Take a photo of a barcode or cover
theseasoul's reviews
482 reviews
The Church Impotent: The Feminization of Christianity by Leon J. Podles
2.0
|| 2 ⭐️ ||
Written with an emphasis on Roman Catholicism (though Protestantism was touched on too), this was mostly really weird. While there were some occasional good insights into femininity vs. masculinity and what that means in the context of the family, gospel and church, most of it was full of philosophical ideas that don’t line up with Scripture and/or oppose who God has revealed Himself to be through his word. There was lots about bridal mysticism, feminine characteristics of the Trinity, how Mary fits into the Trinity, etc… eventually I found myself phasing out, because some of the ideas presented were bothering me and I didn’t care to see them fleshed out further.
My Dear Hemlock by Tilly Dillehay
5.0
|| 5 ⭐️ ||
Screwtape Letters for women? Thoroughly brilliant!! I loved The Screwtape Letters and got tons out of it, but this being specific to how satan often deceives women, I found it even richer. This is a book I’d like to revisit throughout my life. Some chapters were more relevant than others for the season of life I’m in (the book follows the “patient” through her singleness, then marriage, children, middle age and beyond). Some of the chapters were so convicting that I had to put the book down for a few days, pray, confess, and make changes in my life. And even though I don’t know what it’s like being married or having kids, I could recognize some of the pitfalls I might be tempted to fall into in the future, knowing myself. So even the less immediately relevant chapters were rich with wisdom and really made me think. In summary, this is a really great tool for recognizing subtle but deadly sins and growing in godliness and holiness as a woman.
Read this for Sheologians book club and also really enjoyed the discussions that were had there.
Little House Living: The Make-Your-Own Guide to a Frugal, Simple, and Self-Sufficient Life by Merissa A. Alink
4.0
|| 4 ⭐️ ||
Not every book that claims to be “simple and frugal” actually lives up to that—it’s all relative, I guess—but this one certainly did meet my expectations. She had dozens upon dozens of recipes for household, body and food items that used a lot of similar, affordable ingredients. Not only that, but she concluded the book with a long list of potential substitutions if you don’t have a certain ingredient on hand, as well as lists of other uses for ingredients you have excess of or need to use up. It was very thorough and inspiring.
The body/household recipes will probably be the most useful to me, but perusing the recipes did give me some inspiration too.
How to Heal Your Metabolism: Learn How the Right Foods, Sleep, the Right Amount of Exercise, and Happiness Can Increase Your Metabolic Rate and Help Heal Your Broken Metabolism by Kate Deering
4.5
|| 4.5 ⭐️ ||
A fantastic introductory book for pro-metabolic eating. I found the explanations about how each of the macronutrients contribute to the body’s functioning to be quite clear and helpful, especially in the case of carbs (which are unfairly demonized in most nutrition books). The information was organized well.
I’ve personally followed some combination of a pro-metabolic diet combined with an ancestral diet for the past two years, developed through a lot of trial and error while trying to heal from chronic health issues and now just maintaining my health and vitality. There are certain things in this book that I personally haven’t found to be helpful for me on my food/health journey, just as there are certain things on the ancestral side that don’t work for me. I doubt I’ll ever 100% agree/resonate with one nutrition camp due to bioindividuality, but the concepts in this one are pretty close. Having been on keto in the past, I can definitely relate to the drop in energy, hormone function, muscle/bone mass, sluggishness, etc. that comes with depriving the body of its preferred energy source… and the healing that can happen when that source is brought back. Carbs rock (when paired with enough saturated fats and protein).
I do wish she’d mentioned nature’s effect on metabolism—especially sunlight! That’s such a foundational factor too!
Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment by Jeremiah Burroughs
5.0
|| 5 ⭐️ ||
Simply phenomenal. Calls out the sin of discontentment in every conscious and subconscious sense, debunks every possible excuse for not being content as a Christian, and re-emphasizes the sovereignty of God and His care for us at every turn. A very relevant read for me as I work on growing in contentment and my trust in the Lord.
