Book Review ~ The Angry Christian

The Angry Christian Author: Bert Ghezzi
Publisher: Paraclete Press


I wanted to read The Angry Christian because as Christians sometimes it is easy to feel guilty for any amount of anger displayed. We are to love one another. With anger, it doesn't seem like we're portraying a very good example of the Love of Jesus. Reading The Angry Christian puts into perspective how it is not necessarily a bad thing to have anger and express it at times. We can have anger, and he speaks of having righteous anger. Sharing anger in a positive way when it will be helpful does not make for a bad example of a Christian. The books gives many examples of anger, why we have anger at different times in our lives and different ways we express those angers. If you're looking for some answers about anger and how to channel those angers in useful ways; especially as a Christian, this book is a good read.

About The Author:

Bert Ghezzi Bert Ghezzi is a popular author and speaker. He has written twenty books,

Bert has seven adult children and 16 grandchildren. He is an active member of St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church and lives near the church in Altamonte Springs, Florida.

Note: about the author was taken from his website at http://www.bertghezzi.com

The Angry Christian is available at the following:

Paraclete Press

Amazon

Christianbook.com

Note: I received a copy of The Angry Christian from the publisher. No review positive or otherwise was required. All review opinions are my own.

The reviews on my blog are specifically my own interpretation of my like or dislike for a book I read.

~hugs 'n giggles 'n reading squiggly reading~

Peabea

Mercy Life In The Season of Dying Book Review

MERCY LIFE IN THE SEASON OF DYING
Author: Peter Roebbelen
Publisher: Paraclete Press


"We are all born powerless and we all die powerless."

The author uses that phrase, but his book recounts the many ways people do have power over how they perceive and face dying. But more so, his book is about how family and loved ones can celebrate the life shared. He shares how there is life in dying. In his book, he shares some intimate stories of his life as a pastor and the times he's been privileged more by the joy shared and strength of those to whom he's ministered. He shares their stories.

In this book, the author broaches a subject from which most shy away. But with his sharing, there are some important points we may not have considered. It may not be a subject most are looking to read about, but the insights shared are worth the read.

The author writes in an easy flowing manner as he shares each story, and makes for wanting to head on to the next chapter.

Basically, this isn't a book that I might have chosen as a read. But once I started the book, I read on with anticipation of the stories he was sharing, and what needed information could be garnered from the stories. Without spoilers, I'll just say give Mercy a try. It may be a surprise subject matter that touches your heart more than you'd expect.

A Note About The Author:
Peter Roebbelen has been in pastoral ministry for over thirty years and has befriended and cared for many in their season of dying. He is the President of the Charis Foundation, a Christian organization desiring to see all people move from suffering to flourishing. Peter is a graduate of Tyndale University College and Seminary and Arrow Leadership. He and his wife, Sharon, live in Oakville, Ontario.

Note:
I received a copy of  MERCY LIFE IN THE SEASON OF DYING from the publisher. No review positive or otherwise was required. All review opinions are my own.

The reviews on my blog are specifically my own interpretation of my like or dislike for a book I read.

For more information visit the author's website: http://peterroebbelen.com/

You can find Mercy Life In The Season Of Dying at the follow:

Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Christianbook.com
Powell's Books


Also, be sure to visit Paraclete Press to check out all they offer for reading.

Pictorial Tuesday ~ Egypt's Sister Book Review

Egypt’s Sister – The Silent Years/A Novel of Cleopatra
Author:  Angela Hunt

The author, Angela Hunt, winds a story around the life and loves of Cleopatra. The story is told in the voice of Chava (pronounced hah-vah) who as a child was a playmate and best friend to Cleopatra. They even swore to be blood sisters. Chava, a Jewish girl, loved Cleopatra, but knew she would never be on the same plain as Cleopatra; an Egyptian princess who would someday become Queen. But, she also felt they would always remain blood sisters and be in each other’s lives. She was thrilled to be a friend to the future Queen. She envisioned someday being her lady-in-waiting.
If you’ve always thought you knew the story of Cleopatra, this book gives a look into the life of Cleopatra, and some Egyptian, Roman and Greek history. It is also the story of Chava, a Hebrew who starts out life with a naive view of the world. She soon learns some heartbreaking and also back-breaking lessons about love and giving your allegiance to a person.

