The Christmas Bookshop, book #44

 

Not a Christian book, sadly, but the story was cute.  (The cover and title was cute not to pass up) I guess reading a non-Christian book every once in a while gets my out of my Christian ghetto, but I'll be ready to get back in it.

Laid off from her department store job, Carmen has perilously little cash and few options. The prospect of spending Christmas with her perfect sister Sofia, in Sofia’s perfect house with her perfect children and her perfectly ordered yuppie life does not appeal.  Frankly, Sofia doesn’t exactly want her prickly sister Carmen there either. But Sofia has yet another baby on the way, a mother desperate to see her daughters get along, and a client who needs help revitalizing his shabby old bookshop. So Carmen moves in and takes the job.  Thrown rather suddenly into the inner workings of Mr. McCredie’s ancient bookshop on the picturesque streets of historic Edinburgh, Carmen is intrigued despite herself. The store is dusty and disorganized but undeniably charming. Can she breathe some new life into it in time for Christmas shopping? What will happen when a famous and charismatic author takes a sudden interest in the bookshop—and Carmen? And will the Christmas spirit be enough to help heal her fractured family?  (picture and description at Amazon)

So sometimes I get asked, why only Christian fiction?  There are so many authors out there who write good stuff, when the book isn't labeled "Christian" or there are so many "feel good" books out there that may not have God and Jesus in them, but they aren't inherently bad.  And I mean, Melissa, do we need to talk about the TV shows you watch?  Are they "Christian"? (ouch)

Here's my answer:  

Yes, I agree with the above.  Yes, the TV shows I watch are probably no worse than "non-Christian" books.  However, I'm typically not quite as invested in the TV shows as I am books. (Well, let's not talk about Grey's Anatomy, but that's another story!)  Books have so much more in them than a 45 minute show.   With books, you FEEL them, you can SMELL where they are (campfire, bookstore, country, smoke, warm kitchen, etc), you can literally put yourself in the story as a bystander, things you just can't do in a TV show.  

And when I'm reading books, I SEE the words.  I'm not so keen on seeing curse words in black and white.  I don't like getting in the heads of some of the characters in non-Christian books.  I don't like reading about characters having one night hookups, or getting insanely drunk, etc.  

I'm not judging anyone who doesn't read mainly Christian books like me, but for the same reason I chose to listen only to praise & worship music. I follow the GIGO philosophy.  (garbage in garbage out)  

Just don't talk to me about my TV #eyeroll.  

Keep reading!  

O:)

Melissa