Book Review: The Clutter Fix by Shannon Acheson

About This Book-

Create the Organized Home and Life You’ve Always Longed For

Living in a disorganized, cluttered home can leave you feeling chaotic, anxious, and even depressed. You want a change, but you don’t know where to begin.

Home coach Shannon Acheson is here to help. She has written the only book you’ll ever need to get your entire home sorted and organized for good–in a way that makes sense for you and your family’s unique, God-given personalities.

In The Clutter Fix, Shannon helps you

• win the battle with all of your stuff by following her step-by-step instructions and checklists
• discover your Clutter Personality and your Organizing Personality
• create rhythms and routines to keep your home decluttered

Clutter isn’t just about the stuff. It’s about how you feel in your home–and in your mind. This book will give you the peaceful dwelling you’ve always hoped for.

My Review-

I am someone who is always looking to keep my space clean and minimal, and when I saw this book, I was really interested in picking it up! I really benefit from a step-by-step manual of what exactly to do, and this book was perfect in telling me what to clean, how to clean, and where to focus on.

This book was very clearly intended for people with children and homes, and especially a lot of accumulated clutter from multiple years of having a home, like moms, which is not super relevant for me right now. For that reason, I will be passing it on to someone else, but I’ll be keeping it in mind in the future.

With that being said, I think this book is a super valuable tool in those who want to start living more simply and meaningfully: the way it is set up is really accessible, and I really love the checklists and worksheets that are included. There is a section of the book that discusses the reason behind accumulating clutter and long term ways to stay minimal (i.e., mindset, habits, and routines), which I love. The author speaks with so much grace to those who want to start decluttering their homes and the mindset shift that it requires.

By far the best part of this book is how easy and accessible it makes decluttering seem: there are lots of lists of things to declutter, easy ways to get started, and worksheets that lay out a plan without being too overwhelming. I also really like the way it makes decluttering sustainable by laying out a plan that allows for maintenance and habits to learn.

Overall, I really like this book! It is a super handy tool and I think it will be very valuable for homemakers. Unfortunately, this book isn’t super relevant for me during my current stage of life, so I didn’t get out as much from it as I would have liked, but I still think this book is really good and I recommend it!

My Rating-

5/5

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion; I was not required to write a positive review.

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Book Review: Aggressively Happy by Joy Marie Clarkson

About this Book:

Discover the Way Toward a Lighter, Braver, and Wiser Life

This old world can be exhausting, despairing, and cynical. But you don’t have to be.

Instead, you can unlock the power to a happy life–an act of defiance that will make you more resilient in times of turmoil, pain, and chaos. Cultivating happiness takes grit, determination, and a good sense of humor. It’s not always easy, but it’s well worth it.

Beloved writer Joy Marie Clarkson leads the way, crafting an audacious case for happiness no matter what you’re going through. With her signature humor and lyrical storytelling, Joy offers an irresistible invitation:

“If we accept that life will be full of difficulties and sorrows, we then have two options: to resign ourselves to life generally being a bummer, or to seek enjoyment, delight, and hope in the midst of (and in spite of!) life’s up and downs. To put it bluntly: You could choose to cultivate happiness, or you could not. . . . I think we should go for it.”

Go, therefore, and choose an aggressively happy life.

My Review:

This book was so good! I hadn’t read anything by the Clarksons (although I’ve been meaning to for ages!) so I was really exited to pick this one up.

Joy provides easy and actionable ways to live “aggressively happy,” filled with anecdotes and lessons that she’s learned over the years. They are all very practical tips and candid observations, and overall it is just overflowing with optimism. It’s not very theologically heavy, but the message of the gospel shines through, but not in an overbearing way. I am a huge proponent of deliberately choosing the bright parts of life, and looking for ways that make life lighter, and this book speaks to that so well.

I personally really liked that this book wasn’t super spiritual: I appreciate a theology book as much as the next one, but this one was so simple and so practical, and wasn’t heavy on shoving Teaching down your throat, which was really refreshing. I also really liked that she included passages about doubt and questioning faith: it takes a lot of courage for someone to admit that, particularly in a book, PARTICULARLY in a Christian book, and I found that chapter deeply relatable. The reminder that faith is inherently supported by believing in something that may not exist was very timely and I loved the quote: “The more one lives inside the story of Christianity, the more undeniable it becomes.”

At the end of each chapter, there are suggestions of pieces of art to consume: music, books, and films. From the sound of it, they sound like pieces that are created that speak to the human experience, and they sound really good. I’m looking forwards to checking out these suggestions!

This is a book I will be returning to again and again, and I highly recommend!

My Rating:

5/5

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion; I was not required to write a positive review.

Book Review: Make Their Day by Karen Ehman

About the Book-

You dream of making your presence really count in the lives of others, but you don’t know where–or how–to start. You want to be remembered as a woman who scattered kindness to everyone she knew, but you feel like your busy schedule constantly gets in the way.

