I was so excited to see Kate Bowler had a new title. “ Have a Beautiful Terrible Day” weaves life’s complexities, blending vulnerability and wisdom seamlessly. This title offers a heartfelt reflection on the beauty and challenges inherent in our journey, making it a must-read for those seeking both solace and inspiration.

Sigh. How to start to describe this book.
Truly it was an honor to get to read an early copy of Have a beautiful, terrible day. I adore Kate Bowler with all of my heart and while I’m convinced that I would love and gush over anything she wrote - grocery lists, meal plans, anything really - this felt especially precious and personal.
A collection of blessings and reflections, this book can be devoured in a sitting or taken bit by bit, depending on your mood. There were so, so many blessings that spoke to the weariness in my spirit, that made me feel seen and understood.
I underlined enormous amounts of this book, and do truly feel that when I possess a paper copy, I will just keep it out, and read a bit of it every day for the rest of my life, and it will help me make it through.
At around 82% I got very weepy, because I knew it would be over soon, and I had felt so cared for reading it. '
Thank you Kate. You’re a true gem and we are all so lucky to have you.
And thank you to the publisher Convergent and to NetGalley for the digital ARC - I’m so grateful.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Kate did it again. With this new collection of blessings and reflections, Kate Bowler offers words of encouragement and hope, and void of cliches and tidy bows, for both the beautiful and the terrible days. (And the beautifully terrible, terribly beautiful days.) While her first book of blessings (The Lives We Actually Have: 100 Blessings for Imperfect Days) resonated with me more than this one, it's still a 4-star read and one I'll recommend -- especially for Lent or Advent, as this title offers daily readings for each. Thank goodness for writers who call it like it is while also helping us see the good, the beauty, the laughter, and the hope in the midst.

I will be posting my review on Jan. 16, 2024

Refreshing spiritual reflections challenging the societal emphasis on constant cheerfulness. Through bite-size insights and practical steps, she encourages embracing life's complexities—good, bad, or ordinary. Crafted during personal pain, Bowler's devotional fosters resilience, urging us to acknowledge diverse emotions. Similar to modern psalms, her reflections inspire courage, love, and honesty, fostering spiritual growth in everyday moments."

Kate Bowler always has an honest, sassy, and poignant way with words. This book feels very similar to her other books of blessings (“The Lives we Actually Have” and “Good Enough”) but through a new lens of emotional awareness. I appreciate her dedication to offering both the joys and trials in tandem, demonstrating that we don’t have to choose one. Her writing feels both understanding and encouraging. There are also daily entries for Lent and Advent. While I did read the book from beginning to end, the general meditations are designed to be read at any time, in any order. Even if you only read scattered entries sporadically, you will be blessed.

Thank you @convergent_books & @NetGalley for the eARC 🥰 All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Perfect for you if you like:
Bite-sized reflections and practical steps for daily living
Devotionals that resonate with real-life struggles and triumphs
Honest and witty insights on faith and life

Similar to:
The Lives We Actually Have by Kate Bowlder
Liturgies for Wholeness by Audrey Alledge and Elizabeth Moore
The Book of Common Courage by K. J. Ramsey

Have a Beautiful, Terrible day by Kate Bowler has just the right mix of aspiration and realness that I like. Bowler lives in the real world which is wonderful AND challenging and she holds onto and shares her faith through the ANDS. This book of reflections is a great tool for those of us who seek comfort and inspiration as we traverse the ANDS in our lives.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

Kate Bowler is a national treasure. She has a finger on the pulse of people. Things are beautiful and things are terrible all the time. And Kate Baowler can get right to the heart of that. She's unfailingly encouraging even though she is a realist. I love Kate Bowler And would read her grocery list, but this book is so much more than that. Another amazing book.

LOVED this book. I found such comfort in this book and absolutely felt "seen" while reading it. This book is a great companion to the upcoming potentially nasty/mean 2024 presidential election. Kate isn't preachy, just real and relatable. Highly recommend. Thanks to NetGalley for an early copy.

As always, Kate Bowler is a breath of fresh air—and Have a Beautiful, Terrible Day is no exception. Her thoughts on life’s ups and downs are so comforting. I already know I’ll reach for these meditations time and time again.

Thank you so much to the publisher and to NetGalley for the ARC! I can’t wait for the world to read this book.

