Release Announcement: The Secrets of Ancient Man

Pardon me while I share my incredible excitement! The sequel is finally here! No longer must I wait for the original to have its partner on my shelf. The Genius of Ancient Man Team out of Jackson Hole Bible College has announced the release of their newest book this November!

The Secrets of Ancient Man

Is this not awesome!? I'm sorry, if you're new and no have idea what I'm talking about I should take a second and bring you up to speed. Studying Ancient Man from a Christian perspective is a huge interest of mine. There are a ton of big misconceptions about ancient man that we don't consider when we talk about it. But the truth is God created ancient man to be intelligent and there's proof for that all over the world! There's proof for a lot of things besides that, and that is what these books are about.

Jackson Hole Bible College (of which I am an alumni) put together a research team years ago that worked to produce The Genius of Ancient Man in 2012. I was actually a part of that research team. I continued on to contribute to their official blog and even in a small way to this newest book. If you haven't read my Project Review on this book you should check it out. No time for that? Then check out this Promo for the first book: The Genius of Ancient Man.

What People are Saying

As soon as I get my hands on this book I promise I will post a full review. Until then, this is what's promised to us for this book right from the official blog: 

"Where Genius sought to defend the intelligence of Ancient man, and combat the secular evolutionary paradigm of slow progress - the main focus of this new book is different. In Secrets we on tracing the rebellion of ancient man - their desire to "make a name" for themselves as we see clearly in the account of Babel. (Genesis 11) Join us again as we travel through time and immerse ourselves in the ancient cultures, seeking to discern the motivating factors and philosophical worldview that led the ancient people to worship, live, build, conquer, and create. We think you will find that ancient man has much in common with present-day man when it comes down to the heart, attitudes, and goals of life." 

You can visit the official release announcement to get a sneak peek of the first chapter!



Answers in Genesis also predicts great things from this new release:

"Mankind has always yearned for knowledge, wisdom, and understanding. We find ourselves enthralled with secrets, mysteries, and riddles. Man is seduced by the unknown and enticed by the offer of revalation. Perhaps this is why we pursue science so passionately and we seek desperately to unearth the remmants of our ancestors. We have this innate impression that there is something we don't know, something important that we must discover. -- The Ancient Man research team of Jackson Hole Bible College has been hard at work over the past two years since publishing their first book, the Genius of Ancient Man. Dedicated to bringing you more of the fascinating details, commentary, and the Bible-affirming truths you loved about ancient man, the team now invites you to think critically about both history and the forces at work in our world today." 

In This Book....

• More Details about the most advanced ancient technology we've ever seen, including Roman Nanotechnology
• Identify the counterfeit religion of Babel mirrored in every Pagan religion through time
• Why the Tower of Babel incident was about a rebellion that has occured throughout history into the present day

You can Preorder this fantastic book on Amazon and Answers in Genesis. If you get a hold of it comment back here to tell me what you thought! I'll post a review as soon as I finish. Guys, I'm super excited about this! Seriously, the topics covered in both of these books are incredibly important for Christians to dig into. Have any questions or thoughts? Leave them in the comments below. And as always, thanks for stopping by! 

The Tag of Happiness!

Welcome Everyone! Last week I got in touch with my romantic side with the Share Your Serenity Tag. This week it's time for some simple fun with the Tag of Happiness! I picked it up from Adrianna @ The Librarian Files. You should check out her blog because it's pretty neat and has other cool tags. As always, I hope you all enjoy! I'm opening up this tag to anyone who would like to take it on. If you would though just leave a link to your post in the comments so I can come check it out! Let's get this going! 

Rules: 

Take the Banner and put it in your post

List as many things as you want in each category

Come up with more categories if you wish

Tag as many people as you want!

What makes me Happy?

What Songs make you Happy?

You don’t know You’re Beautiful

by One Direction

Haven't Met you Yet

by Michael Buble

He Knows My Name

by Francessa Battistelli

Sun & Moon

by Two Steps from Hell

What Books make you Happy?

East 

by Edith Patou

Redwall Series

by Brian Jacques

The Ranger’s Apprentice

by John Flannagan

The Chronicles of Narnia

by C.S. Lewis

What Foods make you Happy? 

Lemon-heads (the original kind!) 

CHOCOLATE!

 Macaroni and Cheese

Strawberries (dipped in Chocolate)

Monkey Bread

Homemade Apple Pie

What Words make you Happy? 

