Erin Darlyn

I was honestly surprised that I rated this book so poorly. I have loved every other InterVarsity book I have read and though the title of this book is a bit shocking, it seemed like it would be right up my alley.

I have been walking through a process of letting go of the doctrines of men, deconstructing my religious tradition, and rebuilding a more authentic faith based on truth, and I have had some questions about the topics this book claims to tackle. Having gone to church since I was born, worked in multiple churches, served in various kinds of ministries, and attended Bible college, I was familiar with all of the ways Christians explain away some of the hard questions related to these topics before I picked up the book. I had come to a place in my journey where I was no longer satisfied with those explanations and I picked up this book hoping that it would offer a bit more.

Unfortunately, it ended up being a catalog of many of (what were to me) the same old narratives that try to explain away the hard passages without actually addressing or diving beneath the surface with them. I found the ideas posited therein uncompelling and insufficient as someone who is genuinely questioning some things and openly searching for alternative interpretations.

It does look like there is a newer edition of this book in circulation now (I read the 2011 version and there is a 2022 version available online now), so it is possible that I will pick up a copy of that one at some point in the future, but for now, this book was just not for me. My husband and I read it together and neither of us were satisfied with where the author went in his exploration of the different topics he chose to address. It felt trite and shallow, and that just wasn???t what we were looking for when we decided to read it.

This book is hard to read in that it deals with some heavy subject matter but it also does a great job covering a very important topic in an honest, empowering and hopeful way.

TW: rape, sexual assault / violence / harassment, abuse

I am really enjoying reading Lucy's books. Her interpretations of difficult passages of Scripture make so much sense and seem so much more logical than the more convoluted interpretations that leave holes in the fabric of reasoning. I especially appreciated Lucy's exegesis of 1 Timothy 2 in this book. It is the first interpretation of this passage I have ever heard that just makes complete sense! She presents the context in such a clear, understandable way. Without it, other interpretations really do the passage (and the church) a disservice. I am so glad I read this book. Whole-heartedly recommend!

Lucy's exploration of 1 Corinthians 11:2-16 is the first interpretation of this passage I have heard that actually makes complete sense. Highly recommend reading this short book!

This book is beautiful and enormous. I particularly enjoyed seeing some of Da Vinci's less popular works, alternate versions of some of his more famous ones, and his sketchbook pages.

Some of the images are repeated multiple times throughout the book and others are printed very small; thus, I did not feel that this particular version is worthy of 5 stars.

This small but thick book is a beautiful showcase of Monet's work and life. I wish that some of the images that were printed at postage stamp size had been given more space, as there were a few of those that ended up being my favorites and I had to look them up online to see them well. A great introduction to his work.

I really loved this book. It was my favorite read of 2022 (I read well over 100 books in ‘22 and rated several at 5 stars, so, for me, that's saying something) and has earned a spot in my top 10 favorite books list.

In it, Rena insightfully weaves what we know about Junia's story with the stories of other women (and men) throughout church history in fascinating and poignant ways. I love the way she sleuths out pieces of the story from all different directions and then brings everything together in a cohesive, understandable way. Though the work is well researched, her writing style is refreshingly readable. It was illuminating but not dense-feeling.

I highly recommend this book.

Rating: 4.5 stars of 5

Doing Nothing Is No Longer an Option is the story of Jenny's journey of becoming involved in antiracism work. It reads like a memoir but has enough practical advice included to leave you feeling inspired and empowered to take another step (or three) on your own justice-walking path as well.

I did not realize before I started reading this book that Jenny is the woman mentioned in Austin Channing Brown's book I'm Still Here. When I came across that story again in this book, this time told from Jenny's perspective, the connection between the two books and their authors was a happy discovery.

This is a great book and a quick read (4-6 hours of reading, perhaps).

Here are a few quotes from the book:

“He was afraid of not doing it perfectly, so he did nothing at all. Except it wasn't nothing. His inaction was a powerful act of centering his own comfort, his own timeline, and his own agenda over what justice required of him in that moment.”

