The Green Jell-O Book Club: A Goodreads Group about Fiction Written by LDS Authors discussion

Summer 2016 Reading Challenge: Try Three New LDS Authors

Our first reading challenge will go from the beginning of June through the end of August. Pick three LDS authors that you've never tried before, and read one of their books. If you want to do more than three, go for it! And if you can only do one or two, we'd still love to have you participate.

(*Just to clarify, "new author" means new to you, regardless of when the author's first book was published.)

If you need suggestions, feel free to ask for them here. Let us know what you're interested in. Clean romance available through Kindle Unlimited? Sci-fi or fantasy easily found in a library in Montana? I think with some group brainstorming we can come up with good ideas for everyone. We've also got 1700+ books by LDS authors on our group bookshelf, so you can browse there as well.

Feel free to post about what you plan to read, about your progress with the challenge, and what you think of the books as you read them.

So, who's planning to join the challenge?

I'm in!

Charissa wrote: "I'm in!"

Yay! That makes two of us!

I'm in! If you're looking for LDS authors, a lot are published by Cedar Fort, myself included.

Great challenge! I'm in.

I'm in. I have several authors I've been wanting to read. This is great.

Count me in!

I'm in too! Whoa! That group bookshelf is enlightening :-).

Kim wrote: "I'm in too! Whoa! That group bookshelf is enlightening :-)."

Hopefully, it helps when you need to find a new book to read.

Thanks!! I have so many author I already read! I would love some suggestions though! Just because I already read so many of the popular ones!

SL wrote: "Thanks!! I have so many author I already read! I would love some suggestions though! Just because I already read so many of the popular ones!"

What genres are you in the mood for? And where do you hope to get your books (bookstore, library, kindle, etc)?

I'm in. I think I'm going to read Sky Jumpers by Peggy Eddleman, Cove: Fires of Invention by J. Scott Savage, and The Lost Kingdom by Matthew J. Kirby.

I'm in, too!! I just hope I can find some authors that I haven't read before. :)

Sounds fun! I'm in!

Katie wrote: "I'm in, too!! I just hope I can find some authors that I haven't read before. :)"

Skim through our bookshelf here and through the book genres on the main menu in this group. You'll probably find some new ones there you haven't heard of before.

I will try. :) My review schedule is pretty tight for the summer. Maybe some of theme will be new LDS author's to me. (crossing my fingers)

Charissa wrote: "Katie wrote: "I'm in, too!! I just hope I can find some authors that I haven't read before. :)"

Skim through our bookshelf here and through the book genres on the main menu in this group. You'll p..."

YAY! I found some--thanks!

I'm in!

I'm in but I have no idea who to suggest! So I'm open to recommendations.

I'm in.

Cindy wrote: "I'm in but I have no idea who to suggest! So I'm open to recommendations."

Cindy, what are your favorite genres? A lot of recommendations are found in the genre discussions, so that might be a good place to start if you're looking for ideas. https://www.goodreads.com/topic/group...

I"m in too!

I've referred some LDS authors here to help people find books.

Kaki wrote: "I've referred some LDS authors here to help people find books."

Awesome. Thank you, Kaki!

The reading challenge officially begins in a week. I'm excited that so many of you will participate!

It looks like James has his books planned out. Does anyone else?

I think I'm going to start with A Night Divided by Jennifer A. Nielsen. She's been on my to-read list for a while, and while her fantasy stuff looks good, I love historical fiction. I also heard her talking about getting it published and that caught my interest. Plus, it won two Whitney Awards a few weeks ago.

