Category: Christian

Christian, tween

Flickering Hope (From Sadie’s Sketchbook)

Bergers Book Reviews

Flickering Hope
Author: Naomi Kinsman
Publisher: Zonderkidz
Genre: Tween / Christian
ISBN: 978-0-310-72664-7
Pages: 208
Price: $7.99

Holiday Read-along
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Sadie is concerned about Patch, one of the research bears who has just gone into hibernation. When she accidentally finds a girl living in a nearby shack with her family, the girl warns her not to tell anyone, or Patch will be in danger. But her best friend, Ruth, knows about the encounter, and when the youth group wants to find a needy family to provide Christmas for, Sadie knows there will be trouble.

To make matters even more complicated, Frankie, who had always treated Sadie badly, suddenly seems in need of a friend. But can she be trusted, since her father has openly said he wants Patch dead?

In this sequel to Shades of Truth, Sadie is forced to deal with her emotions in how she relates to others. People are not acting predictably, and she needs to sort out her feelings for each, determining who she can trust, and who she can’t.

Combining challenging situations with growing faith lessons, this series shows real life handled from a Christian perspective. Girls will love reading about Sadie and her friends, while also seeing a great role model. I highly recommend this series.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Christian, holiday

Christmas Lights

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Christine Pisera Naman
Publisher: Doubleday
Genre: Christmas
ISBN: 978-0-385-52245-8
Pages: 122
Price: $14.95

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The holidays can be a magical time, or they can bring intense sadness if life has been especially hard. But it’s nearly impossible not to have a strong emotional reaction at Christmas. In Christmas Lights, we meet seven women, all at different stages of their lives, experiencing their own feelings during the holiday season.

Each chapter in this story introduces one of the women. Dealing with illness, mourning the loss of a child, looking for a new love, or making peace with a current one, these women face choices and challenges in their lives. But the strong forces that unite them all are family and faith.

Happy endings are a must at Christmas, and this story doesn’t disappoint. It might even evoke a tear or two, as each story unfolds to a satisfying conclusion. If you’re looking for a book that focuses on the real meaning of the season, Christmas Lights would make a great addition to your holiday reading list.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Christian, tween

Shades of Truth (From Sadie’s Sketchbook)

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Naomi Kinsman
Publisher: Zonderkidz
Genre: Tween / Christian
ISBN: 978-0-310-72662-3
Pages: 208
Price: $7.99

Holiday Read-along
Author’s website
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Sadie has just moved with her family to Michigan. Her father’s new job as mediator for the Department of Natural Resources makes him unwelcome in the community, and Sadie realizes she will face many challenges in fitting in. Plus, her mother’s incurable illness makes life at home more difficult. With courage and determination, Sadie makes a new friend and hopes life will get better.

When a local artist discovers Sadie’s latent talent, Sadie begins art lessons, which she enjoys immensely. And her faith is kindled by attending a Compline service and youth group meetings. But how will she deal with the accusations thrown at her father, knowing what she thinks she knows about one of the men who dislikes him so much?

Shades of Truth is the first in the “From Sadie’s Sketchbook” series from Faithgirlz. Combining challenging situations with growing faith lessons, this series shows real life handled from a Christian perspective. Girls will love reading about Sadie and her friends, while also seeing a great role model. I highly recommend this series.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Christian, spirituality

The Path of Centering Prayer

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: David Frenette
Publisher: Sounds True
Genre: Spirituality
ISBN: 978-1-60407-673-8
Pages: 255
Price $24.95

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While many people associate prayer with speaking to God in words, a different kind of prayer also exists. In comtemplative prayer, we commune with God in silence, using either a sacred word or symbol. And if we want to go even deeper, we can use only the silence to bring us closer to God.

The Path of Centering Prayer focuses on those who have been practicing contemplative prayer for a while. In it, David Frenette offers insights into his own practice, as well as using examples of others who have followed this path, as a guide for the serious practitioner. For those who have never tried this type of prayer, he explains the process and encourages them to begin.

Contemplative prayer is much like meditation, but with a focus on God instead of simply the quieting of thought. However, the practitioner may experience many of the same frustrations with this form of prayer. Frenette reminds us that this is normal, and the best thing to do is to continue the practice anyway, noticing the root issue behind the frustration. If you’ve been practicing contemplative prayer for a while and need some freshness in your routine, or if you are interested in beginning a new practice, this book will help you on your journey.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Christian, inspiration, spirituality

Fruit of My Spirit

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Deanna Nowadnick
Publisher: Rhododendron Books
Genre: Spirituality
ISBN: 978-0-9835897-2-3
Pages: 114
Price: $12.95

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But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23

Modeling her actions after Paul’s words has not been an easy task for Deanna Nowadnick. As she reviewed her life, intending to provide her sons with a short story, she realized she wanted to share her insights with a larger audience. Fruit of My Spirit was born.

Each chapter focuses on one of the fruits of the Spirit. In it, Nowadnick tells of an incident in her own life relating to that particular characteristic. Her strong faith in God and humility shine through, helping the reader see her struggles and giving hope that we too can overcome. With God’s help, we are all able to be better people.

