January 2007

Happy January!

Here at FaithfulReader.com we're celebrating the arrival of 2007 with some terrific new books. Some are pure enjoyment while others might inspire you and shape your goals for the year.

Among them is THE STONES CRY OUT by Sibella Giorello --- a compelling mystery described as "Riveting, intelligent, and peopled beautifully with characters I will never forget" by Augusta Trobaugh, the author of THE TEA-OLIVE BIRD WATCHING SOCIETY. We have an Author Talk with Sibella Giorello as well as a review and an excerpt.

In the mood for a movie? January brings the release of Thr3e --- the film adaptation of the bestselling, heart-pounding thriller by Ted Dekker. You can read more about the movie here as well as details on special offers, discounted tickets and free materials available through Christian Retailers in your area.

In a Book Club? We are featuring two new guides for Christian Book Clubs --- TANGERINE by Marilynn Griffith and RECLAIMING NICK by Susan May Warren. Both promise discussion potential and RECLAIMING NICK, along with IT HAPPENS EVERY SPRING by Gary Chapman and Catherine Palmer, is one of our featured Word of Mouth books this month.

Be sure to weigh in on our browsing-inspired Poll and Question. I love to give (and receive) gift certificates to bookstores, and I often find myself scanning the shelves at my local store for books that seem to call out to me. Do you do the same? Do you go in seeking something specific or let yourself be swayed by the mood you are in? Let us know.

I truly enjoy the month of January as it's great for both unrushed family time and even, dare I say, time for myself. Both of my boys have birthdays this month and thus there is a five-day blur of chocolate cake and frosting that can whip things into a frenzy, but I balance it with time for reading, knitting, hiking with my sons, fires in the fireplaces and finally getting the chance to take in a few movies --- all of which have felt both luxurious and necessary. I hope you're getting the chance to catch up on all the soul-soothing and emotionally fulfilling activities that you simply may not have had the time for in the last few months. If you have the chance to sneak in a few more books, FaithfulReader.com is the place to visit for suggestions.

Carol Fitzgerald ([email protected])

Now in Stores: THE STONES CRY OUT by Sibella Giorello

THE STONES CRY OUT by Sibella Giorello
One forensic geologist. Two dead men. Over five hundred witnesses. And yet no one seems to know what really happened.

It's up to FBI agent Raleigh Harmon to solve the case-and fast. But with tight-lipped witnesses and increasing pressure from city officials, Raleigh must rely on her instincts, her training in forensic geology, and her determination to close the case. One thing is for sure: If no one else will talk, the stones will cry out.

-Click here to read a review of THE STONES CRY OUT.
-Click here to read critical praise for THE STONES CRY OUT.
-Click here to read an excerpt from THE STONES CRY OUT.
-Click here to read an Author Talk with Sibella Giorello.

Click here to read more about THE STONES CRY OUT.

Now in Stores: IT HAPPENS EVERY SPRING by Gary Chapman and Catherine Palmer

IT HAPPENS EVERY SPRING by Gary Chapman and Catherine Palmer
Meet the characters who live, work, dream and love in the community of Deepwater Cove. Bestselling authors Gary Chapman and Catherine Palmer team up to show how four married couples, all in different stages in life, experience the joys and hardships of marriage as examined in Gary Chapman's THE FOUR SEASONS OF MARRIAGE.

Click here to read more about IT HAPPENS EVERY SPRING.

Now in Stores: RECLAIMING NICK by Susan May Warren

RECLAIMING NICK by Susan May Warren
Nick Noble hadn't planned on being the prodigal son. But when his father dies and leaves half of Silver Buckle --- the Noble family ranch --- to Nick's former best friend, he must return home to face his mistakes, and guarantee that the Silver Buckle stays in the Noble family.

-Click here to read an excerpt from RECLAIMING NICK.
-Click here to see the Reading Group Guide for RECLAIMING NICK.
-Click here to read praise for RECLAIMING NICK.

Click here to read more about RECLAIMING NICK.

Books Into Movies: THR3E

Thr3e

Cast: Marc Blucas, Justine Waddell, Laura Jordan, Bill Moseley, Max Ryan
Director: Robby Henson
Distributor: 20th Century Fox Distribution
Release Date: January 5th (limited)
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Based on: THR3E by Ted Dekker

When a young seminary student is targeted by a psychopathic killer, he joins forces with a criminal psychologist whose brother was murdered by the same madman. Together they must unravel the killer's riddles and catch him before he strikes again, but the closer they get, the more twisted the path becomes. This heart-pounding thriller will keep you guessing up until the final shocking scene!

