Book Review: The Story Peddler

The Story Peddler is the first novel in The Weaver Trilogy and although it did take a while to really get going, it was an enjoyable read overall.

This is a classic fantasy tale of mystery, of good versus evil, of self-discovery, of friendship, of family and of love. We follow the fierce and determined heroine Tanwen on her perilous journey towards the truth, meeting plenty of other likeable and interesting characters along the way, especially Princess Braith.

It was the unique style of magic that particularly kept me hooked and drew me in. Tanwen’s gift of storytelling is a visible weaving together of colourful, fluid story strands to form a solid crystal image which is wonderful and was intriguing enough to hold my attention until the rest of the plot and the characters developed more fully to keep my fingers turning the pages.The pace of the narrative picks up considerably in the second half of the book until the final confrontation with the enemy when the truth is finally revealed.

Throughout the book, I particularly liked the idea that ‘art has a way of revealing truth’, that the creation of beauty as a means of revealing truth cannot ultimately be suppressed. There is also a recognisable Christian element which is woven very well into the fabric of the story, another subtle strand that helps to create a world and an adventure with meaningful layers.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #GileadPublishing for the review copy of #TheStoryPeddler. I would be happy to recommend this book and look forward to reading the next in the series.

Book Review: Invitation To Retreat, Ruth Haley Barton

Invitation to Retreat - Ruth Haley Barton

The idea of spiritual retreat isn’t an overly familiar one to most of us. It is perhaps particularly alien to those of us within a Protestant church culture.

Despite this, I love the idea of retreat but I’ve yet to figure out a way to do it well which is why I guess, this book appeals to me - it is a source of guidance on a subject that isn’t readily available to me elsewhere. The ‘view notes and marks’ tab for it on my Kindle now contains thirty nine highlighted sentences and paragraphs, so the ink on page equivalent would mean that if it was a print copy, I wouldn’t be lending it to anyone, ever. It would feel like I’m giving too much of myself away and besides, the whole point of retreat is that God is the only one who gets to turn the pages of our inner narrative. It’s a very personal invitation. Trust me, you will want to do plenty of your own underlining and highlighting.

‘Invitation To Retreat’ draws attention to the importance of having extended periods of time alone with God in order to give him our complete attention. It is inviting us to consider the benefit of finding, or rather making the time for retreat because if we do not, in some form or other, it can ultimately be detrimental to our spiritual health.

Us introverts are OK with a fairly high degree of silence and solitude, key aspects of a retreat obviously, although I’d be interested to see what my tolerance level might practically be but no matter how we are wired as people, introverts or extroverts, as Christians we know we need time alone with God and that is not always easy to achieve.

‘How am I supposed to find extra time, extended time what’s more?’ I hear you exclaim.

Yes I do hear you and so does the author Ruth Haley Barton but that’s exactly the point she is making. The introductory sections headed, ‘Strategic Withdrawal’, ‘Just Flop Down’ and ‘The Sources of Our Exhaustion’ point out that there is too much filling the hours of our days - too much activity and too much noise. Following chapters help us consider what retreat means and how to practise it with wisdom and care. We need time for listening, for discernment and prayer, for it is in returning to God that we find rest.

One thing I do know myself from my own limited experience of retreat is that it can be a surprising experience, to say the least. God doesn’t always meet us in ways that we expect and that can be daunting. This book is a great resource, not only for it’s practical advice and gentle wisdom but it can help us find the courage to seek God and be prepared for an encounter with him.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #IVP for the review copy of this book

#InvitationTo Retreat #RuthHaleyBarton