Rebel Book Reviews

The Divide (The Alliance #2) by Jolina Petersheim  (Tyndale 2017) This is one of those rare times where I really enjoyed the book and where the pros barely overrode the cons. I'll start with the cons in this second installment of The Alliance story. The insertion of Sal's POV seemed more of a storyline crutch than any added value. Sure it helped knowing the "other side" of what was happening, but it could have been approached differently in my opinion. The four/five times that the POV was used compared to the alternating POVs of Moses and Lenora was jarring and inconsistent. The first two thirds of the books seemed draggy, and took a while for things to happen. It did become a chore to read at first. And the last negative point about this book would be the abrupt transition from one scene to another. The first book handled it smoothly, but in The Divide , no matter whose POV, the scene breaks jarred me a little out of the story until I could visualize wh...

God's Lineup Testimonies of Major League Baseball Players by Kevin and Elizabeth Morrisey (Ambassador International 2012)   Any major league sport will have a devoted fan base and even the players themselves will view their chosen sport as the most important thing in life. In God's Lineup , we are exposed to the raw faith of 26 Christian players who are either retired or actively playing. As in many areas of life, Christians can be ridiculed and baseball is no exception; although MLB does have what is called Baseball Chapel. We are shown through a few testimonies how this ministry became a pivotal point in many players' lives. The testimonies contained in this book doesn't lessen the masculinity of the men, but instead it fortifies the uniqueness of each and how they yearn to spread the Gospel. Like the Topps , Fleer , and Upper Deck baseball cards, each chapter has a take on the player highlights, but geared toward their faith: born, favorite verse...

Scientists Discover God by William Dallas (Ambassador International/Ambassador Books and Media 2012) This book from across "the pond" is one that melds Christian faith and science. Written in layman terms, William Dallas takes sciences such as quantum physics, quantum theory, natural selection, geography, etc. to show that many discoveries (past and present) and theories prove the existence of God. For one example: The Big Bang Theory states that nothing existed beforehand and yet science proves that nothing can be created from nothing. The first third of the book cites many sources, secular and faith, to set up his argument. The second third explains the Christian faith. The last portion concluded with a merge of the two. Being a nerd in all things dealing with the universe, quantum theory and physics, etc., I found this book ideal for an introduction into the deep topic, and a controversial one. It was thought provoking and informative, a highly re...