alltheradreads's Reviews (1.9k)

This is a pretty small book, and it wasn't very meaty in my opinion. I wanted a lot more personal stories and thoughts shared than there were, and I found that it came across pretty dry and a little preachy, despite being such a potentially intimate and emotional topic. I had higher hopes for this one, but wasn't a fan.

I am a HUGE fan of Sabbath (and believe all Christians should be!) and really, really loved this thoughtful, approachable, beautifully written look at what it truly means to delight in the Sabbath. Allender focused on four main components: sensual glory and beauty, ritual, communal feasting, and playfulness -- just love that. This book is really rich, helpful, and absolutely worth reading if you've wrestled with how to do Sabbath well or if you have no clue what it even means to have a Sabbath (and why it matters).

This one seemed like a fun summer read, but I could NOT get into the story. I think it takes skill to tell a story well when you're flashing back and forth in time between different characters, and I didn't think this one did it very well. I didn't find the main characters likable or very interesting, and I felt like by about 50+ pages in, I knew exactly how the story would play out. I could very well have been wrong... but it seemed predictable and just not super engaging or worth sticking with. This one fell flat for me!

I absolutely loved this one. I'm a big fan of Comer (LOVED Garden City) and love that he's a One on the Enneagram like me (nerd alert) -- his writing style is just exactly what I love. Rich, deep, really honest and real, incredibly thoughtful and beautiful... just stunning and helpful and illuminating. This is one you must read.

First-- how cool is that cover?! Loved it. I read this one super fast, partly because it's a small book, and partly because it's not super deep (it is geared toward teens, after all). I admit I didn't think it was super well-written or terribly deep/insightful, but I also think back on how I wrote as a 19-year-old, and I give her props! I do think teens would find this helpful, encouraging, and motivating as they navigate some of the hardest years (especially when you're a Christian trying to live by a higher standard) -- I read similar books when I was a teen and found them to be meaningful, and would definitely suggest this for younger teens as opposed to college-aged students! Parts felt cheesy and just young, but again, that's to be expected from such a young author. I'd recommend just reading blog posts from her to get a feel for her thoughts and her style!

This wasn't what I'd call "dazzling" but it was enjoyable -- a pretty predictable tale of college lovers growing up and figuring out who they are and lying about a lot of things along the way. It's not really a feel-good novel by any means, and there's not a lot of loyalty shown in this relationship, but it was a pretty good breezy summer kind of read!

I don't even want to tell you more about the plot of this one-- I just want to tell you to read it RIGHT NOW. This book broke my heart and opened my eyes and brought me to tears and changed my perspective on such important things forever. Cannot recommend this one highly enough -- please give it a read and let this story change you.

This one wasn't anything special, in my opinion. It felt like a cliche storyline and it didn't really hook me until way after halfway through (I'm surprised I made it that far...) when it finally felt like the plot picked up and had some interest. It's a YA novel, for sure, so it's not terribly deep or particularly thought-provoking, but it did take a few turns I didn't see coming and turn out differently than I expected, so I give it some credit there. I think this might be better as movie, since more than anything, it just felt way too long for what actually happened in this story in the end.

This classic (my copy was a gift from my great-grandparents to my mom when she was a kid!) was due for a re-read, especially with all the recent buzz about the new Netflix series. It was as fun as I remembered, and a quick trip back down memory lane with this sassy heroine I just love!

I really enjoyed this one -- it wasn't the cliche, platitude-laden kind of Christian novel that's so prevalent for women right now, at all. It was really beautifully written, heartfelt, moving, and exactly what I needed to read in this harder season of life. I highly recommend this one if you feel broken or like you're wrestling through a hard or dark season -- it feels like a breath of fresh air and a warm hug from a friend.