I'm part way through reading this, and thoroughly enjoying it.
A very irreverent "gospel", with some thoughtful bits hidden.
I'll be sending this out on a ray once I've finished it.
Author's Blessing:
If you have come to these pages for laughter may you find it.
If you are here to be offended, may your ire rise and your blood boil.
If you seek an adventure, may this story sing you away to blissful escape.
If you need to test or confirm your beliefs, may you reach comfortable conclusions.
All books reveal perfection, by what they are or by what they are not.
May you find that which you seek, in these pages or outside them.
May you find perfection, and know it by name.

This bookray is about to go out - RULES:
Fairly standard for bookrays, I guess.
Please journal when you receive the book, so we know it arrived safely.
Journal again to let us know what you thought of the book once you've read it. You might like to journal a third time or update entry 2 once you've posted the book on.

When you are within a few days of finishing the book, pm the next person on the list for their address. Please read their profile first in case they have put a note on there asking to be skipped or any other special messages.

If you don't get an answer after a week and 3 pm's let me know and skip to the next person.

If there are any problems with the postal rate to the next person let me know and I will try to find someone to step in and keep the book moving.

I don't mind if you are a slow reader and take up to a month or so to read the book, but I would ask that if you have so many other rings/rays around it's likely to be weeks before you can even start the book you asked to be skipped or moved further down the list.

Enjoy the book!

Post order:

UK
PennyF England anywhere
Starry-Starry Wales - ?
weebly England
Yiremyahu England ?
bunnyk England
LeighBCD England Anywhere

Europe
Vi0let Finland Anywhere
BlossomU Portugal - anywhere ok
lesezeichen Germany International ok - check whether available, if not skip and swap with boucli
boucli France - anywhere

BRAZIL
chivers Brazil Brazil/US/Canada preferred.

USA
SalDragski - Texas, anywhere.
Grover3d WD - Anywhere
tabby90 NC - US only
Rampallion Illinois - US only
mssaver Illinois anywhere
eriko1908 Minnesota - US only
rslicer Kansas - anywhere
oldreader Calif. US only
mum-of-one US anywhere

Canada
gumshoe007 Canada
stardustnf Canada

Anyone else wishing to join will be put at the bottom of the list (possibly the list for their country if the book is still there) and needs to be prepared to post anywhere :-)

I wasn't too sure what to expect with this book - I found I loved it.

It was funny, touching, and thought provoking. What more can you ask for? And amazingly enough, I was kept guessing right up to the end.

The book tells the story of Joshua, the Messiah (the narrator explains right at the beginning that Jesus is the Greek version of his name) and his quest to find out what it meant to be Messiah. Where the conventional gospels may or may not mention the birth, then skip to adulthood, this book fills in the gaps.
Definitely tongue in cheek in places, and often laugh-out-loud funny, the book also makes the characters so real and believable that I was emotionally involved in the ending as never before. I'm not sure which bit I liked the best - filling in the gaps at the beginning, or when Biff's gospel runs parallel to the real gospels and often gives a different spin to familiar stories. The author says in his notes at the end "The problem arises, however, that if the reader knows the Bible well enough to recognize the real references, there's a good chance that he or she has decided not to read this book." Fortunately, I do know the Bible well enough, and I did read this book. And I thoroughly recommend it to anyone.
Now I'm off to add other Christopher Moore books to my wish list, and this book is off as a bookray.
May all the other readers enjoy it :-)

This is my first "caught" book and even though it's arrived in the post rather than on a park bench I feel incredibly excited. I will start reading it ASAP :)

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. This is one of the few books I have managed to read whilst at work on the night shift. It was very engaging and extremely funny. You will irritate the hell out of anybody within 100 yards when you read this book as you snort and giggle your way through it. Given how funny it is the ending was unexpectedly moving and I found my eyes filling up as I read the closing chapters. The book is very well written and moves along nicely with no dull sections. The characters are three-dimensional and you find yourself rooting for them very quickly.

Biff has been raised from the dead by Raziel, a TV soap addicted angel, to write his gospel - the story of Jesus's childhood and adolescence. Biff and Joshua (as Jesus is called throughout the book) are best mates and Biff accompanies Joshua on his search for knowledge and enlightenment providing a healthy dose of reality and cynicism at regular intervals. Biff also invents sarcasm and I will remain eternally grateful to him for that! There is a deeper level to this book under the humour - I seem to have been reading a lot of books with religious themes recently and they have all been thought-provoking. An interesting idea in this book is that Joshua (Jesus) allows himself to be killed almost as an act of defiance and rebellion against his father (God).

On the basis of this book I will certainly be seeking out other books by Christopher Moore.

This arrived in the post on Saturday. Sorry I didn't journal it straight away, I got excited about a new project and forgot all about it. Thanks for reminding me PennyF! I do have a couple of bookrings/rays in front of this one but I will try and be as quick as I can. I've been wanting to read this one for a while and I'm glad to get the chance - extra incentive to read quickly :)

I loved this book. It reminded me a little of Good Omens, similar humour and definitely laugh out loud in places. My favourite scene is the one in the market square in Antioch - healed! I liked that it was clever and knowing and it made a lot more sense to me than the traditional gospels :)

Thanks for the chance to read it Loopy1, I'll be seeking out more work by Christopher Moore and a copy of this treasure for myself. Will send it onto Weebly tomorrow - weather permitting.

Arrived while I was at work today. I have one ring book to finish (Interview with the Vampire) and one other to read (Exodus) then I will be able to read this. Shouldn't take me too long though, the rate I am reading at the minute.

