Review of FREEHAND FIGURE DRAWING FOR ILLUSTRATORS by David H. Ross

Drawing from a photo as a reference is difficult when you're first learning how to draw, but not as difficult as trying to create a drawing on paper from just your imagination. The proportions inevitably end up imperfect, and your drawing itself comes out looking nothing like you imagined. That's why Freehand Figure Drawing for Illustrators is such a helpful book.

This book helps you to develop the skills to draw any figure without reference and create drawings that come out just as you imagined them. After some foundational instruction on perspective in drawing, the author, David H. Ross, walks readers through several types of figure drawings, giving them the reference points to draw any figure from imagination.

If you want to learn how to draw from memory, Freehand Figure Drawing for Illustrators will help you to develop the skills you need.

Review copy provided Blogging for Books

Review of THE STORY OF GOD'S LOVE FOR YOU by Sally Lloyd-Jones

I have loved reading the Jesus Storybook Bible to my children because it paints a clear and endearing picture of God and his pursuit of us in the life of Jesus. Now, Sally Lloyd-Jones repackages the text of the Jesus Storybook Bible for adults. 

What's great about Lloyd-Jones' writing is that the stories are beautifully told and cover key points in the entire biblical story. A common refrain of the book is that every story of the Bible whispers the name of Jesus. It's a fresh retelling of the redemptive story that is faithful to that story.

If you've never read anything by Lloyd-Jones, The Story of God's Love for You is a great introduction. If you have children, the Jesus Storybook Bible is just as great.

Review copy provided by Book Look Bloggers

Review of Centralia by Mike Dellosso

Centralia is the latest novel from Mike Dellosso and his first to be published with Tyndale House. I've been a fan of Dellosso's ever since I read his book Scream, so I'm always eager to read whatever he has out next. Centralia is a gripping story because of its premise. A man named Peter Ryan can't find his wife and daughter, and although everyone tells him they died, he refuses to believe it's true. He begins a journey to find the truth and soon discovers that not everything is as it seems.

Dellosso has a way of crafting a story that keeps you guessing and also gets you thinking about deep questions of life. This book has been compared to The Bourne Identity, and there are some similarities, but the book struck me as the kind of story that Dellosso would write.

If you haven't read a Mike Dellosso novel, he's a truly gifted storyteller. Centralia is another example of this.

Review copy provided by Tyndale Blog Network

Review of THE MARTIAN by Andy Weir

When Mark Watney is believed to be dead on the surface of Mars, the rest of his Ares 3 team is forced to leave the planet before ever finding his body. But Watney isn't dead, and now he's alone on the surface of Mars with limited supplies and no way to contact his crew or Earth to let them know he's alive. Anyone in his position would likely lose hope of ever getting off of Mars alive, but Watney is resourceful, and he knows another team will return to Mars someday. If only he can gather all his resources to survive.

The Martian by Andy Weir was one of the most intense and most brilliant novels I've ever read. Weir clearly spent a lot of time researching for his story to make it seem believable. After all, no one has ever been on Mars, and any chance of survival seems hard to fathom, yet Weir tells a story of a man who is desperate to survive and has the wits to give it a solid try.

I loved the way the story was told. Watney writes log entries almost every day of his experiences on Mars. Those log entries are periodically interrupted by third-person narratives because Watney does face death at almost every moment. It's definitely one of those stories that keeps you on the edge of your seat to find out what will happen in the end. I highly recommend reading The Martian.

Review copy provided by Blogging for Books

Blog Tour Review of THE CHOOSING by Rachelle Dekker

I had the privilege to read Rachelle Dekker's debut novel The Choosing a couple weeks before it came out, and it's really good. Check out my fiction/storytelling blog The Whisper Project for my full review of the book.

Review of WONDER by Travis Thrasher

In Wonder, the first book in Travis Thrasher's Books of Marvella series, Thrasher sets up a story that moves forward on two levels. First, there's the story of Brandon, a teenager with an abusive drunk for a father and a summer job that he volunteers to work for free just so he can get to know the new girl in town, Marvel Garcia. As Brandon navigates the life of a teenager and the unique struggles he faces, there's another level of the story brewing in the background. A teenager has been murdered in their small town, and no one knows who is responsible. As Wonder takes us into the first half of Act 2 of Thrasher's Marvella story, Brandon and Marvel become closer as they discover more and more about each other, their dysfunctional families, and the role Marvel believes she is to play in God's redemptive plan.

Wonder is a love story, but it's one that is played out against the backdrop of the mystery surrounding the murders occurring in the town. What's interesting about this story is that this is clearly about the murder that occurred in Marvelous, but it's as if Thrasher refuses to let us explore the murder with any depth just yet. It truly feels like that plot thread is running in the background, and it gives the story a sense of foreboding throughout.

This story, or at least this part of the story, is about Brandon and Marvel. Marvel is a great character. She's unique, bold, confident, and yet strangely humble. She has a deep love for God, and yet Thrasher isn't afraid to show us that she struggles at times with the faith she embraces. This is important because although she feels deeply for Brandon, she's sure she's not supposed to be with him.

What I always love about Travis Thrasher novels is the characterization. Being written in first-person point-of-view, Brandon has a very distinct voice and personality that comes through clearly in the story. But the depth of characterization isn't limited to just the main character. Thrasher has created a distinct voice for Marvel and all of Brandon's quirky friends, as well as his enemies. I don't think you can read a Thrasher novel without getting a clear idea of what each of the characters is like, and it's great because although this is another young adult series like Thrasher's earlier Solitary Tales (one of the best series I've ever read), Brandon Jeffrey definitely isn't another Chris Buckley; he's his own character with his own struggles and journey.

Wonder is the second book in a four-book series, and the last few pages will leave you wanting to continue the story because it's the midpoint, and the midpoint is the place where things start to get crazy. I'll be interested to see where this story goes from here and its connection to Solitary (read the acknowledgements in the back for the vaguest hint that they're connected). If you're looking for a story with exceptional characterization and a suspenseful plot, The Books of Marvella is one to check out.

Review copy provided by Tyndale House Publishers

Review of STEALING FROM GOD by Frank Turek

Stealing from God by Frank Turek is the kind of book that combines careful logical arguments for the existence of God with a solid belief that this really is a world created by God where God calls the shots. Turek shows how atheists must borrow from basic assumptions about God in order to make their arguments against God's existence, and he ultimately shows where these arguments fail.

He dismantles the argument that something could be created out of nothing without an intelligent force doing the creating because of the nature of causality in the universe. He shows the problem of evil actually being an argument for God's existence rather than an argument against it, and he shows science to be the study of God's universe that more and more reveals evidence for a Creator. What's great about the science chapter is that scientists look at the facts and make interpretations, and their interpretations are presented as science instead of the interpretations they are.

Turek makes a solid case for Christianity after dismantling the atheist arguments against God's existence. This is a great book for Christians who want to better argue the case for God's existence and Christianity more specifically. It's also a great book for those who are seeking answers, even if they don't currently believe.

Review copy provided by the Tyndale Blog Network