Sometimes You Just Have to Buy a New Book!

So far this month I've only purchased three books. Of course I'll most likely end up with a few more. Here are the synopsis for each one:

1) What is the Bible? By Rob Bell

Rob Bell, the beloved author of Love Wins and What We Talk About When We Talk About God, goes deep into the Bible to show how it is more revelatory, revolutionary, and relevant than we ever imagined—and offers a cogent argument for why we need to look at it in a fresh, new way.
In Love Wins, Rob Bell confronted the troubling questions that many people of faith were afraid to ask about heaven, hell, fate, and faith. Using the same inspired, inquisitive approach, he now turns to our most sacred book, the Bible. What Is the Bible? provides insights and answers that make clear why the Bible is so revered and what makes it truly inspiring and essential to our lives.
Rob takes us deep into actual passages to reveal the humanity behind the Scriptures. You cannot get to the holy without going through the human, Rob tells us. When considering a passage, we shouldn’t ask "Why did God say . . .?" To get to the heart of the Bible’s meaning, we should be asking: "What’s the story that’s unfolding here and why did people find it important to tell it? What was it that moved them to record these words? What was happening in the world at that time? What does this passage/story/poem/verse/book tell us about how people understood who they were and who God was at that time?" In asking these questions, Rob goes beyond the one-dimensional question of "is it true?" to reveal the Bible’s authentic transformative power.
Rob addresses the concerns of all those who see the Bible as God’s Word but are troubled by the ethical dilemmas, errors, and inconsistencies in Scripture. With What Is the Bible?, he recaptures the Good Book’s magic and reaffirms its power and inspiration to shape and inspire our lives today. (Via Harper Collins website).

2) Percy Jackson's Greek Gods by Rick Riordan

Riordan takes the classic guide to Greek myths and makes it his own, with an introduction and narration by beloved character Percy Jackson. With 19 chapters, this oversize hardcover includes a variety of stories, from the early tales of Gaea and the Titans to individual tales of gods readers encounter in the "Percy Jackson" series (Hyperion), such as Ares, Apollo, and Dionysus. Percy's irreverent voice is evident from titles such as "Hera Gets a Little Cuckoo," "Zeus Kills Everyone," and "Artemis Unleashes the Death Pig," and the stories are told in his voice with his distinctive perspective ("Another guy who got a special punishment was Sisyphus. With a name like Sissy-Fuss you have to figure the guy had issues…"). The format and illustrations are fairly traditional, considering the tone, featuring painterly depictions of the gods and their world. While these are actual tales of Greek mythology, Percy's take adds more color than would be helpful for those working on research projects or reports. The stories do make for fun reading, however, and might work as starting points for schoolwork. This original and wildly entertaining spin on Greek mythology is bound to be popular among fans of the series (from Amazon).

3) Lord of Shadows by Cassandra Clare

Sunny Los Angeles can be a dark place indeed in Cassandra Clare’s Lord of Shadows, the sequel to the #1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling Lady Midnight. Lord of Shadows is a Shadowhunters novel.
Emma Carstairs has finally avenged her parents. She thought she’d be at peace. But she is anything but calm. Torn between her desire for her parabatai Julian and her desire to protect him from the brutal consequences of parabatai relationships, she has begun dating his brother, Mark. But Mark has spent the past five years trapped in Faerie; can he ever truly be a Shadowhunter again?
And the faerie courts are not silent. The Unseelie King is tired of the Cold Peace, and will no longer concede to the Shadowhunters’ demands. Caught between the demands of faerie and the laws of the Clave, Emma, Julian, and Mark must find a way to come together to defend everything they hold dear—before it’s too late (from Amazon).

What book changed your life ? <3

What books helped to shape the person you are today? 

Mine are

1) The Diary of Anne Frank 

2) He Choose the Nails by Max Lucado 

3) 3:16 Message of Hope by Max Lucado

4) Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

5) Sex God by Rob Bell

6) My Bible (I read/study from The Message Remix) 

Review of Jesus Wants to Save Christians: Learning How to read a Dangerous Book by Rob Bell and Don Golden

Wow. All I can say is Wow. What an amazing book. Rob Bell really hit one out of the park with this one. I don't even know where to begin with this book. I will say that Rob Bell's examination of the Exodus and what it means for those the follow Christ. What really blew my mind is how Bell shows us that God is doing a "new thing" when Christ comes into the world. That Christ is ushering in a new Exodus. He is here to do what Moses did with the people in Egypt but on a much grander scale. Moses was just saving one group of people; through Jesus God is saving all of Humanity. I also was very taken with how Bell explains the role of the modern church and how we have lost our way. As the people of God we have some how become comfortable and so "blessed" that we are indifferent to the cries of those that are hurting. Just as the Bible teaches us; Bell explains that Christ is a servant to humanity. He was born to serve and so are we. That through serving others we are worshiping God because God tells us to "listen" to the cries of those that are needy. I would definitely have to agree with Bell; the modern church often misses the plot of the Jesus story and has become to comfortable with not sharing their faith with those that need it to most. As one once said; sometimes we are the only bible that anyone will ever see. This book is definitely now one of my favorites. One that I will be talking about for months and months.

Here are a few quotes that I loved
"God who is defined by action on behalf of the oppressed. God is about giving the good gift. Jesus is God's good gift for the healing of the world. The church is Jesus's body, a good gift for the healing of the world"

"A Church is an organization that exists for the benefits of nonmembers...this blessing extends even to our enemies"

"Everybody would understand their role as priests. That everybody would worship God by serving each other. That those wouldn't be two things, but one. This is why God continually mentions the widow, the orphan, and the refugee. Remembering them, caring for them, serving them is worshiping God"

I just had to say a few things about Jesus wants to Save Christians: Learning to read a dangerous book by Rob Bell and Don Golden

I am only 40 pages away from being finished and I can honestly say that this is one of Rob Bell's best books. As always he just gets right down to it and he is not for pussy footing (used for lack of a better term) around anything; he takes a direct stab at the evangelical right and american Christians who have just become  to comfortable with their lifestyles. So much so that they turn their backs on the suffering of others. Which means that they are missing out on the central themes of Jesus message. As a wise woman once said "once you know better, you'll do better" ( Maya Angelou)....this book is now one of my all time faves.