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elouisedouglas's Reviews (721)
I bought this book thinking I was just reading it to check if it would be okay for our Sunday School/Youth Group kids, but actually I ended up loving it for myself too!
This beautifully designed hardback book is a re-telling of Luke's Gospel, aimed at children and perfect for them to read either by themselves or with their parent or in a group.
I really liked the informal style of the writing which made it feel really relatable, it was kind of like being read a bedtime story by Luke himself. I think that the style of writing would make it really easy for children to get to grips with and for them to memorise parts of it too.
The text on the pages is well spaced out so that the pages are not overwhelming, which does make the book feel thicker that it might otherwise be, but it was a quick read for me, I read the whole thing in 2 sittings. For a child it would obviously take longer, but it's a book that they could treasure.
I loved how the author/illustrator drew attention to certain words within the text by drawing them larger or illustrating around them, there were many times when that little detail really changed the way I felt about the sentence I was reading in a way that I have never got from a Bible.
That probably shows me that I need to slow down when reading my Bible and see what happens when I place focus on different words, but this style really helped.
I would really recommend this for any children's groups. It was written so that you could just pick out a specific part for reading within the group if the whole book is too much, and I'll definitely be thinking of ways to incorporate it into my groups.
This beautifully designed hardback book is a re-telling of Luke's Gospel, aimed at children and perfect for them to read either by themselves or with their parent or in a group.
I really liked the informal style of the writing which made it feel really relatable, it was kind of like being read a bedtime story by Luke himself. I think that the style of writing would make it really easy for children to get to grips with and for them to memorise parts of it too.
The text on the pages is well spaced out so that the pages are not overwhelming, which does make the book feel thicker that it might otherwise be, but it was a quick read for me, I read the whole thing in 2 sittings. For a child it would obviously take longer, but it's a book that they could treasure.
I loved how the author/illustrator drew attention to certain words within the text by drawing them larger or illustrating around them, there were many times when that little detail really changed the way I felt about the sentence I was reading in a way that I have never got from a Bible.
That probably shows me that I need to slow down when reading my Bible and see what happens when I place focus on different words, but this style really helped.
I would really recommend this for any children's groups. It was written so that you could just pick out a specific part for reading within the group if the whole book is too much, and I'll definitely be thinking of ways to incorporate it into my groups.
I picked up this book on a trip to one of my favourite places – Barter Books in Alnwick. If you’ve never been there – go. Seriously, it’s the best book shop. I love it for finding old books like this that you would never find anywhere else – this book only has 1 review on Goodreads and it’s not available at Waterstones or other bookshops.
But it was a delightful little book – a re-telling of the Bible story of the feeding of the five thousand, but from the perspective of the boy who brought the loaves and the fishes that Jesus used.
Told with Enid Blyton’s distinctive style, it was nice to think of this story from the perspective of the people that were there. It’s a story that I’ve heard so many times that I kind of take it for granted now, but the book was lovely and thoughtful.
Originally published in 1955, I can tell that this book was much loved at the time, as the original owner has tried to colour in some of the pictures and left little scribbles in the book.
And speaking of the pictures, the illustrations were great – from the outside the book doesn’t look at all like modern children’s books, but the illustrations make it a lovely experience to read.
Posted on: http://emmaloui.se/2018/09/15/enid-blyton-the-boy-with-the-loaves-and-fishes/
But it was a delightful little book – a re-telling of the Bible story of the feeding of the five thousand, but from the perspective of the boy who brought the loaves and the fishes that Jesus used.
Told with Enid Blyton’s distinctive style, it was nice to think of this story from the perspective of the people that were there. It’s a story that I’ve heard so many times that I kind of take it for granted now, but the book was lovely and thoughtful.
Originally published in 1955, I can tell that this book was much loved at the time, as the original owner has tried to colour in some of the pictures and left little scribbles in the book.
And speaking of the pictures, the illustrations were great – from the outside the book doesn’t look at all like modern children’s books, but the illustrations make it a lovely experience to read.
Posted on: http://emmaloui.se/2018/09/15/enid-blyton-the-boy-with-the-loaves-and-fishes/
I ordered this book after we did a group reading plan of the book of Acts with my Church Life Group over the summer, and this popped up as an advert in my Facebook feed: it seemed like it was placed there for a reason!
