Enjoy Your Prayer Live by Michael Reeves

I was given a copy of Enjoy Your Prayer Life for free by my church, as a summer read.  Then at the end of August, there will be a Church BBQ where we can sit and discuss what we have learned, what has struck us and how we have changed since reading it.

The blurb says:

Sadly, most of us struggle to set aside time to pray. But, fear not, this is not another book that will pile on the guilt, simply saying pray better and more often. Instead, Michael Reeves shows us not only why prayer is so essential, but also how we can enjoy it too.Taking his cue from Calvin's definition that prayer is the chief exercise of faith,' Reeves helps us understand that prayer should be a natural expression of our faith. Just as faith is awakened as we grasp the wonders of the gospel, so prayer follows as our hearts respond to these glorious truths. Enjoy your prayer life is a delightful read; and as you turn the pages, it'll show you that prayer doesn't have to be a duty to be performed, but is rather a gift to be enjoyed.

The book is organised into 14 chapters of a few pages each, it is very easy to read but challenging and thought-provoking enough for a strong Christian to gain something from the book. 

I, otoh, don't consider myself a strong Christian, and my prayer life is lacking at many times.  This book was just what I needed right now, specifically that we shouldn't think of prayer as something we "do", but actually prayer is how we live our lives. Prayer is something that does not come naturally to me, at least, but through prayer the Holy Spirit can draw us closer to God, as we look to imitate Jesus' relationship with the Father.

So would I recommend this book? Yes, I would to anybody who wants to understand prayer deeper, but in simple, coherent language.  Though the book could be read easily in 30min, I took my time and read 2 chapters a day whilst on holiday, as that gave me time to reflect and put into practice what was being said.  Even reading one chapter a day for a fortnight would only take a minute or two, but could enrich your life greatly.

From Daughter to Woman by Kim McCabe

From Daughter to Woman was recommended to me by a friend because I have two daughters swiftly approaching their teenage years.

The blurb says:

The teen years are tough - for teens and for parents. Many parents dread the moodiness, dishonesty, preference of friends over family, exam stress, and the push for greater independence. Mothers have a pivotal role to play; this is a guidebook for parents and mothers of girls in particular as they navigate the rocky teenage landscape with their daughters aged 8 to 18. It aims to help them embrace the potential of their child's teenage years by marking this time of growing maturity for girls and celebrating it with them. We celebrate birth, marriage and death, but this important life-transition from child to young adult is nowadays rarely acknowledged within an appropriate community.

With mental health issues in young people on the rise, and social media, reality television and smartphone culture serving to exacerbate these problems, it is no surprise that parents are looking for help in raising their daughters through these tricky years. From Daughter to Woman is the indispensable guide to doing just that.

Having just finished this book, it was really good and it has made me think about ways to connect and reconnect with my daughters.  There is a lot in there about growing up, puberty, starting periods etc and it suggests having a coming-of-age ceremony for your daughter(s), whether that me something simple between the two of you, or a large party with everyone you know. 

I would recommend reading this when your daughters are younger (by the age of 8) so you can prepare things in your own mind.  For example, my elder daughter is 11yo and has already started her periods so all that side of thing was too late for her.  Yet, there are things I can take from the book, and the idea of a coming-of-age thing, especially as she has made the adult decision of taking control of her own education and going to school, is something I am considering and seeing what I can do over the summer, before she starts school in September.

The other striking idea from the book, is about having a collection of women to support a girl growing up (it takes a village to raise a child).  Within the book she discusses group meetings (not that we'd have time with all the dancing my kids do), but the suggestions of having some older women whom my daughters could trust and be able to confide in (especially when they have a phase where they don't want to talk to me) is a good one.  Not having brought my girls up like that, I don't know how to approach the topic with them, nor deciding who would be good to take on those roles.  But again, it is something I am now thinking about and considering.  So even if your daughters are older than mine, if they are still in the teenage years, it would be worth reading this book.

Finished Reading the Bible!

I have done it! I have read the whole Bible in 6 months. I have read the Bible through before, but this was the fastest I had ever achieved it. We aimed for 50 chapters a week, and on the whole we managed it; adjusting sometimes depending on what was going on in our lives. It wasn’t easy going, but I am glad I have done it.

