The Bible's Yes to Same-Sex Marriage
by Mark Achtemeier
Publisher Westminster John Knox Press
June 2014

I share the author's concern about broad-spread hostility towards others.  As he articulates, we all bear the fallenness of sin.  We do so first because we are sinful and then because we live sinfully.  I hoped for a true Biblical response that would provide fresh avenues of grace for us to live in shalom. 

Instead, the author presents personal stories of hostility and bias in the lives of practicing homosexuals.  He demonstrates significant empathy and compassion for those individuals.  The author also presents the classic Biblical injunctions against homosexuality but avoids Biblical exposition that would argue against the traditional stance.  Ultimately, for the author, the book's argument holds human reason as superior to Biblical truth.

What's different about this book
All sinners face the problem of their individuality being conflated with the evil of their sin.  The author writes with clear compassion shown for those affected by judgment and hostility against the sinner, when our focus should be on the sin -- in a spirit of love for the individual.

What I'll do now that I've read it
I remind myself that the appearance of words such as evangelical and Bible and heart do not themselves signify a powerful or Godly message:  It is still the content in the message that counts.  And once again, we readers are told that our own logic and reasoning should be the authority by which we seek to offset generations and centuries of hostility confusing the sinner with the sin.  Unfortunately, nothing new here.

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Gabriel Finley and the Raven's Riddle: A perfect adventure for middle-grade readers

Gabriel Finley and the Raven's Riddle
by George Hagen; illustrated by Scott Bakal
Random House Children's / Schwartz & Wade
October 2014

I loved this book:  Quick to engage the reader, a plausible and compelling adventure, and a somehow comforting and safe environment in which young Gabriel can encounter all sorts of bad guys and dangerous situations and still come out the victor.

What's different about this book
It's wholesome. Elegantly so. I find it hard to describe, but this is the most secure background I've read for a story that included bad magic and life-threatening adversaries.  Somehow the warm family settings confirm what the reader quickly realizes: the author has Gabriel's best at heart.  (Even the one not-good home setting of the story is resolved in a positive and healing way.)  I mean, how often do you read stories where twelve-year-old kids walk the streets of Brooklyn at night, and the only sense of peril is from the magical challenge they are heading to?  I loved it -- and I loved the absence of real-life social ills and threats that are too often present in similar "adventures."

What I'll do now that I've read the book
My libraries will be buying this book, and I'll have so much fun book-talking this to readers who should be quickly won over to a book that is adventurous and challenging -- and full of riddles middle-graders can understand and enjoy! Well done, Mr. Hagen.  Reading this was a pleasure.

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The Vault of Dreamers -- an engaging near-future science fiction for young adults

The Vault of Dreamers
by Caragh M. O'Brien
Macmillan Children's Publishing Group
September 2014

This young adult near-future science fiction novel has a great plot:  Some of the best art students from around the nation come to study at the prestigious school, The Forge.  And they are living that dream, while living in a reality show.  To survive and keep their prestigious enrollment, the students have to keep their viewer ratings high in order to stay at the school. Of course, the protagonist Rosie is a non-conformist and can't follow the rules -- which leads to an interesting plot line.

What's different about this book
Although set some thirty or forty years in the future, the world Rosie lives in could be our near future -- except for some technologies and scientific/medical capabilities that don't yet exist.  The reader who doesn't usually like science fiction will be able to feel comfortable in this milieu. The themes are enduring, of course, but with a nice contemporary (and beyond) twist. The relationships develop realistically among the characters, but the pressure and suspense just keep on growing -- and the author doesn't provide any easy solutions.  Which causes the main objection I have for this book: a strongly unsatisfying denouement and an ending not warranted by the author's construction of the story.  The narrative didn't prepare me for what felt like an "oh, well" conclusion.

What I'll do now that I've read the book
The book is an engaging and enjoyable enough read that I will promote this for my high school libraries.  I think it will catch some reluctant readers, as well as more mature consumers of science fiction.  But I won't have my heart in the recommendations when I book talk to students -- somehow the crafting of the book just didn't come to a natural full circle for me.

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New old folk tales

The Little Moose Who Couldn't Go to Sleep

A Maynard Moose Tale
Willy Claflin, James Stimson
August House / LittleFolk
January 2014

Reading a digital ARC just doesn't do this book justice.  The story line and rhythmic language and folksy moose speak (as interpreted in modern English) are grand, but the wonder of the illustrations is diminished by the cross-screen portions that the ARC on a device delivers.

