Oops, she did it again. Joyce Magnin combines the ridiculous with the poignant in a way that spells sublime. And that’s especially true of Griselda Takes Flight (Abingdon, releases 4.1.11), the third offering in her Bright’s Pond series.  No one but Magnin could put together a comatose treasure hunter; his not-so-concerned fiancée; an obsessive pumpkin farmer; two sisters learning to love their way out of dysfunction; and a pilot who makes an emergency landing and decides to stay a while. And no one but Magnin could weave all these and more into a loveable, believable, page-turning story.  In what’s become her signature style, the author uses flawed characters and awkward, often humorous situations to teach powerful lessons. Griselda Sparrow, who takes flight in not only an airplane but her self-confidence, shows readers the power of truth to set free. And as other Bright’s Pond residents work through their own versions of truth-telling, readers will no doubt do the same.  At one point in my reading, I realized I was holding my breath. Charlotte Figg, heroine of Magnin’s second novel, was about to encounter Griselda and friends for the first time. My concern for my fictional friends defined my discovery about their creator:  Oops, she did it again.  Read it and smile. Because when Griselda Takes Flight, your heart will,...

She had me at the title: The Me Project: 21 Days to Living the Life You’ve Always Wanted (Harvest House, 2011).  Wait a minute! What’s a self-centered title like this doing in the Christian living section? It’s not all about me, is it? The short answer: Kathi Lipp‘s book is all about me (or you) because it helps readers explore the desires God’s implanted in our hearts. And that makes it a great match for life as he intends it. Author Lipp, a retreat and conference speaker already known for The Husband Project and The Marriage Project, presents a warm blend of transparent humor, practical advice, and godly encouragement in a power-packed volume. As she explains it, The Me Project is the book she’s always wanted to write, “a 21-day guide for dreaming some dreams about your life and then setting some goals to make one of those dreams a reality.” Its existence, she says, flows from her desire to assist others in pursuing the specific plans God has for them. I especially loved The Me Project‘s concentrated focus. The author’s suggestion of what she calls a 50/50 journal allows readers to list multiple goals and pick one to achieve over the next twenty-one days or more. She encourages them to seek God about this goal and then pursue it with time hard work, imagination, and accountability. Lipp lays out the twenty-one days as both chapters and “projects” with help ranging from a brief explanation to creative ideas to a brief prayer. I haven’t had this book long enough to test it out, but I appreciate the fun way it helps readers break down goals or dreams into bite-sized, achievable pieces.  Do you have unfulfilled dreams or goals? Read The Me Project  and look at yourself—and the plans for which God’s designed you—in a new and achievable way.  ALSO: Check out my WRITE post this Friday for a bonus article by Kathi Lipp and the chance to enter a special blog tour giveaway that includes some great...

I’ll begin this review with a confession: I didn’t read this book the right way. Author Arlene Pellicane intends 31 Days to a Younger You: No Surgery, No Diets, No Kidding (Harvest House, 2010) as a 31-day adventure in looking, feeling, and living young. Because of my planned review, I read it in only two or three sittings. Although the title points to outer beauty, this wise author instead highlights practical, biblical steps to true beauty, which flows outward from the soul. She fills her bite-sized presentations with positive, personal encouragement; transparent stories; beauty tips that don’t involve medications or elaborate surgical procedures; and expert advice.  All this combines to make 31 Days a fun, helpful, and positive read. Each chapter ends with a Thought for Rejuvenation (question to consider) and Act of eXpression (suggested actions for renewal). Kudos to Arlene for helping me examine some areas of my life that needed a fresh touch. I recommend you take 31 Days to consider your own. If you could read a book that promised to help you look and feel younger, what would you want to find inside?  OR If you could write a book like this, what type of advice would you...

“I just don’t understand. Why would he walk out on everything we have? I feel as though I’ve been living a lie—a lie I still wish were true.” The young woman sat in my husband’s office, sobs wracking her swollen body. A few weeks away from delivering her third child, she now faced the pain of marital separation. Her husband said he didn’t love her—hadn’t loved her for a long time. And despite his vehement denials, she suspected he’d found someone else. Where would she go? What could she do? My husband and I counseled our young friend and her husband as best we could. We wished they weren’t the only members of our young adult Sunday School class to face this problem. We wished we had more resources for what’s become a growing concern for believers and non-believers alike: the problem of marital separation. Linda W. Rooks provides just such a resource in Broken Heart on Hold: Surviving Separation (David C. Cook, 2006). When you’re hurting, you don’t need pious platitudes or legalistic lectures. You want someone to listen. You want someone to understand. And you want someone to walk beside you on an always-painful, often-unwanted journey. The author combines a tender heart with skillful writing to transform a time of personal pain into a vehicle of healing. As she tells her story in fresh, honest language, she provides godly encouragement and practical advice for those who face similar anguish. Short, self-contained chapters allow readers who can’t devour an entire book to savor its truth a few pages at a time.  I loved (and hated) the author’s transparency as she described her journey. But what I loved more was the way she went beyond personal experience to encourage readers with Scripture, heartfelt prayers, and small suggestions sure to make a big difference. Although Linda’s story has a happy ending (she and her husband have reconciled and now help others who suffer similar marital pain), she writes from a humble, fresh, and open perspective that urges readers to seek God first. I’ll keep this resource on hand for the next sobbing wife or sullen husband who shows up at our door. May God continue to use Linda’s wisdom to guide readers through a season no one desires but many encounter.  If you’d like to win a copy of Broken Heart on Hold, please leave your comment below (make sure I have an email or other way to reach you) here. If your browser won’t allow you to comment, use the “contact” icon to the right to message me. Do one or the other by midnight EST this Thursday, January 27, and I’ll enter your name to win an autographed...