“We have gotten so good at finding common ground that we have little practice at what to do when a person's experience confuses us or is one we haven't had. It's not a problem of finding enough in common. It's an issue of getting curious about what we don't have in common and then believing those differences are real.”

“Writer and activist Audre Lorde laid it out quite simply when she said, “I am not free while any woman is unfree, even if her shackles are very different from my own.”“

There were so many other passages I highlighted as I read that it was difficult to choose a few short ones to share here. I recommend picking up a copy so you can read it in full yourself. The book is reflective, challenging and inspiring - well worth the read.

The only reason I gave it 4.5 stars instead of a full 5 stars is because there were a couple of chapters that focused primarily on raising children. I don't have children or spend much time around children, so while those sections seemed sound and good, they were just less relevant for me personally.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

4.5??????

This book is a good introduction to the idea that our cultural influences and modern paradigms can heavily shape the way we read and interpret scripture - an important thing of which to be aware if you want to really dive deeper into biblical study, interpretation, how interpretation influences what faith looks like in different circles around the world, and the relevant history. If you have not yet studied these topics much, it would be a good book with which to start. It's a book I would not hesitate to purchase for a friend interested in the topic.

I really enjoyed Michelle's first book and I liked this one just as much. I listened to the audiobook and I was glad I did because Michelle narrates it and I love getting to hear a memoir author's voice read their own words the way they meant for them to be heard / read.

The book is filled with insight, inspiring thoughts and memories from Michelle's life and is a thoroughly enjoyable, well-written read.

I listened to this book rather than reading a hard copy, as the audiobook is narrated by Joanna and there is something quite special about being able to listen to the author of a book read it in their own voice. It's my favorite way to enjoy a modern memoir.

Whilst full of lovely sentiments, inspiring thoughts and sweet memories, I found myself wishing that Joanna had let us in a little more as she wrote. The book gave me the feeling that she was holding back and I think it could have been so much more special if she had gone just a little bit deeper.

I love Billy Collins' poetry, so I very happily picked up a copy of this new volume when it was released. The poems within are much shorter than his readers may be accustomed to seeing from him, but they are still filled with wit and mischief. I prefer longer format poems most of the time but I did enjoy this collection.

This spunky, resilient woman faced a lot of horrific circumstances and did some extraordinary things. Well worth the read, though it should be noted that the work is not actually autobiographical.

Rating: 5 stars of 5

Jesus Feminist is the first of Sarah???s books that I have read and I loved it. Her writing style is so beautiful and inviting. The pictures she paints with her words completely captured my heart right from the introduction, and so much of what she shared resonated with me.

There is a sweetness to this book that is evident as Sarah shares her own story and the heart of Jesus for the church. I found myself underlining, dog-earing pages, making notes in margins and writing down ideas for ministering often as I read.

Highly recommend. It???s a soul-refreshing read.

Rating: 4 stars of 5

Ejaculate Responsibly is a quick read about the author???s position on this relevant topic. She uses short, readable chapters to present data to back up her position - one that posits that we are really focusing on the wrong thing as society debates and legislates and makes abortion the prominent factor of discussion when there are other things that are playing a larger role in the issue but that go ignored.

I agreed with most of what she said. Many of her arguments are completely logical, and I liked that she shared facts rather than just her own opinion to back them up.

There were a few places, though, where I thought she used overgeneralizing language (a pet peeve of mine, as such language rarely accounts for the nuances of real life with very different humans involved), where editing errors distracted from the text, where she was noticeably repetitive, where something she said was questionably accurate or where a comparison she was making did not represent a true contrast. There was also an instance in which she was recommending sperm banking prior to vasectomy (just in case), which is fine, except that she had been previously making the argument that a vasectomy is cheaper than female sterilization. The cost of sperm retrieval and continuous storage costs can be quite expensive, too, which negated her previous point a bit (the comparison of the risks of each procedure are still fair, however).

There were also a couple of decisions, which I presume to have been made by the publisher and not the author, that I found off-putting.

The first is that each page of the book has red ink printed along its inner side where it meets the spine. It appears to have been done on purpose as a design choice, but it bothered my eyes as I was reading. I would probably not purchase another physical book with this ???design feature.???

