The Band That Played On
By Steve Turner
Thomas Nelson Publishers
Retail Price: $24.99

Book Description:

When Titanic collided with an iceberg at 23:40 on April 14^th, the eight members of the band had already retired for the evening. Still, they put on overcoats and mufflers came out to play in the lounge. When most of the First Class passengers had taken to their lifeboats, the musicians simply moved to the deck and continued to play, calming the passengers as the ship sank. One second class passenger said: "Many brave things were done that night, but none were more brave than those done by men playing minute after minute as the ship settled quietly lower and lower in the sea. The music they played served alike as their own immortal requiem and their right to be recalled on the scrolls of undying fame." Survivors' accounts differ about whether their final tune was "L'Automme" or "Nearer My God To Thee." What has never been disputed is the courage of these musicians who deliberately sacrificed the possibility of escape in order to produce a mood of tranquillity at a time of extreme anxiety. But who were they? What journeys brought them to this deck on this icy ocean? Had any of them previously displayed signs of great courage? Who did they leave behind? Historian and biographer Steve Turner delves into the lives of these brave men, revealing eight unique portraits of bravery.

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READING ROOM REVIEW

I've always been fascinated with the story of the Titanic. I've watched all the movies and read most of the books. It intrigues me. So I was excited to get a copy of The Band That Played On to read and add to my collection. I wasn't disappointed. This book is about the band that continued to play on as the Titanic sunk. Rather than save their own lives they chose to comfort others during this horrific time. It delves into each band member and what they stood for and why they made that choice to inspire calm and courage in the passengers during the tragedy. The book also takes a look at how their deaths affected their families and their legacy. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

~Reviewed by Chris O.

Daddy Dates
By Greg Wright
Thomas Nelson Publishing
Retail Price: $16.99

Book Description:

Daddy Dates gives the average Joe easy steps to actively and successfully engage with his daughter and raise a confident woman-to-be.

When faced with the reality of raising four (4!) teen daughters, Greg Wright went on a soul quest.

He came back with a mission: Don't Screw Up.

This funny, insightful, and relatable book poses the wildly original concept that should be a "duh" for most dads-but isn't: In order to raise a confident woman-to-be, show your daughter what it feels like to be treated with love, respect, and true interest by a man who loves her.

Daddy Dates shows the average father how to actually do that. It is written in an original voice and will appeal to both men and women. It is the kind of action-oriented "how to" material that guys enjoy, and so many others will recommend to other dads.

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READING ROOM REVIEW

We all know how important it is for fathers to connect with their daughters. It affects who they become as an adult. This book shows us where the rubber meets the road. Author Greg Wright gives insight, useful tips, and stories from his own life to help fathers become the best dads they can be. The book was well-written and easy to read with lots of great ideas to apply to your own family life. If you want to become the dad your daughters need...and your wife will cherish, then get a copy of this book...and READ it!

~Reviewed by Dave H.

The War of 1812 in the Chesapeake: A Reference Guide to Historic Sites in Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia
by Ralph E. Eshelman, Donald R. Hickey, Scott S. Sheads
John Hopkins
Retail Price: $67.00

Book Description:

The War of 1812 between the United States and Great Britain was fought throughout nearly all of the country, from the waters of the Atlantic Ocean to the vast frontier between the U.S. and Canada. No theater of war suffered more than the Chesapeake Bay region, where 11 battles — including Craney Island, Hampton, Bladensburg, and Baltimore — 63 skirmishes, and 86 raids took place. Featuring a comprehensive list of more than 800 of the war's historical sites in the region, this book is an indispensable reference to the second great war for independence.

One chapter each covers Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. The authors draw on both American and British accounts in describing battlefields and the locations of skirmishes. The book includes historic maps and drawings, descriptive overview essays, the most complete chronology of the War in the Chesapeake ever assembled, and a thorough bibliographic essay.

Supported by such primary documents as diaries, journals, and newspaper articles, the material compiled in this encyclopedia surpasses any collection thus far brought together on the subject. Local librarians, historians, tour guides, history buffs, school teachers, and genealogists will find this guide to be informative and enlightening.

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READING ROOM REVIEW

This is not only a well-researched and well-documented book, it an extremely interesting read about the War of 1812 that is a great resource for educational purposes as well as personal study. You will find many primary documents and first hand accounts compiled here in an organized and highly enjoyable format. I thought it was well-written and found it very useful in my studies.

