Welcome to Fred - Giveaway and Review

I don't know about you guys but I just love a book that makes me laugh. There was not one page of Brad Whittington's 'Welcome to Fred' that did not make me at least smile hard. The best part is that the laughs are smart and innocent and just plain fun.

/5      

Character Development      5

Editing                                5

Sex                                      0

Violence                              0

Romance                             0

Readability/Flow                 5

So, what's it all about? Well, this is what goodreads has to say:

Mark Cloud has his doubts. He's not sure if he'll ever feel at home in Fred, Texas. He's not sure that he can work up the nerve to declare his love to the girl of his dreams. He's not sure he will survive another ride with Darnell Ray, Terror of the Back Roads. And he's not really sure he buys the whole God thing. Which is an uncomfortable position for the son of a Baptist preacher.

The story is told from Mark's point of view and is beautifully related. It's the 1960's so Mark rides the streets on his bike and finds fun (although his parents sometimes call it trouble) wherever he goes. It's rough being the PK (we find out that PK = preacher's kid); confusing sometimes as he tries to reconcile the world around him with his family's beliefs. Don't worry - there is very, very little discussion about Christianity and no push to try and convert the reader. It is more of a coming of age story as Mark experiences his life and ponders the meaning of what he sees happening around him. 

There are some poignant scenes which make the reader love Mark just a little more each time. Who wouldn't find a place in their heart for a kid that sneaks food to a homeless woman? Or helps a friend play practical jokes that few people think are funny? Mark is also a serious bibliophile and the scenes with the witchy librarian are not to be missed! This is a character that will always have a place in my heart.  

Mark's dad is also a favorite of mine from this novel. He is so steady and calm. His compassion comes through loud and clear as he helps his congregants overcome tragic circumstances. I love his eccentric way of talking. There is a scene near the end of the book that involved a Dad interacting with a pastor in another town that had me in stitches. So funny!

Seriously, there was nothing I didn't like about this book. And, Brad Whittington, the generous author, is offering a hardback copy for a giveaway!! Enter by commenting with your e-mail address. If you win, I'll also include a fancy, crafty, homemade bookmark. 

A Taste from page 93: 

I was constantly amazed by her creativity. One particularly obnoxious suitor came by her house, intent on landing a date and refusing to take no for an answer. Somehow she managed to spill bacon grease in his boots, which may have been sufficient to cool the ardor of a less-determined cowboy but not this one. She finally told him if he would go hide in her father's deer stand, she would come meet him after supper. He left, convinced his persistence had won. However, Jolene knew her father had plans to fill the deer feeder that evening, and he always took a dog or two in the back of his truck. As she had anticipated, the bacon grease drew the dogs, and their barking drew Mr. Culpepper.

OK. Now COMMENT and ENTER the international giveaway. You will love this book - I promise. Winner will be announced October 31. Happy Halloween!

Inside Threat by Jason Elam and Steve Yohn

Tyndale Publishing sent me this book free for an honest review.

The first thing you might like to know is that this is not the first 'Riley Covington Thriller' that Jason Elam and Steve Yohn have written - in fact it is the fourth. I had never heard of Riley Covington before I started the book and didn't know this. That's OK. 'Inside Threat' reads just fine as a stand alone book. Having said that, I may just have to find some of the others. (oops - just gave away my stand on this book. My bad.) Here's what it's all about.

So - pulp fiction. Really good, fun, suspenseful, Christian, pulp fiction. Now, I know some of you have an aversion to the terms good/fun/Christian showing up in the same sentence but hear me out:

Good!
I was a little worried when I found out one of the authors used to be a football player (that's American/Canadian football for those of you who equate the word with soccer) (oh - Jason Elam) I'm not what you would call a big football fan (understatement of the year!) (sorry Jason) Add to that, one of the characters in the book, Riley Covington himself, is also a football player and you have the makings of my own, personal nuclear bomb. The bomb was a dud - the book wasn't. Well written, great flow, lots of 'had me chuckling' humour, NOT lots of football. (thanks for that!) I completely fell in love with the characters. They felt real and were very accessible.

Fun!
The banter between the characters was fast, smart and funny! The characters didn't take themselves too seriously, were able to laugh together and had me laughing with them. I especially loved the penalty jars in the analysts' office. The swear jar was  labelled 'You kiss your Mama with that Mouth' and the penalty jar for using tired out cliches was 'Oh No You Di'int'. OK, maybe you had to be there but those jars got a real workout and it was funny!

Suspenseful!
Terrorist attacks happening all over the USA. Trying to figure out what is going on and how it all fit together was a stretch. I didn't get it until the authors were ready to let me get it - which I love. It is always such a bummer when I get it before the characters in the book do. And the hostage taking was truly frightening.

Christian!
I have to admit, I get seriously tired of the preachy aspects of a lot of Christian lit - and there was definitely some of that. I did like the comparisons between Christian, devoted Muslim and extreme 'Muslim'. In fact, if there was one area of the book that could have been better developed, it was the exploration of devout Muslim beliefs.

The Best Part of the Book ...
is the part I really can't tell you much about without dropping a honking big spoiler (mean, I know. Sorry.) Suffice it to say, the authors weren't afraid to take the story where it needed to go.

The Worst Part of the Book ...
was the effort that went into trying to convert devout Muslim characters to Christianity. I realize this is a big part of Christian literature but it seemed rather arrogant to me. Luckily this was a very small part of the book.

Overall
Probably the best Christian literature I've read in a long while.

/5

Character Development          4

Editing                                     5

Sex                                          0

Violence                                  4

Romance                                 5

Readability/Flow                    5

The Cross Gardener by Jason F. Wright

Montreal was great! The conference was good. And I had lots of time to read!! Yay!! One of the books I got through this week was 'The Cross Gardener' by Jason F. Wright. Here's the review:

On the cover, Don Piper is quoted: "Fresh and spiritual". I would have said: "Predictable and sappy". But that is not necessarily a bad thing as I would have been saying it through the runny nose and streaming tears on the airplane with the other passengers looking at me like I had lost it. 'The Cross Gardener" is an exploration of loss, of grief, and of survival. It is christian fiction and, therefore, also an exploration of spirituality and God's role in the lives of believers and non-believers alike.

Unlike much of the christian literature I have read, 'The Cross Gardener' does not come off as some evangelical preacher's attempt to convert the reader. That doesn't mean that Jason Wright doesn't try and teach the reader - or perhaps better said - lead the reader to an understanding of his own personal beliefs using the novel as a vehicle. He does. But the religious tract does come off as more of an exploration than as Bible thumping.

The novel reminded me very much of 'A Walk to Remember' by Nicholas Sparks. Religious girl meets non-religious boy, they fall in love, their perfect life is torn apart by means beyond their control, life goes on. (there are no spoilers there. That much you could get from the back of the book.) Unlike 'A Walk to Remember', 'The Cross Gardener' follows the events following the tearing apart of the perfect life. I really loved how Mr. Wright focused on men, and especially on fathers and their influence on the lives around them. 

Like I said, it is sappy and predictable - it is also lovely and emotional; sweet and naive with no edge. After reading the last page, wipe away the tears, heave a big sigh, smile a little and walk away with a heart that feels just a little lighter - right over to the man in your life and give him a well deserved hug.