What If Jesus Meant What He Said by Nate Bramsen - 5 stars

If you are looking for a book that challenges you to become more of the person Jesus wants you to be, What If Jesus Meant What He Said by Nate Bramsen is such a book. In my case, I read it as part of a small group. Each week we read through a chapter out loud and talked through the discussion questions at the end of the chapter. The book points out, through Scripture, that following Christ is never about how prepared we feel. Rather, it is about an invitation—an ultimatum--echoed in Christ’s words. “Follow Me.”

 

Each chapter builds on the truth of what this means. In chapter 2, Bramsen states that trusting Christ isn’t about a profession of faith but rather a life of faith in Him. It’s not about trying harder but about knowing Jesus. Chapter 3 discusses the ultimate invitation, “If anyone desires to come after Me…” and how it is an inclusive
invitation that isn’t about permission to follow Him but about the path of following Him. Chapter 4 shines a light on our response to the invitation as one of complete surrender. When we answer the call to follow Him, the starting point is Christ. Not us. Either we deny self, or we deny Christ. Chapter 5 builds on this and talks about laying aside every weight that entangles our walk with Christ. This includes dreams, passions, and pursuits. With each of the 27 chapters, Bramsen uses Christ’s words and real-life examples to shine a thought-provoking light on what it means to follow Him. The handful of "reflect and respond" questions at the end of each chapter guide the reader to see the reality of their walk with Christ and how it complies with His invitation to follow Him or how it does not.

Author Nate Bramsen

I give this book 5 stars. Its easy conversational tone and short chapters hold the interest and leave time for reflection. It centers on Christ’s words and obedience to those words.

I recommend this book to anyone who wants to become more obedient in their walk with Christ. It is a book you can read individually, but it also makes a perfect choice to be read together as a small group. The chapters are short, and the few questions found at the end of each chapter offer thought-provoking insights. In our small group setting, the questions generated meaningful, honest discussion.

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The Green Girl and The Serum by S.T.L. Armstrong 4 stars

 The Green Girl and the Serum by S.T.L. Armstrong is a SFF novel that features young adults who have transformed into Mega Humans after being injected with a serum by the British Military. This transformation gives them a whole new look including unusual skin colors as well as a variety of unnatural and unpredictable abilities. The military’s goal is to use these Mega Humans in warfare, but things don't go according to plan.

Green Girl and the Serum centers on Mega Human, Green Girl, a.k.a. Stacey Roberts who was injected with the serum as a young woman. She escapes from the military and lives on the run. As the story opens, she has hooked up with her former boyfriend, Ben Fox, who is a powerful Mega Human who leads a group of Mega Humans known as Haven. Haven hopes to make peace with the humans and show them that they can coexist, but a second group of Mega Humans, the Outcasts, wants to take over the world. This group is led by a Mega Human known as Surge, who was once a friend of Ben Fox’s.

The plot follows an intricate web of relationships as these two groups clash. Friendships forged before the serum stir up complicated issues among these Mega Humans as well as humans involved in the Mega Human program including Green Girl’s scientist father. The plot grows ever more involved because the Mega Humans continue to evolve into something other than what they once were. Learning to control this power is central to the story. Some seem to go mad and become evil with no conscience. Green Girl struggles with a growing anger that often causes fierce outbursts. She reacts without weighing the consequences which often leads to regrets.

I enjoyed the story. The characters are interesting and the plot intriguing. For that, I’d rate the story 5 out of 5 stars, but the author’s passive writing waters down the action at times and hinders engagement as a reader. The plot also had one incongruity I found distracting near the end of the story. Taking these elements into consideration, I recommend Green Girl and the Serum as a 4-star read.

With Haven Mega Humans, the Outcasts, regular humans, and the military involved, this plot offers plenty of action and unexpected twists and turns. I recommend this book to those who enjoy science fiction set in a dystopian society with elements of advanced technology that generates mythical-type mutants with unnatural powers and I look forward to the next book in the series.

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Spanish Language: 3 in 1 Bundle 4 stars

I started to learn Spanish nine months ago, using Rosetta Stone, and have supplemented it with reading stories in Spanish, watching Spanish TV, etc. So when I saw Spanish Language: 3 in 1 Bundle by Sergio Rodriguez, including Spanish for Beginners, Spanish Short Stories, and Spanish Language Lessons, I picked it up. Because it is three books in one, I review them individually from the point of view of a person who is just learning the language.

 

Spanish for Beginners

 

This book was all that I hoped for. It offers basic pronunciations as well as all the idiosyncratic exceptions that change pronunciations. For instance, Rodriguez talks about stress and accent marks and covers basics like how the syllable with the accent mark receives the stress. But he also explains things like when a syllable does not contain an accented vowel that there are rules that determine the implicit location of the stress. He goes on to explain the rules and offers lists as examples.

 

This book goes in-depth enough that I will use it as a go-to resource. It touches on practical things like cardinal and ordinal numbers, fractions, colors, time, dates, days of the week, etc., and includes charts you can print out. I liked that this book reinforced things I had already learned, that it answered many questions I had, and improved my language skills. For instance, I wondered about the use of al. Spanish for Beginners explained that “when ‘el’ is used after the preposition 'a’ (to), they contract and form 'al’ (to the)." It also helped me better understand noun gender. Not that I have it down, or that there aren’t exceptions I still need to learn, but information about things like, “Nouns ending in -cion, -sion, -dad, -umbre, -ion, and -tud are feminine" I found helpful. This book also gave me a better grasp of pronouns, verbs (conjugating, irregular verb forms, first-person singular, exceptions, etc.) I could go on, but you get the idea.

