Literature & Fiction Books - Page 5

Just Beyond the Clouds: A Novel (Faithwords)

Karen Kingsbury

Amazon Price: $6.99 List Price: $6.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Grand Central Publishing

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Literature & Fiction -> General
Subjects -> Literature & Fiction -> Contemporary
Subjects -> Literature & Fiction -> World Literature -> United States -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 16 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

good story but a little disappointed 3 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

This is a good story though the one thing that bothered me was Cody's reason for falling in love. On p. 294 it said that "part of his attraction for Ali had been her illness and that he might protect her, shelter her. She needed him..." and then a few paragraphs later the story went that Cody "wanted to shelter Elle, the same way he sheltered Ali (because of her broken heart)."

And Cody surely loved his brother Carl Joseph... How many times was it repeated, "I just love that kid." I just feel that this story was "told" more than "shown". He surely showed his love, but it was told that he did many more times than necessary.

It also just made me wonder why Cody had to love people that were weaker or needier than him. It seemed he had the classic rescuer complex.

I like Elle as a character. She is consistent in how she would react to a possible love interest in light of her being so hurt in the past.

Editorial Review:

Still aching over his wife's death, Cody Gunner can't bear the thought of also letting go of his brother, Carl Joseph, who suffers from Down Syndrome. Cody wants his brother home, where he will be safe and cared for, not out on his own in a world that Cody knows all too well can be heartless and insecure.
So when Carl Joseph's teacher, Elle, begins championing his independence, she finds herself at odds with Cody. But even as these two battle it out, they can't deny the instinctive connection they share, and Cody faces a crisis of the heart.
What if Elle is the one woman who can teach Cody that love is still possible? If Cody can let go of his lingering anger, he might just see that sometimes the brightest hope of all lies JUST BEYOND THE CLOUDS.

Allison's Journey: Brides of Webster County, Book 4 (Truly Yours Romance Club #23)

Wanda E. Brunstetter

Amazon Price: $8.78 List Price: $10.97 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Barbour Publishing, Inc Amazon Marketplace: 39 new & used starting at $3.98

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Christianity -> Literature & Fiction -> Fiction
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Christianity -> Literature & Fiction -> Romance
Subjects -> Romance -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

A beautiful story 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I purchased this book a few days ago and I simply could not put it down until I finished it. It is a beautiful story of love and forgiveness. A story of one girl's journey of a life without Christ to a life with Christ and learning how to forgive her aunt. A story of not giving up. Her journey leads to love as well which makes this book a wonderful good book. I recommend this book and all the other ones written by Wanda. Her books never disappoint me and when I finish one I wait with anticipation for the next one to be published.

Editorial Review:

Allison Troyer is of marriageable age and needs to learn how to manage an Amish household. Can a girl who feels as faceless, purposeless, and neglected as her tattered Amish doll, find her way among strangers? James Esh likes what he sees when Allison Troyer walks into the barn. Will anything keep this brash young Amish man from stealing her affections? Aaron Zook has vowed never to lose his heart to another. Yet when James makes advances on Allison, Aaron can't help but intercede. Can threads of faith and love unite tattered hearts?

Glorious Appearing (Left Behind)

Jerry B. Jenkins, Tim LaHaye

Amazon Price: $10.19 List Price: $14.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Tyndale House Publishers Amazon Marketplace: 101 new & used starting at $3.49

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Literature & Fiction -> General
Subjects -> Literature & Fiction -> Contemporary
Subjects -> Literature & Fiction -> World Literature -> United States -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 286 Average rating: 2.5 of 5

The story dragged tremendously and was dull --- how can this be?! 1 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I had to write my only review of the LB series with this installment novel because I expected it to be most exciting and rewarding of the series. Little did I know that the best writing was actually "left behind" several installments back. The best novels of the series (IMHO) were #1 (Left Behind), 3 (Nicolae), 6 (Assassins), 7 (The Indwelling), and 8 (The Mark).

One note: I have NOT read any of the reviews of this installment nor the series because I didn't want any reviews to taint my impressions of the writings while I am still reading them.