Saorsa 

(n.) meaning Freedom, Liberty

Halcyon 

(n.) denoting a period of time in the past that was idyllically happy and peaceful

Hamartia 

(n.) a tragic or fatal flaw

Metanoia

(n.) the journey of changing one’s mind, heart, self, or way of life

Selcouth 

(adj.) unfamiliar, rare, strange, and yet marvelous

Solivagant 

(adj.) wandering alone

Petrichor 

(n.) the scent of rain on dry earth

Nemophilist 

(n.) a haunter of the woods, one who loves the forest and its beauty and solitude

What Scents make you Happy? 

Fall scents

 fresh bread

lavender

rain

earl grey tea

What Movies make you Happy? 

Sleepless in Seattle

You’ve Got Mail

Pride and Prejudice

Sense and Sensibility

Jane Eyre

(notice they’re all chick flicks!) 

 Brave

Frozen

Beauty and the Beast

Some Random Things that make you Happy?

Getting Mail! 

Waking up refreshed

Getting hugs 

Watching anime with friends

Journaling

Shopping for disney/fandom stuff when I have no money to spend! 

Pinterest!

Well, that's all for now! If you enjoyed this post, consider taking on the Tag yourself and spreading some of the happiness. Just don't forget to leave a comment below to let me know you did a post for it. Happy Monday Everyone!

The Unpopular Opinions Tag

Okay okay, I was not officially tagged for this post. But the amazing Annika Smith @ Writer and Proud opened up the tag to everyone! So how could I resist? Plus, I needed something fun to work on this week what with all the rain we’ve been having. What’s more fun than sharing my unpopular opinions on books? Sharing my unpopular opinions on movies! We’ll get a bit of both in this tag so let’s get too it. 

A popular Book/Series you Didn’t Like

The Inheritance Series

This series only got worse. I can say this because I grew up as these books were coming out. Paolini was cool because he was a homeschooler and wrote fantasy about elves and riding dragons! But as I got older and broadened my reading horizons I realized how….how horrible the writing was. Paolini should really have waited until he matured a bit before subjecting us to his Star Wars/ Lord of the Rings mash-up. I think if he had infused his story with a bit more original flair it would have been a stellar story. By Eldest I was already sick of the story. I had to very literally force myself to finish the series just so I could bring the “plot” to a conclusion in my mind and be done with it. 

A Popular Book/Series Everyone Hates but I Love

I thought I would despise this book. Thankfully I was entirely wrong about it. Yes, it’s an older book and it’s not written to please our modern, short attention spans. And yet the language of this book, the depth and the symbolism, not to mention the historical satire, are phenomenal. I’ve only read it once so far but I’m looking forward to reading it again soon. 

A Love Triangle where the Protagonist Ended up with the Person you didn’t want them to be with. 

To be honest, I make a habit of avoiding books that are known for their love triangles. However, I have accidentally ended up seeing the movies so I’ll complain about the love triangles in them. 

The Host was messed up on so many levels. Two girls want two boys so it’s technically a love square? So there’s Wanda and she’s stuck in Melanie’s body. Mel likes this guy Jared and so naturally Wanda likes him too. But this Ian fellow loves Wanda. Now Wanda starts crushing on Ian even though Melanie hates his guts. Now both boys are fighting over both girls who for a time are stuck in one body. I told you it was messed up. I didn’t want the protagonist(s) to end up with anyone after all that. Singleness ain’t that bad people. 

Eh. The Hunger Games. Katniss and her indecisiveness. I read the first two books and watched all the movies so far. Every time I see it I keep thinking this story would be a hundred times better if that love triangle wasn’t there! 

A popular genre you hardly read

I might watch the movies because…well they’re there. But I don’t usually read the books. They all seem very cookie-cutter. On the whole, they are rather unoriginal as well. Another disaster has struck earth leaving it mangled with the exception of icon city ruins that are amazingly still structurally sound. A one-world, dictator-centered government has organized the population into clans, districts, guilds, tribes….you get the idea. The whole crux of the story is about teens being forced to do something (the plight of every modern teen) and finding a group of peers to survive the plot with. Along the way will be a hot boy or girl who is the perfect match for our protag and they amazingly survive the ordeal together. You know what might actually be original here? If the fat preteen survived. MazeRunner anyone? I really thought that kid might make it. I think he should have. 

