Christian Readers discussion

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message 1: by Sharon (new)

Sharon Ellis | 39 comments Hi Seighmy, May I ask what SAHM stands for or means? This has me curious!

Please visit this nice blog site. (link below). It mentions two good books, which you may really enjoy reading. There are also comments and writings to browse that will bless you and interest you as a Christian.



"SEEING THE LIBERTY, The Journey Of Eve's Daughter" is a Memoir style book, that people are saying they can hardly put it down!

Blessings on you Christian walk. Peace and Joy,

Sharon


message 2: by Margaret (new)

Margaret Metz | 102 comments SAHM means Stay At Home Mom. :o)

I can't believe I am going to say this since she has written so much, but I've never read Karen Kingsbury. I have read Beverly Lewis and I wasn't such a fan only because I don't really like the genre so much and I'll tell you why. She's an excellent author and I liked the books until the end. I've found that a lot of the "Amish" style fiction has a sort of ... unresolved ending until the next book - and I don't like that. I like my books to "end" so I feel like I got the whole story. I do like series and read them all the time - but the main story is always done and then they move on to one of the other characters and tell more about them while still including characters from the first book. Know what I mean?

However, I am in the minority. Right now not only Beverly Lewis but several others who write Amish fiction are really popular. If you have a chance to try out the books via the library I would do that.

Knowing what someone would like is hard to say - and there are as many kinds of authors as there are people to read them. I like all kinds of different things. Christian fiction has a lot to offer.


message 3: by Lisa (last edited May 19, 2010 09:35PM) (new)

Lisa Grace (LisaGraceBooks) | 21 comments If you have a chance please go over to goodreads/giveaway and register to win a free copy of my book "Angel in the Shadows, Book One" by Lisa Grace. I believe I'm at the top of page two with 784 entries in the most requested area. It is a Young adult Christian alternative to the "Twilight" series.
I love Karen Kingsbury and started a novel by Beverly Lewis. I like Christian books that are a little more action packed and a little less on the romance.
Any suggestions?
I also like to read true-life survival? stories like the "Perfect Storm" (I guess not really a survival story) and "Fire" by Sebastian Junger.


message 4: by Nikkira (new)

Nikkira | 1 comments I am a huge Ted Dekker fan. His books offer a lot of good versus evil plots. I find them very engaging.

My non-fiction lately is Don't Waste Your Life by John Piper. He stimulates me to be more forward with my faith.


message 5: by Margaret (new)

Margaret Metz | 102 comments There are a lot of romance stories - and many of the books mix suspense or other genres with a little romance. Ted Dekker is a Thriller/Horror writer. He is very good at what he does.

There are some books that have a kind of John Grisham kind of feel. Craig Parshall wrote a series called the Chambers of Justice which followed a certain lawyer through some of his cases. It got dangerous, exciting and reminded me a lot of how Grisham wrote - minus the things that would offend. :o)

There is also a series written by Irene Hannon called The Heroes of Quantico which is about special team members of the FBI who work hostage rescue. It has a small amount of romance, but it is really supposed to be very authentic with how the team operates and very exciting.

Colleen Coble writes suspense and mysteries. Sometimes there is romance in there - but not as a major part of the plot. Like one has a married couple and then a love interest - which may or may not be with the killer. That is why that relationship exists - to make you wonder - not as a romantic interlude.

I've also heard very good things about Athol Dickson - and have one of his books on my pile right now. I haven't read it yet - so I can't say for sure how it would fit.

I keep thinking I know some others that would be good ... I'll have to think more on it and come back.


message 6: by Lynnette (new)

Lynnette Bonner (lynnettebonner) | 20 comments I just finished reading Indivisible by Kristen Heitzmann and it was really good. A mystery/suspense with a little romance.

If you like Karen Kingsbury I recommend Denise Hunter - I've enjoyed all of her books that I've read.

If you go to Amazon, lots of books have the sample that you can read before you buy to see if that author's writing pulls you in.

