manna?

Manna Book Club

Posted by Greg

For months I’ve talked about starting a book club and I’ve made a lot of lame excuses about it being summer, etc.  So now a few friends have called my bluff, and now I need to follow through and start it.

So, the idea is that we get together… somewhere IN PUBLIC in keeping with Manna’s values… and we talk about some book that we’re reading.  It’s about as complicated as that.  Now, I have three basic requirements:

1. We should meet somewhere cool, because I am basically a shallow person and don’t want to do this if we aren’t going to meet somewhere cool.  Coffee shop downtown?  Book store coffee shop like Barne’s and Noble?  Pub like New Holland or Curragh?  I think it should be somewhere that’s fun to be and makes us want to talk and laugh and makes us feel creative and happy.  Life’s too short otherwise.

2. We should read stuff that’s fun and interesting.  Maybe some fiction, maybe some non-fiction.  But the goal here is not to lay some heavy study group thing down, but to encourage each other to read and think and get new insights from each other and build some community together.  So we need to mix up the reading ideas.

3. It needs to be self-sustaining.  I travel for my work, and may be gone 1 or 2 meetings per month, so everyone needs to be in it together and want to do it.  If it’s like a leader-sheep deal that’ll get old real fast.  I want to help organize and facilitate and even “lead” with whatever insight my pastoral training and experience might give (not much, necessarily), but the group will need to keep itself going.

So, here’s the deal: reply to this thread if you’re interested and answer three questions: 1) what night of the week can you meet (and time)? 2) idea for where to meet? 3) any ideas on what to start reading?

Let’s get a thread going here and come to a consensus....

Greg

Comments:

1. Any night of the week works for me, as long as it starts at or later than 7:00. Ed’s schedule, like yours, is variable, so he’ll come when he can. We like Barnes & Nobles, but anywhere is fine. I think Stephen King novels are very thought provoking, and I’d also love to discuss “The Five People You Meet In Heaven.”

   Keep us posted.

   Lois

   Posted by  on  09/14  at  06:35 AM

2. I’m up for it.

   I’m always better at reading fiction though...;) I read tons daily for work so any time I pick up a book it has to be entertaining (ok, so I can be shallow too...;)

   I’m terrible at putting books down though, so usually pick up collections of short stories so I don’t forget to sleep.

   Location - I tend to prefer the local places.

   The only night that’s out for us is Monday night.

   Posted by Mike Boyink  on  09/14  at  07:00 AM

3. yeah,i’m pretty flexible about what night as well, so let’s see how many others weigh in over the next couple of days.

   as far as material is concerned, i like the idea of pop fiction novels that read quick as well.  one of the problems with the “modern novel” is that most of them are obscure and clever so that they take a long time to read and don’t give much of a payback.  for example, i enjoyed reading “the life of pi,” which has been hugely popular over the last year and cited as an example of contemporary spiritual, if not christian literature.  problem is, the book only gains it meaning on the last page… a “sixth sense” kind of a twist.  so it’s not that great for reading chapters and discussing as we go.

   also, “the five people you meet” is also the kind of short “story” book mike mentions: you can take it in bites.

   let’s add all the suggestions so far to our reading list, and keep searching for more.  might also be fun to read a few classics like “screwtape letters” or something by g.k. chesterton.

   Posted by  on  09/14  at  10:53 AM

4. Count me in!

   Posted by  on  09/14  at  01:54 PM

5. matt,

   consider yourself hereby counted.  but what is your availability: we’re all giving our preferences for what night of the week and time and somewhere cool to meet.  speak up, man!

   Posted by  on  09/14  at  02:02 PM

6. Sorry,

   I didn’t read the whole posting, so I didn’t know that I was supposed to answer questions.  Us darn kids!!  Always in such a hurry!!

   For the most part any night can work for me.  I’m down with the coffee shop thing, the Barnes and Noble thing, the far corner of the Meijer parking lot thing.  Wherever is fine with me.

   Jack Cavanaugh is a great writer.  Lois… I love the Dark Tower series by Stephen King.  Very thought provoking.

   I tend to agree with everyone that fiction is easier to read.  I can never seem to finish a non-fiction book.

   This brings up a “mainstream” question.  What is everyone’s opinion on Harry Potter?  I read the first book, and thought it was great, but everyone is making such a fuss about it, that I don’t know what I should base my opinions on when it comes to these books.  Greg… maybe this is one for you.  What do you think?

   I have to talk to Wendi and make sure that my/our involvement in this will work, but I think it will.  In the mean time, count me in!

   Posted by  on  09/14  at  02:15 PM

7. OK, I’ve been out of the loop for a couple of days.  After soliciting the input, I’m declaring it to be Thursday nights, and for at least the first couple of weeks, we’ll do Barne’s and Noble’s coffee area.  We may move somewhere else in the future if there are more than a few of us since the tables aren’t real big there, but we can look at books and stuff.

   Matt: Harry Potter is a great topic.  Short version, I don’t have a problem with people reading them, but I personally don’t care for them.  I’d be happy to explain all that, but I don’t want to type that much.  Maybe that’s a good topic for one of our book night discussions!

   OK, we’re going to start THIS COMING THURSDAY NIGHT, AT 7:00, AT BARNE’S AND NOBLE.

   Per Lois’ suggestion, for the first week we’ll read THE FIVE PEOPLE YOU’LL MEET IN HEAVEN, or at least the one or two people’s worth in that short book.  That’s easy for something one week out from today.  So read as much of it as you can, and come prepared to chat about it.

   That night, we’ll take some time to cruise the bookstore and pick out something fun (fiction?) to read next.

   BTW, if you have any questions, etc. email me at !!!

   Posted by  on  09/16  at  10:43 PM

8. Sounds good to me. I may be a few minutes late, but the good news is that I think Ed can make. I read the book earlier this summer, and I’m looking forward to revisiting it with the group.

   See you Sunday!

   Lois

   Posted by  on  09/17  at  06:05 AM

9. I am looking forward to Thursday.  I went out and picked up the book today and am looking forward to finishing it and talking about it.  Thanks Greg for getting this started.

   Robin

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