Book Talk

I told you that I was going to finish the list of top 10 reasons to visit our store this fall in my next post, but I actually have 11. #11 We are in the middle of a 4 day sale which ends on Saturday Oct 2. There are some marvelous books on sale for electrifying prices. Hea ven by Randy Alco rn is only $8.99. We have sold hundreds of this book, ever since a 17 year old who worked on staff years ago told me that it was the best book he had ever read. And it's thick! 66 L o ve Let ters by Dr. Larry Crab b is $9 .99. Use it as a companion to your daily Scri ptur e reading. The book is described as a conversation with God that invites you into His st ory. Have a New Husband by Friday & Have a New Kid by Friday $9.99 each . Author Dr. Ke v i n Leman is a pretty funny guy. He says that you don't actually have to wait un til Friday. Y o u can probably have a new one by Wednesday. I'm pretty happy with the husband and kids that I have, but judging by the wa

to come and see us this Fall: #1 Serving you is what matters most. It is our privilege to serve you. Your experience in our store matters personally to us. You are the centerpiece of the work we have been given and we truly hope we can provi de s omething of value to you. We will always do our v ery best to find what you need! ( "Reasons" taken from the current flyer and written by Margo Smith. ) #2 The Re al Thing! Do you love the touch and feel of a real book as much as we do? Do yo u want them to live on? Online shopping is here to stay and e -books have their appeal but independent, local bookstores with real people selling real books can be part of the future too. #3 We are Christians. We don't sell Christian because it's hot. We sell Christian even when it' s not. We focus on being Christian in everything we do. We would like to think that together we are playing a part in w hat God is doing in our community. #4 Independent, local bus

Cool + Christ = Hipster Faith is the feature article in the current issue of the magazine Christianity Today . Having 3 kids in the relevant generation, I found the article absorbing .Dozens of traditional Christian icons are repudiated by this new wave of Jesus followers. End-time hysteria, Adventures in Odyssey, the Ten Commandments in courtrooms and tract distribution are among the new pariahs. Passionate concern for social justice, organic meals, c hurch liturgy and outings to microbreweries are the new normals. (To learn more about this phenomenon? movement? fad? wave? read Brett McCracken's Hipster Christianity ). Shock jock Mark Driscoll, described in the article as "the polarizing Howard Stern of neo-Calvinist Christianity" is in with this gang. Matthew, a former staff member at the store, just graduated from Regent College in Vancouver. In his mid-20s, well-educated, thoughtful, he was a perfect choice for a review of Mark Driscoll's latest book, Do

I have a tendency to gush when I'm excited about something so brace yourself. Every morning before we open the store, we take 5 minutes to read a little bit of the Bible or another book and pray. I love that part of the day because it gives us a chance to take a breath, share prayer requests, and prepare ourselves for what we hope will be a busy day. When it is my turn to read, I often just randomly pull a book off of the shelf. My litmus test of excellence is that I can open it anywhere and find a piece of gold. I am VERY happy to tell you about a new book that just came in a few days ago. The title is The One Year Book of Encouragement and although we have just read a couple of days worth of devotionals, I am a fan. The sub-title is: 365 Days of Inspiration and Wisdom for Your Spiritual Journey and there are contributions from dozens of my favourite authors: Amy Carmichael, Nancy Guthrie, Joni Eareckson Tada, Jill Briscoe, A.W. Tozer, C.S. Lewis, George MacDonald, J.I.

In a previous post I mentioned that it leaves me cold - light romantic fiction for women that is. Now, some followers of this blog may look at the following review and wonder, but truly, this series by Neta Jackson is unusual and outstanding. Book One in the Yada Yada House of Hope novels is entitled Where Do I Go? The titles of the 4 books in the series are taken from the song :"I Go to the Rock" by Dottie Rambo. Set in Chicago, we follow the life and times of Gabby. The fun-loving, impetuous, red-headed mother of two is about to follow her instincts once too often. When s he brings a filthy street person home to their penthouse apartment, her husband is not pleased, but he completely loses it when Gabby invites her mother + dog to stay with them. Gabby, her mother, the dog AND her two sons end up at Manna House, a shelter for homeless women. We will get to know Gabby, her sons and many other memorable characters very well in the following two books (4th and last du

This is a gr eat fall for new books. Some have already arrived, and some are still on the way. I can't resist letting you know about what I am seeing on the New Arrivals Shelf . The Skin Map by Stephen Lawhead - Already half way through and enjoying it thoroughl y. I always have a secret wish that his fantasies were actually based on fact... Oh ho! After reading the essay by Lawhead himself at the very end of this first in the series, maybe they are! Choosin g to See by Mary Beth Chapman - A reader tells me that this one is a "pillow soaker ". Just looking through the pictures in the center is enough to start me off. The Devil in Pew Number Seven by Rebecca Nichols Alonzo. When I first saw the title and the cover, I tho ught this was a novel. I wish it was, but unfortunately, this a true account of ministry and murder and forgiveness. A Place of Healing: Wrestling with the Mysteries of Suffering, Pain and God's Sovereignty by Jo