I have a secret crush. Well, maybe not-so-secret: I love books about writing. The top shelf of my office bookshelf overflows with all sorts of these volumes—from Strunk & White’s classic The Elements of Style to Natalie Goldberg’s Writing Down the Bones.  For years, this collection remained static. Only in the last few—since I began to write and edit fulltime—has it grown in depth and wonder. My crush meant I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to receive an ARC (Advance Reading Copy) of Roger Rosenblatt’s new release Unless it Moves the Human Heart: The Craft and Art of Writing (Ecco Books, 2011). I’ve long admired Rosenblatt’s work. I loved the title; I needed the book. Here’s my review:  I’ve reached the point in my writing career where I sometimes have the opportunity to mentor newer writers. I don’t teach in a university or any formal setting beyond writers’ conferences. Still, I write, and I teach about it. Those factors combined with my admiration for Rosenblatt’s work made me want to read this book. Award- winning essayist, novelist, and playwright Rosenblatt has effectively lived the antithesis to an old saying. In his case, Those who can, teach. He writes, and writes well. And he also teaches writing —as he has for more than forty years. In Unless It Moves, Rosenblatt takes a fresh approach to writing about writing: He presents his advice in story form. He tells the story of an imaginary (or, more accurately, composite) university writing class and allows readers to experience his students’ interaction with their professor and his material.  This presentation adds layers of meaning and allows the author to present both good and bad examples without hitting readers over the head. The misunderstandings, trials, and triumphs that class members endure will most likely happen to readers who write. And the character flaws that mark and measure their writing will—at least by the end of the book—seem more familiar than otherwise.  Trite device? Thinly veiled vehicle for the communication of truth? Perhaps. But I found myself turning the pages in search of both students’ questions and professor’s wisdom. I read. I learned. And lines like “There’s no purpose to writing unless you believe in significant things—right over wrong, good over evil” and “Voice is the knowledge of what you want to say” made me think—and moved me to improve my craft. Read the book and inhale the sweet fragrance of story. Reread as you savor each morsel of truth. What’s your favorite book about writing? Share its title and why you enjoy it. You may be a part of helping someone else who loves to...

The sophomore slump. In the publishing world, this term refers to the phenomenon of an author’s second novel that fails to live up to the standards of the first. Like baseball players and filmmakers, authors dread it.   As a reader, I dreaded it, too. I enjoyed C.J. Darlington’s Thicker than Blood, winner of the 2008 Jerry B. Jenkins Christian Writers Guild Operation First Novel award. I admired the author—a young homeschool graduate—as much as her work. In fact, I took time to interview her for Homeschooling Today magazine. (Read that four-part interview here). So, although we’ve never met, C.J. and I have a history. That’s why I opened the advance reading copy of Bound by Guilt (Tyndale, March 1, 2011) with some trepidation. She took years to develop her first novel. How could this one match it? The truth: Bound by Guilt doesn’t match the writing skill or reading quality of C.J.’s first novel. Instead, this offering exceeds the first at multiple points. In her new book, C.J.’s strength in creating believable characters shines as does her plotting ability. But the true power of Bound by Guilt lies not in the plot or characters but in its warm portrayal of God’s redemptive love.  Life’s dealt young Roxi Gold a tough hand. Abandoned by her drug-addicted mother, she bounced in and out of multiple foster homes before landing with her mom’s cousin, Irene. Problems solved? No, multiplied. Irene’s self-centered perspective extends to her career: stealing and reselling rare books. She trains both her son and Roxi to serve as her accomplices. Despite Roxi’s misgivings, it seems like a great scheme—until the night things go horribly, terribly wrong. Police officer Abby Dawson has an anger problem. Wounds from the past (including a controlling father and an attorney ex-husband who limits her access to her only child) combine to make her dedicated but dangerous. Abby’s pain blurs the line between legal and illegal, right and wrong. When her hurt intersects with Roxi’s, they both need a miracle. Roxi and Abby are fearfully and wonderfully made. They’re also deeply loved. Will  they discover these truths in time? Will they believe them when—and if—they do? Author Darlington uses her bookselling expertise (she’s worked in the antiquarian book business for more than ten years) to provide both foundation and supportive details for her characters and their crimes. I enjoyed learning more about the book business which, along with several shared characters, also appears in Thicker than Blood. But what I loved most about the sparkling prose of Bound by Guilt was its portrait of God as Father, Redeemer, and Lover of our souls.  Read Bound by Guilt for the story. Weep at the ways...