A Snarky but Authentic Spiritual Memoir - Angry Conversations with God

Not counting school assignments, this may be my first* official book review:
It's good.

Maybe that's too vague, so let me elaborate:

It's really good.

Still too short?

It's really, really good.

I suppose I could quote the front cover and say:

It's "A Snarky But Authentic Spiritual Memoir".

I heard Susan Isaacs speak at the Polk Theater in Lakeland on July 1, 2011. I enjoyed her humor and talk so much, that I bought her book. I also got her autograph. I already had so many books; and I got tired of reading at some point. But I finally started reading her book last Wednesday; and I'm so glad I did. What a treasure! It's good. It's really good. It's really, really good.

The premise of the book is: Since the author and God are supposed to be married; and the author's not happy about how their relationship is working out, she takes Him to couples counselling. So she reveals moments from her life; and the she, her therapist, and God (the Father) and sometimes Jesus too work through the issues involved.

I enjoyed the author's sense of humor and her openness about her life, her mistakes, her struggles with faith and God. I found the book engaging, intriguing, entertaining, and uplifting.

Too bad we didn't know each other growing up, because we sound perfect for each other: Lutheran, love comedy, love to write, love the Beatles, and more. The Lutheranism alone should've sealed the deal.

Besides being funny and heart-wrenching, this book offers some of the most profound theological statements I've encountered:

From page 209:

"The body thirsts because it needs water and water exists. The soul longs for purpose because it needs it, and because it exists. And I wouldn't long for God if he didn't exist. I am taking this personally because I am personal. And I don't think that an impersonal God could create humans to be personal. So I'm taking this personally from a personal God."

From page 215:

"I got this strange sensation that God was with me. And he was angry. He was very angry--not at me and not at Jack. God was angry at the pain I was going through. I wondered if that was why God hated sin, because of the destruction it caused. For a moment I felt awe for a God who loved me enough to hate the things that hurt me without hating me for causing them."

I enjoyed watching her dealings with, and understanding of, God change and grow into a mature relationship.

Don't let the title scare you away, this book relates the author's spiritual journey with humor, truth, turmoil, and insights. And at times, she's sarcastic, but like she points out several times throughout the book:

"Sarcasm is a viable form of communication."

Blessings & Joy,
Dean Burkey
Author of "Holy Laughter! Humor in the Bible"

* I posted three other book reviews on the store before posting this one, but I wrote this one for my Heaven-Bent blog before writing the other three.

This is very much a book only Christians would look at and in the beginning even for a Christian I did find it a bit silly. The therapy sessions with God and Jesus coming out and speaking I did find ridiculous. As I continued reading though I began to like it more and recognized myself in that I often believed that God was leading me somewhere. This notion would look almost insane to a non-believer. I have since given up on the idea that God is leading me somewhere or if He is, it was not a place I necessarily wanted to go. I think the author came to a similar realization as I did and that is why she felt so disappointed. I didn't like her saying that this is a middle-class White girl's problem maybe middle-class but certainly not a white girl problem only. It resonated because many times I have felt very disappointed in God.

I think my favorite books are spiritual biographies and pilgrimages, including Surprised by Joy, by C.S. Lewis or the Russian Orthodox classics, Way of the Pilgrim and Father Arseny. While Angry Conversations with God may not have the theological depth of Lewis or the spiritual depth of the Russian books, it is both honest and humorous (OK, "snarky"), while travelling the often barren landscape of Evangelical Christianity in the late 20th Century.

I found that many of Isaac's experiences paralleled those of my own during roughly the same time period, but it was interesting to see things through the eyes of a woman. One of the turning points in her life, near the end of the book, was when she began writing a gratitude list each day. That was also a turning point for me, and I found it gratifying to find that it was an important part of her journey.

Another turning point in her journey, although only briefly mentioned in the book, was her visit to a monastery. I have done a similar thing and also found it to be quite helpful.

Since I have had to navigate the dating life as a divorced Christian male for a few years, it was interesting to see how a Christian single woman percieves the dating and relationship thing.

So while this is not a theological treatise, or even a spiritual classic, it was worth the time to peek into someone else's spiritual journey.