What's different about this book:
I am drawn to the modern-day old folksy touch, and I particularly like the legend-building narrative about Mother Moose and her kitchen where she creates all things.  I think the illustrations accompanying the story (if seen side by side) would really enhance the text of Little Moose who can't get to sleep.  I think little ones will identify readily with Little Moose whose brain is just sooo busy. And readers of all ages will enjoy the gentle humor that leaks around the edges of the story lines.

What I'll do now that I've read it:
I have not paid attention to the Maynard Moose series before now, and I like the feel and the looks of this latest release.  My libraries will be adding this series to their consideration pages -- great stuff for both libraries and homes.

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A satisfying one-sitting read

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight
Jennifer E. Smith
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
January 2012

The publisher's offer of a free re-visit of this book gave me a great reason to sit and savor a great story.  My young adult readers have told me how good this book is, and now I can agree:  it's a genuine look at teen problems, family relations, and instant attraction.

What's different about this book:
Sometimes I just want to enjoy a sweet romance with the drama occurring somewhere other than in the relationship.  This book provides that, with enough other issues to make it real.  And what some reviewers have called a predictable ending, I call satisfying.  I seldom read a book all in one sitting, but this one I did.

What I'll do now that I've read the book:
We are enjoying all the Jennifer Smith books we already own and looking forward to The Geography of You and Me, coming this April 15.  Oh, and I'll go back and visit Smith's This Is What Happy Looks Like in the meantime. Thanks, LBBforYR!

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Non-offensive theology

The Answer to Bad Religion Is Not No Religion: A Guide to Good Religion for Seekers, Skeptics, and Believers
by Martin Thielen
Westminster John Knox Press
Feb 2014  


What does Thielen's conversation add to conventional wisdom?  A great group of stories that will touch readers who have probably experienced similar situations.  What the book does not add is light for thinkers, seekers, those who are suffering, and the desperate.

Thielen talks a lot about characteristics of bad religion, of no religion, and of good religion.  He speaks of "the kind of religion that turns many people away." What he leaves out is a recognition that true Christian faith can and does offend many (Romans 9:33).  The book also leaves out an understanding of a powerful Creator who provides steadfast grounding for belief and practice.  Ultimately Thielen's ultimate good is utilitarianism and reason. 

What's different about this book:
 Answer provides a good discussion of the United Methodist denomination's virtues and values.  The part about the Wesleyan Quadrilateral shares that denomination's "four sources of theological authority:" Scripture, tradition, experience, and reason.  Unfortunately the only one of those four authorities that transcends man's human, fallible ability to think and reason is Scripture -- and Thielen eviscerates the Bible as something a person can trust or rely on.

Among the book's argument for good religion is the usefulness that good religion provides.  This brought to mind Screwtape's admonition (in C. S. Lewis' The Screwtape Letters) that Christian belief could easily be destroyed by confusing believers to view "Christianity as a means."

I fall back on the trite but tellingly true concept that Christianity, authentic Christianity, is not a religion but a relationship.  I saw little of a trusting, humble relationship in this writing.

What I'll do now that I've read the book:
I am re-visiting and re-confirming the foundations of my own faith, and I am comparing my understanding of an Almighty and Omnipotent Sovereign.  Not much is said about this Essence in this book, and I conclude that this work is less helpful than others I could purchase and share.
 

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A story that wraps you up

Lingering Echoes
Erica Kiefer
Clean Teen Publishing

Officially a "new adult" novel (set out of high school, into the college age), this great story hooks you in with a great pitch, and leaves the reader satisfied with the development and conclusion.

Getting started in the story isn't so great, however.  I measure an actor's ability to convince me by whether or not I'm aware of him or her acting the role.  I measure maturity of an author by whether I'm aware of him or her writing the story.  At the first of this book, I was put off by the rough start, the jumping from scene to scene, and the lack of immediate engagement.

What's different about this book 
Despite some beginning stumbles, the story rewards those readers who stick with the plot development and the conclusion.  And the author does a skilled job of covering the jumps with in-text explanations that fit right in.

The characters do slowly become fully-developed individuals, and by the last half of the book, I found myself really caring about what would come of each of those characters.  A crucial literary quality of parsimony fails to apply here: There are a variety of characters and events that are introduced but ultimately do nothing to advance the story  line.  But this was a great read, if not one that hooks the readers in immediately.

And I *did* appreciate the "clean" story line;  the novel manages to be realistic and engaging, without the language or graphic sex that often characterize young adult and new adult books.  Yet at the same time, the story and protagonists are completely believable.   It's a "clean" that doesn't diminish the reading pleasure or feel fake.

