From the blog of My Friend Amy :
Ok, here's today's question: We all come to faith in Jesus at different times in our lives and we all come to Christian fiction at different times, too! What's the first book in the Christian fiction genre you can remember reading? What was your impression of it? Did it make you want to read more or less?
My Answer: I was raised on Christian books and music, so I don't have one solid memory, but I do have very fond memories of C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia and The Pilgrim's Progress. Through the years, I find I always enjoy reading Christian fiction, but I tend to go through times when I like a certain author or genre more than others. Right now seems to be the acception - I am really enjoying stretching my comfort and reading all genres - I am learning SO much in all areas of my life and it is wonderful. One thing I especially love about reading Christian fiction is the way I feel - peaceful and content.
My mom and I used to make baklava every year during the holidays, and I remember thinking they were the same as the sweets the queen offered the children. I also remember the story coming alive for me - as a child, I think it was harder to keep fact and fiction separate, so I had a great imagination!!
I don't remember much about the Pilgrim's Progress (I should probably read it again!), but I do remember that the story had a very strong affect on me at the time, and I did enjoy reading it.
Our family also read a lot of Janette Oke, mostly her Canadian West series.
Care to answer the question yourself? I welcome you to post your thoughts here, add them to your own blog and head back to Amy's post and add a comment with a link to yours. :)
Showing posts with label Saturday Christian Fiction Carnival. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Saturday Christian Fiction Carnival. Show all posts
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Saturday Christian Fiction Carnival: Most Memorable Character
From the blog of My Friend Amy :
Ok, here's today's question: There are many outstanding characters in the books we read but often there's that one special character we remember for a long time. Sometimes it's because we relate to them, or maybe we were going through something similar to what they experienced. Or maybe they are just the sort of person we wish we were. Who is the most memorable character in Christian fiction for you and why?
My Answer: I've had the pleasure of reading a lot of Christian fiction that I really enjoyed, and there are a few characters that always remain in the back of my mind. I'm going to go with one of my bible favorites: Ruth.
I don't know where I obtained this book, but the book is called Ruth, A Love Story by Ellen Gunderson Traylor. It is always on my bookshelf, it is discolored, the spine is broken, it no longer lays flat, but kind of leans when it is placed on a table - I could really go on here.
I think I have liked this particular character for so long because she was a real person - and she was such a strong person who set a good example to others. Once the priestess of Chemosh in Moab, she dislikes the human sacrifice, and meets Mahlon, a Jewish metal worker (I hope I'm getting all the facts right - it has been a while since I've read it!). Against the odds, he marries her. He dies soon after, and his mother Naomi decides to return to the home she grew up in. Ruth, now part of her family, decides to leave everything she has known to journey with Naomi to Bethlehem.
Ruth has found hope in the new religion of her husband, and leaves her family where she would have led an easy life, instead choosing hard work and manual labor in order to stay with Naomi and continue learning this new forgiving religion.
This is a wonderful story, with a great ending! Ruth does gain a new faith, and a new love, while growing with her relationship with Naomi.
If you haven't read this book - I encourage you to see if you can locate a copy (Amazon has some for the cost of shipping!) - it is wonderful. Please note that I tend to really enjoy the books about women in the bible. :)
From the back cover:
"It is the dream of every Jewess to be Messiah's mother. And the dream of every Jewish lad that his betrothed will bear Messiah for his line!"
Ruth, a Moabitess, strained to understand the ways of her husband's people as she found herself slipping away from the harsh religion of Moab's Chemosh - the bloody god of terror. But when her mother-in-law, Naomi, spoke of the Anointed One who would spring from this peculiar race - the children of Abraham - Ruth was both intrigued and bewildered.
Could she ever learn to be a child of Jehovah, have faith in the Messiah to come, and somehow know his peace?
The pain of separation and poverty were to come upon her before her understanding would be made plain. But Ruth the foreigner was to become part of the very fulfillment of prophecy - and to find true love on her own doorstep as well . . . .
Funny fact: My husband's grandmother once told me it was one of her favorite books. I happened to see it out one day when we visited his dad, and she was visiting from out-of-state. When I saw the book, I happened to mention that it was a favorite of mine, and one that you don't see very often. Boy was I surprised to find that it was her favorite as well.
Care to answer the question yourself? I welcome you to post your thoughts here, add them to your own blog and head back to Amy's post and add a comment with a link to yours. :)
Ok, here's today's question: There are many outstanding characters in the books we read but often there's that one special character we remember for a long time. Sometimes it's because we relate to them, or maybe we were going through something similar to what they experienced. Or maybe they are just the sort of person we wish we were. Who is the most memorable character in Christian fiction for you and why?