Now in Stores: JOHN'S STORY: THE LAST EYEWITNESS - The Jesus Chronicles #1 by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins

JOHN'S STORY: THE LAST EYEWITNESS - The Jesus Chronicles #1 by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins (Fiction)
Before there was the tribulation, before the rapture, before there was a legacy that could be left behind, there was Jesus. The first in a series, JOHN'S STORY: THE LAST EYEWITNESS is a remarkable and thrilling account of the life of the Man who came to fulfill the prophecies of the Old Testament and to save all of mankind. Reviewed by W. Terry Whalin.

Now in Stores: HEAD GAME by Tim Downs

HEAD GAME by Tim Downs (Thriller)
Tim Downs sets up his best novel to date by giving readers a window into the Gulf War and three men who form a tightly-knit PsyOps unit. HEAD GAME is an exciting suspense thriller with a stunning plot twist that will keep his fans glued to the story until the last page is turned. Reviewed by Cindy Crosby.

Now in Stores: EPICENTER by Joel C. Rosenberg

EPICENTER: Why the Current Rumblings in the Middle East Will Change Your Future by Joel C. Rosenberg (Current Events)
In his first nonfiction book, Joel C. Rosenberg --- who has been called "eerily prophetic" and a "modern Nostradamus" for his uncanny ability to write political thrillers that come true --- takes readers on an unforgettable journey through prophecy and current events into the future of Iraq after Saddam, Russia after Communism, Israel after Arafat, and Christianity after radical Islam. Reviewed by W. Terry Whalin.

New Guides for Christian Book Groups

The following new guides for Christian Book Groups are available on FaithfulReader.com:

TANGERINE by Marilynn Griffith
Her world has seemed black and white for so long. A little bit of color might be just what she needs.

Jean Guerra, a designer at Garments of Praise fashion house, doesn't like surprises. These days, though, the unexpected meets her everywhere. Since Jean's return to the church a year ago, her God-encounters occur with increasing frequency, along with thoughts of her husband --- the one she vowed to divorce and gave up on long ago. The one nobody knows about, not even her best friend, Lily, or her boss, Chenille. 

RECLAIMING NICK by Susan May Warren
Nick Noble hadn't planned on being the prodigal son. But when his father dies and leaves half of Silver Buckle --- the Noble family ranch --- to Nick's former best friend, he must return home to face his mistakes, and guarantee that the Silver Buckle stays in the Noble family. Award-winning journalist Piper Sullivan believes Nick framed her brother for murder, and she's determined to find justice. But following Nick to the Silver Buckle and posing as a ranch cook proves more challenging than she thinks. So does resisting his charming smile. As Nick seeks to overturn his father's will --- and Piper digs for answers --- family secrets surface that send Nick's life into a tailspin. But there's someone who's out to take the Silver Buckle from the Noble family, and he'll stop at nothing --- even murder --- to make it happen.
 

Faithful Fiction Reviews

HEARTLAND: Who Is Your Hero? by Davis Bunn (Fiction)
Reviewed by W. Terry Whalin
A cast without a leading man, a scriptwriter with writer's block, and mounting tension on the set mean that top-rated television show "Heartland" is headed toward cancellation. Then a hero comes along, a reluctant new actor, to save the day. But no one knows where he really came from --- least of all, him.

THE STONES CRY OUT by Sibella Giorello (Mystery)
Reviewed by Maggie Harding
Moments after FBI agent Raleigh Harmon arrives at a large rally on Richmond, Virginia's Southside neighborhood, two men plummet from a factory rooftop and lie dead on the sidewalk below. Though over 500 people are at the rally, no one saw what happened. Or are they just not talking?

A WOMAN'S PLACE by Lynn Austin (Historical Fiction)
Reviewed by Cindy Crosby
Under the storm clouds of destruction that threaten America during the early 1940s, an unlikely gathering of women will experience life in sometimes starling new ways as their beliefs are challenged and they struggle toward a new understanding of what love and sacrifice truly mean.

DAYLIGHT COMES: Freedom's Path #3 by Judith Miller (Historical Fiction)
Reviewed by W. Terry Whalin
Truth Wyman's family was among the first settlers to homestead Nicodemus, Kansas, and there is nowhere she'd rather live. She always thought her husband felt the same way. In DAYLIGHT COMES, the third book in the Freedom's Path series, Judith Miller uses multiple plot threads to maintain a high reader interest and keep the pages turning.

WISHING ON DANDELIONS by Mary E. DeMuth (Fiction)
Reviewed by W. Terry Whalin
Like every teenager, Maranatha Winningham tries to sort out the confusing layers of love --- of friends, of family, of suitors, and desperately, of God. Natha struggles to find herself before she gives in to the scared shadow of a girl in this follow-up to the praised WATCHING THE TREE LIMBS.

