"Heaven is for Real" by Todd Burpo (with Lynn Vincent)

My approach to books of this type is ALWAYS: "I'm-skeptical-so-convince-me." It is much easier to hide behind our own assumptions that way. Sometimes, my assumptions are questioned by such a story. (See my review of "23 Minutes in Hell" by Bill Wiese)
This book was very intriguing... But I'm still not sure I'm convinced. In no way am I passing judgment on the family, or calling Todd Burpo a liar. I assure you, that is not my intention.
The basic facts are these: The Burpo's four year old son Colton is taken to the hospital for emergency surgery due to a severe case of appendicitis. The boy comes very close to dying (in fact, the medical staff seemed sure that he would). Colton makes a dramatic and miraculous recovery. As time goes on, Colton begins to make statements to the effect that he had been in Heaven with Jesus for a short time during the surgery. Amazingly, he has knowledge of some facts that should not have been known to him - including the fact that his parents had lost a baby before Colton was born (he meets her in Heaven).
The story is very uplifting in many ways. There is the honest confession by the father that he had been angry at God. There is the healing that takes place concerning the miscarriage. There is the miracle story of Colton's recovery. It is all very encouraging.
But the real issue is whether or not Colton really took a temporary trip to Heaven. My own observations are an attempt at a balance. Again, I do not mean to imply that anyone is lying. The father repeatedly states that "Colton couldn't have known" some of the things the Bible says about Heaven, such as where Jesus was in relation to God's throne, and what the colors were like. Or the fact that there were animals in heaven. But, being the son of a pastor, even a four year old could learn much about Heaven. I wasn't a pastor's son, but I'm sure I could have told you there were horses in heaven, and that the colors were beautiful. It is just a little difficult for me to believe that a boy could go to Sunday School for any length of time, and no teacher ever said, "Heaven is a wonderful place! There will be animals there! And the colors will be much prettier than they are here!" After all, when evangelizing young children, there are two common tactics: 1) scare them with Hell, and 2) make them think Heaven is so wonderful they want to go there. (I'm not mocking anyone - I was the product of tactic #1!!!! I got saved at 4 years old because of a scary video about Hell)
Now the other information, like seeing his great-grandfather and recognizing his picture, and meeting his sister.... I have no skeptical explanation for. So, I have to assume that it is at least true that the boy said these things (whether or not he was actually there and saw them). That is the real kink in my skepticism. The other kink involves the boy's attempt at identifying a close description of Jesus based on contemporary illustrations of Him. I have no reason to think that God would PREVENT us from knowing what Jesus looked like, but then again there are PAINFULLY few descriptions about Jesus from while He was on earth. The only two I can think of are His beard, and the scars from His crucifixion. (And no, I don't believe Jesus had long hair!)
All I can say is, I'm not sure.... For some reason, my gut instinct is that all is not as it appears. But I would never call the character of this man or his family into question without reasonable proof, which I do not have.
Either way, it is a fascinating book. My only lament is that people seem more excited about the issue of Heaven through this book than they do about all the many wonderful descriptions of Heaven given in the Holy Bible.....

"Dreamhouse Kings Series Book 2: Watcher in the Woods" by Robert Liparulo

If the house weren't creepy enough..... Now, the King family must deal with several new problems - problems like strange people watching their house at night, the threat of losing their home, and the first day of school! Will they be able to find their mom? Can they bring her back from the worlds beyond the portals? Can they figure out how the portals work? And who is the man who wants to take their house?
These questions are asked but not answered in this book.
It is not easy to write a series of books that is multiple volumes long and retain interest and curiosity throughout the middle parts. Usually the first and last books are most interesting, because they contain the introduction and the resolution of the story. In Book #2 of this series, author Robert Liparulo does a superb job of carrying on the story, introducing new information, and enticing us to reach for Book #3.
While Book #1 seemed to focus more on Xander, the eldest King child, this book gives a better glimpse at the character of David, second child and youngest boy. He wrestles with the choice between submitting to Dad's cautious plan of action (or INaction) or secretly joining Xander on forbidden and dangerous schemes of their own. There is also a sinister new villain with a mysterious history....
In all, the book did an admirable job of delivering more of what Book #1 great, while leaving just enough to be desired so that I'll finish the series. I'm a little ashamed to think of these books as JUVENILE fiction! They are just as good (although a good deal shorter) than much "adult" fiction I've read. I read this book easily in three days, at a slow pace. So, it will not be difficult to finish the series of six books.
I give this book five out of five stars!