~ Reviewed by Dr. John C.

Lacrosse: A History of the Game
By Donald Miller
John Hopkins
$25.00

Book Description:

North America's Indian peoples have always viewed competitive sport as something more than a pastime. The northeastern Indians' ball-and-stick game that would become lacrosse served both symbolic and practical functions — preparing young men for war, providing an arena for tribes to strengthen alliances or settle disputes, and reinforcing religious beliefs and cultural cohesion. Today a multimillion-dollar industry, lacrosse is played by colleges and high schools, amateur clubs, and two professional leagues.

In Lacrosse: A History of the Game, Donald M. Fisher traces the evolution of the sport from the pre-colonial era to the founding in 2001 of a professional outdoor league — Major League Lacrosse — told through the stories of the people behind each step in lacrosse's development: Canadian dentist George Beers, the father of the modern game; Rosabelle Sinclair, who played a large role in the 1950s reinforcing the feminine qualities of the women's game; "Father Bill" Schmeisser, the Johns Hopkins University coach who worked tirelessly to popularize lacrosse in Baltimore; Syracuse coach Laurie Cox, who was to lacrosse what Yale's Walter Camp was to football; 1960s Indian star Gaylord Powless, who endured racist taunts both on and off the field; Oren Lyons and Wes Patterson, who founded the inter-reservation Iroquois Nationals in 1983; and Gary and Paul Gait, the Canadian twins who were All-Americans at Syracuse University and have dominated the sport for the past decade.

Throughout, Fisher focuses on lacrosse as contested ground. Competing cultural interests, he explains, have clashed since English settlers in mid-nineteenth-century Canada first appropriated and transformed the "primitive" Mohawk game of tewaarathon, eventually turning it into a respectable "gentleman's" sport. Drawing on extensive primary research, he shows how amateurs and professionals, elite collegians and working-class athletes, field- and box-lacrosse players, Canadians and Americans, men and women, and Indians and whites have assigned multiple and often conflicting meanings to North America's first — and fastest growing — team sport.

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READING ROOM REVIEW

This is an extremely well-researched book on the game of Lacrosse. Not just how it is played in the U.S., but also in Canada and on Indian Reservations. I learned so much about it's complex history over the past 2 centuries since the game began There are plenty of photos of interest as well. If you are fan of lacrosse or sports history in general, you will find this book interesting.

~Reviewed by Dave H.

Redeeming Sociology
By Vern Sheridan Poythress
Crossway
Retail Price: $25.00
Amazon Price: 16.50

Book Description:

Interpersonal relationships are possible for humans because we are created in the image of a Trinitarian God. But if the Trinity is our model for relationships, why is the human condition rife with pain and evil? How are we to think correctly about fallen human relationships and our models for understanding them?

Redeeming Sociology advocates a biblically informed model for human relationships—relationships rooted in the Trinitarian character of God, his governance of the world, and his redemption accomplished in Christ. Poythress examines how the breaking of relationships through sin leads to strife, murder, and oppression among human beings and sets cultures against one another. And he shows how these broken relationships are restored through the outworking of redemption in Christ.

Though typical sociological models for interpersonal relationships may offer some valuable insights, they are handicapped by a fundamental misunderstanding of humanity. The biblical model that Poythress presents correctly diagnoses the problem of human relationships, so it can likewise prescribe a biblical solution that infuses new meaning and power into how we relate to others made in the image of God.

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READING ROOM REVIEW

I found this book of great interest. I did my graduate studies in sociology from a secular college and I feel that I, along with the other students, would have benefited from this book in the course of my studies. Looking at the discipline of sociology from a Christian worldview and a trinitarian perspective gives you great insight into the failure of human relationships and the redemption of the same. While it isn't an easy read, it is well worth the time and effort put into it. I learned a lot.

~Reviewed by Scott K.

Men of the Word
By Nathan Busenitz
Harvest House
Retail Price: $13.99
Amazon Price: $11.07

What is God's calling for men? What character qualities does He value? What is biblical manhood, and how is it cultivated?

The answers to those all-important questions are found in the lives of men of the Bible-men like Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Daniel, and Paul. Every one of them struggled with the same issues faced by men today-which makes them highly relevant role models that define what a real man is from God's perspective. Readers will discover that real men?

