“Empty Promises” review
by V.E. on April 28th, 2012
filed under recap/review, spirituality
Empty Promises: The Truth About You,
Your Desires, and the Lies You’re Believing
By Pete Wilson
Thomas Nelson Publishers
10 April 2012
I feel like I always start these reviews with, “Well, I was interested and the book looked promising, but I was disappointed in the end and I just wanted something more.” Unfortunately, I fear that’s the case with Pete Wilson’s Empty Promises, too. And—pardon the play on words—this book just seemed like it was filled with empty promises.
For whom is this book actually written? From the title, it sounds like I should’ve been more convinced by the author’s argument/explanation (which is, simply put, that Jesus and the god of Abraham are the only way to true happiness) than I actually am now that I’ve finished it. Based on the content of the book, the title is misleading. It’s full of contradictions: Wilson states on one page that humans have no inborn desire for celebrity (and he writes it as though it’s obvious), and yet on the very next page he employs gender essentialism. (Wilson also oh-so-helpfully makes use of ageism and white guilt and infuriatingly misuses the word “jealous” throughout.) He writes that praying brings us closer to the god of Abraham, but beware because praying for prayer’s sake is actually a distraction!
Maybe I should’ve known that this book is for Christians because it was written by a Christian pastor and it deals with spiritual matters, but I was really hoping that it could speak to me, too. In that respect, I wasn’t disappointed, though the things I discovered about myself I doubt the author intended. The premise of Empty Promises is based on the idea that people inherently have an emptiness that only the god of Abraham can fill and that to (attempt to) fill it with anything else is not only foolish but also sinful. I discovered, then, that I don’t believe that people necessarily have an inner emptiness. (I believe it’s possible and certainly many people have feelings of deep emptiness, but I don’t think it’s inherent.)
In roughly the middle of the book, the author tries to debunk the idea that all love is conditional (ie: “If I do [X], God will love me”) and writes that the god of Abraham loves us no matter what, despite our sins and failures and that “adding to the gospel” is actually what makes us think that God’s love has limits/conditions. I discovered (it was quite the 3 AM epiphany, actually, no joke!) that all love is conditional, it’s just that the condition may surprise us. In this case, God’s condition is Jesus. “But God loves people who don’t believe in Jesus, too!” you say. Well, it’s possible (as anything is possible), but according to Christian scripture, Jesus is still the only way to God and everyone else is SOL/going to hell. Is that conditional, or not? You tell me.
“It’s just Jesus,” the author writes, and not “Jesus + _____________”. Is it really so obvious? No, I don’t think it is. Jews, for example, would say that Christianity “adds on” to Jewish scriptures. So, what “counts” as gospel, and what’s been added? Well, if you’re a Protestant, the Book of Mormon has been added. If you’re Jewish, the entire New Testament has been added! Not to mention that Wilson actually adds things himself later in the book: Jesus + patience, or Jesus + knowing [God's] word, or Jesus + keeping [God's] commandments, etc.
Empty Promises raised more questions than it gave answers, and I can’t decide if that was the author’s intention or not. At one point, Wilson asks, “What do you do when your religion isn’t big enough for God?” Now there’s a good question, and I didn’t even have to think of it myself!
DISCLAIMER: I received Empty Promises free from Thomas Nelson Publishers in return for a review of the book. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
Crafting Magick
by V.E. on March 20th, 2012
filed under recap/review, writing
I’ve got a new review up at Eternal Haunted Summer! Please check out my thoughts on Crafting Magick with Pen and Ink, and comment if you so desire, and then read the rest of the issue as well.
Sixty Acres and a Bride
by V.E. on March 15th, 2012
filed under recap/review
Sixty Acres and a Bride
By Regina Jennings
Bethany House Publishers
01 February 2012
Rosa is transplanted from Mexico to Texas with her white mother-in-law, Louise, after her husband and her mother-in-law’s husband are killed in an accident. She cares for her new relatives (and her own family in Mexico had shunned her since her conversion to Christianity), but the town is sharply divided down color lines—whites on one side and brown people on the other.
