A Review of the Book "Dark Age" by Pierce Brown

Title: Dark Age

Author: Pierce Brown

Publisher: Penguin Random House

Year: 2020

752 pages

From the Back: Once a saviour. Now an outlaw. Darrow wages a rogue war on Mercury, abandoned by the very Republic he founded. In his darkening shadow, a new hero rises. Lysander au Lune, heir to the old empire, has returned from exile to restore the Golds to power. There are still those, led be the embattled Sovereign, Virginia au Augustus, who would keep the dream of liberty alive. But fear dims the hopes of the Rising, and the worlds spine on and on toward a new Dark Age.

Personal Thoughts: This is the 5th book in the Red Rising series. Took me a bit to get into the story again after having read the first three books so long ago, but once I got going it was just as good as the first three books. Dark Age is about twice as long as the first three and now there is a 6th book, so I'm beginning to wonder if there will be an actual end to the overall story. However, it's still a fun story to read, as long as you enjoy dystopian science-fiction, which I do. As I'm sure I mentioned in the other reviews, I don't really enjoy the fact that Brown uses first person in every chapter even though the main character switches. It means you really need to pay attention on whom the chapter is focused. It can throw you a bit at the start of a chapter, or picking up the book again the next day. the Red Rising series is still one I recommend, especially to science-fiction readers wanting to explore a new series.

A Review of the Book "polysecure" by Jessica Fern

Title: polysecure

Author: Jessica Fern

Publisher: Thornapple Press

Year: 2020

240 pages

From the Back; Attachment theory has entered the mainstream, but most discussions focus on how we can cultivate secure monogamous relationships. What if, like many people, you're striving for secure, happy attachments with more than one partner?

    Polyamorous psychotherapist Jessica Fern breaks new ground by extending attachment theory into the realm of consensual nonmonogamy. Using her nested model of attachment and trauma, she expands our understanding of how these emotional experiences influence our relationships. Then, she sets out six specific strategies to help you more toward secure attachments in your multiple relationships.

Personal Thoughts: Whether or not you're exploring polyamorous relationships, human beings are social people and tend to have some sort of relationship with more than one person. It's likely you have more than one friend, more than one relation, and more than one co-worker. Understanding what it means to be in a healthy relationship with another human being is important for the progress of society. polysecure was a fairly easy read and gave some very good insight as to how to exist in harmony with yourself and with others.

A Review of the Book "Indigenous Theology and the Western Worldview" by Randy S Woodley

Title: Indigenous Theology and the Western Worldview

Author: Randy S Woodley

Publisher: Baker Academic

Year: 2022

134 pages

From the Back: Cherokee teacher, missiologist, and historian Randy Woodley encourages us to reject the many problematic aspects of the Western worldview and the convert to a worldview that is closer to that of both Indigenous traditions and Jesus.

Personal Thoughts: This book was assigned reading for a class that I am taking. I was really quite good. Woodley is a process theologian. Process Theology is a concept of God that is rooted in the nature around us. It also states that God is both eternal and temporal, immutable and mutable, and impassible and passible.

    Using a storytelling method of discussing God, Woodley explains how Indigenous people view God and God's relationship to the world. Unlike most theology books, this one was quite easy to read and understand, and you can definitely feel his passion about the connection between God and nature.

    As we work towards learning more about Indigenous people and reconciliation, reading about their worldview is an excellent first step. Woodley's book is an easy entrance into that work.

A Review of the Book "In the Courts of the Lord" by James Ferry

Title: In the Courts of the Lord

Author: James Ferry

Publisher: Key Porter Books Limited

Year: 1993

231 pages

From the Back: In February 1992, the New York Times reported: "Before an ecclesiastical tribunal knows as Bishop's Court, an archaic forum used by Anglicans to hunt down heretics and other miscreants since the time of King Henry VIII, lawyers for the Bishop of Toronto began the trial of the Rev. Jim Ferry."

    This extraordinary court, the first of its kind in over forty years, found James Ferry guilty of willful disobedience and disrespectful conduct toward his bishop. But the real issue the Court faced was that James Ferry was in a loving homosexual relationship while ministering to the spiritual needs of his Unionville, ON parishioners. James Ferry lost his parish, his livelihood, his privacy, and the man he loved, but he remains a priest, and an articulate advocate for gays and lesbians who yearn for full inclusion in the Anglican Church.