If I were only reviewing this one book of the three, I would give it 5 stars. The only negative was that some things didn’t display quite right on the Kindle, but if I changed the font size I could make it work. I recommend this book to anyone learning Spanish. It offers practical information that is quite thorough.

 

 

Spanish Short Stories

 

The second book I found to be daunting for a beginner. Because I am at the beginning stage of learning the language, this slowed me down. The stories are written more for intermediate-level Spanish speakers, so I read the stories out loud into Google Translate to practice my annunciation. It helped me correct my accent, and it taught me new words to grow my Spanish vocabulary. The stories were entertaining, and I enjoyed reading them. The only thing I didn’t like is that I thought the stories would also be geared more toward beginners, and for this reason, I give a 4 out of 5 stars.

 

Spanish Language Lessons

 

Sergio Rodriguez’ third book in the bundle is an: Essential Spanish Phrase Book for Traveling in Spain, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, and Mexico. It covers places he has traveled. He talks about foods, wines, and all things edible and recommends some of his favorites to try. He also offers suggestions of places to go, things to watch out for, places you would not want to miss, the best ways to get around, costs of things and exchange rates, and points out some pros and cons for each country. His writing is conversational and makes for an easy read. 

 

If you are planning to travel to one of these countries, I’d recommend this book to you. You might pick up some useful tidbits. I give it a 4 out of 5 stars.

 

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Ultraxenopia (Project W.A.R., #1) - 5 stars

Ultraxenopia, book 1 in the Project W.A.R. series by M.A. Phipps, is a fast-paced YA dystopian novel set in a world divided into zones, with zone 1 the home of the elites who run things. Ordinary citizens live to please the State. They have little to nothing to say about where they live or work. At age 18, they take an exam to determine their lot in life. It is at this point in life that readers meet Wynter Reeves. 

Phipps uses the eighteen-year-old's trip to the testing site to introduce a theme of government control and lost individualism with a society under constant surveillance. A society that does not interact but lives in such a way as not to stand out. Their goal is to avoid drawing attention to themselves for any reason. Phipps' masterful use of the first-person point of view lets the reader feel Wynter’s fears and experience her thoughts. When she has a health event during her exam, it changes everything, and the story takes off running. I prefer not to include spoilers in my reviews but, I will say that she is betrayed and turned over to the State's ominous research facility, where we meet the antagonist of the story, Doctor Austin Richter.

Wynter goes through some gruesome testing, and the evil doctor informs her that she has a rare disease. It causes her to see little flashes of future events. The doctor is tapped into her when she experiences her first vision, and he recognizes the young man she sees. The doctor tells her the man is a member of the terrorist group PHOENIX. 

 

The doctor ramps up testing, and it all takes a toll on her health. She is near death and needs to get out of there, but security is very tight. When she sees the chance, she makes her break and finds her way to freedom. But freedom isn’t what she expected. She meets people who care, but her symptoms grow worse and become dangerous. She can’t control them. She lives, loves, and experiences loss, but then she comes face to face with a huge choice. It determines not just her future but the future of the entire world.

 

I enjoyed this book on every level. The plot, characters, and the unfolding story held my interest and often kept me on the edge of my seat. One small thing that I didn’t think worked occurred when Wynter grabbed a shard from a broken mirror and hid it up her sleeve. Some of her actions following that stunt made me expect that she might slice her wrist or something. Without saying more, that did not happen. Other than that, the only thing I didn’t like is that the book ended when it did. I will be adding Type X, the next book in the W.A.R. series, to my reading list for sure. 

 

I recommend this book to people who enjoyed the Hunger Games or the Divergent Trilology, as well as sci-fi readers who enjoy the dystopian genre. The author creates a realistic future world that makes sense. I give it five stars and plan to read the series.

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Tempest in the Tea Room - 5 stars

I enjoy reading several genres, and Tempest in the Tea Room offers a buffet in one book. This well-written historical mystery opens a window into the daily life of the Jewish community of 1811 London. Author Libi Astaire pens her story from a narrator's point of view reminiscent of classics like The Great Gatsby and uses period language that transports the reader back to London at the start of the Regency Era.

 

The cast of characters in this first book of the Jewish Regency Mystery series spans several scenarios from an orphanage to a wealthy widow's home, the synagogue, several Jewish families, an old-clothes man and a newly arrived doctor and his unmarried sister, and more. The star of the story is a wealthy-widower-turned-sleuth, Ezra Melamed, who tasks himself with figuring out who is poisoning people in the Jewish community and how they are doing it.

This book is a page-turner. One of those books you read instead of doing what needs to be done. I recommend it to people who enjoy cozy mysteries, historical fiction, or Jewish literature.

I give this book five stars because there is nothing I didn't like about it. The story is entertaining and well written. Astaire drops little breadcrumbs to build the mystery. At first, you don't recognize them as such. Then when people start to fall sick, those breadcrumbs come into question. Could it be this? It is an easy read that engages the reader.

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