Katie’s Reading:

Currently Reading

I am still reading:

The Cookbook For A New Europe by Richard Segal

To serve society or humanity? It’s been fourteen years since the basketball-mad detective Fran Obrien captured the urban bomber Lavi, who has since moved to Spain and rehabilitated himself beyond recognition. Fran is fresh off a two-year sabbatical, during which he tended to 11-year-old Ben, the family comedian, and 17-year-old Alice, with, yes, as much attitude as you’d expect. His estranged boss Karl has retired and Fran must learn to deal with the new brass – no small task itself. His first assignment is to investigate an act of alleged political corruption which seems more wild goose chase than duck in a barrel, leading him to question his decision to return to work. After an extended-family culinary expedition to Budapest, Fran’s nine-to-five job takes him ‘almost’ to Albany and to Central America, where he must untangle the mother of all webs. His wife, local family doctor Darby, goes along for the ride, and, oh, piña coladas “to die for.” For a detective and amateur gourmet chef like no other, Cookbook for a New Europe is a ride Fran certainly didn’t expect. He’s been fiercely focused for years, but a spate of unintended yet momentous events unfolds once he gives free rein to his emotions, and his recipes.

I’m only about 60 pages further on than I was last week! I am just waiting for the story to get going really. However, Fran is back in the USA after having been to Hungary to visit family and is about to start work again so I’m looking forward to how the story will develop. I’m still struggling a little with how it is written but hopefully I will get used to it.
The Tapestry of Love by Rosy Thornton

A rural idyll: that’s what Catherine is seeking when she sells her house in England and moves to a tiny hamlet in the Cévennes mountains. With her divorce in the past and her children grown, she is free to make a new start, and her dream is to set up in business as a seamstress. But this is a harsh and lonely place when you’re no longer just here on holiday. There is French bureaucracy to contend with, not to mention the mountain weather, and the reserve of her neighbors, including the intriguing Patrick Castagnol. And that’s before the arrival of Catherine’s sister, Bryony.

I haven’t even picked this book up since last week – hopefully I’ll get to it over the weekend.
The other books I’m reading are Christian books. I dip in and out of these and use them as Bible study tools. They are:

Last Week’s Reading

This week I only finished one book:

Bestselling author Stormie Omartian inspires women to develop a deeper relationship with their husbands by praying for them. This encouraging resource is packed with practical advice on praying for specific areas of a husband’s life including his decision-making fears spiritual strength role as father, leader faith and future

Every woman who desires a closer relationship with her husband will appreciate the life illustrations, select Scripture verses, and the assurances of God’s promises and power for their marriage.

This book covers a whole range of issues which might occur in a marriage and ways to work through them and cling to God at the same time. I found this helpful and I will be able to dip in and out of this book in the future

Kirsten’s Reading:

Currently Reading

The Winter Ghosts by Kate Mosse

I am just about to start reading ‘The Winter Ghosts’ by Kate Mosse, which was lent to me by a friend, who read it recently and said that she enjoyed it. I’m excited to start reading and will review it when I’m done.

The Great War took much more than lives. It robbed a generation of friends, lovers and futures. In Freddie Watson’s case, it took his beloved brother and, at times, his peace of mind. In the winter of 1928, still seeking resolution, Freddie is travelling through the French Pyrenees. During a snowstorm, his car spins off the mountain road. He stumbles through woods, emerging in a tiny village. There he meets Fabrissa, a beautiful woman also mourning a lost generation. Over the course of one night, Fabrissa and Freddie share their stories. By the time dawn breaks, he will have stumbled across a tragic mystery that goes back through the centuries.

Lover Reborn by J. R. Ward

This week I also intend to read ‘Lover Reborn’ by J. R. Ward. This is the tenth book in a series called ‘The Black Dagger Brotherhood’ series. I have read the entire series thus far and really love it. The Black Dagger Brotherhood is a group of warrior vampires who all live and fight together against their enemies, the ‘Lessers’. Each book tells a love story about each of the brothers. This is not vampire fiction like you’ve read before as it doesn’t follow the conventional myths of vampirism – but do not fear, they don’t sparkle! I cannot wait to read this latest offering from the wonderful J. R. Ward.