    In the Courts of the Lord chronicles the anguished process by which, after the failure of his marriage to an evangelical Christian woman and several loving but fragile relationships with men, Ferry came to terms with his sexual orientation. Ferry describes the history of his devotion to the Anglican Church, his successful work in one of the more difficult parishes in Toronto, and his election to the Unionville parish where his clerical career was abruptly halted. His account of how a homophobic member of his congregation encountered his partner while snooping around the rectory, and then agitated for James Ferry's removal, is both vivid and shocking.

    With pain, compassion, and deep insight, Ferry explains the moral dilemma in which the Church now finds itself, on the one hand committed to accepting gay people within the Church and society, on the other hand requiring that they refrain from entering into loving relationships.

Personal Thoughts: This book was very powerful and a reminder that the past is not really that long ago. As a transman going through the ordination process, I had to tread carefully and fully expected to be booted from the process by my bishop. Luckily I wasn't and I continue to be lucky with finding supportive people around me. However, I can probably guess why I didn't get certain positions within the church, especially considering how public I am on social media and in the news.

    In the Courts of the Lord is a perfect book for anyone who questions why we still need to talk about the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and their place in the church as well as the pain the church has caused.

A Review of the Book "Animal Farm" by George Orwell

Title: Animal Farm

Author: George Orwell

Publisher: Secker & Warburg

Year: 1945

96 pages

From the Back: Revolution is in the air at Manor Farm after old Major, a prize boar, tells the other animals about his dream of freedom and teaches them to sing "Beasts of England". Mr Jones, the drunken farmer, is deposed and a committee of pigs takes over the running of the farm. The animals are taught to read and write, but the dream turns sour, the purges begin, and those in charge come more and more to resemble their oppressors.

    Orwell's allegory of the Soviet revolution remains as lucid and compelling as ever. In beautifully clear prose, he gives us a vivid gallery of characters and a fable that conveys the truth about how we are manipulated through language and the impossibility of finding heaven on earth.

Personal Thoughts: Animal Farm is one of those books that I probably should have read in high school but never did. It was recommended to me by my partner as a "must read". She said that the story relates perfectly to what's going on in the world today. And boy they weren't kidding! Absolute power corrupts absolutely. That is the crux of this story. The animals wish for a better life, one where everyone is equal. On the surface, it seems like the perfect plan. But it doesn't take long for one group of animals to get the taste of being in control and taking power from the others. Keeping those below them uneducated, not keeping government transparent, using threat of danger as a motivation tactic...sound familiar?

    Animal Farm is a good read but beware, the subject matter hits home. I highly recommend it, as well as Orwell's 1984.

A Review of the Book "Life of the Beloved" by Henri JM Nouwen

Title: Life of the Beloved

Author: Henri JM Nouwen

Publisher: Crossroad Publishing Company

Year: 1992

149 pages

From the Back: This spiritual classic began as a simple request from one friend to another. Fred Bratman, a secular journalist and writer, asked friend and renowned author Henri Nouwen to write a book explaining the spiritual life in terms that he and his friends could understand, avoiding theology and technical language. Nouwen's answer has become one of the most cherished books of our era.

Personal Thoughts: I don't think I've read anything by Henri Nouwen that I haven't liked. Life of the Beloved is no exception. Coming recommended to me by a friend and colleague, I enjoyed the conversational style writing of the book. It made for easy reading. The challenge made by Nouwen's friend, to talk about spirituality without talking about theology was quite interesting. As it was pointed out to me, the book it laid out almost perfectly for a 6-week book study, so I may end up doing just that one day.

A Review of the Book "The Eye of the World" by Robert Jordan

Title: The Eye of the World

Author: Robert Jordan

Publisher: To Doherty Associates

Year: 1990

782 pages

From the Back: The Wheel of Time turns and Ages come and go leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth returns again. In the Third Age, an Age of Prophecy, the World and Time themselves hang in the balance. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the Shadow.

Personal Thoughts: I will be honest. It's not often I reread books but I decided to challenge myself to read through the Wheel of Time series. The Eye of the World was my first foray out of the science fiction genre many years ago. I had only read the first 3 books of the series and then got defeated by the sheer massiveness of the books. Now that I've gotten used to reading longer novels, I'm hoping I will slowly make my way through the series. The story is quite incredible and I love Jordan's writing, but it will definitely take me a long while to read all of the books. Especially as I will still be reading other books along the way. Here we go!

