"The God-Hater" by Bill Myers

There are very few novels that have, in my opinion, made such a strong point. Bill Myers paints a crystal-clear picture of the necessity of God's existence. How can you imagine life without a guide for morality? (The Universal Moral Law is one wall atheists cannot break down.... otherwise, society will crumble - which this book illustrates).

In this book, Nicholas, a fierce atheist philosopher, becomes involved in a software experiment that involves the creating of a society with real artificial intelligence. At first, the society always destroys itself (because the programmers only use models that do not include a universal moral law). When Nicholas is brought in (against his will) to solve the problem, he slowly discovers that the "Programmer" must intervene in order to free the digital world from the "curse." By the end of the book, Nicholas understands why Christ came to die - because God as the "Programmer" of reality has intervened to free us from sin. Wow!!!!
So, if you have even a weak interest in apologetics, READ THIS BOOK! If you have friends who are open-minded but agnostic, buy a copy and give it to them. It may be just the push in the right direction that they need.
This book has a fantastically original storyline and transparent characters. If I could, I'd give this book 10 out of 5 stars. You will probably never read a better fictional illustration of Biblical truth.

NOTE: The author also includes some questions for reflection, and he also offers to host a 20 minute question-and-answer session by speakerphone if you have a class or group of 10 or more that study the book!

"Scarlet" by Stephen Lawhead

This is the second book in Lawhead's "King Raven Trilogy." I must say, it is one of the most unique books I have ever read! The author jumps seamlessy between writing in first person (from the viewpoint of Will Scarlet, who is relating his tale in prison) and writing in third person (the events going on outside the prison). It was a most enjoyable way to read a story. It also helped to bear along the interest in the series - since the second book in a continuing trilogy is usually the least engaging.
The characters that Lawhead creates are so real and personable... He has the extraordinary gift of giving each character a complete and consistent personality. Tuck is always positive, Bran is hot-tempered - and the male and female genders are distinguished in quite realistic ways (as far as personalities go). This gives the reader the illusion that they really know the characters.
The fight scenes are masterfully composed and electrified with suspense. (The violence is described, but in very discreet ways). The villains are evil and ruthless - but no so much that they do not seem human. As with the other two books in the series, there are some archaic words used that some people would now consider to be swear words...
I give this book a 5 out of 5 stars! By the way, even though this is book 2 in the trilogy, there is enough background given that you can read this book by itself and follow the story easily. (But why would you skip "Hood", which was also excellent?)

"Tuck" by Stephen Lawhead

"Tuck" is the third book of Stephen Lawhead's "King Raven Trilogy." In this book, Bran and his "Grellon" (the forest-dwelling people) make their final efforts to restore the kingdom to its rightful ruler - Bran himself. The fighting becomes more desperate, the Grellon suffer a division, and Friar Tuck has the heavy burden of responsibility placed on his shoulders. Of course, all turns out well in the end - but in a very unexpected and climactic way.
In my opinion, this was the best book in this excellent trilogy. In fact, I believe the books got increasingly better. Parents should be warned that there is a good deal of violence and descriptions of gruesome deaths in this book, as well as some "crude" words that are not quite considered curses (but most Christian parents would not let their kids say them)! In addition, some Christians may find it difficult to reconcile the "righteousness" of Bran with the lying, drinking, stealing, and killing... However, if you do not let the moral and theological questions distract you, then you will find an engaging story in a wonderfully historical context. (We should not get our morals and theology from novels anyway...)
There are some lovable new characters introduced, and some old characters do not survive to the end of the book (but you'll have to read it to find out who it is). I give it a whole-hearted 5 out of 5 stars!

"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!