IgniteLit - Igniting a love for literature

The Good Life

October 18, 2021 by Esther Filbrun · Leave a Comment

18 Oct

Title: The Good Life: What Jesus Teaches about Finding True Happiness
Author: Dr. Derwin L. Gray
Major Themes: Bible Studies, Christian Living, Devotionals, Jesus
Synopsis: This book explores the ways each verse from the Beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount can apply to our modern lives today.

I don’t remember my initial reason for getting The Good Life: What Jesus Teaches about Finding True Happiness, but I do remember wondering, when it landed in my inbox, what I was thinking when I asked to read and review it. I don’t read books about how to find true happiness! Though it’s something that, naturally, I’m interested in, I don’t want to read books about how to find it. I believe Jesus can give me all the happiness and joy I need, and trying to find it for myself, my own way? That’s a recipe for trouble. But since I’d asked for it, I needed to read it—after all, that little agreement about leaving a review after getting the book meant that I had to actually read the book.

Once I got a few chapters in, I was startled, surprised, and thankful to realize that this book was quite good. Good enough, in fact, that I was highlighting different lines I wanted to remember as I progressed. (I’ll share a few of those throughout this review, to give you a taste of the book.) My initial thought of “What were you thinking?” turned into the delight that I could actually learn from this book—that it was a bigger blessing to me than I thought it would be.

“Jesus knew the secret to happiness. Jesus knew that his happiness had to be entrenched in something that was beyond this world but that gave him the grace to live here.” —Derwin Gray

This book is a verse-by-verse study of the Beatitudes, with each verse having its own chapter. Although that’s a passage I have memorized, I realized I hadn’t generally taken much thought as to how those verses could be applied to my life, or what they meant for us in the times we live in now. Gray pulled a lot more out of them than I thought was there, and I found his observations both fascinating and encouraging.

“Our EGO, which stands for Edging God Out, tries to make us the center of the story, but Jesus, in his faithful, unending love, doesn’t want us to dehumanize ourselves by worshiping false gods.” —Derwin Gray

The seeking happiness part of the title? Well, even after reading The Good Life, I’m not sure I’m still completely on board with the word. Or at least the way the word happiness is used here, since the word I’m used to in reference to the Sermon on the Mount is blessed or blessedness, which has different connotations to me than happiness. Despite that struggle with terminology, this book does point to an important fact: Our Heavenly Father is joyful. And when we do things the way He intended us to do them, we become joyful people. Following Jesus—in the ups and downs of life—is always worthwhile, and He never lets us down.

This book helped me to see this passage of scripture in a new light, and I’m thankful for that. One day, I’d love to get a print copy. I can see myself re-reading this again. Though I didn’t agree with everything in here—the author is more progressive in some ways than I am—I do appreciate the truth I was able to glean from these pages. Recommended, if you want to grow in your walk with Jesus and as part of His bride.

I was given a review copy of this book, and this is my honest opinion of it.

WARNING: “Good grief” is used in ch. 1. “For goodness’ sake” is used in ch. 2, and he talks about a time he got drunk. “For goodness’ sake” is used in ch. 5. In ch. 7, “for goodness’ sake” is used again, and a question is asked about a Bible story—“Where is the man who was having s-x with the woman?” In ch. 9, “good gracious” is used.

Age levels:

Reading Independently—Ages 15 and Above, Adults

Links to buy this book:

Amazon: Paperback | Kindle | Audible Audiobook (unabridged)
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com
Book Depository: Paperback

Shadows of the White City

October 15, 2021 by Esther Filbrun · Leave a Comment

15 Oct

Shadows of the White City by Jocelyn Green

Title: Shadows of the White City
Author: Jocelyn Green
Series: Windy City Saga, book 2
Major Themes: Adoption, Chicago World Fair, Mysteries
Synopsis: When her adopted daughter goes missing in the Chicago World Fair, Sylvie must choose to trust the Lord to deliver her back safely again.

After thoroughly enjoying the first book in The Windy City Saga series, I couldn’t wait until the next one came out—and when Shadows of the White City appeared, I snatched it up immediately! This book is quite different from the prequel, Veiled in Smoke. Where that was about a historic catastrophe, this is about a thriving city—and the time around the Chicago World Fair, as described here, was both fascinating and intriguing. The depth of the characters, in both books, was quite striking—but one thing I enjoyed especially about this one is that the characters are mostly older. They aren’t the young 20-somethings that usually are the stars in books like this, yet they are still quite relatable to me, a young 20-something.

