Faith & Fiction 2009-2010

I have picked up some extra leadership responsibilities at work, so I am no longer going to facilitate the Faith & Fiction Book Club or blog. It's been a wonderful experience these past few years!

Blessings to you, and happy reading!
Stephanie

April Meeting

Our next Faith & Fiction meeting is April 22nd at 7 PM. We'll meet again at the Barnes & Noble Cafe to discuss Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks. This novel about the plague in 1666 England is an excellent study in human relationships during times of crisis, as well as how our faith frays or strengthens.

Brooks's website describes Year of Wonders as "Set in 1666, Year of Wonders follows a young woman's battle to save her family and her soul when the plague suddenly strikes the small Derbyshire village of Eyam." This novel is based in part on this true story of how Eyam quarantined itself so many years ago.

Brooks is a wonderful author; her novel March won the Pulitzer Prize in literature in 2006. Year of Wonders was published in 2001. I enjoy reading it every year or two. It is simply fantastic! We hope you can join us!

As an interesting side note, Catherine Zeta Jones has acquired the film rights to Brooks's most recent novel, People of the Book.

NEW LOCATION! for March 25th Meeting

Faith & Fiction Book Club has to move it's meeting locations! We love the Tazza di Cafe location, however, they are now closing at 7 PM (instead of 8 PM) during the winter. So, after an emergency switcheroo in February, we discovered the Cafe in Barnes & Noble worked quite well for us . . . much quieter than Panera and they also serve some light cafe food for those without time to eat dinner beforehand.

Come join us MARCH 25th at 7 PM at the Mall of the Bluffs Barnes & Noble! We will discuss The Shack

If you can't join us, feel free to comment and post opinions about The Shack by William P. Young to this posting.

JAN 21: In Search of Eden

Join us on January 21st (7-8 PM) @ Tazza di Cafe in Valley View Village (Council Bluffs, IA) to discuss the heartwarming, unforgettable novel, In Search of Eden by Linda Nichols.

Spring 2009 Meeting Dates

Stock up on the Spring 2009 Faith & Fiction books now . . . cozy up by the fire this winter and
let's get reading!  Join us on the following dates:

January 21 - In Search of Eden by Linda Nichols - A contemporary Christian mystery,
with some romance thrown in. 

February 25 - A Bride Most Begrudging by Deeanne Gist - Historical Christian fiction, with a twist
of romance (in honor of Valentine's month).  Set in Colonial America.

March 25 - The Shack by William P. Young - A recent best seller.  This one is . . . different.  It
will make you think.  Love it?  Hate it?  Let us know!

April 22- Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague by Geraldine Brooks - Pulitzer Prize winning
novelist, Brooks has written fantastic historical fiction set in an English village in 1666.  What
happens as the villagers' faith frays (or strengthens) during an epidemic of the plague?  Inspired
by a true story.  One of my favorite novels . . . ever.

May 27 - The Stones Cry Out by Sibella Giorello.  Contemporary Christian mystery.  FBI
agent Raleigh Harmon must race to unravel the secrets behind a murder tied to a civil rights
case.  Lots of twists and turns!

December Meeting: "Skipping Christmas"

We had a fantastic meeting at Tazza di Caffe tonight (be sure to check out their Macadamia White Chocolate Latte . . . mmmmm)! I think there was concensus on our opinion of Anne Rice's ability as an author. While we probably would have not picked up Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt because we aren't fans of her vampire novels, we are so glad we read this book! Her historical research really puts us in the place and time of Christ. The narrative voice is fantastic!

Our next book is Skipping Christmas by John Grisham. We will be meeting December 17th. This is a delightful, quick read about what happens when a couple decides to skip the commercialism of Christmas . . . and how the world reacts. I'll update with more information later, but we're thinking of meeting to watch the movie Christmas With the Kranks, based on the book. Check back later!

Hope to see you then!

Change of Meeting Date for November!

We had a nice meeting for Dee Henderson's murder-mystery Before I Wake last night at Tazza di Caffe. We would all agree that while it kept twisting and turning, there are some holes in the plot that we wanted to see wrapped up.

Our next meeting will NOT be November 26th; instead it will be November 19th to avoid any conflict with Thanksgiving Day. We will again meet at Tazza di Caffe on Valley View Drive to discuss Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt by Anne Rice. This novel follows the birth of Jesus of Nazareth to age 12, when he makes the pilgrimmage with his family to the temple.

Rice does a lot of research to construct what those "missing years" were possibly like. (Remember, this is a novel, which means it is fiction!) I think it is a plausible plot line (really, who knows what happened during that time), and voice is so stark and bare. I enjoyed the book more than I expected to, mainly because I never had an interest in her vampire novels. Rice also talks about her recent return to Christianity at the end of the novel.

Please join us on Wednesday, November 19th from 7-8 PM at Tazza di Caffe. Stop in for a nice warm latte or mocha around the fireplace. See you then!