After that, I'm not sure. I only let myself buy a kindle book if I'm planning to read it right away, if it's on sale, or if it's free. But I've picked up a lot of discounted or free books by LDS authors over the last few years. I have, waiting on my kindle, at least one book by the following authors that would qualify for this challenge:

Liz Adair
Amber Argyle
Julie Coulter Bellon
D.J. Butler
Joyce DiPastena
Christy Dorrity
Loralee Evans
David Farland
Danyelle Ferguson
Sherry Ficklin
Julie N Ford
Nichole Giles
Shannon Guymon
Mark Henshaw
Charlie N. Holmberg
Jenni James
Laura Johnston
Heather Justesen
Angie Lofthouse
Elizabeth D. Michaels
Kimberley Montpetit
J. Lloyd Morgan
Erin Olds
Kelly Oram
Andrea Pearson
Tristi Pinkston
Janette Rallison
B.J. Rowley
Connie E. Sokol
Anita Stansfield
Charissa Stastny
Rebecca Lynn Talley
Kenneth R. Tarr
Kristy Tate
Ransom Wilcox
Carol Lynch Williams
Stephanie Worlton
Julie Wright
(at least a few of those are pen names, but I don't think I've read anything by the author under any of their names)

Maybe we should repeat this challenge again next year?

I'm in, also.

My three that I have chosen are Playing With Heartstrings by Lydia Winters, The Lights of Mahonri Moriancumer by Phyllis Gunderson and A Night Divided by Jennifer A. Nielsen.

Have you read the prequel to Playing with Heartstrings?

I haven't, would it be best to read it first?

It's not mandatory, but it's a great book.

Good to know! Thanks so much!

I'm thinking Candid/Focused by Michelle Pennington and Sweet Confections by Danyelle Ferguson, and I still need to figure out a third.

Swan and Shadow is a good, medium-weight summer read.

Sounds like a great challenge. I'm in!

I'm in.

It is the last day of school and I am reveling in the final stolen moments of quiet before the troops all return with a vengeance to eat everything and make everything messy. In these final moments, I have chosen some new authors to help me escape the realities of summer life with four teenagers.
They are Kelly Oram, Charlie N Holmberg, and Andrea Pearson. (Andrea has free books on Kindle right now!)

I may not be jetting off to the south of France literally (like someone in my house), but I can 't wait to visit other worlds through these books in the next week or two.

Kristen wrote: "It is the last day of school and I am reveling in the final stolen moments of quiet before the troops all return with a vengeance to eat everything and make everything messy. In these final moments..."

I've read the first 5 of Andrea Pearson's. They're pretty good. And I love Kelly Oram. Her characters make me laugh. They're awesome. I'll have to watch for your review on Charlie Holmberg because I haven't read any of those.

Started A Night Divided yesterday for the challenge and I'm enjoying it so far (25% of the way in)!

Charissa, I'm interested in your take on Kelly Oram's books. I've only read V is for Virginity, and while I loved the idea behind the plot, I was really bothered by how lightly the way Kyle sexually harassed Valerie was treated in the plot and that he ended up basically being the hero of the novel. I'd love to hear your thoughts on that and her other books--which I haven't tried because V was my first one of hers to read, but I know she gets really good reviews.

Ranee wrote: "Charissa, I'm interested in your take on Kelly Oram's books. I've only read V is for Virginity, and while I loved the idea behind the plot, I was really bothered by how lightly the way Kyle sexuall..."

I hope you don't mind me jumping in on this one. I have read several of Kelly's books and they are all a little edgy. Everything ends up Ok, and there is usually a moral break through for her characters. If you had a problem with V is for Virgin, you might not want to read the rest of her books.

At the risk of sounding like a prude, I'd also like to add my two cents. I tried to read one of Oram's books called The Avery shaw Experiment and was very disturbed by the sexual references that appeared very early in the story, which is too bad because I thought the premise was very interesting. I never finished the book and have steered clear of her others ever since.

I think that’s what’s great about this group—we can give each other a head’s up on things that some members might be uncomfortable reading. As long as we respect different preferences, chatting about stuff like this is helpful for everyone. Life is too short to read books that make you want to skip pages.

Oh, and I finished A Night Divided and it was really good. I highly recommend it, as long as you don't mind 12-year-old protagonists.