The actual writing itself for this installment was lifeless, dull, and sluggish. Talk about dragging it out!!! I no longer cared for any of the surviving characters, even though I could have cared. The "good" characters were used so incidentally when they were convenient to the storyline that you just wished Jesus would come already. The "bad" characters that made the other better novels somewhat interesting, like Leon Fortunato, Viv Ivins, and Suhail Akbar, were barely used. Nicolae is laughably evil and merely a caricature of what he once was. When a novel starts scrimping on the details for the main bad guy is when you know the story has got big, big problems.

Jesus' return to earth is one of the most anticipated events in all Christians' hopes. Not only was it disappointing overall, as portrayed in the book, but it took several hundred pages to get there. The story put me to sleep easily for many nights, which is not good to say for a novel.

I had never given one star reviews for ANY of the novels I have read. But for this effort, I am compelled. Sorry, Tim and Jerry. But you made money from me, and I need to write fairly to warn consumers.

Editorial Review:

Thousands of years of human history stained by strife, death, and sin come to an end when the King of Glory returns to earth. The satisfying conclusion of the seven years of tribulation covered by the Left Behind series portrays the return of Jesus Christ to earth in both glory and judgment at the height of the battle between the forces of evil gathered at Armageddon and the remaining Christian believers at Petra and Jerusalem. Nothing seems to be able to stop the Antichrist, Nicolae Carpathia. But God is in control. Street date: Tuesday, November 16, 2004.

DragonLight: A Novel

Donita K. Paul

Amazon Price: $11.19 List Price: $13.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: WaterBrook Press Amazon Marketplace: 28 new & used starting at $8.35

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Literature & Fiction -> Contemporary
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Christianity -> Literature & Fiction -> Fiction
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Christianity -> Literature & Fiction -> Science Fiction & Fantasy

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 13 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

The fantastic land of Amara is recovering from years of war inflicted on its citizens by outside forces–as well as from the spiritual apathy corroding the Amarans’ hearts. With Kale and her father serving as dragon keepers for Paladin, the dragon populace has exploded. It’s a peaceful, exciting time of rebuilding. And yet, an insidious, unseen evil lurks just beneath the surface of the idyllic countryside.

Truth has never been more important, nor so difficult to discern.

As Kale and her father are busy hatching, bonding, and releasing the younger generation of dragons as helpers throughout the kingdom, the light wizard has little time to develop her skills. Her husband, Sir Bardon–despite physical limitations resulting from his bout with the stakes disease–has become a leader, serving on the governing board under Paladin. When Kale and Bardon set aside their daily responsibilities to join meech dragons Regidor and Gilda on a quest to find a hidden meech colony, they encounter sinister forces. Their world is under attack by a secret enemy… can they overcome the ominous peril they can’t even see?

Prepare to experience breathtaking adventure and mind-blowing fantasy as never before in this dazzling, beautifully-crafted conclusion to Donita K. Paul’s popular DragonKeeper Chronicles fantasy series.

Safely Home

Randy Alcorn

Amazon Price: $11.19 List Price: $13.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Tyndale House Publishers Amazon Marketplace: 52 new & used starting at $6.85

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Literature & Fiction -> Contemporary
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Christianity -> Literature & Fiction -> Fiction
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Fiction -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 103 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Randy Alcorn has become one of my favorite authors of Christian Fiction! 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I can't imagine this book failing to put a burden,on the hearts of all who read it,at least for prayer, for all the Christians who are being persecuted(often in horrifying ways)around the world.

I also couldn't help thinking maybe such persecution here, is exactly what it will take to destroy all the 'false doctrine- Prosperity Preaching' churches,and the appalling apathy of many Christians here in America!

This book grabbed me from the beginning and never let go until the end.Would love to see this made into a movie.

An amazing,eye and heart-opening book. May God continue to bless Randy Alcorn,and continue to use him to further His Kingdom.

Editorial Review:

A soul-stirring story of two college friends who reconnect after 20 years. One is living life apart from God in comfortable corporate America, while the other is living for Christ under intense persecution in China. This challenging book will convict the heart of readers to live in the light of eternity.