Rosa and Louise also have to come up with four years worth of taxes before August—in just three months!—or they’ll lose their homestead, a beautiful sixty-acre ranch. They’re willing to work (if there’s something Rosa knows she can do, it’s an honest day’s work), and offers of help come from multiple sectors—some protective and others manipulative, and it’s difficult for Rosa to tell which is which. She’s not used to Texas propriety, “respectable” clothing for women, or the idea that when something bad happens between a man and a woman, the woman is always in the wrong, no matter the situation or how she got there.
I had high hopes for Sixty Acres and a Bride, set in post-Civil War Texas. Rosa is an interesting character, but I really worry when a non-white character is written by a white author. The other characters are appropriately Victorian, but Rosa is virtually out her element, and I’m not sure the author really made her convincing to me. The character tries (mostly in vain) to fit in, but she’s thwarted at every turn by propriety, respectability, even her skin color. Perhaps especially her skin color. Aunt Mary, Louise’s late husband’s cousin’s wife, is inspiring (and not all that tied up in “proper manners for ladies” as Louise is, to my relief), but I have a hard time believing she’d actually give someone like Rosa—someone so different from her—a fighting chance with so much prejudice in the town against her. (I mean, I’m glad she did, but still…)
And the men. Wow. Weston is a gruff-yet-honorable cowboy hiding past pain—he’s a decently-written but completely stereotypical character, even if that stereotype isn’t a poor one. Tillerton is basically (realistically, I’ve found, however unfortunately) a complete opportunistic douchecanoe… er, pardon the language. He’s utterly two-dimensional.
What can I say? It’s a standard Christian romance with a dash of historical fiction for flavor. It’s not bad, and it’s not bad writing, but I wasn’t surprised by or even particularly pleased with the ending. It’s… safe, I guess, and if that’s what you’re looking for, then great. This is the book for you. It won’t make you think about race relations or even really the disparity between what women are “allowed” to do and what men are. It’s great beach reading. I mean, even the good guy, Weston, sits at a kitchen table watching Rosa work and thinks, (italics mine)
… but that wasn’t all that captured his attention. The broad neck on her blouse exposed more skin than he was used to seeing before evening—and then only if the ladies were dressed for a social. As [Rosa] scrubbed against the stubborn drip of beans, he noticed her delicate collarbone, which was exposed to the very point it met her curved shoulder. And the hollow at the base of her neck… really! How did Mexican men get anything done during the day if all their womenfolk flitted around the kitchen dressed like that?
Yes, how indeed? -_- If the good guy is thinking things so, well… so not good, what hope is there for the rest of the characters to treat women fairly? Someone might point out that it’s historical fiction, but the author—as was her prerogative—already tossed out a lot of the history in favor of a good romance. In that case, why not make things more fair for women?… unless the author actually believes that women and men are truly the gender roles society prescribes for them upon their births?
DISCLAIMER: I received Sixty Acres and a Bride free from LitFuse Publicity in return for a review of the book. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Read other reviews and learn more about the book on the blog tour’s main page.
Ascent from Darkness
by V.E. on March 14th, 2012
filed under recap/review, spirituality
Ascent from Darkness:
How Satan’s Soldier Became God’s Warrior
By Michael Leehan
Thomas Nelson Publishers
04 October 2011
This book has been sitting in my room for months after receiving it, waiting for me to do something with it. I chose it because I’ve been learning about the god Lucifer recently, and was interested to learn if a story with a Christian end could have a non-hateful view of other things non-Christian. Well… not so much, it turns out.
