Awesome Deal from ChristianAudio.com

Membership Deal from ChristianAudio.com

I’m always on the lookout for book deals. I’ve tried about every kind of book club you can, and a few membership deals too. This offer from ChristianAudio.com looks fantastic. When you sign up for a 6 month membership, you get $150 dollars worth of free print books to go along with all the audio books you’ll be able to get with your membership.

I’ve been enjoying ChristianAudio books more lately, and find that listening to a Christian book on the way to work and back each day (now that I have a longer commute), is a perfect way to redeem my time and put myself in a good frame of mind.

Check out the offer fron ChristianAudio.com. At the very least check back each month for their free audiobook download.

Reading “A Puritan Theology” Together

puritantheologyOver at SharperIron, we just posted Craig Hurst’s review of A Puritan Theology: Doctrine for Life by Joel Beeke and Mark Jones. This looks like a great resource for plumbing the depths of Puritan theology.
Tim Challies of Challies.com, has just started a read along of the last section of this book which focuses on practical theology, the “so what?” of systematic theology, if you will. For the next eight weeks you can read one chapter a week with Tim Challies and read an interview of Dr. Beeke about that chapter.

Go over to Challies.com to check out this week’s post. The book is available at Westminster Bookstore, Amazon.com or Christianbook.com or your local Christian bookstore.

Book Briefs: “Timothy: A Little Fish with a Big Purpose!” by Brad Riley

Timothy: A Little Fish with a Big Purpose! by Brad RileyI have read my fair share of kids’ story books. I’ve read about talking pigs and meandering puppies, about cats with hats and showers of noodles. Christian books come in almost as wide a variety too, from talking vegetables to time travelers and more. But I have never heard of a book about the fish Peter caught for Jesus — the fish that had money in its mouth, remember? This unique story is what you’ll find in Timothy: A Little Fish with a Big Purpose!

It takes a pretty imaginative mind to think of a back-story to the fish with a coin in its mouth! Author Brad Riley pulls off an intriguing yet captivating tale with a moral. The illustrations by Krystahl Goodale are bright and fresh, and the result is a captivating picture book with a story that will interest adult readers.

The book seems designed for children too young to read. I have the kindle version, but even that makes it seem like this is more of a picture book than a story with pictures. And while the stories will capture the interest of little readers, the story is more involved than most picture books. Riley also takes liberties with the story, and children should be cautioned that this is just a guess at what the fish might have been thinking. Some may think the story is overly done and that too much is made of the imaginative angle. But this is a story that will spark conversation and that is saying something for a kids’ picture book that comes in at only 30 or so pages.

I was fascinated and delighted by the tale, even if I didn’t totally buy the author’s take on the story. I thought the illustrations were bright, colorful and engaging. Little hearts will be directed to Jesus and the place of faith in the reading of this book, and for that reason I hope it gains a wide audience.

Pick up a copy of this book at any of the following online retailers: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or direct from Vox Dei Publishing.

Disclaimer: This book was provided by the publisher for review. I was under no obligation to offer a favorable review.

About Book Briefs: Book Briefs are book notes, or short-form book reviews. They are my informed evaluation of a book, but stop short of being a full-length book review.

Book Briefs: “The Brotherhood Conspiracy” by Terry Brennan

The Brotherhood Conspiracy by Terry BrennanAn ancient Coptic monastery, a hidden desert hideout, the Oval office, and Jerusalem’s Temple mount — these are a few of the stops in Terry Brennan’s latest whirlwind novel. From Lebanon to Ireland, New York to the Suez, The Brotherhood Conspiracy weaves an intricate web of secrecy, espionage and discovery.

The sequel to Brennan’s earlier debut novel The Sacred Cipher, this book continues the adventures of Tom Bohannon and his motley crew of archaeological detectives. Having already discovered a hidden Jewish temple built on the Temple mount but below the Dome of the Rock, an even more outlandish prize lures the frazzled team back to the dangerous quest of discovery.

Once again the author pursues a relentless pace using a staccato rhythm, moving the story one bite-size portion to the next. That approach may be wearisome to some readers, and is frustrating in the earlier portion of the book for those readers who didn’t just put down his earlier book before beginning its sequel. The plot keeps one guessing as the potential of an end-times return of Christ cannot be dismissed, even as the role of a **spoiler alert** newly rediscovered Tabernacle **end spoiler**, doesn’t seem to fit any popular end-times Christian fancies.

Brennan appeals to the amateur archaeologist with his mention of cartouches (Egyptian hieroglyphic ovals), discussions of Demotic and Coptic languages, and his historical treatment of the Crusaders and Jewish history. Occasionally, I found some errors in his historical facts which stood out glaringly against the overall historical emphasis in the tale. 1 Maccabees is mentioned as a book that the Council of Trent removed from the Bible (in fact it was the Protestants who removed it and Trent affirmed its canonicity), and the prophet Jonah is mentioned as having preached 40 years (instead of days) to Nineveh. The story itself stretches credulity, but the first book’s miraculous find of a centuries-old Jewish temple sets the stage for anything being possible. Brennan’s masterful character development and ability to draw out a wide range of emotions from virtually all of his characters keeps the story tethered enough to reality, that the reader goes along with the incredible — and happily at that. One other quibble with the book is its lack of illustrations or maps. At several points in the tale, a visual depiction of what the author labored to describe would have helped immensely.

Fans of archaeological fiction, in the vein of Paul Maier (A Skeleton in God’s Closet) and Don Hoesel (Elisha’s Bones), will enjoy this latest offering from Terry Brennan. Those looking for a fast-paced read with characters striving to follow God’s leading in their lives even as they battle against Islamic assassins and try to evade Israeli intelligence — on a mission for the President of the United States, no less — will also enjoy this intriguing work. I recommend the book and look forward to the third (and final?) book in this series.

Pick up a copy of this book at any of the following online retailers: Amazon, Christianbook.com, or direct from Kregel Publications.

Disclaimer: This book was provided by Kregel Publications. I was under no obligation to offer a favorable review.

About Book Briefs: Book Briefs are book notes, or short-form book reviews. They are my informed evaluation of a book, but stop short of being a full-length book review.