 

A popular/beloved character you dislike

 Katniss Everdeen - Divergent Girl who looks like Katniss - Host Katniss who wears her hair down

Is anyone else seeing a pattern in these three dystopian heroines? Or is that just me? They’ve all got the same expression! Not to mention pretty much the same looks. On a surface level I can enjoy each of these girls as characters because they provide entertainment when I have nothing better to do. On a more fundamental level they each annoy me. Would it kill them to focus on the problem more than the one or more guys there are interested in? Was Joan of Arc hung up on a guy during her military missions? Didn’t think so. 

A popular author you can’t seem to get into

Sarah J Maas and her Throne of Glass series. I’ve been hearing good things about these books but I just haven’t had the time to bury myself in it yet. It’s been too long before I got into a real fantasy. Brings back memories from when I role played on a forum with elves and alchemists and other fun stuff. If anyone out there would like to recommend or discourage me from reading the books then say so in the comments! 

 A popular trope you’re tired of reading

Missing Parents

I don’t want to bash every story where the parents are missing. But let’s face it, those stories are everywhere. On the one hand, this trope adds something to the character’s backstory and motivation. I can really understand it’s worth. It sets the protagonist apart  from the norm which is a good thing most of the time. But seriously people!? Not every hero in every book has to be an orphan or have absent parents to be awesome. 

Instant love with a hottie

How can I say this best? There’s this thing called real life, and in real life instant attraction to a hottie is real. Instant love? No. Ain’t no such thing and it gets old real fast when I read about it in every new book I pick up. What I crave are models of real-ish relationships that actually grow over time. Huge respect goes out to authors who take the time to plot out a relationship like this. 

The Love Triangle

Ughhhh. Again, this doesn’t happen in real life! If it does you have serious communication/decision-making issues and you need some time to figure out who you are as a person before dealing with all that drama. Singleness hasn’t killed a character yet! I’d love to see more characters in books who stay single for legitimate reasons. Anime has this down-pat, why can’t books keep up??

 

A popular series you have no interest in reading

Harry Potter 

Don’t throw things at me just yet. I’ve watched all the movies and I actually grew attached to the characters. I thought they were well rounded and showed great growth through the series. And yet….I have no real urge to read the books. Call me lazy if you want but there it is. 

Game of Thrones

I’d never even heard of the series until the show came out. In the first few seconds I was all “How awesome is this? A fantasy show with real drama mixed in with a political theme!” And then the nudity. And the blood. And the nudity again. Nope. Lost all interest in the series after that and haven’t even had the desire to try and go through the books. 

A show/movie/adaptation you liked better than the book

The Hobbit Movies

*prepares to be hit with rotten tomatoes and sharp objects*  Don’t kill me till I’ve explained myself! I am a huge fan of the book and the Lord of the Rings book series. Usually, I’m a purist when it comes to movie adaptations to books. Lately though I’m been taking a more lenient view on it. Movies are an art medium just like everything else. With each medium, you have to adjust the story to fit well into the chosen medium. Considering what they had to work with, I really enjoyed the characters and development of the three Hobbit movies. That terrible river scene that looked like a video game though? That could have easily been deleted. On the whole, I think it stands well alone from the book and with it. Just like the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy.  

A popular style of cover that you can’t stand

Women randomly Posing

This sort of cover instantly lets me know that a majority of the book is going to be about a) a girl with issues. b) a romance. c) a shallow, shallow plot. So if I pick up a book with this sort of cover I’ll usually just put it back on the shelf. 

THE EYE

Enough of this already! Not only is it super creepy, but it’s overused and entirely unoriginal. You’re not the Eye of Sauron so please stop trying. This sort of cover is meant to be dramatic I think? Or show off a really cool eye? Look, Anime’s already got you beat again in the super-cool eye department. Another problem I have with the eye cover? I get frustrated at the author for this. You mean your entire story can be summed up in this image of a creepy eye? That’s all you got? You need help. 

What happened to dramatic works or art for a book cover? What happened to original concepts to express the unique texture or feel of a story? I love finding beautiful book covers. Follow PaperFury on Instagram if you want to see some breath-taking book covers. 

That’s it, folks! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. Taking a note from Annika’s book I’ll open this tag up for anyone and everyone who wants to have fun with it. If you do take up this tag put the link in the comments so I can come see your unpopular opinions! 