I finally sat down and read it and… well, sorry, Mr. Leehan, but I’m kind of not impressed. Ascent from Darkness is a kind of personal testimony to how far a person can “fall” and still experience the saving power of Christ’s grace. While it’s clear that the author needed saving, I don’t think a lot of the things he considered to be “Satan’s soldiering” actually are. As someone who’s not a Christian, it’s easy for me to have this view because (1) I actually think Lucifer might be a decent guy, and (2) I don’t have any investment in any god saving me from anything, even myself.
The story follows Michael Leehan’s struggle with depression, addiction, and poor behavior (generally speaking). I wouldn’t go so far as to say it involved spiritual warfare, but he certainly thought that after the fact, and I can’t argue with his feelings, so I’ll say this: a lot of shitty things were done to him as a child. He didn’t feel loved. He was abused. I sympathize. Truly, that really sucks.
But then he grew up and instead of asking for help or trying to prove all those horrible adults wrong or even taking revenge on them (all reasonable reactions, I’d say, though they all come from different human needs), he instead made a lot of shitty decisions on his own (who hasn’t? I mean, really)—some because he was depressed, some because he was arrogant, some because he was scared—and now he’s blaming those decisions on Satan? And his subsequent decision to stop making poor decisions on his conversion to Christianity? Wow. Way to take responsibility for your own actions, man. Good job.
I mean, Leehan’s life was in a downward spiral toward complete self-destruction, so anything that saved him from that is a good thing. I just think that he didn’t give himself enough credit for the positive changes he made in his own life. Then again, he didn’t really take credit for all the crappy things either, so I guess that’s par for the course.
DISCLAIMER: I received Ascent from Darkness free from Thomas Nelson Publishers in return for a review of the book. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
Maelstrom 1-4
by V.E. on March 11th, 2012
filed under anime/manga, recap/review
So I found out last week two weeks ago (sheesh; where did the time go?) that Yaoi Press is returning to printed graphic novels and
I. AM. SO. EXCITED.
Seriously. I am so excited about this. I thought it called for a review of a great Yaoi Prose story, Maelstrom by Yamila Abraham with illustrations by Himitsu Studio. I’ve got the first four (out of eight) chapters sitting here waiting to be written up, so here we go!
First things first, as usual: Maelstrom is explicit yaoi. If you don’t know what that means, find out before you continue. (Who knows, you might like it!) It’s generally not-safe-for-work adult material… but that’s never stopped me from reading the like at work, so if you have an awesome workplace and/or an office to yourself, it might not matter. ^_^
All right, so: a quick summary of the first four chapters. Demerti steps off the ship onto Secren—a Wild West-esque mining planet devoid of women—and immediately experiences a disconcerting-yet-heated attraction to a man standing on the platform. Demetri’s straight, but—as his computer translator, Brainbox, tells him—Earthlings on Secren are struck with Lightning just as often as natives are. Determined to remain a Celibate, Demetri ignores the man, Malstrum, and heads deeper into the planet to set up his own mining operation. Complications arise (of course), and Demetri finds himself fighting for his own life (mostly unsuccessfully) until Malstrum, once (but no longer) the most successful mine boss on the planet, shows up to save him. Their attraction deepens until Demetri can no longer deny his feelings and he submits to Malstrum. All this while holding down a mining operation, finding miners to work with them, divvying up scarce rations, and warning off roadside bandits.
A few lines from the fourth chapter are my favorite so far. After Demetri submits to Malstrum, he expresses his disgust at other men who can “stick with a fucking rapist” and Malstrum points out that Secren isn’t as nice as Earth. Demetri says that if rape is what works on Secren, then fine, but when someone rapes an Earthling, it can destroy him (or her). Malstrum gently corrects him by saying,
Everyone wants to be the alpha. It’s a joke in the beginning. Eventually they want to mate and fight each other to decide. It’s kind of agreed on, you know? If I beat you, you’re getting fucked and I’m the alpha. If you beat me, I’m going to have to take it…No one wants to beat their lover half to death. Lightning ends up being a curse. You know that’s what you’re headed for, and it kills you. When you see those few guys who say, ‘I’ll take your brand. I’ll be the beta,’ it’s so beautiful it makes you cry. Everyone celebrates. The beta becomes the hero. Everyone’s jealous of the alpha. And they have the best marriages. No strife between them. No resentment.