In this practical and deeply touching guide–inspired by her book Reach Out, Gather In–popular author Karen Ehman gives you 101 actionable ideas you can implement today to truly make a difference in the lives of other people. Make Their Day is filled with creative ideas to connect with your family and friends on a deeper level throughout the year. This book will help you develop habits of kindness, reconnect with friends and family, and make encouraging people a priority. You’ll be able to put these ideas into action in real time with everyone in your life–even if hospitality doesn’t come naturally to you or you don’t think you have time.

Let’s outshine the negativity and hatred in our world, and reach out to others with love, just as God intended.

My Review-

This was a fun little book! It was a book of suggestions on how to serve others, and included a bunch of printables/recipes to supplement the ideas. Many of the ideas are pretty cheesy, very churchish (a jello mold with celery and carrots /is/ suggested), and involves buying things from the dollar store for people, but overall it was a nice thought and some people might enjoy it.

It was 101 ideas, which makes it a rather short book (I read it in an afternoon), and it’s divided up into several sections (along the lines of family, friends, neighbors, church friends, your community, etc), which makes it easy to navigate. Both of these together make it a pretty easy book to read, but not one that I wouldn’t personally buy. The tips that are included are not particularly creative, so while it is nice to have a compilation of ideas, the tips can easily be looked up on Pinterest or something of the sort. The cover is very cute though, so it would make a very cute coffee table book if that is what you are going for.

Overall, personally I think the market for these types of books is both saturated, and made obsolete due to the existence of the internet, so I cannot honestly recommend it. This ironically would be a good gift idea for an older lady at church, or your grandma, or something, so if that’s what you need, then it would be a good fit for you. 

My Rating-

5/10

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion; I was not required to write a positive review.

Book Review: Finding Quiet by Jamie Grace

About the Book-

We live in a loud, loud world.

Whether it’s the criticism of others, the clamor of injustice, or the voice of anxiety from within, we are constantly being bombarded with noise.

So what does it mean to find peace in the midst of all the noise? Is there a way to acknowledge the struggles we face and learn how to manage the stressors and voices that trigger us while believing in the promises and goodness of God?

Jamie Grace has lived in the middle of noise for most of her life. Many know her as a singer with radio hits who has spent the last decade on stages and in front of the camera, but behind the scenes, she has struggled with Tourette Syndrome, ADHD, and an anxiety disorder for most of her life. But in the middle of both inner and outer noise, Jamie has learned how to manage the negative effects of her diagnoses, make the most of her strengths, and lean into the journey God has led her on.

A journey of Finding Quiet.

My Review-

One of my main “character growth” goals that I try to have constantly is to read more nonfiction and Christian living books, and I’m determined that 2021 is going to be the year of nonfiction. I decided to start with this one, because it is on a topic that is sorely needed in my life. Finding quiet is a subject that is always relevant in my life, and Jamie Grace has been someone that I’ve been vaguely watching on social media throughout the years, so I was really excited to read this book!

If I had to sum up this book in one word, it would be practical. What is covered in this book are things that can be added to everyday living, none of it particularly revolutionary, but that can be used to amplify one’s life just by following her tips. I highlighted a lot of passages, and there were a lot of quotes that were very applicable.

This book was really easy to read, with teaching that was easy to understand and apply. There was a nice blend of stories from her life, life lessons that she had learned, teaching, and poetry/written works that she had done. There wasn’t a particular stated audience that this book was directed toward: it could be relevant to a very large audience, as young as around 13, I would say.

There wasn’t a ton of scripture/biblical basis that this book was based around, so I would say that this is more of a “self-help” book rather than a Christian living book, but in general, it focuses on living for Christ. The majority of the discussion focuses on mental health issues, such as anxiety and ADHD, but it also has lessons based on everyday things, such as social media and friendships.

Overall, I really enjoyed it, and would recommend to anyone looking for an easy to read Christian living self help book! Some of my favorite quotes from this book:

It’s easy to believe that everything will be okay when everything is okay. It’s the moments where we feel like everything is crumbling before us and completely falling apart that faith proves just how powerful it is.

Where there is breath–there is hope. And that breath doesn’t have to be a soft and consistent one. Some days it may be a heavy and burdened one.

By choosing to live in the boldness of who I am, I am embracing who God made me to be. My circumstance is a part of my everyday, and I make the choice to embrace that–even if it looks different from what everyone else would expect.

When we allow our worth and our value to be defined by who we are and Whose we are instead of what other people think about us, we can begin to walk in freedom.

There is a Creator available to all of us, who creates in a way much greater than we could ever could. And when He gives us the privilege to be a part of those designs, we know that we have found our purpose.

My Rating-

4/5

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion; I was not required to write a positive review.

