Biblical Books - Page 4

The Garden of Ruth

Eva Etzioni-Halevy

Amazon Price: $3.99 List Price: $14.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Plume Amazon Marketplace: 14 new & used starting at $3.87

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Fiction -> Biblical

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 13 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

A historical novel imagines the riveting story behind the Book of Ruth

Sitting beneath a tree in ancient Bethlehem, Osnath, niece of the prophet Samuel, examines a dusty scrap of parchment she found hidden in her relative’s scroll room. Scrawled on the decaying page is an intriguing message addressed to Ruth the Moabite—great-grandmother of David, the future king of Israel. Compelled to discover the truth about Ruth’s life, Osnath begins searching for the identity of Ruth’s nameless lover and the secret that is cloaked behind his anonymity. But as she digs deeper into the past, she finds her inquiries blocked by David’s brother Eliab. What is the long-buried truth he fears will come to light? And what is the threat that Ruth’s story poses to his family’s vast inheritance?

Eva Etzioni-Halevy’s novel deftly interweaves history and fiction to create a compelling exploration of a prominent biblical figure. Told through the voices of both Osnath and Ruth herself, The Garden of Ruth transports readers into the ancient world—and offers a dramatic and thought-provoking new perspective on a well-known tale.

The Prince: Jonathan (Sons of Encouragement Series #3)

Francine Rivers

Amazon Price: $10.19 List Price: $14.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Tyndale House Publishers Amazon Marketplace: 44 new & used starting at $7.25

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Literature & Fiction -> Foreign Language Fiction -> Spanish
Subjects -> Literature & Fiction -> World Literature -> United States -> General
Subjects -> Literature & Fiction -> World Literature -> United States -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 14 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Wow 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

F. Rivers always takes you into the life of her books. I love getting to know the time and life of when these things happen.

What a Blessing! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I loved this book... I felt like I was right there with Jonathan sharing his thoughts. I found myself feeling so proud of his faithfulness to and love for God as well as his devotion to his father and to David. What a blessing!

Great Reading! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Great book! Great way to learn about the different characters of the Bible! Francine Rivers is one of my favorite authors! I have read all her books and wish there were more!

Editorial Review:

Behind the men who shaped history are the heroes who forever changed it. In The Prince, beloved author Francine Rivers illuminates the life of Jonathan.

In this new series of hardcover biblical novellas from beloved author Francine Rivers, each novella tells the story of one of five biblical men who stood behind the great heroes of the faith: Aaron the priest, Caleb the warrior, Jonathan the prince, Amos the prophet, and Silas the scribe. In the vein of the Lineage of Grace series, these books will entertain, challenge, and inspire, directing readers back to the Bible as the ultimate source of truth and hope.

Mary, Called Magdalene

Margaret George

Amazon Price: $10.88 List Price: $16.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Penguin (Non-Classics) Amazon Marketplace: 219 new & used starting at $0.01

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Literature & Fiction -> Genre Fiction -> Historical
Subjects -> Literature & Fiction -> Contemporary
Subjects -> Literature & Fiction -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 95 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Dry, dull, and lifeless 1 out of 5 stars.
7 of 9 people found this review helpful.

What a disappointment! Reading this book was such an odd experience. Every event that should have been dramatic and moving was bled so dry that it was like reading statistics. There was such a lack of emotion to it, it's as if the writer was being held at knifepoint and just doing her best to get it done. It felt like the story had been dragged out of the author, as if she had no real enthusiasm for it but had a commitment to write it anyway.

Editorial Review:

Was Mary Magdalene a prostitute, a female divinity figure, a church leader, or all of those? Biblical references to her are tantalizingly brief, but we do know that she was the first person to whom the risen Christ appeared-and the one commissioned to tell others the good news, earning her the ancient honorific, "Apostle to the Apostles." Today, Mary continues to spark controversy, curiosity, and veneration. In a vivid re-creation of Mary Magdalene's life story, Margaret George convincingly captures this renowned woman's voice as she moves from girlhood to womanhood, becomes part of the circle of disciples, and comes to grips with the divine. Grounded in biblical scholarship and secular research, this fascinating historical novel is also, ultimately, "the diary of a soul."

Cosmic Christmas

Max Lucado

List Price: $12.99 By: Thomas Nelson Amazon Marketplace: 21 new & used starting at $15.92

Buy at Amazon.com

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

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 26 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

A Wonderful Christmas Story 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

I always imagined Jesus' birth as a peaceful event, lambs lowing, all's right with the world. This book opened my eyes to other possibilities and it's probably much closer to the truth.

