Son of Hamas by Mosab Hassan Yousef

I was excited about this book from the moment I requested a copy for review. The book jacket description alone was exciting. A book by the son of one of the founders of Hamas. A book in which he explains what it's like to to grow up inside Hamas. A book in which he tells about his experience working as an agent for the Shin Bet, spying on the very Hamas leaders he had grown up respecting. A book in which he shows what it's really like in Palestine. I couldn't wait to get it in my hands.

Once the book arrived, I couldn't put it down. Really. I devoured the book in two days. I would have read it all in one day, but I had to work and sleep at some point. Without being overly dramatic, Mosab Hassan Yousef describes the major events in his life that lead him from birth to rebirth as a follower of Jesus Christ. He shares how his father's passion for the people of Palestine and his passion for sharing the Qu'ran and Allah with those people lead him to found Hamas with six other men. How his father's intentions for Hamas were as a political organization, with the task of making the plight of the Palestinian people a little easier.

Yousef also discusses his time in jail and how he decided to work for the Shin Bet. He talks about how the Shin Bet sent him to school to get his Bachelor's degree, and how this lead him to a Bible study. His Christian friends loved him, regardless of the who he was or what he believed. This is how he was exposed to the love and grace of Jesus Christ.

I highly enjoyed this book. It was a great insight into the real Hamas, the real Palestinian Authority, the real reason there has been no one able to find peace in the Middle East. I highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone. It will be an eye opening description of a troubled region.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Tyndale.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Up Next for Review

So, while I don't think I have any really devoted followers of the blog yet, I hope to someday. Maybe someday I'll get a few people that love what I write about, or how I write, or just like to stop in and laugh at the weird woman who actually thinks people want to hear what she has to say. Good grief. What a run-on.

It is with hope that someone wants to know what I think, that I made I think is a good decision. I have decided that after completing a review and posting it here, I'll then post the next book I'm reviewing. As a sort of teaser. We'll see how long it lasts, because it will totally be dependent upon there being a next book. I've learned that the two blog review programs I'm part of right now don't always have books available. It's kind of a downer, but I can't really complain, because I'm still getting free books. Awesome!

So, the next book I'm reviewing is....Son of Hamas by Mosab Hassan Yousef. Here's a link to the product page on Tyndale's website: http://tinyurl.com/32f4yo4

Then Sings My Soul Special Edition by Robert J. Morgan

I love singing. I love singing in the shower, in the car on the way to work, in the car on the way home, over the tv at random moments and in church as part of my worship. I've been singing since I could make noise. Because I love to sing, I automatically love music. My love for music had me jumping at the chance to review this book.

Each song in Robert J. Morgan's special edition gets two pages. One page has a hymnal style version of the song, and the other has information regarding the song. Each explanation page starts with a verse in the Bible that the song is related to, either as inspiration or as a verse one thinks of while singing the song. Then, there is a brief background of the writer, along with an explanation of the known inspiration for the song. Historical items are discussed and intertwined with the explanations.

While this book could have gone too cutesy with the song explanations, it instead keeps it moving without making things overly emotional. Anyone who loves church music will love this book. I highly recommend it to anyone.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Slayed by NaNoWriMo

So, I'm done with NaNoWriMo. At least this year. It was a bit too daunting a task with everything we've got going on. The first few days I was on fire! I was writing like a maniac, and enjoying it. Then, I hit Thursday. I don't think I wrote a single word. By the time Friday got here, I was over it. I still love the concept, I just can't do it right now.

Dear Hubby suggested that I wait for a quieter month in our lives. I'm thinking maybe Lent would be a good time to write. It might even give me inspiration that is more divine in nature. Who knows? All I know is that NaNoWriMo quickly kicked me in the rear and sent me on my way. Running. In horror. Okay, maybe not in horror, but I do know that it definitely kicked me in the pants. Kudos to all those writers still plugging away. I sadly am not one of them. Not this year anyway.

Day One Done

Day one of NaNoWriMo is done. Although I don't plan on updating the blog daily with how it's going, I couldn't help but write just a snippet on the first day. After completing two assignments for creative writing before class, I wasn't sure how much more writing I had in me. Well, apparently I had 1,847 words worth left. I think I could actually write more tonight, but I'm tired. Today was a long day, and so was yesterday. So far so good with this new project. Here's hoping I can keep going just as strong. Only 48,153 words to go. I've already lowered the average number of words I have to write per day.

Way to go Day One!