Hope that helps some! :)

Lynnette Bonner


message 7: by Carrie (new)

Carrie (carriemreads) | 6 comments Thought I would leave a comment in here, I guess I can fall into this category. LOL I am a somewhat recent Christian (was baptised 5 years ago with my children). I grew up reading and I have a wide range of likes, but am recently getting into the Christian books. I haven't found many yet, all the ones I find in the book store are "learning guides" or "self help". I am looking more for stories to read, I think I have a pretty good attitude towards life, and a pretty good prayer life, so I don't think I much need the self help, although they are interesting and I do enjoy reading them just for other ideas. I've heard some good things about Max Lucado (think that's the name) but haven't had a chance to pick up any of his books as of yet. I notice a couple of other authors in previous posts and may have to check them out as well.

Keep reading and God Bless to all!


message 8: by Margaret (new)

Margaret Metz | 102 comments I love Kristen Heitzmann! I've read a couple of her books and she does an awesome job. She does have some romance (at least in the ones I've read) but she also does an excellent job of providing that tension, mystery and action.

I also really enjoyed Denise Hunter. The books I read were very well written. I think she does a great job with characters and just getting you wrapped up in a story. She is not preachy at all either - which I like.

Carrie, I'm a fan of Max Lucado but he writes non-fiction and children's books mainly. I don't know of any adult fiction by him. I have whole shelves by him and I wouldn't hesitate to suggest any of the titles to a friend. :o) He can make the most complicated things seem simple.


message 9: by Al "Tank" (new)

Al "Tank" (alkalar) | 47 comments Carrie wrote: "Thought I would leave a comment in here, I guess I can fall into this category. LOL I am a somewhat recent Christian (was baptised 5 years ago with my children). I grew up reading and I have a w..."

The neat thing about "Christian" literature is that it can cover such a wide range of subjects. You're familiar with the "how to" faith boosters and possibly the discussions of scripture versions, but the "genre" can cover just about anything from Romance, to 카지노싸이트 Fiction, to mysteries if it's written from a Christian perspective.

One of my favorite TV series on PBS was the Brother Cadfile mysteries. I think there were six 1-1/2 hour shows in the series.

I enjoyed the first two books in The Master's Reliquary series. The first, The Man of Signs, takes place in ancient Scotland (Cruithne) when the Picts controlled the area and is told through the eyes of "Brother Brude", a junior member of a Christian mission from Ireland. The second, The Song of the Cross takes place in 1381 London and features "Mary Oldfield" a young girl with responsibilities beyond her age.

I've reviewed both book here in 카지노싸이트 if you want to know more.

And of course, there's the ever-present Left Behind series if you want to become involved in a really long series of monster-sized books based on the "end times". I enjoyed the books and am currently re-reading them (spaced out between other books in my library).


message 10: by Carrie (last edited May 25, 2010 10:01AM) (new)

Carrie (carriemreads) | 6 comments Thanks, Al. I have always wanted to read the Left Behind series, I've seen both the movies (I know cheating, but they were on LOL) I just haven't had the chance to get them. I didn't realize how many books there are in the series. I will definitely check out the other books though, see what I think of them. I know my mom is currently into books that take place in the old times, not sure what she'd think if it had a Christian undertone? I wish I were in the US where the bookstores are huge and have a great selection, I think we have two here in my city and they, of course, aren't close to me.

Thanks, Lee, for the insight on Max Lucado, I don't think I realized he mostly wrote for children. Of course, being new to faith, it might be a good place for me to start? You mentioned other authors that I will have to look up as well.


message 11: by Margaret (last edited May 25, 2010 10:08AM) (new)

Margaret Metz | 102 comments It's kind of hit and miss, but you can download the kindle for PC program and then every so often there are free books offered by Christian artists in their promotional program. I do that. It's a way to cut down the cost of my reading habit (though I do prefer to hold books in my hands).

I got the hugely popular "Rooms" and "By Darkness Hid" and "Breach of Trust" just last month (along with some classics for free as well). It helps if you know which publishers or authors are Christian.


message 12: by Al "Tank" (last edited May 25, 2010 10:13AM) (new)

Al "Tank" (alkalar) | 47 comments My pleasure, Carrie.