In the darkest corners of the night in Caldwell, New York, a conflict like no other rages. The city is home to a band of brothers born to defend their race: the warrior vampires of the Black Dagger Brotherhood. Now back in the Brotherhood – and unrecognisable as the vampire leader he once was –Tohrment is physically emaciated and heartbroken beyond despair. When he begins to see his beloved in his dreams – trapped in a cold, isolating netherworld – Tohr turns to a self-serving fallen angel in hopes of saving the one he has lost. When he’s told he must learn to love another to free his former mate, Tohr knows they are all doomed . . . Except then a female with a shadowed history begins to get through to him. Against the backdrop of the raging war with the lessers, and with a new clan of vampires vying for the Blind King’s throne, Tohr struggles between the buried past, and a very hot, passion-filled future . . . but can his heart let go and set all of them free?

The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton

 I bought this in a charity shop the other day. I’ve heard that it is supposed to be good and I am trying to read more classics and so decided to give it a go. Looking forward to seeing what it’s like.

Set in turn-of-the-century New York, Edith Wharton’s classic novel The Age of Innocence reveals a society governed by the dictates of taste and form, manners and morals, and intricate social ceremonies. Newland Archer, soon to marry the lovely May Welland, is a man torn between his respect for tradition and family and his attraction to May’s strongly independent cousin, the Countess Ellen Olenska. Plagued by the desire to live in a world where two people can love each other free from condemnation and judgment by the group, Newland views the artful delicacy of the world he lives in as a comforting security one moment, and at another, as an oppressive fiction masking true human nature. The Age of Innocence is at once a richly drawn portrait of the elegant lifestyles, luxurious brownstones, and fascinating culture of bygone New York society and a compelling look at the conflict between human passions and the social tribe that tries to control them.

Last Week’s Reading

The Calling by Kelley Armstrong

I have just finished reading a book called ‘The Calling’ by Kelley Armstrong which is the second book in what is to be a trilogy called ‘Darkness Rising’. I really enjoyed this book and read it in literally a matter of hours. I have read the first book in the trilogy as well and cannot wait for the concluding instalment. I would definitely recommend this, and other books by this author, to anyone who enjoys reading ‘Paranormal/Fantasy’ fiction. Four stars!

Maya Delaney’s paw-print birthmark is the sign of what she truly is—a skin-walker. She can run faster, climb higher, and see better than nearly anyone else. Experiencing intense connections with the animals that roam the woods outside her home, Maya knows it’s only a matter of time before she’s able to Shift and become one of them. And she believes there may be others in her small town with surprising talents.

Now, Maya and her friends have been forced to flee from their homes during a forest fire they suspect was deliberately set. Then they’re kidnapped, and after a chilling helicopter crash, they find themselves in the Vancouver Island wilderness with nothing but their extraordinary abilities to help them get back home.

The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe

I have also not long finished a book called ‘The Mysteries of Udolpho’ by Ann Radcliffe. It took me quite a long time to read this book as it was very long and very dense (and I stopped a couple of times to read other things)! The book is a classic ‘Gothic Horror/Ghost Story’. It is very suspenseful and has true thriller moments. A good read if you have the patience to endure it and, as far as I was concerned, well worth the slog.

With The Mysteries of Udolpho, Ann Radcliffe raised the Gothic romance to a new level and inspired a long line of imitators. Portraying her heroine’s inner life, creating a thick atmosphere of fear, and providing a gripping plot that continues to thrill readers today, The Mysteries of Udolpho is the story of orphan Emily St. Aubert, who finds herself separated from the man she loves and confined within the medieval castle of her aunt’s new husband, Montoni. Inside the castle, she must cope with an unwanted suitor, Montoni’s threats, and the wild imaginings and terrors that threaten to overwhelm her.

