Book Review: Stuff Christians Like

“Stuff Christians Like” by Jonathan Acuff

Some people just don’t get satire. If you are one of those people, stay awake from this book!

For everyone else, this is one you’ll definitely love! I’ve been a Jonathan Acuff fan for a while now, ever since I stumbled across his blog (Stuff Christians Like) about a year ago. His unique combination of wit, sarcasm, and insight into the evangelical culture make his daily writings a must-read during my morning Internet perusal.

This book is much more than simply a bound version of his blog, however. While there are a few overlapping essays, most of the book consists of new material. Acuff’s satirical brilliance is evident throughout, and a few of the essays had me on the verge of tears I was laughing so hard!

The best thing about Acuff’s writing, however, is that even while it entertains, it is always unapologetically focused on making the reader think about God and His love in fresh new ways. Sometimes this hits pretty close to home, as he spares no one, and avoids no taboo subjects. I found myself particularly convicted several times about the silly things that I allow to distract me from the things that are truly important.

The final section of the book is a little more contemplative in tone, similar to his “Serious Wednesdays” posts on his blog. I actually thought this was the highlight of the book, and will probably revisit some of these essays frequently.

Finally, this is the rare book where I might actually recommend the audio version over the print version (better yet: get both!). My wife and I listened to the audio book (read by the author) on a road trip this week, and it made the time fly by! Acuff interrupts the reading of the book at several points to add some pithy stories about his writing or about real-life incidents which inspired the essays. It’s also great to actually hear the essays in his own voice, as the sarcasm comes across much better, and I really got the sense that I was interacting with him as he told the stories. Whether you get the audio download or not, you should get a copy of this book! Buy it here.