Leah E. Good

July 18, 2014

Book Review and Giveaway: Whispers in the Wind

Remember I mentioned that we hit 200 followers while I was away? Well, I figured the best way to celebrate would be with some giveaways. It’s been a while since we’ve had any of those. If any of you have ideas for how to add to the fun, shout them out. Rules (almost) the same as always. You can enter by leaving a comment expressing why you follow and (hopefully) like Leah’s Bookshelf. Regrettably, the book can only be shipped within the continental United States due to the cost of shipping. This time around you can earn extra entries by tweeting about the giveaway or sharing on Facebook. Let’s let everyone know we’re celebrating! Just send me the link to your tweet or share, and I’ll give you an extra entry.

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Whispers in the Wind is the third book in the Orphan Train Trilogy. All of the books work as stand alones, and this one is my favorite, so I didn’t think offering you the last book would be a problem.

“He said Captain J. D. Slatter had come to him about the funeral for your family, and wanted to let you know that your parents and Diane and Ronnie will be buried at eleven o’clock Friday morning at the 116th Street Cemetery. A minister has been engaged by the coroner to preside over the burial…”

Dane Weston’s biggest dream is to become a doctor. It’s a big goal for the son of working class parents, but Dane’s family supports him. His dreams are dashed and his heart broken when his parents and younger siblings are murdered at the hands of a teenage gang. With no way to support himself, Dane must leave his books behind and learn to fend for himself on the streets of New York City. He becomes both student and protector of the younger children on the streets, but Dane’s tragedies are not yet over.

Several years ago, I read through every Orphan Train story I could get my hands on. I read this trilogy, The Orphans’ Journey by Arleta Richardson, and Orphan Train Adventures by Joan Lowery Nixon. Dane was one of my favorite characters. He’s got that noble personality that makes people likable and respected both in and out of fiction.

Don’t forget to enter the giveaway by leaving a comment! The giveaway ends July 23rd and results will be announced soon after.

July 11, 2014June 26, 2014

Guest Book Review: Pilgrim’s Progress

A few weeks ago when I mentioned my mom’s upcoming surgery and suggested that some guest book reviews would be nice, Spencer R. kindly submitted several for use here on Leah’s Bookshelf. Because this review has been posted previously on his blog, I’m just going to post a teaser here and give you the link to his posts. (The reason for this is that Google assumes identical content on two websites indicates plagiarism, and both sites are less likely to get a good rank in a Goggle search.) Enjoy Spencer’s review and be sure to leave a comment for him here or on his site.

I recently read John Bunyan’s classic allegory The Pilgrim’s Progress as part of my ‘Great Books’ curriculum for school. Bunyan wrote it while he was imprisoned for not conforming to the state church’s practices in the early 1670’s. It was one of the first times I had read a book that was from that time period so the old English was somewhat of a stretch for me, but I was still able to appreciate his message in the book. One of my favorite parts of the book was the way Bunyan represents death.

How many of you have read Pilgrim’s Progress? What was your favorite part of the story? Have you read any of Bunyan’s other works?

July 7, 2014July 16, 2014

Guest Book Review: A Walk Across America

One more book review from Spencer R. before I try to get my head back in the game. Because it has been posted previously on his blog, I’m just going to post a teaser here and give you the link to his posts. (Google assumes identical content on two websites indicates plagiarism, and both sites are less likely to get a good rank in a Goggle search.) Enjoy Spencer’s review and be sure to leave a comment for him here or on his site.

On October 15, 1973 [Peter Jenkins] and his dog set out, destined for Louisiana. It took them over a year and a half to travel the whole way on foot. Along the way, Peter realized that not all towns in America where just like Greenwich. Peter met a mountain man who still lived in a log cabin on the top of a Virginia mountain. He nearly died of influenza on the Appalachian Trail, was nicknamed Albino by a loving black family, worked in a North Carolina sawmill, as well as many more adventures.

Visit A Walk Across America to read more.

