Book Review: Waiting for Mr. Right

Check out the latest book review here! 
Waiting for Mr. Right by Lisa Raftery and Barbara Precourt

"[This book] outlines the roles of godly parents, daughters and boyfriends and how all of them interact and work together to fulfill their calling as true followers of Christ."

Crown Awards

The Crown Awards are given out every year to films and videos that are to created to highlight Christian values.

The film Trade of Innocents took home the Best Film award followed by Courageous and 25 Hill.

For the other winners check out the ICVM website. 

Book Review: The Choice by Robert Whitlow

Check out a new book review here! The Choice by Robert Whitlow

Fall Book Buzz

As we head into the Fall and all the insanity that surrounds the word 'September,' it might be nice to find a comfortable hiding place and kick back with a few good novels until October arrives. Christian fiction has begun to explore new horizons in terms of plot lines and character development. Don’t get me wrong, historical romance and Amish/Omish family drama will remain popular! However, some authors out there are highlighting genres such as medical crime, animal features and cross-cultural romance. Will these books make it on your “to read” pile?

Proof by Jordyn Redwood 

To Write a Wrong by Robin Caroll

Two Destinies by Elizabeth Musser

Trinity: Military War Dog by Ronie Kendig

Found in the Woods by LoRee Peery

E-Reading Christian Fiction

I came across this article from the Wall Street Journal a little while ago. It begins by discussing the growing numbers of ebooks being sold and then launches into its effect on the religious fiction market. The writer wonders why Christian fiction sales have gone up 7% over the past year and attributes this success to privacy. Actually, the author writes that privacy is one reason but doesn’t bother to examine other possibilities (Convenience? Price point? Environmentally-friendly? Immediate access?)  In any case, “privacy” in this context seems to be linked exclusively to embarrassment. Just as those who enjoy reading erotic fiction are thankful for the freedom an e-reader brings (no more raunchy paperback covers to attract questioning stares from spouses or coworkers), this post seems to indicate that readers of Christian fiction experience the same level of mortification for their choice of literature. I believe the author includes a quote that reads, “Book jackets covered in angels and rainbows may be equally uncomfortable for some people to read in public.” Angels and rainbows? I’ve seen my fair share of Christian fiction book jackets and I can’t recall any that included angles and rainbows. Perhaps they were referring to children’s Christian fiction; that seems a little more plausible.

       
Another posting that carries similar conclusions includes this little dagger of a quote: “It is easier than ever before to buy books while on the go via WIFI and not have to advertise to the world the essence of your faith, unless you want to.” Ouch! Is this quotation included simply because it has an excellent “zing!” factor or because there is actually fact (through observation or shared experience) to back it up? Although I am, by no means, condemning the use of e-readers (I hope to get one myself….someday), I truly hope that those reading Christian literature electronically are doing so for convenience sake and not in an attempt to “hide it under a bushel.”

Sources:

http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2012/07/22/fifty-shades-of-christian-fiction/

http://goodereader.com/blog/electronic-readers/christian-fiction-undergoing-a-resurgence-via-ereaders/

Crazy Dangerous

There's a new book review on Crazy Dangerous by Andrew Klavan. Read all about it here! 

2012 Christy Award Winners

On July 16th the 2012 Christy Awards were announced!

For those who aren't familiar with these awards, each year publishers are invited to submit works of fiction that reflect a Christian worldview and that are copyrighted for the previous year (in this case 2011). These books are then entered into one of several genre categories and then evaluated against a 10 point criteria by judges who are made up of librarians, literary critics, reviewers and others.

Some of the winners this year are:

Contemporary / Romance: Wolfsbane by Ronie Kendig

Historical Romance: The Maid of Fairbourne Hall by Julie Klassen

Suspense: The Queen by Steven James

For more of the winners and finalists click here!

Top Ten Things Your Church Library Needs

1.    Reference materials, concordances, commentaries, Bible dictionaries, atlases, different versions of the Bible.

2.    Books and videos about caregiving, coping with grief, dealing with elderly parents, family, marriage.

3.    Books with good Christian humor.

4.    Books for every age level, including good Christian fiction.

5.    Books for meditation, devotions, inspiration, prayer.

6.    Books that men will want to read, such as biographies, political commentaries, what to do when you lose a job or retire, and how to be a good father and husband.

7.    Biographies or histories of your church and denomination.

8.    For young children: toys, puzzles, heavy coordinating tapes, and video tapes.

9.    Music and books on tape.

10. Computers to access the Internet and to catalog library resources.

Taken From: ChristianityToday.com Your Church “Church Library Makeover” Mar/Apr 1998, Vol.44, No. 2, Page 44