Written by the vicar of Christchurch in Armley, it’s a great book filled with insight on the book of Acts and how we can apply it to helping the undervalued and underappreciated in our communities.
Each chapter of the book is centered around one chapter of Acts and filled with challenges to our comfortable lives, giving us plenty to think about what our responses should be.
A lot of the book seemed to tie in very well with things we’ve been talking and thinking about at my Church recently, in particular how we can be more outward facing to our community and help those who are feeling broken by life.
After feeling like I was ‘meant’ to buy the book on seeing the advert, I truly feel like this book came into my life at a great time. So much of what I was reading felt like a direct challenge to myself, and I have so much to think about. I’m very lucky to worship in a more affluent church, but reading so many stories of great things coming from inner city churches was so inspiring.
I will whole-heartedly recommend this book to anyone and everyone, I feel like if more people read this book and felt compelled to take action from it, we could truly transform the society we live in.
Posted on: http://emmaloui.se/2018/10/07/arani-sen-holy-spirit-radicals/
Written by the vicar of Christchurch in Armley, it’s a great book filled with insight on the book of Acts and how we can apply it to helping the undervalued and underappreciated in our communities.
“Luke asks the question: how can we claim to be in Christ Jesus united by the Spirit, if some of our members suffer because of poverty, lack of opportunity or don’t have food on their plates? How can we see ourselves as brothers and sisters in Christ if some are homeless, while others have so much? The early church forfeited their own comfort and ownership of property for the common good.”
Each chapter of the book is centered around one chapter of Acts and filled with challenges to our comfortable lives, giving us plenty to think about what our responses should be.
“The challenge is to bring about change creatively, not being afraid of adapting, being wiling to take risks and move forward in the Holy Spirit’s power. Change is not easy to manage, and congregations often do not like change. It takes time to transform the culture of a church: patience will be needed. Having a clear vision, a mission statement and knowing which direction we are going sets us well on the road to recovery.”
A lot of the book seemed to tie in very well with things we’ve been talking and thinking about at my Church recently, in particular how we can be more outward facing to our community and help those who are feeling broken by life.
“In short, God’s church is for all God’s people. It expresses the kingdom values of justice, mercy and acceptance. It should be a reflection of heaven, where God’s rule has finally broken in. It should be a place where there is no more poverty, pain, suffering, inequality, where all races live together in peace, women and men, there are no marginalised people or groups, no hunger, sickness or depression”.
After feeling like I was ‘meant’ to buy the book on seeing the advert, I truly feel like this book came into my life at a great time. So much of what I was reading felt like a direct challenge to myself, and I have so much to think about. I’m very lucky to worship in a more affluent church, but reading so many stories of great things coming from inner city churches was so inspiring.
“Each of us is called to be Jesus’ agent of grace, to be willing to venture towards the people he draws us to, in order to help them find life-transforming love, acceptance and security”.
I will whole-heartedly recommend this book to anyone and everyone, I feel like if more people read this book and felt compelled to take action from it, we could truly transform the society we live in.
Posted on: http://emmaloui.se/2018/10/07/arani-sen-holy-spirit-radicals/
I can’t really review this book in the same way as I would usually, for one simple reason. Unlike some other ‘read the Bible’ books where the content is rewritten to make it fit into an hour, this was the actual words of the Bible – selected passages to give you the general overview of the Bible story in just about an hour (I think it actually took me slightly longer than an hour to read, but thereabouts).
I really appreciated the fact that it wasn’t rewritten, the words of the Bible have so much power, and even though this was massively abridged, it was a really great introduction for beginners to see what the story is. My husband bought this book at Durham Cathedral, and I really hope it will be good for him to see what it’s all about – I’m hoping (and I guess the publishers are too) that this will be an enticing peek that will make people want to pick up the actual Bible.
This quote from the introduction really summed it up for me – it’s really easy when reading the Bible to be focused on particular parts or themes, and the ability to take in the whole arc of the Bible in around an hour was great for putting it back into context.
I’d highly recommend this for anyone, no matter newbie or experienced, if you just want to know what’s going on, or if you just want a step back. I’m thinking that this would be great for using with our youth group too – we could read through the whole Bible in just a few sessions.