There is a proverb that says that each heart knows its own bitterness and no one can share in its joy. Susan Isaac's case is different. She does such a good job describing her bitterness, I could easily relate with my own story. I used to think that God liked picking on me until more things happened that led me to the knowledge that God straight up hated me. I was fully convinced.

Isaac is relentless in not letting God off the hook. The book is one part Royal Rumble (get it?) and two parts Wrestlemania. She isn't about to stuff her conflict with God and pretend things are fine. In the process of taking God to task, she is relevant, authentic, and transparent. She is also funny. Really funny. I'm not kidding you. The girl is hysterical. I can't remember the last time I laughed out loud so many times. The highlight comes when she takes a few shots at the book "I Kissed Dating Goodbye". I've so often longed to punt that book into the ocean.

Along with Isaac, I found myself raging against God. I felt her pain so much, I was ready to jump into the ring and fight the cosmic bully along with her. I knew that He could easily destroy the both of us, but there is strength in numbers and at least we would go down swinging. Like Ms. Isaac, though, I softened as the story progressed. Despite how forsaken she felt, God was faithful and had been with her all along. Not only that, but He was using all that pain to make her even more beautiful.

This book is for anyone who wants to tell God to go to hell. Of course, God did go to hell and came back three days later. The scars on his body remained. Still, they didn't show everything. The most wounded region must have been God's heart. Listen to these words from Jesus: "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!" Can you see the pain there?

This book was an excellent reminder that God wants our hearts. If our hearts are bruised and bleeding, He wants that too.

This book was provided for review by the publisher.

Anne Lamott, once wrote that laughter is "the carbonated form of the Holy Spirit." If that is true then Susan Isaac's new book pops like bottle of Perrier dropped off the Empire State Building.
"Angry Conversations with God; a Snarky but Authentic Spiritual Memoir," blazes its own trail by taking an approach often missing in similar autobiographical works. Turning an unflinching eye on her own life, Isaacs manages to maintain a level of honesty which drives her story straight to the heart.
Once a member of the Los Angeles improvisational group the Groundlings, Isaac's comic timing shines across her sometime dark story. But it takes on laugh-out-loud status when she visits churches in her native Southern California in an attempt to find some anchor as her career and personal life unraveled. After dozens of guest spots on such television shows as "Seinfeld" and "My Name is Earl" her career as an actress tanked and her personal life was even more bleak.
During this time, Isaacs was told that God was the lover of her soul, and that she needed to embrace the concept of this "romance of faith." She concluded instead that if her relationship with God was like a marriage, then she was in a bad marriage, one that needed counseling. So she set out to find a counselor willing to provide marriage counseling between herself and God.
The book grew out of what started as an idea for one-woman show Isaacs put together in a writing class. Encouraged by the other students in the class and the woman who led the class, Isaacs worked out her spiritual journey publicly and honestly.
The result is a genuinely funny book which also dares to discuss issues rarely touched on in a Christian autobiography, including sexuality and single Christians.
One note: While I enjoyed the book, the audio performance of this book,, is even more engaging, highlighting Isaacs' riptide wit and laser timing.

Who does not bring their own checkered past and frustrations to this kind of story? Who has not wondered what God can possibly be up to, in view of the dubious ways he shapes our paths? -- That said, here's my disclaimer: Part of the impact this outstanding book has on me was due to the many ways I relate to the pilgrimage Susan Isaacs relates. But (a corollary disclaimer) I'm confident anyone in our schizoid society who knows the meaning of honest doubt will be transfixed by this story as I am.

My advice is to get hold of "Angry Conversations" and strap yourself in. You will see the amazing, probing questions Susan has asked, but you'll be asking your own as well -- and learning more about the amazing God who inspires and welcomes such questions, both from hearing the author's statements observations comments and riffs but even more from bearing your own struggles before God without a precondition.

One lesson this book teaches, by demonstration, is far beyond price: how costly and precious it is to finally achieve the utter openness that a true encounter with the Almighty requires. As if that weren't enough, the book also teaches how to smile and even laugh through the tears wrung from the pain of healing, a process that often includes debridement (cutting away dead tissue) and cautery (purifying wounds with fire). Part of what has to burn up is the humanly distorted view of God every one of us has, and everyone faces a unique struggle to come to terms with their own self-deceptions about God and find the joy of handing them over to be torched.