Secondly, I did not like the choice to not print the citations within the book block. The first note I made to myself as I was reading was that there appeared to be no citations for referenced material (studies, etc.), which really bothered me. I was incredulous that, even in places where she was directly quoting a scientific paper, there was no reference to the source material provided within the text. When I checked the back of the book where I would expect to see a list of references, it was not there. I later realized (as I finished the book), that there is a note on page 129, just before the author???s acknowledgements, that all of the citations are instead available online. I did not like this choice (again, I presume it to have been made by the publisher) to not print the citations within the book. I like to check citations as I read and make notes about things I???d like to look up and read for myself, and I do not like to have to sit with a screen up whilst I read to check citations elsewhere. Additionally, for someone who does not have regular access to the internet, this would make the reader???s verifying of the information presented more difficult. If there are problems with the internet in the future and the list becomes inaccessible, the book has virtually no cited references available to reinforce its claims. I hope this is not going to become common practice with publishers.

Overall, I would recommend reading this book. It offers a valid and useful perspective. If there is a future edition, I hope the publisher will print the citations within it rather than solely making them available online.

Rating: 5 stars of 5

You Don???t Know What War Is reminded me, in a way, of The Diary of Anne Frank. It is a heart-wrenching account of Russia???s atrocious invasion of Ukraine from the eyes of a young girl who has just celebrated her 12th birthday. Yeva starts her story on a normal day before her world was upended, then brings us with her as she journals her way through the hours, days and weeks to come as she and her family leave their home as refugees to seek safety from the nightmare of war.

This little book (you can probably read it in about an hour) will touch your heart, make you cry and forever stick in your memory. It???s beautifully written.

The Great Gatsby well illustrates the hollow misery of a life lived primarily for self and money. I did not much like the story or characters, but I can admire the way Fitzgerald used tone and beautifully crafted sentences to tell the story beneath the surface.

Rating: 5 stars of 5

A Church Called Tov is perhaps one of the most important books I have read this year. I encourage everyone who considers themselves part of the body of Christ to read it and take its wisdom to heart.

Scot begins by talking about how we create toxic cultures in our church environments and what contributes to the formation of and sustaining of those types of environments, as well as why they are harmful. After presenting the bad news, he transitions to what we can focus on to create church environments that reflect the heart of Jesus for people. It???s such a good book. Practical, relevant and sound. Highly recommend.

I am not on social media much these days, so I was unfamiliar with Cole???s work with Black Liturgies before picking up this book. It did not take me long to realize that I was reading the powerful words of a gifted writer. I actually turned to my husband once and said that I felt like I was reading the words of someone who will be thought of as iconic within a couple of decades; who will be included in the lists of the great inspirational wordsmiths that have so influenced the world through their writing. The way this woman puts sentences together is breathtaking.

This Here Flesh reads like a reflective memoir of story, place and faith that will leave you pondering the truths shared in Cole???s words. So much of it resonates.

Trigger warnings: rape, drug abuse, violence. Strong language, including the f-word, is also present throughout.

This book started off okay and then went downhill for me. I believe it could possibly be helpful for some people, but it was not particularly helpful for me. I think part of the problem I had with it is that it focused primarily on a very stereotypical hyperactive manifestation of ADHD from the male perspective and I cannot relate to that lived experience, so much of it was just not relevant for me. However, I had some other issues with it as well.

The author sometimes comes across as patronizing. At one point, I found myself thinking, ???Does he really believe we are all so severely incapacitated that we cannot even ___???? It also seemed like he equates having ADHD with a lack of character and integrity and in his examples of women with ADHD, it started to feel like he was painting them all as floozies with zero self-control. He definitely broad-brushes people throughout the book. For example, on page 253, he says, ???Because you have ADHD symptoms in place of innate conscientiousness, you???re?????? I had a major problem with this because when tested by a psychologist with a Big 5 personality test, my trait conscientiousness tested notably above average. I have very high trait conscientiousness. To assume that I don???t just because I have an ADHD diagnosis is, honestly, kind of offensive.