Posted on: http://emmaloui.se/2018/12/31/the-one-hour-bible/
I really appreciated the fact that it wasn’t rewritten, the words of the Bible have so much power, and even though this was massively abridged, it was a really great introduction for beginners to see what the story is. My husband bought this book at Durham Cathedral, and I really hope it will be good for him to see what it’s all about – I’m hoping (and I guess the publishers are too) that this will be an enticing peek that will make people want to pick up the actual Bible.
That’s where The One Hour Bible comes in. Whatever your present level of acquaintance with the Bible, this little book will enable you to stand back and view the epic sweep of the Bible’s entire narrative arc – from the majestic opening of the book of Genesis to the final stirring words of Revelation
This quote from the introduction really summed it up for me – it’s really easy when reading the Bible to be focused on particular parts or themes, and the ability to take in the whole arc of the Bible in around an hour was great for putting it back into context.
I’d highly recommend this for anyone, no matter newbie or experienced, if you just want to know what’s going on, or if you just want a step back. I’m thinking that this would be great for using with our youth group too – we could read through the whole Bible in just a few sessions.
Posted on: http://emmaloui.se/2018/12/31/the-one-hour-bible/
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I remember when I first bought this book, our Vicar was a few months into his new role in our Church, and he shared a link to it on Facebook. I bought it thinking that it sounded interesting, but it just never popped to the top of my reading list. Probably not helped by the uninspiring cover, I never got around to it.
But I’m now quite sad that I didn’t – I know now that there’s a reason why our Vicar probably shared this book – a few months into a new Church which has been without a vicar for over 6 months, I can only imagine the mountains of work and the high expectations that had been placed on him.
I think this book should be essential reading for anyone attending a Church. We tend to put out Vicars on a pedestal and expect something incredible from them, but they are just people, and they only have the same 24 hours in the day that we do. They can’t be everything to everyone (no matter how much they want to be), but we need to be realistic and try to be a support to them rather than a burden.
As the book says:
The book is filled with stories of vicars who have been completely let down by their congregations – acting as a pillar for hundreds of people who need their help, but then dropped like a hot coal as soon as they come to a testing period in their lives. Right at the point that they most need help, they are abandoned. As if because they are a vicar, they’re not allowed to struggle.
I’d like to think that I could never be like that, but this has definitely opened my eyes to the need to be more aware. More considerate. And just kinder in general.
As you may be able to tell from the title, the book is American, and it may be easy to dismiss the contents as things that only happen in American mega-churches, but I think it’s just as likely (if not more likely) to be a problem over here in the CofE. When you think of a CofE vicar, there’s probably a certain picture in your head, and it may look something like this:
But vicars come in all shapes and sizes, and all of them are human. All of them need support and care just like we do.
As I said before, I think this should be required reading for all church-goers. I think if more people had read it, we’d have a lot healthier looking churches, fulled with vicars who are appreciated for who they are and what they do, rather than being overwhelmed and over-worked.
Posted on: http://emmaloui.se/2019/01/25/jimmy-dodd-larry-magnuson-pastors-are-people-too/
But I’m now quite sad that I didn’t – I know now that there’s a reason why our Vicar probably shared this book – a few months into a new Church which has been without a vicar for over 6 months, I can only imagine the mountains of work and the high expectations that had been placed on him.
I think this book should be essential reading for anyone attending a Church. We tend to put out Vicars on a pedestal and expect something incredible from them, but they are just people, and they only have the same 24 hours in the day that we do. They can’t be everything to everyone (no matter how much they want to be), but we need to be realistic and try to be a support to them rather than a burden.
As the book says:
The demands on pastors can be staggering. Pastors are asked to be dynamic preachers, compassionate counselors, capable administrators, bold visionaries, confident strategists, effective fund-raisers, strong leaders, and much more.
The book is filled with stories of vicars who have been completely let down by their congregations – acting as a pillar for hundreds of people who need their help, but then dropped like a hot coal as soon as they come to a testing period in their lives. Right at the point that they most need help, they are abandoned. As if because they are a vicar, they’re not allowed to struggle.
I’d like to think that I could never be like that, but this has definitely opened my eyes to the need to be more aware. More considerate. And just kinder in general.
As you may be able to tell from the title, the book is American, and it may be easy to dismiss the contents as things that only happen in American mega-churches, but I think it’s just as likely (if not more likely) to be a problem over here in the CofE. When you think of a CofE vicar, there’s probably a certain picture in your head, and it may look something like this:
But vicars come in all shapes and sizes, and all of them are human. All of them need support and care just like we do.
