ASYA Book Club ~ Mercy in the City Reading Schedule & Future Book Suggestions

Hi All!

Jen here, your official ASYA Book Club moderator/leader!

I'm really looking forward to starting this reading journey with you all.  I'm finding that reading Catholic/Christian related books & discussing them, in addition to attending our ASYA meetings on Tuesdays, are really helping me to learn more about our faith and grow closer to Jesus. I'm hoping that some of you feel the same way! It also doesn't hurt to have a group setting to hold me accountable for actually staying on top of reading a book either!

The plan is to pick a book to read and then discuss here on the blog. I'll be posting a link to each blog post on Facebook for those of you who haven't yet really dived into the blog world (Warning: It's addictive!).

Our next ASYA book club read was inspired by Fr. Michael's talk last week at Soup Supper. It is Mercy in the City - How to Feed the Hungry, Give Drink to the Thirsty, Visit the Imprisoned, and Keep Your Day Job,  by Kerry Weber.

Below is the description from Amazon (<-- link to Amazon, can't figure out how to change the color to be able to see it better!):
When Jesus asked us to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, and visit the imprisoned, he didn’t mean it literally, right? Kerry Weber, a modern, young, single woman in New York City sets out to see if she can practice the Corporal Works of Mercy in an authentic, personal, meaningful manner while maintaining a full, robust, regular life. Weber, a lay Catholic, explores the Works of Mercy in the real world, with a gut-level honesty and transparency that people of urban, country, and suburban locales alike can relate to. Mercy in the City is for anyone who is struggling to live in a meaningful, merciful way amid the pressures of “real life.”

For those who feel they are already overscheduled and too busy, for those who assume that they are not “religious enough” to practice the Works of Mercy, for those who worry that they are alone in their efforts to live an authentic life, Mercy in the City proves that by living as people for others, we learn to connect as people of faith.

I think this is going to be a great book to end Lent with as we enter into the Easter season; perhaps with more energy to take what we've learned in our reading and really apply it to live a more merciful life.

Mercy in the City Reading Schedule

This is a loose reading schedule that I'm hoping we can follow. No worries if you can't though, as these posts will always be here for you to add to the discussion at any point you get to reading.

This schedule starts this Sunday which will allow those who are interested to participate to get the book. The chapters are actually really short (4-10 pages in length) and seem like fairly easy reading. My plan is to post discussion questions related to the previous week's reading every Monday. You can then post your responses, thoughts, etc. in the comments. If that ends up seeming like too much "discussion" for one post, I might break it up, but I'll reassess as we go. If anyone else has any discussions questions that you can think of while reading, be sure to either let me know or post them in the comments.

Week 1:  3/15/15 - 3/21/15 ~ Intro through Chapter 9 - pages xi - 48

Week 2: 3/22/15 - 3/28/15 ~ Chapter 9 through Chapter 18 - pages 49 - 100

Week 3: 3/29/15 - 4/4/15 ~ Chapters 19 through Epilogue - pages 101 - 150

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Book Suggestions??

I want to start compiling list of books that would be of interest to the group to read so that we can keep on reading as we finish each book. I have some on my list, but lots of them are faith based parenting or marriage books, which I know won't appeal to the masses (but might appeal to some of you so just let me know!). So if you have a book on your shelf that you think would be great for the group to read together or you are looking for an excuse to buy a book that you have been wanting to read for awhile, leave a comment on this post or on the link I'll put on Facebook.

Please don't hesitate to let me know if you have any questions or suggestions related to our new ASYA Book Club!