Whereas I read every word (I am generally a fast reader anyway), my study partner read some of the books, and listened to others whilst cooking or driving. The idea behind such a read-through is to see the over-arching themes of the Bible, see how books relate to each other, rather than a deep dive into specific topics, so it’s possible to get the gist of what is happening whilst doing other activities. For me, I like to read as I take DD2 to bed. She still doesn’t like going to sleep on her own, so my husband or I stay in her room with her until she drifts off. I know some parents may consider that to be a huge ask, but for us it works – on the nights I take her to bed, I get to do reading on my phone in the dark, and the nights my husband takes her to bed, I get to watch my programs/films in peace.

Having read the whole Bible, I’m not going to dive straight back into Genesis (though there are some people who can do that). By focussing on completing my 50 chapters each week, meant that I couldn’t read the other books I usually do. Normally, I read 1 chapter (or ‘Day’ if reading Bible-in-a-year) of the Bible, 1 chapter of each of the non-fiction books I read, and then as-much-as-I-can of the fiction book I’m reading (and I only read 1 fiction book at a time). As I haven’t had as much time to read, or when I did it was late in the evening, it has meant that I have not read my current fiction book as fast as I usually would. I won’t say to much about it now, as I’ll describe it when I finally do finish it, but I’m only just over half way through the book, and have been reading it for months now. It’s not helped by it being set in the 1600s, so uses very old language, which means I need to concentrate when reading it (hence why I can’t read it late at night). I am enjoying it though, so am looking forward to having a bit more time to read it. What I will do, Bible-wise, is read some daily devotionals/readings books, and then in January, I’ll read a Year-in-a-Bible again.

If you haven’t read through the Bible, and it is something you would like to do (whether because you’re a Christian or because you like the kudos of being able to say you’ve read various works of literature) it isn’t as daunting as it first seems. 50 chapters a week, and it takes 6 months (or 25/wk and it takes a year) or you could get a Bible-in-a-Year which takes all thought away as you simply look up the date and it gives you a reading from the Old Testament, New Testament, Psalms and Proverbs, such that you’ve read the whole thing by New Year’s Eve.

The Best Green Smoothies on the Planet by Tracy Russell

After my weightloss kickstart recently, I have dug out my smoothie recipe book and am making delicious smoothies daily again.  This is a really good habit for me to be in, because they are delicious and filling, and easily transportable.

The Best Green Smoothies on the Planet by Tracy Russell was initially a collection that came as a spin-off from her blog and FB page, where she shared many recipes that she created or used as part of her own weightloss journey.  I have followed her recipes, and completed a virtual smoothie bootcamp in the past, so am glad to get back into the practice.

The blurb says:

IncredibleSmoothies.com founder Tracy Russell tried just about every fad diet and expensive “superfood” supplement out there, with negligible results. It wasn’t until she discovered green smoothies that she lost 40 pounds, lowered her cholesterol by 50 points, and started running marathons.

In The Best Green Smoothies on the Planet, Russell shares healthy, down-to-earth recipes made with unprocessed whole foods. Packed with fresh fruits and vegetables—particularly leafy greens—that you can find at your neighborhood grocery store or local farmers’ market, every recipe in this book contains nutrition information as well as options for substitutions and variations. Russell reveals optimal flavor pairings (which green goes best with which fruit and which fruits blend best together) and specific health benefits of key ingredients.

Focusing on the many positive effects of drinking green smoothies, including detox and cleansing, natural weight loss, and mood enhancement, Russell offers nutrient-rich recipes with flavorful, fun combinations such as:

Pineapple-Ginger
Chocolate-Peanut Butter
Mango-Avocado
Cherry-Pomegranate
Nectarine-Goji Berry

With 150 delicious green smoothie favorites (enough smoothies for five whole months!), The Best Green Smoothies on the Planet provides recipes that can accommodate and enhance any individual or family diet. Whether you’re a smoothie veteran or trying something new, these drinks will wow you—with both accessibility and incredible taste.

Over time, she has branched out to include other aspects of holistic health and mindfulness as seen on her new website Dave & Tracy.com.

So far, I have made a delicious Spiced Blueberry and Pear smoothie yesterday, and for lunch today I made Pineapple-Mango smoothie. They are thick, filling and vegan.  I can't wait until I make a Chocolate-Cherry smoothie - I love that combination!

Women of Courage: 31 Daily Bible Readings by Jennifer Carter

Women of Courage feels a short book because every chapter is only a few pages long.

Each starts with a short passage about a woman from the Bible, and then expands to how we can put the lessons into practice in our lives.