The Left Behind series has been published and sold all over the world, so you may be able to find it. I think it was published by Zondervan, so just about any Christian bookstore can probably lay hands on them. Try your church's library first (if they have one).

The movie version was, by necessity, cut down from the original book (otherwise each episode might have been 6 hours long).

The Master's Reliquary series is available as an eBook at AKW Books (akwbooks.com) at a good price, so you can download them in just about any country. Paper versions are in VERY short supply and often sell at a premium in used condition.


message 13: by Margaret (new)

Margaret Metz | 102 comments Carrie wrote: "Thanks, Al. I have always wanted to read the Left Behind series, I've seen both the movies (I know cheating, but they were on LOL) I just haven't had the chance to get them. I didn't realize how ..."

Max Lucado's fictional books for children are very short picture books. They are wonderful - but you probably wouldn't be interested in them. His non-fictional works are great and very easy to read. He tells lots of stories and makes whatever topic he's talking about easy to understand. I haven't gotten all my books into 카지노싸이트 yet, but I think I have something like 8 or 9 books by Max Lucado, maybe more. I really liked reading him when I first became a Christian.

Zondervan, Thomas Nelson, Barbour, Tyndale, Bethany House, Harvest House, Word, Multnomah Books, Revell ... These are all Christian publishers. That can help you look for books that are Christian if you decide to try and get the free books from the Kindle PC app.

Also, sometimes you can buy them for the Kindle for PC for cheaper than you can buy the book. You can still bookmark which page you're on and things like that and it's better than not being able to read at all. They also give you a free "peek" into the books with the program ~ which can help you decide whether you like the book. It's longer than the look inside that's normally on Amazon and you can get more of a feel of whether you would like that book or not.

I resisted it for a long time because I like "real" books, but my pocketbook won out. I wanted to be able to read all these great books. Let me know if I can help in any way should you choose to look into it. :o)


message 14: by Al "Tank" (new)

Al "Tank" (alkalar) | 47 comments Lee wrote: "Carrie wrote: "Thanks, Al. I have always wanted to read the Left Behind series, I've seen both the movies (I know cheating, but they were on LOL) I just haven't had the chance to get them. I didn..."

If you like eBooks and want to read the classics, try Project Gutenberg. Quality isn't always great (scanned in by volunteers), but the words are there.

Most good eBook publishers now allow a "peek" inside. AKW has an online "peek" that's fairly short, but a pdf download that's at least 10% of the book (for most books). Go to their "Religious Fiction" section after you enter the "book store".

Books that have been loaded onto Google's book repository (books.google.com) allow random selections to be read (kinda disjointed and be careful to stay away from selections too near the end -- it may spoil it for you if you decide to buy the book). Type "Christian Fiction" into the search box.


message 15: by Patricia (new)

Patricia Kirk | 154 comments Carrie: Just as long as the Bible is on your daily reading list, you've got it covered. A lot of stuff out there is just plain wrong (even the fiction) and you need to protect yourself with knowledge:-)The first eight years as a Christian, I believed a lot of nonsense that I wouldn't have anything to do with now.

Lots of good advice in this thread.


message 16: by Devin (new)

Devin (demo318) As for non-fiction works, I would like to recommend Signs of the Spirit: An Interpretation of Jonathan Edwards's "Religious Affections" by Sam Storms. Also, The Institutes of Christian Religion is incredibly insightful. For church history, allow me to recommend Church History in Plain Language: Third Edition . I could go on and on about the wonderful books that I've found helpful (and a great many that I've found unhelpful) in Christian growth.


message 17: by Margaret (new)

Margaret Metz | 102 comments Jonathan Edwards is very good, but can be a challenging read (depending on the book and your vocabulary). I have a couple books about and by him. I use "Church History in Plain Language" in my Homeschooling all the time. Sproul is also a great author and so is John Piper.

