Misfit Faith: Confessions of a Drunk Ex-Pastor

Misfit Faith: Confessions of a Drunk Ex-Pastor

From the Goodreads synopsis:
-Provides a vision for a broader, more hospitable Christianity.--Publishers Weekly. The co-host of the popular podcast, Drunk Ex-Pastors, offers an earnest and irreverent look at what it means to be a Christian in an upside down world.
-Perhaps failing at faith is an ironic success, since disaster is where grace happens.- - Jason Stellman
Jason Stellman has always felt like a misfit. A Protestant pastor with a sharp wit, a restlessly inquisitive mind, and a love of pop culture and rock and roll, he has long sensed that something was missing when it came to his relationship with God. In time, he felt drawn to the Catholic Church, so he stepped down from his ministry and embraced Catholicism, only to still feel misplaced and homeless.
His feelings, thoughts, and troubles echo the disillusionment and confusion of many people who struggle relating to ancient faiths in a postmodern world.
In a book that mixes memoir with theological insights and taut storytelling, Stellman gives an edgy, honest, heart-on-his-sleeve account of what it means to be a mixed-up Christian outsider in the twenty-first century (and why this is a can be good thing). Misfit Faith is an invitation to all the religious vagabonds and exiles with nowhere to really call home, those wanderers who increasingly feel like mere fans of spirituality rather than committed members of the team.
If you've ever questioned your faith, felt like a spiritual malcontent, or sought solace for your existential angst at the bottom of a bottle of bourbon, then Stellman just may be the best drinking buddy you've never met.

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My review:  There were often thought provoking moments in this book that made a lot of sense.  However there were times when the author would ramble some and it would be harder to pick up the thought he was trying to convey.  I don't necessarily agree with all that was said and take some of it with a grain of salt but that is not to say there was not something to be learned.  I like to look at all sides of something so as to make a more educated decision about my own path in life.  Again things that made you think or go hmmmm but not sure if I would read this author again or not. Possibly. I will leave that decision open.  I received this advanced reader copy from http://www.bloggingforbooks.com in return for an honest review. 

Rogue Justice: The Making of the Security State by Karen J. Greenberg

Rogue Justice: The Making of the Security State by Karen J. Greenberg

From the Goodreads synopsis:  The definitive account of how America’s War on Terror sparked a decade-long assault on the rule of law, weakening our courts and our Constitution in the name of national security.

The day after September 11, President Bush tasked the Attorney General with preventing another terrorist attack on the United States. From that day forward, the Bush administration turned to the Department of Justice to give its imprimatur to activities that had previously been unthinkable—from the NSA's spying on US citizens to indefinite detention to torture. Many of these activities were secretly authorized, others done in the light of day.

When President Obama took office, many observers expected a reversal of these encroachments upon civil liberties and justice, but the new administration found the rogue policies to be deeply entrenched, and, at times, worth preserving. Obama ramped up targeted killings, held fast to aggressive surveillance policies, and fell short on bringing reform to detention and interrogation.

How did America veer so far from its founding principles of justice? Rogue Justice connects the dots for the first time—from the Patriot Act to today’s military commissions, from terrorism prosecutions to intelligence priorities, from the ACLU’s activism to Edward Snowden’s revelations. And it poses a stark question: will the American justice system ever recover from the compromises it made for the war on terror?

Riveting and deeply reported, Rogue Justice could only have been written by Karen Greenberg, one of this country’s top experts on Guantánamo, torture, and terrorism, with a deep knowledge of both the Bush and Obama administrations. Now she brings to life the full story of law and policy after 9/11, introducing us to the key players and events, showing that time and again, when liberty and security have clashed, justice has been the victim.

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My Review:
I enjoyed this book quite a bit.  Often many political based books can be very heavy and hard to slog through.  Karen Greenberg managed to make a potentially formidable subject readable and enjoyable as well.  Her writing style is engaging drawing you along and making you want to see whats next.

Stormy Weather by Glen Ebisch

Stormy Weather by Glen Ebisch

From the Goodreads Synopsis:

When the body of Travis Lambert, senior meteorologist for a local television station, is found buried in a shallow grave next to the house of Stormy McCloud, junior meteorologist, things look bad for her. When the station hires Chance Malone to investigate the murder, her situation doesn’t improve. Malone is attractive, charming, and funny, all qualities that Stormy’s past experience with men has led her to avoid. It also doesn’t help that Stormy has little background or interest in religion, while Malone is the unusual private detective who has a Bible in his desk drawer rather than a bottle of scotch. When Stormy’s estranged mother appears on the scene, she also must decide whether to have a relationship with the woman who deserted her as a child. As the story proceeds, more is learned about the dark secrets of Travis’ life, and Stormy is forced to reconsider her view of men, her mother and her future.

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My Review:

This was a nice light read, I finished it in a couple of days.  Nothing too heavy, in fact it read quite a bit like a YA book.  It flowed fairly well but it was sometimes a little distracting when the author would switch on calling the detective by first then last name off and on, first calling him Chance then alternatively just Malone, I had to remind myself that they were one and the same rather than that the story had switched to another character.  Fairly good descriptive work in making the characters and the scenery 3-dimensional.  The author also could have used a few more dialogue tags in my opinion so we could better tell who was speaking, it interrupted the flow a bit. Not too badly but enough you could notice it. Overall a solid 3 stars out of 5, I would read this author again. ** I received this book from ReadForReview.com in exchange for an honest review**