Night of the Living Dead Christian... with GIVEAWAY!!!!

(I received this book from Tynale for exchange of a fair review)

Book:  Night of the Living Dead Christian

Author:  Matt Mikalatos

In his follow up to the critically acclaimed Imaginary Jesus, Matt Mikalatos tackles this question in an entertaining & thought-provoking way - with MONSTERS!!!

While Christians claim to experience Christ's resurrection power, we sometimes act like werewolves who can't control our base desires.  Or zombies, experiencing a resurrection that is 90% shambling death & 10% life.  Or vampires, saiating ourselves at the expense of others.  But through it all we long to stop being monsters & become truly human - the way Christ intended.  We just cant seem to figure out how.

By turns hilarious & heartbreaking, this book is a spirtual allegory that boldly explores the monstrous underpinnings of our nature & the tackles head-on the question of how we can ever hope to become truly transformed.
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This isnt your ordinary book.

It has vampires, werewolves, zombies, robots & even a hunter out to rid the world of these monsters... & my favorite, a Clockwork Jesus...

See?  Not your ordinary book.

The story is wrapped up in how we are all monsters looking to be "born again"... & what it means to be a Christian.. a real Christian...

There are some really deep thoughts, especially from Luther - the werewolf that is wanting to be 'cured' from his monster-ways.

A comment Luther made was, "I went to church my entire childhood.  Its one of the key reasons that I'm not a Christian" ... see.  Told you - deep thoughts.

And the way Zombies just want to put ear phones in your ears... they just want you to hear their commentary of the Bible & agree with it completely... some deep stuff if you really look into what the story is saying.

And it also has humor.  There were witty little one liners that made me chuckle too... little insights that you're like, "yep, I totally get that"...

But its a different book too... At parts, I would get wrapped up in it & wanted to see where it was going... other times, I was just confused... & other times, I was just getting bored with it.

I would say this is something to check out if you're bored with all the other books out there right now... also if you have a good imagination & if you are open minded.
& lucky for you, you get a chance at winning your own copy.  GIVEAWAY INFO!!!!  Just leave a comment & tell me your favorite "monster" movie or tv show ... the winner will receive a certificate that allows them a free copy of the book.

& if you want to learn more about the author, stop by his site: http://mattmikalatos.com/

A Life in Stitches

Book:  A Life in Stitches

Author: Rachel Herron

As every knitter knows, the richness of life is woven into every piece you create.  A scarf for a loved one isnt just a warm piece of clothing, its a stiched symbol of affection, making it even warmer.  A sweater struggled over, cables finally wrestled into perfect twists, the neckline finally worked at the right place, becomes more than just something to wear on cold days;  it becomes a wearable proof of accomplishment.

In these twenty heartfelt pieces, Rachael Herron, shares the touches of a life spent knitting, From her very first sweater (a hilarious disaster to say the least) to the yellow afghan that caused a breakup (& ultimately a breakthrough), this beautifully crafted and candidily funny collection is perfect for the knitter who loves to read and the reason who loves to knit.

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Oh my goodness - that last line is so spot on. 

I loved reading this book if only because it made my love of knitting so much stronger.

Rachael would tell the story of her life & weave it in wtih stories of knitting & knitting projects along her journey.  Some funny stories, some heart felt stories, some stories that even made me tear up...

If you are a knitter - you'll totally enjoy this book.
If you're not a knitter, when you finish this book you'll want to be one.

My Rating: 4 skeins

Mercy Come Morning

Book:  Mercy Come Morning

Author: Lisa Tawn Bergren

“I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review”

Krista Mueller is in a good place. She’s got a successful career as a professor of history; she’s respected and well-liked; and she lives hundreds of miles from her hometown and the distant mother she could never please. It’s been more than a decade since Alzheimer’s disease first claimed Charlotte Mueller’s mind, but Krista has dutifully kept her mother in a first-class nursing home.