• treasure God's Word
• refuse to compromise
• wait on the Lord
• pray with boldness
• lead with courage
• reflect God's love
• serve with humility
• count the cost

This resource is both powerful and down-to-earth practical, providing much-needed clarity and encouragement on the essentials of biblical manhood. Men will find great fulfillment as they pursue all that God desires for them to be.

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READING ROOM REVIEWS

This is a tremendous book by the pastors of Grace Community Church, where John MacArthur has been the lead pastor for over 30 years. While he only writes the forward, a recommendation by MacArthur was enough to pique my interest. I'm really glad I read this book. Yes it was full of short biographies of great men in the Bible, but it didn't stop there. Each chapter had life lessons and plenty of application as each man that was written about represented a particular theme and character trait. While this is an excellent book for men to read, I, as a woman, enjoyed it very much. I highly recommend it.

Ella's Wish
By Jerry S. Ficher
Harvest House
Retail Price: $11.99
Amazon Price: $8.22

Ella Yoder has moved into her dream house. In the stillness of the great house, Ella ponders her options. How is she to survive on her own? How will she ever forget Aden? What is to become of her?

Two would-be suitors soon make their intentions known, but Ella is unsure of her own feelings. As she agrees to take care of Preacher Stutzman's three motherless girls, Ella's heart is touched by their love for her. Could their affection be the answer to Ella's quest? Can God speak through the love of a child?

Readers of Amish fiction will fall in love themselves with Ella Yoder and hope with her that she finds the love and happiness she seeks.

About this series: Readers of Amish fiction will delight in this second book in a series about young Ella Yoder as she copes with the loss of her true love. Author Jerry Eicher's sales now top more than 100,000.

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READING ROOM REVIEW

This is another wonderful Amish novel by author Jerry S. Ficher. This is the second book in the series that is well written and very touching. Ella is a character that is easy to like and your heart goes out to her as she struggles with her grief and tries to rebuild her life in a way that is unique to her own self, not what other necessarily want for her. This book engages you in the story and keeps you that way throughout the book.

Don't Take Any Wooden Nickels
By Mindy Starns Clark
Harvest House
Retail Price: $13.99
Amazon Price: $10.03

From award-winning author Mindy Starns Clark comes the fast-paced and inspirational Million Dollar Mystery series.

Attorney Callie Webber investigates nonprofit organizations for the J.O.S.H.U.A. Foundation and awards the best of them grants up to a million dollars. In each book of the series, A young widow, Callie finds strength in her faith in God and joy in her relationship with her employer, Tom.

In book number two of The Million Dollar Mystery series, Callie is working to provide quality professional clothes to women who can't afford to buy their own. She soon becomes involved with one young woman who is trying to come out of drug rehabilitation-just as she's charged with murder.

What appears to be a routine murder investigation in her hometown on the Chesapeake suddenly becomes complicated amid international intrigue, cutting-edge technology, and deadly deception. A string of heart-pounding events lands her disastrously in the hands of the killer, where Callie finds she has less than a moment for a whispered prayer. Will help arrive in time?

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READING ROOM REVIEWS

This was a wonderful book by prolific author Mindy Starns Clark. This was a good suspense novel with an element of romance, and both aspects kept me guessing until the end. The characters were very likeable and believable and the plot was intriguing. This story is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat.

Faith
By Jennifer Haigh
Harper
Retail price $25.99
Amazon Price: $13.97

Book Description: .

In the spring of 2002, a perfect storm hits Boston: Trusted priests are accused of the worst possible betrayal. Faith explores the fallout for one devout family.

Estranged from her family, Sheila McGann returns home when her older brother, Art—a popular pastor—finds himself at the center of the maelstrom. Her strict mother is in a state of angry denial. Sheila’s younger brother, Mike, has convicted his brother in his heart. But most disturbing of all is Art himself, who dodges Sheila’s questions and refuses to defend himself.

As secrets begin to surface, Faith explores the corrosive consequences of one family’s history of silence—and the resilience it finds through forgiveness. A suspenseful tale of one woman’s quest for the truth, Faith is a haunting meditation on loyalty and family, doubt and belief. Elegantly crafted, sharply observed, this is Jennifer Haigh’s most ambitious novel to date.


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READING ROOM BOOK REVIEW

This is the best book I've read in a long time. It was well written, sensitively told family story about a devout Roman Catholic family with buried secrets. I could hardly put the book down and read it whenever I had a free moment. It was intelligent, thought provoking and a real page turner.