The blurb says:

Women of Courage explores the lives of inspiring women from the Bible, through thirty-one daily bible readings. In a quest to understand what a Godly woman looks like, Jennifer examines the often untold stories of thirty-one women in the Bible. Each of these remarkable women has much to teach us. They led busy lives and experienced challenges, disappointments and triumphs. Yet each found fruitfulness, purpose and contentment. Their stories can inspire us to be more courageous and help us find our place in God's plans and purposes. Understand more of why God has created you to be exactly the way you are and enjoy the special gifts that He has given you. Discover and embrace the unique plan and purpose for your life, and be set free to experience God’s gift of fullness of life. Find inspiration and hope in the stories of these ordinary, yet courageous, women.

I really liked this book, and it helped me understand more about the women mentioned in the Bible, especially when they are not given a starring role in that context. I particularly liked the thought-provoking questions at the end of each chapter, as they made me think for a while after I’d finished reading.

Bloom: 50 Things by Lynne Kenney and Wendy Young

The full title of this book is Bloom: 50 Things to Say, Think, and Do with Anxious, Angry and Over-the-Top Kids and anyone who knows DD1 knows this is a perfect description of her!  She is lovable and intelligent, but when her anxiety is high or she becomes frustrated, that is when we see the other side of her.

The description says:

Written for real parents with anxious, angry and over-the-top kids, Bloom is a brain-based approach to parenting all children. Stop second-guessing the way you handle misbehaviors, and learn why they occur in the first place. Come to understand the developmental origins of behaviors and take a fresh look at how you can address them with skill-building techniques that produce real and lasting change.

Taking its lead from neuroscience and best practices in early childhood mental health, Bloom offers parents, teachers and care providers the words, thoughts and actions to raise calm, confident children, while reducing the need for consequences and punishment.

The first book of its kind, Bloom provides pages full of printable mantras you can carry with you, hang on your fridge or use in your classroom to raise emotionally competent kids. Bloom allows you to take a collaborative stance with your children, improving their cognitive, emotional and social skills. Bloom offers a new approach to human relationships that will change the way you perceive, think and feel about parenting, love, work and life. Bloom changes everything. If it works wonders with anxious, angry and over-the-top kids, imagine what it can do for your child.

BONUS: Each chapter has a QR code that links to bonus videos so you can hear directly from the authors about each topic.

The book is split into 11 chapters on a variety of subjects from Biting to Grief.  Within each chapter, there are also examples of What to Say,  What to Think, What to Do when you encounter each behaviour, with the aim that your own reaction doesn't exasperate the situation - something I admit I need help with as DD1 is a helluva lot teeny weeny little bit like me...

I thought this was a good book, and would be really useful for some children and parents.

The downside, for me, is that it concentrates on young children, up to age 10.  Now ideally, all this issues would be sorted by then, but DD1 is older and still gets anxious, angry and over-the-top.  Maybe because she is [undiagnosed] on the autistic spectrum, maybe because I'm a crap parent, maybe because we're too similar and I can't see the wood for the trees as I empathise with how she's feeling whilst also trying to gain the control that my parents had over me when I was that age.  Either way, I didn't find the book as useful as I had hoped, but I wish I had discovered it earlier.

If you have a young child who sounds like the description, I would recommend this book to you.

The KonMari Method of Tidying

A few years ago, after being prompted by a friend, I read The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying by Marie Kondo.  There were parts of the book that really struck a chord with me (such as only keeping items that you feel good about - or "Spark Joy" as Marie Kondo terms it - and making sure everything has its own place) but other parts didn't feel right to me, so I skimmed past those as a bit weird or odd.

Now, here we are 3.5years since I read the book, and my friend is now the First KonMari Consultant in my county.  My house, however, hasn't changed that much, but I am much more discerning about what I bring into the house in the first place - it's a start!  DD1, otoh, loves to have a tidy bedroom but has a lot of stuff.  I often find her watching YouTube clips about various "life hacks" in order to tidy and organise her belongings.  She is naturally a bit of a hoarder - in the past she cried because DD2 was happy to recycle one of her own pictures, and ended up taking it out of the bin and kept it herself!  Given there is the new Netflix series, Tidying Up with Marie Kondo, I thought this might be more accessible for my daughter than reading the book.

On a humorous note, when about to start watching a new episode we noticed the Netflix glitch was still there.  Not quite as funny as the machine gun one, but still made DD1 chuckle at the image.

I am please that DD1 is enjoying the series and it is inspiring her to sort through her belongings, and she is even considering donating some things (a HUGE thing!!).

For me, however, something was still niggling me, and I finally found out what it was: the practice of Shintoism as part of the tidying methodology, which conflicts with my Christianity.
For example, when entering a house, Marie Kondo will find a space, and then take a moment to introduce herself and greet the house, and thank it for being a shelter.  This is a bit weird to me, because the house is an inanimate object so didn't choose to be a shelter or not.  As a Christian, however, we should be thanking God for the provision of shelter and refuge.  So, it is possible to adapt some of the practices and meditate on the Word of God, instead.

Psalm 91:1,2

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
    will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
    my God, in whom I trust.”

Similarly, in order to identify whether an item sparks joy you are meant to hold every item individually, and if it doesn't you still need to thank the object.  Animism is antithetical to Christianity, which holds that there is One God.  He, alone, is to be worshipped and all other idols are to be put away.

 Deuteronomy 6:4 

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 

Exodus 20:3

You shall have no other gods before me. 

That said, with awareness and spiritual discernment, it is possible to follow the KonMari method without practising any of the Shinto elements.  Indeed, Matthew 6 mentions giving to the poor (which is a great thing to do with the items you no longer want in your home, rather than binning them to landfill) and emphasising that Christians should not be storing up personal possessions unnecessarily.

Matthew 6:19-21

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

The KonMari method separates everything into 5 categories, which should be sorted through in order:

1. Clothes
2. Books
3. Papers
4. Miscellaneous
5. Sentimental Items

Anything that does not spark joy, you should discard - anything that doesn't fit, is broken, or just doesn't get used anymore.  Each category should be sorted in one go, so rather than doing 5 or 10 minutes here and there, get all your clothes, for example and sort through them, making sure each item that remains has a home before you move to the next category.

For me, though, the biggest thing I have gained from reading and watching Marie Kondo, is learning how to fold clothes and store objects.  The biggest difference, to how I used to do it, is storing as many things as possible vertically in drawers.  This means that, in one glance, you can see everything you own, rather than having to rummage through drawers, messing up what was once folded.

One last thing, there are a lot of memes around at the moment, regarding Marie Kondo saying that you should own less than 30 books.  As a self-confessed bibliophile, that's not a pleasant thought. What she actually said was: "I now keep my collection of books to about thirty volumes at any one time." Thirty books work for her - but she doesn't say that everybody should only have 30 books.  It's about what sparks joy for you.  I do have some books that I possibly could get rid of now; I have many more books that I want to keep until my girls have left home as I think they'll be useful for their home education; and I have a fair few hundreds books that I will keep, possibly forever.  If you do keep a lot of books, make sure they are stored correctly and cared for. Simple.

Low Carb Revolution by Annie Bell

With the subtitle of "Comfort Eating for Good Health", you know the Low Carb Revolution will be full of tasty, hearty meals.  I was given this book for Christmas, which was a nice surprise as it fits well with the 2B Mindset.


Last night I decided to try "Chicken and aubergine tagine traybake".  Due to copyright I can't share the actual recipe, but it involves chicken thighs and aubergines, in a tray and baked...

It was delicious! Definitely one to make again and again.  It was very easy to do, and I have never had aubergine taste so good.  I wasn't keen on eating the preserved lemons, but they did lightly flavour to other ingredients such that I won't be omitting them.

And to add to my pleasure, this morning's daily weigh-in, is the lightest I've be so far this year.

Winner, winner, chicken dinner!

Come, Let Us Adore Him by Paul David Tripp

Our whole church read this Advent Devotional together (albeit separately in our own homes) over

this last Christmas period.  It was a good chance to come to a deeper understanding of the mystery that is Christmas and why Christ was born on earth at all.

The description reads:

This year, don't let Christmas sneak up on you again.
The wonder and awe of the Christmas season can easily get overshadowed by lights, tinsel, bows, and paper—not to mention last-minute trips to the mall and visits to the in-laws. In all the hustle and bustle, we often lose sight of what’s most important. This book of daily readings for the month of December by best-selling author Paul David Tripp will help you slow down, prepare your heart, and focus on what matters most: adoring our Savior, Jesus.

