ChivalryThe Quest for a Personal Code of Honor in an Unjust World

Zach Hunter          Tyndale Momentum, 2013.

 2.5 / 5.0 

Drawing not so much from his interesting and varied experiences as from the teachings and works of others, this unique young author puts out a book that will be lost in the noise of Christian publishing.

This is an admittedly weak review of Zach Hunter's book. My electronic review copy of the book expired so I cannot access it or the notes I stored in my Nook. Today is the last day of the review period, so I was caught by surprise when the .epub offering went into self-destruct mode.

If I had known the author was a college student I would not have started the book. This fact will probably tell you where the review is headed. Most (not all) of the struggles Hunter highlights need not be slain by an ancient warrior code, but will lie down quietly in the next few years as he naturally matures. The author seems relatively insightful and selfless for a college-aged man, so his book might be a good influence on his peer group. As someone only half a generation ahead, I found it to be awkward reading.

Couples of the BibleA One-Year Devotional Study to Draw You Closer to God and Each Other

Robert and Bobbie Wolgemuth          Thomas Nelson, 2013.

 3.0 / 5.0 

Moving outside of the scriptural accounts provides more material for each couple but is distracting, at best.

Disclaimer: Since the book is meant to be read day-by-day with my spouse, I haven't covered much ground in the period I've had to read and review.

The first thing I thought when I found out this was year-long devotional material was are there really 52 couples in the Bible. Well, drawing out a few lessons from repeat couples the authors still utilizing 45 pairings from the Scriptures.

I've read several examples the way they are not supposed to be read, i.e. in one sitting. My wife and I have had a chance to go through a couple of couples together.

The format is the same for each Man/Woman team highlighted.

7 MenAnd the Secret of their Greatness

Eric Metaxas          Thomas Nelson, 2013.

 3.5  / 5.0 

This collection of biographical sketches is meant to give us a resource of role models. 7 Men reaches as far as Metaxas' aspirations, but will probably disappoint most readers.

When I was in elementary school I checked out and read a short biography of Don Shula, repeatedly. I'm not really sure why. I had never heard of Don Shula. Football to me meant the University of Alabama. I had adopted the Chicago Bears as the NFL team to receive my love, but I never watched their games and probably couldn't have named anyone on the team besides the Fridge (every little boy knew there was a football player named after a refrigerator). I think it was the first biography I had ever read; I liked the format, and I just kept coming back.

Sherlock Holmes and the Needle's Eye

Len Bailey          Thomas Nelson, 2013.

 3.5  / 5.0 
 This attempted combination of a Bible study and Sherlock Holmes novel works well in the first sense which, in turn, throws off the second.


Sherlock Holmes is hot stuff and, for the most part, I'm ready to consume whatever is in the vein. I love the idea of Holmes. Definitely not tied to Conan Doyle (I might have read The Adventures as a youngster--can't remember), I enjoy the modern iterations and loved watching Jeremy Britt on A&E during the 1990's. So if Len Bailey got the essence of Holmes I knew I would enjoy the book, even if he couldn't engineer a feeling of late 19th century London.

TyndaleThe Man Who Gave God an English Voice

David Teems          Thomas Nelson, 2012.

 4.5  / 5.0 

In the middle of David Teem's latest, Tyndale: The Man Who Gave God an English Voice, is the story of two letters in the middle of someone else's book.  John Rogers' Matthew's Bible made print in 1537. Miles Coverdale's translation of several books of the Old Testament were included, but the majority of the books evidently came from William Tyndale. The only clue of the great translator's involvement, though, was a page the publisher inserted between the two testaments. On that hidden page were the initials W T. Teems describes the publisher's actions: "In that span between Malachi and the Gospel of Matthew, Rogers gives us the identity of its true father." This hidden Tyndale is the theme of the book and, presumably, the way-of-life for the subject himself.

A Third Life

G. Owen McGinnis, M.D.          Heritage Books, 2009.


 4.0  / 5.0 

Set in the era of Laura Ingalls Wilder but maybe closer to the sentiment of Cormac McCarthy,  Gaston Owen McGinnis' novel touches the serendipity of the frontierswomen while visiting the qualm of the modern writer. The tone of A Third Life, then, falls into a most authentic and believable territory. Whether the reader believes what the characters say concerning the Civil War, slavery, Reconstruction, life, death, and God; he will believe they believe it. The descriptions of antebellum life come with archaic colloquialisms and the dialogue is written phonetically to better convey the feeling of that time.

What Difference Do It MakeStories of Hope and Healing

Ron Hall and Denver Moore, with Lynn Vincent          Thomas Nelson, 2009.


 3.0 / 5.0 

This follow-up to 2006's Same Kind of Different As Me is more like three small books intertwined. Ron Hall and Denver Moore continue their story while including vignettes from readers moved to action after reading the first book. The oral contributions from Moore are recorded by Hall--and presumably Lynn Vincent--in a semi-phonetic way to capture his way of speaking. Moore includes various stories from his past before and during his stay at Union Gospel Mission as well some anecdotes from the speaking tour for SKoDAM. The chapters of What Difference Do It Make that most resemble the pair's first book are Hall's.  The story of reconciliation with his father is the only consistent narrative in the book and one wonders if it could not have been expanded into a book of it's own.