Francine Rivers's novels have been nominated for and won many prizes, including a RITA, a Christy Award and the ECPA Gold Medallion. In 1997, she was inducted into the Romance Writers of America Hall of Fame. In celebration of the 20th anniversary of Redeeming Love, a retelling of the biblical story of Gomer and Hosea that is set during the California Gold Rush, Multnomah/Random House has just released a special edition. Rivers and her husband live in Northern California and enjoy spending time with their grown children and grandchildren.
On your nightstand now:
Anne Lamott's Grace (Eventually): Thoughts on Faith and Alexander McCall Smith's The Double Comfort Safari Club. Both are terrific!
Favorite book when you were a child:
I was not a reader as a child. I liked riding my bicycle, swimming, hiking and building forts with my brother. The one book that stands out in my mind is Childcraft's Volume #1 (Children's Poetry) and it was the illustrations I loved most. I tore one out and put it under my pillow. When my mother discovered it, she didn't spank me. She talked about the importance of taking good care of a book. She had me tape that picture back where it belonged, and I could see for myself the damage I had done. I've tried to be a "gentle" reader ever since.
Your top five authors:
I heard at a retreat that writers read for two primary reasons: information and formation. After that particular lecture, I began to analyze what I was reading and why, and if I was learning anything from my choices. I also began keeping a list and reviewing it at the end of the year to see if I was "over-reading" in any particular genre. Each writer has a unique voice, and I learn from them all. Hence, I have thousands of "top" authors. The one and only book I read every year is the Bible. Scripture informs and forms me.
Book you've faked reading:
None. I openly admit I was slow to catch the reading bug. I didn't discover children's literature until I had children! I read all the classic children's stories to them and enjoyed them as much as they did. I read many classics during my college years. I have yet to read War and Peace by Tolstoy, but plan to tackle it when I retire. And if I don't retire, I've saved myself from any guilt attached to never having read it at all.
Book you're an evangelist for:
The Bible!
Book you've bought for the cover:
Many! Title and cover art often capture my interest and bring me to the cash register. The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elizabeth Tova Bailey, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford, Greek Fire, Poison Arrows and Scorpion Bombs by Adrienne Mayer, Same Kind of Different as Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore come to mind--and I enjoyed them all! Wandering through a bookstore (or seeing the "you might like this" on Amazon.com) is like a treasure hunt--with the guarantee of treasure at the end.
Book that changed your life:
The One Year Bible. It was the first time I read the entire Bible. (I used to get bogged down at Leviticus.) This version took me straight through four sections in daily readings. I was amazed at how God's voice could be heard even through numerous unique individuals and styles. This version convinced me that the Bible is truly God breathed. I've been reading and studying Scripture ever since.
Favorite line from a book:
"My dear, I don't give a damn." Oh, that final conversation between Scarlett and Rhett in Margaret Mitchell's masterpiece, Gone with the Wind. I have re-written that ending a thousand times in my head--which is why I think it's one of the best lines in literature. Those few words feed the imagination with so many possibilities. That one line of dialogue keeps the characters alive in a reader's mind long after the book has been returned to the shelf.
Book you most want to read again for the first time:
The Bible is new every morning, no matter how many times you read it. God meets each of us right where we are in life. I have learned He knows me better than I know myself and speaks into my soul whatever correction, instruction, comfort and purpose I need for each day.