Each chapter is only a few pages long, and at the end it include a section of further reading from the Bible plus a discussion starter for parents with their children.  I have to confess, that I didn't do the latter and read the devotional alone.

What I did like was the continued focus on who God is, His grace and mercy as well as interesting chapter starters like "For once, I was excited to go to Spanish class.", "The birth of Jesus was bad news.", "No, it wasn't a zombie apocalypse." and "I have a confession to make: I love food." amongst the more expected sentences from an Advent devotional.

Read it.  It'll only take a few minutes each day, but will help you appreciate Christmas for what it is and what it is meant to be.

A One Year Trip through the Bible by Stephen Ruth

I finished reading through this book for the second time at New Year's.  It is a Bible and commentary separated out into daily readings based on a 365 day year.  As it does include the author's own thoughts, it does not include the whole Bible itself (eg genealogies) but various quotes from each section; it does, however, give the reference for the whole section so you can follow it up in your own Bible.  Additionally, this book include the Apocrypha.  Despite having been brought up in a Catholic church, I hadn't read the apocrypha before, so I find it really interesting.  One day, I would like to delve into why these books were excluded, as some of them certainly seem like they could be part of the canon (based on the excerpts I've read).


The description on Amazon reads:

Read The Bible With Commentary In A Year By Spending Only a Few Minutes Every Day-- The book aims at readers of any denomination who want the full Bible experience, with daily reflections--Genesis through Malachi in the Old Testament and Matthew through Revelation in the New Testament--in one year. (The Apocrypha is also included.) The theme is a layman's journey through scripture, so the comments are those of a visitor, not an experienced traveler, but expert Bible commentators are always nearby. Each day's reading requires 10-15 minutes, more or less, including scripture and commentary.

All the Great Stories, Prayers, Incidents and Memorable Characters Are Included--Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah, Joseph and his coat of many colors, Samson and Delilah, David and Goliath (there arereally two Goliath stories, one not involving David at all),  Jezebel and Ahab--and Jesus, Mary and Joseph, Peter and Paul, James and John, Herod, Pilate, Mary Magdalene, centurions, priests and all the heroes, villains and common people of the New Testament. The major character is Jesus, and since he knew the Hebrew Bible very well, there are countless times when he quotes the Psalms, prophets and Torah. several other translations occasionally used.

Easy to use--The book is designed to be simple to use and easy to read. It's possible to find various scripture passages, specific days' readings and even key words, with a click or two.

Inclusion commentators and other experts--The author, a lay person, has studied hundreds of outside resources, scripture experts from Christian, Jewish and other denominations. His role is mostly as a person being whisked along on a year-long tour by expert guides, although sometimes he disagrees with the tour leaders.

Layman's perspective--As a layperson who is still marveling at the immense complexity of the Bible, the author's spin on each day's readings is different from that of an expert. It must be. Yet the essential Bible messages shine through every day.

Frequent geographical updates and maps--There are many comments on the "where" of the scripture. When the Israelites go to the wilderness of Paran, its current location (on the Sinai Peninsula) is described. Abraham lived near Hebron in today's Israel. Jonah's Nineveh is probably today's Mosul, Iraq. The journeys of Paul, which covered about ten thousand miles, and the movements of Jesus are described in contemporary geographical detail with maps and charts.

 Famous quotes are singled out--The best-known stories, sayings, prayers, curses and hymns of the Bible are emphasized. In most cases there are special graphics to call attention to these  memorable lines from the Old and New Testaments.

Enumeration of commandments, feasts, blessings, curses, etc.--Whenever there are important enumerations, bold numbers or brackets set them off. You'll find this in the tribes of Israel, the Ten Commandments, the ten plagues, the three dreams that guided Joseph early in Matthew, etc.

Some examples from the Latin Mass--Just skip these parts if you want. Pilate probably said in Latin"Quod scripsi scripsi" ("what I have written, I have written"--meaning leave the words labeling Jesus "King of the Jews" as they are) in the Passion story. For Catholics of a certain age, many psalms will be quite familiar. Psalm 43, for example, includes "I will go to the altar of God", "Introibo ad altare dei" .That's what the priest said during the Prayers at the Foot of the Altar. The altar boy's reply was "Ad Deum qui laetificat juventutem meam" or "to God who is the joy of my youth".

Reference to useful web site--Internet links are provided for further study of Solomon's temple, of Michelangelo's Moses statue and dozens of others.

Other translations included--While the basic Bible source is New Revised Standard Version, some other translations are also included.