A Review of the Book "Man's Search for Meaning" by Viktor E Frankl

Title: Man's Search for Meaning

Author: Viktor E Frankl

Publisher: Beacon Press

Year: 1959

165 pages

From the Back: Psychiatrist Viktor E Frankl's memoir has riveted generations of readers with its descriptions of life in Nazi death camps and its lessons for spiritual survival. Based on his own experience and the stories of his patients, Frankl argues that we cannot avoid suffering but we can choose how to cope with it, find meaning in it, and move forward. At the heart of his theory, known as logotherapy, is a conviction that the primary human drive is not pleasure but the pursuit of what we find meaningful. Man's Search for Meaning has become one of the most influential books in America; it continues to inspire us all to find significance in the very act of living.

Personal Thoughts: I won't say this was an easy book to read, because it certainly wasn't. It's also not one I likely would have picked up, except that it was on my course reading list. However, I don't regret making way through these pages. I have read plenty of books from the WWII era over the last few years, most of them historical fiction, but to read about the events from the perspective of a psychiatrist was quite different. The fact that Frankl could find meaning in the events of his life, and of his time in the death camps, is simply incredible. It was also interesting to read about his theory of logotherapy. We often hear the phrase "the pursuit of happiness" but I agree with Frankl when he theorizes that it is more important to have the "pursuit of meaning". A life without meaning will never have happiness.

A Review of the Book "Pageboy" by Elliot Page

Title: Pageboy

Author: Elliot Page

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Year: 2023

265 pages

From the Back: The Oscar-nominated star who captivated the world with his performance in Juno finally shares his story in this groundbreaking and inspiring memoir about love, family, fame - and stepping into who we truly are with strength, joy, and connection. Full of intimate stories, from chasing down secret love affairs to battling body image and struggling with familial strife, Pageboy is a love letter to the power of being seen. With this evocative and lyrical memoir, Elliot Page captures the universal human experience of searching for ourselves and our place in this complicated world.

Personal Thoughts: We often forget that Hollywood stars are just regular humans who happen to have a different skill set than you or me. Reading about the struggles that Elliott has gone through in just trying to exist really hit home. Page's book is raw and ho-holds-barred, bringing us into the deep recesses of his life that he has kept hidden for years. You can tell that he left nothing behind while writing this memoir, and it feels like it must have been truly therapeutic. I am glad that he acknowledges his privilege in having access to his medical transition so quickly as that is one of the major hurdles that the transgender community must go through.

A Review of the Book "Jesus and Easter" by Willi Marxsen

Title: Jesus and Easter

Author: Willi Marxsen

Publisher: Abingdon Press

Year: 1990

92 pages

From the Back: In this volume, prepared specifically with American readers in mind, Professor Marxsen takes up several matters or foundational importance for Christian faith. This distinguished New Testament scholar comments on the nature and significance of the church's confession of Jesus as the Christ, and then offers a compelling account of how the earliest Christians came to believe that God had raised up Jesus from the dead. Insights gained from years of careful research and reflection on these topics are not only drawn together here, but are in various ways extended and deepened. the result is a marvelously lucid discussion of profoundly important themes.

Personal Thoughts: I'm not sure what to say about this book. Because I had to keep backtracking and rereading, I think I may have read the entire thing twice through! Even so, I'm not sure I grasped the point the author was trying to make. It felt like Marxsen was trying to disprove the resurrection of Jesus, but as he labels himself an expert in the New Testament, I'm wondering if I misunderstood his thesis. Many scholars have studied the historical Jesus and I think Marxsen was trying to show the reader that the resurrection was an event that could not be proved, and that the entire New Testament was formed on the assumption of and faith in the resurrection. The subtitle for the book is "Did God raise the historical Jesus from the dead?" I suppose my question back would be "why does it matter"? Faith is faith for a reason. It's all a mystery and we only have the words found in the bible to rely on to understand the life and times of Jesus Christ. Was Marxsen trying to give us words that would help us defend out faith?

Has anyone else read this book? Have I missed the point of it? Because truly, I got to the end of the book and simply shook my head wondering what I had just read.

A Review of the Book "Night Shift" by Stephen King

Title: Night Shift

Author: Stephen King

Publisher: Random House Inc

Year: 1976

505 pages

From the Back: Stephen King's first collection of stories is an early showcase of the depths that King's wicked imagination could plumb. In these 20 tales, we see mutated rats gone bad, a cataclysmic virus tat threatens humanity, a smoker who will try anything to stop, a reclusive alcoholic who begins a gruesome transformation, and many more. This is Stephen King's at his horrifying best.