One of Sylvie’s joys over the past ten-plus years has been watching her young charge, Rose, learn and grow. Rose’s mother died on their way to the new world, and when her father could no longer adequately care for her, she ended up in Sylvie’s care. As a single woman, Sylvie was more than thankful to have a little girl to love on and care for—and now, as Rose is growing older, she is looking forward to seeing her adopted daughter grow into an adult. However, before that can happen, Rose disappears. And as Sylvie starts a frantic search for her all over the city of Chicago, more questions than answers appear. Was she taken by force? Did she decide to move out of her own free will? Why would she want to—they hadn’t had the best of relationships there near the end, but surely that wasn’t enough for Rose to drop out of Sylvie’s life completely!

Even though I enjoyed the read, I was somewhat disappointed in Shadows of the White City. It didn’t feel quite as deep as some of Green’s other books that I’ve read. The story didn’t grip me like some do; I found myself setting it down even around 3/4 of the way through the book in favor of other forms of entertainment. But in saying that, I still enjoyed the historical setting and the way it was brought to life, the characters, the mysteries—there was a lot to like in this story. The Chicago World Fair was fascinating, when viewed through the eyes of a tour guide. I had no idea it was so big—or that it drew so many people! One scene near the end had me feeling almost claustrophobic!

One of the big themes in this book is learning that we belong—whether we grew up in a loving family, or in a dysfunctional family, or without family at all—we belong in Christ, and we can find our strength, acceptance, and stability there. I loved that reminder! And it was fun to see the characters learn more about that as the story went on.

If you love history and mysteries, with maybe a touch of romance on the side, I’d recommend this book. It’s a good read.

I was given a review copy of this book, and this is my honest opinion of it.

WARNING: Several times, there are mentions of brothels—prologue, 10 (a sentence about how girls were kidnapped, prepared, and then sent to brothels), 12, and two women visit brothels to see if they could find someone in ch. 16. A man appreciates a woman’s appearance in ch. 2, a man tries to pull a woman too close in ch. 11, and a man tries to harm a girl in ch. 16.

“Swear” is used in ch. 2, 21, and 26. “Goodness” is used in ch. 5, 20, 21, 24, and 34. “In heaven’s name” or a variant is used in ch. 17, 18, and 31. “Hang it all” is used in ch. 21. There is lying in ch. 22 and throughout the book, a woman pretends to be someone she isn’t. “Land sakes” is used in ch. 22. “For pity’s sake” is used in ch. 23. “Devil” is used in ch. 23.

A man is punched in the nose in ch. 4, and there’s a brief tussle in ch. 26 with someone’s nose being crushed. A man is high on opium in ch. 29. A doctor says he performed a surgery to “make sure [a woman] never conceived again” in ch. 33. A woman has a flashback to when a building almost crumbled under her in ch. 34.

Unmarried people touch in ch. 12, 14, 17, 22, 25, 30, and 32, and in ch. 35, there is a kiss. There is more kissing in the epilogue and a mention of the bedroom. In ch. 28, there is some discussion about a young man and woman who spent nearly every day together for three weeks (thankfully, nothing beyond a kiss happened there), and in ch. 34, this is brought up again with the expectation that there was a baby on the way (also a mention of women’s things here), which, again, didn’t happen.

Age levels:

Reading Independently—Ages 15 and Above, Adults

Links to buy this book:

Amazon: Paperback | Kindle | Hardcover | Audible Audiobook (unabridged)
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com
Book Depository: Paperback | Hardcover

The Right Kind of Fool

October 13, 2021 by Esther Filbrun · Leave a Comment

13 Oct

The Right Kind of Fool by Sarah Loudin Thomas

Title: The Right Kind of Fool
Author: Sarah Loudin Thomas
Major Themes: Appalachian Mountains, Deafness, Forgiveness, Murder Mysteries
Synopsis: With estranged parents and a controlling mother, can Loyal make the right decision about what he should do when he comes across a dead man one day?

I don’t remember why I picked The Right Kind of Fool at first, aside from the cover—which was intriguing. I’m fairly certain I didn’t get past “deaf boy” and “Appalachian Mountains” in the synopsis, because the rest of the book was a surprise—as I tend to like it. However, what struck me about this story when I first got into it was how well the deafness was displayed in here. This story felt the richer for the way it was handled—and I loved that. Though there are other points of view, that character definitely shines above the rest.

When he sees some friends of his running away from something, looking scared, Loyal decides to check things out. Though he can’t hear, he knows something bad has happened—and when he comes across a dead body, he realizes more is wrong than he thought possible at first. His only recourse? Ask his dad for help—but his dad has been estranged from the family for years; what will his reaction be, and how can he even communicate the problem to him, when his dad doesn’t understand his sign language?

