Christian book reviews, Rob Seabrook, Recent Reads

Touch The Earth – Drew Jackson

This is a truly powerful collection of poems, thought provoking, poignant and hard hitting. There is an honesty in the writing that cuts through…

Long Way Gone – Charles Martin

This novel is engaging from the offset as we begin a journey of discovering the main character’s fascinating back story. It is a loose…

Truly, Truly, I Say to You – Adam Ramsey

This is a devotional going through the book of John, in 42 parts making it ideal for Lent. As well as the usual format…

Unjoy – Len Lantz

In the US there are apparently 7 million Christians with depression, so no doubt there are proportionally similarly large numbers across other countries. Depression…

Generation Care – Peter Coates

Kindness seems to have been a topic of conversation over recent years, but in my view there is still not enough evidence that the…

Sixteen Years in Care – David Meader

All too often we have heard stories about the care system detailing horrendous abuse, by individuals and by institutions. It is probably rarely shared…

Five Minute Devotions for Teens – Laura L Smith

Reading through this devotional, specifically written for young adults, it is clear that the author has an understanding of teens, the issues and challenges…

The Wanderer Reborn – Natasha Woodcraft

The first book in this series, The Wanderer Scorned, expands on what the life of Cain may have been like, immediately post the Fall,…

The Wonders of Creation – Kristen Page

The Wonders of Creation is a set of three essays exploring our attitudes to creation through the consideration of imagined worlds, namely those created…

Do Dogs Go To Heaven? – Nev Green and Mark Stibbe

Losing a dog, an ever-faithful friend who has offered so much unconditional love, is a trauma I fear having to face. Bruno, our 10…

The First Skyrider – H R Hess

This is becoming a great series for younger readers, set in the wonderfully imagined land with strong descriptions and engaging characters that help you…

Jesus Listens – Sarah Young

This devotional is a great book to encourage children into prayer, to spend time with Jesus, build a relationship with Him and learn how…

The Blessed – Diane Bostick

An interesting, quirky, tale for younger readers, telling the tale of a reunion for some of the animals that were present at the birth…

Jesus, Coffee and Foster Kids – Lisa Baptist

As a foster carer and a Christian, you can understand why this book grabbed my attention ! Fostering can be hard. To open up…

A Call to the Life of the Kingdom – Mark D Hampton

This one is a really interesting idea for a devotional, taking all 111 verses of the Sermon on the Mount and creating a daily…

The Ultimate Christmas Wishlist – Rico Tice

This is just a short book presenting the gospel, the greatest story ever told, in which Jesus is the bringer of hope, peace, purpose…

The Christmas Surprise – Steph Williams

This is such a lovely book for young children, telling the Christmas story in a clear and fun way. It has lots of humour…

God Isn’t Finished With You Yet – Catherine Campbell

If you read my book reviews you will know that I do like a book that that I can learn something from, especially stories,…

Turning Points – Mark A Noll, David Komline, Han-Luen Kantzer Komline

This 4th edition is a really fascinating history of Christianity and the Church, reworked and updated 20 years or so on from the original….

The Unhiding of Elijah Campbell – Kelly Flanagan

Right from the start, in the intriguing Prologue, the reader is pulled in to this story, leaving you desperate to know how it will…

The Continued Times of Isabella M Smugge – Ruth Leigh

This is the third book in Isabella M Smugge series and the storyline remains as engaging as ever. Although on the surface Isabella is…

Keeping Christmas (Volume One) – Various Authors

Keeping Christmas is a collection of six short novellas each loosely written around the theme of castles at Christmas time. In some ways short…

Truth For Life – Alistair Begg

Truth For Life is a 365 day devotional, taking a Bible verse each day, followed by some thoughts from the author, whose wise words…

A Psalm For Every Season – Arnold R Fleagle

Psalms can be a conduit into a place of worship, in our hearts and minds, and this 30 day devotional highlights a selection of…

The Environment – Dave Gobbett

As a part of the Talking Points series from The Good Book Company, this is a quick, short delve into the topic. It is…

