Christian Goodreaders discussion
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Common reads
I wouldn't be opposed to reading it, either, if we decide on that one. It just wouldn't be my first choice. So far, the suggestions are all interesting, I think.
For the poll, my recommendation would be that we narrow the choices by Young and Peretti to one apiece. That way, the votes for their work won't be scattered, and we get a truer measure of majority preference, IMO.I've read The Shack, and it would be one of the more controversial fiction reads we could pick; that's not a bad thing, but it's worth being aware of. Though I've heard of Cross Roads, it's never been on my personal radar as something to read.
The only Peretti novel I've read is The Oath; I gave that one five stars, but I'm only mentioning that for informational purposes, not suggesting it as a read. The Visitation has been on my to-read shelf for a long time; but I personally haven't been that interested in This Present Darkness or its sequel. That's just me; it's because my interest in reading fiction is more focused on humans and their conflicts/choices, not on angels vs. demons.
All of the books mentioned so far are in the Bluefield College library, except for Cross Roads (and that one shouldn't be hard to get by interlibrary loan; it was published in 2012, so it's been out long enough). I'm willing to go with anything the group votes for; and I think both Peretti and Young are significant authors who are well worth reading and introducing people to!
Mt to. As noted I think of This Present Darkness and it's sequel as YA. I liked Cross Roads better than his first book, matter of taste I suppose.But as you said I'm cool with whatever we choose.
Banner, would you be just as content with us putting The Visitation and Cross Roads in the poll (by the same respective authors), as you'd be with This Present Darkness and The Shack? Based on the input so far, I'm guessing like there might be more people who'd vote for one or the other of the former than of the latter.
Hey Werner, man I'm sorry for the slow reply.I'm ok with changing to The Visitation, but I would like to keep The Shack in the list. We can certainly add Cross Roads if you like.
I'll be enthusiastic with which ever book is chosen.
Nah, Banner, you're not slow in replying; you posted the very next day after I did!Personally, I'd actually favor The Shack more than Cross Roads, partly because I think it's the more important and groundbreaking work of the two (of course, that's just me). It'll be controversial, and it does have a grim premise --the brutal killing of a small girl at the hands of a serial killer. (That's not handled graphically, but it's there.) But I think the group members will know about those factors when they vote, with eyes open, so to speak.
Unless someone particularly wants to in a specific case, I lean against including two books by the same author in the same poll (since it might not be fair to force his/her fans to make a choice and split their votes). Would everyone be happy with this line-up: Christy, The Shack, and The Visitation? (For my part, like Banner, I'd be enthusiastic with any of these; since I don't have a preference, I probably won't vote unless there's a tie.)
I'm agreeable either way.
I'd say we have a consensus! I'll get the poll up next week, around the beginning of October.
The poll went up a few minutes ago, and will run through Sunday, Oct. 11 (or, for two weekends). A Goodreads message with the link went out to all group members just now; but in case anyone misplaces the message, that link is www.goodreads.com/poll/show/124600-wh... . You can also click on the "Polls" link at the top of this and every other one of our group's pages, in the list of links under the group logo; this poll is the very first one that shows at the top of the Polls page.
The poll resulted in a tie for first place between The Shack and The Visitation, each with nine votes apiece, and Christy trailing with five votes. One vote for The Visitation was mine; I have a slight preference for that one over the other as a choice at this time. But I also felt that the division between the two within the group is so close that both books deserved a straight vote without a third book playing a spoiler role that might distort the outcome.Accordingly, we have a runoff poll now set up at this link: www.goodreads.com/poll/show/124931-what shall-we-read-in-november-2015 . A general invitation to vote was broadcast as a personal message to all members earlier today, but I wanted to be sure to post about it here, too. This poll will run through next Sunday, Oct. 18; that should give us a clear majority preference, and still allow everyone who wants to take part in the read plenty of time to secure a copy.
Hi! I have a Nook. Does anyone know about a book lending group for Nook in Goodreads? I want to read the book Balancing it All, by Candace Cameron Bure but it's too expensive. Thanks!