"Farraday Road" by Ace Collins

A man with the name "Ace" should surely be able to write a decent thriller novel, right? Right! "Farraday Road" is the story of an attorney named Elijah Evans (shortened to "Lije" almost every time in the book....which actually drove me crazy after a while) whose wife was murdered on a rainy night. After the murder, it appears that the real target was Elijah, since several more attempts on his life are made. But who is after him, and why?
One of the best things about this book is the ending. It is truly a continuing story! Most books of series that I've read are written in a way that any book in the series can be read alone and still enjoyed. THIS book, however, ends with a true cliffhanger! Right in the middle of an intense scene, the book just ends with "To be continued...."  I love it! If the book had resolved in some way, I may not have been interested in picking up book #2, but now I have to find out what happens.
It is a very original story with some interesting twists, but there are a few negative issues. The characters are a bit wooden to me.... Their dialogue and actions are just a little stiff. I mean, some of the lines spoken in the book are phrased in ways that no one that I've ever met would actually phrase them. They work on paper, but you can't imagine anyone actually SAYING those lines.
There is one or two unnecessary expletives thrown in, which boggles my mind. My only question is, "why?" If you cuss in a book, and do it consistently, then I have the feeling that you talk that way and have no problem with it. If you don't cuss at all, I appreciate it and feel like you have a conviction about it (as I do - because I don't swear). But to use like 2 cuss words? It's almost like your publisher said, "Hey, man, throw some hard language in there to make it realistic!"... and you fight your hesitation and sprinkle a few in there to please someone. *Sigh*
The biggest problem with the book (in my mind) is a GLARING error. It's hard to explain without spoiling something, so let me just try it this way:
1. Characters A and B think character C might be a bad guy, so they hide their work from C.
2. Characters A and B get in a car wreck (a little more complicated than just a wreck, but I'm trying not to spoil anything)
3. Character C also gets in a car wreck. (all three survive)
4. Characters A and B go to see character C after C's wreck.
5. Characters A and B wonder how character C knew about THEIR wreck.........
But THE BOOK NEVER TELLS US THAT CHARACTER C DID KNOW ABOUT IT!!!!!
Nothing is said that implies character C knew about their accident. Suddenly, character A just wonders, "How did _________  know about our accident?"  This is unforgivable to me..... It bothered me SO MUCH! I don't know if it was just a mistake in the edition that I own.... Anyway, I got over it. But it still bothers me.

All in all, it is a mediocre book with mediocre characters, but the innumerable twists in the story make it interesting. I'd give it a three out of five stars.

"Homeland Insecurity" by Richard & Evangeline Abanes

Shaken. I was shaken after reading this book. I enjoy fiction novels involving terrorism, because I like to see the good guys winning. It helps me deal with my emotions regarding 9/11. But this book didn't HELP me with any emotions.... It created some new ones.
I had never really heard much about (or thought much about) white supremist groups in America. I knew they existed. I knew about the KKK, but I had no idea who they are and what they believe. The terrorists in this book are MUCH more frightening to me than the Islamists in Joel Rosenberg's books, mainly because I don't know any Muslims personally. I have no knowledge to compare them to. But as I met the characters in this book, I realized that I MIGHT know some people like this... People I grew up around, people I went to church with, people I went to school with. My neighbors. My friends. Is it possible? I suppose it is possible, and it scares me to death. I pray to God that none of my relatives, friends, or acquaintances have any beliefs that mirror the terrorists in this book - although racism is at least faintly present in some of the people I know. And to me, racism is one step toward the horrors of these terrorists. GOD CREATED ALL MEN OF ONE BLOOD, the Bible says! (Acts 17:24-27)  We are all humans, and we are all sinners, and we all need to be saved. We don't all need to be white. God offers salvation to WHOSOEVER will believe on Christ. This is the plain teaching of Scripture. Racism is an affront to the redemptive nature of God.
Now, for some plain facts. This book was not the greatest or best-written novel I have ever read. However, it was a good story, and very captivating. The ending was (in my opinion) a little obvious. But I still enjoyed it. ***NOTE: There are quotes by white supremists and terrorists in this book that contain racial and disturbing language. Please be advised before reading.
I am glad Richard and Evangeline Abanes had the guts to write this book. It was something that I needed to hear. So, from a pure thrilling-story fiction-loving side, this book is five out of five stars. But be warned: you cannot un-read what you have read. It may change the way you think.....

"Faces in the Fire" by T. L. Hines

So, I'm taking back some of the bad things I thought about T. L. Hines after reading "The Unseen." If you are going to read his books, don't read "The Unseen" first, because it will bore you compared to this one and "Waking Lazarus."
This book is a masterpiece - a MASTERPIECE - of creative writing. The book is structured around the lives of four people who have (seemingly) no connection to each other. But at some point, their paths cross each other. Each person has an experience with a traumatic fire, and a catfish, and a long number. (I know it sounds weird....and in reality, the book IS pretty weird). The way the author weaves these four tales together is a work of genius, plain and simple.
Back to what I just said: the book is weird. The whole reason I quite reading it the first time I tried is because the first part of the story involves a guy who can hear ghosts talking through dead people's clothes. When I picked the book back up and pressed on, I found a lot more weirdness. The book is not a work of Christian fiction, in my opinion, so I haven't labeled it as such. But there is a LOT of the supernatural in it. Just not the Christian kind. In fact, if you can't handle books that deal frankly with murder, drug abuse, and other such harsh realities, don't read it.
Still, the book was fantastic. It was not tremendously thrilling - in fact it had a fairly leisurely pace. But the characters were so HUMAN. I felt as if they were real people (with made-up experiences, of course). A nice touch in the structure of the book was the fact that each chapter started with a number, but the numbers weren't progressive. They followed the chronology of the story. So when a character is in the present in chapter 25 and then she starts thinking about her past, the "flash-back" chapter will be chapter 18, not chapter 26.
The ending was very somber to me. It was a great ending, and it really brought the whole work together splendidly. But the subject matter just put me in a reflective mode.
If it weren't for the "weirdness," this book would definitely surpass "Waking Lazarus" as my favorite by this author. Still, the book is marvelous, and deserves a solid 5 out of 5 stars.