July 4, 2014June 5, 2020

Witnessing on the 4th

Happy Independence Day, everyone! In place of our normal Friday book review, I wanted to share this video with you. Grace Mally is a young lady with a real heart for evangelism. Through her encouragement, my brother, friends, and I have been challenged to stretch ourselves by handing out the Price of Liberty tracts before fireworks the past few years. It’s definitely a little scary, but often favorite memories are made when we step outside our comfort zones. I encourage you to give it a try!

Our normal Friday book review will be posted on Monday. If you can’t wait till then for a book review, check out this review of Grace Mally’s book.

Are we as Christians truly being the bright lights, the strong voices of truth, that we should be? The solution for this world’s confusion is not to fix all the surface problems, however devastating and shocking they may be. Neither is the answer found in political or social improvements. The answer is for individual people to be brought to Jesus Christ and discipled. This means that individual Christians–each of us–need to be faithfully sharing the gospel, teaching others what God has taught us, and encouraging our friends to do the same.

Visit Book Review: Will Our Generation Speak to read more.

June 27, 2014August 5, 2014

Book Review: Prophet

“It’s snowing ashes,” Ela repeated. “I’m going up to the wall to look for the fire.”

What happens when the responsibilities and struggles of a prophet of the Lord are transplanted into fantasy? This book is built around that very premise. Seventeen year old Ela knows that a silver-haired prophet has failed. The Infinite even told her she would die young if she agreed to be His prophet. Yet once she heard His voice, she knew she could never live without it, and so she agreed. Her “yes” launches her into a life of knowing the future. She spends her days pleading with hardened people to change their ways and trust the Infinite before it’s too late. For all her foresight, Ela doesn’t know if they will heed her warnings in time.

I couldn’t tell from the synopsis of this book if I would like it or not. Two of my friends gave it good reviews on Goodreads, so when I saw it at a homeschool conference for a good price I decided to give it a try. I’m glad I did! I regret not buying book two while I had the chance. There is a (very) light love element, but it’s not at all offensive. I found Ela to be a relatable main character. Kien was roguishly loveable. And Tsana, Ela’s little sister, was adorable. Best of all, it made me appreciate Old Testament prophets and the Spirit of God on a deeper level.

P.S. I was a little concerned that a female prophet would come off as feminist, but she doesn’t at all. The author does a great job of focusing on “The Infinite” rather than fussing over a girl prophet.

June 20, 2014

3 Books on Godly Masculinity: A List for Guys

I’ve been mentioning for the past few weeks that I hoped to get my brother to do a review for the guys. Well, that hasn’t quite happened. But he did give me the titles of his favorite books in between projects. So I thought I’d share those with you today. The first two books are the ones he gave me and the bottom one I tacked on for good measure. If any of you girls have brothers who don’t follow this blog, you might want to pass the list on to them. These books teach guys how to be gentlemen, and who doesn’t want a gentlemanly brother?

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God’s Gift to Women: Discovering the Lost Greatness of Masculinity:
My brother laughed just reading the author’s note at the front of this book. Mr. Ludy kicks everything off by saying,

I wonder how many people will pick up this book, turn it over and look at my face, and mutter, “If that is God’s gift to women, then I feel sorry for femininity.”

But he goes on to also explain the true purpose of this book,

We live in a generation of burpin’-and-scratchin’ male mediocrity. Most modern-day examples of manhood are self-serving, perverted, and depraved. And we are accepting this second-rate version of masculinity into our marriages, our families, and our lives. I believe we need a new standard of masculinity–a standard that is not shaped by our culture, but by the very person of Jesus Christ. That standard is the core of this book’s message.

Stepping Up: A Call to Courageous Manhood:
This book was lent to my brother by a friend. Apparently it was a good recommendation. According to the Goodreads blurb,

In Dennis Rainey’s newest book, Stepping Up, he tackles head-on the call to living, breathing manhood, offering a simple yet powerful vision for what it means to be a man who truly conquers and wins.Insights include: Six nonnegotiables for training teenage young men; the temptation men face to step down; three qualities of men who finish well.

The Mark of a Man:
Amazon blurb,

In a world where men and women are encouraged to reject traditional gender roles, Elisabeth Elliot candidly reminds men why the genders are not equal and interchangeable. Written as personal advice to her nephew, The Mark of a Man reveals the glory and purpose of true masculinity. With Christ as the example of the ultimate man, this classic take on understanding a man’s role in life and relationships, romantic or otherwise, helps men define their own masculinity in a positive way.

