March 2010: Eve's Daughters, by Lynn Austin

Title: Eve's Daughters

Author: Lynn Austin
Genre: Fiction, Christian
Year Published: 1999

Synopsis: What would you do if a secret was causing your family to crumble? Is there a secret terrible enough that it should never be revealed, not even if it was tearing a family apart? For more than five decades Emma Bauer has kept one, carefully guarding it with all her strength, and for more than five decades that choice has haunted her life and also the lives of her daughters and granddaughter. Is it too late for wrongs to be righted? Does Emma even have the strength to let the healing power of truth work in her family?

The story of four generations of women and the powerful effects that their choices have had on their lives is at the heart of Eve's Daughters, an epic novel from author Lynn Austin. Grand in scope but tender and personal at the same time, it will please you as a fan of contemporary or historical fiction.

Chosen by: Lindsay
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Lindsay's Review
 
I was having a difficult time choosing a book for the club to read and I kept coming back to Eve’s Daughters. This is one of my favorite books in this genre; I have read it twice and loved it each time. I wanted to share it with my fellow book lovers because it is such an easy read and is instantly captivating.

Every time I read this story my heart breaks for little Gracie, who grows up without knowing her father (or so she is led to believe). I love it when the priest walks her down the aisle on her wedding day. I also admire Emma’s spunky resilience and Suzanne’s fiery Irish personality. Louise’s path to forgiveness is something we can all learn from.

One of the reasons this book resonates with me is because I can see mirrors from the women in my own family. My mother lost her father to suicide when she was 7 years old and her step-father to alcohol poisoning at the age of 13; my grandmother was married when she was 16 to a man 10 years her senior. I believe that God can use any hard situation in our lives and turn it around for the better. I appreciate authors like Lynn Austin who provide us with quality reading that reminds us what is truly important in life.



Jaimie's Review
 
I really liked this book! It hooked me and kept me reading until the end. The premise of the story had me intrigued from the beginning: 4 generations of women, making choices and reacting to the choices their mothers made. Have you noticed how uniquely complicated the relationships between mothers and daughters can be? I certainly have, so I was interested to see the take the author had on this struggle between mothers and daughters.

From what I understood of the book, the author’s basic premise was that since Eve’s first sin, women have generally been repeating her pattern – trying to break any perceived confines in order to live life the way they want it. Unfortunately, the way we want to live life doesn’t always match with the way God wants us to live our lives, and therefore trouble follows. It was great to see this dynamic over time, through 4 generations. The time span helped illustrate that the choices one woman makes doesn’t just change her life, it alters the course of her descendants as well, in immeasurable and unforeseeable ways.

As for the author’s writing style, I felt that she was more comfortable (and creative) telling the stories about the past, as the characters reminisce. The dialogue in the present-day scenarios was a little boring and predictable. Some parts did get a tad preachy and the author even took one person out of character in order to communicate a spiritual message. (The grandmother, who has not made her peace with God yet, worries about her granddaughter falling away from Him? Doesn’t seem likely…) Anyway, these parts are few and far between, with the stories of the women’s lives interesting enough to make this book very worthwhile.
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Kristin's Review
 
Eve’s Daughters caught my attention from the very start and held it all the way through! Of course, Christian fiction is my favorite genre, and with a little added mystery and romance, I’m hooked!
I enjoyed hearing the stories of four generations of women beginning with Louise’s journey from Germany to America. Although we never got to meet Louise, we were able to hear her story from her daughter, Emma. Louise left Germany and her family because her husband was against being drafted and fighting in the army. The resentment she held against her husband Friedrich slowly turned to bitterness through the years and broke my heart. It was a good reminder to me of what unforgiveness towards your spouse can do. I was pleased when Louise slowly came to realize how much she truly loved Friedrich amidst the flood, thinking she had lost him. I am so glad he was still alive and she was able to tell him that she loved him.

 During the course of Eve’s Daughters, Emma is busy packing her home and moving into assisted living. Through the move, she receives help from her daughter Grace and grand daughter Suzanne. Memories flood the room as they pack photo albums, mysterious poems, and special dishes. Emma’s daughter Grace has never known her father and suspects her mother lied to her when she accidentally told her that her father loved her more than life. Grace is confused because she grew up knowing her father tried to get her mother to have an abortion when she was pregnant with her. So Grace and her daughter Suzanne begin to investigate.