I won't presume to quote any of this sparkling book. In my view it would diminish the place of each quote in the sweep and wonder of the story (no disrespect to any reviewer who does use quotations). I might only reduce a quote to a one-liner, when in reality it's probably the crown jewel of a set piece that may go on for pages. Trust me: You'll find the great lines, and they will pay off as you meet them, in the heart of the story, whether they are howlers, groaners, or jaw-dropping moments of revelation that let you feel the gale of the Spirit roaring through the vastness.

I compare this book favorably to "The Spiral Staircase" (by Karen Armstrong) and "Crazy for God" (by Frank Schaeffer) as a top-tier memoir of Christian frustration and discovery. In contast, however, Susan is one of us, neither a triumphant but finally disillusioned nun nor the equally disillusioned son of an Evangelical statesman.

In the course of reading Isaacs's book, I was reminded of the implacable Anne Lamott and her series, "Traveling Mercies," "Plan B," and "Grace (Eventually)," which series one may hope is to be continued.

If you know and love the searing, uncompromising reflections of any of these writers, you will treasure "Angry Conversations with God," welcome Susan Isaacs to their bracing company -- and advance a few leagues along your own pilgrimage into the bargain.

1. Not for anyone looking for Christian platitudes or easy answers.
2. Will cause sustained periods of uncontrollable laughter.*
3. Reader may not be able to put this one down...

...and if you do, your friends will steal it. Trust me. I'm currently awaiting a second copy, and I'm pretty sure I know who will want to "borrow" it next.

Susan Isaacs delivers the goods with Angry Conversations. It's wonderfully insightful, refreshingly honest, and completely hilarious - in short, a Christian book I can actually recommend (at long last).

Buy one - or three - today.

*If uncontrollable laughter persists beyond four hours, call your doctor.

My favorite Memoir of the year--I LOVED IT! Okay, so taking God to marriage counseling? Are you serious? But hey, for years Christians have claimed they felt married to God, so if you are mad at God, doesn't it sound reasonable to take him to counseling with you? Comedy writer and accomplished actress Susan Isaacs answers that question and proves that no true comic can ever be considered shallow! This memoir is anything but a joke! Indeed, she really took God to marriage counseling, and we get to have a seat next to her during the therapy. And frankly, on many occasions you may find yourself right there agreeing with her and shouting, "Hey, God, what's up with that? Shape up and apologize!" Is it irreverent? No. It is honest. Can you be a Christian and still be angry at God? Absolutely! Don't skip the introduction, or you'll miss a lot of vital background for her story. Angry Conversations with God is a must read for every women who has ever been or currently is single! I was absolutely absorbed in every page of this book. How can I accurately describe this deep and hilarious memoir? Let's see... it's "Girl Meets God" meets the "Shack". Yes, that's it. Basically, this is the true story of the once single, but-didn't-want-to-be, Susan Isaacs who gets fed up with God and her life, after decades of constantly trying to PLEASE God in the midst her husband search which occurs in the midst of her fledgling career as an comedian/actress/television writer. At the end of her rope, Susan sincerely decides she needs counseling and drags God along with her because frankly, she's angry. Did all her devotion bring her the husband and fame she craved? NO. It was her friends and exes who got the spouses and starring roles in hit sitcoms and SNL, not her. What's up with that? So she took God to marriage counseling! And what this comedy writer reveals to us from those real life counseling sessions is worth every moment you spend in her book. Susan impersonated both Jesus and God in her real life sessions with real life counselors (who didn't have her committed by the way). What she discovered were the answers to such questions as "Does God even care about the details or our life?" Or "Is He up there just to tease us and pull the rug out from under us?" Curl up on your couch and devour every page!

Susan's new book, Angry Conversations with God, is real, relevant and very readable. Everything she said I could relate to in my own faith journey. How creative- to interject honest, real conversations with God as if God were a counselor.

