The Shack - A Review?

Well, I'm not finished with The Shack yet, and I might not finish it. I'm not really getting why this book is all the rage right now. Someone help me.

In the forward, the author warns us that if we don't like the book not to worry because it wasn't written for us. I'm assuming that means he doesn't want to hear or read a bad review. This isn't a bad review, it's just a statement, a warning.

I'm not sure that this is the book to introduce scores of non-Believers to the God of Agape Love. It seems like too much, too soon.

If you want a lifetime worth of theology stuffed in one book with a 5th grade reading level, then I guess this is the book for you.

I know this book has resonated with thousands of people who need to understand God's love in a tangible way. For that, the book has accomplished a great purpose. But, what do those readers do next? If there is no meeting at The Shack for them how do they move forward beyond their doubt?

If you've read it, please let me know what you think.

UPDATE: As I'm finishing this book, I do want to point out 2 areas where the author does an excellent job: his discussion of Jesus' view of church, and the forgiveness journey Papa takes Mack on. These are great models for us.

On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness - FREE Giveaway!

I have the privilege of reviewing Andrew Peterson's new book, On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness. He is one of my favorite songwriters/bloggers. If you'd like to receive your own copy of this new book, just leave a comment below. I'll pick one random entry and send the winner the book for free!

"In the once-quiet land of Skree, Janner Igiby, little brother Tink, and crippled sister Leeli stumble upon lost jewels of the mysterious King of the Shining Isle Anniera. But Gnag the Nameless seeks the treasure for purely evil ends, so our brave trio, accompanied by their trusty dog Nugget and ex-pirate grandfather, must escape his minion Fangs.

Singer-songwriter Andrew Peterson spins a page-turning tale of redemption peppered with songs, poems, and hilarious asides that follow the Igibys through a fantasical world of wonders, complete with...
*memorable characters like Brimney Stupe, Armulyn the Bard, and the soft-shoe dancing Peet the Sock Man
*fanciful creatures: sea dragons who sing by the light of the moon, spine-tingling toothy cows, snarling horned hounds, and mischievous flabbits
*and dazzling places: from Books & Craines Bookstore and Anklejelly Manor, to Fingfap Falls, and across the Ice Prairies...not to mention the Dark Sea of Darkness.

Sensory descriptions and characters rich in heart, courage and smarts make this a tale children of all ages will cherish, the whole family can read aloud, and book groups will surely discuss for its overarching theme of hope with layers of meaning about the life's tangle of the beautiful and the horrible, the temporal and the eternal, and good and bad.

Andrew Peterson is a critically acclaimed singer-songwriter and recording artist best known for his Dove Award-winning songs of the yeard, "Nothing to Say" and "Family Man." A natural-born storyteller (being a preacher's kid from the south), he wrote and produced the popular Christmas song collection, Behold the Lamb of God. He has recorded seven albums and tours every year. Andrew and his wife, Jamie are the parents of two sons and a daughter and live in Nashville, Tennessee. His website is www.andrew-peterson.com."

If you'd like to order the book yourself, go here.

Look at THIS Book!

It's Monday so it's time to exchange book ideas. The last time we talked about your favorite series to read aloud to your children. Thanks so much for the great ideas. Right now we are reading the Jesus Storybook Bible, and that's been fun.

Today, I want to hear about a book that changed your life. No pressure or anything. Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers changed me. It changed the way I look at people who were raised differently than I was, it changed the way I read the Bible, it changed the way I think about the Old Testament, it changed the way I look at sin. And, most people I've talked to who have read the book have similar reactions. The friend that recommended it to me told me that the reason she first read it was because her uncle had read it years prior and he was "still learning lessons from it today." I've found that to be true for me as well. I am still learning lessons from Redeeming Love even though I read it in 2002.

Here's a brief synopsis, but I won't spoil it for those of you who haven't read it. Redeeming Love is the fictional retelling of the book of Hosea. It feels like the book was set in the late 1800s where the main character was a child prostitute. Her redeemer is a man of God who follows the Lord's leading to rescue her from a life of sin. If you can get passed the first chapter (it could be rated R) then you can make it through the whole book. Although, if you have abuse in your past, it might take you a while to work through the feelings the book conjures up.

So, what's your story - a book that changed your life?

Look at THIS Book!

This is the first in a series of posts where we'll take a look at our favorite books on a certain topic. (No, this isn't Oprah's Book Club. I'm no where near that serious. I need mush for my brain.) In between diapers, homeschooling, errands and breathing - I like to read. That's a hard thing for me admit. See, I attended law school (didn't finish) and each night we were required to read about 200 pages. At the end of that year, I swore I'd never pick up another book as long as I lived. Two hundred pages is a lot of reading, people! Reading was the last thing I wanted to do for fun! That was then. Things change. And now I enjoy it. But, I don't have hours to spend browsing Amazon or the library to figure out which book to read next. I usually rely on the recommendations of friends. As I've mentioned before, Francine Rivers' books are always on the top of my list. But, I've read everything she's written and until a new one comes out I need some ideas. Here's where you come in.

Every week I will post a book recommendation and ask you to share your ideas as well. What fiction book are you currently reading? Who is your favorite biography? Which cookbook do you turn to in a pinch? Which books do you choose for your children? What book changed your life?

I plan to post Look at THIS Book! every Monday, but don't hold me to it. I'm going to do my best to be here for you every Monday with a good book recommendation. This is assuming there are no trips to the emergency room, laundry catastrophes or sick children in the mix. That could hold things up a bit. (I know today is not Monday, we've had 2 snow days and it feels like Wednesday, so what's your point?)

Here goes....

FAVORITE BOOK SERIES TO READ ALOUD TO YOUR CHILDREN

I'm asking b/c we've never accomplished this goal. I have lists of suggestions, but we haven't found a good system for getting this done at our house. As a child, my favorite book series was Love Comes Softly by Janette Oke. I really don't remember much about the series, just that I enjoyed the process of reading this with my mom and my sister.

Now it's your turn. Don't let me down, even you lurkers out there are welcome to join in. You do not have to have a blog to post a comment, and you do not have to sign up with Google to contribute. You can be anonymous if you like, or you can link us to your blog so we can read more of your ideas.

Let's Go!