I read that and thought to myself, “Yes! Thank you! Exactly!” and I was so angry that chapter 4 ended shortly thereafter because it meant writing up this review before I could continue reading the story. Gah. (Haha; is it bad that even when I’m reading porn, I still want a good plot? Is it obvious by now?) And yes, there is some heated loving going on between Malstrum and Demetri, so explicit yaoi lovers have no fear: the hot guy/guy sex is definitely there. (Woo, I made a rhyme!)
In any case, I highly recommend this story. It’s one of Abraham’s better ones, in my opinion, and completely worth the (inexpensive) cost. You can even read free previews of chapters 1, 3, and 4 before you buy so you know you’re getting quality.
Maelstrom is available on Amazon Kindle; you can get a Kindle application/program free for your computer even if you don’t own any ereader or iPad-type device. The first chapter is roughly 25 pages for just $1.49; chapter 2 is 29 pages for $2.99; chapter 3 is also 29 pages for $2.99; and the fourth chapter is 28 pages for $2.99.
Hopefully I’ll be able to review the second half of Maelstrom soon. I haven’t actually read chapters 5-8 yet, so I’m looking forward to finding out what happens with Demetri and Malstrum. (Also, more sex!)
One Paragraph 6
by V.E. on March 6th, 2012
filed under entertainment, one paragraph
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (viewed as part of AMC’s Best Picture Showcase 25 February 2012)
Two difficult movies in a row. The main character (the child) reminded me of Bennett. I didn’t like seeing the towers fall again, though at least this time it wasn’t over and over again like it was on “The Worst Day”… I liked the idea of a Sixth Borough, but it hurt my heart to see so much of New York City that I miss so desperately. I felt sick afterward. I don’t know what that means for someone else, but I think for me it’s still too soon.
The Help (viewed as part of AMC’s Best Picture Showcase 25 February 2012)
Oh man, The Help was a hard movie for me. Racism sucks no matter the era, and I’m still having a really difficult time being okay with the agent of change being a Southern white woman rather than the main characters themselves. As a young white woman writer myself, I identified with Emma Stone’s character and cringed at the bleach-blonde racism of the other white (women) characters. I think part of the reason it’s so hard for me is because I don’t I’m that much better. When was the last time I stood up against racism? Is it a regular thing for me, or do I hide behind my privilege just like most other white people in this country? I fear/suspect/know it’s the latter, not the former. And I hate that. And I hate being confronted with it even though I know I should willingly do so.
Hugo in 3D (viewed as part of AMC’s Best Picture Showcase 25 February 2012)
This was the first film my sister and I saw on the second day (of two) of AMC’s Best Picture Showcase. It was in 3D! We spent the first five minutes swatting the air because we kept thinking it was snowing on us. Obviously, we (1) see a lot of snow, and (2) see a lot of movies in 3D. >_> Obviously. Anyway, it was a cute story, and I liked the lesson I got from it, which was “if all the Earth is a machine, and machines only come with exactly the number of parts they need (and not any extra), then each of us an important part of the Earth since we can consider ourselves all necessary parts.” Although I’m not so mechanically inclined as Hugo, I think someone telling me that when I was feeling desperate in high school and college might’ve helped. I don’t know, but it made me think of my younger self and wonder what someone else could’ve done to better reach out to me. As a side note, I went into the film thinking it was a cartoon, but it isn’t, so just be aware of that if you watch it for yourself.
