August will be RANDOM

I had such good luck with randomizing (many though not all) of my reads for July--most of which were reviewed at Becky's Book Reviews--I've decided to try that approach with my Christian fiction and Christian nonfiction.

The Cryptographer's Dilemma. Johnnie Alexander. 2021. [August] 256 pages. [Source: Review copy]

JACKET COPY: FBI cryptographer Eloise Marshall is grieving the death of her brother, who died during the attack on Pearl Harbor, when she is assigned to investigate a seemingly innocent letter about dolls. Agent Phillip Clayton is ready to enlist and head oversees when asked to work one more FBI job. A case of coded defense coordinates related to dolls should be easy, but not so when the Japanese Consulate gets involved, hearts get entangled, and Phillip goes missing. Can Eloise risk loving and losing again?

Let It Be Me. Becky Wade. 2021. [May] 378 pages. [Source: Review copy]

JACKET COPY: The one woman he wants is the one he cannot have.

Former foster kid Sebastian Grant has leveraged his intelligence and hard work to become a pediatric heart surgeon. But not even his career success can erase the void he's tried so hard to fill. Then he meets high school math teacher Leah Montgomery and his fast-spinning world comes to a sudden stop. He falls hard, only to make a devastating discovery—Leah is the woman his best friend set his heart on months before.

Leah's a math prodigy who's only ever had one big dream—to earn her PhD. Raising her little brother put that dream on hold. Now that her brother will soon be college bound, she's not going to let anything stand in her way. Especially romance . . . which is far less dependable than algebra.

When Leah receives surprising results from the DNA test she submitted to a genealogy site, she solicits Sebastian's help. Together, they comb through hospital records to uncover the secrets of her history. The more powerfully they're drawn to each other, the more strongly Sebastian must resist, and the more Leah must admit that some things in life—like love—can't be explained with numbers.

The Silver Shadow. Liz Tolsma. 2021. [May] 256 pages. [Source: Review copy]

JACKET COPY: Denver of 1900 is still a dangerous place to be following the silver crash of 1893. And of out of the dark comes a shadow intent on harming women. Ambitious young Denver newspaper reporter Polly Blythe is searching for the big story that’s going to launch her career. On Friday evening, August 24, 1900, she gets her break when two women are cracked over the head within a two-minute walk of each other. But policeman Edwin Timmer thwarts Polly’s ideas of a serial criminal. . .until the shadowy figure strikes again. Will the reporter and the policeman team up to find the culprit before her strikes too close for comfort?

The Way of the Father. Michael W. Smith 2021 [May] 208 pages. [Source: Review copy]

JACKET COPY: Grammy Award winner Michael W. Smith's The Way of the Father offers a deeply personal reflection on his father Paul Smith's legacy and its profound effect on every area of his life. Through the life and lens of his earthly dad, the multi-platinum selling Christian artist gives glimpses of a Father in Heaven that anyone can approach and experience.

Michael W. Smith, multi-platinum artist, celebrated songwriter, producer, best-selling author, and acclaimed actor, himself a father of five adult children and grandfather of sixteen, calls upon his humble experiences of growing up in a small West Virginia town to share his father's story. Each chapter identifies a quality and characteristic of his dad that came out of an obedient and sacrificial life, committed to serving his Abba Father, including: ​​
Finding truth in tragedy
Loving unconditionally
Persevering through pain
Bringing righteousness to the world
Influencing and inspiring generations
Discovering identity and approval in Christ
Paul Smith was a familiar face in the crowd at Michael W. Smith's concerts over the years. A kind and joyful man who would sing, dance, and worship to the singer's countless number one hits, with his countenance beaming brighter than the spotlights on the stage, Paul would often introduce himself to those nearby and talk about how proud he was of his son. From the artist's early days as a struggling musician in Nashville to his death in 2015 (the year his son's album sales surpassed 15 million), Paul was always Michael's biggest fan.

Michael shares how his dad inspired and encouraged him using biblical principles and virtues. Now, Michael passes on these same truths through stories, testimonies, origins of songs, and personal insights from his family life and thirty-five plus years of touring as a Christian artist. He hopes that by sharing his father's legacy, readers will come to find that no matter who our earthly parents have been in our lives, our Abba Father will never fail us.
The Way of the Father will likewise challenge readers in their faith journeys so they will one day hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant. You have fought the good fight, run the race, and have been found faithful"--just like Paul Smith heard on the day he was called home to be with his Father.

Man of Sorrows, King of Glory: What the Humiliation and Exaltation of Jesus Mean for Us. Jonty Rhodes. 2021. [June] 160 pages. [Source: Review copy]

JACKET COPY: Christians, rightly called "people of the cross," look to Jesus's death and resurrection as the central points of his earthly mission. But in order to understand more fully the person and work of Christ, it's important for believers to fix their minds on his entire ministry--his life, death, resurrection, and ongoing ministry today--and not solely on his work on the cross.

In Man of Sorrows, King of Glory, Jonty Rhodes uses the traditional roles of Jesus as prophet, priest, and king (often referred to as his "threefold office") to show how his whole life--in humiliation on earth and now exaltation in glory--is lived for us. As believers explore Jesus's life, death, resurrection, and ascension, they will develop a holistic portrait of the Messiah and a deeper appreciation for God's plan to reclaim sinners.

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible