Fetch That Sounds Fun: The Joys Of Being An Amateur, The Power Of Falling In Love, And Why You Need A Hobby Penned By Annie F. Downs Copy

was a thoughtful read, Annies storytelling makes it read like fiction, but there is profound truth in there about enjoying our lives and why we dont prioritize that.


Makes me want to start a new hobby, . . Ive decidedis the year I get really good at Gotcha/Knockout, see yall on the court This is the book you dont know you need to read until you read it.
Encouragement for the one thats lost her way in the hard, finding herself having to fight for joy, needing to learn to not be so hard on herself.


Some quotes ::

“Everything has been slow to fall into place, including me, ”

“There must be something about Eden that is slow, that is changing, that is allowed to take time to grow on your soul.
Maybe theres a string that ties the work of harvest to slow love, to the lasting kind that burns like coals.
”

“There is no protecting your “savor this” from bruises, ”

“We need hobbies so we dont use social media as a hobby, ”

I love how Annie F, Downs authentically shares what is on her heart, She is a great example of what it looks like to pursue fun and live life to the fullest.
This book is all about what fun looks like, and she invites us in and encourages us to look for fun in our lives, too.


Annie talks about being an amateur and doing the things you love and that excite you just for the fun of it.
So often today we turn our hobbies into a small business or side hustle, I love how she reminds us to enjoy the thing you love to do, What a simple concept, yet something we don't pause to do,

Another part of this book that resonated with me was how we so often rush on to the next thing.
Annie talks about slowing down and fully allowing ourselves to sit in every moment, every phase of life.
Taking the time to feel all the emotions we are experiencing and living in the present is so important.
Good or bad, don't rush through it,

There are so many things about this book that resonated with me, but at one point in the book, I stopped taking notes or underlining because I just wanted to enjoy my reading experience.
So, I would encourage you to read this book for yourself, Annie may just remind you to look for fun in your life, too! A New York Times Bestseller!

We know there are certain things we must have to survivefood, shelter, and safety to name a few.
But there are also aspects of life that truly allow us to be joyful and fulfilled, For popular podcaster and bestselling author Annie F, Downs, fun is close to the top of that list, Few would argue that having fun doesn't enrich our lives, but so much gets in the way of prioritizing it.
Tough days, busyness, and feelings that are hard to talk about keep us from the fun that's out there waiting to be found.


With That Sounds Fun, Annie offers an irresistible invitation to understand the meaning of fun, to embrace it and chase it, and to figure out what, exactly, sounds fun to youthen do it! Exploring some research and sharing some thoughts behind why fun matters, she shows you how to find, experience, and multiply your fun.
With her signature storytelling style and whimsical vulnerability, Annie is the friend we all need to guide us back to staying true to ourselves and finding the fun we need.
I preordered this book releases in February amp as a perk you can download the audiobook when you preorder the hard copy.
I am mostly excited to receive the book because I submitted a blurb about “what sounds fun to me” and I shared a sentence about my niece Audrey.
Excited to have her sweet name in the book, I loved it so much, It was like she was reading words from my own brains heart and desires, I listened to the audiobook while working a housecleaning job, Annie is a powerful narrator of her own work, as you can hear her voice laughing and crying over the experiences she is sharing.
I love narrations that feel real like that, Annie's voice has done much to shape my views on the beauty of selfawareness, ministry, personal healing, and joy as a single Christian woman.
I loved the fresh glimpses of vision I gained from this book, as well as hearing many more of her wonderful stories.
I enjoyed Downs' perfectives on the importance of fun and amateur endeavors, but it felt really strange that the book is billed as a representing a famous pastor's take on how God encourages fun in everyday life.