While the joy of friendship allows us to experience the summits of life with one another, true friendship also means walking with one another through the deep valleys of sin, disappointment, anguish, and unbelief.
As I said before, I think this should be required reading for all church-goers. I think if more people had read it, we’d have a lot healthier looking churches, fulled with vicars who are appreciated for who they are and what they do, rather than being overwhelmed and over-worked.
Posted on: http://emmaloui.se/2019/01/25/jimmy-dodd-larry-magnuson-pastors-are-people-too/
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I picked this book up on our church book stall a little while ago – the cover caught my eye – I’ve always liked diary style books.
At first, I thought it was a biography style book, but some of the characters in the book were such caricatures of characters you see in a church that I thought either it can’t be real, or the author is brave to be naming them in her book!
Having no children, I can’t really identify with the troubles of having kids as such, although knowing plenty of people with kids, I can see the familiar troubles. But what really resonated with me were the adult characters within the church that Becky attends.
As I mentioned before, some of the characters were exaggerated, but I could definitely recognise elements of the characters from people that I know. Also the situations that Becky ends up finding herself in were quite familiar too. From not feeling good enough, to finding herself being volunteered for things that are way outside her normal comfort zone, I felt like I could relate.
In fact, her entire character was very relatable – just a likeable woman who is completely honest about the stresses of life. A book mainly aimed at mothers, but not preachy or ‘holier-than-thou’, which was very welcome.
Not a very difficult read, or a very long one either, I read this one in less than a day, I just really wanted to find out what Becky would decide. I’d love a sequel actually, just to get more of an insight into Becky and her life.
Posted on: http://emmaloui.se/2019/03/24/fiona-lloyd-the-diary-of-a-trying-to-be-holy-mum/
I have read many SRT plans before using the app on my phone, but this was the first time I’ve bought one of their study books to use. I had read online that their study books didn’t contain as much information as the reading plans online – the ones in the app/online come with a mini devotional for each reading and also a discussion area so you can leave comments and talk to other ‘Shes’.
So I was really unsure what to expect, but what I received was a beautifully made book. You could tell the book had been designed and put together with such thought and care that it really made me appreciate the physical book more than the app.
I have always struggled with the book of Job, I’ve just never been able to understand what is going on, and who is speaking when. And even though this book was mainly made up of the Bible passages to read each day, the way that it was laid out and presented in the book really made it so much clearer for me.
Having a colour coded tab each day to remind you who was speaking (Job, his ‘friends’, or God), was so helpful in keeping track of what was going on.
And the space for reflection at the end of each day was really encouraging to sit and spend some time considering what I had just read and letting it sink in – something I think I have probably neglected before and which has stopped me from really understanding.
I appreciated the discussion questions at the back of the book too, but as I was reading this book on my own rather than in a group, I probably didn’t get as much out of that as I could have. If I was reading in a group, those questions would have been great conversation starters to really get deeper.
And finally, interspersed between the readings were helpful little additions like this one which illustrated questions asked in the book of Job and answered in the person of Jesus.
I cannot wait to read my next SRT book. If postage wasn’t so expensive from the US, I would really love a subscription package to receive their books as they are released, but as it is, I think I’ll have to pick my favourite books to purchase. But I would totally recommend SRT Bible reading plans to anyone wanting to get stuck into the Bible – either through the app or a physical book.
Posted on: http://emmaloui.se/2019/04/10/she-reads-truth-job-suffering-and-the-god-who-speaks/
So I was really unsure what to expect, but what I received was a beautifully made book. You could tell the book had been designed and put together with such thought and care that it really made me appreciate the physical book more than the app.
I have always struggled with the book of Job, I’ve just never been able to understand what is going on, and who is speaking when. And even though this book was mainly made up of the Bible passages to read each day, the way that it was laid out and presented in the book really made it so much clearer for me.
Having a colour coded tab each day to remind you who was speaking (Job, his ‘friends’, or God), was so helpful in keeping track of what was going on.
And the space for reflection at the end of each day was really encouraging to sit and spend some time considering what I had just read and letting it sink in – something I think I have probably neglected before and which has stopped me from really understanding.