Further, some of his recommendations seemed unrealistic. For example, one of his suggestions is to ask your supervisor at work if you can meet with them ???several times a day??? to keep you on track with getting your work done and reaching your goals. This kind of having to ???report in??? to someone multiple times each day, while perhaps a good strategy for some people, would drive me nuts and make me feel like I was being micromanaged. I can???t imagine a request to do so going over well with a supervisor who just wants me to get my work done, not babysit me. He also recommends having a parent manage your money for you. Keep in mind this book is directed to adults. Learning to manage your money well and responsibly is part of being a functioning adult and you are capable of doing it even if you have ADHD. It might take a little more effort and more frequent reminders to keep on top of it, but most people do not need to rely on their parents to do it for them. There are many resources Barkley could have recommended to help someone learn money management instead of recommending handing finances off to a parent. What about when one doesn???t have a living parent or a parent dies or gets sick and the responsibility falls back on you? Let???s not forget, too, that if you don???t want to learn do it yourself, you can hire a professional.

He definitely seems to paint people with ADHD quite negatively and stereotypically, i.e. not being able to pay bills on time, always speeding and driving recklessly, incapable of discipline or self-control, frequently overspending, addicted to substances, etc. I???m not saying these characteristics never describe anyone with ADHD, but neither I nor anyone I know with ADHD presents this way, so I think it is far from the stereotypical norm he seems to place on everyone.

Lastly, the author emphasizes evaluating sources of information and looking for citations when reading about ADHD, which is great, except that he doesn???t follow his own advice. He frequently makes claims that are not cited and in the back of the book where citations should be, he basically says the book is based on thousands of studies (none of which he bothers to cite), then recommends another of his books.

The section on medications is helpful if you have not yet become familiar with the different options currently available for treatment. The author definitely prefers this method of treatment and does not go into much detail on alternative methods for managing symptoms.

Rating: 4 stars of 5

Rachel was a fantastic storyteller with a gift for putting sentences together in beautiful ways. Her poignant words in this book often left me sitting and staring off into the distance as I thought through some truth she had shared that caused me to pause and reflect for a few moments.

Searching for Sunday is presented as a memoir of Rachel???s journey through seasons of disillusionment with and love for the church. People who can relate to her story will likely find inspiration and communion in it.

4.5 stars. Review to follow.

This was my first read-through of the NIV since I was in junior high school (I'm in my mid-30s now) and it was so nostalgic to come back to it! The Bible version used at my school from 1st through 8th grades was an NIV and all of my early memorization was done with it, so reading through this version again felt like coming home and opening up boxes of treasures that were hidden in my heart. It has been updated from the earlier versions of the NIV and I found that I did like the changes.

I still have a few more versions to read through before declaring a solid favorite English translation but this one is definitely in the running. At present, I would say that it is at the top of the list as a whole version but that I really do love Romans and Hebrews in the NRSV.

This edition (the premium single-column reference Bible printed by Zondervan) is so beautiful. The cover is supple and soft and the size is perfect. It feels so good in the hands whilst reading and I love that it has three bookmark ribbons. Single-column Bibles are my preference these days. They feel so much more readable and I find that my mind is able to focus better when reading in this format.

There are some really good thoughts presented in this book. There is also a lot of filler. The book is slow to get going and slow to conclude and it can feel a bit unfocused at times. I found the middle chapters to be the most compelling.

I did not always agree with the author's philosophies, primarily when it came to typical western worldviews and assumptions about biblical teachings that modern scholars view with skepticism. The book does contain some valuable information and perspectives, though. I especially liked the sections where the author discussed the words ezer and hayil and how English Bible translations have influenced the way we view their interpretations. If there had been more of this type of analysis in the book, I would likely have given it a higher rating.

There are a couple of places where a very privileged western worldview peeks through in the author's words in insensitive ways, which didn't sit well with me.

Overall, it was a bit fluffy but offered a fresh perspective on a couple of things here and there that will stick with me as I dive deeper into my own study.

I really loved this inspiring little book. I found myself underlining, taking notes and sharing little tidbits with my husband often, and found the daily prompts for further thought or practice valuable. Randy is a fantastic storyteller and I love reading about his perspectives on faith and relationship with Creator and creation. This way of being resonates with me.