I loved how she shared her questions about why her Christian friends were at first so against her artistic interests while she found her non-Christian friends so accepting. Yet, then she found Christian friends who were into art.

I appreciated Susan's insight into feeling guilty about decisions she made and being able to come back to God anyway; yet, there was never a feeling of cheap grace, just, a God who, as my pastor says, is a God of second chances.

I valued the thoughts on each of the churches she visited when she decided she needed to find a new church. Many believers can relate to the various churches she visited. Many believers have found themselves in such churches. She approached these situations with humor and never judgment. We all long for a place of fellowship.

This is a refreshing faith memoir. Very honest, without going overboard. Susan has a very down to earth tone and story telling manner.

I had never heard of Susan before reading this book and am happy to recommend it to anyone out there wrestling with their Christian faith. In the end, the message is clear- keep up the dialogue with God, be honest with Him and He will be there for you. The book offers hope and humor as does Susan's life.

Cornelia Seigneur
West Linn, Oregon

Susan Isaacs was able to argue with God by taking him to marriage counseling. She was able to explain her doubts and get some interesting, if not distressing answers. She tells her experience in tongue in cheek prose and in this way I learned that it's ok to question and go through periods where there are no real answers.

Susan Issacs' style is honest and witty. She approaches her beefs with God with imagination and humor and is every bit as good as Anne Lamott.

You don't have to be in the Hollywood entertainment industry to empathize with her feelings of getting short changed and feeling that "since relative to many I'm privileged, but still my middle class tragedies matter."

I'm recommending this book to many of my friends. (I'd recommend it to all, but some just won't get it. If you knew who I was thinking of you'd agree . . . or not.)

In Angry Conversations with God: a Snarky but Authentic Spiritual Memoir, Susan Isaacs finds herself as a middle-aged, educated white female in Los Angeles at age 40 questioning God as most do in our teen years. Being a devout "Bible-believing, Jesus-loving Lutheran" Susan is always interconnected with God, like the bond of a marriage (3). Yet she always feels that He is throwing obstacles in the way of her happiness. She tried all types of Christian denominations; Pentecostals, "Rock `n' Roll Slackers for Jesus", and Presbyterian ....but she still yearned for her true connection with God. But other than going to church how was someone supposed to confront "The invisible man?" After speaking with a friend she answers her own question with "God and I need to go to couple's counseling. Because we're not getting along" (7).
Angry Conversations with God by Susan E. Isaacs was definitely nothing I expected from the introduction on. I thought it would be another long, tedious winding journey of someone's spiritual calling where in the final chapters, it's "...I found God..." and then The End. But any good memoir should have many short stories that are used to make up the author's true revelation, and this book is one of the best depictions of this by far. Each chapter of this book is an important short-story of Susan's life; each feels told as if she's right next to you, or telling you about her day over the phone. As I read further I started to see the connections between the stories, which eventually led Susan to her personal definition of spiritual happiness.
However, just because this book is considered a "spiritual memoir" does not necessarily mean you need a religious background to get something out of this book. However, it is certainly for those, young and old, who question "God, Why me?" and are looking for guidance and answers in their own life. Yet please be aware this memoir is not just an "I love Jesus" book, but rather a "deeply touching, powerful book of hope", as Nancy Stafford comments on the inside cover. A perspective reader should also be advised that as a comedian, Susan Isaacs writes not only with passion, but also with a titillating array of humorous "snarky" remarks (snarky here may have meaning profane or derogatory language, but which is neither overdone or offensive, or snarky in the humorous remarks she makes on her own thoughts) such as "The glory of God was man....Rrrrrrawr"; speaking about her first intimate relationship after fourteen years of self-proclaimed celibacy (105). I feel that these types of comments, which I never saw coming, help make the true connection between author and reader, as I could almost always relate to exactly what she was saying.
Susan suddenly finds herself scoping out the local scene of therapists after she hit rock bottom when four friends get married in one summer, and to top it all off she saw her almost-fiancé French-kissing with another women just after they broke up (1). She falls across Rudy, who was once a pastor, and decided to let him help guide her through her troubles, since after all he was "cheap" and "wouldn't call the psych ward" (9). At the first meeting Rudy is a bit confused at first, who is the man of this relationship? Susan replies, "God". But they stumbled onto a problem, how would God and Jesus participate in the therapy sessions, after all They are not "real." They both figure, why not role play for each session? So at times God may have the voice of Susan's subconscious, or Rudy may jump in and ask questions as Jesus would. To begin Rudy asks Susan, "For every session, I want you to write about a period of your life, and bring it in, and we'll discuss it. Tell me where that angry, sarcastic God the Father came from. Tell me about the Jesus who loved you but didn't intervene..." (16).
Susan starts writing from the beginning. From birth Susan has had a connection with God, as she feels He had chosen her, so she pledged to stand by Him. Susan felt her non-religious father was always too obsessed with her older brother Rob to care about anything in her life, from grades and troubles in school, to why she may have been upset. Yet her mother is a religious woman and this causes tension between her parents; Susan sees the heartache this causes; but she also sees the happiness in her mom when she prays to God in private, Susan desperately wants this connection with God. So in college Susan decides to do some soul-searching to determine who her God actually is, and how she can please Him and in turn be happy with that relationship.
Each chapter is its own mini-story where Susan writes of different struggles that have lead to her question her relationship with God. She speaks of times of struggles with bulimia and alcoholism that lead her to 12-step programs. There are also stories on how she could not get a hold on her acting career, but yet her friend's careers were booming and their love lives were blossoming. Susan also shares the one moment where she felt, "If this is a marriage between God and me, this was the moment I walked out" (121). There are also periods of tear-jerking memories of finding love, losing loved ones, and stories of hope and defiance. But as each story hits a climax it gradually fades into the present, back into the therapy room, where Susan, Rudy, God and Jesus all try and resolve the underlying problem.
Overall this is a great book, for everyone dealing with everyday issues of life and for people trying to re-connect with their spirituality. Susan Isaacs is also very honest in this book both with the reader and herself. Her words are not of pity but of strength and courage, which keep you flipping the pages.

