening. I was captivated by her honesty and renewed hope at her second chance at life. I would recommend this book highly, especially to anyone who works with teenagers or knows of anyone who is struggling to find life worth living.

Please click here to rank my review.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Waterbook Multnomah. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements & Testimonials in Advertising."