Book Review : The Long Awakening

Every now and then I am completely surprised by a book. I know what I like, I try to stick with books that I know will inspire and encourage me. Over the years I have found I prefer fiction to non-fiction, even though I do enjoy an occasional non-fiction book.

I was intrigued by my recent read, The Long Awakening. This is a story about Lindsey O’Connor. The description seemed interesting, but wow! I was pulled in to Lindsey’s true story of spending 47 days in a coma and many more recovering. I had no idea of the recovery - not only physically but emotional and spiritually.

A few years ago I read Running for My Life - that books changed my perspective for ever. This is another of those books. It will forever impact how I “see” others.

Lindsey wrote this book in a narrative non-fiction manner. It reads like a story, but it is real. She writes what she remembers and not just from her perspective - but also her husband’s and daughters at different times in the story. Her story will challenge what you think about a DNR. It will make you think about God and your relationship with him, as well as what you think about afterlife.

To say this book spoke to me is a to put it lightly, this book slammed into my head and still is bouncing around up there. It was so well written that I wanted to keep reading and reading. I still think about Lindsey and wonder how she is doing today - for real, not just from appearances. Her story is raw and real and will leave you wanting more.

March is Brain injury awareness month. I had no idea that there were so many levels of brain injury from mild to severe - many of which you would never recognize. The recovery from such injuries involves the entire family in ways you would never expect.  This experience rocked Lindsey’s world, and I think her story will rock yours. I highly recommend this book, and I plan to share this with my oldest boy and the next oldest too. It was that good!!

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Here is an interview (2 parts) with Lindsey to get a bit of her story first hand.

 

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NOTE : I received a copy of The Long Awakening in exchange for an honest review, by Revell.

Book Review : The Devil Walks in Mattingly

Sometimes I read a title and decide that I want to read and review it.  Other times I will allow the cover to help me decide about a book.  And every now and then I get a book to review that I was not expecting.  March seems to be the month of surprises.

The Devil Walks in Mattingly was a surprise.  I thought the story would be interesting; three characters dealing with guilt from an event that happened years ago.  I did not expect the story I experienced though.  There is romance (not the normal romance, something much sweeter), drama, youth issues, murder, and more thrills – I promise this story has it all and it is good!

Normally I want to cut to the chase.  I want to be in the turning drama, wondering about the suspense and enjoying the thrills.  The pace of The Devil Walks in Mattingly was slower than I am used to.  At first, I was not so sure about it, but I quickly fell into the slower pace and really enjoyed it.  The slower pace allowed for a much greater depth of characters.  Instead of just knowing a certain level of what made them tick, you really go to know the real person.

Book Review : The A-Z of C.S. Lewis

Colin Duriez has compiled an amazing resource!!  If you love C. S. Lewis you will want this book in your home library.

We are huge fans of Mr. Lewis.  We have listened to the Chronicles of Narnia while traveling to Maine or Oregon too many times to count.  I completely expect my boys to read some of his other books as they get a bit more mature in their faith, and a bit older too.
This book, The A-Z of C. S. Lewis is a treasure!!
I enjoyed just flipping through and reading.  Have you ever realized how things are connected far more than you realize?  Or wondered why someone used a character’s name in a  book?  Well, this book can answer many of those questions and connect many points too.
I loved reading through the descriptions of characters from our beloved books, it was like a quick trip back into the book!
I also would love for my children to get to know this man and his books more than they already do, so I look forward to sharing this book with them!
This is a fun book to flip through or also a perfect book to just read through; it would make a great  resource as students read other books and want to see connections beyond those books.
I love this book, just another way to go deeper into the mind of C.S. Lewis!

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A Complete Guide to His Life, Thoughts and Writings
Published to coincide with the 50th anniversary of C. S. Lewis's death, this complete guide covers all of Lewis' works, from his literary criticism to Narnia.
C. S. Lewis's work is widely known and regarded, but enthusiasts are often only aware of one part of his work-his children's stories and his popular theology; and yet he wrote so much more, including science fiction and literary criticism. This volume brings together all aspects of C S Lewis's life and thought. Arranged in alphabetical order, it begins with The Abolition of Man-written in 1943 and described as "almost my favorite"-to Wormwood, a character in The Screwtape Letters. This book will delight anyone who is interested in C. S. Lewis and wants to learn more about him, his thought, his works, and his life.
Purchase a copy: http://ow.ly/tzmgH

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About the Author:
 Colin Duriez was for many years a commissioning editor at Inter-Varsity Press UK. He has subsequently appeared as a commentator on DVDs of Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings, and BBC television's The Worlds of Fantasy. He is also the author of The Inklings Handbook (with the late David Porter), J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis: The Story of Their Friendship, and Tolkien and The Lord of the Rings, and has contributed to definitive reference works relating to Tolkien such as The Tolkien Encyclopedia (Routledge).

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I received a copy of The A-Z of C. S. Lewis by Litfuse, in exchange for an honest review.