Book Club

Some of you know how giddy I've been about the book club I just joined. Seriously giddy!

So far we've read and discussed VEILED FREEDOM by Jeanette Windle, and THE HUNGER GAMES by Suzanne Collins. The goal is to read a variety of genres and to evaluate them from a Christian viewpoint, though many titles may be secular. We want to be stretched by good literature, to be educated, and to sharpen one another as we interact with varying subjects.

You may remember VEILED FREEDOM on my "What I Read in 2009" post--if so, I'm impressed! You're as sharp as a tack!

It wasn't my favorite but it fits the category of my favorite kind of book, if that makes sense.

It succeeded in getting me to think deeply about Western culture, Christianity and Islam, missions/humanitarian efforts, and the war in the Middle East. And because I thought it would provoke a very interesting discussion, I suggested it as a book club selection. (You can read my initial review here.)

A sequel was released last year called FREEDOM'S STAND, and so I decided to pick it up at the library since we had just discussed the first book and it was fresh in my mind.

On a scale of 1--poor, 2--fair, 3--good, 4--excellent, and 5--superior...I'd give it 2.5 points. (VEILED FREEDOM would get 3 points.)

The first book brought up so many interesting and factual issues, but it also contained a maddening array of military acronyms that befuddled me. While reading it a second time for book club I wrote them down and it made a huge difference. What I really appreciated was how Windle articulated a Muslim wrestling with the truth about Jesus Christ meanwhile contemplating shaheed (martrydom). She truly helped me to understand what could bring someone to the point where that would seem desirable. I could feel true compassion for him.

In FREEDOM'S STAND, the author continues the stories of the three main characters, but again she doesn't wrap everything up in a nice neat package by the last page; also something I appreciate. This sequel deals heavily with the persecution of believers of Christ, has minimal acronyms, and ellaborates further on the intricacies and challenges non-governmental organizations face in regions such as Afghanistan. And continues to challenge our Western mindset of going into a region thinking we have all the answers.

There is to be one more book in the next year or so, making this a trilogy. I think I'll pick it up, just to see where she goes with the storyline, but will wait until the library makes it available.

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THE HUNGER GAMES by Suzanne Collins has been getting so much attention, it's been on the New York Bestsellers list for over a year, and now there is a movie coming out in about a week.

I do not read science fiction/fantasy. I do not read teen fiction. I occasionally venture into "tame" suspense.

If not for a friend's recommendation (who also fits that bill) where she told me "you HAVE to read this" I wouldn't have given it another thought.

I have rarely read a more suspenseful, can't put it down, have to seriously plan what night I crack open the cover because I won't get any sleep until the last page, book than this. And it's not super long--374 pages with a good amount of space and somewhat large font that whizz by quickly. I got through it in 5 hours.

If you read a synopsis of this title, you'll wonder if I'm off my rocker, because it doesn't seem promising. Not to people who read similar titles as I. It seems like it would glorify violence. There is a love triangle. It's futuristic. Meh.

But Collins succeeds in raising many points of discussion about what our society condones, how we've become desensitized to violence, our cutthroat mentality, along with many other themes that made for an excellent book club discussion. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I'd give this book a 3.5 though for a few reasons:

1. It's a book written for teens, on a reading level so easy I thought Collins could have beefed up the vocabulary just a bit. It seemed dumbed down.

2. I admired certain qualities in Katniss, the main character, but found it hard to identify with her. She obviously showed emotion, but wasn't an emotional kind of girl. She was strong, but hard and jaded, despite being very young. I could sympathize with her, but found it hard to emphathize. (That is another discussion point intended by the author I think. What war does to the young.)

3. The pacing and suspense was spot on! That's what hooked me. However, with that comes the danger of reading so fast that you don't THINK DEEPLY about the things that matter. The things that I believe Collins wants her readers to think about and question.

4. As an adult, I appreciated the issues the author raised. I especially appreciated being able to discuss these things with my book club. But I'm going to make a generalization here. I think that what a teen will take away from this book (and trilogy) will be a fascination with how the love triangle is resolved and a surfacy condemnation of the violence and mentality of Panem. I venture to guess that most will get caught up in the hype and not stop to soberly assess...UNLESS THEY HAVE AN ADULT TO DISCUSS IT WITH. (who has read the book too!)

I'd still recommend it. But I won't be making a permanent spot for it on my shelf. If you don't feel like waiting for a copy from the library to become available, let me know. I have the whole trilogy to loan.