The Epic of Eden: A Christian Entry Into the Old Testament by
Sandra L. Richter
My rating:
5 of 5 stars
In The Epic of Eden, Sandra Richter does a great job of pulling back the curtain on the Old Testament and explaining how it all fits together in an amazingly understandable style. I've been reading the Bible on an almost regular basis for almost two decades, and this book explained how and why things are laid out in the Old Testament in a way that I've never seen before.
The author does an exquisite job of defining the where, when, and why of the main events and people of the Old Testament and what they mean to us as New Testament Christians. The blurb on the back cover of the book claims that "This book will not only expand your knowledge, it will deepen your spiritual life," and it accomplishes this in an epic fashion.
My wife and I like reading books like this one together and discussing what we've read and learned as we go along. What I enjoyed most about The Epic of Eden is how clearly I now understand the culture, history, and geography contained in the Old Testament. The books contained there are not archaic or removed from my faith as a Christian. They are the very foundations on which my entire worldview rests. The relationships God establishes within its pages reveal His love, heart, character, and aspirations for the entire human race. I have a deeper understanding now of the character of Christ Himself, and the true proportions of what His sacrifice and love for me truly entail.
Whether you consider yourself to be a Biblical scholar or not, I strongly encourage you to read this book. It will reveal the Old Testament to you in ways you never before have seen. It explains the history of mankind and our relationship with Almighty God within the cultural context of the people with whom He originally established covenant relationship. This, in turn, explains the relationship He desires to have with you and me today.
If this book sounds interesting to you, you can find it on Amazon here: http://amzn.to/2fOxFOY
Until next time, stay safe, and above all, be true to yourself.
That Aaron Guy
View all my reviews
The Lincoln Lawyer by
Michael Connelly
My rating:
5 of 5 stars
Somehow, I've made it most of the way through 2017 without having read any of Michael Connelly's books. I'm not talking about just this year, but ever! I know I saw the film adaptation of The Lincoln Lawyer a few years ago, but it either wasn't memorable, or it deviated drastically from the book, because I was on the edge of my seat through the entire 500+ pages. I don't remember the movie being nearly so spellbinding.
Mickey Haller is a defense lawyer who honestly does not care a whit whether his clients committed the crime they're being accused of. He's in it for the money and to see how many prosecutorial cases he can successfully shoot down. Then Louis Roulet comes into his life, and his perspective begins to shift a bit. Roulet is accused of a brutal assault, attempted rape, and threatening to murder his victim. So, did he do it, or not? His defense is actually feasible at first blush, even though it seems far fetched, and he sells it to his new lawyer fairly quickly. Then Haller's world gets turned upside down, because he's always been afraid he would miss it when he came across a truly innocent client. He's also faced with what can only be described as true evil.
I've read quite a few thrillers from the likes of John Grisham, Tom Clancy, and Lee Child, and they all have their own unique style and flavor. Michael Connelly doesn't fit in any of the molds left behind by these other writers. His storytelling is fast paced, intelligent, and technical without getting bogged down in minuscule details. The pacing works, the characters are all believable, and the dialogue just fits the situations.
If you're looking for a fast-paced legal thriller that seems to turn its own pages, look no further than The Lincoln Lawyer. Mr. Connelly, you've found another dedicated fan here, Sir.
If this one sounds interesting to you, you can find it and other books by Michael Connelly on Amazon here: http://amzn.to/2wuMn1r
Until next time, stay safe, and above all, be true to yourself.
That Aaron Guy
View all my reviews
Die Trying by
Lee Child
My rating:
4 of 5 stars
***WARNING!!! SPOILERS!!!***
Die Trying is another great read in the Jack Reacher series. The book kicks off with him getting kidnapped along with F.B.I. agent Holly Johnson, and the action just picks up from there. Jack is fine just biding his time and protecting her, right up until the kidnappers make it personal by trying to kill him. Reacher feels this just made it personal, so in true Jack Reacher style, it's time to bust some heads. It doesn't take long at all before he's running through a field, dead body in tow, to hide the guy he just killed. Seems like the aforementioned dead guy made a grave mistake in his life choices.
The way this book is written, you'd think Lee Child had grown up in the U.S., particularly in the northwest, where there have been numerous militia groups like described in this novel. It's hard to believe he was born and grew up in England. In expert fashion, he delves into the conspiracy theories that seem to surround such groups and drive their actions and separatist beliefs.
In case you missed my last review of Lee Child's novel, Killing Floor, I'll repeat what I said at the end of that review. If you enjoy Mystery/Thriller/Spy/Military/Action novels, and you haven't started reading Lee Child, I think you're missing out. Pick one of his books up today. You can thank me later!
Until next time, stay safe, and above all, be true to yourself.
That Aaron Guy
View all my reviews
Killing Floor by
Lee Child
My rating:
5 of 5 stars
Although this is the first Reacher novel that was published, it's actually the third one I've read, having read The Enemy and The Affair a few years ago. I'm a bit of a nerd, so I like reading series novels in chronological order if I pick them up when several books have already been released. I've given that up now on the Jack Reacher series, though, as Lee Child keeps releasing prequel stories.
I really, really enjoyed this one, as is evidenced in my finishing it in only 4 days. In Killing Floor, Jack Reacher is travelling across the deep south by bus when he decides on a whim to walk the fourteen miles to smalltown, U.S.A., also known as Margrave, Alabama. In a downpour of a rainstorm. After walking for hours, he gets arrested for murder as he's finishing his breakfast in the local diner. Of course, he knows the charges are trumped up idiocy, but the resultant situation is the perfect set up for Reacher to bust a few heads. He does this in fantastic fashion, as a matter of fact, and this wouldn't be a Jack Reacher story without a bit of violence, now would it?
In the back of my mind, I was expecting this to be at least slightly inferior to the other two books I've read from the series. I mean, this was novel #1, and the other two were #8 and #16, respectively. Most writers get better with time and additional writing, but I honestly think Child hit his stride right out of the gate.
If you enjoy Mystery/Thriller/Spy/Military/Action novels, and you haven't started reading Lee Child, I think you're missing out. Pick one of his books up today. You can thank me later!
Until next time, stay safe, and above all, be true to yourself.
That Aaron Guy
View all my reviews