Redeeming Love

Francine Rivers

Amazon Price: $13.59 List Price: $19.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Multnomah Books Amazon Marketplace: 33 new & used starting at $10.05

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Literature & Fiction -> Genre Fiction -> Historical
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Christianity -> Literature & Fiction -> Fiction
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Christianity -> Literature & Fiction -> Romance

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 543 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

In this splendid retelling of the biblical story of Hosea, bestselling author Francine Rivers pens a heartbreaking romance between a prostitute and the upright and kind farmer who marries her; the story also functions as a reminder of God's unconditional love for his people. Redeeming Love opens with the Gold Rush of 1850 and its rough-and-tumble atmosphere of greed and desire. Angel, who was sold into prostitution as a child, has learned to distrust all men, who see her only as a way to satisfy their lust. When the virtuous and spiritual-minded Michael Hosea is told by God to marry this "soiled dove," he obeys, despite his misgivings. As Angel learns to love him, she begins to hope again but is soon overwhelmed by fear and returns to her old life. Rivers shines in her ability to weave together spiritual themes and sexual tension in a well-told story, a talent that has propelled her into the spotlight as one of the most popular novelists in the genre of Christian fiction. This is one of her best. --Cindy Crosby

The Pilgrimage: A Contemporary Quest for Ancient Wisdom

Paulo Coelho

Amazon Price: $11.16 List Price: $13.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: HarperOne Amazon Marketplace: 91 new & used starting at $1.89

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Biographies & Memoirs -> Arts & Literature -> Authors
Subjects -> Biographies & Memoirs -> Historical -> General
Subjects -> Literature & Fiction -> Literary

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 63 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

The Camino - a test of body and character 3 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I read The Pilgrimage by Paulo Coelho soon after completing my own 800 km pilgrimage from St Jean Pied de Port in France to Santiago in the north-west of Spain.

Readers who are looking for a factual, chronological, "travel book" of the Camino de Santiago de Compostela will be disappointed. There is only the vaguest chronology in the book. A few towns and important pilgrimage sites are mentioned. There is only a sketchy picture drawn of the terrain and countryside.

But that is quite irrelevant. The Pilgrimage is a much more sophisticated account of the psychological and spiritual aspects of pilgrimage. In fact, the physical vagueness in the book complements the inner struggles of the pilgrim.

The pilgrim in Coelho's book is on a quest for his sword so that he can complete his apprenticeship in the Tradition and be able to perform the deeds of his Master. The quest takes place on the road to Santiago and the pilgrim (with his spiritual guide) encounters magical tests that expand his psychological horizons.

This resonated with me in the sense that the Camino finds the weak points in our bodies and characters and tests them. Reflective pilgrims gain personal insights, and, for many, their lives change in significant ways after completing the Camino. Coelho makes the same points by his use of magic to illustrate the inner transformation of his pilgrim.

The book also includes meditative exercises that the pilgrim performed at critical times on his journey. While some of the exercises are a little unrealistic, such as the Cruelty Exercise of self-mortification, most of them can be performed by anyone, with resulting benefit. I wish I had read the book before my own pilgrimage so I could have done more in this respect.

This was Coelho's first book and it shows to a large extent. It is uneven in quality and lacks the tightness of his later work, such as The Alchemist - which it resembles in its basic structure of an individual's quest for meaning.

Editorial Review:

Here Paulo Coelho details his journey across Spain along the legendaryroad of San Tiago, which pilgrims have travelled since Middle Ages. On this contemporary quest, he encounters a Chaucerian variety of mysterious guides and devilish opponents and learns to understand the nature of truth through the simplicity of life. The Pilgrimage holds an important place in Paulo Coelho's literary canon. His first book, it not only paved the way for his phenomenal novel The Alchemist , but it also fully expresses his humanist philosophy and the depth of his unique search for meaning.

Murder in the Cathedral

T. S. Eliot

Amazon Price: $9.00 List Price: $9.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Harvest Books Amazon Marketplace: 205 new & used starting at $0.88

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Mystery & Thrillers -> Mystery -> General
Subjects -> Mystery & Thrillers -> General
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Authors, A-Z -> ( E ) -> Eliot, T. S.

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 11 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Murder in the Cathedral 4 out of 5 stars.
9 of 10 people found this review helpful.

