alltheradreads's Reviews (1.9k)

I've had this book on my wish list for ages, and finally found it in paperback for cheap on Amazon and decided to give it a read. Overall, I actually wasn't super impressed or amazed by it. A lot of the time, it felt like little tweet-able one liners strung together without a lot of depth or continuity or anything holding it together. It wasn't bad, and I definitely underlined a lot of sentences and thought he said some good things, but it wasn't really anything spectacular. It's a short book, so if you need a little creative boost to remind you that your life is truly art and that what you do matters and that creativity is essential to our lives, this is a great book to grab.

I am a major Tim Keller fan and this book was no exception. Going through encounters with Jesus found in the book of John, Keller shares so much goodness, wisdom, and truth about who Jesus is and who we are in Him. I love when teachers and authors like Keller take Scripture and dive in deeply to it, showing meaning and significance and richness that can easily be missed with a quick skim. I underlined and loved so much of this book, especially that quote above that just struck me so powerfully. This book is such a simple yet glorious reminder of who Christ is and what He has done for us, and I would HIGHLY, highly recommend it to any believer, new or old.

It was originally here that I heard about Wendell Berry, and then I read this about him and wanted to just read everything by him. He's written so much, so I'll spend a lifetime trying to get my hands on all of it, which is a great problem to have. These five stories are all poignant and unique and paint beautiful pictures of his characters that are unlike any others. This was a great read for a breezy summer evening in my hammock between two big trees with a cider in hand.

I found this national bestseller at B&N for like $5, and the cover design is beautiful, so I bought it. Yep, I'm a sucker like that. I thought this book would be really similar to the Titanic story (it's also about an ocean liner sinking, but in this case, due to a mysterious explosion), but I was surprised at how different the premise was. This book was one that I read in one sitting this evening and would definitely pass along-- it makes you think about the nature of humanity, the things we would do to save ourselves, and how selfish we ultimately are. It was a quick read, fast-paced and compelling and well-written, and definitely worth a read.

Yep, I read a Nicholas Sparks book. Not my usual style, I admit, although I read quite a few of his books back in the day! I was at my grandparents house and my grandma had given me a box of books she had read and didn't want anymore, so when they left me at their house to go to a dinner, this was the one I grabbed. I ended up reading it all that evening and was actually a little surprised that it didn't totally follow the cliche plot I had expected. It definitely wasn't a literary masterpiece, but as far as easy romantic fiction goes, it was pretty good. If you need a super light love story to read on a rainy evening, grab something by Nicholas Sparks and just relax.

I FINALLY renewed my library card (and found that I had $2.20 of fines waiting for me from high school...) and this was one of the books I picked up purely based on the intriguing cover design. If you don't judge books by their covers, you're a better person than me, because I totally do. This book was different than any other I've ever read, even from the opening lines. The writing is...enchanting (but that doesn't seem to fully cover it). The story immediately pulled me in poetically and mysteriously, like a cool breeze was nudging me through fog toward a glimmering and warm light. Sounds weird, but it was incredible. I loved this book from the start, and loved how it unfolded and how unexpectedly it concluded... definitely recommend this one!

This book, written by the founder of To Write Love On Her Arms, wasn't what I expected it would be. I didn't expect it to be so much like a memoir, with old blog posts and letters and notes and stories pieced together from years of Jamie's life, broken up by chunks of years with different definitions. It was such an honest book, so open and transparent, so raw in sharing the pain and also the hope, in celebrating life and coming together in the darkness. I am a feeler, and so much of this book resonated with the way my heart reacts to the world around me. I soaked this one up in an evening and know I'll return to it to be reminded of ever-present hope and the joy that comes from living life alongside others and the beauty of community through the highs and lows.

This book was incredible. I'm a person who is pretty much obsessed with personality tests and self-reflection tools and self-analysis, so I absolutely devoured this one. I have always been awful at creating good habits and breaking bad ones, and this book was incredibly enlightening as to why that is. It gave me so many solid insights into my personality and how to play into my strengths to create solid habits that I will actually keep...it's just an excellent resource that is full of research and practical, manageable advice but reads easily. I haven't read anything else by Rubin, but now I want to read EVERYTHING. This book will absolutely be one I refer to over and over as I keep growing and learning!

Anne Lamott. I cannot say enough good things. This book was one I read in a short afternoon at one of my favorite cafes, and although I found myself recognizing a lot of passages from previous books I've read by Anne, I still loved it. I've always been a major fan of the totally honest, transparent style of prayer and writing too (why get all flowery and formal when you can just be totally real with God?) so I loved her way of highlighting her three essential and simple prayers: help, thanks, and WOW! This is a great little book that I heavily underlined, laughed through while reading, and would pass along to many friends.

Oh, C.S. Lewis, how I love you. Your words challenge me, open my eyes to new perspectives and ways of thinking and believing, and constantly push me to make my faith more real and more my own. This book was a beautiful fantasy, what Lewis calls in the preface an "imaginative supposal" of what Heaven and Hell might look like. It was a great afternoon read (in my Eno in perfect weather, no less) and one that will linger in my thoughts as I think of what might await us someday. As always, I highly recommend ANYTHING Lewis writes, because he's the best.