The Christmas Dog by Melody Carlson

The Christmas Dog, Melody Carlson.  Ada, Mich: Baker Publishing Group, 2009. eBook, 131 pps.


     Betty lives in a small town away from her children. Her husband has been dead. She is a faithful Christian and church attendee. Her newest neighbor, a young man by the name of Jack, is weird and she struggles to respond to him with love. Betty is troubled because the pastor has preached on loving thy neighbor and she is too afraid of Jack to do that. What if he is a serial killer or something? She is aware that sociopaths can possess a sort of slick, sick charm. But Jack is anything but charming. For one thing, he seems to be tearing apart the insides of his home and leaving the debris all over his lawn-- the house used to belong to Betty's two close friends but they are gone now. And to top it off, Jack has a rather bedraggled looking dog that has learned how to come into her yard via a hole in the fence. 

     The dog's name is Ralph (or Ralphie) and he keeps peeing on her dogwood tree. Betty is peeved that Jack would allow his mutt to run loose. Throughout the book, the mutt keeps running loose. Betty wants to report Jack to the local animal control authorities for neglecting the dog. 

     A [step-]granddaughter drops in just before Christmas. Avery is Betty's son's step-daughter. Although Avery is not her son's biological daughter, Avery and Betty have been close since they first met. Avery's mum is peeved that Avery is at Betty's house and not at her own house. She keeps telephoning and demanding that Avery come back in time for Christmas.

     And there is also a fiftieth wedding anniversary party of two friends. Betty is in charge of decorations. 

sapphoq reviews says: Melody Carlson is a prolific writer and her book The Christmas Dog reflects her talent. Being a book geared for Christian readership, there are bits of prayer and church-going in it as would be expected. 
     What I didn't expect what how several situations were resolved in the book. The Christmas Dog was not predictable and I like that. Highly recommended to Christian women (and safe for Christian teens).



     

The Third Millennium by Dr. Paul Meier

The Third Millennium: A Novel, Dr. Paul Meier. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1993. paperback, 311 pps.

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     The Third Millennium is the first of a trilogy. Michael the Archangel is assigned to watch over a Jewish family from California. Since they aren't saved, they miss the rapture. The college-aged daughter by the name of Ruth falls for a car salesman whose dad was a gifted preacher and scholar of apocalyptic prophecy based on the bible. The parents don't like the idea of the car salesman at first. But god has a plan for the family, the car salesman, some other college kids, and friends of the family. The family and some friends get saved afterwards. The college kids are on fire for Jesus. Many of the people wind up in the ruins of two small towns in Israel where christians are sheltered from the woes of the world. They minister to the sick and the injured. Jesus comes back and a grand reunion of the living and the dead saints occurs.

sapphoq reviews says: Dr. Paul Meier started some christian counseling centers and is widely renown for his work in that area. He has written a lot of books. It is obvious that he has thoroughly researched material for this book. I had trouble following the significance that he assigned to various numbers and combinations of numbers. [There is an appendix with more info in the back of the book]. I thought that Ruth was more sheltered than the average young adult attending college. The characters were likable and believable. I think most bible-believing christians would enjoy this book. The rest of us-- not so much. Recommended for fundamentalist christians. Suitable for christian teens also.

The Blue-Ribbon Jalapeno Society Jubilee by Carolyn Brown

The Blue-Ribbon Jalapeno Society Jubilee, Carolyn Brown. Naperville ILL.: Sourcebooks Inc., 2013. e-book, 274 pps.


     Marty and Cathy Andrews are adult twin sisters who run Miss Clawdy's Cafe. Their best friend is a woman named Trixie Matthews whose mother Janie is in the local nursing home with Alzheimer's. Jack Landry is a next door neighbor. He is on the local police force and has known the trio their whole lives. Agnes is a feisty older woman who lives nearby. She is full of piss and vinegar. Darla Jean-- Jean is her last name, really-- is an ex-hooker turned preacher. She runs the Christian Nondenominational Church downstreet from the Baptist Church where Agnes is a member.

     Then there are the women of the Blue-Ribbon Jalapeno Society. Cathy's peppers have won numerous prizes throughout the years. By decree, the Society membership is limited to twenty-one women. Violet is the chief officer. [She has a son who is an aspiring politician]. Agnes is not in the Society. She and Violet have some difficulties with the idea of being civil to each other.

     Men in Cadillac, Texas are [mostly] hot cowboy types. [There are no descriptions of sexual rendezvous but the reader is aware of who is paired off with who]. Not everyone is worth having a relationship with, in spite of individual financial circumstances or degree of steaminess in the bedroom.

     The women in the novel go through changes. Friendship prevails.

sapphoq reviews says: This review is fairly boring but the book isn't. Extramarital sex renders this tale unsuitable for most teens. The Blue-Ribbon Jalapeno Society was a light read and had me laughing out loud. Those who cannot endure any mention of Christianity should steer clear. Those who object to mild cursing also should stay away. For the rest of us, the tale is delightful. Recommended.