Recent Reads {Patrick: Son of Ireland}

Patrick: Son of Ireland by Stephen R. Lawhead - I've been a fan of Lawhead's historical fiction for a few years now, and if I remember correctly, this was the first book of his that I read.  Lawhead weaves a richly detailed storyline for St Patrick's background around the historical details known about his life before he returned as a missionary to the Irish.  The narrative begins in Succat's youth, introducing us to a privileged young man in Britain.  He has the misfortune of being taken by Irish raiders and sold as a slave in Ireland, where he spends seven years before finally managing his escape.  In Lawhead's version, he begins training with the druids before leaving Ireland.  When he returns to Britain, it is to find his family dead and the estate gone, and his former friends much changed.  He winds up as a soldier in Gaul, then finds a measure of success and happiness in Rome.  When the plague lays the city low and claims his wife and child, he is plunged back into despair, but it is during this time that he receives his calling to return to Ireland.  I love how Lawhead takes the historical character and events and adds a supporting cast of fascinating characters, and incredible detail to the backstory.  As in his Celtic Crusade, Pendragon, and Robin Hood series, Lawhead blends history and legend and fantasy so well it's sometimes hard to tell where the line between fiction and history falls.

I have sometimes  been puzzled by the inclusion of Lawhead's books in Christian bookstores, however, so I want to add a caveat of sorts.  While Lawhead does usually present Christian beliefs very positively, he also presents ancient druid beliefs, mythical elements and some mysticism as compatible with, or even a component of Christianity.  This wouldn't sit well with all readers, which is why I point it out.  In my personal opinion, since it is fiction, and fantasy fiction at that, it's not something that bothers me.  But I wouldn't consider these books to be exactly "Christian fiction" either.

As I said though, Lawhead has become one of my favorite authors, and though this is at least the third time I have read Patrick (I like to read it every year around the middle of March!), I enjoyed it just as thoroughly, and am considering how soon I might re-read some of his other books that I own.

By the same author:  Taliesin, Merlin, Arthur, Pendragon, The Skin Map

Recent Reads {Dark Moon of Avalon}

Dark Moon of Avalon

The feature shelf at the library came through again! 8-) This is a novel of Trystan and Isolde, a retelling of this medieval romance that follows Isolde as she endeavors to win allies among the smaller kings of Britain with Trystan as her guide and protector. Of course they have long been in love with each other, but they don't admit it till near the end! Admittedly, it took me a couple of chapters to feel like I could keep all the supporting characters straight and really get involved in the story, but before I was halfway through the book I was well and truly drawn in and willing to lose sleep in order to finish! I was pleasantly surprised that the story stayed "clean" too - when picking up any book styled as a tale of romance, I half expect lurid bedroom scenes, but thankfully Elliott appears to have much more class than to resort to that. Dark Moon of Avalon is part of a trilogy - part one is entitled Twilight of Avalon, and part three is slated for release this fall. Dark Moon worked fine on its own, as I didn't even realize it was a sequel until I'd finished. However, it's possible that my confusion in the early chapters might have been avoided if I'd read the books in order. I do plan on reading Twilight in the near future.

Recent Reads {In Search of the Mountain of God}

In Search of the Mountain of God: The Discovery of the Real Mt Sinai by Robert Cornuke and David Halbrook - I think this may be the first book in which Cornuke shares his experiences in search of archeological evidence of Biblical events, and it's a real eye-opener. The quest begins with Cornuke joining a team looking for the place where the Israelites crossed the Red Sea during the Exodus, and the conclusion they come to is that the crossing was most likely to have taken place near the southeast corner of the Sinai peninsula, and that they crossed over to what is now Saudi Arabia. The next logical question then arises - then where is Mt Sinai? The traditional location is at St Catherine's in Egypt, but as the authors point out, there are some real problems reconciling the traditional locations with what the Bible says, and what would be logical. The book reads like an adventure novel, and my only complaint with it is that I think I would have personally preferred the search story set out chronologically instead. Cornuke presents a solid case for dismissing the traditional locations as erroneous, and considering the claims of the mountain he and partner Larry Williams explored in Saudi Arabia as being the REAL Mt Sinai. I highly recommend this book, and the DVD that was made several years later as it also features interviews with and photos from an American family that lived in Saudi Arabia and were able to get their photo-evidence out of the kingdom and share it with Cornuke and Williams.