Okay, this is getting complicated and exhausting thinking of how much more I have to type! Why in the world should I continue trying to write a book review about a half a dozen to a dozen sub-plots and relationships? If I left you in suspense, you’ll just have to read it for yourself! Let’s just say I admire Lynn Austin’s abilities to intertwine four generations of women and their lives and loves, hopes and heartaches, triumphs and failures. This book was definitely a tear-jerker as I shared in each woman’s story of grief and joy.

February 2010: A Study in Scarlet, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Title: A Study in Scarlet
Author: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Genre: Fiction, Mystery
Year Published: 1887

Synopsis: A Study in Scarlet is a detective mystery novel written by Scottish author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It is the first story to feature the character of Sherlock Holmes, who would later become one of the most famous and iconic literary detective characters, with long-lasting interest and appeal. The book's title derives from a speech given by Holmes to his companion Doctor Watson on the nature of his work, in which he describes the story's murder investigation as his "study in scarlet": "There’s the scarlet thread of murder running through the colourless skein of life, and our duty is to unravel it, and isolate it, and expose every inch of it."

Chosen by: Jaimie

Reason this book was chosen: I recently went to see the new Sherlock Holmes movie in theaters and realized that I've never actually read a Sherlock Holmes book! 
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Jaimie's Review

I enjoyed this book, but not as much as I thought I would. I love classics, in general, so I really loved the older, more proper style of wit and grammar.  I also liked meeting Sherlock Holmes and Watson, and seeing their characters develop.  The problem I had with this book was that the portion involving Holmes and Watson was very short.  The book begins in London, with Holmes being consulted by detectives on a case.  Holmes gathers some pertinent clues, and then, only about 1/3 of the way through, captures the criminal.  At that point the book goes back and tells the story of how the situation came to be - which has nothing to do with Sherlock Holmes.  You don't see him for the rest of the book, until the very end!

This style of narrative (getting the mystery out of the way first, then telling the back-story) also takes away from the suspense.  "A Study in Scarlet" was Doyle's first Sherlock Holmes novel, so I wonder whether he wrote the book this way on purpose, or if this book reflects his lack of experience writing crime fiction.  I also read "The Hound of the Baskervilles", because it was bound with "A Study in Scarlet" in the copy I received from the library. It was Doyle's 5th Holmes novel, and was much more suspensful and well developed.
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Stephanies's Review

Wow, the first Sherlock Holmes story! I can't believe I hadn't read it before! I loved it, of course, along with all characters who use deductive reasoning to unravel a mystery using their unique abilities to "see" clues others miss and find a logical explanation. I was shocked two thirds of the way through when the good author leaves us hanging on the very cusp of the mystery's solution and then launches into a separate and seemingly unrelated story...I flipped around confused, thinking-is this a new mystery? Do we not get to know what Sherlock solved? Is this like Encyclopedia Brown mysteries but without the explanation in the back? So I went with it and found that our dear author was laying a foundation for the reader to "get behind the eyes" of the murderer. We were in his story, seeing his history, wounding, and motive for the murder. It was wonderful! 

I thought it amazing that the whole plot was based on the Mormon founding fathers and the new community in Utah, and revealed a very ugly side to it! I had read about the "Avenging Angels" Mormon gestapo before, but was surprised to see it play such a large role in such a famous book and not cause a huge controversy! But, of course, this book was written when Mormonism was hugely unpopular and "political correctness" was not in vogue. Still, I didn't realize that Sherlock Holmes would deal with such topics-very interesting. I'm curious if the Mormon Church had banned this book from its member's libraries?

