What I've Been Reading Lately

As probably most everyone can tell, I'm an avid reader. I love, love, love to read!! I just wish I had more time for it these days.

Since late last fall, I've been slowly working my way through several series by Bodie and Brock Thoene. I had heard of them, but never read any of their work before, but one of the older ladies who works at our local library noticed that I enjoy Christian fiction and offered to lend me her personal set of their books. The Thoenes are most well-known for their series about Israel. So far I've read all of the Zion Covenant, the Zion Chronicles, and the Zion Legacy. I'm currently in the middle of First Light, the first book in their most recent series, The A.D. Chronicles. Before I started reading these books, I have to admit that I didn't have a whole lot of interest in Israel or its history. After all, it's all in the Bible, right? I have never been one to get excited at the prospect of taking a trip to the Holy Land, as some are . . . it sounds like a dry, dusty, terror-ridden land, and just not my idea of a great place to go on vacation. But as I've been reading these books, I have truly become fascinated with Israel, God's chosen people. I've developed a much greater understanding of what they've been through over the years, and it's just incredible to me that there are any Jews left alive after the many attempts over the years to rid the world of them. However, God hasn't forgotten about them, and obviously He is preserving them!

To give a brief overview of the books, the Zion Covenant series deals with events in Europe, Israel, and America during the period of WWII/the Holocaust. The Zion Chronicles jumps ahead a few years after the war, to Israel's struggle to become an independent nation. Many of the same characters are brought back into the second series. The first 3 books of the Zion Legacy continue the story of the characters in the Zion Chronicles, covering just a few brief days of May, 1948, when Israel was in the infancy of statehood. Books 4-6 of the Zion Legacy go "back in time" to the days of Christ's ministry on earth. They take real characters from the Bible, fictionalizing them a bit, and build a story around them, at the same time bringing in events from Scripture. It's really fascinating. I also love how they use many of the characters' Hebrew names--"Yeshua" for Jesus, "Miryam" for Mary, "Yochanan" for John the Baptist, etc. And the A.D. Chronicles pick up where the Zion Legacy left off--continuing to portray Christ's ministry and the lives that He touched. I have to say that while I've thoroughly enjoyed all the books, these most recent ones (which I thought I would like the least) have been my favorites. I have read fiction set in Bible times before, but none of it has ever awakened my interest in that time period, or made the characters seem as real as you and me. This series has done that for me. I find myself thinking how awesome it would have been to have been alive when Christ walked on earth. Just a carpenter from Nazareth, everyone thought--but then they saw that He was so much more. I really appreciate what the Thoenes have done with this series; even though they have built fiction around Biblical events, they have done it in such a way as to give the reader a fresh view of the Bible, and Jesus in particular. I am whole-heartedly enjoying them.

The Thoenes have a definite gift for storytelling. After reading one of their books, I feel like I have just watched a movie--the writing is that detailed. Bodie Thoene worked at one time as a writer for John Wayne's production company, and I read that that's where she learned the art of writing an action scene. Certainly there is a lot of fast-paced action in these books. One disclaimer I would like to add here: Just because I like them and am writing a postitive review of them, doesn't mean that there aren't elements that some readers would not like. There is a good deal of graphic violence, particularly in the first two series that deal with the Holocaust and war. There are some other things that I would rate as at least "PG-13" material, as well. I would personally not recommend them for anyone younger than 18-21. Just because books are labeled "Christian" or carried by CBD, doesn't mean that we shouldn't read with discernment. Overall, though, I really like these books because they are well-researched, well-written, and have given me a much greater understanding of history, particularly the history of the Jewish people. I was one who never liked history much while in school, but I've discovered that the way history is presented makes such a difference. For me, it has to come to life, not just be words on a page. The Thoenes' books have definitely done that for me.

For more information, visit: the Thoenes' website.