Works Cited:
Isaacs, Susan E. Angry Conversations with God: a Snarky but Authentic Spiritual Memoir. New York: FaithWords, 2009.

"These were nothing but middle-class white girl's tragedies. But I was a middle-class white girl, with a middle-class white girl faith. In fact, my middle-class white girl's tragedies ceased to be the tragedy at all: the tragedy was God's response--total silence. I couldn't hear God or see God or sense God anywhere or in anything. Some people call this the Dark Night of the Soul. It was dark, all right. And silent. And I was alone." (p. 6).

This was the statement that sealed the deal for me to buy this book. Susan's honesty and wit are just two things I love about her writing. As Christians, we buy into this idea that we should never question our faith and if we do, we definitely shouldn't discuss it. I'm not sure if we think God's going to smite us from heaven or we're going to be kicked out of the church. Regardless, it's my hope that WHEN we struggle, because we all will, church is the place where we feel embraced to process through our hurts, our misconceptions about God, and where we fit into his grand plan. Susan's approach of taking God to couples counseling allows her to come face-to-face with her own perceptions of God and through a wise counselor to peel back the truth of where these perceptions come from and to see God for who He really is. And then comes the ultimate choice: once those perceptions are revealed and the true God comes forward, will she still choose to follow Him and make their marriage work or will she choose to follow her life-long dream of being a successful actress and comedian and divorce God once and for all? Susan's book is exactly what the front cover says, "snarky but authentic"! You'll find yourself laughing out loud and nodding in agreement at some of the preposterous encounters she has with other Christians and different types of churches she becomes involved in. Through each encounter, God is teaching her something new, even when she feels it's driving her further away from Him.

I recommend this book for anyone who's ever asked those really hard faith questions, for anyone who's ever been disillusioned by the church, for anyone who's felt hurt or angry at God but been afraid to voice it. You're not alone.

