The Skeptic's Guide to the Universe by Dr. Steven Novella et al

In this era of “fake news,” misleading information and biased reporting, how can you know what to believe? Novella says there is a process that one can develop to evaluate claims to truth. Science is part of that process, as is logic and philosophy.

Novella helps readers understand how thinking skills are developed. He looks at tons of examples of misleading or just plain false information and how it is evaluated. I have to admit that I had been duped in a couple of the examples he gives, such as the truth about GMO. Perhaps the evidence given is only one sided. Perhaps unsubstantiated claims are presented as scientifically true. As he says in the fake news chapter, “The best solution for all of us is to apply a high degree of critical thinking and skepticism to any issue.” (383)

The only part of the book I didn't like dealt with religion. Novella does not believe in the supernatural so debunks anything related to Christianity.

He is not shy at naming shysters and people making claims that science has long ago proven untrue. One that comes to mind is turmeric. What about your aunt who is convinced turmeric is a wonder drug? Convincing someone of the truth is difficult when deep emotions are involved. He writes, “...facts [are] simply not enough to change people's minds.” (7)

Yes, this is a big book of some 500 pages. It took me all of the three weeks my library offers to read it. But I am glad I did. I now have a better understanding of how to determine the truth of claims. I recommend the book.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

Dr. Steven Novella is a recognized science education. He is an academic clinical neurologist at Yale University School of Medicine. He authors the award-winning NeuroLogica blog and is senior editor of Science-Based Medicine. He is host and producer of the weekly science podcast, The SkepticsGuide to the Universe.

Cowriters Bob Novella, Cara Santa Maria, Jay Novella, and Evan Bernstein bring their unique personalities to the podcast and this book.

Grand Central Publishing, 512 pages.

The Nowhere Man by Gregg Hurwitz

This is the second in a series featuring Evan, a highly trained black ops assassin. He decided to get out of the work in the first novel, Orphan X. I liked that novel because it had several of Evan's experiences of helping people who were in desperate situations without any resources.

This novel is different and pits Evan against a single foe, a very wealthy man. While there are many exciting and suspenseful scenes in this novel, the overall plot was not very interesting. Evan is held captive and tries to escape...several times. That seemed repetitive to me. There were also a number of odd characters, almost too much so.

The whole plot did not seem to go along with the course set in Orphan X. I liked Evan as a helper of the helpless. In this novel, it is Evan who must be helped. The situation just did not seem to move Evan forward as a character. There is one more novel in this series. Because I liked Orphan X so much, I'll give the next one a try. If this had been the first novel I had read in the series I am not sure I would have read another.

My rating: 3/5 stars.

Gregg Hurwitz is the author of twenty thrillers. His novels have won many literary awards and have been published in thirty languages. He has written screenplays and television scripts for many major studios and networks. He lives in Los Angeles.

St. Martin's Press, 432 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

Orphan X by Gregg Hurwitz

I really liked this over the top thriller. What's not to like? There is a great hero, Evan. He's a super trained secret black ops assassin for the government. But he is a man with a conscious. When he realizes his latest assignment is one that should not be, he wants out. He thinks he's made it safely and takes up doing good for others in desperate need. But soon a betrayal puts his life in danger and he has no idea who is after him or why.

Evan has been highly trained so he has all kinds of high tech gadgets. It's almost like 007 on steroids. There are so many suspenseful scenes I had to stop and take a breath from time to time. And just when I thought Evan was all machine with no emotion, a hint of romance drops into his life.

I recommend this novel to readers who like a high tech, well trained assassin type of thriller. Some of the action might have been over the top but it was a good read.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

Gregg Hurwitz is the author of twenty thrillers. His novels have won many literary awards and have been published in thirty languages. He has written screenplays and television scripts for many major studios and networks. He lives in Los Angeles.

St. Martin's Press, 416 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

Virgil Wander by Leif Enger

There was some interesting action at the beginning and end of this novel but I found most of it slow moving and rather boring. The novel starts with an auto accident and rescue. Virgil Wander experiences a concussion from the accident. We follow his life as he recuperates and interacts with small town characters.

If I had not agreed to review this novel, I don't think I would have finished it. I will not review a book I have not read so did continue to the end. I asked myself many times what the point of the novel could possibly be. I did find out quite a bit about the possible effects of a concussion, about classic films, and about handmade kites. There were some interesting characters in the book but it was hard to identify any growth or change in them. None of them was developed to the point that I really liked the individual or could empathize with their problem.

Enger's writing style was mostly long passages of prose, such as descriptions or memories of background material. I prefer characters acting and speaking to move the plot forward. There were a few good scenes, some tender moments, and even some humor but the plot overall did not captivate me.

My rating: 3/5 stars.

Leif Enger was raised in Osakis, Minnesota, and worked as a reporter and producer for Minnesota Public Radio for nearly twenty years. He lives on a farm in Minnesota with his wife and two sons.

Atlantic Monthly Press, 352 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

Once We Were Strangers by Shawn Smucker

Sometimes putting a human experience to an issue clarifies it. Such is the case here. We read of Mohammad, his wife and their sons. They escaped from Syria in 2012. He knew staying in the country would mean their death. They rode a bus part way with other refugees, ultimately walking through the wilderness into Jordan and into a barbed wire enclosed tented refugee camp. All Mohammad wanted was a good life for his family, free from the threat of death. But so did a million other refugees. Four years later Mohammad was in the United States and met Shawn Smucker.

I like how Smucker tells the story, starting with his initially meeting Mohammad. As a friendship develops, he reveals Mohammad's story of being a refugee and coming to America. He writes of the challenges refugees face. Besides learning a new language is finding work, finding a doctor, adjusting to all the new customs, on and on. Through it all Mohammad is full of hope, positive, friendly and so hospitable.