I guess it's only fair to include this disclaimer: after reading the book and/or watching the DVD, the maps and Sunday School lessons that give the "traditional" route and locations will irritate you.  LOL  ;-)

Related DVD:  Mountain of Fire

By the same author:  In Search of the Lost Mountains of Noah

Recent Reads {Northanger Abbey}

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen - If I remember correctly, this is one of Austen's earliest novels, although it wasn't published until after her death.  I don't find it as engrossing as Pride and Prejudice - the heroine Catherine Morland is naive and a bit "blonde" ;-) but she is at least likeable.  She develops from being a sheltered and rather ignorant girl to a much wiser and self-disciplined young lady in the course of the story.  In short, while Elizabeth Bennet is already quite mature in P&P, we watch Catherine actually grow up.  Her love interest, Henry Tilney, is kind and witty, but I'm never quite sure what he sees in Catherine to attract him! It was interesting to read Peter Leithart's assessment of the novel in Morals and Miniatures, and gain a better understanding of how Austen's characters are developed.

By the same author:  Pride and Prejudice

Recent Reads {noonie's masterpiece}

noonie's masterpiece by Lisa Railsback, with art by Sarajo Frieden - This was Kennady's lucky find on the 'new books' feature shelf at the library recently.  She was looking for something to read, but wasn't sure what she wanted, so I introduced her to the gamble of checking the feature shelves.  This time it definitely paid off, as she loved this book!  The book is full of whimsical drawings and artwork that illustrates the story. 

(Kennady gave me the details for this summary)  Noonie is a ten-year-old girl who is also an artist - an undiscovered and under-appreciated artist.  Her dad is an archaeologist and is traveling around the world, but Noonie believes if she can win an art contest he will come home.  She lives with her aunt and uncle and cousin, and has a best friend named Reno.  She wants to be discovered as an artist, and her dad has told her that her mom was an artist (her mom died when Noonie was very young).  At the start of the book she is in her "blue period" and moves into her "purple period" when she enters the contest.  Her family laugh at her painting, but Reno helps her get it ready for the contest.  She imagines many famous artist encouraging her.  Although she doesn't win a prize, her family think her painting is good after all, and her dad continues to encourage her by telling her about her mother's "polka-dot period." so she decides that her own "polka-dot period" will be even better than her "purple period!"

Recent Reads {In Search of the Lost Mountains of Noah}

In Search of the Lost Mountains of Noah by Robert Cornuke and David Halbrook -  After watching the DVD about Cornuke's search for the real Mt Sinai, I also borrowed the books from my friend.  I am not reading them in the order they were written, but so far I don't think it matters much. 8-)  In this book, Cornuke outlines how he got interested in the search for remains of Noah's ark.  He heard the story of an elderly gentleman that claimed he had seen the ark around the end of WWII.  This man had been taken to the ark site by his Iranian friend and although he had very clear descriptions of the mountain he climbed and all that he saw, he didn't know where the mountain was.  Only the location of the village in northwestern Iran they had started from.  Cornuke and some others eventually became convinced that the Mount Ararat in Turkey could not be the resting place of Noah's ark - it simply doesn't fit with the details that we do know from the Bible - but that the ark must have come to rest somewhere in a mountain range in northern Iran.  Cornuke's adventures take him up the Turkish Mt Ararat a couple of times, and to explore the mountains in Iran as well.  Although they didn't find the ark, the case made for Mt Sabalon is extremely compelling, and the stories of their exploration are exciting and thought-provoking.

Related:  Mountain of Fire DVD

Recent Reads {Critique of Criminal Reason}

Critique of Criminal Reason by Michael Gregorio - This is a mystery novel set in 19th century Prussia.  A series of chilling and seemingly random murders terrorize a city, and a young magistrate from a small village is summoned and charged with the duty of solving the crimes and bringing the killer to justice.  The magistrate, Hanno Stiffeniis, finds very few details recorded in the official records, and must rely on his new assistant and on his former mentor, the elderly philosopher Immanuel Kant.  It seems that each time Hanno follows up on a lead, however slim, it leads to a dead end - or worse, another victim.  The setting is dark and oppressive, but the book certainly did keep my interest.  I found that some of Hanno's conclusions and logic made sense to me, while some did not.  I even had a suspect or two in mind before it was indicated that Hanno was considering those possibilities at all.  The solution to the crimes is chilling, and the novel's end somewhat enigmatic.  There are at least a couple of sequels to this book, but I haven't decided whether I will try to read them or not.