No-Obligation Book Club

It's probably no secret that I LOVE book clubs (I'm in two of them after all). Marrying two of my most favorite things (books and friends) is the highlight of my month. But I know there are some people who feel too much pressure in a book club (carving out time to meet, choosing a book/leading a discussion, finishing a book by a deadline), so I thought this was kind of cool when I stumbled across it in an issue of Real Simple (a magazine I LOVE!). It's the Real Simple No-Obligation Book Club, and you can access it here. Basically, one book a month is chosen, and a Real Simple editor leads the discussion, which you can join any time (or not at all). Sometimes I know I just love to have a good recommendation, and it looks like a variety of reads are suggested here.

Three by Ted Dekker

Dekker is a Christian author who writes psychological thrillers of, in my humble opinion, a high caliber. While this is the only book of his I've read thus far, I've heard from other readers that they're big fans of most, if not all, of what he has written.
Three is the story of Kevin Parson, a seminary student who, at the age of 28, struggles with the idea of evil in human nature. Following an unusual, if not troubled, childhood, Kevin seems to have escaped his past only to have it suddenly thrown back into his lap with one chilling phone call from a man who identifies himself only as Slater. Slater threatens Kevin and those close to him with death by bomb if he doesn't solve Slater's riddles, all of which play into his requirement that Kevin confess a secret sin. The ensuing game of cat and mouse leads the reader into a constant guessing game of true identities, next steps, and the extent of the repercussions to evil and its part in our identities.
BOTTOM LINE: Not an in-your-face theological read but a wild, will-get-you-thinking ride.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Twice, now, I have read this World War II-era novel. Twice, I have found it difficult to put down once I started. The narrator of this tale is, oddly, Death. He (it?) follows the life of a young girl named Liesel, intrigued by her largely because their paths cross several times. Due to tragic circumstances, Liesel arrives at the home of foster parents in Nazi Germany and forges a new life in their home and neighborhood. She develops a close bond with her foster father, as well as with Rudy, a neighbor and classmate, and with them, along with her foul-mouthed foster mother, experiences harrowing escapes from bullies, Nazis, bombs, and death itself. The title makes note of the fact that Liesel is, in fact, a book thief, and eventually she authors a book of her own life. You might note that here, again, is a historical fiction book on my list (love them!) and a highly recommended one at that!
BOTTOM LINE: A dramatic, enthralling tale which evokes, among other things, a sympathy for Death.

Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers

It's true that Christian fiction as I knew it growing up was a bit on the, well, I'll just say it - cheesy side. And, really, while it's not all bad, it can feel a little hokey. Do you know what I'm saying or am I totally offending you right now? Francine Rivers has found a way to marry the truth and beauty of the love of our Heavenly Father with some real-life issues and believable characters.
Redeeming Love is based on the Biblical book of Hosea, focusing on the life of Angel, a prostitute in California during the Gold Rush. Snapshots of Angel's heartbreaking past are given throughout the book, making it obvious why her profession and subsequent bitterness and hopelessness are inseperable to her view of herself. Enter into her life Michael Hosea, a kind, honest, God-honoring farmer. Following what he believes to be God's prompting, he brings a reluctant (to put it mildly) Angel home to be his wife. What follows are a tangled web of emotions that result as Michael attempts to break through Angel's defenses and share his love and the love of the God he faithfully and joyfully serves. Angel cannot see herself or him any other way than through the lens of her past experiences, starting from her childhood, and she cannot/will not accept that she could be in any way lovable. Several times she leaves Michael to return to her former lifestyle, believing that is all she is capable of. Eventually he begins to break through her defenses but until the Father can capture her heart, she cannot fully heal and commit her heart to her husband.
I found myself angry and frustrated with Angel for her stubbornness, in tears for her pain-ravaged past and present, amazed anew at the love of God as He works always to draw even the most destitute of us to Himself.
BOTTOM LINE: A TRUE love story