Angry Conversations with God: A Snarky but Authentic Spiritual Memoir
Susan Isaacs is a writer, actor and performer with credits in TV series, film, stage and radio. She earned her MFA in screenwriting from the University of Southern California and is an alumna of the Groundlings Sunday Company. She is the author of "Angry Conversations with God: A Snarky but Authentic Spiritual Memoir". Growing up, she was a middle class girl who had everything going well for her. Although, she does develop some daughter-father relationship problems, which later becomes a problem she has with God. She further compares God with her Dad after a couple's therapy session when she learned God was revengeful. She said, "And who would love God who liked evil? I understood, sort of. God's anger made sense, not like my dad's. God got angry at evil; Dad got mad at anything" (Isaacs 31). The lack of proper relationship with her father from childhood is seen to have an adverse effect over the course of her life and this drives her to finding a good and stable relationship with God, the Church and in men. In her introduction, she explains her relationship with God and the couple's therapy she attends alongside God. She documents the dialogue that goes on between her, Rudy (her therapist) and God during therapy sessions. As she tries to reconcile with God during these sessions, she also credits God for the misery she experiences in her life.

I bought Angry Conversations with God Saturday after seeing Susan speak in Atlanta. I finished the book four days later and immediately wanted to read it again, post a link on facebook and buy copies for all my friends for Christmas. Why? This book made me laugh, cry and check my nightstand to make sure Susan Isaacs hadn't stolen all my journals and shared my story (only with better vocabulary, funnier situations and clearer epiphanies). She touches on all the "hot spots" women skirt around regarding our inner thought life and our relationships, and how true faith and false religion intertwine through it all. She masterfully guides the reader along like a best friend being let in on all the drama of her tumultous relationship with the version of the God who resides in her head, from her time first falling in love with Him to the "break-up" and everything in between. She is refreshingly honest in her pursuit of what she wants, weaving in hilarious insights into her life that make you want to read them out loud to someone, anyone, and laugh along with her. You will see yourself in Susan's journey if you have ever questioned what you believed, who you loved or what you thought life was supposed to be.

Frankly, I've had angry conversations with God, but they were not the sort of conversation other people would find entertaining or even remotely helpful. I wasn't clever enough to imagine going to an actual therapist for "couple's counseling" with the Almighty, as Susan so ingeniously did.

My angry conversations with God, were I to have transcribed them, would have sounded more like a freaked-out lunatic, screaming into the wilderness, imagining that nobody sees or hears but God. However, other people did see. For example, when I drove around in my car, bellowing at God and imagining the steering wheel I pounded was God's chest, I was subsequently approached by strange men at the top of the mountain from which I intended to hurl myself... And after each of them left, I raged all the more at God, for not sending me to interfere with my friend's suicide the way that those three men had interrupted mine.

But instead of a "downer," or a "bummer" of a "God-doesn't care about us" rag, Susan has crafted marvelous comedy out of the sincere anguish of her soul. She's honest, transparent, and authentic-- can I be more redundant? This is why I'm not a published author.

I see, from other reviews, that it's not all comical-- and that some of Susan's "Angry Conversations" will evoke tears. I have only read excerpts, and I'd love to read more. I will urge all my friends to buy the book and then I'll try to borrow it from one of them. But if I could afford it, I'd buy one for myself, and after I read it, I'd probably buy a couple more, as gifts. Every page of the sample was fascinating and entertaining. I am sure the rest of it is equally marvelous.

This witty book takes the notion of a "personal relationship with G-d" to its logical conclusion, as Susan takes her Heavenly Partner to couple's counseling. Makes sense - if you want your relationship to work, you have to work on it.

Her journey through family, career and search for love are all part of her spiritual journey - and in addition to being funny, her story has a way of digging in and becoming emotionally moving as well.

If you are the kind of Christian that likes your books neat and tidy, filled with bon mots that prove yet again how good we are (while the world is evil), this isn't your book. Susan's journey is real, honest and oh so very frank. Warts and all are on display - Susan's, the church's, and even G-d's (or at least the G-d we think we know).

And, if you are like me, you will be glad you took the journey, as Susan's counseling sessions with G-d might just save you some therapy expenses of your own.

-Sean Gaffney [...]

