She Reads

I have been remiss in announcing She Reads here on the blog so I wanted to do so. Forgive me but I have been working so hard on launching this new division of P31 Ministries that I didn't take the time to announce it here. So I decided to interview myself about it. I hope you enjoy!

What is She Reads?

She Reads is the result of two friends who read Christian fiction voraciously deciding to share their discoveries with others on a larger scale, and partnering with an international women's ministry to do so. Many people think that Christian fiction is lame-- bad writing, trite plots, etc. For a long time it has held that stigma.

But Christian fiction is changing.

It is our goal to help spread the word about the great writers and stories that are being told. Stories about real people facing real challenges. Stories that don't end with the main characters getting saved and a rousing chorus of Kumbaya. Stories that push the envelope at times and make you wonder, "Is this a Christian book? Because this isn't like any Christian book I've ever read." Stories that, above all, show human beings who are struggling to live a Christian life or to make peace with God. Stories that are well told by skilled writers. We want to connect you, the reader, with stories that will stir your heart, lead you to make changes-- either in the way you live or the way you see things-- and point you to Christ.

Jesus knew that stories were wonderful ways to communicate Truth. The writers of these books know this as well and do it with excellence.

So how does She Reads work?

Our goal for She Reads is for it to function in two ways: 1) as a place an individual can go get recommendations for great books to read and to connect with the authors who wrote them and other readers who enjoyed them and 2) as a place where book clubs that are already out there can get connected with an umbrella organization that provides suggestions for books, activities they can do, discussion questions, and a point of contact with the author. We are working towards accomplishing these goals and are learning and tweaking as we go.

That sounds great, so how can I get connected?

Right now, the best way to get connected is to sign up for our seasonal newsletter and to subscribe to our blog, which is updated several times a week. You can also become a fan on Facebook and/or follow us on Twitter. That way, as we make changes and create new facets to She Reads, you will know about it. To visit our site and learn more, go to www.shereads.org. There is a navigation bar at the top which will take you to different parts of the site.

What books have you selected so far?

We select 3 books a season. Our fall selections are Daisy Chain by Mary DeMuth, Shape of Mercy by Susan Meissner, and eye of the god by Ariel Allison. These three different books all meet the criteria we created at the outset. Because this club is not set up by any one publisher we have the freedom to go to any Christian publisher to find our selections... and we do. We are reading, reading, reading right now to find our spring and summer selections. We have already chosen our winter ones but I can't tell you what those are yet! We will be making our announcement towards the beginning of December but I can promise you you are in for a treat with these books!

I hope that you will all get involved with She Reads. Even if you have never been a fiction reader, this is a great way to start. We so appreciate all of you who have shown your support of this brand new venture by becoming a fan on Facebook, subscribing to our blog, subscribing to our newsletter, and following us on Twitter. We are so excited to grow this thing and create a place where you can trust the books we recommend and meet other women who love to read and love to share the power of a great story.