Tag: book review

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Book Review: Kisses from Katie by Katie Davis…

It has been a while since i posted a book review. It´s not that i have not been reading. It´s life becoming too busy.

i read this book more than a month ago and still the words ring in my head. This autobiography of a life lived purely for others is truly heartwarming and made me really look at my life and how it is being lived.

kissesfromkatieKatie was only 19 when she heard God´s call to love the people of Uganda. And she bravely stepped forward and allowed God to lead her. Of course, there were difficulties and doubts. There were trying times and dangerous times. There were lots of heartaches and pains. But through it all, she kept turning back to God, she kept the faith that God will always be there for her, working things out on her behalf. And God did and always will.

This is how Katie has chosen to live her life:

“To say yes to each and every thing He asks of me, to each person He places in front of me.”

“I am far from perfect, and God will use me. God will establish great things through me.
You are Peter. God already knows that you will make a mess, but His plan for you is great. Go. Feed His sheep.”

And then God gave her even more… He gave her daughters!

“This house has become a home, not just to me but to hundreds. It holds my heart. It holds so many lessons. It is a place where children can be children, where people can know that they are important and special and loved. It is a place where people accept Christ and learn about Him and grow in Him. It is my house. But mostly, it is a house of the Lord.”

i hope this will be what my house becomes too.

And for those whose heart is sad, she has these words to encourage you:

“Thank you that when i feel old and used-up and broken and no more exciting than a cardboard box, You (God) whisper that You love and value me, and that in Your eyes, i am shiny and new.”

That is how God sees us all.

There is so much more i wish to share from this book but i will let you read it for yourself. Katie Davis is amazing and courageous BUT she doesn´t think so. In her words:

“But i am just a plain girl from Tennessee. Broken in many ways, sinful , and inadequate. Common and simple with nothing special about me. Nothing special except i choose to say “yes.” “Yes” to the things God asks of me and “yes” to the people He places in front of me. You can too. i am just an ordinary person. An ordinary person serving an extraordinary God.”

And i must say that throughout the book she does not make you feel like you have to give up your life now and go to some far-flung country to serve God. You can serve God wherever He has placed you but you need to look at if you truly are saying “yes” to the things and persons God has placed in your life.

Do have a read and let me know what in her story touched you the most.

syc

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Book Review: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson…

bookreview_girlwithdragontattoo20140929It has been absolutely ages since i posted a book review. You would think i would have read tons during our summer holiday, but in reality when on holiday, visiting family and friends, there is hardly time to simply read cos you’re always meeting someone or having a meal with another, which we love to do. However, that’s why it takes more than a month to finish reading a 554-page novel :p

So onto the review – i like this book a lot!

To be very honest, in the beginning i was a little bored because it seemed as if there is no mystery to solve, no thrilling-action to keep you on the age of your seat. Just a well-known journalist hung out to dry. And Larsson spent lots of time laying out the characters and background so that you would completely understand the significance of what happens later in the story. This took up more than half the book. It got to a point where i kept wondering if maybe the 2 main characters would never truly cross paths.

But once they did, the story started flying off the pages. Then it became a fast-paced thriller and you were definitely rooting for them to get to the bottom of it all.

Aside from being a really good read, it is also a social commentary, making people sit up and think about the issue at hand – in this case, it is violence against women. And i think he did a good job of really making people aware that it does exist, even in the nicest of neighbourhoods and is a crime which can be committed by seemingly “model” citizens.

However, there is one point he didn’t completely tie up neatly with a bow and it has to do with the girl with the dragon tattoo. i think it’s because she carries on in the next 2 books of this trilogy, i do hope the journalist will also make an appearance.

So if you like a good thriller with attention to details, this is the book for you. But be warned there are graphic details of the horrible atrocities.

syc

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Book Review: Raven Queen by Pauline Francis…

i love history and i like historically based novels. Raven Queen is one i would recommend, especially to get teens or middle grade students to show an interest in history.

The writing is simple and easy to understand; no fancy old English, which means it’s a good book for middle grade. But that does not mean the story is thin or uninteresting. On the contrary, it is a beautiful story of love and betray, of power struggles and tragedy.

Lady Jane Grey, often known as the 9-day queen, sat on the throne of England for a mere 9 days. And usually that is all that is said about her in the history books. She was the one who stood in the way of Mary becoming queen, unwillingly.

Through much research, Francis was able to put together a story which allows us an insight into what it means to be born with royal blood, to be trapped because you were born into a particular family and to be forced to take part in what is essentially a coup you do not believe in.

She has, of course, taken some liberties and added a love interest which did not historically exist. But it does not change the essence of Lady Jane Grey’s story. It makes for a more engaging story.

So do you like historical novels? If yes, which ones have you read?

syc