"The Reason" by William Sirls

"The Reason" is found in the "Christian fiction" section of your local bookstore and I think it fits accurately in that category. William Sirls entwines the lives of several characters from a church and hospital to weave a story that hopes to inspire interdependence, faith and give enlightenment to those who are not yet fortunate enough to benefit from the comfort a strong faith in God can give you. The characters have various different perspectives and backgrounds including Jim (James) Lindy, a blind and aging pastor with a relentless belief in God's will and Zach Norman, an egotistical man of medicine skeptical of religion and those who choose to use it for answers. These characters are brought together by an introductory conflict of a large cross, landmark of the church of St. Thomas in Detroit, is hit by lighting and ultimately destroyed. Alex, a six-year old boy, starts showing signs of an impending illness and regular visits to the hospital follow. Through these events, some emotionally-charged, faith is renewed in those who believe and faith is restored in those who had lost their way until now.

Personally, I avoid books that fall under a fictional category due to my belief that there are so many other literary options that offer a perspective on equally interesting subjects, but on subjects that are generally experienced firsthand by the author or at least documenting a real life occurrence. I chose to give "The Reason" a chance because fictional books generally have more emotion sprinkled throughout and are a nice change from dry facts. Firstly, I want to point out that Chapter 13 is missing and since it is a conventionally unlucky number, it makes me wonder if it is deliberate. Secondly, I want to state that my lower rating of the book might be due to partial bias in two areas. One; I am not a particular fan of fiction books as it is and two; I found the author's background to be somewhat disagreeable to me and felt impartial to the book at times because of this. However, something I liked about the book was the beautiful character development. I found Sirls was brilliant at the introduction of the characters and gave appreciated insight of each character through the reader being able to read into personal feelings in first-person of each character at different times throughout the novel. Certain things I disliked about the book include some simple metaphors that seemed to take away from the seriousness of the book and somewhat insulted the intellect of the audience. One metaphor that I highly disliked was the apple and the worm and felt it was very elementary and poorly explained considering it a prevalent theme highlighted in the book several times. 

In all honesty, I would not recommend this book to anyone. I do not say this because I find it to be a "bad" read but as an avid reader, I have read many better books than this one and would be more likely to suggest these as options first. This book was not painful to read, in fact, at times I felt emotional and took this to be a sign of good writing, however it did not cover themes I felt attached to as a reader. 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review and the opinions expressed are my own.

"Cruel Harvest": A Memoir by Fran Elizabeth Grubb

A constant victim of verbal, physical and sexual abuse and forced into endless child labor, Fran Grubb recounts her version of "childhood" as she witnessed her family unravel to its undoing and followed her path to freedom. Grubb transports her readers to the threateningly dark depths of her abusive childhood, yet delivers the story in the voice of a curious, young girl that never loses sight of hope or her compassion for others. Having to endure a life of hardships from a tender age, "Cruel Harvest" is an emblem that evidences one person's innate ability to overcome and therefore, can inspire that dormant compulsion we all have to survive.

Personally, I thoroughly enjoy reading memoirs because of the refreshing insight an author gives on the influential events that occur in their respective lives. "Cruel Harvest" did not disappoint me in this category, and I consumed the book cover-to-cover. Although the themes in the book are graphic by nature, Grubb does not obsess over the details of these situations. Instead, she focuses on the faith she had in overcoming her plight and communicates to her readers her renowned faith in God's will. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys some light reading since it was interesting to say the least. However, I highly recommend it to people who have faith in a higher power and come from a fragmented or broken family. It definitely inspires one to be grateful for what one has and accept it for what it is - or at least inspired me in that way.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review and the opinions expressed are my own.

"Running For My Life" by Lopez "Lopepe" Lomong

“Running For My Life” is Lopez “Lopepe” Lomong’s inspirational account (with a little help from Mark Tabb) on how a 6 year old boy attending church in Kimotong, a remote South Sudanese village torn by civil war, managed the opportunities it would take to become a professional runner representing America in the Olympic Games and acquiring an American post-secondary school diploma. One unsuspecting day, Lopepe was ripped from his mothers arms along with all other children present at church that day to be forever separated from their families and trained to be rebel soldiers in an existing civil war. Through a series of lucky events, which Lopepe considers “God’s grace”, he escapes the rebels, finds shelter in a refugee camp and discovers himself (by God’s plan) in America with opportunities available to him he never conceived of.

