april reads.

is everyone hanging out without me? (and other concerns), by mindy kaling

i've had this book in my "to read" pile for months and i finally just got around to picking it up. i read an excerpt from it around the time it was first released and i loved it so much, i decided i wanted to read the whole thing. and, the whole thing is just as good as the few pages i previewed.

it's pretty much your standard non-fiction book by a comedy writer about her life experiences. it's light and funny and i would like to be friends with her in real life. also, the thing about mindy (yes, we're on a first-name basis), and this book, is that she's into comedy–obviously. and, while i enjoy laughing and the occasional sitcom, i'm not really a huge fan of comedy. i don't watch snl or the whole thursday night comedy lineup on nbc. but reading about her love for comedy, in the writer's voice she uses, makes me want to love comedy.

that, i think, is what makes a book worth reading.

crazy love, by francis chan

if you haven't read this book yet, please do yourself a favor and pick up a copy. and then, you know, read it. but read no more than one chapter a day. it's not the kind of book that's so good you can't put it down. it's the kind of book that's so good you need to put it down. take a minute, think about the words, and then apply what you read to your life.

this book is another one that's been sitting at the bottom of the pile for months. i knew it was serious business, and i wasn't sure i was quite ready to give it the attention it required. until my life basically fell apart and i was desperate, so i figured i'd give it a go. in short, it helped. tremendously. each chapter was challenging and hopeful at the same time.

i would recommend this book to anyone who hasn't already read it. or to anyone who has.