Currently Reading

As usual, I am reading 6 books! The “main” book I am reading is:

The Cookbook For A New Europe by Richard Segal

To serve society or humanity? It’s been fourteen years since the basketball-mad detective Fran Obrien captured the urban bomber Lavi, who has since moved to Spain and rehabilitated himself beyond recognition. Fran is fresh off a two-year sabbatical, during which he tended to 11-year-old Ben, the family comedian, and 17-year-old Alice, with, yes, as much attitude as you’d expect. His estranged boss Karl has retired and Fran must learn to deal with the new brass – no small task itself. His first assignment is to investigate an act of alleged political corruption which seems more wild goose chase than duck in a barrel, leading him to question his decision to return to work. After an extended-family culinary expedition to Budapest, Fran’s nine-to-five job takes him ‘almost’ to Albany and to Central America, where he must untangle the mother of all webs. His wife, local family doctor Darby, goes along for the ride, and, oh, piña coladas “to die for.” For a detective and amateur gourmet chef like no other, Cookbook for a New Europe is a ride Fran certainly didn’t expect. He’s been fiercely focused for years, but a spate of unintended yet momentous events unfolds once he gives free rein to his emotions, and his recipes.

I received this book from the publisher AuthorHouse. I’m only a few pages in. The writing style is unusal – hard to explain really, it feels a bit disjointed but I’m sure I will get used to it.

The other novel I am reading, albeit slowly, is:

The Tapestry of Love by Rosy Thornton

A rural idyll: that’s what Catherine is seeking when she sells her house in England and moves to a tiny hamlet in the Cévennes mountains. With her divorce in the past and her children grown, she is free to make a new start, and her dream is to set up in business as a seamstress. But this is a harsh and lonely place when you’re no longer just here on holiday. There is French bureaucracy to contend with, not to mention the mountain weather, and the reserve of her neighbors, including the intriguing Patrick Castagnol. And that’s before the arrival of Catherine’s sister, Bryony.

If I’m honest, this book isn’t as exciting as I thought it would be. The story is a little slow. I’m up to page 90 and I don’t real feel like the story has got going yet. I will keep going but it may take a while!

The other books I’m reading are Christian books. I dip in and out of these and use them as Bible study tools. They are:

Last Week’s Reading

I had a good reading week – I finished 3 books! They are:

The Heaven Answer Book by Billy Graham

God’s Word says heaven awaits all the saints of His kingdom, but how many of us really know what heaven will be like? The Heaven Answer Book is a biblically based book written in Q&A format with answers to commonly asked questions about our future and final home. Topics include what we’ll do, what we’ll be, what we’ll see, our rewards in heaven, and more. Billy Graham’s trustworthy Bible knowledge offers interesting insight and enduring truth about how believers can prepare their hearts for spending eternity with their Maker and Lord.

I receieved this as a review book from Netgalley. I didn’t use this as a study book, I just read it like a novel! Each chapter is only a couple of pages long and each one answers a question about heaven, the Bible, Jesus etc. I thought this was a good book, clear and helpful. It is a “gift” book so the pages were decorated, which wouldn’t work on a Kindle, but looked nice on the computer. Review to come.

The Senator’s Wife by Sue Miller

Meri is newly married, pregnant, and standing on the cusp of her life as a wife and mother, recognizing with some terror the gap between reality and expectation. Delia Naughton—wife of the two-term liberal senator Tom Naughton—is Meri’s new neighbor in the adjacent New England town house. Delia’s husband’s chronic infidelity has been an open secret in Washington circles, but despite the complexity of their relationship, the bond between them remains strong. What keeps people together, even in the midst of profound betrayal? How can a journey imperiled by, and sometimes indistinguishable from, compromise and disappointment culminate in healing and grace? Delia and Meri find themselves leading strangely parallel lives, both reckoning with the contours and mysteries of marriage, one refined and abraded by years of complicated intimacy, the other barely begun.