Mercedes, I don't know whether there's such a group or not. You might want to try clicking on the "Explore" link on the Goodreads tool bar at the top of this page, choose "Groups" from the pull-down menu there, and then use the search function. (Also, many public libraries loan e-books nowadays, and virtually all public library catalogs are accessible online. You might want to check out that option as well.)
Werner wrote: "Mercedes, I don't know whether there's such a group or not. You might want to try clicking on the "Explore" link on the Goodreads tool bar at the top of this page, choose "Groups" from the pull-dow..."Thank you! I'll check it out.
Our run-off poll is now history, and we have a clear winner: The Shack out-polled The Visitation, with 9 votes to 5, and will be our common read for next month. Warm thanks to those who took part in either (or both) of the polls! Because my wife and I will be having company from Australia (our oldest daughter and her husband) from Oct. 23 until Nov. 11, I'll be late chiming in on that discussion; but I'll try to get the thread up on Nov. 1.
It's about the time of year when we need to start seriously brainstorming about what book to choose for our (voluntary) common read in November. As always, we want to pick a book that's readily available through libraries, either on the shelves or through interlibrary loan. So (unfortunately!) that usually rules out very new books, and most books by indie or small press authors. Also, I'd ask authors in our group not to nominate your own books. It's okay if other people do; but let's face it, we're not the best judges of the merits of our own work!
Werner wrote: "It's about the time of year when we need to start seriously brainstorming about what book to choose for our (voluntary) common read in November. As always, we want to pick a book that's readily ava..."I really want to hang tough with this, this year. I would like to suggest Paper Angels by the wonderful Billy Coffey. It is from 2011.
Just now, I checked World Catalog, and no less than 669 libraries have copies of Paper Angels. So access definitely shouldn't be a problem!I'll suggest a book I read earlier this year, which greatly impressed me: Same Kind of Different as Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore (Thomas Nelson, 2005). This one is nonfiction; my review is here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... .
Werner wrote: "Just now, I checked World Catalog, and no less than 669 libraries have copies of Paper Angels. So access definitely shouldn't be a problem!I'll suggest a book I read earlier this year, which grea..."
Thanks for this suggestion--of course your review just hit home. ;) I have added it to my to-read list.
That's great, Urs, and you're very welcome!
Our church has been reading Abba's Child Abba's Child: The Cry of the Heart for Intimate Belonging, but I'll hold off on nominating it a while. I may want to consider other books before settling on a nominee.
Mike, did we understand that you might have a suggestion for the read in November?
Nothing has jumped out at me so far. When are you closing the nominations?
Mike (the Paladin) wrote: "Nothing has jumped out at me so far. When are you closing the nominations?"Good question! I hope to put the poll up on Saturday, Oct. 1. So if we could wind up our brainstorming by the end of this month, that would be optimum. Does that sound like a workable time frame?
Cool. I haven't come across a book I'd call outstanding for a bot but I'll "think on it".
Hey I'm just checking in. I always look forward to this group read. I have somethings in mind but nothing to post just yet.
Mike (the Paladin) wrote: "Cool. I haven't come across a book I'd call outstanding for a bot but I'll "think on it"."Banner wrote: "Hey I'm just checking in. I always look forward to this group read. I have somethings in mind but nothing to post just yet."
Sounds good, guys. (And it's exciting to hear from someone who looks forward to the read!)
The poll results are in at last! With 29 votes cast, Same Kind of Different as Me was picked as our common read this year, with 16 votes. (Paper Angels got 13.) We'll be starting the read on Nov. 1, I'll try to have a discussion thread up for it by the end of that day. Participation is voluntary, but I hope you'll consider joining us!
If we hold true to our schedule, we'll be doing our annual (voluntary) common read in November. Given the speed at which time flies, it's not too early to begin seriously brainstorming about what to read.One of my other groups has a challenge going to see how long it takes us as a group to accumulate a list of 250 classics newly read by group members. So far, we're up to 230, and one of the other moderators hopes we can hit 250 before the end of the year. Granted, helping me contribute to that challenge isn't an overriding reason for picking a book! :-) But if members want to read a classic together, Lew Wallace's Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (which has been in the poll once before) or Henryk Sienkiewicz's Quo Vadis might be good choices.
