I loved this one from Hatmaker. Her signature snark and sass are strong, but it's tender too and hits some really beautiful and poignant notes to make it a really well-rounded collection of essays. While I'm not a wife or mother myself, the way Hatmaker talks about parenting and marriage is so enjoyable, humorous, and still relatable, and I really appreciate that. Her brand of humor admittedly isn't for everyone, but this one had me laughing out loud at more than a few points (and I hardly EVER laugh at books!). I was really impressed, though, by the essays that were more personal, more intimate, and more faith-focused-- they struck a tone that really resonated with me and showed a different depth and richness to Hatmaker than I tend to see from her.

I've enjoyed other things I've read from Hatmaker, but this one definitely takes the cake for me! 

THE DEETS: I received this one from BookLook Bloggers in exchange for my review!

I attended several Passion conferences as a college student and have heard Louie Giglio preach at Passion City Church on trips to Atlanta, and I was excited to grab his latest book, because he always brings a WORD. This one was no different-- bold, unapologetic, Bible-focused, powerful, and convicting. Centered on the story of David and Goliath, Giglio talks about how fear, rejection, addiction, anger, and comfort all must fall, and let me tell you, it will PREACH. The story isn't cliche (even if you've heard the Sunday School version a million times) and I walked away with so much more insight into this story and what it means for my life-- it's so good. Highly recommend this one.

The subject matter of this book is 150% up my alley, and I absolutely LOVE that cover, so I was super excited to snag this one and give it a read. I have known about Dillon and the work he does for a while, and it was so cool to hear more of his story and how he found his soul dream in the process. He weaves together his story with stories of slavery around the word really powerfully, drawing the reader in and really opening their eyes to what we can so easily miss in the world around us. This book is compelling, heart-wrenching, eye-opening, and necessary for our world today.

THE DEETS: I received this one from BookLook Bloggers in exchange for my review!

This was one that I was both excited and nervous about -- I definitely battle anxiety in my life and while it can be helpful to read about it, it can also be triggering. This book wasn't triggering for me personally, but I'd be sure to read it carefully if that's a concern for you! I thought Petersen did a great job of weaving her own story of anxiety in with the research, information, and greater story of anxiety as a whole, but there were points where it felt dry, points it felt too dramatized, and points where I lost interest entirely (like the chapter on medication, as someone who tries to avoid that industry at all costs). Overall, I'm glad to have read it, feel grateful that people are writing books like this that talk openly about anxiety, and feel less alone in my own struggles with it.

This one was a little slow, but I was really intrigued the whole time, and locked into the story as it unraveled person by person through the different chapters. It surprised me (there are secrets and layers I didn't see coming), was interesting to me, felt really well-written and thorough, and was a really solid fiction read.

I've long had stomach issues, and even after finding out about food allergies and totally revamping my diet, found myself struggling to get things figured out. I grabbed this book to review because I was wondering if IBS was the root of my issues, and found it to be SO helpful in better understanding what IBS even is, what FODMAPs are, what foods tend to be triggers, and how to go about eliminating foods and finding solutions in a healthy way. I'm in the middle of experimenting with some changes, and know I'll come back to this book as such a well-researched and thorough guide and resource!

This was one of those books I didn't WANT to read... because I know money isn't my strong suit. I struggle to budget, hate managing my finances, and overspend like it's my job. It's bad, and I knew I needed to work on things... so, I got this book. And you guys, it was AWESOME. It wasn't shaming, it wasn't stuffy, and it was SUPER helpful. I had never heard money talked about like this  -- the whole premise is giving you a Bible character whose personality explains your money style. There's an assessment to help you figure it out (big fan of things like that) and then the chapters that follow read SO much like a narrative instead of prescriptive advice or some "get rich quick" scheme. (I'm a Jacob -- the aspect of God's image I focus on is beauty, and my shadow side is indulgence. Like, YES.) It's just so good, so helpful. Can't recommend this one highly enough!

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!

If you know the name Eugene Peterson, chances are you know it because of his Bible paraphrase, The Message. It's a popular, modern-language take on the Bible, and it's awesome. I knew Peterson had written other books and that he was a pastor, but I had never read or heard anything from him until this book. It's a rich, meaty, beautifully-written, incredibly thought-provoking collection of his teachings, most built on specific Scriptures. They're shared without updates from when Peterson originally gave them, but I found them all to be incredibly relevant and timely. This book is one you'll want to savor and read intentionally, while poring over the verses and passages too -- he is brilliant and so grounded, and this book is just an incredible gem.

This book is a gem. I knew as soon as I heard Rebekah Lyons speak at IF:Gathering that I wanted to read her newest book, and it did not disappoint. I actually led a book club on this book, and our group of women LOVED discussing freedom every week as we made it through this one. It's rich, full of great personal experiences, not too daunting or overwhelming, and has great thoughtful questions at the end of each (pretty short) chapter. I really found this one to be such an incredible look at freedom and what it means to live like we ARE free -- it's a great, great read.