Mrs. Polifax Unveiled

Mrs. Polifax Unveiled, by Dorothy Gilman

My mother-in-law loaned me this book, and I read it while on a road trip. It was a good book for the car--it went quickly, and I was able to block out my honey's random radio-channel surfing.

Mrs. Polifax is a retired woman who is a secret CIA operative. Of course, she's been on adventures all over the world. This series has a different flavor than other CIA mysteries, like The Bourne Identity. There was no swearing, the US government doesn't have a malevolent omnipresence, and there was speculation of a wedding at the end. I liked reading it, but I don't think I'll pick up another one.

I was feeling a little bad that I didn't love it, but the book I recommended to my mother-in-law in return wasn't a hit either. So, I guess we're even!

Living the Cross Centered Life

Living the Cross Centered Life, by CJ Mahaney



What a great book. I've be a Christian for as long as I can remember, so living a cross-centered life should be instinctive. "Oh wretched sinner that I am! Who will save me from this body of death?"

This book was a great accompaniment to Mark Driscoll's sermon on the day of Atonement. The cross was horrible. It's hard to see that our sin was so awful that Jesus had to suffer such a brutal death to restore us to fellowship with God. Religion likes to get distracted with arguments and rules, but Christianity is all about the cross. I also appreciated Tim Keller's articles regarding the same. Martin Luther said that the cross was so real to him, that it seemed like it happened yesterday. This book reminded me of what Jesus did. It's all about Jesus.

Free Gift with Purchase

Free Gift with Purchase: My Improbable Career in Magazines and Makeup by Jean Godfrey-June

This book renewed my commitment to retinoids and self-tanner. It's been a dark winter (well, a dark early spring) marked by pale, acne-prone skin. Time to break out the big guns, and not take any of it too seriously.

This was a fun, quick book, but not great. The author's writing was like her articles in Lucky Magazine: sometimes funny, informative, and/or choppy. I reread several paragraphs, trying to figure out what her point was. Still, it was a nice diversion.