Christian Fiction Devourers discussion

Hello, friends. In September, we'll be reading Pepper Basham's Authentically Izzy. Who would like to join in for this one?

We'll have questions on September 15. In the meantime, happy reading!

About the Book:



Izzy Edgewood is a wannabe bookstore owner, quote queen, and Lord of the Rings nerd who has been waiting for Prince Charming to sweep her off her sneakered feet. But it’s hard to meet people when you spend more time with fictional humans than real ones. Which is why her pragmatist cousin Josephine decides to take Izzy’s future into her own meddling hands and create an online dating profile for the hopeful romantic.

To Izzy’s shock (and suspicion), Josie’s plan works. Soon, she’s dialoguing with a Hobbit-loving man named Brodie who lives in a small town an ocean away from her home in the Blue Ridge Mountains. But is their shared love of books, family, and correspondence enough to overcome Izzy’s fear of flying and the literal distance between them? And is a long-distance relationship even worth considering when a local author has been frequenting the library where she works and is proving to be a perfectly fine gentleman?

In this epistolary novel from award-winning author Pepper Basham, bookish dreams and happily-ever-afters collide to create a beautiful sort of magic that’s even better than fiction.

About the Author:

Pepper Basham

Pepper D Basham has been telling tales ever since she was a little girl. When her grandmother called her a “writer” at the age of ten, Pepper took it as gospel and has enjoyed various types of writing styles ever since. A native of the Blue Ridge Mountains, mom of five, speech-language pathologist, and lover of chocolate, Pepper enjoys sprinkling her native Appalachian culture into her fiction wherever she can. She currently resides in the lovely mountains of Asheville, NC, where she works with kids who have special needs, searches for unique hats, and plots new ways to annoy her wonderful friends at her writing blog, The Writer’s Alley.

Has anyone read and enjoyed other books by this author? I would love to hear your thoughts on them.

This is a great book! Pepper Basham is becoming a favorite author. Just today I picked up Positively Penelope. Since I have already read Izzy I will not be participating. Hope all enjoy it as must as I did.

I'm starting this one today, and am definitely looking forward to the discussion mid-month!

I plan to read it and will be starting it soon.

I would like to join in. I’ve seen all the hype for this one but I have not read this author yet.

I read this one last month and enjoyed it very much. I may download Positively, Penelope and read it this month while you read this one. Enjoy everyone, it is a great read!

I'm in! My copy arrived today. :-)

You all are in for a real treat! I read this one and Positively Penelope and I can't wait for the next one when it comes out next year!

Welcome! Welcome! Glad to see a number of readers will be joining in for this one.

I requested it from the library!

I read this a week or two ago and loved it!! I look forward to joining the discussion!

I grabbed it on Hoopla.
I just finished. In the beginning I was not loving this one and considered quitting, but it started to grow on me. I ended up liking it.

I started it and my husband started looking at me sideways because I was cracking up laughing. Wasn’t sure about the format at first, but I’m genuinely enjoying it.

I would love to join if it isn’t too late!

Welcome all!

Tabitha, it's definitely not too late. The discussion will not begin until September 15. Glad you can join.

I had been avoiding this book because I didn’t think I’d like it,but I’m on chapter 19 and really enjoying it! My book before this was the first I’ve read by this author and I really enjoyed it as well!

Well, I checked this book out on Thursday and finished it on Friday evening. I absolutely loved it!! Such a sweet, clean romance!

Samantha, this is the first book I’ve read by this author too. I was pleasantly impressed! I can’t wait to read the others in the series.

I just finished. It was cute! Look forward to our discussion that will start on the 15th.

Amanda,you should read Hope Between the Pages! I read that one just before Authentically,Izzy and loved it!!

Adding that to my books to read list, Samantha! Thank you!!

I loved Hope Between the Pages!

Here's some discussion questions for us. Answer as many or as few as you'd like.

1. What are some of the characteristics about Izzy that you notice in the beginning of the story?

2. How do you know that Izzy's Family is emotionally close to each other?

3. What are some things about Brodie that cause Izzy to keep writing to him?

4. When someone doesn't feel like they belong somewhere, how can it manifest itself in their lives?

5. How does being truly "seen" and loved change Izzy from the beginning to the end of the book?

6. Do you think the epistolary style offers any unique perspectives for the reader that the third-person style does not?

7. If we compare Eli and Brodie, how do we, as readers know that Izzy should choose Brodie over Eli?

8. From a Christian's perspective, how does recognizing your life has a greater purpose not only change the way you face hardships and hurts, but also how you live your life?

I just started this audiobook! It's fabulous so far!

I love the relationship between Izzy and her family. They are not afraid to get into one another's business, and they are real with each other. It's clear that they love one another even when they disagree. There seems to be real commitment there.

Brody's responses show that he clearly is a reader who loves the written word. It would be hard to fake that level of enthusiasm for books and reading. He also admits to being awkward, and I think Izzy can really relate to that.

