I have finished the forty-fifth book in my Epic 100 Book Attempt of 2011!

Hope for the Separated: Wounded Marriages Can Be Healed by Gary Chapman is a helpful book for those struggling in a separation situation within a marriage. Chapman is also the author of “The Five Love Languages” which I read several years ago and really enjoyed.

Chapman wrote a clear and concise book to help point couples toward reconciliation and giving them advice, from a Biblical standpoint, on how to go about reconciling. Each chapter was followed by some exercises pertinent to the subject of the chapter by which the reader can apply the information they received. Though the push of the book was toward reconciliation, Chapman also offers advice to those to whom divorce is their only option. The final chapter was a plea to embrace the future and see it as a blessing. Chapman also appended a list of books applicable to marriage, divorce, single parenting, divorce and children, etc.

I didn’t agree with everything Chapman said, but overall, I found this book to be informative and believe it would be helpful to a couple who was seeking reconciliation in their marriage.

I also finished another non-fiction book which makes number forty-six.

I have finished the forty-first book in my Epic 100 Book Attempt of 2011!

The Little Known by Janice Daugharty was an interesting and thought-provoking novel. I read it over a couple of weeks while I was reading other books at the same time. The book was well-written, and Daugharty did a great job creating a mental picture of the Statenville, GA setting.

Knot Crews is a twelve-year-old black boy growing up in the segregated South who wants nothing more than to live with his Aunt Willie. His guardian, Marge, who is Willie’s sister, is not welcome, though, until she can kick her drinking habit. Immediately before returning home with Marge after spending a summer with Aunt Willie, Knot stumbles across the path of a fleeing bank robber who had just stolen one hundred thousand dollars. Trying to evade the police, the robber ditches the cash in an alley where Knot retrieves it and secretly takes it home.

As the new owner of one hundred thousand dollars in crisp one hundred dollar bills, Knot finds himself unable to spend any of his money for fear of being caught. Instead, he begins anonymously mailing one hundred dollar bills to the needy people around him. Disappointed in the way they spend this unexpected cash, Knot struggles to know what to with his sack of cash, while, at the same time, he becomes aware of the Civil Rights movement, which he refers to as “The Cause”.

“The Little Known” is an intriguing and poignant novel that I am sure would appeal to most readers.

This is both the review of the 43rd book in my Epic 100 Book Attempt of 2011, and also my first compensated book review.

Dug Down Deep by Joshua Harris is an insightful yet easy read. Harris is a pastor and the author of “I Kissed Dating Goodbye”. In Dug Down Deep, Harris takes a comprehensive yet concise look at the core doctrines of the Christian faith.

Harris introduced this delving into Christian theology in the first chapter by telling a little about his own story and how he became interested in studying theology. This approach is consistent throughout the book as Harris introduces different theologies and practical applications by telling stories from his own life. His writing style draws the reader in and keeps his interest, while introducing and explaining Biblical theologies. This makes what can sometimes be complicated ideas easier to absorb and understand.

While I didn’t agree with every single thing that Harris wrote, I felt like he did a really good job introducing theologies and giving a sort of “Theology Lite” version of each separate theology. I feel like this book would be excellent for young adult readers…from high school students to college students. It is also a good overview for a new Christian. One thing I really appreciated was that Harris didn’t just introduce ideas but he told how he came to be aware of them. He often quoted teachers…men like C.J. Mahaney, John Piper, Wayne Grudem, J.I. Packer and many more…and referenced the books that they wrote. I felt like this was very helpful because, while Harris’ book is “theology lite”, he equips the reader to dig in deeper by giving him references for further study.

The Scriptural premise of this book is Jesus’ parable of the wise man who “dug down deep” to lay a foundation on solid rock, and Harris’ book is a really good start at laying a good, Biblical foundation on which to build your life. I highly recommend the book, and found it to be a thought-provoking and enjoyable read.

Disclaimer: I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

I have finished the forty-second book in my Epic 100 Book Attempt of 2011!

Lucky: A Memoir by Alice Sebold is the true story of the rape of freshman college student, Alice, as she walks back to her dorm one night after spending the evening with a friend. Sebold writes candidly about the details of her rape, the immediate aftermath, dealing with her own emotions while, at the same time, allowing for her slightly dysfunctional family’s emotions, the court case in which her rapist was brought to justice, and her rocky existence after the case was closed.

While I found this book interesting, it was also hard to read at times. Rape is a disgusting and atrociously painful topic, and it is hard to emotionally visit it through another’s words. If a reader had themselves been through a similar experience, I’m quite sure that this book would trigger some painful memories. Aside from a sometimes plodding pace, the book was well-written and interesting.