I am a huge fan of Kate Bowler and her devotionals because her words and theology are able to hold the multiplicity of experiences in the world we inhabit: beauty and suffering, joy and sorrow, goodness and tragedy. If you, like me, need a spiritual resource that doesn’t rely on an effervescent insistence that you “do not be afraid,” then purchase this book. It will surely end up dog-eared on the nightstand. The titles for each of the 89 short reflections (including 36 for Lent and 7 for Advent) are meant to guide you in the order your heart and Spirit need. Choose from “ For whatever is on the calendar” or “For more love in your life,” for example. Each chapter begins with a verse from the Psalms and ends with a reflection question. Bowler writes with the wisdom of someone who knows just how terrible and unpredictable life can be but never loses sight of the beauty of life and God’s abiding presence.

Have a Beautiful, Terrible Day!: Daily Meditations for the Ups, Downs, and In-Betweens by Kate Bowler is a book of meditations and reflections for all types of scenarios. I especially appreciated the meditations for anxiety and worrying. “I’m a worrier, and you already know that. So here we are. And here I am, being what I am. God, open your heart to mine and pour in your peace. Let your mind flow into these scattered thoughts that seem to want to cling to worries And coalesce like metal filings to a magnet. I need your spirit to bless me with a calm that isn’t mine to create.” Highly recommend this book and her previous books. Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy. All opinions are mine.

A beautiful and inspiring collection of spiritual reflections that I can turn to whenever the need arises. I love that I can look at the contents and find just the right words, Biblical references and reflection prompts for the comfort I am seeking.

Each of these devotions will give you hope and grace. Kate Bowler always writes a great book that will leave you feeling good and important. Life is full of ups and downs but we can all make it through. This book will make a great gift and definitely one to keep on your nightstand.

Kate Bowler offers powerful and poignant observations. Wise, witty, with her characteristic representation of "it's ok to not be ok". Beautiful thoughts and blessings to reflect on each day. The writing is always so insightful and relatable.

The personalization of the many struggles we can experience is by far, the best aspect that I love about this book of blessings. Each blessing is tied to a scripture then reflection prompt . This is a great tool to reconnect with our deepest, most spiritual selves.

Another great resource from author Kate Bowler for imperfect people who have imperfect days. The entries can be chosen depending on what the reader needs for that day. I appreciate the heart of this book, which is that it's okay to not be okay, and that God/the Divine meets us just where we are at. Highly recommended. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

#HaveaBeautifulTerribleDay #NetGalley

A helpful resource for the gritty, complex, confusing human realities of a day-to-day faith. The themes and topics are excellent, though the style and format will work well for some and not as well for others. I thought it was refreshing to have a book voicing some of the experiences described in here.

I started and ended 2023 with Kate Bowler’s books of blessings. Her newest book, which comes out In January 2024, is a beautiful continuation of blessings for life in various situations and emotional experiences. Each blessing has a scripture focus and reflection prompt which are very accessible and written in easy to digest chunks. Her usual wit and humor shines through as well. There are blessings for each day of the Lenten season as well as the Sundays of Advent and Christmas. I highly recommend! Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

Kate bowler has a way of puzzling words together that is just so magnificent. Her words make you FEEL: move, cry and smile or even grin out loud.

My favorite way of reading this book is picking it up whenever there’s a feeling of MEH all around me. Like thistles are popping up all around me in my life. (Love the cover art) That’s the moment I pick up this thistle covered book. I browse through the table of contents and choose a blessing that fits the moment.

This book invites you to be honest, real, direct and as a next step to present that whole you to God, because that is who he made you to be.

The effect of this book on me is comforting: there’s humor, so much honesty about pain and life and also a giant dollop of gentleness.

Have a Beautiful, Terrible Day! has 89 meditations , some that really touched me were:
- For learning to rest
- When you judge everyone
- Feeling Meh
- Letting yourself be known
Plus there are blessings to read around Lent and Advent.

I especially liked the reflecting prompts, added at the end the meditations. They equip me to envision future moments in new perspective. I see an opportunity to use them as writing prompts while journaling.

So when life is giving you thistles, look at their marvelous blueish purple color and read a chapter or two of this book along the way.

Big thanks to NetGalley and Convergent Books | Random House for providing an advanced readers copy of this book in return of my honest review. Loved reading it!

This isn’t quite what I expected it to be. It felt wordier than need be and more religious as well. This isn’t quite what I would sell in my bookstore, but there is definitely an audience for it.

As always, Kate Bowler hit her mark. I love that this book can be used in so many ways. It has readings designed for specific spiritual seasons, like amazing Advent readings, but also for specific seasons of our soul, like dealing with unforgiving in our life. I could see myself giving this book to friends in need but also picking it back up time and time again to reread myself.