Book Review: Close Enough to Hear God Breathe

Close Enough to Hear God Breathe by Greg Paul
The great story of divine intimacy

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Before we start, I just have to warn you: this is the first book I've reviewed without reading it from cover to cover.  I've read the first section and a few random chapters, but I totally forgot about my reading schedule this week and am still scrambling to catch up.  I never like to review a book I haven't finished, but since this is nonfiction and I already have a very strong impression, I'm making an exception. (Also, if I were a normal shopper, my opinion would be made with the first few pages I read - so really, this will be just as honest a review as any other.)

When I chose this book, it was only because nobody else had yet.  I really didn't know what the book was about, or what genre it fit into.  It's not an 'about' book full of facts or detailed timelines, but it's still nonfiction.  It's not a devotional book, but it still focuses on God.  It's not fiction, but it still breathes life and imagination into the words.  It's a book of its own, rather beyond description or categorization.

I've never heard of this author before, and that's certainly my loss!  His writing style is one of the best I've ever read.  Very few authors can capture the 'talking-right-to-me' essence that Greg Paul has.  It's like we've known each other for years.  The Bibles stories shared are told like a father telling a bedtime story to his eight-year-old.  The examples are perfectly suited; the emotions are real.  The humanity of the author and the readers is right there, but so is the wonder of life and God.  To quote another reader, "This book has a heart that beats louder than most any book you'll ever read." (Leonard Sweet)

Each section is set apart and deals with a different aspect of life; yet the whole book ties together in some inexplicable way.  Each chapter starts as if it were its own book; yet there's no sense of disconnection.  The beauty of the words and the honest, open soul of the writer shines through to make this a truly inspiring work.  I give it 4.5 stars, only due to the use of non-KJV Bible passages.

I received this book for free through Booksneeze in exchange for this review.  All opinions expressed are entirely my own.