 Lopepe shares a story with his readers that is otherwise very unknown to the Western world in a very inquisitive and charming fashion. He illustrates his bed as a mat on a floor in his one-roomed hut separated by a stove positioned in the middle for heat in Africa and how he had never known anything else and is amazed to find himself expected to use a plush mattress elevated high off the floor by a bed frame. This is one of many examples of Lopepe’s unique crossover from a very drastically impovershed lifestyle to a more pampered and accommodated one. I recommend this book to anyone looking for an inspirational memoir to read (if you are religious, this particular book is even more highly recommended). However, although it is highly inspirational and renews your faith in fate (if not some higher Being), I did not like how much luck/God’s presence was associated with his journey and personally felt his triumphs over certain obstacles would have been greater if he did not attribute them to a plan laid out for him by God but a plan he actively refused to stop pursuing. 

"Uncle Sam's Plantation" by Star Parker

Star Parker paints a picture of America for her readers. One in which government aid fuels the lazy and uneducated. She shakes her head at social programs and laughs at common "misconceptions" the poor have about how financial government aid assists them and asserts they're really being suppressed.

Personally, I couldn't wait to finish reading this book. Once I finished, I couldn't come to write a review about it. Her arguments could barely be distinguished from long-winded rampages about issues she felt passionate about but has obviously not invested research into. I needed the time from when I finished the book to when I wrote the review (over a year) for the resentment I held towards this author to dissipate after reading this book. I strongly discourage anyone to pick this book up who is looking to be enlightened or learn something. I suggest this book to anyone looking to understand more about alternate arguments to social programs such as welfare and keep a sense of humor when approaching this book.

"Lee: A Life of Virtue (The Generals)" by John Perry

Robert E. Lee was destined for his later role of consistent leadership from a very young age when his respected father, "Light Horse Harry", absolved himself of all responsibility and left his family of six children and and aging wife and headed to the West Indies. Caring for his mother and younger siblings, Robert would later become a prominent military engineer, offered to command President Lincoln's enormous army in attempts to forestall a civil war. He would refuse this request, however, knowing he would not allow himself to fight against a fellow Virginian, where his true devotion lay, Virginia. He was promised a prestigious, comfortable career in the U.S. Army and wholeheartedly gave himself to his cause. He was fully aware the odds weren't in his cause's favour and at the cost of his personal luxuries (safety and family), he eventually assumed the position as the commanding general of the Confederate Army.

I'm ashamed to admit that I had never heard of Robert E. Lee before I discovered this book. I guess it's better late than never since this book introduced a gem of American History to me. I finished reading "Lee: A Life of Virtue (The Generals)" in a day and a half because I found his life truly inspiring and virtuous which is rare in today's times. I really enjoyed getting lost in the times of "the Civil War" or "the War between the States" and learning of Mr. Lee's personal relationships with other prominent figures in history. Mr. Lee's strong convictions and unwavering commitment to his family when consistently separated for long periods of time was very inspiring to say the least. I would recommend this book to anyone with a hunger for American History or any interest in biographies. I thought it was a great, light read!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review and the opinions expressed are my own.

"Mutiny on the Bounty" by John Boyne

I had never given much thought to reading a book about seafaring, mutiny or anything else relating. Although, I must say after reading "Mutiny on the Bounty" by John Boyne, I'm not sure I'll be thinking about much else for awhile. Narrated by a 14 year-old, John Jacob Turnstile, erstwhile thief and bound to be captain's servant-lad, the history of the HMS Bounty and the mutiny that later took place comes alive with a cheeky, and introspective storytelling approach. I found this book overwhelmed me with emotion as one chapter I'd be laughing out loud and the next, kept in awe and suspense over what was to transpire next (despite knowing the eventual outcome.) However, seeing as there are two sides to every story, this one recounts one loyal to the shamed Captain Bligh.

I feel this book was so well-written that I will most definitely be plucking more books by John Boyne from my local libraries and book stores. I can't be surprised considering he is also the author of "The Boy In The Striped Pajamas", which was eventually made into an award winning movie. The topic of this book has also awoken a personal desire to discover more about that fateful voyage aboard HMS The Bounty, so we'll hope to see more reviews and see how they compare.

"The Portable Patriot" (edited) by Joel J. Miller & Kristen Parrish

The United States of America is rich with a past that translates to a painful, but more importantly -- a proud history. "The Portable Patriot" tells America's story through a compilation of American records and documents. It includes first documents such as The Mayflower Compact to famous speeches like The First Inaugural Address of George Washington, all of which manage to capture their conviction and determination to succeed.

Being Canadian, I was briefly educated in American history and hoped to ascertain a broader knowledge of why Americans, seemingly more than most, loved their country so immensely. Although this book was fairly short (268 pages), I feel I quickly understood the dignity of being an American once I began reading it. The Founding of America is a rare example and a glimmer of hope in human history with regards to achieving what is best for the common good. I learned a lot from reading this book, but assume I could read it again and still have more to gain.

I highly recommend this book as an introduction to American history or a pleasurable light read for American patriots. Any American household could benefit from this accessible book succinctly capturing the key events that made America.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review and the opinions expressed are my own.