9.09.2014
Book Review: THE BOOK OF REVELATION MADE CLEAR by Tim LaHaye and Timothy E. Parker
I remember the first time I read all the way through the Bible. It took me a year, and what started with Genesis ended in Revelation in a way I could have never predicted. And I had lots of questions, like, Do I take all of this literally? Is it all symbolic? A crazy dream that the Apostle John had while banished to a small rocky island? Is it happening in the future? The past? And what is up with the creatures covered in eyeballs?! I felt like I needed a revelation of my own to try to decipher it.
There have been a lot of books written about End Times, and one of this book's authors, Tim LaHaye, co-authored the granddaddy of them all: the Left Behind series (the first book is now a movie starring Nicolas Cage). I think that the popularity of these books testifies to the fact that there is something about the notion of good finally triumphing over evil, the bad guy finally getting what he deserves, and an end to tears, sadness, and suffering that always gets people's attention...our hearts long for things to be made right.
The Book of Revelation Made Clear is here to walk you, verse by verse, through what I think is the most mysterious book in the Bible, and the authors agree; the subtitle of this book is A Down-to-Earth Guide to Understanding the Most Mysterious Book of the Bible. "Guide" is a good word to describe this book, as there is not much narrative but tons of info.
The format is great: Each chapter, which corresponds with each chapter of Revelation, starts with a multiple choice quiz, followed by the verses for that section, then an explanation/clarification of the Bible text, and then the quiz again with the correct answers. I feel like this format helped me retain the information. Plus, when you are done, you will have read through the whole book of Revelation. And if you have read the book before, this guide will shed some fresh light on many things for you, I think; for example, it never occurred to me that when John is talking about the "sea of glass" in front of God's throne it represents calmness and serenity.
There was so much information in The Book of Revelation Made Clear that it actually took me some time to get through it. But I am so glad I stuck with it because I truly feel like I have a greater understanding now of biblical prophecy. This guide is a crash course in the final book of the Bible, and I recommend it to everyone, especially those who are now watching current events unfold and wondering what might lie ahead.
9.05.2014
Book Review: AFTER I DO by Taylor Jenkins Reid
After I Do by Taylor Jenkins Reid is part of the BookSparks 2014 Summer Reading Challenge. To see the complete list of books, click here.
In the immortal words of one of the characters in the Tom Cruise classic, Cocktail: "Everything ends badly. Otherwise, it wouldn't end."
After I Do kicks off with a scene that is going to be painfully familiar to many couples: Fighting over the fact that someone has forgotten where they parked the car, which is really about so much more than just the car. As someone who has lost the car in the parking lot of Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, where the argument in the book takes place, it made me cringe.
Lauren and Ryan met in college at UCLA and have been married for many years, but (cue Earth, Wind, and Fire's "After the Love is Gone") something has gone very, very wrong in their relationship. As we take a quick tour through their early years, it is not obvious right away what that something might be. They certainly have the typical issues when it comes to talk about money and kids, but there comes a point when they both realize that they cannot stay in the marriage they have created. But, neither one is quite ready to utter the word "divorce." So, what do you do?
Lauren and Ryan explore options to try to find a way to stay together (open marriage being one of them), but finally settle on taking a year apart to try to save their relationship. What comes next, I think, will really connect with anyone who has had that moment where they realized that they wish they loved their spouse they way they loved their dog (or cat). I believe this idea of taking time apart has a name; is it controlled separation? I just remember hearing about some nonfiction books that have been written on the subject, so it is an actual thing.
After I Do is full of searing, brutal honesty as Lauren and Ryan try to unravel where things went off the rails. What happens when the things you once loved about someone start to drive you crazy? (One friend of mine loved that her boyfriend was so outgoing. After they got married, she was always accusing him of flirting with the waitress.) What do you do when the future, which was always "out there," arrives and does not turn out the way you envisioned it? And do love and happiness actually have anything to do with a solid marriage?
This book should be a hit with book clubs, as there are so many things that are just ripe for discussion, and there were even some book club questions in the back of my paper copy. SPOILER ALERT: Do NOT read the questions before you have finished the book, as they will give some surprises away. I wish I could invite Taylor the author to a book club meeting and ask her how much of her real life was in After I Do, as she is young, super cute, and lives in Los Angeles with her hubby, just like Lauren. Maybe I will run into her at a baseball game? For more on Taylor Jenkins Reid, click here.
You will definitely go on a journey when you read this book, and you might even be a little shocked at how ugly marriage can become when two people lose sight of who they are, yet find that they are still tied to each other (unless you are already married). Rather than making me look at marriage as a failed institution, though, After I Do reminded me of the beauty in having a shared history, favorite pasta dishes, and building a home together. This is a fantastic read, and I recommend it to everyone!
9.01.2014
Book Review: MY LAST KISS by Bethany Neal
My Last Kiss by Bethany Neal is part of the BooksSparks Summer Reading Challenge 2014.
Immediately, Bethany Neal's YA novel, My Last Kiss, took me back to reading The Lovely Bones over a decade ago. The book opens with a dead teenage narrator, Cassidy, who died three days after her seventeenth birthday. She cannot remember what happened to her, and cannot understand why she is still tied to the earth. Only one human can see her, and no one from "the other side" shows up to guide her entry into the spirit world, so Cassidy is basically left alone to unravel the mystery of her death. Was it suicide; could she have actually jumped from an icy bridge to the rocks and river below at her birthday party? But wait--who was the person on the bridge with her in her last moments? Did someone close to her betray her? What is she not remembering?
The story in My Last Kiss jumps between the present and some pivotal moments over Cassidy's last few days; as she says, it is not so much that she is recalling what happened but that she is actually reliving things like the afternoon spent in a basement with someone who is not her boyfriend, or chatting with her closest friends. Cassidy, trying to understand what is happening, mentions how spirits that do not leave right away usually have some unfinished business to take care of, related to the day they died, and that is certainly true here.
There are some heartbreaking scenes as Cassidy witness her dad identify her body at the morgue, and her little sister refuse to leave Cassidy's room. In some parts, My Last Kiss is like the movie Ghost, as Cassidy tries to move physical matter and connect with those she loves. If you have ever thought you would love to be the proverbial fly on the wall and overhear conversations, this book might make you think twice about that, as what Cassidy learns about the people closest to her makes her wonder if she ever really knew them at all, and if anyone can be trusted.
My Last Kiss is Bethany Neal's debut novel, and you can find out more about her here. She has worked as an interior designer, photographer, and teacher's assistant, but something tells me that "author" will be her final career.
One final note: When you get to the final 100 pages of My Last Kiss, you are not going to want to put it down. Clear your schedule, make some coffee, and enjoy solving the mystery of Cassidy's last kiss.
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