A Thousand Tomorrows

by Karen Kingsbury ( Center Street , 2004)

Best-selling author Karen Kingsbury's first novel written for the secular market doesn't quite meet the standard of her earlier books. A Thousand Tomorrows is the touching story of an arrogant bull rider who falls in love with a quiet barrel racer. When illness threatens to separate them forever, Cody Gunner and Ali Daniels turn to each other for support. And that's the real problem with this book.

A reader can overlook the sugary sweet plot and general predictability, but readers who love Karen Kingsbury's books will not be able to overlook the absence of one incredibly important character: God. Cody and Ali place their trust in each other instead of turning to the One who could actually help them overcome their problems. In the end, their love for each other is not enough.

Learning to Breathe Again

by Tammy Trent (W, 2004)

This book should come with a box of tissues. On September 10, 2001, Christian recording artist Tammy Trent's husband drowned while free diving in Jamaica . Learning to Breathe Again documents the ups and downs of their 18-year relationship and proves that God's grace truly is sufficient—no matter the circumstance.

You'll be inspired by Tammy's honesty and courage as she shares the questions she asked and answers she found throughout the darkest time in her life. “No matter what, God's still here,” she writes, “and at the end of the day, God is enough. Always has been, always will be. He can handle whatever we dish out. He laughs with us in the good times, He carries us through the pain, and when tragedy knocks the wind out of us, He helps us learn to breathe again.”

Awesome God

by Praise&Harmony A Cappella Worship (The Acappella Company, 2005)

If you sometimes grow weary of the overwhelming instrumentation and showiness of modern worship music, this CD will give you a nice break. Praise&Harmony is an a cappella worship choir, which means they use no instruments, only voices. This collection offers great worship choruses like “Awesome God,” “Hide Me Away, O Lord,” “I Stand in Awe of You” and “Open the Eyes of My Heart.” You'll love the tight, rich harmonies and the flow of the selections on this album. “Wonderful Merciful Savior,” “We Will Glorify” and “How Excellent Is Thy Name” are particularly beautiful.

Although the voices are occasionally too straight and a few times you can pick out one or two that are slightly off-pitch, this CD is worth checking out and will make a great addition to your worship collection.

An added bonus is the included vocalist training disc, which clarifies the soprano, alto, tenor and bass parts for choirs or ensembles who wish to perform songs from this recording.