Meanwhile, Creed has his own struggles. His guilt over what happened with his son Loyal still haunts him, and do what he can, he can’t get away from it. When he’s challenged to try to be a father again—and become the husband his wife needs—can he make the right decision, even when that goes against everything he’s done for the past few years?

I really enjoyed the mystery side of The Right Kind of Fool. I’m not one to guess who did what and why, but I love following along as the characters figure it out for me. The strained family relationships in here, and how different ones worked to fix that, were also quite interesting. And, as I’ve already discussed, the deafness also brought an interesting element to the story.

This is a good book. It didn’t quite make it to my top-of-the-year list—I did struggle with a few attitudes here and there, and almost felt like there was too much description around the married couple. I could easily see myself reading it again one day, though, simply because the characters were well-developed and the story intriguing. Recommended, if you enjoy historical fiction!

I was given a review copy of this book, and this is my honest opinion of it.

WARNING: This is a murder mystery, so naturally there are a lot of different discussions about that—how it happened, why it happened, etc. Nothing too detailed.

There is lying in ch. 1 and 18. “Goodness knew” or a variant appears several times, in ch. 1, 10, 12, and 24. “I’ll be dogged” appears in ch. 2 and 21. “In tarnation” appears in ch. 4, 9, and 11. “Blasted” is used in ch. 5. “Shoot” is used in ch. 7, 10, 13, 14, 17, 18, 22, 24, 29, 35, and 37. Phrases referring to the devil are used in ch. 8 and 11. “Doggone” is used in ch. 9, 10, 11, 15, and 24. “Hell” is used as a derogatory term in ch. 9. “God help me” is used in ch. 10. “For Pete’s sake” is used in ch. 10. “Heck” is used in ch. 14, 15, 31, and 35. Someone curses in ch. 11, 14, 17, and 29. “Durn” is used in ch. 15 and 26. “Son of a gun” is used in ch. 18. “Cuss” is used in ch. 18. “Blue blazes” is used in ch. 22.

In ch. 9, a man mentions he’s been seeing a woman who is separated from her husband. In ch. 19, a man comes across a woman who is pregnant out of wedlock, and a woman flirts with a man in ch. 20. There is a little romance with the married couple in the story—kissing in ch. 10, 26, 27 (more description than some), 30, 36, and 37; a little touching in ch. 12, 18, 32, and 36; and references to sharing a bed in ch. 13, 19, 26 (this one felt a bit too detailed for me), and a hint in the epilogue.

A man jabs someone in the chest in ch. 11, a man is slugged in the jaw in ch. 22 and 29. Men are shot in ch. 29 and 33, and someone dies in ch. 35.

Age levels:

Reading Independently—Ages 15 and Above, Adults

Links to buy this book:

Amazon: Paperback | Kindle | Hardcover | Audible Audiobook (unabridged)
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com
Book Depository: Paperback | Hardcover

Anointed for Work

October 11, 2021 by Esther Filbrun · Leave a Comment

11 Oct

Title: Anointed for Work
Author: Richard Brunton
Major Themes: Blessing, Prayer, Work
Synopsis: In this quick read, Brunton encourages us to work with the Lord and ask His blessing on our work, whatever it might be.

Anointed for Work isn’t the kind of book I typically sit down to read. I often shy away from books in this sort of genre because I’m afraid it will contain too many doctrinal things that I won’t agree with, but I’ve found recently that there are things I can and even want to learn from books like this. Thankfully, this was a short, quick read, which made it a lot easier to get through!

Brunton’s main premise is that we need God’s help and blessing in all areas of life—including work. Though I agree with him there, it isn’t something I’ve spent much time thinking on in the past, so I found his thoughts fascinating. One of Brunton’s points in here that really spoke to me was his discussion about praying over and through your work. Though we all know of Paul’s command to “pray continuously”, the way it’s described is quite impressive and encouraging. Brunton encourages prayer over each individual in the workplace, describing times he physically went from one empty chair to the next early one work morning, praying a blessing over the individuals and the business itself. He also spends time talking about working with God—asking Him to lead and guide in creative ways to get the tasks accomplished. I loved that thought!

Another thing he talked about was getting others—spiritual leaders or mentors, or those who have experience in the work you intend to undertake—to pray over you at the onset of your journey. Things like marriages, becoming new parents, becoming a housewife, or setting off to college—any new task that will require a lot of God’s knowledge, help, and grace for. I’d never thought about that kind of thing much—obviously, we do pray over people sometimes, but do we intentionally pray for God’s blessing and strength when heading into situations like that? Perhaps not as much as we ought to, but I’m sure the Lord is delighted when we bring even these “natural” transitions before Him as believers! Also, expressing needs like that verbally and then praying about it collectively brings unity and accountability into our relationships—which is both beautiful and needed.