Now Charlotte is dying of heart failure and, surprised by her own emotions, Krista rushes to Taos, New Mexico, to sit at her estranged mother’s side as she slips away. Battling feelings of loss, abandonment, and relief, Krista is also unsettled by her proximity to Dane McConnell, director of the nursing home—and, once upon a time, her first love. Dane’s kind and gentle spirit—and a surprising discovery about her mother—make Krista wonder if she can at last close the distance between her and her mother … and open the part of her heart she thought was lost forever.
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First Line:  "She's dying, Krista."
 
This was the first time I read a book by this author.  I enjoyed her style of writing very much.  It was easy to read, but full of powerful visuals & emotion. 
 
The story of Krista & her mother & the relationship they had was rough to read at times.  How hard it was to witness the final days of her mother's life with all the past still fresh & forefront of her mind.  But Krista works through not only the relationship with her, but with also her friend Dane, who owns the facility that her mother is in... as well as a past event that shaped so much of her life.
 
The story is full of Jesus & the grace & forgivness!  Loved that...
 
But it was also a hard story to read as you knew her mother was going to be passing away... & the emotions of that were just raw to me.  I literally sat & cried as the time finally came.
 
While the story has its tear-worthy-moments, its still full of those things I mentioned earlier - grace, mercy & forgivness - quite a good ending to it all.
 
My Ratings: 4 Skeins

Embrace Me

Book:  Embrace Me

Author:  Lisa Samson

When a "lizard woman," a self-mutilating preacher, a tattoed monk, and a sleazy lobbyist find themselves in the same North Carolina town one winter, their lives are edging precariously close to disaster . . . and improbably close to grace

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First Line:  It's amazing how good a priest looks when you've got nobody else to turn to.

I wasnt sure about this book. It seemed to start off slow to me, but somewhere in the middle, surprise kicked in & I was involved in the story.  I dont want to give away any surprises - because it is what made the book for me...

& maybe you'll get it sooner - I'm a tad slow on picking up things - but it was a very cool twist in the book.

I loved the characters - Valentine & her fiesty attitude.  As someone who had been bured, I especially related with her issues & how she felt.  I also loved her "freak" (their words - not mine) partner who she helped.  Such a sweet soul.  I wanted Lella for my own friend.

You will love Augustine as you meet this tattoed monk & all he does - even with his grey dreads.

In the end, the story of forgiveness is all it took to win me over.

My Rating: 4 skeins

Lost & Found

Book:  Lost & Found

Author: Carolyn Parkhurst

What do a suburban mom and her troubled daughter, two recently divorced brothers, a pair of former child stars, born-again Christian newlyweds, and a couple of young millionaires have in common? They have all been selected to compete on Lost and Found, a daring new reality TV show. In teams of two, they will scour the globe - from Egypt to Japan, from Sweden to England - to battle for a million-dollar prize. They must decipher encrypted clues, recover mysterious artifacts, and outwit their opponents to stay in play.

What starts as a lark turns deadly serious as the number of players is whittled down, temptations beckon, and the bonds between partners strain and unravel. Before long the question is not only who will capture the final prize, but at what cost
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First Line:  "By the sixth leg of the game, we have accumulated the following objects:  a ski pole, a bishop from a crytal chess set, a sheet of rice paper, a trlobite fossil, an aviators helmet & a live parrot.

I love reality TV... & this book is right in there - with a race that is similar to "The Amazing Race" - teams of couples that have interesting stories travling around the world together, learning more about each other - the good & bad - & seeing who makes it to the end.

There are MANY characters here & I actually had to write them all down - in teams & who they were... & then they end up switching so I had to mark that as well... I think I would have been a little lost if I didnt have my "cheat sheet" (I'm such a nerd)

Each couple had interesting stories, but the relationship between Laura & Cassie is what holds it together - a mother/daughter duo that is trying to learn to continue life after a tramatic night that changed both of their lives (Dont want to give any spoilers away)... I also loved the relationship between Laura & her NEW partner, Carl.  That was a fun twist...

