A Bounty of Books

This Is Awkward: How Life's Uncomfortable Moments Open the Door to Intimacy and Connection by Sammy Rhodes is a memoir of sorts. The author tackles subjects that are inherently awkward and affect many people's lives. He does this through the lens of his personal experience with each topic. Rhodes is brutally honest about past and present failings in his life, and how those awkward moments can build community and strengthen relationships.

Topics discussed include divorce, pornography addiction, and depression. Rhodes shares his personal experience with these and other "awkward" topics. The emphasis of the entire book is how important grace is, and how we can best receive it in our awkward and failed moments, if we're willing to be honest with others about them. Sprinkled throughout the book are excerpts of random paragraphs that Rhodes wrote while procrastinating while writing this book. They are often lighthearted and serve not only to add levity to serious topics, but also as a somewhat unfiltered look into the author's brain. It's another way of being vulnerable that serves to connect and help the reader relate to the author.

Overall, This is Awkward is a good book. It makes some solid points and is honest about a topic everyone can relate to. Introverts may find this especially relatable as the author clearly is one and some of his awkward moments are born out of that. There are two appendices at the end. One is "An Introvert's Guide to Surviving a Party" and the other is "A Social Media Manifesto."

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookLook book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255