Book Review

Everyone who knows me will tell you I am a bookworm. To me there is something to be said about a good book. Not only do I like reading them, I also like sharing them with friends and family.

The fine folks at Booksneeze sent me the book: You Changed My Life by Max Lucado. This would be considered a gift book. After reading it here are my immediate one word descriptions....Beautiful, tear-jerker and inspirational.

The author uses short stories to illustrate some very important life lessons with a religious twist (it is not a shove religion down your throat book). There is also the occasional scripture when applicable.  It is beautifully written as evident from the names of his chapters which are:

Love

Kindness

Commitment

Compassion

Hope

Courage

Wisdom

Friendship

One of the excerpts under Compassion that I really liked was:

Reckless Lovers of Life

Here's to the hero of the San Francisco marathon who crossed the finish line without seeing it. (He was blind.)

Here's to the woman whose husband left her with a nest of kids to raise and bills to pay, but who somehow tells me every Sunday that God has never been closer.

Here's to the single father of two girls who learned to braid their hair.

Here's to the grandparents who came out of retirement to raise the children their children couldn't raise.

Here's to the foster parents who took in a child long enough for the child to take their hearts--then gave the child up again.

Here's to the girl, told by everyone to abort the baby, who chose to keep the baby.

Here's to the doctor who treats more then half of his patients for fee.

Here's to the heroine addict turned missionary.

Here's to the executive who every Tuesday hosts a 5:30 am meeting for Bible study and prayer.

Here's to all of you reckless lovers of life and God.

As you can see there are religious references but it is not the doom and gloom hail and brimstone type of religious banter that scares so many away. I consider myself spiritual, not following any one particular religion and I enjoyed this book.

This would be a great gift for someone facing some difficult times in life. The stories included will allow them to draw hope and inspiration.  Personally, I have read one story a day and then meditated on the lesson that it was trying to impart. Now let me be honest, I wouldn't have sought out this book in a bookstore. Yet now that I have read it I am glad that I got the opportunity that I otherwise would have missed.

****This book was provided to me for free to review by booksneeze. They are not making me write a review nor have I been told what to say. The words and ideas are my own honest opinion. If I didn't like the book, I would have told you that too.