My Answer: I've had the pleasure of reading a lot of Christian fiction that I really enjoyed, and there are a few characters that always remain in the back of my mind. I'm going to go with one of my bible favorites: Ruth.
I don't know where I obtained this book, but the book is called Ruth, A Love Story by Ellen Gunderson Traylor. It is always on my bookshelf, it is discolored, the spine is broken, it no longer lays flat, but kind of leans when it is placed on a table - I could really go on here.
I think I have liked this particular character for so long because she was a real person - and she was such a strong person who set a good example to others. Once the priestess of Chemosh in Moab, she dislikes the human sacrifice, and meets Mahlon, a Jewish metal worker (I hope I'm getting all the facts right - it has been a while since I've read it!). Against the odds, he marries her. He dies soon after, and his mother Naomi decides to return to the home she grew up in. Ruth, now part of her family, decides to leave everything she has known to journey with Naomi to Bethlehem.
Ruth has found hope in the new religion of her husband, and leaves her family where she would have led an easy life, instead choosing hard work and manual labor in order to stay with Naomi and continue learning this new forgiving religion.
This is a wonderful story, with a great ending! Ruth does gain a new faith, and a new love, while growing with her relationship with Naomi.
If you haven't read this book - I encourage you to see if you can locate a copy (Amazon has some for the cost of shipping!) - it is wonderful. Please note that I tend to really enjoy the books about women in the bible. :)
From the back cover:
"It is the dream of every Jewess to be Messiah's mother. And the dream of every Jewish lad that his betrothed will bear Messiah for his line!"
Ruth, a Moabitess, strained to understand the ways of her husband's people as she found herself slipping away from the harsh religion of Moab's Chemosh - the bloody god of terror. But when her mother-in-law, Naomi, spoke of the Anointed One who would spring from this peculiar race - the children of Abraham - Ruth was both intrigued and bewildered.
Could she ever learn to be a child of Jehovah, have faith in the Messiah to come, and somehow know his peace?
The pain of separation and poverty were to come upon her before her understanding would be made plain. But Ruth the foreigner was to become part of the very fulfillment of prophecy - and to find true love on her own doorstep as well . . . .
Funny fact: My husband's grandmother once told me it was one of her favorite books. I happened to see it out one day when we visited his dad, and she was visiting from out-of-state. When I saw the book, I happened to mention that it was a favorite of mine, and one that you don't see very often. Boy was I surprised to find that it was her favorite as well.
Care to answer the question yourself? I welcome you to post your thoughts here, add them to your own blog and head back to Amy's post and add a comment with a link to yours. :)
Friday, October 24, 2008
Saturday Christian Fiction Carnival: Thrill Me!
From the blog of My Friend Amy :
Ok, here's today's question: Whether or not you celebrate Halloween, there's something about the shorter days and chilly air that makes one want to curl up with a scary book. The horror market for Christian fiction is growing in creativity and testing all sorts of boundaries. The suspense market is also very rich with many talented authors. So my question(s) for you is...what's the best Christian fiction horror or suspense novel that you've read? What book would you recommend to someone who wanted to try out these genres? What's a book in these genres you want to read but haven't yet?
My Answer: I really enjoy the fall, with all the warm colors, and yes - the feeling of curling up with a good book. Note that I said good, not scary - I'm not much into the scary books at the moment. I was when I was younger. I've heard of lots of great mystery and thriller authors, but I'm stumped at the moment to pick a favorite.
Does The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown count? I really enjoyed that book.
One of my favorite authors a few years back was Mary Higgins Clark! Wow - I would sometimes read through the night, then not be able to turn the lights out because I was so scared!
A few authors within the general Mystery/Thriller genre that I like: (Yes - I stooped to seeing what I've read by looking on Amazon!)
- Jim Butcher's Dresden Files Series
- Maybe a few of Clive Cussler's books would fit into the Mystery section
- Murder on a Girls Night Out by Anne George
I'd love to hear your feedback on this question, as I would need the recommendations in order to answer the question myself! Leave me a comment with a few of your suggestions, and I'll curl up with a blanket and a cup of tea and jump into a new genre!
Great question(s) Amy! I'm obviously missing an entire genre here!!
