VT Christian Reading Challenge discussion

What's on your reading list this month?

Right now I'm starting The Pioneers by David McCullough . . . history about the settling of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan, starting in 1796.

Also ... I realized I'm developing a desire to read a lot of Christian fiction and I can't afford to keep buying books at the rate I'm reading these things - so I went back to NetGalley and reapplied for the first time in years. I have an advanced reader audiobook copy of The High Sierra: A Love Story - it has nothing to do with Christian fiction but I'm a Californian by birth with a very small California group here on Goodreads and I just thrive on reading CA based literature, both fiction and nonfiction. Anyhow, they approved me for this book and I'm really loving it. It is part memoir, part geology, part bios of famous Sierra hikers like John Muir, and more. There's lots of variety and it doesn't get boring. Oh, and I hiked the Desolation Wilderness when I was young, so it is a bit sentimental for me too. The print book has lots of beautiful photography, but I've got the audiobook which has none of that. Still a happy audiobook read for me.

Also from NetGalley I was approved so far for 4 Christian fiction books. Three are historical romances, and one is a thriller, which I'm reading right now. This is my first experience with a Christian thriller and so far, I'd rather be reading a historical romance but I'm giving this a try. One of the other books is by Lynn Austin!! I already finished one by Beth Wiseman - my first time to read an Amish romance book, and it was set in a bookstore.

I've got some other books in progress too. I guess my reading style is to "graze" ... I read ten pages from one, then five from another, and go from book to book trying to read a little from each, every day. Eventually they all get read.

Oh, I recently started The Library Book by Susan Orlean. It is mainly about the arson burning of the Los Angeles Public Library on April 29, 1986... but also contains everything the author could think to throw in about libraries, books, and her love of them. So far I'm interested except in the parts where she goes on and on about her personal love of libraries.

Okay, enough for now.

Hey Linda! I understand what you mean about not being able to afford the reading habit ;) but I also use Netgalley a lot to feed my fiction reading. It's been a good way to read for free (although reading ARC's isn't my favourite because the format is so off on my kindle).

I'm starting Crow Lake she's a Canadian author, and I'm working through Redeeming Heartache: How Past Suffering Reveals Our True Calling and Contentment, Prosperity, and God’s Glory.

Hi Amber - I am loving NetGalley. I need to learn to apply for only one book at a time so I can keep my feedback ratio higher.

Lol yes that was a hard lesson for me too! It took some time to catch up on the ones I was approved for at the beginning!

Half way through! I've read 52 out of 104 books. I hope I'm able to keep up the momentum. I'm hopeful.

Nice, being on 21 weeks, you are over a month ahead. Good job.

Great job!

Hi all, Today is the end of the month. So what was your best, worse, and biggest surprise?

Best- Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen. I enjoy his music and it gave a better insight into his history and songwriting.

Worse- Yesterday is History by Jackson, Kosoko. The premise is amazing: boy gains the ability to time travel after a liver transplant. Unfortunately, the focus is a gay triangle "romance" between the time traveler, the brother of the organ donor, and a boy in the past. Romance is not the correct word for the feeling: Lust is much better word.

Surprise- Arcade and the Triple T Token by Jennings, Rashad. I picked this up due to the cool cover and it turned out to be a great coming of age story with great tie ins to all kinds of reference and light Bible tie-ins.

My best was also my surprise…Brave Surrender. I had no idea who Kim Walker-Smith was when I passed by her book in the library, but the title intrigued me. I realized very quickly that I recognized the band Jesus Culture and the song she begins the book with and I was hooked. God brought her through so much…working on her heart and bringing her into relationship with Himself and those around her. I cried at all she had to endure. I really appreciated her journey from hurt to wholeness.

Sounds like a wonderful book, Christabelle!

Also the Springsteen book - I usually like books about musicians...

Well...

Best - The Pioneers: The Heroic Story of the Settlers Who Brought the American Ideal West, by David McCullough . . . I was surprised how much I enjoyed reading this nonfiction book about the settling of Marietta, Ohio. This was my first experience reading a book by David McCullough.

Worst - Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith and Art, by Madeleine L'Engle ... it was just so vague and not focused... like all the chapters were separate essays and none really spoke to my heart, plus it wasn't Biblically based, so I really didn't feel it was a Christian book even though faith is in the title. A lot was about her own experience of having a bestselling children's novel.

Surprise - High Sierra: A Love Story, by Kim Stanley Robinson ... he's normally a sci-fi author and I haven't read his Mars trilogy or anything else by him, but I loved this book about the Sierra Nevada Mountains and his many years hiking in them.

ooh I liked the Pioneers also! I was surprised how much I wanted to see the Ohio River after reading it! he really is a talented author