Personal Thoughts: I switched from King's giant tomes to this collection of short stories to get a break from his narrative-heavy stories. I find reading short stories easier on the brain sometimes, giving me the ability to read a little faster. I will say though that these short writings of King's are just as scary, strange, weird, and nerve-wracking as his longer books! The whole collection was quite entertaining and a few of the stories even left me wanting more, wishing King hadn't stopped when he did! I suppose that's just the sign of a good story-teller.

A Review of the Book "The Doctor and the Apostle" by Jeffrey A Nelson

Title: The Doctor and the Apostle

Author: Jeffrey A Nelson

Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers

Year: 2020

124 pages

From the Back: What could a first-century church planter and tentmaker who helped forge the earliest years of a new religious movement possible have in common with a British time traveling alien who first appeared in the 1960s to teach children about history?

    Doctor Who has been a beloved science fiction franchise for over fifty years. Paul's letters have been around for quite a while longer, with the earliest ones that he wrote dated less than a generation after the life of Jesus. Both have inspired and instructed people on how to live and have stoked the imagination for what individual and communal life can be in their own way. And both were or are deeply flawed, sometimes struggling against their own tendencies or those of others in order to help bring about something greater for their respective worlds.

    The Doctor and the Apostle explores the similarities and differences between Doctor Who's title character and Paul of Tarsus, comparing and contrasting the stories of each. Whether a fan of one or the other or both, the reader will gain a greater understanding of the possibilities of a life of faith, as well as a deeper appreciation of how pop culture and Scripture may help inform one another.

Personal Thoughts: Pop culture plays an important part in our lives, and often it is used to teach us lessons that perhaps we wouldn't have learned any other way. It wouldn't take much thought to call up in our memories television episodes, movies, or songs that carried a heavy or important message, or both. Using pop culture to study scripture seems to help makes sense of things.

    I'm a big fan of the original showing of Doctor Who, although I have yet to watch the reboot of it. I have read many articles, however, about the powerful lessons found within the episodes. This small book does an excellent job of comparing and contrasting The Doctor and Paul with brief descriptions of episodes and little snippets of scripture. Which means you don't have to have ever watched the show to understand the lessons that Jeffrey Nelson is teaching us. It was an easy read and I highly recommend it. It's made me ponder whether or not I could write something similar using Star Trek, especially Deep Space Nine.

A Review of the Book "Daring to Share" by Sandra Beardsall, Mitzi Budde, and William McDonald

Title: Daring to Share

Author: Sandra Beardsall, Mitzi Budde, and William McDonald

Publisher: Pickwick Publications

Year:2018

170 pages

From the Back: Multi-denominational congregations offer rich soil for new interpretations of what it means to be a church. These parishes have chosen to covenant together for worship, service, ministry, mission, and nurturing of faith across two or more denominational traditions. Daring to Share tells their stories, investigates their practices, and proposes a fresh vision of church for the 21st century. This book equips ordained and lay leaders for the formation and flourishing of such ministries. It describes five models of partnership, analyzes the parish life cycle, interprets how worship works, addresses constitutional and governance issues, and reflects theologically on the intersection of diversity and unity.

    What can we learn from these congregations? Studying their particular witness, struggles, and promise for the future fills a gap in both congregational studies and contemporary ecclesiology. Multi-denominational parishes are more than a convenient way to revitalize congregational ministry. They present new opportunities and approaches for sharing the gospel. Ecumenical convergence meets demographic realities to suggest a mission strategy that will transform local practice and, perhaps, the church itself. By daring to share, these churches challenge a fractured world.

Personal Thoughts: With the decline in both membership and clergy, shared ministries may be the future of the church. It feels like this is such a new idea, but it turns out, according to this book, it's actually an old idea! What was specifically interesting was the work put in for ecumenical shared ministries. While we are truly one church under God, our doctrines and theologies keep us apart quite often. To be able to work through those differences to create strong and vibrant parishes is absolutely incredible.

    If your parish is beginning to consider shared ministry, whether it be inter- or extra-denominational, I truly recommend that you pick up this book and give it a read. There are some amazing ideas on how to work together without anyone feeling like they got bulldozed. I think my understanding and my work within the shared ministry in which I began my priesthood would have been much different if I had had knowledge of Daring to Share. 

A Review of the Book "Bad Girls of the Bible:

Title: Bad Girls of the Bible

Author: Liz Curtis Higgs

Publisher: Waterbrook Press

Year: 1999

238 pages

From the Back: "For ten years I studied bunches of biblical role models and finally realized what we had in common: zip. Sarah was so faithful. Esther was so courageous. Mary was so innocent. I was so none-of-the-above.