We could all use a little more reading of the Puritans and a little less wishy-washy therapeutic Christian living books. This was incredibly rich.
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
4.0
|| 4 ⭐️ ||
I keep my expectations pretty low when it comes to Victorian literature… it’s not my favourite. I usually find the characters incredibly shallow. So I was surprised when I ended up mostly enjoying this (though the women in the story still felt very shallow; I’m sure glad the majority of the book wasn’t romance). Lord Henry’s dialogue was always entertaining to read. The storyline was very dark and… Shakespearean tragedy-esque. Not bad.
World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments by Aimee Nezhukumatathil
2.5
|| 2.5 ⭐️ ||
I was expecting this to be a collection of essays focusing mostly on the wonders of flora and fauna. I didn’t realize it was also going to be a memoir, which was steeped in a little too much self-victimization. While there were a few particularly lovely and charming reflections on nature, I was mostly turned off by the constant references to her being a person of colour. Many of the connections she draws between her life and the natural world felt forced to me.
The Crash by Freida McFadden
4.5
|| 4.5 ⭐️ ||
Quite a fun page-turner. The premise was really something, though I do wish I’d gone into it completely blind… the synopsis talks about things that happen right up to halfway through the book. There were still so many things I never would’ve predicted after that though.
***spoiler alert***: I definitely was not happy with several of the characters keeping all their secrets to themselves at the end. Justice needed to be pursued much more seriously than it was.
|| Content warnings ||
Sexual assault/rape, no graphic details. References to sex between a married couple, again no graphic details. I seem to remember God’s name being misused once or twice.
Quite a fun page-turner. The premise was really something, though I do wish I’d gone into it completely blind… the synopsis talks about things that happen right up to halfway through the book. There were still so many things I never would’ve predicted after that though.
***spoiler alert***: I definitely was not happy with several of the characters keeping all their secrets to themselves at the end. Justice needed to be pursued much more seriously than it was.
|| Content warnings ||
Sexual assault/rape, no graphic details. References to sex between a married couple, again no graphic details. I seem to remember God’s name being misused once or twice.
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
4.0
|| 4 ⭐️ ||
I seem to remember reading this book for school in Jr. High or sometime around then. The general gist of the plot was familiar, and I remembered it being really thought-provoking. And it really was. It was also pretty sad, though.
It’s amazing how Keyes managed to communicate Charlie’s rise in his IQ with almost imperceptible changes from journal entry to entry. That must’ve taken a lot of skill!
|| Content warnings ||
Part of Charlie’s journey to intelligence involves discovering sexual feelings. He sleeps with two women out of wedlock, and there are references to nudity. It’s not too graphic, but it’s a fairly big part of the plot. Enough to get on my nerves.
I seem to remember reading this book for school in Jr. High or sometime around then. The general gist of the plot was familiar, and I remembered it being really thought-provoking. And it really was. It was also pretty sad, though.
It’s amazing how Keyes managed to communicate Charlie’s rise in his IQ with almost imperceptible changes from journal entry to entry. That must’ve taken a lot of skill!
|| Content warnings ||
Part of Charlie’s journey to intelligence involves discovering sexual feelings. He sleeps with two women out of wedlock, and there are references to nudity. It’s not too graphic, but it’s a fairly big part of the plot. Enough to get on my nerves.
Safe in the Arms of God: Truth from Heaven about the Death of a Child by John MacArthur
4.5
|| 4.5 ⭐️ ||
I recently had a conversation with a friend about whether babies and those who have never had the capacity or chance to understand the gospel go to heaven or not. I always figured they did, because of God’s merciful character; but I lacked support from Scripture to articulate exactly why. I came across this book and it was very helpful in understanding why God chooses to save infants, whether they die in a mother’s womb or in their early childhood. In addition to building a good case for this, MacArthur also reminds us repeatedly of God’s sovereignty, the purpose in our suffering, and the wonders we have to look forward to in heaven. It’s an encouraging read for parents who have lost a little one, but also for those looking to comfort and support grieving parents.