As someone who is both gluten-free and vegan, finding great recipes I can eat is a challenge. I'm used to constantly having to figure out substitutions for ingredients I'm allergic to, and try to come up with ways to make things not only eatable with my restrictions, but enjoyable. When I saw this cookbook, I jumped at it, excited to see that the subtitle of "A year of gluten-free, dairy-free, and paleo recipes for every occasion." I was, however, bummed to find that most of the recipes included meat. I should have realized they would, but I was still hoping for more vegan options throughout. What I loved about this (beautiful, I should add) cookbook is the themes of the recipes-- there are game day recipes, date night recipes, Easter brunch, even a summer shower. It covers all the bases of the year's main celebrations, which was a really clever and fun cookbook idea. While many of the recipes won't work for my vegan diet, there are several I'm looking forward to trying, like chile garlic rapini, ginger peach sangria, lemon bars, and curry pumpkin soup. If you're gf, df, or paleo, grab this one ASAP! It's a winner.

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I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for a review, which I share with you honestly as always!

I really enjoyed this book and reading Shannan's story. I hadn't followed her blog or known about her before coming across this book, so it was great to get to know her and read all about her family and faith and life. It's a story about leaving the easy life behind to step out in faith and follow God's lead, and although very different from my own life, those themes rang true with me. I was so inspired by how Shannan and her husband continually open up their hearts and their home to others, really extending the love of Jesus to those who might otherwise never encounter him, and really redefining what "family" means. I loved it. There are great takeaways from every believer in this one-- there's a much richer and more abundant life to be had on the other side of fear and uncertainty, and this book is the nudge so many of us need to get to that place.

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I received this book from Booklook Bloggers in exchange for a review, which I share with you honestly as always!

I am a major Henri Nouwen fan. I've read several of his books (browse through all the reviews of them here!) and always adore the thoughtful, humble, honest way he writes about life and faith. He never pretends to be without struggles, but instead vulnerably shares them and in doing so, beautifully points people to the cross and to Christ. Reading this book of letters was such a fascinating insight into more of Nouwen's life, struggles, feelings, and journey of faith. This book was so thoughtfully arranged and so thoroughly researched-- every letter came with a preface about the context of who he was writing to, what his relationship with them was, where he was and what he was doing in life when he wrote it, etc. It's broken into three sections by chunks of time, and it flowed effortlessly. I never found myself lacking in context as I read these letters, although I often wished I could read the other side of things and see what people had written to him, just because the responses from Nouwen were so intriguing! There were so many segments and sentences that I highlighted and wanted to memorize-- Nouwen has such a way with words and I loved discovering that his voice is truly his voice both in his books and in his conversations with dearly loved friends. This is a gem for all those who have read and appreciated Nouwen, and a great read even for those who haven't and who just want to dive deeper into the background of a the life of a wise and humble believer. High praise for this one!

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I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for a review, which I share with you honestly as always!

This book, more than anything, is raw. It's real and it's vulnerable and there's nothing about pain or heartbreak that Gifford doesn't shy away from. My life has been relatively free of pain and my heart ached for her and so many of the stories she shares, but it's powerful. I will admit, Gifford's faith is very different than mine, and there were times where her writing about her encounters with Christ were too spiritual and charismatic for me to relate to, but I could appreciate the power behind them. I can tell this book will be moving and meaningful to many, especially those who have encountered great loss and hard circumstances!

FYI: I received a copy of Heart Made Whole from BookLook Bloggers in exchange for my honest review, and you all know I don't ever share anything that isn't 100% honest!

If you didn't know already, I'm both gluten-free and vegan, which makes eating challenging and cooking necessary. It's so much easier (and safer for my health!) if I cook my own food, since I know exactly what I'm eating with no risk of allergens. As soon as I saw this cookbook up for review, I knew I had to grab it and try out some of the recipes! Sadly, most have dairy, eggs, or meat, so there weren't as many that were vegan-friendly as I had hoped for, but these recipes are DELICIOUS and so wholesome too. I was swooning just looking through the pictures, and couldn't wait to get cooking (Leek and Carrot Brown Rice Risotto with all veggies I can grab from my farmer's market? yes please!). Thankfully, with some modifications, I can make these work and my belly is grateful for that!