I always enjoy a good, murder mystery in the which the detective uses "logic" to solve the case. Sherlock reminds me of characters created by Jules Vern (Around the World in 80 Days) and Agatha Christie (Miss Marple Murder Series); characters who use deductive reasoning to reach a conclusion based on evidence gathered purely through their fives senses. I feel like logic is a lost art and not valued as much by our culture. As "they" say, "...they don't teach logic in the schools anymore!" People wholly ruled by logic are seen as nerdy and unable to effectively mix with society at large- which may be true. But I still love these characters and the flavor they add to the world, even if they have a tendency to place emotion, compassion, and empathy, all key ingredients to humanity, beneath the task at hand. Heartless or just focused? Notice in this first Sherlock story, his effect on people and inability to or perhaps disinterest in socializing with the larger populace. Only Watson seemed fascinated by Holme's eccentricities and hell bent on unraveling them. Too fun! Good choice.
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Lindsay's Review
 
I have seen some of the movies and different adaptations made for television, but this was my first time reading a Sherlock Holmes novel. I thought it was interesting how it is told from Dr. Watson’s point of view; the reader is only allowed to know the little details Watson picks up along the way. I suppose if it had been written from Holmes’ perspective the books would have been infinitely lengthier. I enjoyed the moments when Holmes shared his observations with Watson; they were small glimpses into the intricate thought processes of a brilliant detective.
 
This book in particular is unusual due to the way the author builds the story to the conclusion. Halfway through the book Sherlock claims he has unraveled the whole mystery; the next chapter begins in a completely different setting and the reader is left trying to figure out how all the new characters tie into the original story. You begin to realize how everything fits together and by that point you have solved the original crime on your own. It’s not how I would have chosen to end the book, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

The copy I read contained a second story, The Hound of the Baskervilles, which I also enjoyed. Sherlock Holmes novels are timeless classics and I plan on reading more in the future.

January 2010: Same Kind of Different as Me, by Ron Hall and Denver Moore

Title: Same Kind of Different as Me

Author: Ron Hall and Denver Moore

Genre: Biography

Year Published: 2008

Synopsis:

A dangerous, homeless drifter who grew up picking cotton in virtual slavery.

An upscale art dealer accustomed to the world of Armani and Chanel.

A gutsy woman with a stubborn dream.

A story so incredible no novelist would dare dream it.

It begins outside a burning plantation hut in Louisiana . . . and an East Texas honky-tonk . . . and, without a doubt, in the heart of God. It unfolds in a Hollywood hacienda . . . an upscale New York gallery . . . a downtown dumpster . . . a Texas ranch.

Gritty with pain and betrayal and brutality, this true story also shines with an unexpected, life-changing love.

Chosen by: Kristin

Reason this book was chosen: My pastor has referred to this book several times, piquing my interest.  So I decided to give it a try.

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Jaimie's Review:

Same Kind of Different as Me was a quick, but illuminating look into the lives of two very different characters. I enjoyed watching the stories unfold, wondering when their two lives would finally lead to the same place, literally. And, although their lives led to the same physical location - and then to friendship - it surprised me that their spiritual lives ended with widely different conclusions. I finished the book with the impression that Denver’s hardships led to a deep and trusting relationship with God, while Ron’s hardships left him only with questions, and possibly some anger towards God.

Both authors of this book are very transparent about the story of their lives, and their view of God’s work in them. So, although this book is a short, quick read, I think it does have something to offer: relatable human experience.

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Kristin's Review:

These book reviews are great for me because they make me reflect back on what I've read and find application to my life, strengthening and shaping my worldview.  I cannot tell you titles and authors of books I have read...hundreds!  But I can clearly remember our book club books.  This is good.  :)

I really enjoyed jumping back and forth between the two men's stories.  I was shocked to hear some of the stories from Denver's upbringing.  The things they ate (gross!), the fact his first present was when he was a teenager (the bike), the place he lived in, how he always owed The Man even though he worked SO hard every day...just didn't make sense.  In contrast, Ron excelled in the artsy world and earned megabucks selling paintings.  It amazed me the homes, cars, and trips he could take with his family.

Debbie's story is amazing.  Her vision for the homeless shelter was clearly from God.  Her boldness and sincere care for those people was utterly selfless, a complete model of Christ.  She could see their souls past all the drugs, alcohol, and filth.  She could see the gem inside of Denver even through his brick wall facade.  Her real struggle with cancer makes her story full.  She was God's servant and completed His plan for her life.

