Blogcritics Category: Books: Religion

Book Review: Summer Secret (Sonshine Girls #1) by René Morris

Jennifer Bogart — Thu, 8 Jan 2009 06:34:52 EST

Girls, friendship, makeup and boys - 'tween-lit meets Jesus, providing strong moral guidance through the rocky years of adolescence.
When 13-year-old Kristin moves from Georgia to Texas she is thankful to quickly find a new group of friends. Charli, Jessica and Anna eagerly open the doors of their life-long friendship to include her as a fourth member. Life in Rimsfield sparkles with new promise as the girls plan for the summer youth group church camp and the upcoming school...

Book Review: People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks

Jon Sobel — Tue, 6 Jan 2009 21:10:54 EST

An imagined history of a real book comes to life in this beautifully written historical novel.
In the hands of a great craftsperson, a humble volume of story and prayer may be re-conceived as a priceless illuminated masterpiece. Witness the Sarajevo Haggadah, a centuries-old volume now counted as one of the most valuable books in the world.Similarly, in the hands of a fine writer, a slim set of facts about an unusual object can become a...

Book Review: The Fall Of Troy by Peter Ackroyd

Philip Spires — Mon, 5 Jan 2009 04:16:36 EST

Juxtaposes ancient gods with archaeologists who seek them. Parallels are closer than the intervening centuries might suggest.
In The Fall Of Troy, Peter Ackroyd explores some grand themes against a backdrop of a grander history, but always from the narrowed view of an obsession that denies experience. The story is set in the early twentieth century, a period of great and fast discovery of ancient sites. It is also a time when archaeology is being transformed from a...

Book Review: Before the Season Ends by Linore Rose Burkard

Jennifer Bogart — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 16:48:30 EST

Not one to read romance, this novel waylaid me until the wee hours, proving itself to be the most addictive novel I have ever read.
Though Jane Austen was raised in a devoutly Christian home, her novels dealt with matters of the faith on a peripheral level. Certain characters were engaged in the ministry as a career, and church attendance, belief in God, and a high moral standard were givens. Christian culture was the assumed setting; personal struggles, growth and dependence...

Book Review: Glaucia the Greek Slave - A Tale of Athens in the First Century by Emma Leslie

Jennifer Bogart — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 13:13:47 EST

Darkness, confusion and loneliness give way to light and love as two forsaken adolescents find their way into God's welcoming arms in Ancient Greece.
Following the death of their Epicurean father -- a man following a hedonistic Greek philosophy that drove him into heavy debt -- young siblings Glaucia and Laon are removed from Greece and taken to Rome. The proceeds from their sale will be applied to a portion of their father's debt. Young Glaucia is sold into the service of the Gracchi family...

DVD Review: The Mysteries of the Bible Collection

Barbara Barnett — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 16:54:14 EST

The familiar stories and people of the Bible come alive in this fine documentary series from The History Channel.
Whether you believe that the Bible is directly from the mouth of God, divinely inspired, or simply a literary masterwork, there is no doubt that its narratives have been studied by scholars and schoolchildren, religious professionals and lay people for centuries. New meanings, hidden truths and ideas can be gleaned from the ancient stories, and are...

Book Review: Stepping Into Sunlight by Sharon Hinck

Violet Nesdoly — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 14:39:39 EST

When even a trip to buy gas brings on a panic attack, it�s Penny�s Project to the rescue.
Penny Sullivan has always been a capable, good natured, roll-with-the-punches kind of mom who had enough energy to hold down the fort at home, volunteer in Bryan's classroom and pitch in with the church youth group. But the August afternoon she goes to the corner store for a Coke and sees an innocent couple get shot changes all that. Soon she can't...

The Great Book Adventure: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

Chris Bancells — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 04:49:17 EST

The lion, the witch and the wardrobe are all worth finding for yourself.
It's got a nice ring to it, doesn't it?: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe? The syllables line up politely and bounce off the tongue in twos and threes. Besides, a little bit of alliteration is always a nice touch. I do find myself wondering, however, why C.S. Lewis picked these three pieces of plot to feature in the title. Was it just...

Book Review: Bible Illuminated - The Book New Testament

Jill Hart — Tue, 9 Dec 2008 05:24:34 EST

Displayed in a magazine-like format, the colors and imagery are striking and will keep the reader wanting to turn the pages.
Conceived by Swedish publishers Illuminated World as a way to get old-world texts into the hands of today's readers, Bible Illuminated: The Book New Testament does just that. From start to finish, Bible Illuminated delivers the words of the New Testament in paragraph format (no verses) interspersed with eye-catching images and photo...

Book Review: Smoke Screen (Faithgirlz!/Boarding School Mysteries #3) by Kristi Holl

CeeCee McNeil — Tue, 2 Dec 2008 23:12:36 EST

Young amateur sleuth leans on God in times of danger.
There’s never a dull moment for Jerri McKane at the Landmark Boarding School. Just as anticipations are high for the upcoming Hawaiian dance, the biology lab is deliberately set on fire. Jerri’s best friend and lab partner is hurt and is sent to the hospital. But who and why would someone set the biology lab on fire? When another fire...