Care to answer the question yourself? I welcome you to post your thoughts here, add them to your own blog and head back to Amy's post and add a comment with a link to yours. :)
Ok, here's today's question: Whether or not you celebrate Halloween, there's something about the shorter days and chilly air that makes one want to curl up with a scary book. The horror market for Christian fiction is growing in creativity and testing all sorts of boundaries. The suspense market is also very rich with many talented authors. So my question(s) for you is...what's the best Christian fiction horror or suspense novel that you've read? What book would you recommend to someone who wanted to try out these genres? What's a book in these genres you want to read but haven't yet?
My Answer: I really enjoy the fall, with all the warm colors, and yes - the feeling of curling up with a good book. Note that I said good, not scary - I'm not much into the scary books at the moment. I was when I was younger. I've heard of lots of great mystery and thriller authors, but I'm stumped at the moment to pick a favorite.
Does The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown count? I really enjoyed that book.
One of my favorite authors a few years back was Mary Higgins Clark! Wow - I would sometimes read through the night, then not be able to turn the lights out because I was so scared!
A few authors within the general Mystery/Thriller genre that I like: (Yes - I stooped to seeing what I've read by looking on Amazon!)
- Jim Butcher's Dresden Files Series
- Maybe a few of Clive Cussler's books would fit into the Mystery section
- Murder on a Girls Night Out by Anne George
I'd love to hear your feedback on this question, as I would need the recommendations in order to answer the question myself! Leave me a comment with a few of your suggestions, and I'll curl up with a blanket and a cup of tea and jump into a new genre!
Great question(s) Amy! I'm obviously missing an entire genre here!!
Care to answer the question yourself? I welcome you to post your thoughts here, add them to your own blog and head back to Amy's post and add a comment with a link to yours. :)
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Saturday Christian Fiction Carnival
This week, I'm joining a bunch of other bloggers in the first post of the Saturday Christian Fiction Carnival, hosted by Amy over at My Friend Amy's Blog!!
Okay! Here's this week's question:Why do you read and review Christian fiction? Do you exclusively read Christian fiction or do you also read general market books?
:) Answer: I read and review Christian fiction (and non-fiction) for many reasons. First - I am Christian, and like to support Christian authors. Second - I generally like the uplifting feeling I get when I read Christian fiction. Usually, the books have a deeper message/meaning, and they re-affirm my faith and values/morals, which I appreciate. Also, there are times when I want to read a "safe" book, or one that is not full of cursing and graphic sex. I find I can share these books with my Mom more than others I pick up.
No - I do not exclusively read Christian fiction. I read just about every genre out there! In fact, I've just read Kushiel's Mercy, which is a book that has a very different religion in it (fantasy book), and some very fetishy sex scenes. Lets see . . . on my TBR pile now there are some non-fiction, historical fiction, romance, young adult, chick lit, etc. I simply find different kinds of enjoyement from each type of book. I do tend to shy away from depressing books, but occasionally one sneaks into my shelf.
Now I'm off to see what everyone else wrote!!
**Update** I should probably mention that I am an only child, and was exposed to Christian fiction at an early age. My parents used to read with me before bed - we took turns reading chapters. Often, the books were Christian, Janette Oke, C.S. Lewis, Madeline L'Engle, etc. Now that I have a son, I've started thinking about that more, and the types of books I want to expose him to :)
:) Have a great weekend ~ Wendi
Okay! Here's this week's question:Why do you read and review Christian fiction? Do you exclusively read Christian fiction or do you also read general market books?
:) Answer: I read and review Christian fiction (and non-fiction) for many reasons. First - I am Christian, and like to support Christian authors. Second - I generally like the uplifting feeling I get when I read Christian fiction. Usually, the books have a deeper message/meaning, and they re-affirm my faith and values/morals, which I appreciate. Also, there are times when I want to read a "safe" book, or one that is not full of cursing and graphic sex. I find I can share these books with my Mom more than others I pick up.
No - I do not exclusively read Christian fiction. I read just about every genre out there! In fact, I've just read Kushiel's Mercy, which is a book that has a very different religion in it (fantasy book), and some very fetishy sex scenes. Lets see . . . on my TBR pile now there are some non-fiction, historical fiction, romance, young adult, chick lit, etc. I simply find different kinds of enjoyement from each type of book. I do tend to shy away from depressing books, but occasionally one sneaks into my shelf.
Now I'm off to see what everyone else wrote!!
**Update** I should probably mention that I am an only child, and was exposed to Christian fiction at an early age. My parents used to read with me before bed - we took turns reading chapters. Often, the books were Christian, Janette Oke, C.S. Lewis, Madeline L'Engle, etc. Now that I have a son, I've started thinking about that more, and the types of books I want to expose him to :)
:) Have a great weekend ~ Wendi
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