- A Wall Street Finance Lawyer Stumbles Into the Arms of a Loving God

by Dale S. Recinella

Can I just say that if I’ve read a book recently that should be turned into a true life movie then this is probably it. The book is extremely well written, all in the first person, with real emotion and honesty at its heart. The story of a committed catholic man that gave his life to Jesus and never really looked back but instead kept listening through the good times and the bad times, through riches and on into abject poverty, following his heart to serve. It’s not just his story though, it’s the story of his family too, from his earliest family to his wife and children, and finally to his wider family – the people he ministers to - the lost, lonely, disturbed, dying and finally the prisoners and death row inmates.
This is his story and their story but most of all what comes through in this book is Dale’s firm belief that this is most of all Jesus’ story in his life. It’s a profound book for that reason and so very easy to read, but it will make you question the depth of your own commitment to living Jesus’ story in your life – and perhaps that’s not at all a bad thing to ponder on.

Review by Melanie Carroll (04/05/12)

Paperback
Price: £9.99
Publisher: Chosen imprint of Baker Pub from Lion
Published: June 2011
ISBN: 978-0-800-79505-4

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Internal Revolution

- One Man’s Incredible Journey From near Death to New Life

by Rob Joy

I've read several of these from drugs-to-Jesus stories, but I've loved them every time. This particular one is told by Rob Joy, and I really admire the frankness of his writing. I find it amazing that he has been healed to such an extent that he can write all that pain and suffering down. He reminds me of Christine Caine, a speaker for Hillsong; a woman who went through much abuse and pain as a small girl, yet God healed her so much that she is actually able to speak about it to crowds of thousands and communicates similar profound messages of hope and inspiration. The future did seem utterly bleak for Rob at one point, and I found myself wondering how on earth he would recover from his continual drug use. His descriptions of senselessly beating people up, hooliganism, and jail, are very vivid, yet Rob's transformation as a Christian is much shorter, and not described with quite the same attention to detail. Perhaps I would have liked to have seen a little bit more of this next stage of Rob's life, but as I said, the story is so personal. Rob mentioned that Nicky Cruz's story was an influence to him, and so hopefully Rob's story will be an influence to his old crowd and ex-jail mates, and those he hasn't met who may yet still change their lives around after reading his words.

Review by Alice Collins (04/05/12)

Paperback
Price: £7.99
Publisher: Authentic Media
Published: Spring 2012
ISBN: 978-1-860-24854-2

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God’s Rich Pattern

- Meditations for When Our Faith is Shaken

by Lin Berwick

There’s no mistaking Lin Berwick’s courage and tenacity as you read the story of her life in the face of multiple disabilities. In spite of those disabilities (that she describes in some detail), she worked as a telephonist for a city bank, in hospital radio at Moorfields Eye Hospital, as a counselor and consultant and for a number of charities. With the support of her dearly loved husband, Ralph, she set up a care foundation, which now runs two purpose built holiday homes, in Norfolk and East Lothian.
She qualified as a Methodist local preacher, and was proud to hear herself referred to at her commissioning as ‘an audio-visual aid for God’. She featured on ‘This Is Your Life’ on TV. But then tragedy struck, with Ralph’s long suffering with Parkinson’s disease and subsequent death. This caused a ‘spiritual breakdown’. God and Christ had been Lin’s ‘rock’, ‘the very bricks and cornerstone of every aspect of my life’. But now her deep depression left her ‘spiritually dead’, ‘truly in a spiritual desert. ‘I couldn’t even call out to God, let alone know his presence.’
It takes some courage for her, as a preacher, to admit this. I’d like to think her honesty may actually be a help to some readers who are going through a similar experience, but don’t like to admit it. Anyway, Lin testifies that the very writing of this book may be ‘an expression of my owning that God is still there’. ‘My solid piece of mountainous rock may now only be a small boulder, but it’s still there, and to me that’s most important.’
There is a ‘thought’ in each of the 37 short chapters, consistently affirming that we all face challenges, and encouraging us to be ‘brave and bold’, even in the inevitable dark valleys, which are part of ‘God’s rich pattern’. Each chapter then concludes with a prayer. Lin candidly admits that she cannot pray for herself at present but that she can pray for other people. I am sure many people will find these brief prayers for patience, strength and guidance uplifting, feeling that Lin really knows what they are experiencing.
I found it an inspiring book.

Review by Barry Vendy (19/04/12)

Paperback
Price: £9.99
Publisher: SPCK (Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge)
Published: February 2012
ISBN: 978-0-281-06709-1

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Finding My Voice

- Playing the Fool and Other Triumphs

by Jonathan Veira

This is fresh, larger-than-life story of a winsome, gifted, earthy talent. Jonathan Veira is a gifted, poignant, humorous individual and the talent of this man translates well in the detail of this good read. It’s big hearted. Moving and pacey in its writing, and despite not being an opera fan, I found it really engaging especially with Veira's honesty about what’s glorious and what’s grim! Full of joy and a vibrant walk with God.