~Reviewed by Ann Jeanie K.

Following God One Yes at a Time
By Connie Cavanaugh
Harvest House
Retail Price $12.99
Amazon Price: $10.39

Book Description:

Everyone experiences dry times in their spiritual lives. Noted speaker Connie Cavanaugh offers a wealth of insights to help believers find Jesus? living water during desert times. Connie shares five obstacles that hinder faith and then provides action steps readers can take to reestablish a vibrant relationship with God so that?

• when doubt strikes, they can use biblical truths to keep their faith strong.
• when they feel out of touch, they'll know how to say yes to God and persevere.
• when they feel inadequate, they can be sure God believes in them.
• when they believe they've failed, they can be confident God will redeem their efforts.
• when they slip from 'fearing God' to being afraid, they will know God loves them and will help them.

Offering strong encouragement, Following God One Yes at a Time gives readers what they need to triumph through Jesus Christ.

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READING ROOM REVIEW

This was a very practical book that spoke to my very soul. While it was convicting at times, it was also very humorous. The author had me laughing out loud at the escapades of her family. Cavanaugh's ability to share stories and then make such sound and practical spiritual application is truly amazing. This book is one you won't want to miss.

~Reviewed by Penny N.

Sort of Like a Rock Star

Sort of Like a Rock Star
By Matthew Quick
Little Brown for Young Readers
Retail Price: $8.99
Amazon Price: $5.99

Book Description:

Amber Appleton lives in a bus. Ever since her mom's boyfriend kicked them out, Amber, her mom, and her totally loyal dog, Bobby Big Boy (aka Thrice B) have been camped out in the back of Hello Yellow (the school bus her mom drives). Still, Amber, the self-proclaimed princess of hope and girl of unyielding optimism, refuses to sweat the bad stuff. But when a fatal tragedy threatens Amber's optimism--and her way of life, can Amber continue to be the rock star of hope? With an oddball cast of characters, and a heartwarming, inspiring story, this novel unveils a beautifully beaten-up world of laughs, loyalty, and hard-earned hope.

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READING ROOM REVIEW


This is a fantastic book for teenage girls. It ran the gamut of emotions, taking you to the lowest of lows to the mountain tops. You will laugh and you will cry. And you will be surprised by all the twists and turns. The main character is a strong young woman, who endures much hardship, yet doesn't give up her dreams. She serves as a role model for young women everywhere. The book is beautifully written and the story is very touching. I highly recommend it.

Purging Your House, Pruning Your Family Tree

Purging Your House, Pruning Your Family True
by Perry Stone
Charisma House
Retail Price: $15.99
Amazon Price: $9.87

Book Description:
Do the following questions express what you have felt—or asked—in the past?

* Does a weeping willow describe your family tree?
* Do you secretly wish you had been born to a different family?
* Did you pick up some bad DNA from someone in your lineage?
* Would you like to put on a new set of genes and make a new you?
* Is there a warfare going on that you won’t talk about?
* What are the keys to a happy home and marriage?


If so, keep reading! There are two important ways for you to alter your present personal situations and prepare for a great emotional and spiritual future—by purging your house and pruning your family tree. Purging your house involves removing spiritual, emotional, and mental hindrances from three houses: spiritual, physical, and emotional. The author teaches readers the 3-step process of removing the leprosy (laying aside the weights or sins), rebuilding a fresh foundation (replacing old thoughts with new thoughts), and restoring the house (new friends, relations, directions). Pruning your family tree involves a process called redemptive alteration, which positively impacts your future when the Word of God defeats the sin habits and overcomes the carnal nature through regeneration. The author reveals the dangers that can harm or destroy our family are the same dangers that destroy nature’s trees—storms that place pressure on the branches, drought the destroys the leaves, cold weather that destroys the fruit, and floods that uproot the entire tree. He teaches us how to evict the enemy by quoting Scripture, experiencing the anointing, rebuking the devil, and having strong faith.

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READING ROOM REVIEW

This was an interesting book. Often when we feel we've been dealt bad cards in life, we feel we are stuck in the situation. This book gives us hope that we can change our lives and the lives of those who come after us by breaking family curses and sinful strongholds that may have plagued our family line. It is very insightful and the author offers practical solutions, not lofty, theological suggestions. If you are at all interested in improving your family tree, read this book!