What I'll do now that I've read it
 We'll be purchasing this title for our high school libraries.  In particular, our readers that enjoy romance, as well as adventure (some throw-back from gang life), and realistic fiction will enjoy this novel.  A good addition to our genres in multiple areas of the library.

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Shovel Ready: A Novel

Shovel Ready: A Novel
Adam Sternbergh
Crown Publishing
Jan 2014

This read may not be what you think it is.  
You may have heard some talk or read some blurbs: post-apocalyptic, murder-mystery, romance.
Nope.

On the other hand, if you've  heard gritty, dark, violent, and masterful, then you may be closer to what this offers.

What's different about this book
For a debut novel, this reads like it was written by an old hand at authoring.  The characterization is cohesive and compelling; the plotting is tight and fast; and the resolution is satisfying -- and comes very quickly.  There are two different voices from the same narrator, the spademan: One is the terse, cryptic but (largely) understandable voice that sounds like a person actually in this situation would sound like.  Then there is the voice that comes when narration and dialog are given: full sentences, clearly understandable thoughts, and smoother to read.  One might think that the author chose the voices based on how much he wanted the reader to understand at particular points in time.  Great crafting.

I enjoyed this adult dystopian novel, perhaps because the entire United States hadn't died, just Times Square and the New York City area.  The post-dirty bomb setting is well described, and the contrast between the "dead" zone and the "normal" world outside makes for a great read, particularly for someone who has not read a lot of dystopian novels.

What I'll do now that I've read this book
This will be a great sell to my adult library patrons who want grit and reality -- but still enjoy the not-quite-real setting in their novels.  I'm glad I've read it -- and I'll share with others who will be equally entertained.

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A Treasure of Intrigue

An American Spy (Milo Weaver, #3)
by Olen Steinhauer
2013, St. Martin's Press

Somehow the start of this trilogy slipped by me, and that was a significant loss.  

Working with libraries has its advantages, though, and one of them is hearing about great books from patron requests.

Beginning with the first Milo Weaver book, The tourist, I settled in for a pleasant Christmas break read, and then found myself compelled to jump into book two, The nearest exit.  The first book was compelling -- how did I miss it? But the second was better than the first. And it's amazing but true that An American spy, the third, was the best of the series.

What's different about this book? 
Characteristic of all three of these titles is the deft authorship: immediately-engaging characters, a quick-to-jump-into plot, and a sophisticatedly nuanced story.  Wow.  

The crowning touch in these three books, though, is the opening perspective of this third book:  Ironically, the title of American spy refers not primarily to Milo Weaver but to ... Well, that would be giving away too much.  Milo Weaver is my new best hero.

I consider the investment of time to read this trilogy to be one of the most rewarding choices this Christmas break.

What will I do now that I've read the book? 
One library I work with has the trilogy already, thankfully.  I had ordered the set by request and had no idea I would be one of its greatest fans. (All the awards and notables should have been tip-offs.)

So I'm ensuring that my other libraries consider these titles for their collection, and I'm personally encouraging friends, librarians, and readers I speak with, to give Steinhauer's trilogy a chance.  

I love the intrigue and stories of Clancy, Coben, Child, and top-notch authors in this style: Steinhauer and his Milo Weaver can take their place next to the best of those. 

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Interesting concept: A year’s worth of novellas

A January Bride: A Year of Weddings Novella
Deborah Raney
Zondervan, Dec 24 2013

This title was part of an interesting concept: "A year’s worth of novellas from twelve inspirational romance authors. Happily ever after guaranteed." 

And this novella was just the right length: It allowed a intriguingly woven plot and textured characterization, and I was able to read it all in one (long) sitting. A great read.

What's different about this book? 
It was the perfect read for me at just the right time: end of semester, ready to throw off heavier more involving reads.  And short enough to match my shortened attention span. 

The hook for me, though, was an unusual plot line: an author and a professor thrown together but without meeting. And something interesting develops.

What I'll do now that I've read it? 
From Zondervan, the series (judging from this first novella) offers "Christian fiction," wherein the Almighty God is part of the action and plot line.  No apologetics, no controversy, no wrenching conflicts of faith.  This book provides a comfortable entertainment that makes for a pleasant read. For my church libraries and community-of-faith readers, this may be a perfect offering for those seeking an escape from life's moments of conflict and controversy.  We'll add this one to our collection.

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