alltheradreads's Reviews (1.9k)

I cannot say enough good things about this book. I have already come back to it more than a handful of times to soak up the words again and again and again. I have always loved and wrestled with the idea of being beloved, and this book illuminated all of that. Originally written by Nouwen for a Jewish friend, I found it incredibly convicting and humbling and stunning as a lifelong Christian. I want to get the word beloved tattooed on my body to remind me forever of the core truth of my identity: I am His Beloved.

This book was SO worth a read. I proudly voted third party this past presidential election, and always had mixed feelings about HRC, but this book made me really respect and admire her a TON. Girl has guts and brains and heart and soul and I’m really glad I gave her an honest shot by reading this one and hearing her perspective. I learned a lot about her actual platform (and about the email scandal that so stupidly took away from her actual beliefs and policies) and a lot about how the whole campaign played out — it was a fascinating behind the scenes memoir that was enlightening, entertaining, and enjoyable to read. I especially loved her thoughts on being a woman in politics— so much wisdom to be gleaned from the way she has climbed the ladder (and from her admitted failures and mistakes too). Highly, highly recommend giving this a shot whether or not you voted for her— I think it will open your eyes and change your thoughts about so much. Well done, Hills.

Adam is one of my faves— witty and wonderful and colorful and creative with a ton of heart and just enough snark... this little book is a gem. The perforated pages are such a fun touch, too! Can’t wait to hang some up around my office for good inspo. Creatives of any kind, this is such a fun read that will encourage you and give you a swift little kick in the pants too.

First off-- isn't that cover awesome? Love the typography and imagery. This book was a solid read-- as someone who is in the thick of counseling and working to address the lies I tell myself, the fears I believe, and how I see myself, it was extremely relevant and applicable to my life. There were chapters focused on addictions, the monsters in our lives, our identity, temptations, resistance, and who the boss is in our lives. I found the tone to be helpful and not condescending, which I appreciated, and it was clear Lance himself has wrestled and worked through much of this in his own life. There were many very helpful and directly applicable thoughts and ideas in this one, and many nuggets of wisdom I wrote down to remember in the future.

I really enjoyed this one! I can't remember where I first heard of it, but I"m glad I did since I don't think I would have found it on my own. It's poignant and beautifully told, and you can't help but absolutely fall for George with his bold personality and huge heart. This story wasn't relevant to my own, but I loved immersing myself in it and loved how it ended. This is a great memoir!

I could not get into this one, you guys. I tried, and gave it about 75 pages, but the characters didn’t click with me at all and the writing style seemed forced and awkward to me. I was hoping this would be a post apocalyptic story similar to Station Eleven, but it didn’t come close for me. This might just be a wrong book, wrong time kind of thing, but I wasn’t willing to keep going with this one to see if it could grab me, so it’s off to the “abandoned” shelf for now! Anybody out there who can convince me to keep with it?!

I’ve yet to meet a book from John Green that isn’t charming and unputdownable and relevant, and this newest one from him (thanks, Book of the Month for the freebie!) was all of those things. I appreciated the honest look at OCD and mental illness, but overall found the storyline a little lacking and slow. It wasn’t as dramatic as Looking for Alaska or as emotional as The Fault in Our Stars or as quirky as Paper Towns, but definitely has similar elements (too similar, maybe?) to all of them. This reads exactly like what we have come to expect from Green, though, with his ability to tell teenagers’ stories with keen insight and accuracy. It wasn’t my favorite from him, but I didn’t want to put it down either. I hoped for more out of this one!

I have been a fan of Annie F. Downs for a LONG time and her newest book just confirms all the things I love about her. Her voice is so refreshing — honest, hilarious, heartfelt. This book of 100 short devotions is the perfect way to focus on courage and bravery, and it feels like you’re sitting down with a best friend over coffee and encouraging each other to be your very best selves. It’s a gift. It doesn’t feel cheesy or cliche or shallow, but just real and helpful and so uplifting. I read through more than a dozen days last night because I just couldn’t stop— I will definitely be sharing this one with friends! Love, love, love.

Absolutely loved this one. It’s exactly the words I needed in this political season in America that often leaves me feeling discouraged and hopeless. These letters written by so many diverse and brilliant authors are wildly different from one another, collectively pointing to hope, beauty, bravery, and a better tomorrow. They are rich, moving, heartfelt, striking, and convicting. They opened my eyes and broke my heart and encouraged me so much. No matter where you fall on the political spectrum or how you feel about the state of things these days, I highly recommend reading this one if for no other reason than to better understand how others are feeling these days. This should be required reading for all Americans right now, really.

I’ve never met a Mary Oliver poem i didn’t like. This little collection was no different. An evening well spent.