If we prefer something more contemporary, Francine Rivers is usually reckoned to be a particularly bright star in the constellation of Christian fiction authors who began writing in the latter part of the 20th century. I haven't read any of her work myself, but I have three of her novels on my to-read shelf: The Atonement Child (which deals with abortion, an important topic that should evoke a lot of discussion), Redeeming Love, and And the Shofar Blew. IMO, any of these three would be good choices.
Werner, time is really flying. This caught me by surprise. (But a pleasant suprise).Ben-Hur sounds very interesting. I enjoyed the recent movie remake.
November is close.
We'll definitely put Ben Hur in the poll, then!
I'd consider Ben Hur as a read. Haven't read it since I was a teen.
If the group picks it for the read, Janelle, you'd be welcome to reread it with us, or (if you think it can remember it well enough to discuss it without a reread) join in the conversation on the basis of what you remember! I've done the latter sometimes with common reads of books I've read already --although a couple of times, in the case of books I'd read decades earlier, I wound up concluding I needed a refresher, and joining in the reading late to do a second read. :-)
I'm not sure how good my memory would be after all these years! I think my participation would be limited without reading it again.
I may also be interested in Quo Vadis. I may have read it as a teenager as well, but I'm not certain. Sometimes I wish I'd kept a list of my teenage reads.
Janelle, I hear you! I wish I'd kept a written record of all of my reads; I've even forgotten a few of the ones I read as an adult. :-)
So many books. There's no way we can remember them all!
Janelle wrote: "So many books. There's no way we can remember them all!"So true, Janelle!
So far there's been some interest expressed in Ben Hur (and a little bit of interest in Quo Vadis). I'm not detecting any groundswell of support for anything by Francine Rivers, which rather surprises me, since I have the impression that she's quite popular with Christian fiction readers.Since the two books I named above are both 19th-century historical fiction classics dealing with the first-century beginnings of the Christian era, they have a lot of similarity to each other. A case could be made, I think, for putting one or the other in the poll but not both, and branching out more with the other choice(s). A poll ought to provide at least a couple of options; but I don't want to suggest both of them unless I'm the only person in the entire group who wants to offer a suggestion.
Group reads aren't everyone's "thing". It sort of usually depends on whether you planned to read the book anyway I guess. I'd say with whatever feels right to you.I'm going into the hospital for a couple of days (God willing it will go well and only be a couple of days, LOL). Supposed to have my first knee replaced, the second should be in a few months.
Mike (the Paladin) wrote: "Group reads aren't everyone's "thing". It sort of usually depends on whether you planned to read the book anyway I guess. I'd say with whatever feels right to you.I'm going into the hospital for ..."
True, Mike; and all of our common reads are strictly voluntary! Most members in this group (and we have over 1300 of them!) don't participate; but others like the idea of reading a book along with others and sharing reactions and comments. Some groups do common reads every month, but I think that's a bit of overkill; the annual reads were my idea, as allowing for a group read experience now and then, but not making it an overpowering feature of the group's life. In groups where I'm not a moderator, I don't usually join in a read unless the book is one I planned to read already (and not even then, if the timing isn't right); but where I'm a moderator, I try to take part unless I have a major conflict --especially in the annual reads, which are scheduled ahead of time and so allow me to plan for them. In some cases, books that weren't on my radar at all have proven to be wonderful reading experiences I'm glad not to have missed!
We'll be praying for you in connection with that knee surgery. (My library director here at work had a double knee replacement a few years ago and came through it really well, with greatly improved mobility; so hopefully that provides some encouragement!)
My doctor wouldn't do a double. She insists that we do one and then the other.
Christian Goodreaders
Books mentioned in this topic
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Francine Rivers (other topics)Francine Rivers (other topics)
C.S. Lewis (other topics)
Brother Lawrence (other topics)
Francine Rivers (other topics)
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I haven't read it myself, but the description sounds interesting and it is just as highly rated as The Shack on Goodreads.
I used to own This Present Darkness, but cannot find it anymore. I might have given it away, thinking I would never read it.