The Underground Zealot Series by Jerry Jenkins

Remember Jerry Jenkins? Writer of the wildly popular Left Behind series? He's still writing, and he hasn't lost his touch. The Underground Zealot series consists of Soon: The Beginning of the End, Silenced: The Wrath of God Descends, and Shadowed: The Final Judgment. Published between 2004 and 2006, these novels are end-times thrillers in the tradition of Left Behind. However, the fact that there are only three books in the series makes it easier to follow the plot lines and the characters.

The story is set in a world where religion has been outlawed since the end of World War III, a religious war that occurred in 2009. Christians, not willing to deny their faith, have gone underground much like their first-century counterparts. They are dodging persecution by the world government set up after the war (similar to the persecution of early Christians by the Roman government).

Paul Stepola is an agent with the National Peace Organization, like today's CIA and FBI. His job is to find and arrest the followers of illegal religions, his specialty being Christians. As he studies about Christianity and attempts to infiltrate the underground groups, he has an experience paralleling that of the Apostle Paul. He loses his sight on a job-related sting, and, while in the hospital, he listens to Bible texts. With the help of an undercover Christian hospital volunteer, he makes the decision to become a Christian. From this point on, Paul is a double-agent, working in the agency that is charged with bringing Christians to "justice."

It's not practical for me to summarize the story from beginning of the first book through the last. Suffice it to say that the Christians rely on God to deliver them from their predicament, and God comes through for them.

You can get more hints on the storyline by reading samples and reviews on Amazon. I am not a fan of futuristic thrillers, but this story is interesting because of the parallels with the growth of first-century Chrisitianity. The believers in the post-WWIII world use the some of the same covert methods as the followers of Peter and Paul. Some say that fiction isn't instructional, but, since I finished this trilogy, I find myself wanting to go back and study the history of early Christianity to find more parallels.

And finally, the kicker for me----Jenkins has painted a picture of a cruel, selfish world, a world where Christianity is illegal. People grow up and live their whole lives without being exposed to Christian teaching. Could it really happen? Could religion be banned in the 21st century? Look around you. With Christmas on the horizon, cities and towns are afraid to put up Christmas displays because they're afraid of being sued. Christians are regularly chastised for expressing their beliefs.

I recommend that you read this trilogy if for no other reason than to see what the world is like when it's run by people who deny God. It's an exciting story with interesting characters, plenty of action, and suspense. Read the whole trilogy if you can. Ideally, you would read Soon first, but each subsequent volume has an introductory synopsis of the story in previous volumes.

The series is available as a set at Christianbook.com.

Disclaimer: I purchased the first book myself and obtained the others from my public library. I received no compensation for this review. I have reviewed Jenkins' Writing for the Soul on another blog.

Final Warning by Sandra Robbins

A few weeks ago, I reviewed Robbins' Pedigreed Bloodlines, an inspirational romance/mystery that was nominated for a national award. I liked it so much that I pledged to read her latest published work, Final Warning. Suffice it to say that I found it to be a real page-turner. The romantic interest was included, but the suspense in this one was heart-thumping. Rather than write a summary, I'm sharing the book trailer with you. All of Robbin's books are available on Amazon.

Green by Ted Dekker

Full title is, Green: Book Zero, the Beginning and the End (Thomas Nelson). Fantasy fiction is not my thing, yet I chose to review this book out of curiosity, mainly because I was intrigued by the title. Green is the last (and first) book in the Circle series. Hero Thomas Hunter leads the good guys in a good vs. evil story that lives up to its billing as a thriller. The story includes time travel from the pre-apocalypse world to the post-apocalypse Earth where this installment of the story begins. Hunter and his peace-loving band are drawn into confrontation with the bad guys, and Thomas ends up back where he started in the very first book of the series.

Not having read the first three books in the series, I had no preconceived notions. I saw similarities to the 1968 movie, Planet of the Apes. Life on earth has been totally altered by a catastrophe that puts inhabitants in a Dark Ages environment. Good and evil are ready to slug it out once more. Female characters have strong roles, although the hero and his son dominate the story.

Because I like stories to have definite endings, I felt a bit let down by the fact that the hero was not left with a happily-ever-after scenario. However, it occurs to me that the author may have in mind writing sequels that would take the whole story in to a different conclusion. I may go back and read the first three books to see how Black, Red, and White bring us into the Green story. At the end of Green, we’re back at the beginning with a chance to do it better next time. A never-ending circle. If you like fantasy thrillers, you’ll like Green.

Note: I received this book at no cost as a participant in Thomas Nelson’s book review blogger program.

Learn to Study the Bible by Andy Deane

Have you been looking for a new approach to Bible study? Are you new to Bible study and need to know how to go about it? If your answer is "yes" to either question, this book will help you.