I loved this book. I couldn't really stop reading it at times, and as I got to the final pages, I got a bit depressed that it was about to end. I was reading a lot of Susan Issac's brave memoir on an airplane seated next to a large biker-dude who must have wondered what was wrong with me, giggling uncontrollably one minute & surreptitiously wiping tears away the next. I know all too well the pain & loneliness of singleness, but Susan gave a voice to my thoughts. She also pointed out the platitudes that people and the church offer to us who suffer that often can be more confusing & damaging, rather than helpful. As she honestly and comically grapples with God in counseling, she peels away the layers of her soul before us, allowing us to peel back layers of our own hardened and wounded hearts....and leaves us feeling hopeful and not embittered about the ways we may have been burned by life.

I was a bit trepidacious about reading this book at first glance, since I was not familiar with the author or her work. A few pages in, any misgivings I had were gone. It was clear that not only was this woman clever and funny, she was aggressively persuing God and struggling to find answers that made real sense. (Even if that meant taking God to couples counseling.)

There is nothing beige about this book. It is full of color, life, passion, pain, and lots of sarcastic humor, (my favorite kind). It is honest and blunt, but not in a gratuitous or offensive way. This is a person talking candidly about her life, her trials, her pain, and her complicated relationship with God. This is truth.

I have read dozens and dozens of "Christian" books, and with a few exceptions, have been largely disappointed. This book took me by surprise and brought me to a place, spiritually, I have not been in a long, long time. It brought me closer to God, helped me understand myself a little better, and left me feeling hopeful and energized. What more could you want from a book? I can't wait for the movie!

Angry Conversations with God: A Snarky but Authentic Spiritual Memoir

This is directly from an email I wrote about this book and thought it was important to share it here:

"Often reading peoples "Spiritual Memoirs" I get unusually angry and often feel like "okay, well, that was great... FOR YOU" and then not get anything out of the book. For the first time I was able to read this book and relate. So much of what Susan went through in her life are things I am going through NOW, it was an incredible thing to REALLY see that it's not "just me" and that it doesn't HAVE to be this way."

Also, thanks to Susan's incredible book I know it's possible to love Jesus and John Lennon.

As a liberal/mystical/liturgical/conservative Christian, I am fairly picky about the Christian literature that I use to feed my soul. I initially read "Angry Conversations" because I think Susan Isaacs is funny, and I thought "why not give it a try?" The book, however, was far deeper and more challenging than I anticipated, and I fairly quickly began reading it again - this time with a highlighter in my hand. Then I gave that copy away, so now I am on to copy #2, and also have organized a group of folks I know to read it and then meet to discuss it in late June. It's that kind of a book for me; I want to pass it on.

Susan does a fantastic job of showing that God is not threatened by our anger, or sarcasm or depression or mid-life crises. I think He might even like it - as long as we are honest with him and ourselves. Well done!

I enjoyed reading this, but the end was disappointing. Susan builds a strong case about God's neglect in their relationship, but the book ends with a sort of "That is how God is" response. Which is frustrating to someone like myself still struggling to understand God.

Before I had even finished reading this book I began mourning the loss of it when I'd be done. I wanted the book to go on and on. Isaacs' honesty, sarcasm, and heartfelt retelling of the events in her life is a fresh breath in the cookie-cutter Christian book section. Read it. You will not be disappointed and you will feel as if you made a new friend. I can't wait for her next book!

Very few are bold and brave enough to share their spiritual journeys as openly and honestly as Susan has. She asks and sometimes even answers the tough questions that so many struggle with. Her book has crossover appeal for the 'churched' and unchurched alike and is far from preachy.
She is an excellent writer and I am so anxiously anticipating her next book!

Susan Isaac's book "Angry Conversations with God" .... Probably one of the most honest books I've read in a while. She is honest about struggle, feelings, resentments - some of the really ugly stuff but all wrapped in candor and grace. Five stars, for sure.

Probably the most honest, down to earth, REAL, yet hopeful! book on a walk with Jesus I’ve ever read. My husband and I LOVE this book and have purchased so many copies to give away to friends. The way Susan describes it in her subtitle is best— a snarky yet authentic spiritual memoir. I wish we were neighbors!! She seems like a friend anyone would be lucky to have.