Book Review: That Sounds Fun by Annie F. Downs
Book Review: That Sounds Fun by Annie F. Downs
13 August 2022
In her new book, ‘That Sounds Fun’, New York Times bestselling author Annie F. Downs shares that a return to fun is a return to Eden.
In a world that celebrates the hustle and bustle of life, fun can be hard to come by. For writer, speaker and podcaster Annie F. Downs, fun is a way of life. And in her book, That Sounds Fun, she explores how to live a meaningful life as a Christ follower – one that is rich with the joy of being an amateur, the power of falling in love and having a hobby.
Annie is well-known in North American church circles for her joy and zest for life – as a single 40-year-old woman in the south, she has forged her path in a patriarchal Evangelical culture, heading her own business, becoming a bestselling author and headlining her own podcast.
Her ability to do these things with a fierce and healthy vulnerability makes her a friend of people on the outer. She does this through storytelling, and in That Sounds Fun, which acts as part memoir, part humble self-help book, she guides us through the peaks and valleys of her life.
In part one, Annie addresses the importance of fun, emphasising that finding fun is a core value of the Christian life because it invites us back to the Eden-like relationship we were made to have with God.
She expertly holds the whimsy of life with the fragility of pain – going from hilarious stories about her time on a Hallmark movie set (she is not an actor) to her struggle with chronic migraines.
In part two, she bravely opens up about life as a single woman over 30, discussing the joy of becoming BFFs with her best friend’s children. At the same time, she respectfully speaks on heartbreak, disappointment and what happens when your God-dreams aren’t a reality yet. And in part three, she ventures into the realm of hobbies, daring us to try something new just for the fun of it.
Throughout Annie’s stories, the foundational truth of God’s goodness and faithfulness is paramount, without being filled with jargon. Reading a book by Annie makes you feel as if you are her best friend – and for that reason, this is a comforting and challenging read for anyone on the cusp of wanting more from life. Importantly, she also rewrites the cultural narrative around single females in church culture, highlighting the strength, worth and tenacity of all women irrespective of their relationship status now or in the future.
That Sounds Fun is available at Christian bookstores.
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