The Next Person You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom

Following on from his well-known classic, The Five People You Meet in Heaven, Mitch Albom continues the format following one of the key characters…

Dawn – Cees Dekker, Corien Oranje, Gijsbert van den Brink

Dawn, or “Dawn: A Proton’s Tale of All That Came to Be” to give it the full title, is such an intriguing, quirky concept…

The Baggage Handler – David Rawlings

Traveling is certainly one of life’s pressure points, especially navigating airports, so it is a great setting for exposing the needs of people who…

A Changed Mindset – Dr Althea Phillips

A Changed Mindset is written with the objective to help the reader deepen and grow in their relationship with God, so that they can…

Dream Small – Seth Lewis

In all walks of life there is an underlying attitude that ordinary is dull, second best or worthless. Glory is given to those who…

Draw Near – Sophie Killingley

This is just the sort of support I need. Forming healthy Bible study habits has always been something I have found difficult, and with…

Redeeming Dust – Jacq Marlow

Redeeming Dust is a retelling of the story of Christ’s ministry, told very much with a political slant, mixed up with the religious fanaticism…

Ezekiel’s Song – Naomi Craig

Ezekiel’s Song tells the story of the prophet Ezekiel, and his wife, as they walk a perilous path of faith, following God when those…

Write It On Their Hearts – Chris Swain

‘Being a parent is such an important job’ … sorry if it seems a bit pretentious to quote my own writing, but I wrote…

Courageous Inspirations – Doyvon Montgomery

Courageous Inspirations is a collection of teachings collated from Doyvon’s blog, that offer some short insights and solid teaching on how to lead a…

The Pilgrim – Joy Margetts

Having read The Healing a few months ago, to which this book is the prequel, The Pilgrim offers an opportunity to learn the full…

Nehemiah For You – Eric Mason

This is an excellent study of the book of Nehemiah. It begins with some helpful background as to how the book of Nehemiah fits…

The Gift of Sun Lee – Diane Bostick

This is a delightful story for children, about a little girl in post war China, a time when Christianity was still quite new into…

Becoming Queen Bathsheba – Amanda Bedzrah

This novel takes a key story from the Bible, so often discussed and presented from King David’s point of view, but told here from…

Don’t Fuss, Love God, Don’t Fuss – compiled by Ruth A Bamforth

Ruth has created such a lovely tribute to her father, The Revd Stuart Bamforth, compiling, editing and publishing this collection of teachings from his…

Revelation Explained – K.J. Soze

Despite the introduction recommending that the reader prepares by reading the first book, The Message For The Last Days, I decided to launch in…

The Great Gardener – Jo Claire

As someone who loves to relax by pottering in my garden, this book attracted me from the start. The author uses a lovely picture…

Fanny Crosby – Laura Caputo-Wickham

Fanny Crosby: The Girl Who Couldn’t See But Helped The World To Sing is a lovely children’s book, looking at the life of Fanny…

The Air We Breathe – Glen Scrivener

The Air We Breathe offers a point of view that I had not really encountered or considered before, but probably should have been aware…

Standing In The Storm – Matt McChlery

Matt has quite some story to tell, and he lays it out in this new book that is clearly written and easy to read…

Northern Soul : Football, Punk, Jesus – David O’Brien

It was the book title that grabbed me for this one. You just know it is going to be an unusual and fascinating story,…

Talking to Calippa Cumberland – Chick Yuill

An unusual story with an unusual title, following the main character’s life from a key moment in her childhood, which then provides an anchor…

The Camera Never Lies – David Rawlings

Truth can often be a rarity… real truth and honesty, especially in a family that is heading rapidly towards a cliff edge of being…

Encounters – Rachel Treweek

Encounters, by Rachel Treweek, the Bishop of Gloucester, captures thoughts on the centrality of relationship and community to the Christian faith, clearly a topic…

Refreshed – John Hindley

Refreshed is a book of devotions specifically to take away to read when you are on holiday. Most people take some holiday reading with…