Category: Bookish Question

Bookish Question #157 | What’s your favourite novel featuring a royal family?

Do you read novels featuring a real or made-up royal family?

My first thought was that I’m not a big fan of stories with royal families. And that’s half true. I’m not a fan of contemporary stories with made-up royal families. Many of the stories are written by American authors which seems weird, given they fought two wars to assert their independence from England … and the British Royal Family.

It could also be that I’m not a fan of billionaire books either. I guess I can see the attraction of life with no financial worries, but I’m not convinced that marrying a billionaire is the answer. Be real. With all the negative press around Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, and Mark Zuckerberg, would you really want to be married to any of them?

Historical fiction is a different story.

I have been through phases of reading novels set in various times in British history, and a lot of those featured the royal family. I’ve read a lot about the Tudors (probably too much), but I’ve also read several Sharon Penman novels centred on earlier periods in history.

What I haven’t read and would like to read is novels (especially historical fiction) featuring royal families from other countries.

Do you know of any stories featuring non-British royal families?

What about you? What’s your favourite novel featuring a real or made-up royal family?

 

Will you buy a book if you don’t like the book cover? Why or why not?

Bookish Question #156 | Will you buy a book if you don’t like the book cover?

Will you buy a book if you don’t like the book cover? Why or why not?

Maybe …

When it comes to ebooks, I’m not picky about what the cover looks like, because I don’t have to look at it and no one else has to see it.

I’m more likely to be picky when it comes to paperbacks. Mostly because they’re more expensive. But also because I have to look at it 🙂

A book’s front cover is one of the main selling tools, so there needs to be something else about the book to draw me in if I don’t like the front cover. Perhaps it’s a book someone recommended to me. Perhaps it’s from a favourite author. Perhaps it’s an older book, and the cover hasn’t been updated in line with modern trends.

In those cases, I’ll read the back cover description and the opening pages. If I’m interested, I’ll buy it … but I’m much more likely to buy the ebook than the paperback if I don’t like the cover.

What about you? Will you buy a book if you don’t like the cover?

Have you enjoyed reading a book despite not liking the cover?

Bookish Question #155 | Have you enjoyed reading a book despite not liking the cover?

Have you enjoyed reading a book despite not liking the cover?

Yes!

I will admit to being drawn to certain books because of the cover. It’s a quick visual signal the book might be a book I’d like (or not e.g. if the cover has too much black or too much bare flesh …).

I can’t recall any titles off the top of my head, but I do know I have enjoyed many books despite not liking the cover.

Even if I could remember titles or authors, I wouldn’t name them. After all, it’s possible the author didn’t like the cover either, and I wouldn’t want to embarrass them (or remind them).

What about you? Have you enjoyed reading a book despite not liking the cover?

Can you recommend a book that has helped you deal with a major life issue?

Bookish Question #154 | Can you recommend a book that has helped you deal with a major life issue?

We can learn a lot from reading. Books can change the way we look at things, and help us deal with life issues.

Can you recommend a book that has helped you deal with a major life issue?

The Bible, obviously. But what else?

It speaks to my preference as a fiction reader that my first thought with this question was to think of a novel. I considered the question, but nothing came to mind.

But when I stepped back and thought about it, I realised I have recently read a nonfiction book that has answered some big questions … unasked questions, perhaps, but questions all the same.

Becoming Sage by Michelle Van Loon

Becoming Sage is written for “mature” Christian women, and talks about how to cultivate spiritual maturity in the second half of life. It points out that most churches are full of programmes for the young (children and teens) and the young in Christ (discipleship programmes for new Christians), but they often fail when it comes to addressing the needs of more mature members of the church.

Van Loon points out that our spiritual life is an ongoing journey. That’s something we probably know intellectually (after all, we know we will be human and sinful until we die). But we don’t always think through the implications: that we need to continue to grow spiritually, which means putting ourselves in a church family that enables and encourages that growth.

