MADE FOR THE JOURNEY

I received a copy of MADE FOR THE JOURNEY: ONE MISSIONARY’S FIRST YEAR IN THE JUNGLES OF ECUADOR by Elisabeth Elliot.  The foreword is by Kay Warren.  The copy is from Revell in exchange for an honest review.

I found this book fascinating.  Missionaries have always interested me.  I’m awed by their character, their strengths, how they open their hearts to the world.  This autobiography is told with knowledge, wit, and heart.  The world she describes is brought to life.  I loved all of the descriptions.  You really felt like you were there.  The descriptions were my favorite part of the book.

I imagined myself walking into a coffee shop and seeing the author sitting alone at a table, smiling out the window.  I sit beside her and we strike up a conversation.  I imagined this book to be that conversation.  Her tone in the chapters is always light, never preachy or dry. 

She has earned my respect by her deeds and her writing. 

THE SPIRITS OF SIX MINSTREL RUN by Matthew S. Cox

I love ghost stories and this one left me wishing I had more minutes in my lunch break so I could read just one more chapter.  It has everything a good ghost story needs: creepy new house, suspicious neighbors, quiet town, and a ghost that might be more than she seems.  The murder itself is brutal and left me cringing.  I found myself constantly rooting for the main character.  Even the ghost is at times endearing.  The scientific facts behind the ghost hunting instances are spot-on and help to enhance the story.

The only thing that really bothered me was the husband.  I know why he acted the way he did, but he still rubbed me the wrong way, and by the end, I wanted to tell the main character that she deserved better.  Others will probably feel differently about him. 

Overall, a must read for ghost story fans.  I also thought it was cool that this took place close to my hometown.