Remember seeing a viral video of a mom laughing hysterically in her car with a Chewbacca mask ? Well, she has turned her fifteen minutes of fame into an effort to bring joy back into the lives of others. Her latest production is not another viral video, but a book.
Laugh It Up: Embrace Freedom and Experience Defiant Joy by Candace Payne is what I would call a hybrid book. Part self-help, part memoir, with a little bit of Christian faith mixed together to create a how-to manual of finding joy in life.
The memoir part of the book is interesting although not spell-binding (at least for me). She gives fairly solid advice in the self-help genre, which I would say is the bulk of the book. As for why it is published by a publisher known for Christian books, I’m not quite sure. You can tell she is a Christian, but the faith piece is the weakest part of her book. Mind you, this is no judgment of her personal faith, but the book lacks strong ties back to the Bible.
If you are looking for one of those laugh-out loud Christian books – this isn’t it. It is mildly amusing, but I don’t recall laughing at any point. If you are seeking a book to help you find your joy again, this one is probably as good as any others on the subject. I noticed there are study guides and videos you can purchase which may add some deeper spiritual depth, but the book itself is very light in Bible to try and use for a Bible study. You would have to do a lot of additional work to make it a worthwhile Bible study (and there are probably better books if that is what you need).
All in all, this book will keep you mildly entertained. For those who need help finding their joy, you will get a few good tips. The book isn’t a waste of your money, but I wouldn’t run to the bookstore to make sure you get a copy.
This book was given to me in exchange for my honest review. An affiliate link is included for your convenience.