A Review: "I Think You're Wrong (But I'm Listening)" by Sarah Stewart Holland and Beth Silvers

The popular hosts of the podcast "Pantsuit Politics" recently released their first book, "I Think You're Wrong (But I'm Listening)". What a gift to our highly charged culture! With politics a taboo subject at many family gatherings and off-limits between people of different viewpoints, Sarah and Beth show us there is a better way. Coming from different political backgrounds themselves, they share how they chose to put aside partisanship and seek to truly understand how "the other side" thinks about the issues.

I have known of their podcast, but have never listened to it before. This book was a wonderful primer on how they interact with one another and discuss issues with plenty of nuance, depth, and true desire to learn from one another. Having these kinds of discussions are not only possible, but they are necessary and vital to improving our neighborhoods, communities, and ultimately our nation. Each chapter ends with "Continue the Conversation", practical reflection questions to help the reader apply the ideas and principles in the chapters to their own lives.

This book should be required reading for every citizen, every politician at every level, every registered voter and those planning to register. Moving political dialogue from shouting matches, insults, and stereotypes needs to be the goal. This book shows us that this really can happen. What a country we could become if everyone actually put this into practice!

"We need to bring our voices and perspectives to the table calmly, with respect for ourselves and one another, recognizing that we do not live alone. America has never been and will never be homogeneous. We are here to bump up again each other. We need to bring our faith and values not just to specific issues but to the process of engaging in civil discourse. We can share our perspectives on even the most controversial and personal topics. Doing so will de-escalate the rhetoric and open pathways for solutions, innovation, and a strong national identity." (p. 4-5)

(I’ve received this complimentary book through the BookLook program in exchange for a review. A positive review was not required and the views expressed in my review are strictly my own.)

A Review: "Girls' Club" by Sally, Sarah, and Joy Clarkson

In a society that has increasingly moved from in-person connection to online social media as a way to connect, we as a society have largely lost the true meaning and way of friendship. Despite our perceived connections, studies have shown that we are lonelier than ever. This new release from the Sally, Sarah, and Joy Clarkson is a breath of fresh air and encouragement for women everywhere. They encourage us by sharing their stories and experiences with cultivating community and investing in the women in our lives.

I truly appreciated the different perspectives that each woman brought to this book. Sally brings with her years of life and ministry experience. Sarah is a wife and new mom navigating life in England. Joy is a young, single PhD student studying in Scotland. They share about times of loneliness and how they overcame it, stepping out and choosing to initiate community and friendship even when it may have seemed hard, and choosing to cultivate characteristics in their own lives that will help them be a better friend. Loaded with wisdom, insight, and encouragement, this is a wonderful book to read through with a friend or a women's group.

"With this book, we wish to pass on a vision for the power that friendship between women can generate and also to sketch some practical wisdom for cultivating these relationships. If nothing else, we hope to set your imagination free and to paint a picture of what richness and delight  and depth friendship can hold." (p. xxv)

 (I’ve received this complimentary book from Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for a review. A positive review was not required and the views expressed in my review are strictly my own.)

Quick Lit: What I've Been Reading Lately

I'm linking up with Modern Mrs. Darcy for this month's quick lit, where I share short and sweet reviews of a few books I've read in the past month (or so). You can also find me over at Goodreads if you are interested in other books I've read or reviewed.

The Library Book by Susan Orlean. My husband and I recently visited Nashville, TN, and a stop at Parnassus Books was on the list of things to do. I treated myself to this book on our visit there after hearing so many amazing things about it. What an incredible book! The author takes the reader on a journey through the Los Angeles Public Library system, highlighting the devastating fire on April 28, 1986, that destroyed 400,000 books and damaged 700,000 others. She eloquently describes the impact of the fire and the aftermath, and seamlessly weaves in her love of books and libraries. While there is a true crime element present, the book reads like a love letter to readers, libraries, librarians, and books. An absolute gem!



The Sun Does Shine:  How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row by Anthony Ray Hinton. I first came across Hinton's story in the incredible book Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson. I stumbled on this book one day while browsing in my library and knew I needed to read it. Hinton was arrested in 1985 and charged with murder. Being a poor black man in Alabama, justice was not served for him. He was sentenced to death, despite strong evidence against his having committed the crimes. For thirty years, he clung to his innocence as he waited on death row, with that innocence giving him hope and light in a very dark place. With the help of Bryan Stevenson and the work of Equal Justice Initiative, Hinton was finally set free in 2015. An incredibly powerful, riveting story. Highly recommended!


Too Small to Ignore:  Why the Least of These Matters Most by Wess Stafford. Dr. Stafford, a former president of Compassion International, shares his heart and God's heart for children around the world in this moving book. He weaves his personal story with biblical truth and examples from around the world on the importance of children and really focusing in on ministry and care for children and their future. It is a wonderful read for anyone who sponsors a child through Compassion, anyone involved in children's or youth ministry, and anyone who is a parent.

A Review: "The Wondering Years" by Knox McCoy

Knox McCoy, co-host of The Popcast podcast, recently released a memoir/faith reflections book called "The Wondering Years". I personally have never listened to his podcast, but I follow many bloggers/podcasters who do. This book came highly rated, so when I had the opportunity to check it out, I didn't want to pass it up. The premise of the book takes pop culture references and relates them to life and things of faith.

I truly enjoyed the pop culture references and many of them took me back to childhood. The footnotes were a major highlight throughout, with many making me laugh out loud and causing my husband to just stare at me. While the book was a fun, quick read, it felt a bit disjointed and the point of each chapter was not fully fleshed out. The very last chapter was the best one of the whole book. It was the point where I felt the most connection to him and his story. It is the chapter that I wish the rest of the book had been like. I enjoyed this book and it definitely had great moments in it. But I found that the humor couldn't quite make up for the true lack of depth throughout this book.