I enjoyed this book. It was a more literary chick-lit than the usual I read but it was a good read. The story followed Meri and Delia and the two separate lives they lead as neighbours. It was a storyline that sucked me in and I found myself wanting to read more.

The Africa House by Christina Lamb

In the declining years of the British Empire, in Northern Rhodesia, Stewart Gore-Browne was a proper English gentleman who built himself a sprawling country estate, complete with liveried servants, rose gardens, and lavish dinners finished off with vintage port in the library. All that was missing was a woman to share it with. He adored the beautiful aviatrix Ethel Locke King, but she was almost twenty years his senior, married, and his aunt. Lorna, the only other woman Gore-Brown cared for, was married as well, but years later her orphaned daughter would become Gore-Browne’s wife. The story of a colonialist who beat his servants yet supported Rhodesian independence and who was given a chief’s burial by the local elders when he died, “The Africa House” rescues “from oblivion the life story of an astonishing man, an astonishing marriage, and an astonishing house” (“The Spectator”).

This is our book club read for the month. It is about Stewart Gore-Brown, an Englishman who tried to take England to Africa. I have to be honest, I did not like this book. It is a non-fiction book that felt like Lamb was trying to turn into a novel – quite unsuccessfully. I didn’t like Gore-Brown and found it a tough, boring read.

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS

Addition: Paperback, borrowed from a friend

Genre: Christian fiction, chick-lit

Rating: 4 out of 5

Synopsis:

In the high-powered world of filmmaking, two unknown producers struggle to make a name for themselves. With millions of investors’ dollars on the line, they wonder if it’s possible to beat the odds and make a movie unlike anything ever done before.

This is the first Karen Kingsbury novel I have read – this series, The Above The Line Series was recommened to me by my lovely manager at work, and I really enjoyed the first book!

The story follows Chase and Keith – two friends who used to be missionaries, who have decided to try their hand at film making. They have to trust God completely for all the funds, for actors who will work well and respect their beliefs, and for the film to be a success and even make them some money. They face all sorts of challenges – from actors walking off set because Chase and Keith are Christians, to the food van burning down. The whole event tests their faith and the strength of friends and family to help them through. We are also introduced to Andi and Bailey in this book. Andi is Keith’s daughter who has just started university and Bailey is her roommate. We follow them also, as Andi struggles with the temptations of uni life – alcohol and boys; while Bailey struggles with her feelings for Cody – the guy she has loved for a long time but after he arrived back from Iraq told her to date Tim – and Tim, who she is dating. Is he more interested in New York and pursuing acting then he is in her?

I have to say, I really enjoyed this book. I was hooked from the first page and it took me a matter of hours to read this book. This is a well written novel that has a gripping storyline. I liked the characters and I found Kingsley wrote in a way that was engaging. The book features many characters but each chapter changed the focus of the story and followed a different character. I liked that Kingsley did that – I felt I got to know all the characters well this way.

I enjoy a book much more if I like the characters and I liked all of them in this book. I liked Keith and Chase and how they were pursuing their dream – and what they believed God told them to do. I liked how they kept each other strong and how they fought for each in prayer. I liked the girls as well – Andi and Bailey. I liked how they developed a good friendship and it was enjoyable reading about them.

I felt Kingsley wrote really well and presented her characters will real situations. Andi facing temptations such as alcohol is a real problem for teenagers and I think Kingsley deals with this in a brilliant way. She doesn’t duck away from the issue – she lets Andi discover alcohol and the consequences that come along with it. Kingsley is real and honest and very readable. She writes some great characters – a whole range of them that I loved – and she wrote storylines that were realistic and I could empathise with.

This was a brilliant read. I am glad I have been introduced to Karen Kingsley and this series – I will be reading it all! This is definitely well worth reading – whether you are a Christian or not!