Book Review: Enjoying God by R. C. Sproul

About This Book-

Confused, angry, and hurt after the death of his father, a young R. C. Sproul began his personal search for ultimate truth with these piercing questions: Who are you, God? And why do you do the things you do?

In Enjoying God, readers journey with R. C. Sproul to discover the attributes of God through the questions many of us have asked: Where are you, God? Can I trust you, God? and more. In this warm, personal account, Dr. Sproul communicates deep truths in a fresh and easy-to-understand style as he shares his passion to know God and urges the reader to dig deep and seek the God who is alive, who is real, and who loves each one of us.

My Review-

This book was really helpful for me in solidifying some of my ideas about theology. When I picked up this book, I was worried it was going to be too dense and filled with technical jargon, but thankfully, it was written very clearly and concisely and I was surprised by how easy it was to read!

R. C. Sproul weaves in personal anecdotes, theology, and Biblical truths to impart upon his readers the person of God. Over the course of this book, several aspects of God’s character were discussed, such as his omnipotence, power, and love. He provided arguments that were personally unfamiliar to me, and overall I learned a lot from this book.  It has a good theology base, and I will be rereading and referencing this book in the future.

One thing that I was a little unsure about was the circular reasoning for some of the arguments. Maybe there were sections that I didn’t really understand, but for some of the attributes, it felt like his “argument” was just circular reasoning and I didn’t understand why he was talking about. It felt like there was some sort of logical fallacy that I didn’t get. This didn’t happen for all of the chapters, but for some it definitely felt that way.

It was really refreshing to read a non-partisan Christian book: it is very Biblically based, and includes discussions about science & Christianity, politics and Christianity, and how we as Christians should live in this world, without going into (too much) politics and really being biased towards one side or another.

There were some sections where the author’s tone did seem a little condescending, but that could easily just be because this book was originally published in the 1980s, and certain topics hadn’t been discussed yet. (There was a passage where he said that modern universities weren’t teaching the whole truth, and the “modern university system is in a state of severe crisis.” The modern student is in “intellectual chaos” and “the conflict is resolved with a bottle of liquor or a noseful of cocaine” LIKE ???? a bit dramatic don’t you think?) There were a few passages like that, but few enough that I was able to overlook them.

There were some quotes that I really enjoyed from this book, and overall I think it is a sound start to Christian theological nonfiction. I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking to deepen their understanding of God and what it means to live a Christian faith.

Quotes-

“Ultimately there can be no conflict between genuine science and the truth of God. [ . . . ] Christians should be the avant-garde of science. Of all people, they should be the most zealously dedicated to the pursuit of truth.”

“When our understanding of God changes, it is not because God has changed. We are the ones who change.”

“We need people in government who are more interested in the next generation than in the next election. [ . . . ] Give me a pagan with a conscience any day over [a man that sacrifices his integrity over the short haul] of a Christian.”

“We can trust God because he has promised by his own being. It is no more possible for God to lie to us than it is for his eternal being to disintegrate.”

My Rating-

7/10

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion; I was not required to write a positive review.

Book Review: Sex, Purity, and the Longings of a Girl’s Heart by Kristen Clark and Bethany Beal

About the Book-

For the modern Christian woman living in today’s sexually charged society, embracing God’s design for sex and purity can often feel like an impossible pursuit. As the culture seeks to normalize things such as pornography, erotica, and casual sex, both single and married women of all ages feel immense pressure to conform. With alluring temptations constantly inviting them to join in, they might even begin to question whether God’s design is truly good. They wrestle with questions like

– What is the purpose of my sexuality?
– What does it mean to pursue purity?
– Are my sexual longings good or bad?

In this encouraging book, Kristen Clark and Bethany Beal share honestly about their own struggles and victories, and invite women on a personal journey to discover and reclaim a biblical vision for their sexuality. Kristen and Bethany help women understand why God’s design for sexuality is good, relevant, and leads to true hope and lasting freedom.

My Review-

To be completely honest, I wasn’t really sure what to expect going into this book. On one hand, I was worried that it would be very preachy, holier-than-thou, homophobic, close-minded, you get the point. On the other hand, I was concerned that it was going to to just skim over the actually important parts and just spout some universal standard “Christian nonsense,” you know? A book that talks about sex from a Christian point of view generally feels misinformed to me, since most girls who read Christian sex books don’t really need Christian sex books?

My impression? It wasn’t like that! I won’t say it wasn’t like that /at all/, but it was a lot better than I expected it to be. The book addresses women as sexual beings, which is a stance not often taken by Christian ministry, and speaks to struggles Christian women face, especially lust, homosexuality, desire, and guilt.