Review by Johnny Douglas (14/04/12)

Paperback
Price: £7.99
Publisher: Monarch imprint of Lion Hudson
Published: March 2012
ISBN: 978-0-857-21169-9

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Where Love Leads You

by Ruth Stranex Deeth

Ruth writes well and this keeps you reading. She tells briefly of her early life, how the family emigrated from the UK to South Africa and how after school and training as a nurse she came to London to be interviewed for a job with BCMS (Bible Churchmen’s Missionary Society now known as Crosslinks.) They sent her back to Africa, to the Pokot tribe. These were a nomadic people who wandered freely across the Kenya/Uganda border and so of necessity did the missionaries. Her destination was a ‘bush hospital’ at Amudat and her description of the journey there and her subsequent life there taught me about the conditions the Pokot people, and the missionaries who served them, lived in and about the nature of the countryside around them. Ten years later she was caught up in the deportations of the Idi Amin government and found herself back in London with little more than the clothes she stood up in.
After a time in the UK, her next posting was to Tanzania, not back to her beloved Amudat, but this new hospital at Murgwanza, pronounced she helpfully writes as ‘Mu-ru-gwanza,’ was much larger and more advanced and was recognised by the government as the ‘designated District Hospital’ which meant more staff, better equipment and more facilities. She was never as happy here as she had been at Amudat and was pleased when after some training in communications, she was moved to Mwanza to start a cassette ministry. She had no idea what that involved but ten years later, when politics again intervened and she was instructed to return to the UK, this fledgling ministry had grown to reach many many people. But the story doesn’t end there, and these final pages are just as interesting to read as the ones that have gone before!

Review by Mary Bartholomew (12/04/12)

Paperback
Price: £8.50
Publisher: Onwards and Upwards Publishing
Published: Spring 2012
ISBN: 978-1-907-50939-1

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Tough Talk

- True Stories of East London Hard Men

by Arthur White & Ian McDowall

Originally published in 2000
This is a gripping autobiographical style approach to introducing the great ministry of Tough Talk. You can tell the story is written from personal struggles and triumph and both stories take you through a time you are very glad to have not known these guys through to a time when you wish you knew them personally. Without over-glorifying the times they didn't know God both stories take you into the seedy world of East End London and the temptations and vices that accompany it. Ultimately it's great to see how God worked in each of their individual lives and started the unique ministry for which they are so well experienced and equipped.

Review by Barry Mason (10/04/12)

Paperback
Price: £7.99
Publisher: Authentic Media
Published: 2011
ISBN: 978-1-860-24823-8

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From Ashes to Healing by Betty Burke
ISBN: 978-1-905-99160-0 Price: £7.99	Published: 26 October 2010
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Out of the Ashes - The Restoration of a Burned Boy by Peter Gladwin with Jan Greenhough
ISBN: 978-1-854-24992-0 Price: £7.99	Published: 21 October 2011
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From Beach Hut to Palace - A Story of Church Repurposed by James Galloway
ISBN: 978-1-908-39300-5 Price: £7.99	Published: May 2011
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Amazing Encounters With God - Stories to Open Your Eyes to His Power by Clayton King
ISBN: 978-0-736-93776-4 Price: £7.99	Published: January 2011
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Shadows on the Journey by Alan Abernethy
ISBN: 978-1-856-07736-1 Price: £8.50	Published: 30 September 2011
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A Boy, A Journey, A Dream - The Story of Bazil Meade and the London Community Gospel Choir by Bazil Meade and Jan Greenough
ISBN: 978-1-854-24998-2 Price: £9.99	Published: September 2011
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Son of the Underground - The Story of Isaac Liu, Son of Brother Yun, The Heavenly Man. by Isaac Liu with Albrecht Kaul
ISBN: 978-0-857-21199-6 Price: £6.99	Published: 20 January 2012
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My God is True! - Lessons Learned Along Cancer's Dark Road by Paul D Wolfe
ISBN: 978-1-848-71044-3 Price: £6.25	Published: 14 September 2009
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Angels and Heroes - True Stories From the Front Line by Robert D. Lesslie MD
ISBN: 978-0-736-93775-7 Price: £12.99	Published: 2011
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Pevsner -The Early Life: Germany and Art by Stephen Games
ISBN: 978-1-441-19093-2 Price: £10.99	Published: 09 September 2011
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In My Dreams, I Can Dance - A Story of Triumph over Tragedy by Ann Foster
ISBN: 978-0-924-74892-9 Price: £9.99	Published: July 2008
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Through My Eyes - A Husbands Diary of Faith, Hope, Love & Loss by Stephen Hackney
ISBN: 978-1-850-78955-0 Price: £8.99	Published: June 2011
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The Grace Effect - How the Power of Our Life Can Reverse the Corruption of Unbelief by Larry Taunton
ISBN: 978-1-595-55440-6 Price: £10.99	Published: 15 November 2011
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Another Man’s War - The True Story of One Man's Battle to Save Children in the Sudan by Sam Childers
ISBN: 978-1-595-55424-6 Price: £9.99	Published: October 2011
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