Adam and His Kin: A Book Review

 

Have the characters in Genesis ever seemed flat to you? I'm talking about Adam, Noah, and Abraham. They have to me. I can admit that because I've been attending church all my life. Growing up in Sunday School some of the most popular lessons are from the book of Genesis. That's no real surprise. Genesis is hugely important and contains very key characters in history. But sometimes while listening to the teacher go on about Adam and Eve I had difficulty picturing anything in my mind besides a man covered by a fig leaf. And in listening to the short account of the Tower of Babel I was left in a very poor state of awe at the story. These historical figures were flat as flannelgraph cut-outs until I read a small but significent book by Ruth Beechick.

 

"Adam and His Kin: The Lost History of Their Lives and Times" is a book under two-hundred pages that takes you on a journey through the world's forgotten years. In such a short page-span, Beechick manages to enlarge those flannelgraph cut-outs into the figurative giants of the ancient world. The great fathers of mankind in the formative years after the Fall. This book is a brave foray into a mysterious chapter in human history. Though not a true historical fiction, her book weaves together information from linguistics, archeology, astronomy, history, ancient traditions and religions, and ultimately the foundation of the Bible to create this unique glimpse into the world's forgotten years.

 

 

 

 

Why This Book is Important

 

Ever since my introduction to the Ancient Man Project I have asked myself why Christians seem content to leave the realm of Ancient History vacant of a real Biblical Perspective. We're content picturing Adam as that silly man wearing a fig leaf instead of acknowledging him as the first and perfect human created by God. Think about some of these questions that Ruth Beechick poses on the back cover of her book:

• Have History textbooks told us the Truth?
• How did Mankind learn Language?
• Where did Civilization begin?
• Why do Ancient Writings refer to a year of 360 days?
• What actual events lie behind the Mythologies of the World?
• Who kept alive the memory of the Distant Past?

Now imagine it's not the History Channel or Ancient Aliens that's about to answer those questions but a woman with a solid Biblical Perspective. This book is a must read for Christians who are hungry for a accurate view of ancient man. Prepare to see Adam, his sons, Noah, and the Tower of Babel like you've never seen them before!

 

Credit to AiG

 

 

How This Book Changed My Life

As I said before, the characters of Genesis were very flat to me before I got a hold of this book. Now these very real historical people have become alive through the pages. Through Beechick's eyes Adam and his sons read the messages that God had placed in the stars. They bring up generations to follow God's law and even develop a school to pass on the knowledge they had acquired. Some choose to remain faithful to God's teachings. Others choose to twist the old ways to suit themselves. After the Flood cities spring up and Cush and Nimrod take advantage of the people's fear of a second world-wide destruction to build a tower as the ultimate rebellion against God's commandments. The curse brought about in the garden festers and becomes a sickness that bursts and spreads out from Babel after the words of men were split into languages. The first great kingdom has been shattered and cannot be put back together. The grand stage of history has been set in these forgotten years of man's past.

Isn't this book fantastic?? "Adam and His Kin" is really the book that gave me that extra inspirational push to write a novel based on ancient man from a Biblical Perspective. I've underlined the living daylights out of this book and I'm still working through the amazing list of resources in the back. Not only is it a great supplement to my historical research into ancient man, it's also a muse I come back to again and again.

 

 

That's a lot of awesome packed into a book that's not even 300 pages long! Have you read it before? What did you think of it? Was there anything in particular your agreed with or disagreed with? Had any of those questions Beechick mentioned ever occured to you before? I can't wait to hear your thoughts so don't forget to share them below!

 

 

 

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Top Ten Books I'd love to see as Movies

Yay! My first Top Ten Tuesday! I'm super excited to put this list together and share some of my favorite books with you at the same time. So the prompt for this week? (Wanna know more about Top Ten Tuesday? Take a peek here.)

 

I picked all these books right from the prized shelf where my all-time favorite books reside. A lot of them were read when I was a teen (so that should explain why about half of them are geared towards children) and others are more recent. They're listed in no particular order. Because trying to make me list them in order of importance is like trying to make me pick my best friend. I don't have many so they're all equal! (*whispers* but I like East the best) So anyway, on with the list!

 

• Redwall Series by Brian Jacques

I don't have kids. But when I do, these books will be what I read to them every night. Brian Jacques is a master storyteller who wrote over twenty books within the Redwall Series. The tales of Redwall follow the adventures and dangers that come to the woodland creatures who live in Redwall Abbey. I would love to see this series as a movie or series of movies because of where we are technologically today. We could actually make the gallant hares, the noble badgers, the sly foxes, and the humble mice real on the screen! There was an animated series that tried to capture the spirit of these tales.....it utterly failed. This series needs to be captured on screen like it deserves!

