The Secret Between Us by Barbara Delinsky

The Secret Between Us by Barbara Delinsky
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have enjoyed the Delinsky books that I've read previously and this was no exception. I actually read it very quickly, very easy to read and hard to put down. It's not a suspense novel, but the drama of the story pulls you in and keeps you intrigued. The characters are real, with real reactions to problems and you can relate to their struggles. An excellent read and recommended, particularly good selection for a book club discussion.

Knowing and Loving the Bible by Catherine Martin

Knowing and Loving the Bible: Face-to-Face with God in His Word by Catherine Martin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Reminder about the importance of being in God's Word - reading it, studying it. Too many Christians do not avail themselves of this weapon at their disposal.

"What you believe determines who you are. Who you are determines how you live. And how you live determines the direction of your life."

"A conviction is a strong belief that results in a corresponding action."

"People who are committed to the truth will impact a culture."

"God expects me to have such a confident expectation in His promises that it produces a change in me and results in a glorification of Him in everything I do."

Encouraging book and gave instructions for doing different types of Bible study such as observation, word studies, character studies and gave lists of Bible study tools to help as we study God's Word.


*I got this book through Booksfree, a book rental service.

Vigilante by Robin Parrish

Vigilante by Robin Parrish
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

woo! a bit of a ride this one! Nolan Gray, former special military trained, fakes his death to mount a war on crime, turning into a vigilante out to stop criminals in New York City. In his attempt to show people "a better way" (a motto he uses), he finds himself up against a powerful crime boss who makes his personal vendetta to punish Nolan for perceived wrongs done against him.

Fast-paced and suspenseful, the book also deals with justice and ethics - what is morally right and wrong to do? Nolan has to face inner demons that plague him in his fight to make the world safer for the people of New York City. And the ending... oh my!


*I was given this book from the publisher for free in exchange for my review.

I've also read Offworld by Robin Parrish, another excellent read that is recommended.

Gotta Have It! by Gregory Jantz

Gotta Have It! by Gregory Jantz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

"Change can be an unsettling process, often involving emotional, physical, and spiritual heavy lifting. It is hard and slow, so patience is required. God expects us to change. He wants us to change. He wants us to move from where we are now to where He wants us to be."


Book goes through a lot of the reasons why we reach out excessively in different areas. For some people, the excess could be food, for others it's work. Whatever it is that we turn to in excess, the reason behind it needs to be examined in order to eliminate the excessity from our lives. Do we go shopping when we're lonely? Looking at why we do what we do and addressing those issues, learning to ask for help and reaching out to God to fill the voids in our lives, these tools will help us to move away from the "gotta have it" right now tendency.


*I own this book

Challenges Update

I am pretty much giving up on challenges at this point. I am actually doing pretty well overall, but I don't like feeling pressured to read certain books and have decided that I'm not going to worry about finishing these challenges. If I happen to read books that qualify, great, but I'm not going to force myself to.

TBR Challenge - read 7 of 12

Christian Non-Fiction - read 6 of 10 (or 12 for my personal challenge) However, I have definitely read more than 12 Christian Non-Fiction; they just weren't on the list originally

Chick Lit - read 6 of 8 (and I'm sure I'll read at least 2 more before the end of the year)

Medical Mystery Madness - completed 6 of 6

Mystery & Suspense Reading Challenge - completed 12 of 12

What's In a Name 4 Challenge - read 4 of 6

Futuristic/Sci-Fi - read 2 of 4

Operation Deepen Faith - completed 2 theological books (Total Truth by Nancy Pearcey, Why Church Matters by Joshua Harris)

Operation Deepen Faith - read 2 of 3 translations of Ephesians (The Message and New Living Translation), plan to read in NIV before end of year