Max on Life by Max Lucado (Review)

I believe in forgiveness until he broke my heart and is demanding custody of our child. Forgiveness? Not likely.


I work sixty hours weeks for years because my boss promised me promotion. When the time comes, he passed over me for a new person. My resentment is making it very difficult for me to be even civil with him.

I am single and loving it. Someday, however, I want to settle down and have a family. I have seen enough bad marriages to make me wonder what I can do to have a good one. How can I select the right mate?

How can I be the good mum God wants me to be?

Sometimes, I just feel like snapping at anything that moves! How do I get out of a bad mood?

With the current world turmoil, my friend says he’s sure Jesus is coming soon and so he quits his job and spends his day praying and waiting. It sounds noble but also a bit crazy. Is this the right thing to do?

How can I be free of the fear that God might not forgive me? I am always afraid that I’m not perfect enough.

These are some of the questions found in Max on Life. As a pastor, Max Lucado received thousands of questions and wrestled with plenty of his own. Big questions about life and faith, heaven and hell and closer to home, dilemmas about sex, money, career, family, etc. In this book, Max answers all these questions – all 172 of them in a very down to earth, honest and biblical way.

There’s not one question in this book that you personally have not ask anyone or yourself before and there’s not one question that you wish you had the answers at that point of asking. The answers are from Max are just amazing. Like the jacket of the book says, the answers are ‘Vintage Lucado – Simple without being simplistic. Knowledgeable without being know-it-all. Direct but compassionate, honest and authoritative and always deeply practical. Full of challenge and comfort’.

For easy references, the author sections out the contents into Hope (God's grace, etc), Hurt (conflicts, relationships), Help (prayer etc), Him/Her (romance, sex, etc), Home (family lives, children, etc), Haves/Have-Nots (money, work, etc) and Hereafter (heaven, hell, life and death, etc).  This is a book not to be read in one sitting but over time. I have put in my personal notes for future references and there are some questions and answers that I would like to revisit.

The pink tab is my post it note :)

Published by Thomas Nelson, it retails at US$24.99.  Go and get your copy today!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

The Promises She Keeps by Erin Healy

Synopsis :


It's her destiny to die young. The man who loves her can’t live with that.

Promise is a talented young singer with a terminal illness, is counting on fame to keep her memory alive after she dies. Porta is an aging sorceress and art collector in search of immortality.

When Promise inexplicably survives a series of freak accidents, Porta believes that she may hold the key to eternal life.

Enter Chase, an autistic artist who falls in love with Promise and fascinates her with his mysterious visions and drawings.

Soon, all are plunged into a confrontation over the mystery and the cost of something even greater than eternal life...eternal love.

The Promises She Keeps starts with Chase who seems to be able to hear from his father who is presumed dead after missing in action in the war. Chase is autistic but draws beautiful trees which seems to capture the essence of a person’s longing (even strangers that he has not met).

Promise wants to live forever through her fame since she is dying but a few near death encounters left her very much alive and more energetic than before. Chase has a drawing of a tree for her too. He called hers the tree of life.

In the middle of it all is Porta who opens up an art gallery in town. Porta is connected to Chase and his sisters through their parents but this connection was not followed up.

There are quotes and reference made on the bible (especially by Chase) and I can see the symbolic references to the characters portrayed in the book to the book of life. Is Chase the sacrificial lamb? Does Promise represent everyone of us? Does Porta’s quest for immortality represent what the world is searching for? And the eternal love that Chase tells Promise, is that God’s eternal love for us? Chase goes around saying ‘I love you’ when he gave out one of his drawings. Is that Christ’s love for us when he sees the longings within us?

I have more questions than answers so I’m not sure if that’s what the author wants the reader to feel. I actually want to give this book more thoughts before I review it but I’m running out of time :) (laughing at myself as that’s what Promise felt) as I need to move on to other books.

Final verdict (at this point in time) – do read if you enjoys reading more into what a book is all about. Don’t read if you want a nice enjoyable story. I might update this post in future after I gave more thoughts to it.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

That’s When I Talk to God by Dan & Ali Morrow

‘Every night at bedtime, Mom helps me put on my favourite monkey pajamas, gives me a drink of water and tells me a story. Then we snuggle close and she says a prayer before we go to sleep’.


That’s how the story of this little girl starts. She learns that talking to God is not just limited to bedtime but anytime of the day and on anything from thanking God for her best friend, for asking God to give her courage to do something and also asking for forgiveness. She also learns to pray for people who doesn’t know God yet.

I read this story with my own little girl and she loved the book as much as I do. The fact that it’s in purple, my favourite colour has already won me over. The illustrations are so colourful and attractive. I would have like it better if the fonts are a little bigger, not that they’re small now. Other than that, there’s nothing I don’t like about this book.

