Blue Like Jazz

It's kind of funny that the first three books I completed in this challenge were re-reads. Oh well, it's been years since, and I honestly couldn't remember much of any of them.

The first book I completed in 2010 was Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller. It's basically him rambling about his life and weaving God into his ramblings. However, they are brilliant ramblings. Like I said, I've read this book before, but all I remembered was that it read a bit like Salinger's Catcher in the Rye, and that I liked it. Sooo I gave it another go.

I finished it in about 2 days. That's how good it is.

I'm not going to give away anything, because I think everyone should read this book.

The part I identified most with this time around was Miller's chapter on Loneliness. Just in the past year or so I've become much more of an introvert, and it's been harder and harder for me to be friendly and social and not go crazy.

"I am something of a recluse by nature. I am that cordless screwdriver that has to charge for twenty hours to earn ten minutes use. I need that much downtime."

"We see those cigarette advertisements with the rugged cowboy riding around alone on a horse, and we think that is strength, when, really, it is like setting your soul down on a couch and not exercising it. The soul needs to interact with other people to be healthy."

Some other quotes:

"It is always the simple things that change our lives. And these never happen when you are looking for them to happen. Life will reveal answers at the pace life wishes to do so. You feel like running, but life is on a stroll. This is how God does things.

"I want my spirituality to rid me of hate, not give me reason for it."

"The entire world is falling apart because no one can admit they're wrong."

This book is one of the most honest, human, and relatable books I have ever read. Especially for me, because it seems Mr. Miller and I have pretty much the exact same mind. It helps me to read books like this, because I spend a lot of time reading other various theological books, and it's nice to get back to just life for awhile.

I want to ask you all to read this! Even if you're not a Christian, or anywhere near it, you should read this. I know I don't have a lot of credibility (reality check: none.), but from one human being to another, "read this book."

I didn't mean for this to turn into simply a book review, but I'm still trying to find a balance between talking about the book and giving the whole thing away. This one was especially hard, because I simply want to reiterate everything Miller said, but he says it much better.

Have you ever read any of Donald Miller's books? What did you think about them?