(I’ve received this complimentary book through the BookLook program in exchange for a review. A positive review was not required and the views expressed in my review are strictly my own.)

Quick Lit, November Edition

I'm linking up with Modern Mrs. Darcy for this month's quick lit, where I share short and sweet reviews of a few books I've read in the past month (or so). You can also find me over at Goodreads if you are interested in other books I've read or reviewed.

"There's No Such Thing as Bad Weather" by Linda Akeson McGurk. Swedish-born and raised Linda McGurk moved to small-town Indiana with her American husband in order to start their family. She quickly realized that the outdoors lifestyle she embraced as both a child and adult was not normal. After being fined for allowing her kids to play in a creek, she set out to explore the differing cultural approaches to the great outdoors. With her father facing a health crisis in her native Sweden, she and her two girls plan to spend six months there. What they experienced became the basis for this memoir. McGurk looks deeply at how Scandinavian culture values the outdoors and the benefits that are felt as a result. This book is an eye-opening look at just how much our culture needs to embrace the outdoors, not just for ourselves but for society as a whole.

"Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson. Read this book. It is a powerful look at the criminal justice system, poverty, and race in America, particularly in the south. Stevenson developed a passion for helping the nation's forgotten in the justice system after spending most of his internship negotiating appeals for death row prisoners and ended up founding the Equal Justice Initiative. He has dedicated his career to fighting for true justice--making sure that punishments for crimes committed are fair and that the poorest in prisons have the opportunity for representation in their cases. The book revolves around the case of Walter McMillian a black man who was falsely accused of murdering a white woman. Despite lack of evidence and a plethora of witnesses who put him nowhere near the scene of the murder, he was unjustly tried, convicted, and sentenced to death row. Packed with stories, this book is both deeply moving and extremely thought-provoking. Just read it.

"Cozy Minimalist Home" by Myquillyn Smith. Such a practical book! Smith takes the reader on a journey through one room in your house, any room you want, in order to quiet the space, make it cozy and keep it simple at the same time. Her steps make it easy to think about how your want a room to feel, identify how to get it there, and then make it happen according to your taste and family needs.

A Review: "The Ministry of Ordinary Places" by Shannan Martin

What a beautiful book! In "The Ministry of Ordinary Places", Shannan Martin shares candidly the story of how her family put down roots in a neighborhood she never imagined living in and seeing Jesus in the midst of it all. Life changed unexpectedly for her family when God called them from the rural to the urban. Plunked down in the middle of a city where they knew no one, they set out to truly bloom where they were planted, getting to know their neighbors and investing in the local low-income school and dying church. While it's a story of how God has used their family, it's more a story of how God has changed them in the midst of it all. By allowing their vision for life to be shaped by God, they have seen how He has worked in their own lives as they have opened themselves up to be changed and challenged by it all.

I fell in love with this book from the very beginning. Martin writes in a warm, winsome way that draws the reader in right away. The book is divided into four sections. I personally resonated with the second section in particular, which focused on hospitality. So often, we hide behind excuses instead of opening our homes for a meal or a simple chat with a neighbor. Martin reminds us that the hospitality is the point--not the state of our homes or the quality of the meal. Hospitality can be offered by inviting someone over for take-out or by meeting up a local playground. I was challenged to think how I can start opening my home to make room for people at my table.

What a gift this book is. Wise words for a challenging, polarizing time in our society. Simple acts of neighborliness, investing deeply where you are planted, and entering into the lives of others even in the midst of our own brokenness can have more impact than we can ever imagine.

"As Christ-followers, we are called to be long-haul neighbors committed to authenticity and willing to take some risks. Our vocation is to invest deeply in the lives of those around us, devoted to one another, physically close to each other as we breathe the same air and walk the same blocks. Our purpose is not so mysterious after all. We get to love and be loved deeply right where we're planted, by whomever happens to be near. We will inevitably encounter brokenness we cannot fix, solve, or understand, and we'll feel as small, uncertain, and outpaced as we have ever felt. But we'll find our very lives in this calling, to be among people as Jesus was, and it will change everything." (p. xviii)

(I’ve received this complimentary book through the BookLook program in exchange for a review. A positive review was not required and the views expressed in my review are strictly my own.)

A Review: "The Struggle is Real" by Nicole Unice

Life is full of challenges and struggles, even suffering at times. That's the nature of life in our sinful, broken world full of sinful, broken people. In her new book, "The Struggle is Real", Nicole Unice helps people dig below the surface to identify what is really going on when faced with our struggles, and then points the reader directly to Jesus. Sharing personal stories coupled with plenty of biblical wisdom, there is something for everyone in this book.

The first part of the book focuses on what lies below the struggles in life, what really lurks in our minds that causes us to fall prey to lies and false stories about ourselves. The second part of the book drives the reader to focus on rewriting the story by finding freedom and grace in Jesus. Each chapter closes with questions for reflection to help the reader truly process what they have been reading. As an added bonus, there are six companion Bible study videos that can be accessed on RightNow media for extra teachings in a group setting or in your own personal devotional time.

The second part of the book was my favorite. As someone who really struggles with thoughts and thought patterns, I found Chapter 9, "The New Language", to be quite helpful. This book would be perfect for any small group to go through, or just to use on your own. I appreciate her thoughts and approach in dealing with the general issue of struggles, something each one of us can identify with.

(I’ve received this complimentary book from Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for a review. A positive review was not required and the views expressed in my review are strictly my own.)