MY THOUGHTS: I liked this book more than anything else I've read from Judah Smith -- it was insightful, still had his signature flavor of humor and lightness, but was more meaningful and relatable to me than Jesus Is___ was. I'm a big fan of books that look at faith through the deeper lens of the soul instead of just what's on the surface, so I found this to be a solid read (although nothing totally blew me away) and one I'd happily share with friends. I think our culture really overlooks the importance of soul-care, and this was a great reminder that our souls are where our true identity and meaning and worth lie, and that we should pay better attention to them.

IN ADDITION: I received this book from BookLook Bloggers in exchange for my honest review!

I am a big advocate of reading books about faith from people who believe and live differently than I do, and this was a great example of that. Much of what I read in this book differed from my own beliefs, but I appreciated reading Nadia's perspective and seeing how she built community with unlikely people in unconventional ways. I was challenged to better love the people around me even when they are different from me as I read this book, but it wasn't one I really could click with or really loved in the end.

I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review!

I am a HUGE fan of the Hamilton craze that's sweeping the nation. I can't get enough of the soundtrack, and I'm slowly making my way through the Chernow biography, but was so excited to see this book pop up! It's a perfect read for any Hamilton fan (or anyone who wants to know what this whole Hamilton thing is all about) -- witty, fast-paced, conversational, informative and entertaining at the same time, and really well-written. I didn't want to put it down! If the huge bio intimidates you, this is a perfect book for you. It isn't your typical stuffy and boring biography, but really a fun, fresh twist that includes many of Hamilton's own maxims alongside awesome biographical content. Loved this one!

I have long been a fan of Oswald Chambers -- his My Utmost for His Highest book is on my nightstand and one I read daily, so I was excited to see a new collection of daily devotions released! This one is beautiful (the cover is neutral with gold accents that are just perfect) and so well-curated. Each day has a verse, a devotional passage, a prayer thought, and a passage for suggested reading. For both new believers or long-time Christians, this is a great prompting to start each morning in the Word and in prayer. This would make an excellent Christmas gift as well-- I can't wait to start reading through the entire year on January 1! An excellent collection from Chambers.

I received this book free from BookLook Bloggers in exchange for my honest review!

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!