Chava is called by God whom she calls HaShem, for a special purpose in her life. She knows she has to remain true to what God has called her to do, but at times, she would prefer to follow her heart. The chain of events that follow in her life somehow don’t seem to fit with what God has asked of her, and she doesn’t see how His plan will be fulfilled.

The author does a great job of setting the scenes of life through a woman who would have lived a century before Christ and the New Testament. There are many scenes when Chava and Cleopatra are young friends. There is also depictions of the differences of Egyptians and the Jewish population and what it means for Chava.

In the beginning of reading the book, it took me a minute to grasp where the author might be going with this story, but it didn’t take long to get to the meat of the story, and my interest stayed piqued. There were many twists and turns, but to me that made it all the more interesting and a desire to keep reading to find out what happened next.
It is a great and interesting story, and the author writes in such a way that you will feel different emotions; some anger, some sadness, and some bitterness. The author does a good job of getting the point of her book across. I would definitely say this is a must-have for anyone’s reading list no matter your genre preference.

Excerpt from the book:
Raised together in the Alexandrian palace, Chava, the Hebrew daughter of the royal tutor, and Urbi, an Egyptian princess, become as close as sisters – and rivals with their dreams of greatness. When Urbi unexpectedly ascends the throne as Queen Cleopatra, Chava believes their bond is strong enough to survive. But absolute power has a way of changing everything.
The ultimate betrayal rips Chava from everything she’s ever known and sends her to the lowest rung of Roman society where she must choose between love and honor, between her own desires and God’s will for her life, if she hopes to rise again.
Publisher: Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group
There’s no doubt you’ll enjoy reading this book. I give it Five Stars

Note: I received Egypt's Sister as a copy from the publisher. No review, positive or otherwise was required. All opinions are my own.
The reviews on my blog are specifically my own interpretation of my like or dislike for a book that I read.

Egypt’s Sister is available here:

Christianbooks.com
Amazon
Goodreads
Books-A-Million
Indiebound
Lifeway

Book graphic that I've added to my graphic above came from aspnesdesigns.com

You're Next for sharing your photography, graphic, photographic art:

~hugs 'n giggles 'n scribbles~

Peabea

Sharing with:

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About the Author:  Christy-Award winner Angela Hunt writes for readers who expect the unexpected in novels. With nearly five million copies of her books sold worldwide, she is the best-selling author of more than 140 works ranging from picture books (The Tale of Three Trees) to non-fiction books, to novels.
Now that her two children are grown, Angie and her husband live in Florida with Very Big Dogs (a direct result of watching Turner and Hooch and Sandlot too many times).
Her books have won the coveted Christy Award, several Angel Awards from Excellence in Media, and the Gold and Silver Medallions from Foreword Magazine’s Book of the Year Award. In 2007, her novel The Note was featured as a Christmas movie on the Hallmark channel. Romantic Times Book Club presented her with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006.
Also in 2006, Angela completed her Master of Biblical Studies in Theology degree. She completed her doctorate in biblical studies in 2008 and her Th.D. in 2015. When she’s not home reading or writing, Angie often travels to teach writing workshops at schools and writers’ conferences. And to talk about her dogs, of course.  She is also an avid photographer, using her photos to help find homes for animals at local rescues.

~

Shadow of the Storm (Out From Egypt) Book Review

Publisher: Bethany House Publishing

In the Depth of the Storm's Shadow, Only Truth Can Light Her Way

As I read my Bible each morning and the chapters, there is usually a picture in my head of the people being portrayed. From Adam and Eve to the story of Jesus. Each has a portrait in my mind as I read of what they would look like and the surrounding scenes. Adam and Eve, I picture as fair haired, King David and Solomon I picture with stark dark hair and eyes, and so on. However, when reading Exodus, I picture Moses leading the people out of Egypt, but the tribes are pictured as a clump of people. I never really picture the multitude that followed him, but rather just a small band following along.

