Rating: 4 out of 5
A killer is loose in Milwaukee, connecting his heinous crimes to the likes of Jeffrey Dahmer and Ed Gein and forcing innocent people to do unspeakable acts in hopes of saving the ones they love. Police detective Patrick Bowers, an intelligent force with a rare knack for getting into the minds of criminals, is on the case. Working with the FBI, Bowers must find the killer before he strikes again and rescue one more person who will suffer at his hands. In the midst of all this, he must also navigate a struggling romantic relationship and evaluate where the future will take him.
OPENING MOVES is Steven James’ prequel to his Bowers Files series of novels about FBI agent Patrick Bowers. This story gives us some back story to his life before becoming an FBI agent, and it’s interesting because being an FBI agent seems to be the last thing Bowers wants to do. I read this novel having only read the first book in the series THE PAWN.
I must confess that I had to stop reading this novel about midway through because I was so disturbed by the nature of the crimes described in it. It’s not that James is glamourizing evil. Instead, he’s showing us the darkest part of human nature, and it was difficult to focus on. A couple weeks later I picked the book back up with a determination to finish it, and I’ll say that it’s definitely a page-turner. I was never bored by the story. James knows how to tell a fast-paced thriller that’s full of mystery. It’s really a novel for people who love to think a lot because there’s a lot to take it.
The story is told from Bowers’ perspective, so we really get into his head and hear his struggles. And it’s from this perspective that we’re faced with the potential for incredible evil that exists in everyone. Yet Bowers is a hero who strives to eradicate evil rather than embrace it.
OPENING MOVES is a well-crafted thriller that introduces us to James’ Patrick Bowers character. I didn’t like it as much as THE PAWN, but I’m sure it definitely helps us to understand Bowers better.
I received this book for free for review from Signet Select
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Monday, November 5, 2012
Review of DEEP AND WIDE by Andy Stanley
Photo Credit: Zondervan
I’ve been following Andy Stanley and the ministry of North Point Community Church for several years, so I was really excited when I found out that Andy Stanley was releasing a book covering North Point’s strategy of “creating churches unchurched people love to attend.” DEEP AND WIDE is an incredible guidebook on doing effective church ministry that reaches unchurched people, helps them commit to the church, and grow in their relationship with Jesus.
First, Stanley tells us the story of how North Point came about, sharing a transparent account of working for his father Charles Stanley at First Baptist Church of Atlanta, and the tragic aftermath of his parents divorce. It’s clear that his experiences shaped how he approached doing church.
Stanley gives us the layout of North Point’s strategy in creating a church environment that unchurched people feel comfortable checking out. He explains how North Point approaches reaching these people with the gospel of Jesus, and the means they use to reach people.
I love Stanley’s honesty and conviction about doing things in a way that some people may find unorthodox. For example, Stanley is known for topical preaching. Stanley argues that all of the Bible is inspired, but not all of it is equally applicable at all times. He even shows how Jesus chose texts that were relevant for the moments in which he was preaching. Jesus didn’t preach verse-by-verse. Not that there is anyone wrong with verse-by-verse. Stanley is also passionate about biblical application, arguing that Jesus was always preaching for a response.
As I read this book, I got excited about the prospect of designing a church that unchurched people love to attend. There are a lot of books on strategy for doing church, but this is definitely one of the best.
Review copy provided by Zondervan Publishing
Review of DRAW COMIC BOOK ACTION by Lee Garbett
I’ve always loved doing things that are creative and artistic, but lately I’ve been interested in drawing. Specifically, drawing for comic books and graphic novels. I love the way stories are told visually through the comic book art form. My interest led me to the book DRAW COMIC BOOK ACTION by Lee Garbett, and it is an immensely practical tool for anyway interested in drawing comic book-type characters.
Garbett doesn’t just assume that anyone picking up this book has any drawing experience, and he starts with some very basic techniques. After describing the tools a comic book artist will need, Garbett launches into teaching the reader to draw basic male and female forms, then, using stick figures, he shows how to approach different action poses the artist might want to incorporate into their drawings. The book also covers drawing different parts of the body, such as the head, feet, and hands.
From reading comic scripts to creating panels to scenery interaction, this book will quickly get the reader drawing their own comic book action shots. I immediately grabbed a pencil and paper and started drawing using the directions in the book. DRAW COMIC BOOK ACTION is a great resource for the aspiring comic book artist.
Review copy provided by David and Charles
Garbett doesn’t just assume that anyone picking up this book has any drawing experience, and he starts with some very basic techniques. After describing the tools a comic book artist will need, Garbett launches into teaching the reader to draw basic male and female forms, then, using stick figures, he shows how to approach different action poses the artist might want to incorporate into their drawings. The book also covers drawing different parts of the body, such as the head, feet, and hands.