This is a good book for people who are afraid of Muslims and don't understand their need to find a safe place in America. This is a good account of a Syrian family trying to make their way in Jordan and then in the U.S. It is a good example of friendship and of how Christians can show love to others. There are discussion questions included so this would make a good choice for a reading group.

You can read an excerpt here.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

Shawn Smucker is the author of the young adult novels The Day the Angels Fell and The Edge of Over There. He lives with his wife and six children in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. You can find out more at www.shawnsmucker.com.

Revell, 208 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

Day by Day Through the Gospel of John compiled and edited by Lance Wubbels

Writing styles have changed over the years. Rarely do I read a contemporary Christian book on spiritual growth I would describe as heavy or deep. Books on Christian growth seemed more meaty a few generations ago.

Wubbels has gathered some of that meaty material for the current generation. He has gleaned insights on the Gospel of John from some of the greatest expository teachers and preachers from the past. Names like Charles Spurgeon and Andrew Murray are among them. Wubbels has worked on Spurgeon's material before and it is no surprise devotions by Spurgeon are more frequent than any of the other authors listed in the short biographies of the contributors at the beginning of the collection.

This book is a devotional and not a verse by verse commentary on John. There are many gaps in the Scripture covered. I was surprised, for example, that there were no readings on John 8:13-15, John 8:17-28, John 8:37-38, John 8:56-57 nor John 9:17-19 just to name a few. Some passages have no devotional reading while others have more than one.

As is often the case with a collection of a variety of authors, the readings differ in intensity and insight. Nonetheless, I do appreciate this collection of readings. It is a good devotional and a good way to be introduced to classic biblical scholars. Unfortunately, there is no listing of source material so if you find an author's work of interest, there is no way of knowing from what book the material was gleaned.

I recommend this devotional to readers who don't mind if that one passage you were looking forward to reading about is missing and you don't mind if you cannot easily pursue an author you like. There is much good material included on many passages in John that will be daily inspiration for a year.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

Lance Wubbels served as the managing editor of Bethany House Publishers for eighteen years. He then went into literary development for a design firm and now runs his own literary service to publishers and authors. He is the author of many fiction and nonfiction books and has won the Angel Award and two Gold Medallion awards from the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association. He has compiled or edited several book on Charles Spurgeon's writings. He and his wife live in Bloomington, Minnesota.

Bethany House Publishers, 384 pages.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

Next Level Thinking by Joel Osteen

If you are looking for a book to encourage you to be the best you can be, to be the person God created you to be, and to break through your self imposed limits, this is the book for you. Osteen encourages you to not settle for less than God has for you. He wants you to quit your excuses and your limited thinking and instead believe what God says is true of you.

Osteen is very positive. He reminds readers that God has provided all we need to accomplish what He has called us to do. (2 Peter 1:3) God has given us talents and we need to use them. We can't pick the talents we want. Instead we trust God's sovereignty. And obstacles? Sometimes God lets them get big so when He moves there is no doubt it was Him. (Think Lazarus.)

I like that Osteen has founded his positive message firmly on Scripture. He uses many biblical passages and stories as the basis for his teachings. He is strong on our knowing who we are in Christ and then living that truth. We are forgiven and loved. We no longer have shame. Our value is not in our achievements but rather in being a child of God. Yes, we'll make mistakes but God is working in us and He is not finished yet.

I recommend this book to Christians who want encouragement to break through wrong thinking and start believing what God says is true of you.

You can watch the book trailer and download the first chapter here.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

Joel Osteen is the author of ten New York Times bestsellers and the senior pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston. He lives in Houston with his wife and their children. You can find out more at www.joelosteen.com.

FaithWords, 224 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

The Sparkle Effect by Kristen Dalton Wolfe

Perhaps you've met a woman who just sparkles. She has a radiance and joy on the inside that shines out. Wolfe says it is the sparkle that comes when a woman has experienced Jesus as an identity transformer. She is a woman who is becoming who God created her to be.

Wolfe helps us understand how that sparkle comes to be. She covers each of 31 qualities in as many chapters. These are qualities of a woman who sparkles. She should know. She was Miss USA in 2009.

Some of the qualities she covers are ones I expected, such as makeup and clothing. But there were several qualities that surprised me. Finding your dream was one. She suggests God will give you a vision of what he wants you to accomplish. She even includes a number of questions to help readers discover their passions and ultimately their dream. Another was having a childlike wonder, something we often lose as we grow older. Other surprising qualities included resilience, confidence, focus, humility, and wisdom. My favorite was being God-centered. Even the chapter on clothing emphasized dressing to express your essence rather than to make an impression.

I am impressed with level of insight and maturity Wolfe evidences in this book. I thought maybe this book would reflect the shallow thoughts of a beauty queen. I was happily surprised to find the author is a thoughtful, well read committed Christian who is more concerned about our inner spiritual condition than outward appearance. And she is practical. She includes great questions for reflection and suggestions for action. She also provides a prayer at the end of each chapter as well as Scripture passages relating to the topic.

I recommend this book to teens and career age women who desire to sparkle with inner beauty, expressing their true identity in Christ. You'll find good inspiration and a practical strategy for transforming growth. This is a book you can read time and again along your journey.

Food for thought: “There is nothing more sparkle-infusing than spending time with God and basking in His love.” (Loc 1794/3835)

My rating: 5/5 stars.

Kristen Dalton Wolfe is a former Miss USA and the founder of SheIsMore.com, an inspirational online magazine that impacts more than 400,000 readers every month. She is a television host, personal coach, motivational speaker, and appears in global advertising campaigns. She and her husband live in Los Angeles with their daughter. You can find out more at http://sheismore.com/.

FaithWords, 320 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.