How to Think by Alan Jacobs

This is a short book for such a potentially hefty subject. In an age where cognitive dissonance is rampant, where people refuse to look outside of their safe social boundaries, this book sheds some very needed light. It's far too easy these days to shoot off a tweet or pound out a furiously opinionated Facebook post, but that impulsive, tactless, and often thoughtless approach simply encourages and fosters the same thoughtlessness in those around us.

You might think you're a thoughtful person, but Jacobs lays that assumption to rest pretty quickly. The fact is, none of us are nearly as objective as we think we are. We're all molded and influenced by society. We tend to be platitudinous without realizing it. We rely on poorly informed positions and iffy assumptions. Once we recognize our own feet of clay, we are then in a position to start thinking.

Jacobs also makes the very good case that none of us are quite as tolerant as we think we are. So many of us loudly support "tolerance" - yet we rapidly become intolerant when others are less "tolerant" than we think they should be.

This book has certainly given me plenty of food for thought - and that's saying a lot for less than 200 pages. I recommend this thoughtful primer for anyone who has become frustrated with the current state of debate.

Disclaimer: I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. As such, these opinions are my own.

Shattered

Honestly, I found this book pretty tiresome - much like the candidate herself. Certainly, it was informative (though somewhat biased); but it was just a depressing slog through a doomed campaign.

The authors took it pretty easy on someone who was (clearly) a very dirty candidate. There's no mention of the very underhanded way the DNC dealt with Bernie. Instead, they paint Hillary as something of a victim in the whole mess. Since the election, this has essentially been the tone - "poor Hillary" - and it grows old quickly.

This book takes a very sympathetic tone that I just don't feel is warranted. It's fairly honest in most regards, however a lot is left out. And through ommission, Hillary looks like a victim of chance rather than one of her own making.

Disclaimer: I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.

The Moth Presents: All These Wonders

What a great collection of genuine, heartfelt stories. I actually find it a bit difficult to get into short stories. Often, they're just too brief for me to make a connection with the characters. I was totally sucked into this book though--perhaps because these are very personal stories. I polished off half the book in a single sitting!

I would also be remiss if I didn't mention the beautiful cover design. The illustrator/designers did an outstanding job on this one. This is a book that you want on your shelf for the pure loveliness of it.

I am now looking forward to The Moth podcasts for more of these bite-sized stories!

A Proper Drink

This book seems it bypassed editing and went straight to print. It's a fascinating read, to be sure; but it's fraught with typos and is very often confusing in content.

The story jumps from one event and/or person to the next without warning and without context. While the author is obviously knowledgeable on the subject, he might have done well to co-write this with a better writer. The writing style is very stiff, purely relaying facts without a lot of flair.

I was quite looking forward to this book, but was sadly disappointed.

Disclaimer: I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.

French Country Cooking

I generally read books and use cookbooks. This one combines my love of reading with my love of cooking in the most glorious way. I've never read a cookbook cover to cover... until now that is.

This book isn't a simple how-to-cook book. If you're looking for a simple guide to basic recipes, you might be a tad disappointed. However, if you've got a little cooking savvy under your belt, I'd say you'll enjoy the challenges this book offers.

If you're looking for a lovely, whimsical, delicious read, pick this book up today. It's also the ideal gift for any of your foodie friends.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.

Chase the Lion

I loved In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day, so I was really excited about this follow-up book...

And then I was really disappointed. This was basically a rehash of the first book - same concept, same message, same stories. Don't get me wrong: it's all great. The concept, the message, and the stories are all fantastic. I just didn't need them reorganized and repeated.

Mark Batterson has had some really great books in the past few years, all of which were fresh, interesting concepts. I don't know why he had to dig up an old one and rehash it.

Maybe I missed something, because this book is getting very good reviews. And it does deserve good reviews. But I still feel a bit cheated because I didn't find much that was new or fresh - just a repeat of the first book.

Of course, I look forward eagerly to further books (and podcasts) by the author.

Some info about the book/author:

• Mark Batterson on Facebook
• Mark Batterson on Twitter
• Mark Batterson on Instagram
• More Info
• Author Bio

Disclaimer: I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.

The Sunlight Pilgrims

by Jenni Fagan

This was a fascinating concept from the start, though I'm a little torn on my final opinion. All-in-all, I think I liked it. I'm a bit of a sucker for dystopia though, so take my review with several grains of salt.

What I enjoyed: The author didn't rely on a fast pace (a la Hunger Games) to bolster the plot. This is a slow, carefully timed story that seems to slow as the world gets colder and begins to fade. I like the new (for me) setting based on a gradually freezing earth. It's a concept I hadn't considered, and it made for an interesting setting. The prose is quite beautiful in spots.

What I didn't enjoy: I found it oddly difficult to really connect with any of the characters. I'm also not a fan of messing with writing conventions just for the heck of it. I know that authors get away with it (including my well-loved Cormac McCarthy) but it's a rather risky move that adds little to the quality of the story. It's okay to be "mainstream" when you're dealing with stuff like quotation marks.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.