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The Ultimate Review Site

I would like you to help me out. I don’t ask for much from the people who read this site, but you can help me out now by replying to this thread. If you think about the subject matter for a bit before replying it would be even more helpful!

As you may know from previous threads, I am working on a new site, tentatively (though this is less-tentative than before) called Christian Media Review. This site will feature reviews of just about everything with a Jesus label on it: books (fiction, nonfiction, children’s, teen’s), DVDs, music, software, t-shirts, etc. Just kidding about the t-shirts. In case you’re wondering, I will probably not be doing the bulk of the reviewing for this site, but will be asking others to do this.

As you ponder a site that contains reviews of products you might just want to buy (since we all buy Christian books or music at least occasionally) what would be helpful to you as the discerning Christian consumer? What features of review sites do you absolutely need to have? What features do you despise?

I will kickstart the discussion with a list of popular features that may or may not be included:

Ratings – Do you like a numerical or star rating of products (where the reviewer indicates that this is a 5-star book, but that is only a 3-star) or do you prefer just to read a well-formed review and draw your own conclusions?

Reader Reviews – Do you like to read reader reviews (like at Amazon)? Do you like the ability to express your opinion of a product by clicking a simple star rating?

Forums – Do you like to discuss the products in forums right on the site?

Multiple Buying Options – Do you like to have the ability to compare prices directly from the site?

That gives you a few to work with. Now let’s talk about this. Help me build a site that will be most useful to you, the reader.


  • Pleasure Obligation

    A Pleasure More Than An Obligation

    Christians are often portrayed as downcast and dour, as people who are trapped in a system of beliefs that robs them of joy and life. And with a bit of honest self-examination, we can probably think of times when we have fit the cliché.

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    Weekend A La Carte (March 14)

    A La Carte: The West’s strange genius / Healing the way women hurt each other / AI skeptics / The world after reading / What about the children? / What caregivers should know about dementia / and much more.

  • Sex and Self-Forgetfulness

    Sex, Self-Forgetfulness, and the Joy of Serving Your Spouse

    I often think there is a kind of paradoxical quality to sex within marriage. It’s paradoxical in that few things have greater ability to bring blessing (through its right use) or to bring cursing (through its misuse). Not only that, but few things bring greater joy to a marriage, and also, in so many cases,…

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (March 13)

    What happened to our pastor? / Youth ministry needs seasoned saints / God’s sovereignty when things don’t go as planned / Preach sermons that algorithms don’t reward / A pastor remains in Beirut / and more.

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (March 12)

    The grief ambush / Forgotten, and that’s good / The foibles and fallibility of Christian leaders / Welcome back, church planting / Weakness is not the enemy / Bad reasons to read the Bible / Bible and book sales.