alltheradreads's Reviews (1.9k)

This book would make a beautiful gift — it’s encouraging, uplifting, and joy-filled on every page. There are short writings that would be perfect for a daily devotional reading, and spaces for reflection and responses throughout. The themes build well over the book, from “Made to Be Happy” to “Holiness is Happiness” and “Healthy-Happy-Whole” and more. If you’ve read Alli’s work before, you’ll love this collection of more of her thoughts and heart, and if you haven’t read anything by her before, this is a great place to start! I loved her book Breaking Busy and think this goes hand-in-hand with its message, so I’d definitely suggest grabbing this one if you struggle with contentment and happiness in a chaotic and wild world!

This book found me RIGHT when I needed it. Oof, I loved this one. I probably underlined half the pages... just SO relevant to my season of counseling and unraveling and rebuilding. It’s beautifully written and poetic and powerful. Huge fan. Seeing him at the Evolving Faith conference only solidified that.

Book two of the Red Rising trilogy hooked me even more than the first (which I was super into, so that’s saying something!) EVEN reading on my Kindle (which I really hate, you guys). I’m such a fan of this series! Action, fantasy (sorta), romance, mystery, intensity, drama... Can’t wait to dive into book #3!

When a friend tells you about their most favorite book of all time, you read it! Devoured this one and already on book #2– it’s similar to Hunger Games (but I’d argue not as good...) but a little more mature. I’m more into this series than I thought I would be and I’m super curious how the other books play out and if I’ll end up liking these more than Hunger Games... who has read both series and has a favorite?!

This book was unlike anything I’ve ever read and I loved it for that reason! I loved her book The Lightkeepers and had high hopes for this one and was not at ALL disappointed. It’s intriguing and bizarre and mystifying and suspenseful and twisty and will make you think and keep you guessing... it’s truly a wild story and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. This author has quickly become a favorite! Can’t wait to see what she does next.

As far as mysteries and thrillers go, this one isn’t especially thrilling. It seemed to take forever to actually have any real traction, and the conclusion wasn’t nearly as compelling or exciting enough to warrant such a long and drawn out plot without a lot of action or depth. It seemed to follow a pretty familiar script, and felt like it tried a little too hard to be mysterious without really having the meat to back it up. Not a favorite!

This one is relatable and helpful, wise and gentle, convicting and calming, and a great tool for all (especially geared toward Christians) who don’t want to be controlled by their emotions. It’s a helpful companion for anyone on a journey toward personal growth, healing, and freedom (and echoed many things my counselor and I have been working on in my therapy sessions). I found it honest and not overbearing, purposeful but not overly preachy, and challenging but not condescending.

I love Reese (her movies! her book club!) but this book was not my cup of tea... yes, I intended that pun. I’m by NO means a southern belle, I hate monograms, I think sweet tea is disgusting and I wouldn’t be caught dead wearing pink or gingham or seersucker... safe to say, this book was not written for me 😂 It would be a delightful read for you sweet Southern gals who want fried chicken recipes and plans for the perfect derby party and decorating ideas and classic country playlists and hostessing tips... but that’s just not me. 🤷🏼‍♀️ The writing didn’t really engage or impress me much either, and didn’t really seem as spunky and bright as I think Reese to be. It just fell flat for me, but I think so so SO many women will love it!

A seven-hour babysitting gig last night led to finishing this one, and it was perfect to read in one sitting! It’s a neighborhood-focused mystery/thriller, complete with scandal and secrets and drama and the like. It changes perspectives between a few women, with snippets inserted from the unreliable missing person narrator, too. It wasn’t terribly suspenseful and I wasn’t ever super hooked, but it wasn’t bad! The ending wasn’t my favorite (someone who has read it— let’s discuss!) and it didn’t ultimately seem too unique from many others in this genre, which was slightly disappointing.

I wasn’t a huge fan of this poetry collection — it just didn’t resonate with me or particularly interest me in this season.