2. How do you know that Izzy's Family is emotionally close to each other?
~That was something I noticed and loved right away. Luke and Penelope especially were included in almost all of Izzy's texts and emails, and I could tell that the three of them were close . . . not just cousin-siblings, but her very best friends. Later on in the book, we learn a little bit more about Josephine's motivations, which, to be honest, I was a little leery of at first when I didn't understand what was going on.

4. When someone doesn't feel like they belong somewhere, how can it manifest itself in their lives?
~When I'm feeling like I don't belong, it can go either the way it seemed to for Izzy (trying WAY too hard to fit in and play a part that people expect you to play), or I tend to clam up and disengage.

6. Do you think the epistolary style offers any unique perspectives for the reader that the third-person style does not?
~I loved that we got to see the back and forth and know more about what was going on in especially Izzy's heart and head!

7. If we compare Eli and Brodie, how do we, as readers know that Izzy should choose Brodie over Eli?
~Brodie sees Izzy, whereas Eli only sees what Izzy can do for him.

8. From a Christian's perspective, how does recognizing your life has a greater purpose not only change the way you face hardships and hurts, but also how you live your life?
~To live and love as a follower of Christ means that all things (even the icky, sucky parts!) can be used to be a blessing . . . and that my life as a Christian is meant to be for a blessing to the people God has put in my life . . . even if it's just for a brief moment.

Jan wrote: "I just started this audiobook! It's fabulous so far!

I love the relationship between Izzy and her family. They are not afraid to get into one another's business, and they are real with each other...."

Completely agree with your comments about Brodie. His comments about literature come across as genuine.

Kate wrote: "2. How do you know that Izzy's Family is emotionally close to each other?
~That was something I noticed and loved right away. Luke and Penelope especially were included in almost all of Izzy's text..."

#7 response...YES! Eli definitely seemed to be just in it for himself.

Enjoyed reading through all of your responses Kate. In this thread, I'm in particular interested in the thoughts about the epistolary format. It's a rare approach for sure.

2. How do you know that Izzy’s Family is emotionally close to each other?

Izzy includes them in everything that is going on. She relies on their input. I feel like her cousin Luke is especially wonderful at being wise counsel for her. He seems to see her more than her other cousins. But we come to find out that this is more because Izzy isn’t aware of herself.

6. Do you think the epistolary style offers any unique perspectives for the reader that the third-person styles does not?

I enjoyed the way this author wrote her epistles as emails. In the audiobook there is a male and female reader. Both use accents, tones, and pitches to distinguish the different voices. By these personal notes, you see depth in the side characters that you can miss in third-person narratives. Like Brodie mentions that Luke is so different from his brother and you don’t feel that difference until Brodie gets an email from him. I think the character we know the least about is Eli. None of the information about him comes from him. It’s all processed through the filters of others.

I mostly enjoyed this book. I didn’t like the amount of description during the kisses… but it’s possible I am just not used to contemporary Christian romance. 🫣 I read a lot of historical Christian and Amish books. 🙃

A bit late. LOL! Started this one today. Really liking it.

Personal note... I actually met my husband in a Christian chatroom. We spent 9 months exchanging messages and talking on the phone before we met in person. So, this book was awfully fun to read, and I could relate.

I don't recommend meeting your future-spouse that way, but it sure worked out in my case. 😊🤍

Jan wrote: "Personal note... I actually met my husband in a Christian chatroom. We spent 9 months exchanging messages and talking on the phone before we met in person. So, this book was awfully fun to read, an..."
Jan . . . fun fact, my husband and I also met in a Christian chatroom . . . just over 25 years ago when the Internet was fairly new, and online dating was completely unheard of! And yes, courtships by letter/email are a favourite 'trope' of mine as well because of that reason!
I think it just goes to show that God can bring two people together using sometimes unconventional means!

Welcome Myrna!

Jan & Kate, thank you for sharing your stories! How interesting!

Kate wrote: "Jan wrote: "Personal note... I actually met my husband in a Christian chatroom. We spent 9 months exchanging messages and talking on the phone before we met in person. So, this book was awfully fun..."
I love that!

This book was hard for me to get into. I think it was the format of being emails and texts. I did like that Izzy’s journey helped her discover who should wanted to be. She blossomed from being more introverted to putting herself out there and finding so much to enjoy in her life: Brodie, a new job, traveling, and more family. She learned that you can’t live your best life if you are always trying to please others. This is an important lesson that I often times forget.

Thanks to all who participated in September's book of the month!

Sorry to be late in finishing this book, but I did finally finish it today! I think the epistolary writing was interesting in that you can see the thoughts of the characters more clearly. I know that third person telling can share thoughts of characters, but when put in first person in a letter (email or text) there is a different flavor to it.

I really enjoyed Penelope and Luke and how close they were with Izzy. Didn't love Josephine as much, but maybe it was written that way. I am super excited that there is a book for Penelope and Luke and both also take play on Skymar.