Each chapter is told from someone's view point... we even get the host of the show giving us a few chapters.

While I wasnt expecting some of the language & "adult content" - it was a fun book that held my interest & made me anxious to see how it was all going to end.

My Rating: 4 skeins

Ask Billy Graham

Book:  Ask Billy Graham

Compiled by:  Bill Adler

The World's Best-Loved Preacher Answers Your Most Important Questions


Would you like to know what Billy Graham thinks about the most important issues of daily life? What about politics, presidents and terrorism? This book contains answers to questions many of us would ask Billy Graham if we had the good fortune to sit down with the person many call "America's Pastor". Best-selling author Bill Adler arranges topics from Graham's sermons, speeches, interviews, television appearances and writings in an easy to follow Q and A format.

Topics include Billy Graham on: Humor, Politics, Prayer, Technology and Religion, Race, Money, the Church, and Growing Older.

Hear Graham's responses to questions like

*What will heaven be like?
*Why does God bring on natural disasters?
*What do you think about the mixing of religion and politics?
*What do you say to an atheist who doesn't think there is a God?
*What is the greatest spiritual threat facing the United States?
*How can we achieve world peace?
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First Line:  Would you like to know what Billy Graham thinks about his life, his work & his family?
 
I love Billy Graham.  Love his teaching, love his passion, love him.  I think his presence is powerful for God.  I have had the privilege of seeing him in person twice.  I have read most of his books, including his autobiography.  I think he's a treasure of our country, as well as the world.
 
So I was excited when I found this book on a clearance shelf. 
 
This book is made up of different questions that has been asked to Mr. Graham over the years from different media sources.  The chapters are broken up into topics - Faith, death, Jesus, Presidents, family ...
 
It is such a quick read ... I literally got through over 200 pages in one afternoon.  And such a good 'quote' book - so much in simple sentences that I want to write down to remember.  A few of his simple answers even brought tears to my eyes...
 
The only downside to me on this book (& its not really a downside - just something that bothered me) - was some of the questions were repeated in different chapters.  I was just wanting more & more & didnt want to waste time with the things I've already read.  But if you were just going to a chapter for the topic, I can see why that would be helpful.
 
If you love Billy Graham (& who doesnt) then this book is a must!
 
My Rating:  4 skeins

(This book was provided to me by Tyndale Publishing Team in exchange for an unbiased review)
Book:  Growing up Amish

Author:  Ira Wagler

Ira Wagler was born in 1961, the ninth of a Canadian Amish couple's eleven children. At seventeen, in the dark of night, he left the religious settlement, but it was only nine years later that he finally left the church for good. His favorite Bible verse is from Psalm 34: "Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart." In this new memoir, he tells what it was like growing up Old World Amish and what it felt like leaving it for a strange new world. Far more than picturesque; Growing Up Amish conveys one man's heartfelt experience
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First Line:  One fateful, starless, April night, I got up at 2:00 am in the pitch black darkness, left a scribbled note under my pillow & walked away - all my earthly belongings stuffed in a little black duffel bag.

I'm usually a fan of biographies & memoirs.  I think people's lives are so interesting & insightful, so I was excited to read this book.  Especially because the Amish life is so different from my own & I love to know more about it, as it seems to be a guarded community.

I was also excited to see the author was a blogger.  If I know you blog, I instantly relate to you & feel like we're blog-family...

I have to say though, this book just wasnt for me.  I did enjoy the writing & I did enjoy learning more about the inside of the Amish lifestyle, but for me, the story just didnt hold my interest very well.  Just areas that I would have liked to known more about or the reasons why Ira did something, those points would be quickly mentioned & the story moved on.  But points of church services & gathering buggies were longer detailed... for me, I just wish it were backwards from each other.

I always feel funny when a book doesnt "reach" me because I know it can still reach someone else & really hold someone else's interset - but, for me, this book was nice.  Not life changing, no "ah ha" moments, just nice.

My Rating: 2 Skeins