First Friday Book Club

Making friends is good for the soul.


Words matter.


Join us as we connect with each other through dialoging about Christian focused books, both fiction and non-fiction.  


Dates: See Below

Time: 9:30am

Location: Starbuck's inside Randall's

Facilitator: Luann Schmitt


Upcoming Schedule:


Read in November, discuss on 12-6-2024

Desert Exile, Yoshiko Uchida

(Biography, 154 pgs.)

Desert Exile tells the story of the author Yoshiko Uchida and the Uchida family’s experience as Japanese-

Americans interned in concentration camps by the U.S. government after the Pearl Harbor attacks during

World War II. It tells the story of the courage and strength displayed by those who were interned.


Read in December, discuss on 1-3-2025

Covenant Child, Terry Blackstock

(Fiction, 336 pgs.)

Amanda is heartbroken as she watches them drive her beloved twins away. She's resolved to hope and fight for

them until her last breath. Kara and Lizzie are heiresses to one of the largest fortunes in the country. But when

their father dies suddenly, the toddlers are taken from the arms of their loving stepmother, Amanda, and given

to relatives who only want the children's fortune for themselves. Kara and Lizzie grow up questioning their

worth--until the day they learn the truth.


Read in January, discuss on 2-7-2025

Flash: The Homeless Donkey Who Taught Me About Life, Faith and 2nd Chances, Rachel Anne Ridge

(Non-Fiction, 233 pgs.)

The heartwarming tale of an irrepressible donkey who needed a home—and forever changed a family.

Rachel Anne Ridge was at the end of her rope. The economy had crashed, taking her formerly thriving business

along with it. How would her family pay their bills? What would the future hold? If only God would somehow

let them know that everything was going to be all right . . . and then Flash the donkey showed up.


Read in February, discuss on 3-7-2025

Love’s True Home, Lori Dejong

(Fiction, 362 pgs.)

Allyson Kincaid needs roots. Born and raised on the foreign mission field, all she wants is home and hearth on

American soil. Just over the break-up with the man she'd thought was the love of her life, she's ready to put

herself back out there. Too bad the first guy who's made her pulse skip in nearly two years dreams of a life

spent in foreign missions. She's been there, done that, and, although she supports him in his calling, knows his

choice…


Read in March, discuss on 4-4-2025

God’s Hostage: A True Story of Persecution, Imprisonment and Perseverance, Andrew Brunson

(Non-Fiction, 248 pgs.)

In 1993, Andrew and Norine Brunson travelled to Turkey to serve as missionaries. What followed were threats

and attacks, but also successes in starting churches in a place where many people had never met a Christian. In

2016, they were arrested, Andrew was imprisoned. This is the true story of his imprisonment, brokenness, and

eventual freedom. Anyone with a heart for missions will love this tension-laden and faith-laced book.


Read in April, discuss on 5-2-2025

The Sacrifice, Robert Whitlow

(Fiction, 400 pgs.)

The most powerful weapon against evil is sacrifice. Attorney Scott Ellis is defending a 16-year-old accused of

opening gunfire on a Sunday afternoon church gathering. At the same time, Scott's volunteer work at the local

high school reveals that Catawba High School is a battleground for an age-old struggle between good and evil.

On one side are praying students and a janitor with an extraordinary faith. On the other side is a deeply troubled

young man intent on mass destruction. Scott learns that lasting victory will require the ultimate sacrifice.


Read in May, discuss on 6-6-2025

So Long Status Quo, Susy Flory

(Non-fiction, 140 pgs.)

Susy Flory's life was comfortable and safe. Then she discovered the stories of nine extraordinary women who

sacrificed personal comfort and convenience for a cause greater than themselves. Thanks to Rosie, Eleanor,

Elizabeth, and Jane, Susy's life will never be the same. These fascinating accounts will challenge you to

examine your own life and inspire you to ask What can I do to get God's work done in the world?


Read in June, discuss on *7-11-2025 (*Note: meeting on 2nd Friday due to Holiday on first Friday)

Winding Roads, Brenda O’Bannion

(Historical fiction, 270 pgs.)

When Kathleen Carter, a sophomore at Marshall University, witnesses the aftermath of a horrific accident, she

takes flight, leaving everyone she loved behind. Racked with guilt, she begins a journey of deceit, lies, and

loneliness. Winding Roads, Book Three in the Wonderful West Virgina series, takes the reader through the long

path of rejection to the restoration and reconciliation offered by our Lord.



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