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Friday, July 15, 2011

"The Boy Who Came Back From Heaven"

The Boy Who Came Back From Heaven by Kevin and Alex Malarkey

Alex was just 6 years-old when he was in the car accident that would change his family forever. After a virtual death sentence from the doctors, Alex defied medical science and survived. No one knew what he would be like when he awoke from the coma...or if he ever would. When he emerged after 7 weeks in a coma, no one expected to hear the reports of heaven he returned with, or the amazing miracles God was working through the entire experience.


I'm going to start this review objectively, ignoring the subject matter and talking about the book itself. The majority of this book is written by Alex's father, Kevin, recounting the accident and life since. The book spans a few years time, although its not always specific with times and tends to jump around a bit. Kevin shares everything that happened during this time, from stories of faith being tested and marital problems, to conversations with Alex about the supernatural. He makes it clear that the family's faith is what pulled them through, while being honest about his doubts and struggles along the way. I would have liked to hear more from Alex in the book, but it was clear that he didn't want to be the center, and that he wasn't too sure about the whole book business. Overall, this book was pretty well-written, intriguing, and encouraging. Also included were some photos of the accident and Alex recovering.


Now, the personal! I was raised evangelical, so talk of miracles and spiritual warfare is nothing new to me, and is not hard for me to believe. I was also raised to filter what I hear through Scripture to be sure it is truth. That said, I believe Alex's story and find it very encouraging and uplifting to my own walk. Everything Alex says about God and Heaven lines up with the Bible. And he sounds a lot like several Biblical figures when he says there are things that he saw and learned that God will not allow him to speak about. Hearing about this little boy watching his own surgery with Jesus, speaking in his "Heaven language", talking about being attacked by Satan, and hearing his views on prayer, is amazing. It inspires me to take my walk more seriously, to realize that there is so much more to the spiritual realm than what we see and participate in. And how can you not believe a child really walks with God when he is constantly saying that it's not about him? I'll close my review with the quote that I found the most inspiring, especially since it comes from a little kid!


"Daddy, I'm always in prayer because part of my brain, through the Holy Spirit, is in constant communication with Heaven. My mouth is for talking to people." (page 183)


Highly Recommended 5/5 stars


I received a free copy of this book from Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for a review.

Monday, July 4, 2011

"Flourish"

I had a love/hate relationship with this book the entire time I was reading it! As a whole, I enjoyed the book and the core message of living your best life, despite the circumstances. I underlined and wrote down quite a few parts of the book, so I guess it was a worthy read! My criticism, however, is that some parts were very heavily academic. Even as someone with a bachelors degree in science, I had a hard time following along with some of the research.

The first few, and last few chapters I found to be the best, as they were easier to read. They contained more stories and practical applications, compared to the scientific studies of the middle chapters. Weber includes meditation exercises and journaling questions throughout the book, with a complete "Creating my Intentional Life Plan" guide at the end, should you choose to engage in that way.

Final thoughts, this was a generally good book, despite the heavy research sections.

Recommended 3/5 stars.

I received this book for free in exchange for a review as part of LibraryThing's Early Reviewer program.

"Too Rich For A Bride"

After a harsh lesson on a woman's life in the business world, Ida Sinclair joins her sisters in the mining town of Cripple Creek, Colorado. She soon gets a job with the incomparable Mollie O'Bryan and is enjoying the accomplishments and opportunities that come with it, not to mention the attention of two handsome, eligible bachelors. Will it be love, money, or danger that makes Ida see what is truly important in life?

This book is the second in a series by a new-to-me author, but it can stand on its own (I haven't read the first). It was a good story, although it did have some parts that seemed to drag on, and didn't have the depth of characters that I like to see. But the book was well written, with some twists to the story, and make me want to read more from this author. Overall, this was a good read. I did smile at the awkwardness and clumsiness between Ida and Tucker :)

Recommended 3.5/5 stars.

I recieved this book free in exchange for a review as part of LibraryThing's Early Reviewer program.
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