My God and My All: The Life of Saint Francis of Assisi

I have always been interested in the life of St. Francis of Assisi.  I grew up in a Baptist household, so the only thing I really knew about him was that he was the Patron Saint of animals.  I later learned about the stigmata.  I had read another biography on Saint Francis.  But when I had the chance to review My God and My All by Elizabeth Goudge, I was glad to have another opportunity to learn more about him. 

First of all, the book is beautifully written. For a biography, it was easy to read. The author's background as a novelist definitely shines through. I enjoyed this as it made his story even more compelling. It was really amazing to me to learn so much more about St. Francis' life and just how much he did. You can really see the passion he had for Christ through Goudge's writings and how much of a humble man he was.

I would encourage anyone wanting to know more about Saint Francis of Assisi to pick up this book. As someone who did not know much, this book was an easy and engaging read for me.

I received a free copy of this book from Handlebar Publishing in exchange for my honest review.

The Surprising Imagination of C.S. Lewis

Everyone know C.S. Lewis, at least from The Chronicles of Narnia. That was me. I have read some of the Chronicles of Narnia and also The Screwtape Letters. I was only familiar with C.S. Lewis on that level. When I had the chance to read The Surprising Imagination of C.S. Lewis, I was very much enlightened to the creative and imaginary individual he was.

This book is by no means an easy read. It is very challenging, and I read just a little at a time. The authors really take you deep into the imagination of C.S. Lewis by looking at several of his works and the types of imagination used in creating the characters and worlds you enter. I found myself being challenged on what types of imagination I use in my everyday life.

I have to commend Jerry Root and Mark Neal for the amount of research done to write this book. It is very well written and detailed. I look forward to reading other C.S. Lewis books and seeing them through a different light.

Disclosure – I received a free copy of this book from Handlebar Publishing in exchange for my honest review.