So, if you wanted to be guided as you read through the Bible in a year, I would recommend this book.  As I said, it's not the complete Bible, so I tend to alternate years between this and a full Bible in a Year.  (This year, I am doing a Bible Read-though with a friend from church - we aim to try and complete the whole Bible in 6 months, meeting up weekly to discuss passages that caught our eye.)  While I know some Christians may have an issue with this, I particularly like how the commentator doesn't always accept the Bible to be literal, but judges the different styles of writing as they are (whether that be history, prose, metaphor, prophecy, revelation, opinion etc).  I may not always agree with Ruth's comments, but I find his stance to be a refreshing read.  And as I said before, I liked the chance to read the apocrypha.  I think every Christian should read it once, just to be able to make an informed decision about it, and to understand some of the history of the Jews (eg the book of Maccabees) that is not included in the Protestant Old Testament.

Getaway with God by Letitia Suk

Getaway with God is a book aimed at women, to take some time out of our busy schedules and spend it with God. Whether you can carve out only a few hours, a day, a weekend or perhaps a full week, this book will guide you and provide tools to help you get the most out of your retreat.

The book description says:

What if a simple day away could transform your life?

Does spending time with God sound like just one more thing to check off an ever-increasing to-do list? How are you supposed to fit in anything that threatens to be more time-consuming? Too often there's simply no room to experience the intimacy, grace, and peace that God offers us.

Getaway with God does more than invite you to step away from life's pressures to take a personal retreat. It shows you exactly why you must--for your sake and for your family's.

With grace and warmth, Letitia Suk provides step-by-step guidance and the necessary tools to enable any woman on any budget to plan time away, whether it's a quick, half-day break or a weeklong time of restoration. You'll find detailed steps for preparation, including descriptions of different kinds of retreats and how to choose the best one for you, and you'll learn ways to bring the renewal you experience home with you. Practical appendixes identify retreat centers nationwide and provide exercises and prayers to kick-start your getaway with God.

"No matter what your season in life, the time for retreat is now!

Letitia starts by explaining her own journey, from acknowledging the need for a retreat, to actually going on it. She carefully explains the different type of retreats, and emphasises that everybody is different so not to worry if your personal plan is different. There’s also a chapter on the Sabbath, and the benefit of treating the Sabbath as time to spend focussing on God – something I need to remember when I’m running around after the children.

The second section of the book describes in detail a plan for a 5-day retreat, intertwined with remembrances from Letitia’s journal of her experience.

As someone who doesn’t spend as much time in my relationship with God as perhaps I should, this was well-worth the read. It has made me want to go on a retreat with God (which obviously was the point) but also make more of a concerted effort reading the Bible and praying. I do read through the Bible yearly already, but if I’ve got a spare 30min then focussing on a short passage and actually allowing God the time to talk to me is a positive change.

The Atheist Who Didn't Exist by Andy Bannister

Firstly, I should point out that this is not an apologetics book for Christianity.  Though the author is a Christian, you will not read the book and magically become a Christian, you will probably not change any of your beliefs, and you will not find a discussion about any of the 'difficult' bits of Christianity.
This is a book that looks to break down bad arguments, focusing on those from "New Atheists".

The blurb on Amazon reads:

In the last decade, atheism has leapt from obscurity to the front pages: producing best-selling books, making movies, and plastering adverts on the side of buses. There’s an energy and a confidence to contemporary atheism: many people now assume that a godless scepticism is the default position, indeed the only position for anybody wishing to appear educated, contemporary, and urbane. Atheism is hip, religion is boring. Yet when one pokes at popular atheism, many of the arguments used to prop it up quickly unravel. The Atheist Who Didn’t Exist is designed to expose some of the loose threads on the cardigan of atheism, tug a little, and see what happens. Blending humour with serious thought, Andy Bannister helps the reader question everything, assume nothing and, above all, recognise lazy scepticism and bad arguments. Be an atheist by all means: but do be a thought-through one.

There is a lot of humour throughout the book, and I confess to literally laughing out loud at some of the footnotes; however if you are not a fan of Monty Python,  Hitchhikers, Red Dwarf or any of that ilk, this probably isn't the book for you.

I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to theists and atheists alike, at a minimum so that if you do try to argue about points of faith you don't fall back on easy soundbites.  It is an easy read, without too much heavy philosophy, and should be accessible for all.