"If you’ve ever had the opening bars of a song transport you back in time or remind you of a pivotal spiritual moment, Matthew Paul Turner’s honest—and frequently hilarious—musings will strike a chord. Straightforward and amusing, Hear No Evil is Turner’s “life soundtrack,” a compilation of engaging personal stories about how music—and music’s ability to transform—has played a key role in his spiritual life.
Groove along on his journey as young evangelical Turner attends forbidden contemporary Christian concerts, moves to “Music City” Nashville, and dreams of becoming the Michael Jackson of Christian music."
I will be honest, when I was first approached about reading and reviewing this title, I was a little hesitant. Christian Living is not the usual genre I choose to read. I don't have anything against it, just not always interested. Then I read the summary and thought it sounded interesting and not too "churchy". I am glad I gave it a shot.
Hear No Evil is a beautifully written memoir that invites you into the author's life. His writing is smooth and natural, it like I was having a conversation with him rather than reading his memoir. Turner has a great sense of humor and successfully told his coming of age story in a way that was entertaining and honest. While it is about his spiritual journey, there is never a feeling of preaching or the "churchy" feeling I was worried about. Readers of all faiths and spiritual backgrounds would enjoy this entertaining and light hearted memoir.
I mean, who wouldn't want to read a story about a guy, who at the age of 11, thought God was calling him to become the "Michael Jackson of Christian music"? That image alone was enough to pique my interest!
Turner's experience in the Christian music industry lends an insider look into the relationship between music and spirituality. His insights and reflections on his own musical/spiritual journey are very humorous and humbling. Turner's storytelling ability easily transports the reader back to various points in his life where music played a key role in becoming the person he is today.
I highly recommend Hear No Evil to anyone looking for a quick, humorous read about life and music. It truly was a great read!
What's that? You're interested in reading it? Well you've come to the right place!
GIVEAWAY
One lucky reader will win their very own brand new copy of Hear No Evil by Matthew Paul Turner!
(Sorry USA only!)
(Sorry USA only!)
How to Win:
There are several ways to enter this giveaway, just look below. Leave a seperate comment for each entry. Make sure to include your email address in your comment so I can contact you if you are the lucky winner!
Main Entry:
(required!)
Tell me about a song/artist/genre of music that has played a key role in your life
Extra Entries:
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Winner will be drawn on March 2, 2010. Good luck!!
Congrats to Sarah!! (the first Sarah, lol)
Congrats to Sarah!! (the first Sarah, lol)
Disclaimer: This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.
To learn more about or purchase this book, visit RandomHouse.com:
http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9781400074723
As strange as this may say - James Taylor has influenced me a lot. I think his songs tell a story about what we all face on a day to day basis. Though not defined in genre as "Christian" I continue to experience God when I listen to his music.
ReplyDeleteI often wish my life was a musical, so it is hard to pick just one. A personal favorite of mine in general is Ray LaMontagne…soulful voice and poetic lyrics provide for great music and thought provoking songs! In terms of influences on my faith, I think it is hard to find Christian music that isn’t too cheesy, but Sara Groves, 100 Portraits & Waterdeep, Ginny Owens are a few that come to mind. They are honest in their lyrics and don’t try to paint everything as a pretty picture, but convey the realities of faith. 100 Portraits & Waterdeep’s album, Enter the Worship Circle has really interesting sounds. (strenda@gmail.com)
ReplyDeleteRaffi and New Kids on the Block were my first loves. Guster makes me smile and I have such good memories of their concerts with the T-baughs. One of my favorites overall would have to be Coldplay for their musicality and lyrics. And now the cycle starts over as I listen to Raffi with Tate...
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