While there haven’t been any novels that have helped me deal with a life issue, I have certainly come across novels that have challenged my thinking. Two books stand out to me–one you’ve probably heard of, and one you probably haven’t.

When the Shofar Blew by Francine Rivers

Francine Rivers needs no introduction. When the Shofar Blew is a warning call for the church about putting pastors and other Christians on some kind of pedestal and assuming they can do no wrong. It’s also a reminder that God can and will forgive.

Confessions of a Teenage Hermaphrodite by Lianne Simon

This is the story of a child born with a body that falls outside our definition of “normal” and her challenge as she grew up: should she be the son her earthly father wanted, or the daughter she believed her heavenly Father created her to be. The book opened my eyes to a medical condition that’s a lot more common than we know, and the issues aren’t as black and white as many of us were raised to think.

What about you? Can you recommend a book (fiction or nonfiction) that’s helped you deal with a major life issue?

Have your reading habits changed during lockdown?

Bookish Question #153 | Have Your Reading Habits Changed During Lockdown?

We live in strange times.

A huge proportion of the global population is in some kind of lockdown in an effort to curb the spread of the Covid-19 virus. Many people are scared. As Christians, we know God has not given us a spirit of fear, but love. But knowing that doesn’t change our situation: working from home (if we’re lucky enough to be able to), supervising our children’s schooling, and not going out except to the supermarket.

I’ve seen a lot of writers on social media saying they’re having trouble writing in the current situation.

I’ve seen readers saying they can’t concentrate to read, or that they are actively seeking out some genres and avoiding others.

I’ve also seen reports that the consumption of audiobooks has dropped. Most people listened to them as they commuted to and from work, but no one is commuting right now. I don’t listen to audiobooks, but I’ve also stopped listening to podcasts since I’ve been working at home again.

I’ve found my reading habits have changed.

I’m not reading less. That weekly reminder on my telephone tells me I’m reading more. The change is in what I’m reading.

I’m reading a lot more news—mostly the local news site (Stuff, because it’s free), plus BBC News and Al Jazeera (because they are international and more impartial than other sources).

I’m reading more for pure entertainment. Over the last month, I’ve read about a dozen books from my to-read pile. Okay, so I didn’t finish some of them, but they are now in my to-donate bag, rather than cluttering my bookfloor.

Bookfloor: place where books get stored when the bookshelf is full.

But I’m finding it really hard (well, impossible) to concentrate on books on my review pile. There are a handful I’ve finished but haven’t yet written reviews for. There are even more that I’ve started but haven’t finished.

So please forgive me if some of my reviews are briefer and less informative than usual.

What about you? Has lockdown changed your reading habits?

Do you read more ebooks or print books or audiobooks?

Bookish Question #152 | Do you read more ebooks or print books or audiobooks?

Yes, yes, I know. We don’t “read” audiobooks. We listen to them.

But audiobooks are, first and foremost, written. And listening to an audiobook might not be the same experience as reading a book, but the words are the same. Unlike, say, watching a movie or TV series based on the same book.

Personally, I’m not an audiobook fan, but that’s because it takes longer to listen to the book than it takes me to read it. I am definitely an ebook fan, and there are three main reasons I’ve converted from print books to ebooks over the last decade:

Availability

Ebooks are easy to buy, and appear on my Kindle within seconds.

Price

Ebooks are cheaper than paper books. A new release from my local Christian bookshop costs around USD 20. That same new release costs no more than USD 10 as an ebook. But there are hundreds of great indie authors selling their ebooks of USD 3 to USD 5.

Print Size

It’s a function of age and years in front of a computer, but I now need computer or reading glasses. But the Kindle has the handy ability to increase the print size at the click of a button. I’ve tried using the same technique in paper books, but it doesn’t work …

Also, the Kindle is lighter than a book, so easier to , and easier to fit in even the smallest handbag.

What about you? Do you read more ebooks or print books, or listen to audiobooks?

Do you read widely or mainly stick to favourite book genre/categories?

Bookish Question #151 | Do you read widely or mainly stick to favourite book genre/categories?

