Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Kaleidoscope by Patsy Clairmont

I have never had a "Women of Faith" experience, so I was looking forward to reading "Kaleidoscope" by Patsy Clairmont. I wanted to love it. I really, really wanted to love it.

Here's the layout:
Tile page with a clever title and fitting verse of Scripture,then a cute two to four page personal anecdote or applicable story, followed by some focus questions and more related Scripture verses. This is the basic outline for each chapter (a few exceptions), and it seems like a fail-proof recipe. I just cannot love this book. No matter how hard I try to be satisfied, I am left wanting more! The subtitle set my expectations really high: "Seeing God's Wit and Wisdom in a Whole New Light". I expected some revelatory, angel-choir singing, eye-opening "AHA" moments - but I did not even experience one.

I am not saying that the book was not good. It was certainly amusing, and had some really cute stories. The applications were correct, so no argument to the Biblical accuracy will you find here. The questions are definitely not always easy ones to answer honestly, and the additional Scripture verses were a nice addition.

Loving this book was my intention, but I came away with a lukewarm, "we can still be friends" feeling. So, yes, I like it, but I just cannot add it to my list of books I love, nor would I recommend it to anyone looking for a serious study on Proverbs.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”