Ron and Denver's friendship was fun to follow from the first time they saw each other.  Their impact on each other's lives and their transformation was awesome.  The story of their friendship challenges me to look past outward appearances.  I definitely have a comfortable tendency toward one social class.  Had I been serving food next to Ron and Debbie at the shelter, whose heart would I have resembled?  It was also interesting to hear the homeless perspective.  Are we serving out of guilt because we have so much, or do we serve and give out of genuine love for others...no matter WHAT they look like?     
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Lindsay's Review:

Same Kind of Different As Me...this is a charming story about life, love, and hardship. I really loved the fact that it is a true story about real people just trying to make a difference. Same Kind of Different As Me...this is a charming story about life, love, and hardship. I really loved the fact that it is a true story about real people just trying to make a difference.

I will admit though, I had already read half the book before I realized it wasn’t fictional! Up to that point, I was judging it with a more critical eye; the writer had a slightly annoying habit of mentioning the same things more than once. After I actually read the cover (I started this book very late in the game, and was trying to read it in a week) I started to enjoy it a lot more because the characters were real and had an amazing story to tell.

I found all the historical facts about modern-day slavery extremely interesting. It showed me how incredibly blessed I am to own more than one set of clothes and to know where my next meal is coming from. I really liked Denver and his simple, yet profound way of viewing God and others.


Deborah was a very self sacrificing and genuine person. I really connected with her character because she had a strong will to live for God and was honest about her feelings toward the possibility of dying so young. She wasn’t some perfect saint of a woman who accepted sickness and pain without complaint, but she trusted God even though she was afraid. I found her very inspirational.


In conclusion, I liked this book very much and would recommend it to anyone interested in a story about overcoming obstacles, strength in spite of pain, and the redeeming power of love.
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December 2009: Flickering Pixels, by Shane Hipps

Title: Flickering Pixels: How Technology Shapes Your Faith

Author: Shane Hipps

Genre: Christian

Year Published: 2009


From the back cover: Flickering pixels are the tiny dots of light that make up the screens of life---from TVs to cell phones. They are nearly invisible, but they change us. In this provocative book, author Shane Hipps takes readers beneath the surface of things to see how the technologies we use end up using us.

Not all is dire, however, as Hipps shows us that hidden things have far less power to shape us when they aren't hidden anymore. We are only puppets of our technology if we remain asleep. Flickering Pixels will wake us up---and nothing will look the same again.

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Jaimie's Review:

I think I was predisposed to liking Flickering Pixels because I usually prefer non-fiction to fiction. The first two chapters of this book were a bit rough, as I thought the examples the author gave to illustrate the point of his book didn’t convey his ideas very clearly. It picks up in the third chapter, however, and I found myself very much engrossed in his theories and the topic after that.



I liked the idea of the book, that the mediums we’ve created (like TV, cell phones, even the alphabet) to experience the world aren’t neutral, but in themselves convey messages regardless of their content. You’ll have to read the book to understand what the author means by that! I also really enjoyed his comparison of individualistic and group (tribal) societies, and how the difference between these societies colors how we (in an individualistic society) interpret the Bible (written mainly from a ‘group’ perspective) and our faith. Furthermore, in summation of all the theories that he presented in the book, he ends with a worthwhile question: if the medium IS the message, what does it mean that God chose Jesus as His medium for salvation and the church for spreading that message?


However, I’ve definitely read better non-fiction, and better apologetics. The author seemed to vacillate between writing an informational book and a call-to-action book. And sometimes, as he transitioned between information and a call to action, he made assertions that weren’t backed up by evidence. His most frequent error was jumping very quickly from correlation to causation, like when he implied that the organization of pews were a result of what the page of a printed book looked like. So, I would say that while this book has an interesting topic and theories that do spark the imagination, it’s more like apologetics ‘light’.

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Kristin's Review:

I must admit it took me a while to get into Flickering Pixels. I felt the content was interesting but somewhat disconnected as the author Shane Hipps includes a large assortment of facts and trivia about the history of technology, the Internet, the power of pictures, the secret codes in texting, and more. Despite this fact, I enjoyed his perspective, his trivia, and his modern analogies and stories found at the beginning of nearly every chapter.


Other than raising awareness about how I should be careful to not substitute the Internet for direct communication in relationships, the part that stuck out to me the most was the last couple chapters when he focuses on the Christian church, broken and imperfect as we are, as the bearers of light in this dark world.

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