It wasn’t homophobic, or at least, as homophobic as I would have expected: they acknowledged the LGBTQ+ community was real, and the people in it were valid and that Christians often condoned them unrightly. For that, I appreciated it a lot: I feel like the Christian perspective on the LGBTQ+ community is generally misdirected and misinformed, and just tends to gloss over all of it as “sin, don’t look at it, don’t associate with it, the people who identify with them are living in sin,” and this book treats people in the LGBTQ+ community as people who are trying to find who they are, which was a really nice difference than the standard message.

The particular niche it filled was Christian single girls roughly 17-20: although delicately written, there were topics in it that weren’t necessarily suitable for younger girls, and it was written with marriage as the end goal, per say.

A lot of the topics were focused on marriage, and how saving sex for marriage was the way to go. While it give some good points on everything passion and intimacy related, it seemed to still mostly adhere to “purity culture.” There was a section where they talked about “oh if you’ve already had sex,” and there was a section on abuse, which was really good, but other than that, it seemed to be directed towards girls who have been raised Christian and only have questions about saving themselves for marriage.

As a whole, I was pleasantly surprised by this book and found it useful. I really liked how they brought a lot of “taboo” topics, especially for women, from within Christian ministry into the light, such as lust, pornography, masturbation, and abuse. I also really liked how the overall take on sex was positive, rather than negative (i.e., the typical ‘save yourself for marriage; imagine what your future husband will think!!! 🙊’ message). It is a very good resource, and while I didn’t feel it was relevant to me on several of the points, in the end, they pointed everything, and especially sex, back to the gospel, which was really nice.

My Rating-

4/5

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher. All views expressed are only my honest opinion; I was not required to write a positive review.

Book Review: Second-Chance Dogs edited by Callie Smith Grant

About the Book-

Everyone loves an underdog, and nothing gives us warmer feelings than seeing someone get a second chance in life. A problem pup who flourishes under the right kind of training. The struggling veteran who finds unconditional love wigging around at the end of a leash. The lonely child who finds comfort in the steady breathing of the warm, furry friend at her side.

Each of us needs to be rescued from something–and each of us has the capacity to rescue someone, or something, else. This feel-good collection of more than thirty contemporary, true stories spotlights the beauty of being rescued–dogs rescued by people, people rescued by dogs, and even dogs who rescue other animals. It’s the perfect companion–well, besides the four-legged, tail-wagging kind–for your morning cup of coffee or an evening curled up on the couch.

My Review-

Well shoot. Now I want a puppy. This book was a collection of dogs that were either rescues, or rescued their owners, put together by over 30 people.

The stories were all really adorable, and really sweet, some more than others, of course, but all super heartwarming and darling! The stories range from sad, to ordinary, to sweet, to fulfilling, but I enjoyed them all. They were all short enough that I could finish in a handful of minutes, which was really helpful.

I was not the biggest fan of some of the writing styles of several of the stories and some of the content from the stories felt a little bit flat, but overall, it was a really enjoyable series that I enjoyed!

My Rating-

4/5

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review; I was not required to write a positive review.

Book Review: How to be a Perfect Christian by the Babylon Bee

About the Book-

Do you dream of becoming the poster kid for Christian perfection? Then get ready to be baptized in the glorious waters of modern Christian culture!

How to be a Perfect Christian is a step by step guide to grow you from a clueless Christ-follower into a supercharged megabeliever. Discover how to:

• Join the right church–see how to ditch that group of hopeless losers holding you back and find a church that’s built around you.
• Vet your pastor–assess his command of sermon acronyms and alliteration–plus his grasp of dynamic gestures.
• Worship like a pro–find out how to have a worship experience that leaves you with that all-important, addicting emotional high.
• Do life together–master the art of never letting anyone get close enough to your life to see what a mess it is below the surface

Wait! There’s much more–like acing the church potluck and serving the church without lifting a finger. This book is filled with everything you need to be your best spiritual self, even a free inspirational coloring page!

My Review-

If you take books seriously, then this one is not the one for you! How to be a Perfect Christian is FULL of satire/sarcasm (the one authentic line is probably the acknowledgements).

The Babylon Bee, a satirical Christian site, is well known for poking fun of Christian habits (reminiscent of John Crist), and while I haven’t really followed it, the book really gave me a taste of what they were about!

The entire book is basically a huge Christian inside joke, ranging from Baptist potlucks to worship services to youth group. Granted, it would probably thoroughly confuse anyone who wasn’t Christian, or didn’t have quite a bit of experience in the church.

So long as it is not taken seriously, this is a very humorous book! And even seriously, this book highlights some of the hypocrisy within the church and the little quirks and double standard of within the church.

My Ranking-

3/5

Things Liked-

• super funny!
• a big Christian inside joke
• some important truths presented

Things Disliked-

• definitely will not appeal to nonChristians, and may confuse them if they were to read it
• sometimes things were presented a little too hard

Thanks to the publisher, Waterbrook and Multnomah, for providing me with a complimentary print copy of the book in exchange for my honest review; I was not required to write a positive review.