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I’m really not a fan of most non-fiction, and definitely not of self-help books. However, I was offered a chance to review You Were Born For This (7 Keys to a Life of Predictable Miracles) by Bruce Wilkinson and David Kopp. I’ve read Wilkinson’s The Prayer of Jabez, and, while a little long for what is essentially a page of information, I found it to be useful. So, expecting to get a different version of The Purpose Driven Life, and thinking that I’d be able to read it while on jury duty, I took the opportunity.

Now, I just want to reiterate that I am NOT a fan of non-fic or self-help. A friend of mine who is a fan of both is also reviewing this book, and she absolutely loves it. Possibly the fact that I’m trying to read it during a time that I would normally be reading fluff books instead of while bored at jury duty is influencing my feelings on this book. Unfortunately, the feeling that is most pronounced to me is… boredom.

While I thought the tiny little book The Prayer of Jabez was too long for its content, I feel that You Were Born For This should be the size of The Prayer of Jabez. Seriously. I also have problems with anyone who prescribes or suggests steps or formulas for anything to do with their walk with God. Jesus came to release us from the law, no? Then why is everyone trying to shove us back in there?

Granted, I truly do understand that this book is not intended to be a formula for miracles. I realize that the “keys” are really just totally opening yourself to let God take over your life, as you’re supposed to do. And the miracles he’s talking about are not the making the lame to walk and the blind to see kind of miracles. However, every time he mentions miracles, all I can think of is that people were healed when Paul’s shadow fell on them. Was Paul concentrating really hard on listening to what God told him to do when that happened? Maybe. I mean, we ARE supposed to listen to God. But what it really was, was the Holy Spirit moving through him.

I don’t know, I realize that where I’m coming from, and where Mr. Wilkinson is coming from is not the same place. It IS an uplifting book, and it can certainly help you to decide to let God take over. If you’re the sort of reader who appreciates someone taking the long way round a subject and repeating the same thing over and over but in different ways, you would appreciate this book. But if you’re the sort of person (like me) who tends to say “get on with it already!”, then, I’d give this a miss.

If you’re interested, you can order the book directly through Random House, or click the book photo above to go to Amazon to order.

The wonderful people at Random House (specifically Staci Carmichael- who rocks) sent me a copy of Andrew Peterson’s North! Or Be Eaten to review. I’ve already reviewed the first book in the series, On The Edge Of The Dark Sea Of Darkness, and was ever so thankful that I had the second book in the series available to start as soon as I put down the first.

In book one of the Wingfeather Saga, we find out that the three Igiby children are what is known as The Jewels of Anniera, being the king, the throne warden, and the song maiden. Since the dreaded and evil Fangs of Dang (vicious lizard men who are servants of Gnag the Nameless) have now found out who the Igiby children are, they (the children) along with their mother, grandfather, and an old friend are on the run to the north, where they believe the frigid temperatures will keep them safe from the heat loving Fangs.

Where the first book was mostly set up and back story, book two is all action. North! Or Be Eaten keeps up a proper pace for an adventure-fantasy, and is fraught with hidden dangers, jealousy, anger, remorse, and deadly secrets (which are not the same as hidden dangers).

The pace keeps the story hopping, and the unusual world keeps you guessing at what’s going to come next.  The focus is less on the twisted humor (“a nameless evil, called Gnag the Nameless”), and more on story, and while I missed having so much of my kind of humor wrapped up in the story, I actually enjoyed this book more than the first. I will say, though, that reading book one is absolutely necessary before starting book two. There is very little info dropping, and while it’s possible to enjoy book two without book one, that would be like eating the bologna without the bread. Fine for a snack, but not much of a meal.

I would have enjoyed North! Or Be Eaten more if I’d been able to wait until the series is finished. I don’t like having questions dangling about in my head, which is one of the reasons I rarely choose to pick up any books in a series until the whole series is available. Right now, I want to know why Gnag the Nameless chooses to use children for all of his labor. For experimenting, that makes sense- children are easier to mold and control. But for labor? That just doesn’t make sense, yet I can tell that it will. And that drives me up a wall.

I personally think this is a great YA fantasy. I’d place Andrew Peterson’s Wingfeather Saga somewhere between Donita K Paul’s Dragon Keeper Chronicles and Jeffrey Overstreet’s The Auralia Thread series. If you like either one, you’ll surely enjoy this. Just be prepared for some gross-out humor. You can tell this was written with young boys in mind.

To purchase this book, you can visit Random House and search, or go straight to the North! Or Be Eaten’s page. Available August 18, 2009.

I joined Waterbrook’s (a division of Random House) book reviewer list to get free books a few months ago. I recently was offered a chance to review Andrew Peterson’s North! Or Be Eaten, book 2 of the Wingfeather Saga. I mentioned to the the lovely Staci Carmichael (person in charge of these books, and my new bff) that I hadn’t read book one, and she offered to send me book one along with book 2. Yay me! So, while I’m not going to do an in depth review of book one, I thought I’d write a little bit about it as a thank you to Staci for sending it to me.

In Andrew Peterson’s On The Edge of The Dark Sea of Darkness, Janner, Tink, and Leeli Igiby live under the oppression of the horrible Fangs of Dang- lizard-like creatures who delight in torturing humans, and in eating maggotloaf and other such culinary treats. These bad boys work for Gnag the Nameless, who (whom?) the book refers to as a nameless evil… Yeah, you can see why I liked it from the start.

Unfortunately, the Igiby children manage to draw an undue amount of attention to themselves, and in order to avoid death or enslavement, they, along with their one legged ex-pirate grandfather, and sensible mother, have to escape.

The book is interesting from the start, but mainly because of the humor, which is a cross between middle school boy humor (aka: booger jokes), and Terry Pratchett. It’s an odd mix, but I love it. The majority of the book is almost like back story, however, and doesn’t really pick up the pace until the final third of the book. It’s well worth the read, but is absolutely essential if you plan to read the much more active book 2. At the very least, the secondary characters and the humorous footnotes should keep you entertained until you reach the exciting bits.

This is a middle grade fantasy, so if you’re expecting Robert Jordan, give this a miss. If you like both Narnia and Terry Pratchett, this may be worth your while.