"Seeds of Turmoil" by Bryant Wright

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. There are just a few minor reasons I did not give it a 5-star rating. First of all, the first several chapters were fairly redundant. There were good-sized passages of Scripture that were repeated. The author was showing the roots of the Isaac/Ishmael conflict from the eyes of each person involved (Abraham, Sarah, Hagar, etc.); but it was too drawn out. Don't get me wrong - the Biblical information was great. It could have been a little more concise, because I almost lost interest in the first few chapters.

The only other reason for the 4-star rating would be the last two chapters. I never understood where the author was going with the chapter on the "Christian Perspective". He seemed to building up to something, but I couldn't figure out what it was. In the last chapter, the author answers three questions that people frequently ask him. I didn't see why this was necessary - other than the extremely brief invitation to salvation in the last two paragraphs.

The positive elements were many. Wright gave me a much better understanding of the mind-set of the Arabs (and the Iranians, for that matter). He also explained the history of the return of the Jews to Israel and how they got their land back. The prophetic information was good, and the historical information was excellent (not too in-depth or dry; just enough detail to give you a desire to research more). The author used a very casual style of writing and never delivered his thoughts in a way that would seem "academic". In fact, it was more in the style that a pastor would use (no surprise there, since he is a pastor).

There is a helpful glossary in the back of the book, as well as a nifty Study Guide that can be used individually or with groups. All in all, it is a great book!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers through http://www.booksneeze.com/. I was not required to write a positive review, and the opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

"Hood" by Stephen Lawhead

"Hood" is the first book in a trilogy by Stephen Lawhead. This book was so much fun to read! I've always enjoyed the story of Robin Hood (not just the cartoon, although I liked that as well). This is the first Stephen Lawhead book I ever read - and I immediately finished purchasing this trilogy as well as the Song of Albion trilogy. The author does a masterful job of providing us details of the life and culture (as well as the political machinations) of the time period. However, even though he provides a helpful pronunciation guide in the front, I still had to make up my own way of pronouncing the names of places and people! I guess I should work on my linguistic skills... How would YOU pronounce Coed Cadw?
This book tells the story of Bran, who (predictably) becomes the persona we know as Robin Hood. The way that Bran becomes Robin Hood is a fantastically weaved tale. This is one book that is sure to set your imagination on fire!
There is plenty of romance, action, humor, and drama in this story - and the book has an easy flowing pace. The author does use some outdated vocabulary that a few readers may find offensive, but all of the words can be found in the KJV Bible.
I loved reading this book! Highly recommended!

"Hunter's Moon" by Don Hoesel

A historically wealthy and influential family is dealing with a lot of drama from within. CJ Baxter - a prodigal son of sorts - heads back to the town of his youth to attend his grandfather's funeral. As he begins to re-involve himself in the affairs of the Baxter clan, it is clear that he is bitter towards his family. And they pretty much all hate him. I mean HATE him.
When I first began reading "Hunter's Moon", I was expecting a thrilling story, a mystery, a conspiracy - something along those lines. For this reason, the book falls below my expectations. It is a decent book, and I half-heartedly recommend it - just don't expect a nail-biter story.
My next issue was the pacing and plot development. Have you ever been with a friend at their family reunion, where everyone is telling stories and inside jokes or reminiscing about memories? You know that uncomfortable feeling you get, because you realize you are an outsider? That's the feeling I had for about HALF of this book, literally. There is so much space dedicated to CJ's past and memories...
You know, I'm not really sure what was the MAIN plot....more specifically, what was the big SECRET that the back cover talks about. We never find out in the book. There were also many details and side issues left unresolved at the end of the book - which I find unforgivable. If you are going to lead people along for close to 400 pages - and several hours of their life - you had better clean up your mess at the end. This author failed to clear the mud at the end of this one.
And about the little matter of it being a "Christian Fiction" book.... well, the main character refers to God in between his beers, poker playing, and trying to seduce a married woman. CJ Baxter talks like he became a Christian, but we never hear a salvation theme, or a redemption theme, or a repentance theme.
Good things to say about it: Um... I laughed out loud a lot; there was some good humor. That's pretty much one of the only good things I can say about it. The story was decent, that's all.
In short, it's not a bad book...just not a great one.