This game seemed to be right up my alley-- I'm a HUGE pun lover and find few things funnier than an unexpected and well-executed pun. Plus, it was a fun change of pace to try out a game instead of reading a book! Here's the thing about this game: it takes serious commitment and dedication and the right frame of mind. It's not a casual game. You need to gather your wittiest friends, probably have a few drinks to get the creative juices flowing, and really dial into your funniest self, because it's no joke (ha!). Overall, not my favorite game as it just took a LOT of concentration and thinking to really craft new puns from the two randomly matched words each round, but if you're fired up and feeling particularly punny, this is great and very entertaining game to have on hand!

“Whom to marry, and when will it happen— these two questions define every woman’s existence.”

Those are the opening words of the first chapter, and HOW RIGHT IS SHE. Here's the thing: I'm single. I love it. And I have a lot of thoughts about it. So, the premise of this one (making a life of one's own) totally grabbed me, especially because this cover is awesome and it's a NY Times Bestseller (always a good thing). 

I have highlighted and underlined and written "YES!" in the columns a LOT throughout this one. It's informative but in a storytelling kind of way, it's an honest journey of Kate's life through 5 influential and trailblazing women throughout history (whose lives all coincide with hers in such serendipitous ways), and it's just a great read.

It doesn't glamorize either singleness or coupledom, but really shares what the back cover calls "the pleasures and possibilities of remaining single." It honestly had me feeling like finally, a book that gets it and gets me. It's refreshing. It's beautifully written. It's fascinating. It's intelligently written and not superficial at all. It's intimate and honest and just really, truly good.

A must read, especially if you're single, ever wanted to be single, or wonder about what it's like to be single.

You can read more about Spinster on Penguin Random House's site HERE.

FYI: I received a copy of Spinster from Blogging for Books in exchange for my review!

The cover of this one is truly SOMETHING. It will grab your attention, that's for sure! I was so curious about this one from the moment I saw it. The cover says "exploring creativity with innovative chefs" and I knew I would find it fascinating, and I did. It's an awesome collection of the most interesting and unique conversations with chefs, accompanied by really cool (and sometimes gross if you're a meat-averse vegan!) food photography. This will be one I'll keep on my coffeetable as a conversation starter for sure. I loved the behind the scenes look into the food and restaurant industry, and Questlove's perspective as a "drummer, producer, musical director, culinary entrepreneur, and New York Times bestselling author" gives it a really fresh feel. These conversations were so cool to me-- the art and science and creativity behind food is exhibited here in a truly engaging and mindblowing way. If you are interested in foodie culture at all, definitely grab this one! It's a work of art in and of itself.

(I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review.)

see my review on goodreads here!

The cover of this one grabbed me when I saw it on the BookLook Bloggers site-- the green isn't often found on book covers and the title is in a large, handwritten font that makes it instantly feel like it's more personal. From the first few pages (they're the super slick, shiny pages, not rough paper like most books are!), I could tell this book would be perfect for high school or college girls who need encouragement for the adventures ahead of them. It felt a little young to me (and I'm only 24!) but I can't wait to pass it along to a friend. The chapters end with journaling pages that would be great for anyone wondering about and wrestling with the next stages of their life. Grace tells her story openly and warmly, and feels like a friend throughout this book. It's not theologically deep or terribly earth-shattering, but as the back cover says, it really is "a positive and encouraging book [that] offers inspiration to anyone who wants to live a fulfilling life right now."

This book was intriguing to me like many others similar to it are (Essentialism, Create vs Copy, Better than Before, etc)-- because I'm so interested in our we build healthy habits to live fulfilling, productive, and creative lives. This book wasn't dry or slow at all, but extremely helpful with an endless number of direct applications to my life and work. Every chapter ended with action steps, which I found SO helpful as each chapter got me fired up about a different facet of my work and I wanted to dive right in. There are so many acronyms throughout this book that are great tools for remembering how to apply these practices, and I've already started journaling with the "DATE" one at the end of the day to remember what I discovered, achieved, am thankful for, and experienced. I know I'll refer back to this one as my career continues, and I'm still thinking about so many of the ideas and strategies Webb shared here. A fantastic, applicable, helpful, motivating book!