The play is about Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury and is not worth reading if you like a literal story, where what you read is what you get and reading between the lines is unnecessary. That is what I liked about this play. It allows you to interpret the dialogue so that you develop your own understanding behind the plot.
Thomas Becket lived in the 12th century and rose to power because of his friend King Henry. Becket at first had been a Chancellor in Henrys court and had then been given the title of Archbishop. Henry wanted him to have both the titles whereas Becket refused because he felt he could not perform both jobs to the same expectations. This was because Henry had radical views about the separation of the church and the state and Becket did not agree with these views because he did not believe he could serve two very opposite masters. The result was an argument between the two.
Literally, Henry and Becket are in a skirmish during the play, but the actual conflict is between Becket and his conscience. The play goes deep into Christianity and the Catholic faith, which I found to be enjoyable. Just as Christ had tempters, so does Becket. They offer him power and material wealth, when all they want in return is for Becket to alter and transform his principles.
I liked how you saw main characters in this play, such as the Chorus, progress from fearing the unknown to joyfully accepting God. While the play has Christian connotations within, it stresses primarily on universal human values such as humility and devotion.
The entire play is written in verse and Eliot managed to capture such complex themes and dialogue in such concise yet poetic words.

Editorial Review:

A dramatization in verse of the murder of Thomas Becket at Canterbury. “The theatre as well as the church is enriched by this poetic play of grave beauty and momentous decision” (New York Times). “Within its limits the play is a masterpiece.... Mr. Eliot has written no better poem than this and none which seems simpler” (Mark Van Doren, The Nation).

Armageddon (Left Behind #11)

Jerry B. Jenkins, Tim LaHaye

Amazon Price: $10.19 List Price: $14.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Tyndale House Publishers Amazon Marketplace: 83 new & used starting at $4.23

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Literature & Fiction -> General
Subjects -> Literature & Fiction -> Contemporary
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Christianity -> Literature & Fiction -> Fiction

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 242 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Catching Up 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

My oh my oh my, this as is the rest of this series is beautiful book. It paints a realistic view of what could happen in a world lost. I actually saw and heard the events and characters. This book fits into the storyline with ease and leaves one screaming for. This is part of a tale that will make you want to go back to the beging of the series if you missed any of it. However it can also sevive as a stand alone story. I recomend this book for any avid reader. It's the kind of book you may find hard to put down once you start reading it. You may also find yourself reading it again and again.

Editorial Review:

The scattered Tribulation Force is drawn inexorably toward the Middle East, as are all the armies of the world, when human history culminates in the battle of the ages. During the last year of the Great Tribulation, safe houses are no longer safe, and the cast of characters dramatically changes. By the time of the war of the great day of God the Almighty, the globe has become a powder keg of danger. Except those already in Petra, everyone has been forced to relocate as Antichrist ratchets up the pressure in the world's most treacherous game. Who will be left standing when the battle leaves the Tribulation Force on the brink of the end of time and the Glorious Appearing?

A Voice in the Wind (Mark of the Lion #1)

Francine Rivers

Amazon Price: $10.19 List Price: $14.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Tyndale House Publishers Amazon Marketplace: 159 new & used starting at $1.38

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Literature & Fiction -> World Literature -> United States
Subjects -> Literature & Fiction -> General
Subjects -> Literature & Fiction -> Contemporary

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 135 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

the most gripping book I have ever read 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

If I had to guess, I would say I've read well over 1,000 books in my short 31 years on this earth. This book is by far the most captivating, engaging tome I have ever picked up. And speaking of picking it up - I didn't put it DOWN once I opened it. I read it on a Saturday morning, finished on a Sunday morning without even going to bed. I am not a huge fan of christian fiction because so much of it is pure drivvel, but this one will NOT dissapoint. Must read!

Editorial Review:

This classic series has inspired nearly 2 million readers. Both loyal fans and new readers will want the updated editions of this beloved series. These editions include a new foreword from the publisher, a new preface from Francine Rivers and discussion questions suitable for personal and group use.
#1 A Voice in the Wind: This first book in the classic best-selling Mark of the Lion series brings readers back to the first century and introduces them to a character they will never forget--Hadassah. Torn by her love for a handsome aristocrat, a young slave girl clings to her faith in the living God for deliverance from the forces of decadent Rome.