I've got a few other books to read before I get to book #2 in this challenge. How is everyone else doing? We have until the end of August, so no hurry. But if you've started, what are you reading right now?

So two days in and two Oram books down, and I'm feeling slightly able to comment on her writing style.

Lisa nailed it with edgy. Half way through the first book, I came back here to make sure that I hadn't made a mistake because these are not your mama' s LDS fiction.

There is nothing beyond kissing written on the pages, but sex and drinking and sometimes rock and roll is happening in the storyline. If that makes you uncomfortable then perhaps it would be better if you don't read them because you probably will not be comfortable and you will probably want to come and yell at me for my four star ratings. And all I have to say is, I told you not to read it.

Kristen wrote: "So two days in and two Oram books down, and I'm feeling slightly able to comment on her writing style.

Lisa nailed it with edgy. Half way through the first book, I came back here to make sure that..."

I have read and reviewed 8 of her books. Only one has received less than a four star and that was a 3. I appreciate that she is able to tell a story of rough people who come to a better place. I also appreciate that we all can have an opinion. Books are an amazing thing. There is a story that will make everyone happy out there. We don't have to like or read the same things, but I think we can all appreciate the effort of author's and be grateful for the opportunity to read. I like to give warnings in my reviews if I come across content that others may not like. It is a good thing when we can let each other know if content may be uncomfortable.

Kristen wrote: "So two days in and two Oram books down, and I'm feeling slightly able to comment on her writing style.

Lisa nailed it with edgy. Half way through the first book, I came back here to make sure that..."

What do you mean by "sometimes rock and roll"? Because I just see that as Elvis music.

I am reading ENTWINED by Heather Dixon (a new to me author). I've only read about 60 pages so far, but it's good!

I think I might have been misunderstood. I don't have a problem with LDS authors writing edgy at all, and I'm also fine with sex scenes, so long as they're close door, etc, you know that sort of thing. There are definitely time in my own fiction I'd like to go places I know my publisher wouldn't allow. So the sex isn't my problem.

I was speaking to how the character, Kyle, forced sexual advances on Valerie--forcing kisses, groping her, all while she adamantly asked him to stop (even if she liked it somewhat, it doesn't matter. She asked him to stop. No means no.)--it was never treated as the sexual harassment and abuse that it was. That's what bothered me. That his sexual aggression was looked at as okay, and oh, that's just the way some guys are--(boys will be boys justification, anyone?) I have no problem at all with the sex. I was bothered by the message it sent to teenage girls about what to do with boys who force themselves on them--ironic considering the message of the book is for girls to feel okay saying not.

So, if Oram's other books are edgy, that's fine. It might be something I like. I just wonder if this is an issue with them as well, or if I should try one of her others.

Ranee wrote: "I was speaking to how the character, Kyle, forced sexual advances on Valerie--forcing kisses, groping her, all while she adamantly asked him to stop (even if she liked it somewhat, it doesn't matter. She asked him to stop. No means no.)--it was never treated as the sexual harassment and abuse that it was. That's what bothered me. That his sexual aggression was looked at as okay, and oh, that's just the way some guys are--(boys will be boys justification, anyone?)"

There was a wildly popular series of books that started coming out in 2005. And I read them and enjoyed them. Then I had daughters and started analyzing how the relationships in that series worked, and they weren't healthy. No way would I want one of my daughters dating someone like either of the boys in that particular love triangle. Stalking is not romantic. It is not okay to have a control-freak boyfriend. Dating a dangerous boy is not a good idea. It seems like similar relationships come up a lot in fiction, and they're portrayed as romantic. I guess it's a good reminder to talk to your kids about what they read and make sure they aren't picking up the wrong message.

Debbie wrote: "I am reading ENTWINED by Heather Dixon (a new to me author). I've only read about 60 pages so far, but it's good!"

Hooray! Glad you found something/someone new to read and enjoy!