"Curiosities of the Civil War" by Webb Garrison

This is the first book on the Civil War that I have ever read, and I must say that I was quite astounded by its scope. There are facts and topics covered that I would never have even begun to think about concerning this war - things like hostages and pirates, improvements in weaponry with inventions such as land mines and grenades, how (and if) soldiers got paid, spies and deserters, US Supreme Court cases involving the conflict, and the list goes on and on.
This is not a read-through volume. It is more of a topical reference or casual trivia book (like a bathroom reader). Each factoid is explained in a few sentences or a few short paragraphs; very few nuggets of information took up even one printed page. This is a positive aspect, in my opinion, because I was not forced to read an entire chapter about a certain time period or battle or person - just snippets grouped loosely under broad categories.
There were a few negatives to me. For one, towards the end of the book there were a few typographical errors. In the most extreme case, "n" was all that survived of the intended preposition "in." Considering this is a reprint, a new edition, typos like these are inexcusable. Did no one proofread the reprint?
Other than that, the biggest negative was repetition. Due to the size and scope of the work, it unfortunately delivers many re-tellings of the same battles and situations, although from different perspectives concerning different subjects. So, reading the book straight through (as I did in a few days) is not recommended. Read it in spurts, a chapter or so at a time over a long period. You will appreciate it more that way.
In all, it is an excellent book that was very insightful for me!
I received this book from the publisher as part of the BookSneeze bloggers' review program. I was not required to give a positive review, and the opinions stated are my own.

"Waking Lazarus" by T.L. Hines

I am really astounded.....   My first experience with T. L. Hines was "The Unseen," and I pretty much had to sludge through it, forcing myself to turn page after page. My second experience was "Faces in the Fire," which fell outside my tastes, so I stopped reading after about 50 pages. This book was a complete shocker! The characters were believable (some frighteningly so), the pacing was masterful, the storyline was just sensational enough to be enthralling and not ridiculous, and the ending was emotional.  OK, I didn't actually cry, but it was definitely heart-warming. And this is Hines' first novel???????  Sorry if I sound incredulous. Maybe I should re-try "Faces in the Fire" and see if I'm missing something.... Hines writes in "Waking Lazarus"  with the elegance of a master craftsman. He uses words and phrases like a magician uses handkerchiefs and cards. (Not to mention, one of my old slang phrases, "No big whoop," made an appearance!)

There are some minor criticisms. The author used one choice word that I felt was unnecessary, especially for a book marketed to a Christian audience. We expect swearing in non-Christian reading, but in a Christian book? It could have been easily removed, but he chose to put it in for some reason. The second criticism relates to the lack of Biblical redemption. There is definitely redemption of relationship and purpose of the main character, but no redemption of the soul-saving kind. On the positive note, there WAS plenty of talk about God, although mostly in a bitter way from the main character's point of view.

Some of you will be skeptical, but I knew fairly early on who the bad guy would be, and I also figured out Kristina almost immediately. But it was still a breath-taking read! I would definitely give the book a 5 out of 5 rating.

"Elisha's Bones" by Don Hoesel

I really must say that this book by Don Hoesel was IMMENSELY more enjoyable than "Hunter's Moon," which surprises me because this book was written first.
In this story, we have a professor of archaeology who is hired by a billionaire to find the bones of the prophet Elisha. These bones, in Scripture, apparently brought a dead man back to life. (It really is in the Bible, so it is definitely a true story...and one that I had never really payed much attention to: see 2 Kings 13:21)
Unfortunately for our professor, there are others who have an interest in the bones....and they are willing to kill for them.
The story is very engaging, so that's all I'm going to give away.
Pros: The characters are realistic and comfortable, the exotic locations are described impeccably, the pace is well-balanced, the humor is good but not excessive, the ending is unexpected, and the story is extremely original.
Cons: Just me being picky... The author had this habit of starting sentences like this: "Too, blah blah blah." Now, I'm no scholar of English and Grammar, but it was just annoying. I don't talk like that, and I've never read any other book that utilized this sentence structure. I can see someone beginning a sentence with "also", but "too"?
The Christian elements in the story were not abundant, really. The main character is a skeptic, and the supporting female character is a supposed Christian who really doesn't seem to be one. There is a slight attempt at converting the main character at the end, when he finally cries out to God; but it was not definitive enough for me.
Some elements may be a little far-fetched, but it IS a work of fiction.
In all I'd give the book 4.5 out of 5 stars.