Addition: Review e-book from Netgalley

Genre: Christian, religion

Rating: 4 out of 5

Synopsis:

This is the second Max Lucado book I have read and I found it a good read. I received this book from Netgalley to read and review.

It is about Jesus Christ and what He did on earth, by dying on the Cross to take our sins and being raised from the dead by God to defeat death. This book was Scripture led and full of truth, however Lucado did embelish the story out a bit so we had an idea of what Jesus might have been doing or thinking leading up to His death, but this doesn’t stray far from what is written in the Gospels.

Lucado gives a clear account of what Jesus did on the cross – how He died and rose again to take away the sin of the world. He is clear that we need to respond to Jesus, that we need to receive forgiveness and grace and he gives opportunity in the book to do that. This was not a difficult read and it didn’t challenge me, but I found it a great read and a great reminder of the Gospel.

This is a beautifully presented book – I had an e-book version and it wouldn’t have worked on a Kindle due to the images and colour but it looked great on the computer:

This was an easy read, but very clear about God’s love for us and how He sent His Son to live a life we couldn’t live and die for us to defeat sin and death so that we might repent and live forever with God. Lucado is clear and readable and I think this is a great book about the Gospel.

Addition: Review e-book from Netgalley

Genre: Gift Book

Rating: 4 out 5

Synopsis:

Is there any greater gift than knowing you are loved?

Through quotes and Scriptures, You Are Loved explores the unfathomable love of God and the beauty of human love when it is modeled after the Creator’s. Each page will touch the hearts of the recipients with the assurance that they indeed are cherished—during the pleasant times and the difficult times.

Share the sentiment that “The one who is filled with love is filled with God Himself.” Or realize the depths of God’s love with such verses as 1 John 3:1: “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!” (NKJV)  The book’s clean and classic design lends itself to being a part of the décor as a daily reminder of a loved one’s affections.

This is a small, beautifully put together gift book that I think will encourage and uplift others. It is 64 pages long and full of quotes about love. There are quotes from the Bible, quotes from famous Christians and quotes from anonymous sources.

I received this as a review book from NetGalley. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I clicked on it, but I was drawn by the title because one of the things I want to grow in personally is God’s love, and I enjoy reading and learning about it, as well as experiencing it. The version I received as a review book I downloaded to my Kindle, but to be honest this doesn’t work as a Kindle book. The quotes are on beautiful backgrounds which just get lost on the Kindle. I read this on my computer and visually it was much more pleasing.

I enjoyed this little book. At first I thought, what is this going to be like? But as I kept reading the quotes I felt encouraged and I could think of others who would like and appreciate this little nugget of truth. I think this would make a lovely gift and I think this will really bless many people.

I haven’t blogged or read as much this year because in September 2010 I started a full time job so I haven’t had as much time to read and spend on the blog. In 2010 I read 126 books and in 2009 I read 145. A list of my past reading can be found here. This year, I have only read 57 – not at all bad, but not nearly as many as past years! Here are some of my favourites:

The Woods by Harlon Coben

Paul Copeland’s sister went missing twenty years ago. Now raising a daughter alone, Cope balances family life with a career as a prosecutor. But when a homicide victim is found with evidence linking him to Cope, the well-buried secrets of the past are threatening everything. Is this body one of the campers who disappeared with his sister? Could his sister be alive…? Confronting his past, Cope must decide what is better left hidden in the dark and what truths can be brought to light…

I really enjoyed this thriller – was happy to give it 5 out of 5.

The Distant Hours by Kate Morton

A long lost letter arrives in the post and Edie Burchill finds herself on a journey to Milderhurst Castle, a great but moldering old house, where the Blythe spinsters live and where her mother was billeted 50 years before as a 13 year old child during WWII. The elder Blythe sisters are twins and have spent most of their lives looking after the third and youngest sister, Juniper, who hasn’t been the same since her fiance jilted her in 1941.