The Descendants (viewed as part of AMC’s Best Picture Showcase 18 February 2012)
Sister and I actually arrived late for this film because I miscalculated how long it would take to eat dinner. Turned out it didn’t matter much that we were around 15 minutes late because it was thankfully nothing like The Tree of Life and we were able to pick up the story after a short while. George Clooney was really good, actually, and I liked the story. In the end, though, I at first thought the plot was too realistic (if I wanted real life, I wouldn’t go to the movies, after all, right?) and then that it wasn’t realistic enough (because of the way the family predictably ended up handling the sale of their inherited land).
The Tree of Life (viewed as part of AMC’s Best Picture Showcase 18 February 2012)
Holy sheesh what is this movie I don’t even. Seriously. Also, Brad Pitt again? Really? I mean, it was billed as an imppresionistic… and it most definitely is. It’s allegedly about a son’s relationship with his father but it has the beginning of the world and dinosaurs and everything I mean what. It was Art with a capital ‘a’, If you know what I mean. It was good, I guess, but it felt like one of those movies that rich snobs talk about. Wing better than the others over expensive glasses of wine and I’m standing there with a root beer and totally out my depth. I didn’t understand it and it was exhausting to watch.
One Paragraph 5
by V.E. on March 6th, 2012
filed under entertainment, one paragraph
Moneyball (viewed as part of AMC’s Best Picture Showcase 18 February 2012)
Part of the first day of AMC Theaters’ Best Picture Showcase. It was all right, but I don’t particularly care about Brad Pitt or the Oakland As (or baseball at all, for that matter), so it didn’t blow me away or anything. Based on a true story, for what that’s worth. Sister taught me about tasks (something an actor does so that his or her character seems more human/relatable/realistic/credible) and then expressed her frustration with Pitt because all his characters seem to have the same one: eating. I didn’t notice until she pointed it out, but yeah.
War Horse (viewed as part of AMC’s Best Picture Showcase 18 February 2012)
Saw this as part of AMC’s BPS (first day of two) with my sister. Decent film. Epic panning cinematography and depictions of war, as one expects from Steven Spielberg. Il liked the boy’s mother the best, I think, and her statement to her husband when asks if she’ll leave him if he loses the farm: “I may hate y’more, but I’ll never love ye less.” It was nominated for an Academy Award, after all, but I mean… it’s about horse, soo…
17 Again (viewed at home 2 February 2012)
Stupid movie with an unoriginal plot, but one I’d probably watch again if I didn’t want to think too much. Perfect for my mom because—although she’s not stupid—she dislikes violence and movie sex and likes happy endings. Corny through and through. The kid dresses as “K-Fed” and subsequently (of course) gets made fun of, so the next day he shows up dressed as… Tom Cruise. I’m not kidding. Also, the puns. OMFG. I thought it was cute that he kept forgetting he was 17 again, though. Yeah, I’d probably watch it again, even if it was just to show it to my mom. Such a dumb movie, though. Uuuuuugh.
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (viewed in theaters 29 January 2012)
I chose this film because it was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor (among other nominations) but then realized that it also has in it one of the actors I follow. (Yes, I follow some actors’ careers, okay? Don’t judge me.) Went to see it with Bobby, and it was okay, but it wasn’t what I was expecting (I don’t know what I was expecting), and I don’t think it really turned out to be my cup of tea. I mean, it’s a war movie, but with no actual war. (That’s the Cold War for you, I guess.) It’s set in the ’70s, so while I understand the rampant sexism, I still didn’t like it. I did like the hush-hush insider names for everything, though: Control, Circus, etc.
the Alice stories (read 17-25 January 2012)
And by that I mean Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, which I finally made the point of reading myself after having seen quite a few TV and movie adaptations of said. Here’s the thing. It really pissed me off that in every single adaptation I’ve ever seen the Queen of Hearts and the Red Queen are combined into one character, so I thought that reading the original stories would help deflate some of that anger. Unfortunately, it only made the anger righteous instead of tamed, so. Really, though, I would honest-to-gods love to see just one screen version of the Alice stories that doesn’t conflate the two. They’re not even from the same game! Grr argh /knashing of teeth.