At the end of the book, there are 3 bible verses on prayers, one of which is the Lord’s prayer. These verses can additional teaching tools to teach children on talking to God. My little girl and I had a discussion on prayer after reading the book and I reminded her of the time her prayers were answered by God. :)

Published by David Cook, That's When I Talk to God is written by Dan and Ali Morrow. Ali’s father, Lee Strobel, author of Case for Christ wrote a note of encouragement and inspiration to the readers. This can also be found at the end of the book.

Special thanks to B&B Media Group for this review copy.

Final purchases from Popular Warehouse Sales in Kuching

Remember me talking about my favourite epic adventure here?

Anyway, was lucky to get hold of The Seventh Scroll, the 2nd book in the epic. Pay RM9.95 for it and there's actually 2 stories in the book, the 2nd entitled Gold Mine.  That's just a bonus :)  This book must be in storage for quite some times as the back cover's a bit 'aged'. 

And that concludes  my purchases for myself at the recent sales before I was being hustled into getting more Geromino Stiltion titles!

This book cost me around US$3

The sales ends 5th June 2011.  Do go and get great deals if you have not been yet.

Celebrating 100 posts!

I started this blog in year 2009 but managed only 3 months of active blogging.  I re-active this blog with a 'do or die' attitude towards August 2010 and happy to note that I have been consistant with my posting for the past 10 months.  Yeah!

So far I've done 100 posts.  This may be chicken feed to some of you established bloggers out there but for this girl who's working '3 jobs' (will share them with you some other time), it's an achievement that I am proud of. 

I really love to read and it just gives me additional joy to share what I read with you.

How shall I celebrate? Buy more books? Giveaway books? Any ideas?

My purchases from Popular Warehouse Sales

If you are in Kuching and you love to read, chances are you might already have been to the Popular Warehouse Sales held on the 5th Floor of Permata Carpark. The sales started on Friday, 27 May which is the start of the school holidays and will run until Sunday, 5 June.  So, what did you get?

I went on the evening of the 1st day (flu and all) and these are what I got :

1. A boxset collection of 3 books written by Madonna! They are in hardcover and with very pretty illustrations.  I'll share more with you next time.  It's for RM10 only!

2. 3 paperbacks written by Jacqueline Wilson at RM3 each only.  There are for teens and I have an up-and-coming teen at home right now.  She is still in her princess' and fairy books and Geromino Stiltone stage but I know it won't be long before she moves on.

3.  When The Boys are Away and Take a Chance (2 books in 1) by Sarah Webb. Never read Sarah Webb but hey, 70% mark down?  I only pay RM6 for this.

4.  Three Girls and their Brothers by Theresa Rebeck in trade paperback. Never heard of this author but do you know that this is only for RM1.  Yup....One only! No typo there.

5. Last but not least, The Guy Not Taken by Jennifer Weiner.  I didn't had a good experience with an earlier book by Jennifer Weiner but at RM5, I'll take a chance.  And I check - no Kate Klein.

That's all.  A total haul of RM31 (US$10?).  Is that a steal or what?

Tralalalalala......... *that's me singing a happy tune* :)

How do you decide which book to bring with you when you travel?

Or you dont read when you travel.

I will be out of the country for a week and one of the most complex decision I have to make before the trip is not what outfit to pack but which book to bring along with me.  You might laugh at me but whatever book I brought along, I would have no choice but to read it and sometimes I do bring the wrong book and ended up not liking what I am reading and not able to do anything about it can be pretty frustrating and can influence my mood for the trip.

this book makes me cry

For example, it would be a disaster to bring a book that tears me up when I do business travel as it would look odd and unprofessional for me to have bulgy eyes from too much crying. I still remember when I brought My Best Friend's Girl by Dorothy Koomson with me during one such trip and I started reading while in the airport after I've checked in.  I also remember with horror that I started crying as I read while on the plane surrounded by many strangers who, if noticed my tears, might think that there's something wrong with me.

this book is very heavy

Hardcovers (and some paperbacks) are just too bulky and heavy to bring along on trips but they could be the title that you have been dying to read for quite a while and not willing to wait any longer.  So, should bulkiness and the weight be one of the consideration?  I think it would be quite inconvenient to lug around a monstrous book unless you are actually on a very long trip.

One point I can share is I try to start a new book with each travel.  This way, it my guarantee that the book would last me throughout the trip.  This is because I would deem it a disaster if I finish a book halfway into the itinerary and I don't have another back up book to read for the rest of the journey.  I guess I could buy a new book but since I have a lot of new books waiting for me at home, the last thing I want to do is to buy another new book and read it immediately. It would be such a betrayal to the rest of my books :), right?
So, is it a difficult decision for you on what book to bring with you when you travel?