Inside the decaying castle, Edie begins to unravel her mother’s past. But there are other secrets hidden in the stones of Milderhurst, and Edie is about to learn more than she expected. The truth of what happened in ‘the distant hours’ of the past has been waiting a long time for someone to find it.

Morton once again enthralls readers with an atmospheric story featuring unforgettable characters beset by love and circumstance and haunted by memory, that reminds us of the rich power of storytelling

My review of this book is to come, but this was a gripping historical novel. It was long but very enjoyable. It was easy to give it 5/5.

The Summer House by Mary Nichols

A secret love that will haunt a family for ever England 1918. Lady Helen believes her parents when they say she will never find a better husband than Richard, but when he returns to the Front, she begins to wonder just who it is she has married. His letters home are cold and distant – and Helen realises that she has made a terrible mistake. Then Oliver Donovan enters her life and they begin an affair that leaves Helen pregnant and alone – she is forced to surrender her precious baby. Over twenty years pass and a second war is ravaging Europe, but that is not the only echo of the past to haunt the present. Laura Drummond is caught in a tragic love affair of her own and when she is forced to leave London during the Blitz, she turns to the mother she never knew.

This is another historical fiction novel that I really enjoyed! Set during both World Wars it follows two women who get caught in love affairs and fall pregnant, both outside of marriage. What they don’t realise is they are mother and daughter! I haven’t written this review yet but it will be rated 5/5 as I really enjoyed it!

The Glass Painters Daughter by Rachel Hore

A wonderful novel set in a hidden part of Westminster, steeped in the Victorian past, full of gothic churches and secret garden squares…

I was surprised I enjoyed this as much as I did. I really enjoy Rachel Hore novels but I’ve never rated any of them 5/5 until this one! The book is set in London, both in our time and in Victorian times, following the fortunes of one family and one shop. This is another historical novel and also a romance novel, and I loved it! Review is to come.

God Knows my Name by Beth Redman

In this powerful and deeply vulnerable book, Beth Redman writes to pass along a message that changed her life—that the God who made us also understands us intimately. He hears our cries and reaches out in love to help us and fight for us. He’s always at work shaping our character. And no matter what others do, He will never, ever leave or forget us. Drawing on Scripture and her own experience, Redman invites us to explore the revolutionary implications of being loved by a God who knows our name. And she invites us to call on His name as well—to respond to His heart and love Him as He has loved us from the beginning.

This book was given to me as a gift and I found it so helpful. I was facing something tough and this book was clear and helpful and let me see God and be comforted that He knows me and is looking out for me.I’m thankful for this present and can’t rate this book highly enough. The review is to come but I can easily rate this 5/5.

Meet Me at the Cupcake Cafe by Jenny Colgan

Ever dreamed of starting over?

Issy Randall can bake. No, more than that – Issy can create stunning, mouth-wateringly divine cakes. After a childhood spent in her beloved Grampa Joe’s bakery she has undoubtedly inherited his talent. So when she’s made redundant from her safe but dull City job, Issy decides to seize the moment and open up her own café. It should be a piece of cake, right?

Wrong. As her friends point out, she has trouble remembering where she left her house keys, let alone trying to run her own business. But Issy is determined. Armed with recipes posted to her from Grampa, and with her local bank manager fighting her corner, Issy attempts to prove everyone wrong. Following your dreams is never easy and this is no exception. Can Issy do it?

This is the first Jenny Colgan novel I have read and I loved it! I was drawn by the cover and the title and very glad I took this out the library. The book had a great storyline and it had recipes – bonus! The review is to come but it will be glowing – I really enjoyed this book. Another 5/5!

