So what's next? So far there has not been any e-book standard, so the electronic format has been slower to gain traction than was prognosticated in the '90's. But that will likely change and electronic formats will improve. Today, online chat groups have become a good way to keep a book going.

Will these formats replace the good old-fashioned book? Hard to imagine that, isn't it? But then I?m sure no one could have foreseen what would happen when the printing press was invented.

Here are some new recommendations that you might want to 'read, listen to, or download.'

Faith and Doubt

by John Ortberg

In this new book, Ortberg takes an honest look at the misgivings and uncertainties that often obscure our view of God. He candidly describes grappling with his own personal doubts and celebrates the 'gift of uncertainty' that can allow the right kind of doubt to actually deepen our faith and intimacy with God.

Home

by Marilynne Robinson

This beautiful novel follows Gilead for which Marilynne won the prestigious Pulitzer Prize. It is a moving and healing book about families, secrets, and the passing of generations, about love and death and faith. An unforgettable embodiment of the deepest and most universal emotions.

The Furious Longing of God

by Brennan Manning

Hold on tight as you discover the most powerful force in the universe: God's furious longing for you. This 'ragamuffin' takes us on a journey to show us that there are no boundaries to where God's love will take him in order to find us, embrace us, and take us home.

Just remember, if technology brings change, what shouldn't change is our desire to learn, think, discuss, and be challenged. No matter what format you use, you still have to discipline yourself to read (or listen). There is no getting around that. So go ahead, make time to pick up, plug in, download, and engage. There has never been a better time to 'read'.

Read on!

Larry Thiessen lives in Calgary, Alberta and is the former manager of Christian Publications bookstores