This is a hard review for me to write. On the one hand, I disagreed with a lot of this book and would not recommend it to others. On the other hand, if I were to meet Bob Goff in person, I know for a fact I would love him.

There are almost 2,000 reviews for this book on Amazon. Eighty-six percent of these reviewers have given it a 5/5 rating. That’s a ton of people who have loved and seemingly benefitted from it. This fact, combined with Bob Goff’s laudable character as well as my dissent, are what make this a very difficult review. I’m writing it out of sincere respect for Bob and everyone else who loved it, but also out of honesty.

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I’m currently in one of those ruts where I don’t really have an appetite for the Bible. It’s a terrible rut to be in, and one that Christ’s grace has wrenched me out of too many times to count. Though there is no sufficient substitute for the power of the Word, I am immensely grateful for spiritual books in these times. They are a life ring of sorts, thrown around me, keeping me afloat and pulling me closer and closer towards my Savior. This book served me in such a way.

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Prayer is one of those disciplines that more people struggle with than enjoy. We read and hear countless stories about the power of prayer, both in the Bible and from the Church. And then we take inventory of our lives and stand there bewildered by the canyon-sized chasm between what we know about prayer and how we experience it.
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Lately I have been made starkly aware of how rubbish I am at love. There is an ugly side of me that is at times selfish, impatient, and cruel; I will refuse to love, because a) I lack the desire, or b) I lack the will.
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I know what you’re thinking: “Seriously, Ronia? Another relationship book?”

I know. Very uncharacteristic of me. But let’s face it: relationships are important. Relationships = love. And love is, well… kind of important, too. (Or, The Essence of All Life.) Continue reading →

These are the “big, universal, ‘meaning of life’ questions” which Tim Keller founded this book upon. Continue reading →

Summary

Real Men Don’t Text addresses dating and all of its issues in our current “digital world.” It is founded upon the premise that a real, healthy relationship should never be developed through digital communication (note the word developed; this book does not condemn texting as a whole), but rather through a more traditional method: personal interaction. Continue reading →

Book Summary

During a family camping trip, Mack’s youngest daughter Missy gets abducted and murdered by a serial killer. Her bloodied clothing is found in an abandoned shack. This begins Mack’s period known as “The Great Sadness,” during which time he grows cold and distanced from God. Continue reading →

If you’re part of an American church, you’re likely to have heard of this book. It’s Batterson’s fifth book and it’s about prayer. I chose this book because I struggled with prayer for a while, so I asked around and bought a couple books specifically targeting that spiritual discipline. I had heard of The Circle Maker by several different people at church so I assumed it had to be good.
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