Love Amid the Ashes by Mesu Andrews

This book is one author's interpretation of the story of Job from the Bible. I love reading Bible stories made into fiction even though author's have to take poetic license. And that very fact makes me go back to my Bible and read the story for myself again to know what parts of the novel are fact, which is always a good practice too. 

This story follows Dinah, daughter of Jacob (brother of Esau), who has been shamed her whole life because of a mistake she made as a young woman, and the misinterpretation that came from that. She finds her way into Job's home and life and witnesses all his suffering. The author does a fairly good job of portraying Job's suffering, although the loss of all his children didn't seem to be grieved as much as I thought would be. But his unswerving faithfulness to Yahweh is an incredible example for us today to follow, no matter what hardships come our way. The story, and the way this author writes it, reminds me that God's ways are better than mine, He always knows best, and yet He is okay with us questioning Him. He is a loving and caring God. 

One thing I found a little hard to believe while reading, aside from the minimal grieving over lost children, was that Job's wife, named Sitis in this book, who was completely turned away from God and worshipped idols, seemed to transform completely into a woman entirely devoted to Him after one conversation with Dinah about God's forgiveness. And then I thought, why couldn't that happen? God can do miracles in people's hearts, and no doubt stuff like that has happened before. Why don't we expect miracles like that more often? 

This book was an interesting read and made me think about God's forgiveness and His power to heal, physically and spiritually

Invasion by Jon S. Lewis

Ok.  I think it's safe to say I'm a geek.  I guess I've always known it, as I've enjoyed such shows as Star Trek and Stargate-SG1.  But after reading this book, I must admit it in writing.

The story is about a 16-year-old boy, Colt, whose parents are killed in a car accident, and when that begins to look suspicious, he is pulled against his will into a world that most people on planet Earth know nothing about.  It's filled with 'bridges' from our planet to other, often more dangerous worlds, and there is an agency on Earth called CHAOS who secretly fights to keep the bridges closed and take care of any ill-intentioned aliens that might sneak through a rift.

Of course none of the book is believable, in that its all about monsters and highly sophisticated scientific advancements and technology gleaned from other planets.  But it's still an enjoyable read for those who enjoy sci-fi.  I'm going to say it's target audience is teenage boys, as the main character is a teenage boy and his two 'side kicks' throughout the book are also teenagers.  Though the publisher of the book is Thomas Nelson, the story is not overtly Christian; the only inclusions are a reference to a Bible study, mention of a church service where the story of King David sending Uriah to his death in battle is briefly touched on, and Colt's romantic interest inviting him to sing a duet with him at the next service.  But the impression is that Colt's grandfather deems church attendance as very valuable, as does said romantic interest.  And even with all the alien fights and sci-fi stuff, it's not gruesome or offensive.

** I received this book free from booksneeze.com to review.**

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

I've been waiting for a long time to read this book!  It was so popular at my library that I was about 12th on the reservation list, they changed the check-out time to two weeks instead of three, and I couldn't renew if I wanted to.  So I was hoping it was as good as all that.  And it sure was!

The story is set in Mississippi in the 1960's, and follows the lives of black women working as household servants and child care.  The attitudes of most whites in that time and place are still that of blacks being inferior, but one young white woman hatches a plan to expose the horrendous, but also often heart-warming, treatment of the 'help.'  She has to very secretly meet with house maids, gain their trust, and compile their stories, all while faced with unreasonable deadlines and an editor from New York who has shown only mild interest in the idea.  Throughout the book, the treatment of these women range from tragic and outrageous, to kind and generous, and sometimes they fight back in their own subtle and funny way.

This was an enjoyable book to read, even though it had its low points as far as the hardships the author writes about.  I definitely recommend it!