    Then I happened upon Jezebel, and something inside me clicked. I identified with her pushy personality, I understood her need for control, I empathized with her angry outbursts, and I began to wonder. Could those Bad Girls from the past teach us how to be Good girls in the present? I'm here to tell you  - yes! Whether they were "bad to the bone", "bad for a moment", or " bad for a season but not forever", these infamous sisters show us how not to handle the challenges of life." ~Liz Curtis Higgs

Personal Thoughts: Bad Girls of the Bible was an interesting way to explore some of the characters we don't often focus on during bible study. Higgs creatively turns a biblical narrative into a fictional story so as to give the readers a different perspective of the story. For example, Delilah becomes a hairdresser named Lila from Dallas. Higgs follows the story up with an almost line by line review and commentary using humour that brings new light to these characters. Each chapter ends with some life-lessons and some follow-up questions for the reader to ponder.

    Overall, it was a fun book to read. The fictional stories were fun new ways of reading familiar narratives, and the author is quite humourous in her writing. If you're looking for someone willing to examen some of the seedier characters in the bible, especially the women who often don't get a first look let alone a second one, this is the book for you.

A Review of the Book "Helter Skelter" by Vincent Bugliosi

Title: Helter Skelter

Author: Vincent Bugliosi

Publisher: WW Norton and Company

Year: 1974

670 pages

From the Back: In the summer of 1969, in Los Angeles, a series of brutal, seemingly random murders captured headlines across America. A famous actress (and her unborn child), an heiress to a coffee fortune, a supermarket owner and his wife were among the seven victims. A thin trail of circumstances eventually tied the Tate-LaBlanca murders to Charles Manson, a would-be pop singer of small talent living in the desert with his "family" of devoted young women and men. What was his hold over them? And what was the motivation behind such savagery? In the public imagination, over time, the case assumed the proportions of myth. The murders marked the end of the sixties and became an immediate symbol of the dark underside of that era.

    Vincent Bugliosi was the persecuting attorney in the Manson trial, and this book is his enthralling account of how he built his case from what a defense attorney dismissed as only "two fingerprints and Vince Bugliosi." The meticulous detective work with which the story begins, the prosecutor's view of a complex murder trial, the reconstruction of the philosophy Manson inculcated in his fervent followers...these elements make for a true crime classic.

Personal Thoughts: As I read through this book, I had to keep reminding myself that it was true crime, not a fiction novel. This could have been a really dry read but Bugliosi was able to tell the story without drowning the reader in facts and timelines. He wrote it almost like a detective novel which actually made it an enjoyable read, until you remembered the subject matter. Helter Skelter and the story of Charles Manson is not for the faint of heart, but it certainly wasn't boring.

A Review of the Book "The Next Person You Meet in Heaven" by Mitch Albom

Title: The Next Person You Meet in Heaven

Author: Mitch Albom

Publisher; HarperCollins Publishers

Year: 2018

210 pages

From the Back: The accident that killed Eddie left an indelible mark on Annie. It took her left hand, which needed to be surgically reattached. Injured, scarred, and unable to remember what happened, Annie is forever changed by a guilt-ravaged mother who whisks her away from the world she knew.

    Bullied by her peers and haunted by something she cannot recall, Annie struggles to find acceptance as she grows. She feels everything she does is a mistake. When, as a young woman, she reconnects with Paulo, her childhood love, she believes she has finally found happiness.

    But, as the novel opens, Annie is marrying Paulo, and her wedding night ends in an unimaginable tragedy. Annie is whisked into her own heavenly journey - and into an inevitable reunion with Eddie, one of five people who will show her how her earthly life touched others in ways she could not have fathomed.

Personal Thoughts: I really love Mitch Albom's writing. His stories are very easy to read and are so relatable. In this particular book, Albom uses Annie's story to help the reader consider what it might be like to exist in the moment between life and death. How do you think it will feel? Who do you think you would meet? Albom is very gentle in his writing, pulling at your heart-strings with every word. The Next Person You Meet in Heaven is the sequel to The Five People You Meet in Heaven. You don't need to read them in any order, but I do recommend them both.