From reading comic scripts to creating panels to scenery interaction, this book will quickly get the reader drawing their own comic book action shots. I immediately grabbed a pencil and paper and started drawing using the directions in the book. DRAW COMIC BOOK ACTION is a great resource for the aspiring comic book artist.
Review copy provided by David and Charles
Review of THE WORKING FILM DIRECTOR by Charles Wilkinson
Available February 2013
Rating:5 out of 5
Who doesn’t find in themselves somewhere to make a movie? I love storytelling and visual storytelling through film is one of the most powerful ways to tell a story and to impact people. But where to get started?
THE WORKING FILM DIRECTOR by writer/director Charles Wilkinson takes aspiring filmmakers on a journey from the very beginning to the working career itself. From discovering if you have what it takes, to how to break into film, to how to succeed as a filmmaker, Wilkinson’s book is a comprehensive career guidebook for the film director.
Wilkinson gives some very helpful information about film schools, producing your first film, getting your film exposure through film festivals, and even a journey through all the production steps of making a film.
I was excited to get this book because I’ve always been interested in film and specifically the director’s role in making a film. This book is a great introduction to the world of film directing.
Review copy provided by Michael Wiese Productions
Rating:5 out of 5
Who doesn’t find in themselves somewhere to make a movie? I love storytelling and visual storytelling through film is one of the most powerful ways to tell a story and to impact people. But where to get started?
THE WORKING FILM DIRECTOR by writer/director Charles Wilkinson takes aspiring filmmakers on a journey from the very beginning to the working career itself. From discovering if you have what it takes, to how to break into film, to how to succeed as a filmmaker, Wilkinson’s book is a comprehensive career guidebook for the film director.
Wilkinson gives some very helpful information about film schools, producing your first film, getting your film exposure through film festivals, and even a journey through all the production steps of making a film.
I was excited to get this book because I’ve always been interested in film and specifically the director’s role in making a film. This book is a great introduction to the world of film directing.
Review copy provided by Michael Wiese Productions
Review of WRITING THE SCIENCE FICTION FILM by Robert Grant
Available April 2013
Rating:5 out of 5
Some of the greatest films are science fiction films. Some of my personal favorites are Inception, The Hunger Games, and I Am Legend. There’s also some great sci fi television series like LOST and the new show Revolution. Science fiction writers get to explore some serious what if questions, and, as Robert Grant describes in his upcoming book WRITING THE SCIENCE FICTION FILM, Sci Fi also explores human nature, often presenting a mirror for us to look into and see some aspect of ourselves that may be significant or in need of change.
WRITING THE SCIENCE FICTION FILM is about the process of crafting great science fiction stories like the ones we’ve grown to love. Interestingly, Grant points out that science fiction itself isn’t so much a genre because sci fi films themselves can come in many different genres. For example, Inception and Alien are both science fiction films, but they both have different genre elements. It’s the dependence upon some area of science that makes a film a science fiction film. This book is helpful in exploring the different genre approaches a science fiction film could take.
From there, the book goes through basic storytelling elements such as characterization and dialogue. The really helpful parts are about creating sci fi settings and two chapters on getting the science right to make your story having a feeling of realism to it.
The book is a great journey through the best in science fiction movies and television and is a great resource for any writer interested in crafting their own science fiction stories.
Review copy provided by Michael Wiese Productions
Rating:5 out of 5
Some of the greatest films are science fiction films. Some of my personal favorites are Inception, The Hunger Games, and I Am Legend. There’s also some great sci fi television series like LOST and the new show Revolution. Science fiction writers get to explore some serious what if questions, and, as Robert Grant describes in his upcoming book WRITING THE SCIENCE FICTION FILM, Sci Fi also explores human nature, often presenting a mirror for us to look into and see some aspect of ourselves that may be significant or in need of change.
WRITING THE SCIENCE FICTION FILM is about the process of crafting great science fiction stories like the ones we’ve grown to love. Interestingly, Grant points out that science fiction itself isn’t so much a genre because sci fi films themselves can come in many different genres. For example, Inception and Alien are both science fiction films, but they both have different genre elements. It’s the dependence upon some area of science that makes a film a science fiction film. This book is helpful in exploring the different genre approaches a science fiction film could take.
From there, the book goes through basic storytelling elements such as characterization and dialogue. The really helpful parts are about creating sci fi settings and two chapters on getting the science right to make your story having a feeling of realism to it.