June 13, 2014

Relationship Books: To-Read List

In lieu of a book review this week, I’d like to share my list of relationship books I hope to read in the future. I had planned to ask my brother to review a book for the guys this week, but he’s been so busy I didn’t even bother to bring it up. Besides that, this blog is home to lots of recommendations drawn from my last six years of reading. I’ve also done plenty of “real time” reviews of books as I read them. But I’ve never shared which books I plan or hope to read. So, since this month’s theme is relationship non-fiction, here are four books from that category that I hope to read.

Growing Up Duggar: According to an interview the Duggar girls did, this book is “all about relationships.” Not just romantic ones. As a long standing Duggar fan, just knowing the older girls wrote a book was enough to make me want to read it. It just happens to be about relationships, which makes it a perfect fit for this list. I know a lot of people panic when they hear how many children the Duggars have (19 if you didn’t know), but I love it! Can’t wait to see what the girls have to say in this book.

I Kissed Dating Goodbye: I’ve been borrowing this book from a friend for far too long, so it should probably be the first book on this list that I read. Having heard Mr. Harris (the author’s father) speak at a homeschool conference and loving Do Hard Things (written by the author’s brothers), putting this on my to-read list was a logical course of action. I read Boy Meets Girl a while ago, and it didn’t really keep my attention well. Friends of mine love both books, so I’m curious to see what I’ll think of this one.

Redefining Beautiful:I don’t really know much about this one. I found it at a used curriculum sale hosted by our state homeschool association. It looked pretty good (and it wasn’t very expensive), so I grabbed it. From what I can tell, this one only sort-of-kind-of fits this category. From the back cover, “Jenna reveals a foundational beauty secret: a father’s love. And whether a girl comes from a home with a devoted father, a home where that is only a dream, Jenna brings hope as she helps girls discover that they already have the perfect dad.”

When Sinners Say “I Do”: This is a grab from last year’s used curriculum sale. Same story as with Redefining Beautiful, only I’d noticed this book several times in the CBD catalog. According to the back cover, “When Sinners Say ‘I Do’ is about encountering the life-transforming power of the gospel in the unpredictable journey of marriage.

Which of these books most interests you? Have you read any of them? Do you have a recommendation for which you think I should read first or will enjoy most?

While you’re here, don’t forget to take a moment and help me name a character in my next book. If you cast a vote, be sure to leave a comment saying which name you picked. I’m trying to come up with a fun surprise for the people who participate.

June 7, 2014

Book Review: Set-Apart Femininity

Just as lasting and fulfilling romance is not found in the place that most of us search for it, neither is feminine beauty found in the place that most of us seek it.

Set-Apart Femininity could just as easily be titled “Counter-cultural Femininity”. As Mrs. Ludy mentions in this book, today’s culture tends to mock “all things pure, innocent, and uncorrupted.” Some girls, like me, haven’t had to face the full force of this moral decay yet, but someday we will. And many, many more already have. I’ll never forget the day I struggled to define modesty to a girl on my swim team because she honestly didn’t know what I was talking about. Yet even while our culture scorns and degrades purity, God continues to value it. And we, as Christians, should too. This book is a call to honor and pursue God’s standards rather than allowing ourselves to be dragged down by the world’s.

Because this book written to encourage young women caught in the middle of negative pressures, the writing is occasionally more graphic than I needed it to be. For this reason, I don’t recommend this book for younger girls to automatically pick up and read. For younger readers (tweens and young teens), have mom read it first. If you’re looking for something that doesn’t bring up all the junk in order to help you dig your way out of it, I’d highly recommend Before You Meet Prince Charming.) For older readers, this book definitely contributed to shaping the way I think of femininity. The concepts presented have helped me feel confident in my position when people have questioned my beliefs on the subject. I wish more girls would take this message to heart.

Have you faced challenges or mocking as a young woman seeking to live in purity before God? In what ways do you think Christians, especially Christian girls, should be different from cultural standards?