I’m a born-again Christian. I asked Jesus into my life at the age of 8, and I can tell you, I have seen some remarkable things happen – in my life and in others. However I never really got into the Bible. I loved the Gospels, and had read most of Paul’s letters, but the Old Testament daunted me. The books were long, sometimes full of Laws I didn’t understand, wars between nations I couldn’t pronounce and so on. I’d read Genesis, lots of Psalms and some Proverbs – as well as Esther and Ruth, but not the others. But I have to say, two things changed for me this month:

1. I learnt about the Old Testament: about the history, its geography, key figures, and where the prophets are chronologically. I found a great diagram for this:
2. I downloaded an audio Bible. There are several places where you can do this, but I used this site. This will not replace my physical Bible, but it is great because I can listen to Bible while doing things such as getting dressed.

For me, this has not been a good month for reading – I haven’t been well and now I’m working I’m really busy, however I have read several books of the Bible that I hadn’t read before. To me, that is more important as it is helping me in Christian growth and my walk with God.

There are some books that I have which have helped unpack the Old Testament, and have helped me see Jesus in those books:

• Let’s Read the Old Testament by Raymond Edmund Brown
• How to Read the Bible Book by Book by Fee and Stuart
• The Bible Jesus Read by Philip Yancey
• The Ancient Love Song by Charles D. Drew

I saw these questions over at The Diary of a Domestic Goddess, and thought I would answer them too!

1. Who is your all-time favourite author, and why?

My favourite all time author is Roald Dahl. I love his books. They gave me hours of entertainment when I was small, and now keep me entertained as an adult. I’m currently re-reading James and the Giant Peach, and I’m laughing, and I’m gripped, and I love the illustrations by Quentin Blake. I don’t think it is possible to be too old to enjoy Roald Dahl, I love him.

2. Who was your first favourite author, and why?  Do you still consider him or her among your favourites?

Enid Blyton. I loved everything of hers that I read. I loved The Magic Faraway Tree, and remember my Mum reading that to me and my brother – and the Secret Seven, the Famous Five, Mallory Towers…the list goes on. I loved them all! I always found myself wanting to live in those books! I haven’t read any of these books in a long time, but I really want to – I’m sure I would still love them. I think I would still put Enid Elyton as a favourite author because of the memories I have of reading her books and really enjoying them.

3. Who’s the most recent addition to your list of favourite authors, and why?

Sarah Dessen. I discovered her when I was blogging about young adult books. Every one of her books that I have read I have loved. I found her gripping, entertaining, touching, realistic and just fantastic. I read Just Listen first and it blew me away. I haven’t found a bad book by her yet – thankfully!

4. If someone asked you who your favourite authors were right now, which authors would first pop out of your mouth?  Are there any you’d add on a moment of further reflection?

Terry Pratchett, CS Lewis, Sarah Dessen, Erica James, Wendy Virgo, Philippa Gregory, Roald Dahl. After some thought… Enid Blyton, Ben Elton, Dorothy Koomson, Beatrix Potter, A A Milne, Mark Driscoll, Debbie Macomber, Elizabeth Noble, Nicholas Sparks, Sophie Kinsella, Stephanie Meyer, JK Rowling, Andrew Wilson and Jane Austen I think.

5. Which “unknown” author do you recommend to people most often?

Probably Wendy Virgo. She writes theology books, mainly for women and I love her. I wrote a Recommended Author post about her. The books are easy to read, engaging and for me, life changing. I think everyone should read her books.

Addition: Borrowed!

Genre: Christian Biography

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis:

Smith Wigglesworth was an uneducated, straight-talking Yorkshire lad, who never fully mastered the art of reading or writing. One day, in a small Methodist chapel, he heard God’s call and immediately began the work of challenging all those he met to “only believe”. In the subsequent 50 years he was to become a figurehead for the growing Pentecostal Movement, leading missions all over the world.
In this book, the author tells the story of this passionate man of God whose unquestioning faith and powerful ministry is a source of inspiration for many even in the 21st century.