I finished this book on Good Friday, how apt! Having done O level RE (Ordinary story telling really!) I had fun spotting the real parables and stories and characters (lazarus - althought the gospels never said he was smelly with bits falling off, turnng the water into wine etc.) with the false ones. I didn;t really laugh out loud, although I am not really a laugh out loud type of person. I was amused and read bits our to my family in the caravan we were staying in (not sure they got it ut of context), and I was pleased with the ending - I wont say how though in case future readers read this.

Many thanks Loopy for sharing. Maybe I hould now ask to be added to the practical demonkeeping book doing the rounds!

Released on Tuesday, April 13, 2004 at Bookray in BOOKRAY, Bookray Controlled Releases.

Sent to Jeremy today.

Arrived here safely. Thanks!

This was an entertaining read. Not being familiar with the NT, I wasn't able to guess with any confidence at what was actually in it. Although even I can tell that the conversations between Biff and Raziel were made up. ;)

Currently waiting for an address...

...on its way to LeighBCD.

Thanks very much! I have wanted to read this book for a long time and have already started reading it as I could not get into the book that I am on at the moment. I will be back!

I thought this book was very cleverly written and laugh-out loud funny at times. It definitely helps having a familarity with the Gospels since part of the humour is very tounge-in-cheek. My only criticism is that the book was about 100 pages too long; I skipped a section in the middle that to my mind dragged a little - I have not said here what that was for fear of creating a plot spoiler but I am sure everyone who has read this book will know what I mean!! However, the novel overall did make me smile - and that is a good thing!

I have sent a PM to vi0let for address... I think she may be on vacation as I have been trying to contact her in relation to another book for a while now. I will wait a little while longer and if I still do not hear from her, I will contact the next person in the list.

Thanks loopy1 for a great bookray!

Released on Monday, May 10, 2004 at to vi0let in Espoo, Finland Controlled Releases.

Off to vi0let in Finland... I hope you like the book!

Received this yesterday (with English Passengers -thanks, LeighBCD!) and started reading at once. Right now I think this will be a 10 star read :)

well, I loved it to pieces. What else can I say? I have already ordered a copy to keep in my PC.

The writing is just wonderful. Reminded me of Good Omens by Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman sometimes, and I caught myself laughing aloud often, while the ending aroused wholly different feelings.

Next this is going to BlossomU!

It has just arrived, wow, it was fast. I will finish what I am reading right now and with luck I will start reading this on the weekend.

Thanks for this bookring, loopy1, I was very curious about this novel. Thanks also for transcribing that headspiece, it´s brilliant.

I enjoyed very much the other novels by Moore I had read, and I loved a couple of irreverent takes on the Messiah thing - the already cited Good Omens, and Life of Brian, and a few less famous ones. But, big but, I am afraid this version really did not work for me. The message was trivial, almost like some sort of catalogue of religious influences, the humor was pun based, and it´s a novel which seemed to be very directed at some american mindset. Now I am not american, nor were those people, so yeah, it failed to keep my interest. In all, too long, trying too hard to be funny, and not particularly moving - to me at least, mileage varies.

PS - book shipped to lesezeichen Monday May 31st.

Good news for Blossom: Lamb has finally made it safe and sound to Germany :-) I am looking forward to reading this book.

Wow, I really loved this book, which had me laughing out loud quite a few times. Great storytelling and the effect created by the contrast of the ancient story and the modern American language did not wear thin on me. I am not a religous person but even if I were I think I would not mind, this book lets him come across so endearlingly human. I especially loved the first 2/3 of the book, dealing with their childhood and their trip to see the 3 magi, but the book works well as a whole.

The book goes off to Boucli tomorrow, who is in for a few delightful hours! Thanks loopy, for sharing this wonderful novel! I'll certainly be looking out for more by this author.

When I opened my mailbox yesterday evening, I saw this parcel from germany, and did a little "Lamb-is-here-dance" ! Since I've been in BC, I've seen great reviews of this book, and I can't wait to read it, so thanks for this ring, Loopy1 !
And thanks to Lesezeichen too, especially for this funny giraffe lesezeichen, ...sorry,... bookmark !
(and thanks to the german post services too : two days with a book mailing rate, I wish the french post services would do the same !)
Just a few pages left to the book i'm reading, and Lamb is next !

Though it was not as fun as I thought it would be (after reading all these reviews), it was really good and I DID laugh out loud a few times. It's a very clever way to fill the gaps in the life of Jesus, and I really like it !
I agree with BlossumU about the "american aspect" of it, though (regarding the way they make coffee taste better, for example...I like it strong and bitter !)...

But anyway, thanks, loopy1, for this ring, I enjoyed it, and I'll definitely read more of Christopher Moore's books !

Next stop : Brazil !

sent to Chivers, july 6th

just got this with other bookring. don't know what happens but everytime i finish reading a bookring i seem to receive 2 more!!!! will do my best not to keep it for more than 30 days.thanks for the postcard boucli!!! it's the 1st from france in my collection :)

what a wonderfull book!!!!! sooooooooo funny!!!! i really enjoyed it and will miss the charcters, mostly biff... it is really hard to choose a favorite part but i think mine is when joshua and biff discuss the hindu books ;) already have the next participant's address, and will send the book asap. thanks loopy1!!!!

Just received today. Will read next.

I only read about 130 pages. I thought it was too weird and stupid. Sarcastic humor I do not like. Will be sending to grover3d once I get her address.