The book is a great journey through the best in science fiction movies and television and is a great resource for any writer interested in crafting their own science fiction stories.
Review copy provided by Michael Wiese Productions
Blog Tour Review of CONTEND by Aaron Armstrong
Photo Credit: Cruciform Press
Rating: 5 out of 5
In recent years there’s been a call by some of Christianity’s most well-known leaders to get back to a precise understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ as presented by the Bible. In too many instances, churches and the teaching contained within them have been diluted by an incomplete and sometimes absent understanding of the gospel. Aaron Armstrong in his new book from Cruciform Press CONTEND suggests that a proper and complete understanding of the gospel is vital for churches and Christians in general because God’s glory is at stake, as well as the eternal destiny of the many souls of those who are just waiting to be rescued by the gospel. Dilution of and absence of the gospel in a Christian community are serious matters, and Armstrong points to a verse in the book of Jude that calls believers to “contend” for the gospel.
Contending is a fight against anything that threatens what is most important to us. This begs the question, “How important is the gospel message to me?” How important is it to our Christian communities? How important is it that God wants this message communicated to everyone in a desire to rescue them and reconcile them to himself? Sadly, I think most of us would discover that the gospel’s message and proclamation are things we say are important to us, but our actions would prove otherwise.
The call of CONTEND is to rightly understand the gospel and to grow in our love for it and our Lord who provided it. The gospel is the most vitally important piece of information we carry, and its accuracy should be protected. Armstrong addresses church leaders in correcting false teaching and feeding the congregation with the gospel message. In addressing the congregation, Armstrong calls believers to build up their faith by actively cultivating their relationship with Jesus through Bible study and prayer and staying purposefully connected to the faith community of the church.
The call back to the gospel in recent years is a great thing, and CONTEND is a battle cry for believers to fight for the gospel of Jesus because it is vitally important to us. We embrace the gospel because it reveals who God is and it rescues people out of darkness and into God’s kingdom. God’s glory and the people God loves enough to give his life for should be incredibly valuable to us, and we must contend against anything that threatens to silence the gospel message. CONTEND is a clear and practical guide for believers to do this.
Review copy provided by Cruciform Press
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Review of THE RADICAL QUESTION and THE RADICAL IDEA by David Platt
Rating:4 out of 5
David Platt has become known as someone proclaiming a radical pursuit of Jesus and his calling. In the new combined edition of the two booklets THE RADICAL QUESTION and THE RADICAL IDEA, Platt outlines two things that he believes are vitally important to Christians and the church.
In THE RADICAL QUESTION, Platt explores the disconnect between American Christianity and the calling to follow Jesus outlined in the pages of the New Testament. This booklet, a condensed version of his book RADICAL, is a call to evaluate the things that are most important to us. For most Christians in America the call seems to be to the American Dream while people around the world are starving and many dying without Christ. Platt asks the question, “Is Jesus worth it to you to sacrifice everything for what he wants?”
In THE RADICAL IDEA, Platt looks at the role of the church in Christian belief. We were never meant to follow Jesus in isolation, and Platt suggests that it isn’t solely the role of church leadership to lead people to faith in Christ. Instead, church leaders are called to equip believers to do the work of ministry, spreading the gospel wherever they go.
Platt’s teaching is challenging, and certainly radical. It gives you much to wrestle with, and ultimately it is a call to follow Jesus more wholeheartedly.
Review copy provided by Waterbrook Multnomah
David Platt has become known as someone proclaiming a radical pursuit of Jesus and his calling. In the new combined edition of the two booklets THE RADICAL QUESTION and THE RADICAL IDEA, Platt outlines two things that he believes are vitally important to Christians and the church.
In THE RADICAL QUESTION, Platt explores the disconnect between American Christianity and the calling to follow Jesus outlined in the pages of the New Testament. This booklet, a condensed version of his book RADICAL, is a call to evaluate the things that are most important to us. For most Christians in America the call seems to be to the American Dream while people around the world are starving and many dying without Christ. Platt asks the question, “Is Jesus worth it to you to sacrifice everything for what he wants?”
In THE RADICAL IDEA, Platt looks at the role of the church in Christian belief. We were never meant to follow Jesus in isolation, and Platt suggests that it isn’t solely the role of church leadership to lead people to faith in Christ. Instead, church leaders are called to equip believers to do the work of ministry, spreading the gospel wherever they go.
Platt’s teaching is challenging, and certainly radical. It gives you much to wrestle with, and ultimately it is a call to follow Jesus more wholeheartedly.
Review copy provided by Waterbrook Multnomah
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