Book Review: For the Love, Jen Hatmaker

For the Love has been on my TBR list for a while now. This whole time I knew there had to have been a reason why every time I saw the name Jen Hatmaker I remembered, oh yes that’s right I want to read her book. Anyone who makes me laugh this much just by writing words on a page, and I mean full on Julia Roberts laughter, is automatically my book friend and I WILL follow you on Instagram. 

If it’s only chapter two and the laughter tears are already running down my face, it is a dead cert that I will read on right to the end just in case there’s an added extra funny, one final hilarious little yellow minion, although does it get any better than discussing LAP - leggings-as-pants and TAL - tights-as-leggings? Comedy gold. 

For the Love takes a look at ourselves, our families, our friends (and the ones we find hard to call friends) and our church people. It’s about how we can learn to live more freely in the grace of God. Jen not only has a gift for humour but also for truth telling, honesty and vulnerability which is hugely endearing.

Is there any one of us who doesn’t need to hear that it is ok to say no, that we do not have to do everything and be everything to everyone.

Is there a mother anywhere in the world who doesn’t need to hear, ‘hey if you’re doing ‘mostly good’ then go you!’ Parenting is HARD and you know what, as Jen says, ’mostly good’ is later remembered by our kids as ‘loved and safe’.

Turn the pages and keep on reading, about friendship and community being the holy ground on which we love and restore one another, remembering that it takes all sorts - unity is not the same as uniformity and when things get tough, cos they do, grace is imperative! 

As for church, well, it’s a hard conversation. We are a messy, complicated bunch but …love Jesus and love other people. Simple really.

Listen, one friend to another, for the love of all things bookish, go read!

Book Review: Of Mess and Moxie, Jen Hatmaker

Moxie?

You what? 

New to me. I just assumed it was a made up word. I read the whole book before looking it up on my Kindle dictionary and turns out it is an actual (informal) word. I guess you have to be North American to have a clue but it means ‘force of character, determination or nerve.’ 

And there is a whole lot of character in these pages.

If it hadn’t been for the seatbelt I was wearing at the time I may have fallen down laughing as I read. You will laugh... A LOT and that alone is reason enough to pick up this book. 

However, interspersed between the humour laden tales of grocery shopping, (who doesn’t hate it when your grocery buying path means being trapped in the ‘socially awkward prison of repetitive small talk’ with the person matching your trolley route) and Netflix binge watching and exercise and family shenanigans, Jen talks a lot of common sense and cheers us all on as we go about our ordinary, everyday, trying to have faith, lives. 

You are given permission to set down that big ugly bag of guilt you are carrying around with you pretty much everywhere. Set it down says this book, you will hurt yourself! In her own words, Jen is an ‘honest friend in the trenches’ with her readers, encouraging us all to listen to truth, push back fear, live in community and as the book’s subtitle says, wrangle ‘delight out of this wild and glorious life’. 

This is my first Jen Hatmaker book (I kept meaning to read ‘For the Love’ but never got around to it) and it was a pleasure. I would recommend it especially if you’re feeling a little down or a lot down. It’s a pick me up, a real tonic, no gin required, although you could have that too if you liked, book in one hand glass in the other but be warned, you might spill it! 

PS you have full permission and freedom to skip out chapter 16 completely, it is about ‘football’ and you will miss nothing. 

Thanks to #NetGalley for the review copy of this book.