My January Book Reviews

3 min readFeb 2, 2018

In 2018 I have a goal to read 40 books. As I read I want to share my reviews and thoughts, and if you’re looking for a new book to pick up, maybe this will provide some inspiration.

Here we go.

1. Comeback by Louie Giglio

If you’ve read anything by Louie Giglio you know that it won’t be a very difficult read, but you’ll always walk away with something. Comeback is another book that does just that. Throughout this book Louie shares inspiring comeback stories both from the Scriptures and from people he knows. If you feel beat down and in need of some inspiration this could be a good read. I’ll say that by the end of the book I found myself getting a bit bored as it didn’t have a whole lot of depth to it and it started to feel a little redundant.

Stars: 3 of 5

2. Present Over Perfect by Shauna Niequist

I’ve heard so much about this book and it seemed like every book store I went into this book was on the shelf for best selling books. As someone who is passionate and in process of learning what it means to be present, I was drawn to check this book out. I really appreciate the authenticity and humility that Shauna wrote with. It was apparent that she believed and was living what she wrote. I did feel like, although she tried to write to both men and women, that is erred towards women which made it a bit hard for me to connect. Also, it felt like it was aimed towards people in their 40’s and beyond, which again created a disconnect. I have a feeling this would be a book I’d appreciate later on in life. Overall, I’d say it was good, but not great.

Stars: 3 of 5

3. How To Be Here by Rob Bell

Say what you want about Rob Bell, he’s a terrific writer. It’s very hard for me not to read his books in one sitting because of how engaging, funny, and thought provoking they are. How To Be Here is a book on what it means to step into what life is inviting you into, right here, and right now. It’s about living life with eyes wide open. It probably won’t rank as my favorite Rob Bell book, but I found many good reminders of how to not miss what God is wanting to do in and through me right here and not obsessing about some future version of myself that I think I need to become. Solid read.

Stars: 4 of 5

4. The Last Arrow by Erwin McManus

Have you ever read a book that seemed like it was written just for you and just for the season of life you were in? That’s exactly how this book felt. This is by far my favorite book I’ve ever read by Erwin McManus. The main invitation of the book is to not leave anything for the the next life. To live a life pursuing Plan A and refusing to compromise. Erwin has a way of weaving humor, powerful stories and mic-dropping statements that will leave you laughing, challenged, and compelled to take action with your life. I’d highly recommend this book to anyone.

Stars: 5 of 5

5. God Was In This Place And I, I Did Not Know by Lawrence Kushner

Lawrence Kushner creates inspiring interpretations of Jacob’s dream in Genesis, opening a window into Jewish spirituality for people of all faiths and backgrounds. The first chapter was worth the book alone. His teaching on Moses and the story of the burning bush was beautiful and changed how I see this old story. Each chapter it was like the gem was turned on this story of Jacob and something new was presented that would challenge me to see this story in a variety of ways. I found some chapters to be very inspiring, while others were difficult to read. Overall, I would say this was a great and in depth read on an ancient story in the Hebrew Scriptures and taught me a lot about Jewish spirituality. This book likely is not for everyone, but I’m happy to have expanded my normal style of books and explored this fantastic book by Lawrence Kushner.