The Last Sin Eater by Francine Rivers

Set in Appalachia in the 1850s, The Last Sin Eater is the story of a community committed to its myth of a human "sin eater," who absolves the dead of their sins, and the ten-year-old child who shows them the truth of Jesus. A must-have for all Francine Rivers fans from an author who continues to remind us that the human condition is beyond human remedy-only Christ provides for the absolution of sin.

The Last Sin Eater Discussion Questions

Meeting POSTPONED to September:

Reading:

The Last Sin Eater

by Francine Rivers

[Christian Historical Fiction]

Please Bring:
~ Book of the month
~ 8 Questions
~ Snack to share, if you like

* * * * *
The Last Sin Eater Discussion Questions

The Great Divorce ~ C. S. Lewis

The Great Divorce is Lewis' supposal of what would happen if a busload of souls from Hell was given an excursion to Heaven. Lewis is quick to point out in his foreword that the book is not supposed to be a theological work speculating on what really happens in the afterlife. The setup of the story is just a frame to contain the ideas. People in Hell do not have the ability to suddenly repent and choose Heaven after a field trip to the latter!

The narrator observes several conversations between the Hell-dwellers and the people in Heaven who have come there specifically to reason and plead with the tourists. A recurring idea in Lewis' Platonian mind was the notion that everything we have and are right now is insubstantial mist in light of the real that is perfect, and which we will experience on reaching Heaven.

The insights on why people reject God and choose Hell instead are profound. One thing becomes clearer as the story goes on: the people in Hell are there because they want to be. What did Satan say in Paradise Lost — "Better to reign in Hell than in Heaven serve?"

Source: WiseWoman

Interesting blog about C.S. Lewis

Discussion: Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Meeting:

Tuesday, June 23, 2009 ~ 6 PM

~ At Traci's home ~

Reading:
The Great Divorce
by C. S. Lewis [Christian Fiction/Fantasy]

Please Bring:

~ Book of the month

~ 8 Questions

~ Snack to share, if you like

* * * Interesting website links * * *

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_Divorce
http://cslewis.drzeus.net/papers/greatdivorce.html

Same Kind of Different As Me ~ Ron Hall & Denver Moore

A dangerous, homeless drifter who grew up picking cotton in virtual slavery.
An upscale art dealer accustomed to the world of Armani and Chanel.
A gutsy woman with a stubborn dream.
A story so incredible no novelist would dare dream it.
It begins outside a burning plantation hut in Louisiana . . . and an East Texas honky-tonk . . . and, without a doubt, in the heart of God. It unfolds in a Hollywood hacienda . . . an upscale New York gallery . . . a downtown dumpster . . . a Texas ranch. Gritty...this true story also shines with an unexpected, life-changing love.

Source: http://www.amazon.com/

...memoirs that begin in distant walks of life and intersect in a homeless shelter...an unschooled black man...Moore's life of hardship and misfortune starting on a Louisiana plantation. In contrast, the subtle Ron Hall, an educated white gentleman of comfortable means. In the end, the two individuals form an unlikely friendship resulting from charity and challenged by tragedy.
Source: J.A.H. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

March 2009 Discussion

Meeting:
Tuesday, March 24, 2009 ~ 6 PM

~ At Traci's home ~

Reading:

Same Kind of Different As Me

by Ron Hall and Denver Moore
[Contemporary Non-Fiction]

Please Bring:
~ Book of the month
~ 8 Questions
~ Snack to share, if you like

* * * * *
The authors have a Same Kind of Different As Me website.

How to Post a Comment

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Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

Wuthering Heights is Emily Brontë's only novel. It was first published in 1847 under the pseudonym Ellis Bell, and a posthumous second edition was edited by her sister Charlotte. The name of the novel comes from the Yorkshire manor on the moors on which the story centres (as an adjective, wuthering is a Yorkshire word referring to turbulent weather).

The narrative tells the tale of the all-encompassing and passionate, yet thwarted, love between Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw, and how this unresolved passion eventually destroys them and many around them.

Now considered a classic of English literature, Wuthering Heights met with mixed reviews by critics when it first appeared, with many horrified by the stark depictions of mental and physical cruelty.

Though Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre was originally considered the best of the Brontë sisters' works, many subsequent critics of Wuthering Heights argued that its originality and achievement made it superior. Wuthering Heights has also given rise to many adaptations and inspired works, including films, radio, television dramatisations, a musical by Bernard J. Taylor and songs (notably the hit "Wuthering Heights" by Kate Bush), ballet and opera.

Source: Wikipedia ~ Wuthering Heights

January 2009 Discussion

Meeting:

Tuesday, January 20, 2008 ~ 6 PM
~ At Traci's home ~

Reading:

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
[ Period Fiction, Classic Romance]

Please Bring:

~ Book of the month
~ 8 Questions (below)
~ Snack to share, if you like

* * * * *
Wuthering Heights Literature Guide:

This guide has some great background on the author and time/setting of the characters in the story. This is for information only...no need to fill this out! :-)

Eight Questions

Please consider each of these 8 questions when responding to the book selections. Answer any one or all...

1. Rate the book: low 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 high.

2. Write or think a 75 word response.

3. What other books have you read in this genre or on this topic? What is your favorite? How did this one compare?

4. What two characters did you enjoy the most? Why?

5. Which scene was your favorite?

6. What insight did the book give you? How can you apply anything from this book to your own life?

7. What are your favorite quotes from the book?

8. What books can we add to a future vote?