The subtitle of the book is Forty Different Step-by-Step Methods to Help You Discover, Apply, and Enjoy God's Word. The author delivers on his promise. There really are 40 different ways to organize your Bible study, some of which I had heard of and some that were totally new to me. The book contains so much information that I felt overwhelmed at first. Just studying the table of contents, I wondered how I would ever absorb all that information. But, the book isn't meant to be read like a novel or spiritual growth book. It's meant to be studied, and that means you will want to read it in chunks, pacing yourself to take full advantage of each section.

Most authors would take an idea like this and make a book series out of it. Deane seems to want to tell you everything he's learned about Bible study in one book, and he's learned a lot. It's not obvious which methods, if any, were developed by him. He does give credit to the authors of methods developed by others. Clearly, he loves God's Word and wants to share his experience so that others can come to appreciate it as he does.

He spends a lot of time early in the book discussing the basics of Bible study. I think, if this is targeted to experienced Bible students, this part could be left out. I kept wondering when I would get started on the 40 methods. Once into the 40 methods, I found a lot to like. The steps for each method are clearly laid out and explained. And the best part----a handwritten example of how to execute the method. This feature really personalized the book for me. This is where Deane goes the extra mile for his reader.

There are a number of books on the market on "how to study the Bible," but you won't find one that provides as many different approaches. It's definitely worth the asking price. Buy the book here or browse the site for more information.

Note: I was asked by Learn to Study the Bible staff if I would review this book for this blog. I was interested enough to say "yes." I agreed to send the book on to another reviewer at my expense once I finished the review. With Thomas Nelson or other large publishers, the reviewer gets to keep the book.

Guest Post: Thinking Organized for Parents and Children

Guest Reviewer: Lettie Kirkpatrick Burress, www.writingforhim.com.

Thinking Organized for Parents and Children: Helping Kids get ORGANIZED for Home, School and Play by Rhona M. Gordon. Thinking Organized, 2007. 195 pp.

Thinking Organized for Parents and Children was published “to make it possible for parents to help disorganized students”. Author Rhona Gordon brings 30 years of professional experience to this task of “thinking organized.”

This book encourages parents to assist their children in developing “executive functioning skills” that will allow them to set, organize, and accomplish goals. Emphasis is placed on teaching time management skills, setting up a system for organizing paperwork, assignment completion strategies, and the identification of learning styles.

Ms. Gordon recommends the use of tools such as a calendar, a watch, and an assignment notebook, as well as using charts and rewards. The book includes a helpful learning styles assessment questionnaire and good suggestions for improving memory skills. There are also recommendations for building lifestyle organizing skills into younger children.

More information on Web site: http://www.thinkingorganized.com/.

Find Your Strongest Life by Marcus Buckingham

Subtitle is What the Happiest and Most Successful Women Do Differently.

Author Marcus Buckingham starts out by revealing that modern women, although they have more choices than their mothers and grandmothers, are not happy. In fact, the older they get, the less happy they are. He says it’s because women try to do everything well, and that’s just not possible. Buckingham's Strong Life plan emphasizes playing to your strengths rather than spending so much energy trying to fix your weaknesses. There’s an associated test to help you identify your “strong” role in life. It's not so much "put yourself first" approach as it is a tool to help women find fulfillment and not just "busyness" in their lives.

At first, I thought, “Oh, no. Not another personality test.” But it’s not like that at all. You don’t get pigeon-holed as a certain type. You might be strong in more than one role. It is a fresh approach to discovering your gifts and maximizing them.

What a refreshing message! Women don’t have to, or rather shouldn’t, expect to excel at everything. I’ve often objected to the idea that a woman can “have it all.” Something has to give, either the career, the family, or the social life.

Visit the Thomas Nelson product page here. Look over a portion of the book here. See introductory video on YouTube.

I’m going to do something I rarely do. I’m going to read it again. And, after that, I want to share it with every woman I know. Borrow it, buy it---just be sure you read it and take the information to heart.

Pedigreed Bloodlines by Sandra Robbins

Classified as inspirational fiction, Pedigreed Bloodlines of the Heartsong Presents Mysteries series is an entertaining read. The book, by Tennessee author Sandra Robbins, was a finalist in Inspirational Romantic Mystery/Suspense Category in the Daphne du Maurier Contest, Kiss of Death Chapter, Romance Writers of America.

Leigh Dennison is the heroine of this story. Orphaned as a young adult, she was "adopted" by Addie Jordan, a friend of her parents. Addie runs a kennel for prize-winning show dogs, and she ends up murdered. There's plenty of suspense and romance with Leigh suspecting everyone, including her love interest, teacher Blake Cameron. Even the dogs get into the act as the mystery is solved.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book because the author managed to weave humor into the story. I found myself smiling while reading, sometimes even laughing out loud. What more could you want? Romance, suspense, humor----Pedigreed Bloodlines has it all. Buy it on Amazon.

Visit the author's web site at www.sandrarobbins.net.