MrsDrPoe: Sarah's Key

It's time for another Reading Review- and this one's not a baby book!  I present to you "Sarah's Key" by Tatiana de Rosnay:

"Sarah's Key" is actually two tales in one- the story of a modern-day American journalist (Julia Jarmond) who has made her home in France and that of a young Jewish girl (Sarah Starzynski) and the horrors she experienced living through the Vel' d'Hiv roundup of Jewish citizen in France in 1942.  As Julia uncovers more about Sarah and her own family's connection to that dark time in history, she discovers herself and in turn changes her own life forever.

Overall, I enjoyed the story; although, it is very dark and definitely brought tears to my eyes on multiple occasions.  Even though the book is a work of fiction, I appreciated the bit of history I learned while reading- I had no prior knowledge of the roundup.  One of my favorite aspects of the book was the growth and development of the relationship of Julia and her father-in-law because of (and perhaps in spite of) his family's past.

I will say that the book did have some language in it, and I didn't appreciate the focus on several of themes that were presented rather nonchalantly (adultery, abortion, cohabitation, etc.).  So while the story itself was very moving, this book will not be sitting on my shelf at home, and I am not over zealous to recommend it.

MrsDrPoe: On Becoming Babywise

I have another parenting book for this week's Reading Review!  Here's "On Becoming Babywise: Giving Your Infant the Gift of Nighttime Sleep" by Gary Ezzo, M.A. and Robert Bucknam, M.D.

While I can't fully recommend it (yet), I can't WAIT to put the material presented in this book to use!  The "parent directed feeding" (PDF) method seems to be a very logical 'best of both worlds' approach to feeding an infant that also has the benefit of getting the family on a schedule that allows plenty of sleep for all.  You know Mr. Poe and I are all about our sleep.

The book is an easy read, full of tips, tricks, doable goals, and answers to questions and issues that frequently come up.  As you can imagine, there is a LOT of material in this work; I would definitely recommend purchasing the book to keep as a reference (I found several copies at a local thrift store).  A sample schedule outline and baby nourishment tracking charts are included.

I'm also looking forward to reading the second and third installments of the series, and I hope you are too!

MrsDrPoe: What to Expect the First Year

For the latest Reading Review, I present the follow-up book to "What to Expect When You're Expecting," "What to Expect the First Year" by Heidi Murkoff, Arlene Eisenberg, and Sandee Hathaway, B.S.N.*

This book is a fairly easy read, and I have thoroughly enjoyed it.  There is a multitude of information between the covers; I'll definitely be purchasing a reference copy of my own**.  The work is broken down into months, with each containing what your baby may be able to do, what things you may be having questions about, and things to expect from well-checkups.  Illustrated guides to holding, bathing, breastfeeding, and other activities are included, as well as growth and immunization charts, first recipes, common childhood infections, tips for helping older children and pets get used to the new addition, and a review of items to buy for baby.

I really don't have any negative comments about this book; although, as Ms. Murkoff herself cautions, nothing in her book should trump what your doctor tells you.

*Mr. Poe and I are not pregnant, but we would like to have children one day, so I'm reading about it now before it's upon me and I have no time to read. 

**I recently found a copy of "What to Expect When You're Expecting" at a thrift store for $1.50.  Be sure to check out used books before paying full price at a bookstore or even the reduced price on Amazon.

MrsDrPoe: The Bronze Bow

Today I present to you another work of fiction, "The Bronze Bow" by Elizabeth George Speare:

This book is about a young Jewish man during the time of Christ who is actively looking for the prophesied Messiah to bring His Kingdom and end Roman rule in Israel.  As he hears of Jesus, his view slowly changes from one of a hateful rebel sworn to vengeance to one of peace, love, and acceptance.

The Bronze Bow as a quick read but well-written and with a good plot.  Though it took a few chapters to meet and get to know the main characters, I quickly found myself engrossed in the story and urging them to go listen to Jesus' teachings and apply them.  The book made me wonder more about what I would've thought and done if I were a Jew or a Gentile during the time of Jesus and if I would've had faith to follow Him or if I would've just listened to His 'interesting stories.'