I appreciated the discussion questions at the back of the book too, but as I was reading this book on my own rather than in a group, I probably didn’t get as much out of that as I could have. If I was reading in a group, those questions would have been great conversation starters to really get deeper.
And finally, interspersed between the readings were helpful little additions like this one which illustrated questions asked in the book of Job and answered in the person of Jesus.
I cannot wait to read my next SRT book. If postage wasn’t so expensive from the US, I would really love a subscription package to receive their books as they are released, but as it is, I think I’ll have to pick my favourite books to purchase. But I would totally recommend SRT Bible reading plans to anyone wanting to get stuck into the Bible – either through the app or a physical book.
Posted on: http://emmaloui.se/2019/04/10/she-reads-truth-job-suffering-and-the-god-who-speaks/
Another fabulous reading plan from She Reads Truth. This is one of their shorter ones at only 14 days, and takes us through the things that Jesus tells us that he is.
Beautifully laid out and giving space to just breathe in the Bible verses contained within, I found this to be one of my favourite plan books so far.
I loved the notes section at the end that was a bit more structured than some other plans – rather than just being a blank section, it asked questions like “What promise did Jesus give us?” and “What did it teach us?”, and then encouraged you to pray to the particular aspect of Jesus we’d just read about.
Looking forward to the next one now, but if you haven’t already read this plan, I’d strongly recommend it!
Posted on: https://emmaloui.se/2019/10/13/she-reads-truth-i-am-statements-of-our-savior/
Beautifully laid out and giving space to just breathe in the Bible verses contained within, I found this to be one of my favourite plan books so far.
I loved the notes section at the end that was a bit more structured than some other plans – rather than just being a blank section, it asked questions like “What promise did Jesus give us?” and “What did it teach us?”, and then encouraged you to pray to the particular aspect of Jesus we’d just read about.
Looking forward to the next one now, but if you haven’t already read this plan, I’d strongly recommend it!
Posted on: https://emmaloui.se/2019/10/13/she-reads-truth-i-am-statements-of-our-savior/
I’ve been a fan of Dave Walker’s cartoons in the Church Times for quite a while now, and last year when I saw this book was coming out, I absolutely had to buy it for my husband, who is a reluctanct peace hand-shaker at best. He loved it straight away, and I ‘ve been slowly flicking through it over the last year.
Every page without fail made me chuckle, it’s just so relatable. Probably no matter what church you attend, but particularly if you’re an Anglican, you’ll find yourself laughing at how Walker manages to perfectly capture church life in small pictures.
Posted on: https://emmaloui.se/2019/12/31/dave-walker-how-to-avoid-the-peace/
Every page without fail made me chuckle, it’s just so relatable. Probably no matter what church you attend, but particularly if you’re an Anglican, you’ll find yourself laughing at how Walker manages to perfectly capture church life in small pictures.
Posted on: https://emmaloui.se/2019/12/31/dave-walker-how-to-avoid-the-peace/
I picked this book up in the second hand book basket at my Church after flipping through it randomly and reading a page about the perils of radio-microphones as a vicar/speaker. It made me laugh out loud, so I decided I might as well read the whole thing.
Presented as a series of short articles on a variety of subjects, the book was simultaneously light hearted but thought provoking. Hitting the nail on the head and getting direct to the point, even if some people may be potentially be put out by what he’s saying or the way he says it.
Published 15 years ago, it’s slightly dated – talk of palm pilots and suchlike, but most of what was written was still relevant for today’s audience, although some of the articles either weren’t for me, or just didn’t click with me.
Really easy to read due to the format of short articles of a few pages each, the book for me was one that I kept at the side of my bed and just read a little bit each night until I was sad it was over.
Posted on: https://emmaloui.se/2019/12/30/jeff-lucas-lucas-out-loud/
Presented as a series of short articles on a variety of subjects, the book was simultaneously light hearted but thought provoking. Hitting the nail on the head and getting direct to the point, even if some people may be potentially be put out by what he’s saying or the way he says it.
Published 15 years ago, it’s slightly dated – talk of palm pilots and suchlike, but most of what was written was still relevant for today’s audience, although some of the articles either weren’t for me, or just didn’t click with me.
Really easy to read due to the format of short articles of a few pages each, the book for me was one that I kept at the side of my bed and just read a little bit each night until I was sad it was over.
Posted on: https://emmaloui.se/2019/12/30/jeff-lucas-lucas-out-loud/