The Famous One

Joey Parr never thought he would end up famous. Troubled from childhood and rebellious in adolescence, he all of a sudden finds himself tossed in a role he's not sure he wants. He's also searching for a love he's not sure he'll find. Lost in desolation, drunkenness, and lust, is there any hope for Joey?
And what do you do when you feel God has placed a burden on your heart for someone famous? Sarah Pressner has no idea, but the burden is that Joey would know God's love for him, and it's up to her to tell him. But how?
Nicole Petrino-Salter has created some memorable characters that I was sad to see go. She portrayed very well the struggles humans go through, and the victory at the end, making the characters easy to relate to. I enjoyed watching Joey Parr from the beginning of his life to the very end: watching him struggle, grow, and discover. I would recommend this book for any adult college aged and above.

Ruth

Ruth: Under the Wings of God, by John Piper, is the story of Ruth told as a poem. In the poem, David is being told the story by his grandfather Obed as he was told the events. Later, it is told from his great grandfather Boaz from his perspective. Biblically accurate, Piper puts the story into a new form that is easy and quick to read.

The poem is a rhyming poem split into four parts. At the end of each part is a prayer that pertains to what was just read. The poem also contains beautiful illustrations by Cory Godbey. Although written as a poem, the book was intriguing to read and hard to put down. I wanted to keep reading to find out what really happened in the story of Ruth.

I would recommend this book to anyone either to read for themselves or to read to their child. It is the companion to A Sweet and Bitter Providence, which takes a more expositional approach to the biblical account.

Eat, Pray, Love

In her memoir Eat, Pray, Love, Elizabeth Gilbert takes us back through her year long journey through Italy, India, and Indonesia. After a messy divorce and deep depression, she takes a vow of celibacy and goes off searching for pleasure, devotion, and balance. Seeking to find herself, she spends four months in each location, introducing us to the people she meets along the way. Not only are we able to meet the people she has met, but we also get to know the places she visits as if we had been there ourselves. Everything and everyone, from the people to the places and events, becomes memorable.
Split into three books, 36 chapters each, she describes her travels, the people she meets, the food she eats, where she stays, and even her thoughts. Bluntly honest, she holds nothing back. From her personal thoughts to the interactions between people, nothing is hidden. Sharing her triumphs as well as her struggles, we meet a real woman who is doing the unthinkable.
Gilbert writes this book as if we are right there with her, not as if the trip is already over. Her prose is very easy to understand and is written from her view. I would recommend this book to anyone college age or above because of some of the content. There is foul language throughout the book and aspects of sex are mentioned, but not graphically. While it is not a Christian book, it does mention God several times. Eat, Pray, Love was a winner as soon as I read the first chapter. I loved it and could not put it down!