The work is fiction of course, but a few things bothered me about the story.  One thing was the fact that Simon the Zealot in the story seems to know nothing of Jesus or the teachings of John the Baptist who 'paved the way' for Jesus when in Acts 1:22, it appears that one of the qualifications for apostleship is that a man was there "from the baptism of John."  What could possibly be called 'artistic license' aside, I didn't have any negative comments about the book, and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.

MrsDrPoe: What To Expect When You're Expecting

For today's Reading Review, I present to you "What To Expect When You're Expecting" by Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazel*:

This book was an easy read with lots of information mixed with humor and encouragement.  Since I've never been pregnant, I don't know about all the questions or symptoms a pregnant woman would have, but this work seemed to cover the gamut.  The main section of the book was broken up into 9 month-by-month chapters that detailed what the baby was growing or practicing each week in the month, symptoms you may be having, and what you may be concerned about (food, physical activity, pains, intimacy, etc).  It also covered pre-pregnancy topics, post-pregnancy topics, and information on miscarriages and stillbirths.

The only pseudo-negative thing about this book is that it truly was written for every woman; while even those with STDs, drug problems, who would consider abortion, etc. need information about pregnancy I didn't particularly enjoy reading those sections of the book.  Having said that, I would definitely recommend this book to any woman who is pregnant or desiring to become pregnant, and I plan to purchase my own copy when we (Lord willing!) are blessed with news of the first non-furry-Poe-baby.  I also look forward to reading the other books in the "What to Expect" series!

*Mr. Poe and I are not pregnant, but we would like to have children one day, so I'm reading about it now before it's upon me and I have no time to read.

MrsDrPoe: The Dwelling Place

One of the ladies from my book club was kind enough to let me borrow the sequel to The Swan House, so for the next Reading Review, I present to you Elizabeth Musser's The Dwelling Place:

This story is set in Atlanta and Hilton Head and is about the youngest daughter (Ellie) of the main character in The Swan House (Mary Swan).  As in the first work of the series, the plot focuses on a daughter "discovering" both her mother and what living for Jesus means.  It definitely has it's sad parts (as well as happy ones) and gives a myriad of examples of how we can use our trials to glorify God.

I enjoyed reading this book (maybe not as much as The Swan House), and I found it very hard to put down.  As with the first book, it is very clean with very clear spiritual overtones.  It also made me think a lot about how little I know about what my mother and grandmothers went through that shaped them into what they are/were.  All too often I look at those around me who I haven't known their whole lives and take for granted that they are who they are; I don't take the time to learn more about them and to appreciate things they may have overcome to get where they are today.  I think this type of knowledge would help me to have a deeper love and appreciation for people.

While I appreciated that The Dwelling Place encouraged thought, it did seem like some of the things that happened to the characters in this work were too fictional and too "perfect" (even though they weren't necessarily good things).  This is probably because there are so many years between the first and second books that it was hard for me to imagine the end of the first one leading to the events in the second; I found myself somewhat glad that there isn't a third book in the series for this reason.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone, especially those who enjoyed The Swan House; however, I would caution readers that some of the religious ideas presented in the work are not in accordance with what the Bible teaches.    

MrsDrPoe: The Swan House

For the next Reading Review here on the blog, I present to you another work of fiction, "The Swan House" by Elizabeth Musser:

"The Swan House" is a tale of a young girl growing up in Atlanta in the early sixties, revolving around the real-life Orly plane crash, racial tension, and faith.  The book has something for everyone- romance, suspense, football*, laughter, sadness, life, death...and the list goes on and on.

I really enjoyed reading this work.  I thought it was very well written, and I greatly appreciated the Mrs. Musser's subtleties (simply saying "he cursed" instead of providing full dialog, etc.) which adequately conveyed certain character's personalities without being crude.  I also appreciated the theme that Jesus can comfort all our pains and His truth sets us free.  This story was very fascinating and really pulled me into the story. 

On a negative note, I think that the prologue and epilogue are virtually unnecessary and almost detract a bit from the main story.  I would also caution readers to examine the various forms of Christianity presented in the book in light of the Bible, as many of the ideas portrayed are not in accordance with scripture.  While it is most refreshing to read a novel that places so much emphasis on faith in Christ, we must keep in mind that Christians are to worship "in Spirit and in truth."  


All in all, I would definitely recommend reading "The Swan House" (with a box of tissues handy), and I look forward to the chance to read the sequel.

