VT Christian Reading Challenge discussion

Is anyone else still doing this? I have four more books to finish. Well, I already finished two books in December - books I started in November.

Here are the four books I need to read to finish the challenge:
Me Before You by JoJo Moyes
The Shelf Life of Ashes by Hollis Giammatteo
Through Gates of Splendor by Elisabeth Elliot
Confrontations by Jacques Vallee

I did it to completion last year, but this year has been full of surprises good and sad. I have been following loosely and rereading a lot of favorites. I’m really enjoying watching everyone else’s progress though!

I haven’t ever aimed to complete the whole list, my goal is usually the committed reader, getting 52 books from the list, which I have been able to do this year.

My goal was 26 books this year (the avid reader) and I have 4 books left. So to complete the challenge I need yet to read:
Walking with God Through Pain and Suffering by Timothy Keller (started)
The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan
Messiah: The Holy One of God by Clarence Stam (started)
Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas (started)
To complete my other reading challenges, I need to read:
Hercule Poirot's Christmas by Agatha Christie
Molly of the Mall: Literary Lass and Purveyor of Fine Footwear by Heidi L.M. Jacobs
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
The Golden Hour by Beatriz Williams

I have finished the list and doing some fun reading.

Beth, Pilgrim's Progress is great but hard to get through the last part.

Congratulations Amber and Ian for finishing!

Ian - you must be a very fast reader. I'm kind of the opposite, and am surprised I'm now able to read over 100 books in a year. This year I read only one children's picture book (took 15 minutes) but I didn't include that on the list for this challenge.

Beth - good luck to both of us in finishing challenges! I've never read Pilgrim's Progress.

Hello, I just found this group and recently discovered Goodreads. I’d love to join this challenge next year.

Hi Máire - you are very welcome to read with us next year.

I looked at the 2022 announcement post on Tim Challies' blog - it was posted December 21 so we might have to wait that long to find out what next year's prompts are.

Linda, I am not a fast reader: I have the ability to listen to audio books while working as long as there are no meetings. I can get through at least one a day if the book is good.

Maire, I find it fun to just go through the list put out even if I am not going to finish it. I hope to see you join next year!

Hi Ian and Linda, thanks for the encouragement. :) I aimed for 20 books this year and I think I’ll hit that goal by the 31st, so hope to keep up a similar rhythm next year! This list contains books I wouldn’t normally read, which could be a fun change.

Máire, I just noticed I got your name wrong in the other comment. Sorry. Fixed it. I think I met someone named Maura on another group.

Glad to hear you'll be reading with us. 20 books is a good goal. You can pick and choose your prompts - it doesn't have to be just the first twenty (or however many you choose to do.)

Until last year and this year I've never been able to read 100 books... but I'm retired and am living in a travel trailer right now, so reading gives me something to do. (My home burned down in a forest fire two years ago.)

Hi Linda, I’m sorry to hear about your home burning down. I hope you’ll be safe in your new home, and warm and cosy to while away the hours reading to your heart’s content!

I kind of like the idea of sticking to the prompts, it might get me to read things I wouldn’t have otherwise read, we’ll see if/when the list comes out :)

I looked at Tim Challies' website for the 2023 challenge, and I think he's got the download behind a paywall.

https://visualtheology.church/shop/po...

The downloads are towards the end of the page, for members only. The least expensive membership option is $14/mo.

Apparently he probably doesn't appreciate us having all his prompts here and on a page of my blog. I'm thinking I should find another challenge if he's trying to keep this private for members only. I don't want to pay $14/mo. for his blog and I do want a challenge I can keep track of publicly on my blog and here on Goodreads.

Any thoughts on this? Could we create our own challenge?

I don't think it would be right to pay for his, get the prompts, then make them public if he doesn't want them to be public.

I was able to get a pdf of the challenge at this link by subscribing to VT newslette- challis had the link on his Facebook page in a comment under his 2022 books of the year post. https://visualtheology.ck.page/2023-r...

Thanks Lisa. I don't understand why he doesn't give us a plain text version of this challenge.

I know.... A number of people commented on the Facebook page post- we will see if he responds

Thanks - I'll go look for that Facebook page now.

The 2023 is actually a re-do from 2016, https://www.challies.com/resources/th...

I might have to change to a different challenge for 2023. I don't like how his efforts are all toward selling things to make money.

I used to do the PopSugar Reading Challenge every year, and they give everything freely on their website. Problem is they have prompts I don't want to do - and it seems aimed at a younger audience. For example this year they want us to read a book with "a queer lead" and I really don't want to.

Last year PopSugar had three sexual orientation related prompts (out of fifty prompts) and it was just too much for me as I don't want to read books for that reason, which is why I looked for a Christian reading challenge and found this one.

I don't want to interfere with Tim's money making efforts if that's where his heart is at. I just want a reading challenge I can post on my blog without interfering with someone's closely guarded intellectual property.

I've really enjoyed reading along with people in this group during the last year.

Thanks, Deon! 2016 was actually the first year I participated!

Linda, not sure if this is the place to post it, but the other challenge I’ve done was this one:

https://findingjoyinyourhome.com/2022...

I agree, this isn’t something I want to pay for, and not at that price either!! I’m happy enough setting myself the challenge of ready 23 books next year ^^ (I’m on 21 this year, might finish a 22nd, just seems fitting haha) we could also just share suggestions here. Or like make a list of books we don’t usually read (e.g. I never read poetry comm but plan on starting next year) and go from there?

Okay, we'll figure something out. Thanks for the link, Christabelle. Maybe some can do the 2016 challenge repeat, or 2023 challenge, and others mix in other elements...? I've decided to do something different but wouldn't mind posting my different prompts here to keep reading with a group of Christians. I spent yesterday planning and have come up with a combination of challenges. I'm not done planning yet. I'm keeping track of it all here. I'll probably keep on changing things up until the end of the month. I'm still hoping to read 104 books (2 books per week).

yeahhhh I couldn't follow the challenge this year also. Tragedy struck me mid Jan and threw me so far off my reading track that instead of reading 70-90 books I am just finishing 43 tonight. I have a couple of fun Christmas reads I want to do this week and next and a couple of old favorites I can easily enjoy. But crazy. At least I'm keeping up with my oldest haha well I try to preread half of his books especially for school.

Hi Stephanie, good to hear from you! So sorry you had a tragedy in January. I know how difficult it is to recover from a hard blow in life. My home burned 2 years ago and I'm still recovering from that!

Also, good idea to preread books for your children. The school sometimes give books that are so inappropriate for children. Even books on the Newbery medal list can't be trusted to be good literature for a Christian child.

Tonight I just now finished reading the 104th book for this challenge! I'm so happy to have it over with but so grateful for the motivation to read so many different types of books. It has been a great blessing. I hope I can keep up the momentum for next year.

Anyhow, welcome back.. good to see you here!

I'm planning to do 26 of the prompts for next year. I have some other challenges to do as well, and my overall goal for 2023 will remain at 104. That's two books per week. I think it is a good goal for someone like me that is retired, living alone, and not working outside my home.

thanks Linda it's so nice to talk to others who enjoy the company and challenge of good literature