Christmas in Heaven 3 out of 5 stars.
2 of 7 people found this review helpful.

Max Lucado looks at the Christmas story from a very different angle in his first novel. Loosely based upon the scriptures, the story tells of Gabriel being summoned by the Lord to go to Earth and deliver a great message3 that is reminiscent of the opening scenes of "It's a Wonderful Life". There are some fictional angels who appear now and then, but it helps to flesh out the story. The most poignant scenes are when Gabriel does arrive on Earth and actually is protecting Mary from Satan just before the birth of the Messiah - this is, of course, a fictionalized account.

However, the book does have its drawbacks. First, the size and shape of the book make it awkward to hold and read. This sounds petty, but it was a real problem for me. Also, the illustrations did not add to the story and were misplaced. I could have done without them. Most importantly however is that the book is just too short. There are not enough details and it really feels more like an outline than a compete story.

Why 3 stars?:
While Lucado's first novel is an interesting take on the story of the Nativity, it was not designed particularly well. It will make a nice addition to Lucado fans' bookshelves, but otherwise it could be skipped.

Editorial Review:

Was the birth of Jesus a quietly profound event? Or could it have included heavenly battles, angel armies, and a scheming Satan? Come along as Lucado takes us on a journey into his imagination-pulling back the curtain as we see what might have taken place on Cosmic Christmas.

Mary of Nazareth: A Novel

Marek Halter

Amazon Price: $11.16 List Price: $13.95 Not yet published By: Three Rivers Press

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Literature & Fiction -> Genre Fiction -> Historical
Subjects -> Literature & Fiction -> Contemporary
Subjects -> Literature & Fiction -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 3.0 of 5

A Strong Mary 4 out of 5 stars.
3 of 5 people found this review helpful.

Halter's imaginings create a portrait of Mary unlike any in recent works. She is a strong and passionate woman living in a male dominated world. She is an active participant in her world not content to sit idly by. Halter did a great job of laying the seeds of her story which after centuries of re-telling will grow into the Mary story told today.

Editorial Review:

The ancient world through the eyes of a young Jewish woman—Mary of Nazareth.

Mary was born into a Palestine oppressed by Herod the Great; she is accustomed to living with uncertainty and unrest. But when her beloved father is wrongly imprisoned by the Romans, she takes action. She calls upon a well-known rebel by the name of Barabbas, and together they set out to save her father. A daring escape is planned. And against staggering odds, Mary’s father is saved from crucifixion.

Barabbas—flush with his success—is intent on leading a full-scale rebellion against Herod and the Romans. But as he speaks before Jewish leaders, Mary feels great frustration as the men endlessly debate morality, rebellion, and God's will. She has almost lost her father, but she is nevertheless compelled to speak out against violence.

To her surprise, one man listens: Joseph. He makes Mary an offer that will change her life—and the history of the Jewish people—forever.

The Prophet: Amos (Sons of Encouragement Series #4)

Francine Rivers

Amazon Price: $10.19 List Price: $14.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Tyndale House Publishers Amazon Marketplace: 46 new & used starting at $4.84

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Literature & Fiction -> Foreign Language Fiction -> Spanish
Subjects -> Literature & Fiction -> World Literature -> United States -> General
Subjects -> Literature & Fiction -> World Literature -> United States -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 9 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Would buy it again!! 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 2 people found this review helpful.

This was a great book! I was in the middle of another book when I got it, so I didn't get to read it right away and my husband started reading it. He loved it so much and I had to wait until he was done before I could start on it! And he never reads my books! But he finished it quickly, so I didn't have to wait long. :-)

Meet a Prophet 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 2 people found this review helpful.

The Prophet (Sons of Encouragement)Even if you are an avid student of the Bible, most of us don't spend the time it took Francine Rivers to get to know the prophet Amos. We might study the words he wrote but Rivers has brought the man to life. I came away from this novelette with a new appreciation for the calling that God has on a man's life and what path that might lead one on. Just as Amos was compelled to walk the chosen way that God lead him - so are we. I thank Francine Rivers for reminding me that I too must walk in love and obedience - no matter what the personal cost.

Editorial Review:

Behind the men who shaped history are the heroes who forever changed it. In The Prophet, the fourth book in the Sons of Encouragement series, beloved author Francine Rivers illuminates the life of Amos. Francine examines the life of Amos and his relationship to Israel during its prosperous years. Amos's message--and his relationship with God--made him unpopular. But his challenge to those who were enjoying the blessings of prosperity was crucial then and is strikingly timely today as well.