*Mr. Poe and I learned that John Heisman used to coach at Tech from this book...cool huh?

MrsDrPoe: Mortgages 101

For this week's Reading Review, I have another book on mortgages for you, "Mortgages 101: Quick Answers to Over 250 Critical Questions About Your Home Loan" by David Reed:

This book is fantastic, and as a testament to that fact, we are planning to purchase a copy (this one's from the library) to keep as a reference.  Unlike "All About Mortgages," "Mortgages 101" has a multitude of basic information about mortgages for the every-man.  It's written in question and answer format, and Mr. Reed has a writing style that makes it feel like he is sitting across the desk from the reader answering his/her questions in person.

In the work, Mr. Reed not only sheds light on mortgages in general, but he also gives tips on what loans are best for those with good credit and with bad credit, questions to test the knowledge and ability of your potential loan officers, advice on how to choose the right lender, and suggestions for cutting closing costs.  I have made several notes from this book, and I think it has given me the confidence I needed to speak to lenders without feeling like I'm being taken advantage of.  Most refreshing of all is that this information is also given with an air of caution; Mr. Reed encourages readers throughout the text to seriously consider their financial comfort when choosing a mortgage payment plan.  

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who's considering buying a house- especially if it's your first home purchase- building a house, or refinancing their current home loan.

MrsDrPoe: The Love and Respect Experience

It's time for another Reading Review here on the blog.  Today I present to you another book that I received free from BookSneeze: "The Love and Respect Experience: A Husband-friendly Devotional that Wives Truly Love" by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs.

As the subtitle suggests, this book is comprised of 52 devotionals geared toward helping couples improve their marriages through growing together in Christ.  Each devotional is about three pages long and focuses on applying a verse or two from a particular Bible passage to marriage.  There are discussion questions for each devotional in the appendices, as well as contact information for counselors and a summary of Dr. Eggerichs' "Three Cycles of Love and Respect."

I enjoyed reading through this work and would recommend it to anyone even considering marriage.  The idea of husbands growing in love for their wives and wives in respect for their husbands is an often difficult-to-implement command of God, but it's one that the prayer and activity suggestions presented in the book will help with tremendously.  I did not, however, care for the thirtieth devotional, which essentially said, "tell everyone to buy my book."  Also, most of the ideas presented are directly from scripture, but as with any spiritual book, I recommend reading with an open Bible, since there is no substitute for the Word itself.

Since this is a couple's devotional, I asked Mr. Poe to examine the book too.  He thought that this work was well-written and that it contained useful activities and information throughout the book and its appendices.  He found it to connect real-life application to Biblical principals very well, but he did not appreciate Dr. Eggerichs' constant use of his own marriage as an example.

MrsDrPoe: All About Mortgages

Recently I finished the book I'll be presenting for the next Reading Review, "All About Mortgages: Insider Tips to Finance or Refinance Your Home" by Julie Garton-Good.

 

While finance isn't my cup of tea, I enjoyed reading this book.  It was well written and in a question and answer format that (paired with the index) made finding specific topics easy.  Throughout the text, Ms. Garton-Good inserts a multitude of websites where more information about policies and procedures can be found as well as charts, tables, and worksheets for quick personal application of the material discussed.  The book contains detailed information on a multitude of mortgage topics, including VA loan programs and tips for mortgage holders who find themselves falling behind on payments.

I definitely learned a good bit about mortgages from this book; however, I think I may have been better off beginning with something a bit less technical (like "Mortgages for Dummies"...which unfortunately is only available at my local library in audiobook).  Another thing to keep in mind about this book is that, since the copyright date of the third edition is 2004, some of the advice/tips presented may be a bit risky considering the current state of the housing market.

I would recommend this book to people with mid-level knowledge of real estate and mortgages who also understand their financial situation well enough to apply or avoid the appropriate "insider tips."

Do you have any mortgage book recommendations?

MrsDrPoe: The Gospel According to Mark

For this week's Reading Review, I present to you part of The Pillar New Testament Commentary, "The Gospel According to Mark" by James R. Edwards:

As I mentioned several weeks ago, Mr. Poe adopted the book of Mark; this commentary was given to him indirectly by our friend Mr. Ellis to start his Mark library.  Since we have recently found ourselves in several studies on this gospel, I thought it would be in my best interest to read this commentary as well.  (If you're considering adopting Mark, this is definitely a reference book you should add to your library.)