As I read Shadow of the Storm (Out From Egypt), it was awesome to read how it might have been, and even if fiction, it was interesting to form a picture of the massiveness of the people who fled. To peer through the author's eyes of what daily life could have been like. The story of Shira and the people who escaped with Moses is a wonderfully put together analogy of what life in the wilderness might have been like and what the escape from Egypt held for God's people. The struggles they would face, their awe upon learning more about how God, whom they called Yahweh, was providing and taking care of them, and also the many misgivings of doubting their trust in Moses.

The characters came to life as I read their story. The main character is Shira who as an Egyptian slave has been terribly wronged in her early teens. Now that Yahweh has given them freedom, Shira has to come face to face with who she wants to be, allay her fears and memories of past events. She's a weaver with her mother, but dreams of becoming a midwife. Her gifts point her in that direction. She loves the miracle of God's babies being born with her help, but life intervenes and puts that on hold. She feels she will never have the life she longs for. Even though life has stained Shira, I immediately liked the way the author portrayed her innocence, kindness, big heartedness, and I really loved the way she saw the miracles of life even in the wilderness that was truly God's amazing grace.

The writing is excellent in that it is a truly type book that I love to read. One that keeps me up all hours of the day/night because of the fluidity of it's writing, and the storyline that begs to read just one more chapter before I can put the book down. I'm one to never peek at the ending before reading the book in its entirety, so when the storyline and writing is good, the pique of interest makes the anticipation of how the story is going to end hard to not take a peek, but then it would ruin the rest for me. So I don't. This one though, you will wonder how the storyline ends, and I can tell you, I guessed wrong. It did not end the way that I thought it would, but with no spoilers, I will just leave that to mystery until you've read the book for yourself. :)

The author intertwines fact-based biblical history into her story line. It is refreshing to imagine how the people viewed Yahweh as the cloud that traveled above and keeping them safe. Their fears and misgivings are brought to light in a great way with Connilynn Cossette's story line. I really don't have anything but good to say about this book. It will keep you reading from the first words until the last.

I give this book five stars, because the story flows so well, the storyline is a great original fictional view with biblical references from her storyline point of view, and as I stated before, the fluidity of the authors writing makes it an easy, relaxing read.

Excerpt from the book:
Having escaped Egypt with the other Hebrews during the Exodus, Shira is now living in freedom at the foot of Mt. Sinai, upon which rests the fiery glowing Cloud containing the shekinah glory of God. When the people disobey Yahweh and build a golden idol, the ensuing chaos gives Shira an unexpected opportunity to learn the arts of midwifery. Although her mother wishes for her to continue in the family weaving trade, Shira's gifts shine brightest when she assists with deliveries. In defiance of her mother, Shira pursues her heart's calling to become an apprentice midwife.

When a delivery goes horribly wrong, Shira finds herself bound to a man who betrayed her, the caretaker of three young children, and the target of a vengeful woman whose husband was killed by Shira's people, the Levites. As contention between the Hebrew tribes and the foreigners fans the flames of another dangerous rebellion, Shira will come face-to-face with the heartbreak of her past that she has kept hidden for so long. How can she let go of all that has defined her to accept the love she's denied herself and embrace who she truly is?

You can find Shadow of the Storm (Out From Egypt) here:

Goodreads.com

Family Christian.com

Amazon.com

Barns&Noble.com

Christianbook.com

And be sure to check out the author's website for more information at http://www.connilyncossette.com/

Publisher: Bethany House Publishing

I received Shadow of the Storm as a free copy from the publisher.

No review, positive or otherwise was required. All opinions are my own.

The reviews on my blog are specifically my own interpretation

of my like or dislike for a book that I read.

Thank you for reading my review,

Peabea (Patricia Bird)