More book reviews

I have read a few more books in the last week. Lately I have been finding GREAT books, some of the best I have ever read.

Blessed Child by Ted Dekker and Bill Bright. I know I started this book before, but I have no idea why I never finished it! It is wonderful! It gave me a lot to think about. The premise is: what if a child was raised in seclusion from the world and grew up believing the Bible to be COMPLETELY true. I don't mean those who cavalierly say they "believe the Bible." I mean someone who doesn't doubt a THING, someone who has never heard or seen otherwise. Someone who lives what they read. Here is the quote that starts the book:

"The greatest difference between present-day Christianity, and that of which we read in these letters (of the New Testament), is that to us it is primarily a performance; to them it was real experience. We are apt to reduce the Christian religion to a code or, at best, a rule of heart and life. Perhaps if we believed what they believed, we could achieve what they achieved."
JB Phillips

in the introduction to his New Testament translation

Last night I read Blood Ties by Sigmund Brouwer. It is definitely a page turner, I hardly put it down from the moment I picked it up. I would not suggest this book for everyone because it is more graphic than the usual Christian fiction I have read. It would be a good book for someone who is used to more worldly books, trying to segue into Christian fiction. I couldn't quite figure out if it was published as a Christian novel or as a secular novel with Christian characters. (I eventually looked at the publisher (as soon as I could turn away from the story) and it is a Christian publisher) The story line is about an FBI man, his wife and a maniac in Montana. It has some great twists and it kept me guessing until the end. The book seems a little more like it is trying to convert readers (which might have been his point) than speaking to the already saved. As I said, it is a gripping story, but Brouwer says himself that it is a study of evil. In the long run, I much more enjoyed the less action packed Blessed Child which was a study in faith.