Although you could probably guess from the length of this commentary, it is very detailed and contains a plethora of information from a wide variety of sources.  Mr. Edwards has done quite a bit of research and provides essentially a very comprehensive verse-by-verse investigation of this gospel.  Also to his credit, the book is very well organized, and the footnotes contain a wealth of additional information related to the commentary.

Mr. Edwards draws the reader's attention to the themes and unique literary devices Mark employed in his gospel, such as the "sandwich" where a story is placed in a story to help draw connections between them.  One of my favorite topics discussed in the commentary is the way Mark contrasts faith and fear and shows us what true faith in God should look like.

While I have not extensively researched the available material on the topic of Mark's gospel, there are a few comments made in the book that appear to be contrary to scripture, such as those on repentance in reference to Mark 2.  While commentaries are often helpful in increasing our understanding of the scriptures, they should never replace the Bible itself; thus, as always, I would advise you to read this book with an open Bible, testing every comment made against the whole Word of God.

MrsDrPoe: Has God Spoken?

It's time for another Reading Review here at the blog.  For your entertainment, I present another book that I received free from BookSneeze, "Has God Spoken?: Proof of the Bible's Divine Inspiration" by Hank Hanegraaff:

This book was a relatively easy read, containing about 290 pages of text and an additional fifty pages of notes; in it Hanegraaff discusses various reasons why the Bible is truth and divinely inspired.  He mostly addresses issues brought up by opponents to his position through the use of acronyms: MAPS for the ‘big picture,’ COPIES, SPADE, STARS, and LIGHTS for the main ideas, and various others for minor points.  He also includes the Legacy Reading Plan introduction and chart to encourage daily Bible reading.

 I appreciated the overall intent of this work, as well as the use of mnemonic devices to aid in remembrance of the various points made.  There were several historical and geographical bits of information that I gleaned from the first three sections of the book; my favorite chapter (12) was on the “succession of nations.”  I do not agree with the summary on the back of the book jacket, however, as it seems that in this work divine inspiration is not defended with “gentleness and respect” but instead with pride and arrogance.  At times it seems like Hanegraaff has a person vendetta against those who oppose his view (particularly Bart Ehrman).  Not only is this the incorrect way to defend our belief in Christ and the written word of God, but it seems like the drive to be right also causes the author to choose defenses that are weak, if not altogether contrary to the scriptures (ex: flood arguments).  I would recommend this book to Christians interested in the subject; however, I would caution them to read it with an open Bible.

Have you read any good books lately?

MrsDrPoe: The Importance of Context

Another Theology Thursday is upon us, and as always I invite you to open up your Bibles as we look at a portion of God's word. 

Several weeks ago I heard a parable about a man who attempted to have God speak to him by opening the Bible to random passages of scripture.  He first turned to a passage that said "Judas hanged himself."  Then he turned to one that said, "Go and do likewise," and the final passage he examined read, "What you must do, do quickly."  I was again reminded of this story while reading the account of Jesus' temptation in Matt 4:5-7:

Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down.  For it is written: 'He shall give His angels charge over you.' and, 'In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.'"  Jesus said to him, "It is written again, 'You shall not tempt the LORD your God.'"

As we discover from the man in the story and from Satan's antics, taking random whole or partial verses from the Bible and piecing them together can cause us to 'see' false commands of God.  Jesus points out in the passage above that the whole of the scriptures must be taken into account when determining the meaning of any one verse; thus, context is crucial!

Think about the Old Testament phrase, "an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth."  Just about everyone is familiar with that phrase, and it is often used in our culture to justify vigilantes.  We can pick out verses in Ex 21:24, Lev 24:20, and Deut 19:21 that contain this phrase, so we can affirm that it is 'scriptural.'  If we further examine the context in Deut 19:15-21 however, we can see that if a man poked out another man's eye, the first man would by law loose an eye...but only AFTER two or three witnesses of the incident had presented their testimony to the priests and judges and they had determined that the witnesses were telling the truth.  Regardless of whether or not we are subject to the OT laws, this verse is so often misused because we fail to examine it in context.

