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sarahfowlerwolfe's reviews
1275 reviews
Aggressively Happy: A Realist's Guide to Believing in the Goodness of Life by Joy Marie Clarkson
5.0
This is a very timely book. And the subtitle is important; it really is a realist view that even takes mental illness into account.
"It wasn't a life lesson or a piece of great advice; it was a realization, an epiphany: this is life, the beauty and the pain together. A glorious sunrise coexistent with deep emotional pain, the utter brokenness of the world. One doesn't make the other untrue. This is always the bargain. If you get one, you get the other."
"There is such a thing as toxic positivity, a compulsive need to look on the bright side that lends itself to a perpetual denial of the real, deep difficulties of life. A happiness that ignores pain, injustice, and brokenness is not worth having. But a happiness that can stand tall, look life in the eye, and smile anyway? That is well worth the fight. And a fight it must be. Patching together a joyful life takes far more effort than submitting to the soporific lull of cynicism. Cultivating happiness takes grit, determination, and a good sense of humor. It's a lot of work."
The chapter on our human limitations is particularly poignant. "Self-care is a realization of the limits of the self, a hearkening to the fundamentally contingent nature of being a human. It is not closed in a little bubble of selfishness, but a gentle, trusting acknowledgment that God is God and I am not. When you rest, you tell the truth about the world."
"By all accounts, the period of relative domestic stability in which most people reading this book have grown up is a historical anomaly. We might have the mistaken idea that we should wait for a more stable era or season to pursue a good, beautiful life, as if it is inappropriate to live well if the world is falling apart. The opposite is true. The world is always almost ending. But so what? It always has been. Life is lived there, poised at the end of the world."
Each chapter is particularly wonderful in its own right. The suggested books, films and music for contemplation are lovely. Be encouraged! Definitely read this one.
{I received an ARC on NetGalley from Bethany House in exchange for an honest review}
"It wasn't a life lesson or a piece of great advice; it was a realization, an epiphany: this is life, the beauty and the pain together. A glorious sunrise coexistent with deep emotional pain, the utter brokenness of the world. One doesn't make the other untrue. This is always the bargain. If you get one, you get the other."
"There is such a thing as toxic positivity, a compulsive need to look on the bright side that lends itself to a perpetual denial of the real, deep difficulties of life. A happiness that ignores pain, injustice, and brokenness is not worth having. But a happiness that can stand tall, look life in the eye, and smile anyway? That is well worth the fight. And a fight it must be. Patching together a joyful life takes far more effort than submitting to the soporific lull of cynicism. Cultivating happiness takes grit, determination, and a good sense of humor. It's a lot of work."
The chapter on our human limitations is particularly poignant. "Self-care is a realization of the limits of the self, a hearkening to the fundamentally contingent nature of being a human. It is not closed in a little bubble of selfishness, but a gentle, trusting acknowledgment that God is God and I am not. When you rest, you tell the truth about the world."
"By all accounts, the period of relative domestic stability in which most people reading this book have grown up is a historical anomaly. We might have the mistaken idea that we should wait for a more stable era or season to pursue a good, beautiful life, as if it is inappropriate to live well if the world is falling apart. The opposite is true. The world is always almost ending. But so what? It always has been. Life is lived there, poised at the end of the world."
Each chapter is particularly wonderful in its own right. The suggested books, films and music for contemplation are lovely. Be encouraged! Definitely read this one.
{I received an ARC on NetGalley from Bethany House in exchange for an honest review}
The Good Guy's Guide to Great Sex: Because Good Guys Make the Best Lovers by Sheila Wray Gregoire, Keith Ronald Gregoire
5.0
I can't recommend this enough for fiances and husbands! My husband and I are about to order a bunch as gifts. Thorough, genuinely helpful, practical, but nicely succinct. Really great book, well done.
{I was provided an ARC by the publisher in exchange for a review.}
{I was provided an ARC by the publisher in exchange for a review.}
Love & Saffron by Kim Fay
4.0
Light and sweet, beautiful and sad, delicious and poignant. I read it in one sitting. Highly recommended if you're looking for something just to enjoy deeply.