Tricked (Book 4 of The Iron Druid Chronicles) is a chance for the reader to catch his breath. Book 3 ended with an epic battle up in Asgard against the Norse gods, with Atticus barely escaping with his life. Now that he’s proven he is capable of killing a god, and bringing the battle to multiple planes of reality, he’s at the top of the magical most wanted list. And so, he fakes his death (twice, actually) in order to keep the gods off his trail. But before Atticus can settle down in obscurity to train his new apprentice, he must take care of a bunch of loose ends. One of those is to return a favor owed to a trickster Navajo god, and naturally he gets far more than he bargained for.
All Old Users
For the Love: Fighting for Grace in a World of Impossible Standards by Jen Hatmaker
I’ve never read Jen Hatmaker before and still don’t really know who she is compared to her legion of fans. I’ve long been familiar with her name and knew she was a blogger and author; I’ve recently learned she is also a speaker and television personality. For the Love: Fight for Grace in a World of Impossible Standards held a spot on my Amazon Wish list and I received a copy as a Christmas present through work.
As my first experience reading Hatmaker, I thoroughly enjoyed the book which is a collection of essays. She is humorous, insightful, and witty. For the Love opens strong with a chapter I found most meaningful, “œWorst Beam Ever”; this chapter challenges the notion of realistically achieving work-life balance. Personally, after reading this chapter, I feel as though someone has personally lifted me off the hook and allowing me to breathe easier.
Hammered by Kevin Hearne (The Iron Druid Chronicles #3)
The mythical backdrop completely shifts in Hammered (the third book of the Iron Druid Chronicles). In order to secure the assistance of a powerful Hindi witch, which he needed to destroy a powerful enemy in the previous book, Atticus O’Sullivan agreed to steal one of Idun’s golden apples, which bestow immortality. He manages to sneak into Asgard but encounters more than he bargained for, and barely escapes with his life. Now the Norse pantheon is after him, including Odin and the Valkyries.
But there’s more. Atticus is maneuvered into leading a band of vengeful supernatural beings into Asgard again–this time to kill an enemy they hold in common, a Norse deity whom it turns out is universally hated: Thor. An epic battle ensues on the plains of the Norse realm. I won’t give the ending away, but the book closes on a cliffhanger.
The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George
Jean Perdu has devoted his life to his floating bookshop, The Literary Apothecary. Perdu has the amazing ability to diagnose his customers’ ailments and correctly prescribe a literary remedy. Although Perdu helps every shopper who frequents his business, he is unable (or unwilling) to read the one thing which will help him cope with decades of grief.
An international best-seller, The Little Paris Bookshop is the 26th book by German writer, Nina George. George has created a unique premise in the most glorious setting with imaginative characters. Unfortunately, the story stalls halfway through and never regains its momentum. This is a shame; the story starts off very strong and the characters are quite memorable.
Hexed by Kevin Hearne (The Iron Druid Chronicles #2)
Atticus O’Sullivan survived his battle with the Celtic fairy god and a coven of witches, but the events in Hounded have set off a new round of magical threats in what used to be peaceful Tempe, Arizona. He’s made a deal with the Celtic goddess of death that she will never take him, but at … Read more
Hounded by Kevin Hearne (Iron Druid Chronicles #1)
Atticus O’Sullivan is the last of the Druids. After making an enemy of a very powerful Celtic fairy in an ancient battle, and has been in hiding for the last two thousand years. When the Hounded begins, he’s been living peacefully in Arizona for a couple decades, running an occult bookshop. But when the Celtic god finds him and decides to finally pull out all the stop in order to kill him and retrieve the magic sword stolen from him all those centuries ago, Atticus’ life becomes anything but peaceful. As a Druid, Atticus’ magic is drawn from the earth, and his powers are both impressive and limited; he can heal just about any injury quickly, and never run out of energy–as long as he’s touching solid earth. He also has the ability to see on different visual spectrums, so he can detect spells and see through the “glamour” that fairy enemies often use to disguise their true form. He’s often assisted (legally and in battle) by his expensive law firm, which includes a vampire and a werewolf. All of the gods and mythical creatures exist, including the Norse pantheon, angels and demons, Hindi deities, and of course the fairy realm. The plot of book 1 is steeped primarily in Irish and Celtic mythology, with a modern twist of course.