God uses people in many different ways. In 1 Corinthians 7:7 Paul states that we all have been given different Spiritual gifts. For Smith Wigglesworth, his main gifting was healing. In the biography, Baptised by Fire the author, Jack Hywel-Davies looks at Wigglesworth’s life and his ministry. Wigglesworth had a very humble beginning as his parents were extremely poor. They did not know God, but that did not stop Smith longing for Him:

“I can never recollect a time when I did not long for God. Even though neither father nor mother knew God, I was always seeking Him. I would often kneel down in the field, and ask Him to help me. I would ask Him especially to enable me to find where the birds’ nests were, and after I had prayed I seemed to have an instinct to know exactly where to look.”

When the Wigglesworth family moved to Bradford, Smith joined the Salvation Army. It was here that he learnt more about God and entered a deepened his relationship with Him. It was in 1894 that Smith first encountered the Holy Spirit. After such a powerful encounter Smith’s ministry and life were changed. Beforehand, all he had done was lay hands on people and pray for healing and his wife had done all the teaching. However, after his encounter with God Smith lost all fear of public speaking and began to do the teaching himself.

His healing ministry began at home, when one morning two of his children were sick, so he prayed for them. From there God started to work in him, and he healed all sorts of conditions. His approach to healing is definitely unique. Smith viewed all illness as from the devil, so it needed to be cast out and dealt with appropriately. He would often be physical with the inflicted, and there have been reports of him punching people in the stomach and neck to make the illness leave! This gifting meant that his ministry stretched all over the world.

What I loved most about Wigglesworth was his motto: “Fear watches, faith jumps”. I found that a challenge for my life: I need to have faith, take risks and fully believe in God. There were however, aspects of his theology that I disagree with. He believed that you should only pray for something once – if you pray more than that then you lack faith. However, this is not Biblically correct. In Ephesians 6:18 Paul says:

“praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication”

What he means is that you need to be persistent in your prayers, even praying regularly for one particular thing. I was unsure about Wigglesworth’s technique for healing – I don’t think I would like someone to punch me in the stomach if I had a stomach ulcer! Reading about his views on illness has made me want to look into healing more, to see if his belief that all illness is demonic is correct, and if his approach was right.

I picked up this book because a friend recommended it, and often talks about Wigglesworth’s ministry. I found this book really easy to read and very enjoyable. I loved reading about what God can do in someone’s life, how the Holy Spirit can use and change someone and I loved reading about revival and the breakout of God in cities and nations.I found this book challenging, because I want to encounter God with the same intensity as Wigglesworth, and I want God to use me in powerful ways. This is definitely a must-read book for Christians, as reading biographies can help them in their walk with God, and this is a powerful story of how God used a poor, barely educated man from Yorkshire to do great things.

This is a new feature I will regularly do on my blog.

The author I am recommending is:

Wendy Virgo

Wendy is a gifted writer, a great theologian and a wonderful teacher. She has written many books over the years, most of which I have had the pleasure of reading. And yes, even though her books are full of Biblical truths, they are pleasurable reading. Her writing takes on many shapes: in books such as The Prophetess she is simply interpreting the Bible story of Deborah and retelling events in her own words; and yet Life Issues looks at Titus 2: 2-5 and examines how this passage of the Bible can practically help women today.

I never have a bad word to say about Wendy’s writing. She is easy to follow and understand, and she is engaging and interesting. I love reading her books and cannot wait until I pick up another by her. Her book Mary: The Mother of Jesus was the first theology book I read, at the mere age of 15 and loved it. She is an author I seek out and hope that she writes more! Her books are also books that I would happily read again because I have found her teaching so helpful to my walk with God. I don’t think I can recommend her highly enough – especially as I know she is a humble, loving person as well. If you can, investigate her books, and read them!

These are all the books she has written (links will take you to my review):

• Sarah: Mother of a Nation
• Mary: The Mother of Jesus
• Leading Ladies
• Mainly for Mothers
• Women Set Free
• The Prophetess
• Influential Women
• Life Issues