I feel like I learned a lot from Anointed for Work, despite the mentions now and then of different doctrines I’m not completely comfortable with. I still feel like there ought to be a measure of caution about putting too much emphasis on just speaking words, rather than on calling on our Father to act in situations (I feel like we could be taking the glory on ourselves for what we’re saying, rather than on God for what He’s wanting to do through us). But when it comes to working with the Lord and being obedient to His call, books like this are encouraging. I’m looking forward to reading it again when I have the chance—it’s just a small book, so a very quick read, but it’s got a lot of good things packed into it. Would make a great study for a small group! Recommended.

No warnings!

Age levels:

Reading Independently—Ages 15 and Above, Adults

Links to buy this book:

Amazon: Paperback | Kindle
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com
Book Depository: Paperback

Dreams of Savannah

October 8, 2021 by Esther Filbrun · Leave a Comment

8 Oct

Title: Dreams of Savannah
Author: Roseanna M. White
Major Themes: American Civil War, Historical Fiction, Romance
Synopsis: Though Cordelia has many friends, when one special one disappears out to sea during the Civil War, she struggles to cling to hope that he is still alive.

I’ve been a fan of Roseanna White’s books for quite a while now, and when I saw Dreams of Savannah coming up as a new book, I knew I wanted to read it. I found this story quite interesting, although it didn’t have quite the depth on the history side that I’ve come to expect—but that, I think, is perhaps because this was one of the author’s earlier works, only now being released. However that is, I still enjoyed the book, and am happy to share it with you today!

Cordelia Owens has many dreams for her future—most of whom revolve around one particular young man, Phineas Dunn, who she knows loves her. But when he signs up with the navy, she wonders if life will ever be quite the same again—yet longs and prays for the day when he will return. But when he’s lost out at sea, and there’s little chance for his life, she struggles to stay positive.

Phineas, on the other hand, is still alive . . . but just. And in the intervening weeks, he faces the most serious battle he’s ever had to face before—trying to stay alive. Only thoughts of Delia keep him here, and, eventually, he realizes he must trust in the Lord to help him through. The only trouble—the man who rescued and is nursing him back to health is a black man, but not a slave, who wants to make his way to Phineas’ hometown, where he believes his wife is being held in slavery. Phineas isn’t sure what he thinks about all of this, since he was raised as a master on a plantation. And when things seem to fall to pieces, can his newfound faith support him—even when it looks like he’s even lost his Delia?

I loved reading Dreams of Savannah. Even though it was more focused on romance than I’m used to in most stories, I really enjoyed the characters and the historical setting. I did find it interesting to see White’s growth as a writer in comparing this story to some of the others she’s released recently; apparently, this book was written something like nine years ago, and I can tell that she is a much stronger writer now (such as in her book The Number of Love). But some things that I really enjoy now in her “newer” books were already evident early on—her ability in writing rich characters, her love for history, her desire to show God’s love and care for His people in the stories. They’re all there. I was wanting a sweet, easy read, and that’s what I got.

I was given a review copy of this book, and this is my honest opinion of it.

WARNING: “Thank heavens” and “blasted” or similar variants are used frequently throughout the book. “Dang” is used in ch. 2, “where the devil” in ch. 5, “bad devil spirit” in ch. 10, “to the devil” in ch. 15, “who the devil” in ch. 16, “a devil of a smile” and “why the devil” in ch. 18, “[that] devil” in ch. 23, and “what the devil” in ch. 26. There are mentions fairly frequently that someone cursed or swore or “said some vile words”. There is lying in ch. 18.

Throughout the book, there are mentions of a man touching his love interest on the arm, around her waist, etc. In ch. 1, there’s a kiss—described to some extent. There are other kisses in ch. 17, 20, 22, and 23. Also mentioned once or twice in the first part of the book was the liberties sailors took with women when they went onshore. Not described, but it’s there. A man appreciates the wrong things about a woman in ch. 11 and 18, and tries to force a woman in ch. 22.

Another theme that runs throughout the book is the fact that one of the characters was a daughter of a master and his slave mistress. This is discussed multiple times, generally without much detail, just that it happened. Chapters 16 and 19 have a bit more detail than some.

A man is shot and badly injured and then falls overboard in ch. 5, and struggles to recover in subsequent chapters. A woman slaps a man in ch. 20 and kicks him in 22 after some unappreciated touching. A man is threatened with a gun in ch. 22. A man is punched unconscious in ch. 25, after a brief skirmish.

Age levels:

Reading Independently—Ages 15 and Above, Adults

Links to buy this book:

Amazon: Paperback | Kindle | Hardcover
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com
Book Depository: Paperback | Hardcover