Book 12 - Happily Ever After

This is another Christian book that I enjoyed despite the fact that one of the characters was not entirely believable, the conflict felt forced at times, and the background stories were...well, let's just say I think it can do well without.

I know. Sometimes I wondered myself why I liked the book, but there were times when I read it that the writing just resonated with me, and I guess that's the only reason.

Would I recommend it? Um, if you're the type of girl who read bible daily or attend the church (even if not every week), then yeah, I think this is a fine book to read.

If you're a guy or someone who doesn't do religion, you may find this book annoying.

Personally, I think the Potluck Club is a better, more neutral read than this one

Mona Reynolds was determined to open her own bookstore and hired a drifter, Joe Michaels. She encountered many problems that were not accidents, and she started to question whether they were heavenly signs that it was not meant to be, and whether Joe the drifter was behind them, which would be very unfortunate because, well, he's a fine kisser and all that.

I know. kinda cheesy. Anyway, Joe managed to proof his innocence every time and showed a mightly fine restraint and act of forgiveness that made me cringed at times for its over-the-top level and got me thinking, well, that's not going to happen in real life.

Final verdict: it's a good reading for a free christian chick-lit book, if you're into it.

Book 9 - The Potluck Club

This is the second Christian book I read after Fools Rush In and I love this one. It is the first book of the series, and it's about the lives of six women who met for a monthly prayer meeting.

To be honest, at first I dreaded reading it after my first experience with Christian fiction. I was afraid that this book would also paint a too glossy, perfect world that only fictional christians lived in; Like the Stepford Wives universe, only worse, everyone in it is a believer who's on the same page as to their faith in God. It's a sweet world I suppose, but too sweet it's almost sickening.

But this book did not try to picture a world in which faith in God warrant a problem-free life. The women in this book club certainly did not live in a fairy tale universe: There were secrets, cheating husband, elopement, racial issues, death, terminal illness. I'm not saying that I'm happy if I read about misery and suffering experienced by Christians just so that God can come and save the day. I merely think that well, this is closer to the reality that I know real people experienced, and it is interesting to read about how they struggled with their faith and even anger in God. I've certainly been there now and then.

Despite calling myself a Christian, I know it's a continuous struggle to let God into my life. Despite believing he is God, it's not that simple to involve him in the decisions I made. Naturally, I wanted to be in full control of my life, even when most of the times I barely knew what I was doing. That at some points in my life (notice plural), I can't help but being sarcastic to him, to the idea of him, to be angry and confused and reluctant and impatient with him. Even after having first hand experiences of his grace, and personal accounts of the comfort of sweet surrender to him.

I guess I'm still his work in progress.

By the end of this book, there are still a lot of loose ends; none of the stories are completed, and they are to be continued to book 2, Trouble's Brewing. I haven't read it, but I'm very much looking forward to it.