Pat, I agree that the Bible should be one book that remains our priority in reading. I like to have several good translations on hand ~ a parallel Bible is nice because they are right next to each other. I also suggest a Concordance and a good Bible Dictionary.


message 18: by Patricia (new)

Patricia Kirk | 154 comments Lee: Bible Gateway online is also good. When a verse confuses you, you can go and look it up in several versions at once. It sometimes clears things up. Much as I'd like to I couldn't afford all those Bibles.

I'm not putting down Christian books of all kinds. There's nothing like a good read just for relaxation's sake. And "as iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." Books are written by people and they often sharpen our knowledge.


message 19: by Margaret (new)

Margaret Metz | 102 comments I like sites like that. Audio Bible is another good one. I don't use the audio part of it very much, but I do use the search function when I am putting together papers and doing research for lessons for Sunday School and that kind of thing.


message 20: by Devin (new)

Devin (demo318) Also, I've found that reading from a Study Bible can be very helpful. I use the ESV, The ESV Study Bible, and one benefit of it is that each purchase comes with a code that gives access to the entire ESV Study Bible (Scripture, Book Introductions, Notes, Articles, Maps, etc.) on the internet. I also read from a Bible without study notes so that I don't become dependent on them when reading Scripture, but some passages can be confusing which makes the insight from such notes worthwhile.


message 21: by Philip (new)

Philip (heard03) I keep Max McClean's Listener's Bible on my iPod. An audio version of the bible is something that should be ubiquitous now that they are so affordable. Here's a link to Audible.com where you can get the entire bible on audio at a great deal:

Also, Max McClean's performance is absolutely first rate, if you haven't heard him read the Bible before, you are in for a treat!


message 22: by Shawna (last edited Jun 03, 2010 05:45PM) (new)

Shawna Williams (shawnakwilliams) | 5 comments I've noticed that there is some discussion about Christian fiction ebooks. There's a group on 카지노싸이트 called Inspirational Fiction Ebooks, where we're trying to catalog ebooks in this genre to make them easier to find -- especially those put out through small presses with Inspirational lines. If any of you guys know of an ebook you'd like to add, please do.

(edit. The group is Inspirational Fiction Ebooks)


message 23: by Al "Tank" (new)

Al "Tank" (alkalar) | 47 comments Shawna wrote: "I've noticed that there is some discussion about Christian fiction ebooks. There's a group on 카지노싸이트 called Christian Fiction Ebooks, where we're trying to catalog ebooks in this genre to make t..."

Couldn't find the group searching by "Christian Fiction Ebooks" in the groups section. Perhaps it's known by a different title? Computers are soooo literal.


message 24: by Shawna (last edited Jun 03, 2010 05:45PM) (new)

Shawna Williams (shawnakwilliams) | 5 comments Oops! Forgive me. It's Inspirational Fiction Ebooks.

Here's the link
http://www.africa-eu.com/group/show/3...


message 25: by Al "Tank" (new)

Al "Tank" (alkalar) | 47 comments Shawna wrote: "Oops! Forgive me. It's Inspirational Fiction Ebooks.

Here's the link
http://www.africa-eu.com/group/show/3..."


Thanks Shawna. I joined and posted two books. I manfully refrained from posting the entire "Left Behind" series. I'll leave that to someone else.


message 26: by Shawna (new)

Shawna Williams (shawnakwilliams) | 5 comments Wonderful! Thanks!


message 27: by Brittany (new)

Brittany (wifethatprays) Hi! :) I'm a SAHM too :)

Haven't read Karen's books (yet) but am obsessed with Beverly Lewis' books. I really enjoy them and I feel I'm rather picky with books.


message 28: by Philip (new)

Philip (heard03) Carrie wrote: "Thought I would leave a comment in here, I guess I can fall into this category. LOL I am a somewhat recent Christian (was baptised 5 years ago with my children). I grew up reading and I have a w..."

What's So Amazing About Grace? by Philip Yancey is a book I highly recommend. I've read it multiple times and plan to revisit it on an annual basis, if not more frequently.


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