A Review of the Book "Fatty Legs" by Christy Jordan-Fenton & Margaret-Olemaun Pokiak-Fenton

Title: Fatty Legs

Author: Christy Jordan-Fenton & Margaret-Olemaun Pokiak-Fenton

Publisher: Annick Press

Year: 2020

136 Pages

From the Back: Eight-year-old Olemaun Pokiak sets her sights on learning to read, but even her father's dire warnings can't prepare her for the reality of residential school. At school Olemaun is made to answer to the name Margaret. She soon encounters the Raven, a cruel nun who forces her to wear bright red stockings when all the other students wear gray ones. Margaret becomes an instant laughingstock. But she will not let herself be worn down - even in the face of torment.

Personal Thoughts: As with any book about residential schools, this was an emotional story. You can feel the tension between the child's desire to learn to read and her father's need to protect her from an education system that was built to destroy Indigenous people. Jordan-Fenton does an incredible job of sharing her mother-in-law's story, giving it honour while also making the read feel the emotions being experienced by Olemaun. Yes, this is a children's book but sometimes it is from children's stories that we learn the biggest lessons.

A Review of the Book "Persistence is Futile" by S. V. Moroz

Title: Persistence is Futile

Author: S. V. Moroz

Publisher: Self-published

Year; 2017

108 pages

From the Back: In this minimalist self-help guide, personal coach and counsellor Moroz warns about the dangers of persistence and the importance of taking pause, breaks, and quitting.

Personal Thoughts: Two things got me to read this book. The title reminded me of the Borg from Star Trek - "resistance is futile" - and the subtitle "how taking a break can move you forward" captured my attention. I have to admit, though, that I am not a fan of the content. The main principle is that sometimes it's ok to quit what you're doing rather than forcing yourself to persist. In principle, I can see where the author was trying to go. Staring at a blank screen waiting for inspiration gets you no where. Forcing yourself to work extended days to finish a project can lead to poor workmanship and exhaustion. But encouraging someone to quit their job because they don't like it doesn't sit well with me.

    I was intrigued by the Pomodoro Technique of taking regular breaks in order to increase productivity, as well as the author's insistence that we should be sure to know that we are persisting for the right reasons. Points such as these were useful.

    However, overall, I wouldn't recommend spending time reading this book. For me, it didn't feel worth my time.

A Review of the Book "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" by Barbara Robinson

Title: The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

Author: Barbara Robinson

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Year: 1972

108 pages

From the Back: The Herdmans are the worst kids in the history of the world. They lie, steal, smoke cigars, swear, and hit little kids. So no one is prepared when this outlaw family invades church one Sunday and decides to take over the annual Christmas pageant.

    None of the Herdmans has ever heard the Christmas story before. Their interpretation of the tale - the Wise Men are a bunch of dirty spies and Herod needs a good beating - has a lot of people up in arms. But it will make this year's pageant the most unusual anyone has seen and, just possibly, the best one ever.

Personal Thoughts: I'm not ashamed to say that sometimes I read children and teen books. There are times when nice, easy reads are required to allow the brain to rest a little. Even better are the books that end up with an amazing lesson within the pages. This little book is about more than just a Christmas pageant. It's about not judging other people, about caring for our neighbours, and about realizing that not everyone has heard the good news of Jesus Christ. In a multicultural and ecumenical world, we ca no longer assume that the majority of the people around us are Christian. Also, if you are going to talk about your faith, you can no longer assume the person in front of you has read a bible. This cute story is a lesson in humilty, and an understanding that if you're going to talk to someone about Jesus, you just might need to start from the beginning. And bring refreshments!

A Review of the Book "The Fire Sermon" by Francesca Haig

Title: The Fire Sermon

Author: Francesca Haig

Publisher: Gallery Books

Year: 2015

370 pages

From the Back: Four hundred years after a nuclear apocalypse, the Alphas have inherited the earth - or what's left of it. All humans are born in pairs, the deformed Omegas getting split from their flawless twins and exiled to bleak farming villages while the Alphas exploit and oppress them almost unto death. But despite their claims of superiority, the Alphas cannot escape one harsh fact: whenever one twin dies, so does the other.

    Cass is a rare Omega whose mutation is psychic foresight - not that she needs it to know that as her powerful twin, Zach, ascends the ranks of the ruling Alpha Council, she's in grave danger. Zach has a devastating plan for Omega annihilation. Cass has visions of an island where a bloody Omega resistance promises a life of freedom. But her real dream is to discover a middle way, one that would bring together the sundered halves of humanity. And that means both the Council and the resistance have her in their sights.

Personal Thoughts: This was a very entertaining book! The story was engaging, the characters enthralling, and you couldn't help but compare events to what's happening in our society. As with most dystopian science-fiction, the story doesn't fall far from reality. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the trilogy.