In Mark 1:38 Jesus tells the disciples, "Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth."  This point- that Jesus came to teach and preach- should dictate our actions.  If we consider ourselves to be followers of Christ, and we are not reading, learning, and examining His teachings, we're fooling ourselves.  But in order to know the truth that He presents in the scriptures, we cannot pick out random verses; instead, we must read the Bible in its entirety...we must read verses in context to gain full understanding of the teaching of Jesus!

No matter our age, walk of life, etc., Christians should be a people who engulf themselves in God's word.  I hope that you see the importance of context and that you will choose to join us in reading your Bible daily today! (annual schedules, 90 day schedules)

MrsDrPoe: Reading the Bible in a Year

Another Theology Thursday is upon us!  A few weeks ago, I challenged you (and myself) to adopt a Bible book.  As I shared, my plan of attack is to read the gospels several times and then pick one to adopt.  A brief update on my own headway in this challenge: I've decided to attempt to read all four gospels once a week from October - December; then I will make my choice and read my adopted gospel once a week during 2012.  I suggested when I first presented the challenge that we couple this weekly reading with the reading of commentaries, etc. on our chosen book AND with the reading through of the Bible in a year.  Today I'd like to share with you a few example schedules for reading the Bible in an entire year, in hopes that, even if you choose not to adopt a book at this time, you'll find the task of reading all of God's word in a relatively short amount of time a bit less daunting.

The Full-Speed-Ahead Approach

This approach to reading the Bible in a year is the simplest by far:

All you do is read straight through the Bible, 3-4 chapters a day if you want to read 7 days of the week OR 4-5 chapters a day if you want to read 5 days of the week.  Only one bookmark is required.

The Little-Bit-of-Everything Approach

This approach is an extension of the Summer Bible Reading Challenge chart I borrowed from Mr. Ellis:

Using this plan, you will read a little from the Law/History, Wisdom/Prophets, and the New Testament each week.  The average number of chapters you read each day are the same as with the first approach; however, reading from different sections of the Bible may help you 1) focus more on what you're reading and 2) make more connections between different Bible books.

The Legacy-Reading Approach

This approach was actually developed by Hank Hanegraaff in order to encourage daily Bible reading:

 

The title of the program is actually an acronym for Hanegraaff's Bible reading suggestions:

Location - reading in a private, quiet place

Essence - comprehension of God's communication by reading whole books

Genre - better understanding through realization of types of literature

Author - grouping books written by the same person

Context - grouping books next to related books (Rev next to OT prophecy, etc.)

Year - reading once a year, every year, for the rest of your life

Using this plan you'll read 3 or 5 chapters per day depending on whether you're reading 7 or 5 days a week, respectively, in addition to 3 Psalms/week (you'll read this book once per year) and 1 chapter of Proverbs/day (you'll read this book 12 times per year).


Personally, I think I'll try the third approach in 2012; it looks interesting, and it's a method I haven't tried before.  Whether you use one of these schedules or not, I hope that this challenge helps inspire you to become a daily Bible reader!  

As another form of encouragement, feel free to comment about your progress and/or struggles.  I'll do the same periodically, and together we'll hold ourselves accountable.  Sound like a plan? 

MrsDrPoe: A Place to Stand

For my next Reading Review, I present "A Place to Stand: Apologetics in an Uncertain Age." This work is a compilation of the 1999 Florida College Annual Lectures:

This book is a medium-level read; some of the lectures employ terms that, although they are well defined, are a bit daunting if you're not as familiar with them. A wide range of topics are covered dealing with apologetics- miracles, faith, the resurrection of Christ, the existence of evil, the historical accuracy of the Bible, etc.

Though these lectures were all written from a believer's perspective, I think they make valid arguments against the assertions presented by modernists, post-modernists and the like. A myriad of scriptures, as well as external sources are sited in these works, directing readers who may want to examine the issues discussed more thoroughly. It is obvious that the men who contributed to this work have done their research and truly believe in the message they are preaching. I really enjoyed reading sermons in this manner, with access to both the entire sermon and the references; I felt like I could take my time and fully digest more of the material than I typically do just listening to them.

I don't really have any negative comments about the book; however, as always, I recommend reading with an open Bible. No book, article, sermon, etc. should ever be a replacement for the word of God.