• Castaways of the Flying Dutchman by Brian Jacques

Written by the same author as the Redwall Series but this story is far from heroic woodland animals in a fantasy world. This book tells the tale of a boy and his dog who were aboard the Flying Dutchman when it was cursed by an Angel. They are now the immortal castaways who roam the countryside looking for those in need. I think this movie and it's companion sequels would make an excellent movie because it fits right in with the pirate/immortal/ghost/supernatural thing going on in movie business right now. Who could resist an immortal boy and his dog?

 

• Picture Maker by Penina Keen Spinka

Haunting and Epic in scale, this historical fiction captured my heart when I first discovered it in the library. This book tells the story of a young Mohawk girl called Picture Maker and her race for survival that takes her from her home in North America to the frigid north, and finally to Greenland. This is one of the better historical fictions I have read, though certainly still for an older audience. I think it would be a great movie because it spans so many indian cultures and paints an accurate life story.

 

• Ingo by Helen Dunmore

This is the only mermaid book I have ever bought. It stole my heart when I was a teen and I have never been tempted to take it off the Favorites shelf. Ingo is about a girl who feels called to the sea. She longs for it. Secrets in her family's past may explain this mysterious, magical pull toward the underwater kingdom of Ingo. This rich fantasy belongs on the big screen. Granted, the book is written for a younger audience, but what's wrong with a clean fantasy flick?? Nothing. Go read the book.

 

• East by Edith Pattou

This is, by far, one of my most favorite books ever. It is geared towards a younger audience but I still love re-reading it. This is an example of epic, beautiful tale telling. The story follows Rose and her journey to combat the fate of her Birth Direction. She's forced to make a deal with an enormous white bear to save her family and is whisked away to an enchanted castle full of mystery and the overhanging danger of the troll queen of the north. The story is absolutely beautiful and belongs on the big screen because of that.

 

• Ranger's Apprentice Series by John Flanagan

Talk about an epic series that needs a movie! The Ranger's Apprentice series follows the life and adventures of the clever orphan Will in a fantastical land very similar to our own. The Ranger Corp act as the Kingdom's special forces and are known for their uncanny ability to move unseen and their skills with the longbow. Will and his master Halt, along with a group of unforgetable characters, dive into the darkness and intrigue to save the kingdom. These characters and the world they live in would be perfectly at home in a theater. At the same time, it would make a killer TV series!

 

• The Watchers by Mark Andrew Olsen

A novel of suspense on a spiritual battle level. This tale follows the unseen saga of war against the forces of evil in our world today. I can see this as a movie because of how fast and startling this novel is. Despite how I disagree on some theological points, this book and it's companion The Warriors is certainly one to check out.

 

 

• Binding of the Blade Series by L.B. Graham

I've seriously got to go back and read this series again. I had just finished the Lord of the Rings trilogy (I was like..11) when I read it the first time. This series follows in the footsteps of grand, sweeping fantasy just like Tolkien's work of genius. I could see the series mashed into one grand movie (which would ruin it) or strung out to three movies. I don't want to give away any spoilers! But the series combines a grand-scale plot with Christian themes and comes out a fantastic read.

 

• Mark of the Lion Series by Francine Rivers

I found A Voice in the Wind (the first book of the series) tucked into the bottom shelf in the corner of a dark room on a still, snowy day. I didn't read it that day, but it found me again later and begged to be read. I fell in love. This is a re-definition of Christian Historical Fiction. The series is honest, unflinching, and powerful as it relates the lives of people in the first-century Roman Empire. This one is definitely not for kids. The story follows a Jewish girl who is torn from her family and land to become a slave in Rome. Her journey touches lives in ways that go beyond Rome. Good historical fiction like this deserves to be made into a good movie!

 

• Veil of Fire by Marlo Shalesky

It's a small, unimpressive little book. Yet the images inside will sear secrets and haunting imagry into your mind. Fire razes the town of Hinckley to the ground. Where almost everyone recovered from the devastation, one man rejoiced. Now his secrets have been carried away in the wind with the ashes. Or have they? A scorched child of God stands to reveal the truth that brings freedom and restoration. This historical christian fiction is a must-read, and I think it would make a striking movie as well.

 

 

 

 

 

Well this was really fun! I can't wait to do another Top Ten Tuesday!

 

What about you guys? Recognize any of the books here? What are some of your favorites? Who here has more awesome christian historical fiction, or just fantastic historical fiction to share? I'm craving some new books soon. Any suggestions?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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