Nowadnick is warm, open and vulnerable in sharing her life stories with us. The reader will come away with the sense that they already know her and share a common bond. A woman who tries to embody the fruits of the Spirit is a true role model for the rest of us. I highly recommend this inspirational book.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children, Christian

Be Patient, Petunia

Bergers Book Reviews


Author:  Erin Butler
Publisher: Tate Publishing
Genre: Children / Christian
ISBN: 978-1-61346-477-9
Pages: 28
Price: $9.99

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Petunia wants what she wants, and she wants it RIGHT NOW! She can’t wait for anything, especially the good things. So Petunia needs to learn a lesson in how to be more patient.

Petunia struggles with her impatience, with dire consequences. A cake is ruined because it doesn’t bake long enough. The park is no fun because she couldn’t wait until the other children arrived. And she doesn’t catch any fish because she runs into the water to find them. She almost missed the sunset when she wanted to run off and explore. But this time she did wait, and was rewarded by experiencing this beautiful sight.

As a fruit of the spirit (Gal. 5:22-23), patience is important for a Christian. Petunia’s impatience mirrors our own, as we wait on God’s guidance in our lives. Told in rhyme, this lesson in patience is a good one for any child to learn.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Note: All royalties received by the author for Be Patient, Petunia will be given to Project Rescue, whose mission is to rescue and redeem victims of overseas sexual slavery.

Christian, memoir

Embracing the Gray

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Mark A. Hollingsworth
Publisher: Wheatmark
Genre: Memoir / Christian
ISBN: 978-1-60494-417-4
Pages: 248
Price: $18.95

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Mark A. Hollingsworth has lived a full and exciting life. Spending time working with major rock bands over the years has allowed him to get to know them and the music business. But his most important contacts have turned out to be the Christian folks he was fortunate to meet.

In Embracing the Gray, Hollingsworth tells of his struggles with his faith after several of his friends died. But after some time of soul-searching, he returned to his Christian roots with a new vigor. Hollingsworth then worked with Compassion International, a Christian organization that helps by connecting families in the US with impoverished children in other countries through a sponsorship program.

It’s refreshing to see a person with strong Christian faith admit that there were dark times in his life when it was difficult to believe in God. But God was true to him, and brought him back into the fold when the time was right. I highly recommend this wonderful memoir.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Christian, memoir

A Love Story: How God Pursued Me and Found Me

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Samantha Ryan Chandler
Publisher: Crossbooks
Genre: Christian / Memoir
ISBN: 978-1-6150-7761-8
Pages: 108
Price: $28.95

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Who can you turn to when there’s no one on earth that can help? For Samantha Ryan Chandler, her only hope was God, who loved her unconditionally and stood by her through all her trials and tribulations.

In this Christian memoir, Chandler shares her story of abuse, first by her mother and then later by her husband. Chandler believes in the sanctity of marriage and willingly stays with him, despite his treatment of her. But when she finally reaches the point she’s ready to leave her marriage, God supports her decision and helps her through the divorce.

A Love Story isn’t told in a strictly chronological manner, but instead jumps from topic to topic. The author has a light, breezy style, and this book is a quick and easy read. God pursued Chandler – now she hopes the reader will find Him in her story.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Christian, spirituality

Untie the Strong Woman

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Clarissa Pinkola Estés, PhD
Publisher: Sounds True
Genre: Spirituality
ISBN: 978-1-60407-635-6
Pages: 400
Price: $27.95

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The Virgin Mary has long been seen as a serene paragon of the Christian faith. Usually portrayed with the Christ child on her lap, she smiles sweetly from behind her veil. But what if she had another side to her – a wild side?

In Untie the Strong Woman, Clarissa Pinkola Estés shows us that the Blessed Mother does, in fact, have a wild side. This strong and vibrant woman challenges the author to do things she wouldn’t ordinarily do. Estés spent time working with incarcerated girls at her leading, and hired an alcoholic for mason work outside her home when she felt Mary was guiding her. The wild woman also includes the Black Madonna, and Estés shares her story, as well as many others.

For those who only see the Virgin Mary as a peaceful mother of Jesus, these images may come as a surprise. Getting to know her and following her leading may cause us to wind up in places we might not have chosen to go. But we can be sure we’ll be in for a wild ride.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Christian, inspiration, music

Songs of Mary

Bergers Book Reviews

Sung by: Various Artists
Producer: Sounds True
Genre: Christian inspiration

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Mary has been revered and adored for centuries as the mother of Jesus Christ. Songs of her worship and praise date back to the early Catholic church. In this collection, various artists join in honoring the Blessed Mother.

Many of these songs are reminiscent of a medieval Catholic church, with plain chant and a minimum of instrumental accompaniment. But there are also Celtic and Spanish influences, reminding us of how much Mary is honored all over the world. A songbook is included with this CD, giving us the words as they are actually sung, in addition to the English translations.

Listen to this music reverently, in anticipation of receiving Mary’s blessings, healing, and guidance.  These beautiful and powerful vocals will inspire all who hear them.

Reviewer:  Alice Berger