Christian Living Reviews

CONFESSIONS OF AN AMATEUR BELIEVER by Patty Kirk (Religion/Spirituality)
Reviewed by Margaret Oines
CONFESSIONS OF AN AMATEUR BELIEVER is an entertaining collection of inspirational, gritty, challenging writing that follows an unwilling atheist's first encounters with God, her ensuing struggles and progress as a reluctant believer, and her ultimate discovery of contentment and rest in faith.

GET OUT OF THAT PIT: Straight Talk About God's Deliverance by Beth Moore (Christian Living/Personal Growth)
Reviewed by Margaret Oines
Beth Moore wants readers to know that if God could lift her out of the "pit," He can get anyone out. The permanent lessons she learned in her desperation --- shared in this very personal book --- are lessons of hope for all of us. While she deeply empathizes with the hows and whys of life in the pit, she continually points readers to the deliverance that awaits.

40 DAYS IN GOD'S BLESSING: A Devotional Encounter by Rebecca Barlow Jordan (Devotional)
Reviewed by Cindy Crosby
Rebecca Barlow Jordan invites readers to walk in the shadows of saints gone before to trace the footprints of God's faithfulness in the lives of other believers. Through these moving stories, readers are brought face-to-face with the God who loves them more than they can imagine.

STILL WATERS AND SKYSCRAPERS: The 23rd Psalm for the 21st Century by Dave Tomlinson (Spirituality/Christian Growth)
Reviewed by Evelyn Bence
Can a psalm about green pastures, calm waters and a shepherd's staff speak to us in our world of concrete buildings and creeping rush-hour traffic? Dave Tomlinson says yes. Far more than just words to speak during times of trial, Psalm 23 is a song of life that "teaches us about the nature of faith in every situation."

HAPPILY EVER AFTER: Walking with Peace and Courage Through a Year of Divorce by Kristin Armstrong (Devotional)
Reviewed by Cindy Crosby
From the passages of Scripture that helped her cope with and survive her divorce from professional cyclist Lance Armstrong, Kristin Armstrong has crafted a year-long daily devotional designed to help women through one of life's most difficult times. In this intensely personal book, Armstrong urges readers on with disarming candor.

THE MYTH OF A CHRISTIAN NATION: How the Quest for Political Power Is Destroying the Church by Gregory A. Boyd (Christian Living/Politics)
Reviewed by Marcia Ford
Arguing from Scripture and history, Gregory A. Boyd --- founder and senior pastor of Woodland Hills Church in St. Paul, MN --- makes a compelling case that whenever the church gets too close to any political or national ideology, it is disastrous for the church and harmful to society.

CONVERSATIONS WITH POPPI ABOUT GOD: An Eight-Year-Old and Her Theologian Grandfather Trade Questions by Robert W. Jenson and Solveig Lucia Gold (Theology/Christian Living)
Reviewed by Evelyn Bence
What happens when one of the world's most respected theologians talks theology with his eight-year-old granddaughter? In this delightful book, you are invited to listen in as Robert Jenson and Solveig Lucia Gold cover everything from the profound to the ordinary.

THE BOOK OF WORSHIP: 365 Inspiring Readings Based on Worship Songs and Classic Hymns by John Randall Dennis (Devotional)
Reviewed by Margaret Oines
In whatever setting you use THE BOOK OF WORSHIP, your spiritual life will be enriched and your relationship to God will grow deeper as you sing the songs, read the words and spend time in prayer. This one-of-a-kind worship guide connects you with other worshipers from the earliest years of church history up to the present.

Marriage and Family Life Reviews

I PROMISE: How 5 Commitments Determine the Destiny of Your Marriage by Dr. Gary Smalley (Love & Marriage)
Reviewed by Cindy Crosby
In I PROMISE, America's foremost marriage expert comes to a startling new conclusion: Great marriages are built on a foundation of trust, not behavioral skills. Based on 10 years of research, Dr. Gary Smalley shares five heartfelt promises you can make to your mate that are guaranteed to build trust and help your spouse become the true soulmate, lover and friend you desire.

THE MOM WALK: Keeping in Step with God's Heart for Motherhood by Sally Clarkson (Parenting)
Reviewed by Michele Howe
Sally Clarkson --- popular speaker, author and co-founder of Whole Heart Ministries --- inspires women to look beyond the culture's view of motherhood as a task to manage efficiently and see it as a God-given calling. With biblical guidance and personal insight, she accompanies women through the qualities of a mother's walk with God to help them.

FaithfulReader.com Poll

When you go to a bookstore, do you usually know what you want to buy?
 
-Yes, all of the time.
-Some of the time I know and some of the time I just browse. 
-I always just browse.
-I do not go to bookstores. 

Vote in our Poll here.

What is a book that you found while browsing that was an unexpected delight?

Answer the Question of the Month here.