I love to read. I enjoy hearing what others are thinking and processing.
I go through spurts of reading fiction and honestly I don't read very much christian fiction. BUT, a few years ago I read a book called Room of Marvels and just recently picked up a copy of the book, The Shack. Both books are fiction. Both books press in on really hard subjects of pain and loss. Both books profoundly impacted my view of God, our world, and eternity.
Any readers out there? Have you read either of these books? Would love to hear your thoughts?
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ReplyDeleteI own the book THE SHACK, but I have not yet read it. I am definitely a reader!! Love it. I plan on reading THE SHACK next. I am in the middle of a non-fiction book at the moment...SCANDELOUS GRACE. It is hilarious, and I can relate so much to her stories. I have not heard of the other book that you read, but I will look into it. Is there still a book club/group at Grace?
ReplyDeleteI just finished the Secret Life of Bees and The Kite Runner last week. I'm always skeptical of best-sellers, but these both really moved me. I devoured them! Maybe it's because we just finished the social justice series. As far as The Kite Runner, I learned so much about that culture I never knew, and saw such a human side of the Middle East that the news never seems to portray (on purpose?). The Secret Life of Bees was impactful to me because, like Lily, I struggle with some in my family of origin...so the story underscored for me the gift of finding love in folks outside of our bloodline...and even ourside of our color.
ReplyDeleteI haven't heard of Scandelous Grace. Interesting name! Yep. We still do a book club but are planning on meeting quarterly as opposed to monthly beginning in October.
ReplyDeleteI haven't read Kite Runner... took the easy route and watched the movie. WOW! Definitely an impactful movie.
ReplyDeleteCheck this out...
ReplyDeleteThe Shack currently at number eleven in book sales at Amazon.com and number nine on the USA Today Top 50 Books list. It began as a self-published debut novel of an unknown writer and has sold around 1/2 million copies in less than a year. Here's the summary of the book according to Leadership Journal:
"To summarize, the shape of the novel is this: Mackenzie (Mack) Phillips’ youngest daughter, Missy, is abducted and brutally murdered during a family vacation. Following Missy’s death, Mack, who has always had a somewhat tenuous relationship with God, falls into what he calls “the Deep Sadness.” One wintry day, Mack receives a letter from God (in his mailbox) asking him to meet God in the shack where Missy’s bloody dress—the only evidence of her murder—was recovered. The rest of the book is a conversation between Mack and the Trinity."
I've read both 'Room of Marvels' and "The Shack'. Both are books that after I read them made me go 'hmmmmm'. More so with The Shack. It urged me to really take a closer look at what I believe about God. Shook some things up in my soul, and there are parts which I need to go back and process a little more. It's rare that a book of fiction can linger so long and make me think as much as this one did.
ReplyDeleteHi Corinne! I read The Shack and I am not a fan of fictons, but this one is more than what I expected. It left me reflecting, pondering, and evaluating areas that I just thought were healed or at least that I was over with them. I can't deny that it was shocking and at the same time so real to each person that has dealt with losses. W.Young depicted so well the emotional stages of loss and many other aspects related to how one person (family - and bring up)can affect a whole group or community. How everything is interrrelated. I loved it!
ReplyDeleteAfter seeing the comments here and hearing about the Shack from a friend - I had to read it. It definitely made me think and rethink some more. I want to read it again already.
ReplyDeleteBy chance, has anyone shared this book with a seeker? If so, what was their reaction?