The packing box was weighty when the UPS man handed it to me. I saw the HarperCollins label, and my eyes grew wide. Could this be it, the book I had been waiting a month for? I quickly cut the tape and pulled the flaps open. There, among the crunched paper, was Shauna Niequist's "Savor."

In the words of my Dad, "That book's got one heck of a cover." Indeed. This devotional is linen bound, and the page edges are dyed indigo.

This looks like the kind of book that would make a superb birthday present- the recipient would be oohing and aahing as soon as they saw it.

And the subtitle? "Living abundantly where you are, as you are." That conjures up images of freedom, acceptance, grace, and peace.

OK. So we've established that this book looks and feels beautiful, but I don't use my books as decorations.

What's inside the cover? That's what I wanna know.

I was new to Shauna Niequist, so I did a wee bit of Googling. She's written three other books: Bittersweet, Cold Tangerines, and Bread and Wine.

A Starred Publishers Weekly review used the adjectives "humorous," "contemplative," "brave," "poetic," and "profound."

And now I can see why.

You see, Savor is 365 devotions, with a portion of them coming from her earlier works. This was perfect for me, because now I know that I want the full-length editions of her books on my shelf. Similarly, a long-time Shauna fan may want to add Savor to the collection because the devotional format presents the familiar material differently.

And what is the material? A whole bunch of lovely meditations on what it means to be human. As I read, I found myself thinking about so many things, asking myself little questions, and wanting to grab my favorite people and ask them questions too.

"What takes your breath away? What makes your heart beat faster? What private anniversaries do you grieve on dates you'll never forget? What memories do you cherish? Whose arms do want around you? What wrenches you to the core? Whose smile helps you face the world? And.... what tastes so good to you that you close your eyes to eat it?"

Shauna strikes an excellent note in her writing. It's urgent- live now, open your eyes, be present, stir the soup, kiss that beloved one- and it's reflective too. It's personal- after all, her inspiration is her life!- but by paying attention to her particulars, she somehow reaches the rest of us.

I was lamenting to my mother as I read that this will probably be sold as a "Woman's Book." It turns out Shauna already addresses this. I found an interview where she said she doesn't write for women, she writes for people. Like Timothy Willard's beautiful devotional was not only for men, Shauna's is not only for women. If you're a man and I catch you reading this, I'll smile, because you'll be absorbing good thoughts from your sister Shauna.

Let me close with a few quotes from the lady herself.

"I want to make God glad that He gave life to someone who loves the gift."

"Sacred and surprising things happen when we gather around a table and share food made with love and by our own hands."

"In many cases, change is not a function of life's cruelty but instead a function of God's graciousness."

"This is it, in the best possible way. Normal, daily life ticking by on our streets and sidewalks, in our houses and apartments, in our beds and at our dinner tables, in our dreams and prayers and fights and secrets. This pedestrian life is the most precious thing any of us will experience."

Thank you Shauna and Book Look Bloggers for providing me with a review copy.

If there are two things at the top of my favorites list, it would be reading and eating. I mean, clearly y'all know I love me a good recipe {hello meal planning mondays} and a good book. So when I saw a book up for review that encompassed both, I knew I had to review it!

When I first picked up Shauna's book and started reading, I felt as if I was sitting with a friend having a chat over coffee. Those are the types of books I love love love! Down to earth, straight talk. And this book sure doesn't disappoint! She combines stories and scripture to create 365 devotional essays that are real while being eloquent, smart while having soul. She encourages women to slow down and savor the ordinary moments that comprise our everyday lives those moments that are often overshadowed. Oh how I love that message! I think so many more of us women, wives and mothers could do with some slowing down and enjoying those little ordinary moments. {I feel a blog post coming on}

And, as women, we like pretty things right? Well hello gorgeous book! Oh my word. Its gorgeous! This book is a bound linen hardcover featuring Lindsay Letters work, and I think we can all agree that Lindsay Letters is kind of the best, right? I'm sure a sucker for pretty calligraphy. The pages are sturdy and thick, and the layout is simple yet beautiful. It's a book you just want to pick up and hold and when you're done, sit it on your coffee table for display.

This book was provided to me free of charge by Book Look in return for my honest review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

I have a very precious Catholic widow friend. She spends her life doing everything a good Catholic should do - attends mass regularly, volunteers - truly a precious woman, yet when we talk together about knowing Jesus on a intimate, personal level, she simply cannot comprehend this. That is for a few, but not a necessity or possibility for people in general. I had been praying for something to give her that would not only express my love for her, but God's love for her as well - and He led me to stumble upon this book (I had never heard of it before)! With short scriptures verses, the brief devotional (meaningful yet spoken in a language that anyone could grasp), the challenge for reflection for each day to ponder on, sprinkled with great recipes - THIS WAS IT! Her eyes sparkled and I know God will use it as a tool to help her learn to "savor" His Word and Himself! So rich! Thank you Shauna!

This is an excellent and uplifting daily book! The author feels like a friend writing about what she has learned in life, sometimes the hard way, plus some of the small things that make life rich! And some great recipes are inserted throughout!

We are a gulping people

A swallowing whole, planning the next mouthful before the bolus lands kind of people

Were that way with our food, too.

Savor by Shauna Niequist is a daily flavor of the Word

A slow down and think about it experience of considering one verse, one concept at a time.

Shauna describes the book as her attempt at paying attention, at clearing away space and noise. To facilitate this focus, she has arranged her writing in 365 daily readings, each with a relevant scripture verse and followed by a question or suggestion to guide the readers thinking. For example, Job 2:10 (Shall we accept good from God and not trouble?) leads Shauna to ponder the term bittersweet, to reflect on the idea that in all things there is both something broken and something beautiful. Her pondering is velvet, and her conclusion is steel:

When life is sweet, say thank you and celebrate, and when life is bitter, say thank you and grow.

Having thus whet the readers appetite for spiritual food, Shauna tantalizes the literal palette with twenty-one recipes from savory to sweet, sprinkled throughout the book, and accompanied by a story-behind-the-dish. Personally, I intend to start out by trying Blueberry Yogurt Morning Cake as a delicious treat to savor with my family around the breakfast table.

Savor is like a greeting in the daily conversation with God. Reading each days suggested verse in context will provide a more nourishing scriptural meal; recording meditations on the verses in a spiritual journal will allow the truth to digest; and bringing the daily thought forward into prayer and praxis will fortify faith and encourage growth. The goodness of God is everywhere. There is no profounder reason to enter into His creation all the gifts He has bestowed and to savor His grace wherever we find it.

This book was provided by Zondervan through the Book Look Bloggers program in exchange for my honest review.