Portugal Part 3 - the books.

(one night on the trip we opted to stay at a historic B&B directly on the beach - we got the Captain's room and this was a view from our secret/private balcony on the roof! more pics of that later!)

let's just say, it was a good thing I brought more than the original 'two books' idea.

here's what I read, with a brief run down:

Fiction:

A God Strolling in the Evening

by Mario De Carvalho

um......just weird.

according to Mario, Christianity was just a fad that went away, we sacrificed humans, poisoned wells and spit on temples.

ok.

maybe it was better understood in it's original language of Portuguese but wow...again, it was just weird.

I was kinda hoping for an Esther type of story but no suck luck.

I do think it was written about a city we spent a lot of time in though, just called by a different name back in the Roman Empire days....that part was fun!

In Search of Eden

by Linda Nichols

Christian fiction. It was ok. It was sweet and light.

Not excellent but fun.

If you're looking for a light read, I would recommend it.

Wildfires At Midnight

by Mary Stewart

would make a great movie.

suspense and romance and intrigue without too much nasty gore and virtually no sex.

I wouldn't put it in the 'let my 13 yr old read it' category but I liked it!

Jake's a big fan of Mary Stewart, he liked the book too and couldn't put it down.

Nonfiction:

The Treasure Principle

by Randy Alcorn

great basics I've been taught all my life about finances.

great reminder. I needed a reminder.

good read.

Just Courage.

by Gary Haugen

I feel silly even trying to put into words just how amazing this book is and I will be reading over and over.

It left Jake and I just stupefied.

GO GET IT RIGHT NOW. I'm not exaggerating.

here is ijm's website: http://www.ijm.org/

The Last Lecture

by Randy Pausch

How did I, or could I have, not known about this guy?

Not a believer, I don't think anyway, not for me to truly judge, but at least he doesn't write from that perspective.

He was dying and wrote this book 'to his kids' about how he lived his life.....he was an exceptional person and it was a very captivating, tear jerking but motivating book for sure!

He may not or may be a believer but so much of what he wrote was Biblical truth.

this one left us in awe as well.

The Reason for God

by Timothy Keller

how can stuff like proving the reason that we need a God be written so fresh and invigorating?

LOVED LOVED LOVED this book.

I didn't get to finish it but I will be.

GO GET IT and then give it to all your spiritually seeking/interested friends.

Intellectual without being too overbearing. It just makes sense.

here is his website: http://www.thereasonforgod.com/