It depends …

When my first child was small, I read a book or magazine article that said small children will naturally eat a balanced diet if they are offered a wide choice of foods and given the freedom to choose what they want to eat. They might not eat a balanced diet on any given day, but they will eat a balanced diet over a couple of weeks.

I’m often like that with my reading.

I tend to read several books by a single author or in a single genre at once, then I’ll switch genres. Romance, historical fiction, comedy, nonfiction. Sometimes I’ll read something from my to-review pile, and other times I’ll choose something from my to-read pile. I’m also trying to read new books as I buy them, mostly to avoid my to-read pile getting bigger.

What I choose to read often depends on my mood.

In the first week of lockdown, I wanted to avoid anything serious, so I binge-read romantic comedy novels—anything that didn’t remind me of what was happening in real life (and I’m sure that some people chose to binge-read pandemic or contagion novels for exactly the same reason). I think I’ll move onto historical fiction next.

I do mostly read Christian fiction, and there are some genres I avoid—horror, for one. I’m also not a big nonfiction reader, although I do make occasional exceptions. I will step outside my normal genres … and sometimes that confirms why I like my favourite genres, and sometimes it opens up a new favourite genre.

What about you? Do you read widely, or do you prefer to stick to your favourite genres?

What's your favorite classic Christian novel?

Bookish Question #150 | What’s your favorite classic Christian novel?

I’m never entirely sure what qualifies a novel to be called a classic.

It’s partly age—no one would argue that Jane Austen, the Bronte sisters, or Dickens are anything but classic. But Christian fiction, as a genre, isn’t that old.

Yes, there are older novels written that are explicitly Christian e.g. the novels of George McDonald. There were novels written by Christians with Christian themes from authors such as CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien. There were more overtly Christian novels from authors like Grace Livingston Hill or Taylor Caldwell, but they never caught my interest. There were no doubt others that haven’t stood the test of time.

So I guess that’s what makes a classic: a combination of time and popularity.

On that basis, my first favourite classic Christian novel was Christy by Catherine Marshall. It is considered one of the earliest success stories in modern Christian fiction, and it’s the inspiration for the annual Christy Awards, which celebrate the finest in Christian fiction.

My other old favourite is An Echo in the Darkness by Francine Rivers. It’s the middle book in her Mark of the Lion series, and it’s always been my favourite of the three. In fact, I think it’s the only trilogy where the middle book is my favourite.

What about you? What’s your favourite classic Christian novel?

hat novels have you read and recommend that feature Easter?

Bookish Question #149 | What novels have you read and recommend that feature Easter?

Lots of people write (and lots more read) Christmas stories. Valentine’s Day stories are also popular, especially in romance. But I can’t think of many novels that feature Easter as a central plot point. Sure, several take place in March/April, but there is more to Easter than roast lamb and hot cross buns on Good Friday, and Easter egg hunts on Easter Sunday.

The only novel I can think of that features Easter is A Stray Drop of Blood by Roseanna M White. It’s one of the many books on my to-read pile … Maybe I’ll get to it over Easter.

What novels can you think of that feature Easter? What do you recommend I check out?

Do you re-read books? Why or why not? What's your favourite book to re-read?

Bookish Question #148 | Do you reread books? Why or why not?

Why or why not? What’s your favourite book to reread?

I used to re-read a lot of my favourite books. Back when I bought and read paper books, most of my bookshelf was books I’d read and re-read (the books I didn’t like enough to re-read were donated to the local charity book sale). I re-read books because I didn’t have an unlimited book budget, which meant there were times when I didn’t have anything new to read. So I’d re-read an old favourite.

I still have a shelf of paper books, and a lot of them are favourites, but I rarely re-read them.

Actually, I rarely re-read at all, and that’s mostly because of the Kindle. First, I do most of my fiction reading on the Kindle. Second, because Kindle has dramatically decreased the average cost of a novel, so I’m never in the situation where I don’t have anything new to read.

What about you? Do you re-read books? Why or why not? What’s your favourite book to re-read?