A Bounty of Books

Love, Henri: Letters on the Spiritual Life by Henri J. M. Nouwen is a collection of letters written over the course of the last twenty odd years of Nouwen's life. The recipients of these letters vary greatly and cover the spectrum from close friends to people he doesn't know who have written him with a criticism or a thank you to one of his books.

Edited by Gabrielle Earnshaw, this collection of letters offers great insight into Nouwen. Each letter is introduced by a short explanation about the recipient of the letter and his/her relationship to Nouwen, as well as any relevant details to a particular situation mentioned in the letter, or that was going on in Nouwen's life. There are also footnotes throughout the book that offer further explanation as needed. The result is that even without the letter written to Nouwen, the reader has all the information necessary to appreciate what he writes. There is no sense of feeling lost or of missing something.

Nouwen was a prolific letter writer. He was honest about his struggles, and most of all gracious with those he was writing to, regardless of the depth of relationship. His character shines through in this collection of his letters. They are put together masterfully, and this is a must read for anyone who appreciates Nouwen's life and writings.

Blogging for Books provided this book to me for free in exchange for an honest review. 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

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

A Fifty Year Silence, by Miranda Richmond Mouillot, is the story of a granddaughter's search for the reason behind the breakup of her grandparent's relationship. As a child, there was such a separation between her grandparents, that it wasn't until she was twelve years old that the thought that her grandparents once knew one another, much less had once been married, crossed her mind. No one knew what happened between them, and her grandparents hadn't spoken in over fifty years. The feelings between them were so strong, that her grandfather wouldn't set foot on the same continent as her grandmother.

Mouillot grew up extremely close to her grandmother, and couldn't fathom never knowing about this huge part of her life. Her natural inclination toward history led her to figure out what happened. Mouillot moved to France after college to live in a house her grandparents bought together in a small village in France. She thought this would help her search for the truth. Using nothing more than her grandparent's official refugee documents from WWII and the few memories she could get her grandparents to part with, she pieced together the story neither one of them could, or would, remember.

Mouillot is an engaging writer. She easily draws the reader into the mystery surrounding her family history. Weaving together the past and her present search for her, Mouillot makes the reader feel as if he/she is a fly on the wall as she searches. I felt her frustration as she hit dead end after dead end. As she finally the realized the truth, I felt some of the wallop that she must have felt as she realized her family's history and happiness was simply another causality of war.

I recommend A Fifty Year Silence to any person interested in family history, the effect of WWII on European Jews who managed to stay out of concentration camps, or anyone interested in how the past influences and informs the present.

Blogging for Books provided this book to me for free in exchange for an honest review. 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

Killing Lions: A Guide Theough the Trials Young Men Face by John and Sam Eldredge is the book form of a conversation this father and son pair had with one another over the span of several months. This time period included Sam's transition from the life of a college student to that of a newlywed. These were real questions Sam had and the answers his dad gave him.

Those who know me know that I am a big fan of anything written by John Eldredge and his wife Stasi and/or that comes out of Ransomed Heart Ministries, their ministry. The first book of theirs I read, Wild at Heart, remains one of the top five most influential books in my life, though if I had to pick a favorite, it would be Waking the Dead. That is why when I had a chance to receive a copy of their newest book, Love & War, for free if I simply reviewed it on my blog, I was beyond thrilled.

Love & War's (L&W) tag line is "finding the marriage you've dreamed of." Those familiar with the work of Ransomed Heart and the Eldredge's will find familiar themes throughout L&W, placed this time in the context of marriage. The main theme of L&W is that marriage is an epic love story set in the middle of war; there is an enemy, but it is not each other. It encourages couples to rediscover what they once wanted out of marriage, and to fight for one another and alongside one another for the greatest marriage possible. The core of the book can be summed up by a quote from page 38 which says, "We are created to love and be loved. And there is no greater context, no better opportunity to really love someone and to be loved by them throughout an entire lifetime than you will find in marriage. Of course it is dangerous as well - the two always go together. There is no greater place for damage, too, because there is no greater place for glory. God uses marriage to bring us the possibility of the deepest joys in life; Satan tries to use it for destruction."

By pointing out the centrality of marriage in God's plan, both for humanity as a whole and for most individuals, the Eldredge's help their readers to grasp the significance of marriage in the overall narrative. L&W is full of personal stories and examples. The points made and advice given are not just theoretical tips; they come from hard won experience, and the Eldredge's give their readers an up close and intimate - sometimes embarrassingly so - look how they arrived at these conclusions to prove it. Their honesty helps tear down the facade we so often want others to see and take an honest look at ourselves.

Even as a single person, I found this book very encouraging. The story told throughout L&W is centered around marriage, but almost everything in it can be applied in other relationships on some level. As part of a generation plagued by divorce in our own lives and that of our families, it was refreshing to get a glimpse into a marriage that has had its ebbs and flows over the years - even walking to the brink of divorce at times - but in the end is as rich and fulfilling as its ever been because each party is willing to fight for the other, and for the greater glory of God.