Savor by Shauna Niequist

This week I was finally able to get my hands on a copy of "Savor" by Shauna Niequist! After reading "Bread and Wine" last summer, I was eager to read this little gem. What I love about this author is that she's painfully raw. She's honest about every aspect of her life. She lives in the here and now and savors every moment she's alive. I also love that Shauna shares a little bit about her Thursday night dinner/small group nights which is the focus of her previous book, "Bread and Wine."

I think Shauna's take on communion is very interesting. She goes a step further than saving communion for a once-a-month occasion at church. She states: "If we only practice remembrance when we take communion at church, we miss three opportunities a day to remember."  Bread and wine are reminders of Jesus' holiness at every meal.

It's difficult to describe this entire book, since the topics for each day are so diverse. Most days I'm caught off guard by just how honest Shauna is and the mere fact that she gets me! She's not perfect, but she's living each day to the fullest, finding the fleck of gold in each day. She shares her joys and sadness, and sometimes a bit of humor, but I get the feeling that I'm sitting down chatting with a sweet friend when I read her books. And then perhaps best of all, I find delicious recipes nestled in between the devotions. Twenty-one recipes in all, ranging from Blueberry Yogurt Morning Cake, to Spicy Peanut Noodles!

The only thing that I disliked about this devotional is that each day's "essay" is just a bit too short for me. They have great substance, and have noteworthy subjects to think about for the rest of the day, but she writes with such beauty, I just wish there was a little more each day. I think this is a wonderful book that I will come back to time and time again.

I rate this book as 5 stars. Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers <http://booklookbloggers.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”