Shaken Awake Book Release
Last October, Bookwi.se Contributor Allen Madding released his new book Shaken Awake. The Kindle edition is free through Dec 2. I invited him to write a post introducing the book and its background. You can buy the Free Kindle Edition, Paperback or Audible.com Audiobook. ______________ Over 50 million people in America struggle with hunger[1] and 610,000 are homeless[2] while … Read more
Defeating Darwinism by Opening Minds by Phillip Johnson
Phillip Johnson wrote this in 1997 to equip students for the intellectual battle over evolution in philosophy and science. While it discusses a few scientific points, the primary focus is on the philosophical naturalism that often undergirds evolution-affirming science (and which often remains unacknowledged), and how to challenge it.
That question–is philosophical naturalism necessarily and inextricably tied in with the real scientific elements of evolution?–is the primary idea I’ve pondered about this issue for a number of years now. The answer to that sets the stage and defines the parameters for what I am willing to accept and consider in this realm. Johnson makes a compelling case that the two are indeed inextricably linked, and thus must be challenged and fought.
For having been written almost 20 years ago, it’s surprisingly relevant: scientific research–particularly in the field of genetics–has continued to undermine the credibility of blind natural selection as an explanatory theory. And many of his tips about how to engage/challenge both lay persons and scientists are still helpful.
The Scorch Trials, a Step Away From the Book
Unfortunately for Thomas and his fellow Gladers, the maze was only the beginning. With an impressive opening weekend in the box office, the second installment in The Maze Runner series solidifies the latest dystopian trilogy as a hit. Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials is just the latest in a long line of dystopian fiction to hit the market. In recent years, the young adult dystopian genre has seen a boom of new books published and adaptations continue to hit the big screen at a continuous and steady rate.
Of these adaptations, some have risen to the top of the heap, while others have fallen to the side of the road. The Maze Runner adaptation was initially written off by many critics, and even a few fans, as another mediocre entry into a flooded market. As if to prove these naysayers wrong, screenwriter T.S. Nowlin and director Wes Ball have returned with an even more action-packed adventure straying further from its source material than the original.
The Scorch Trials sees Thomas free of the Maze but far from true freedom. Upon discovering that the omnipotent group known as World in Catastrophe: Killzone Experiment Department – or WCKD – had been responsible for trapping the group in the maze as a sort of experiment to fight against a post-apocalyptic threat, we once again watch as Thomas leads his fellow Gladers out into a desolate area known as the Scorch and fight to escape WCKD’s experimentation plan. After being rescued by a mysterious third-party group and becoming suspicious of their true intentions, Thomas and the group once again venture out into the Scorch taking us on a wild ride coming up against deadly superstorms, depraved scoundrels, and lethal “œCranks.”
Openness Unhindered: Further Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert on Sexual Identity and Union with Christ by Rosaria Champagne Butterfield
This book is a lot of things. It’s a mini autobiography of the author and her transformation from liberal feminist and queer theorist to evangelical Christian; it’s a theological treatise on sin, identity, mortification, sanctification and the gospel of grace; it’s a discussion of sexual orientation and its Freudian roots as a 19th century category error; it’s about biblical hospitality and how to engage your neighbors and include them in your daily rhythms of life.
Butterfield writes from her 16 years of experience living faithfully as a Christian, and as one who admittedly learned from her queer community most of what she knows of living in openness and hospitality today. She is in a unique position, having lived on both “sides” of the tracks and fully embraced (at different times) both communities. She has the intellectual chops to articulate the biblical truth about human sexuality and brokenness, but her explication is comfortably paired with the gentleness, compassion and relational authority earned by her previous community experience.