Through anecdotes and observations, Downs ably defends the "all work and no play" maxim, but has to shoehorn in references to spirituality with asides like "and maybe that's how God tells us things," or "it was so good for my spiritual health.
" She repeatedly refers to the "search for your Eden," the spiritual happyplace where everyone is free to play as they will, feel at home where they will, and define their joy in such actions.
I understand the premise behind this statement, but chafe against the illustration drawn and how tangentially it relates to the God's word in any form except ".
. . and I really felt that this was God telling me X, . . ". Either write the book you advertised, and share what God actually teaches, or leave your religious credentials out of the equation altogether.
Maybe if I had listened to the author's podcast before this book, I would feel more connected to her.
I picked this up because I thought it would be about people or the author doing new things and embracing the fun of big and small adventures.
But, besides a goodminutes on the topic in the intro, the rest of the book is

an advertisement of her privilege.
There are TWO chapters that are just advertisements on wellness retreats that cost thousands of dollars, a chapter on how she used her connections to get a backstage look at Dolly Parton's Hallmark holiday special, and most of the stories are like an inside joke between the author and her friends.
The writing is flat all tell and no showing and she is hyperfocused on how single she is throughout the book even when she is talking about hobbies.
Spoiler alert: you can have hobbies as a single lady, Maybe this is on me for not knowing more about the author before I started reading but I went into this book hopeful based on the title and cover alone.
However, this book was NOT for me, and there were several times while I was reading it that I just wanted to stop.


This book screamed privilege to me, and never really had practical advice for finding yourself or your hobbies.
There was quite a bit of name dropping and the majority of the book is tied to religious metaphors which again might be on me for not knowing more about her or her podcast.
This book felt more like a long podcast episode where the author just tells about "big moments" in her life while you are expected to sit and nod along.
Also as an audiobook, the music overlayed on her speaking makes certain elements jarring and almost impossible to understand.


I don't feel like I learned anything, but, . . maybe this book has something for other people, Sorry, Annie I do enjoy your outgoing energy! I like listening to Annies podcast, but I didnt feel like she had anything super insightful to say here.
Nevertheless, I enjoyed her incorporation of “what sounds fun” to her listeners/readers and her willingness to be open about her journey.
I listened to the audiobook such a great way to interact with the content, The author narrates the book and it felt like having a conversation with her, I love her honesty and real encouragement, I need to become an amateur and embrace that, And the three interviews at the end were so good! Be sure to listen all the way to the end.
Such a good book! I expect authors to “show, dont tell”, This entire book was all telling, We couldnt feel her emotions because she would tell us outright, Annie has stories but lacks an authentic voice, Her greatest hardship seems to be the sale of the family home She is well traveled and doesnt appear to recognize the privilege in her stories.
Youre in love with a jacket in Scotland Holding back love in western culture is “probably mostly in men but often in women as well” At least cite evidence or something.
For all her travels, her writing is very ignorant, Translating a podcast and its theme into a book didnt go so well in this case, I'm not sure how this book came across my radar, but I was intrigued by the title: I'm a pretty serious person, a perfectionist, and I certainly need more fun in my life! Unfortunately I didn't find many practical takeaways in this book instead it was a collection of memoirtype essays centered around the author, Annie Downs.
She seems to have a nonstop personality, someone who has a life full of friends and speaking engagements and travel, and I don't relate to that at all.
So much of this book felt superficial to me is "fun" usually superficial That could be my problem.
Maybe this book would be helpful for some, but it just didn't do it for me, It was short enough to finish quickly, though, This was a fun weekend read I mean, if Annie is known for anything, its fun, so this was to be expected! it felt just like her podcasts, but in book form, and with just her voice, not conversations.
I appreciate learning from enneagrams like Annie, as awho moves towardwhen Im healthy, Her encouragement to fall in love with people and God and the beautiful world we live in and pursue new things just for the heck of it was timely for me! As Always, Always Annie continues to bring it home.
I have long loved her ability to make anyone laugh, her kindness, her love for Jesus, zeal for life and passion for making things fun.
This book is no exception,

May we all be amateurs at something, find a new hobby and create space to have fun.
May we find Eden again,

“I think when we go looking for fun what we are actually looking for is home.
We are looking for peace, We are looking for simplicity, something to fill that spot that has been left by growing up or growing out or moving on.
While we think we want fun, what we really want is Eden, ”

Also, my version of what sounds fun to me is printed IN THIS BOOK! Along with,other people, but still! This book sounded like fun, but it wasn't.
It was exhausting. It was like sitting in a coffee shop listening to someone talk and talk about themselves, I didn't identify with her needs and she didn't really use the Bible or her relationship with God to gain wisdom or share any wisdom.
This was my first book by this author, I'm hoping her others are better,.stars. Ill be perfectly honest. The past year and a half of my life, fun has been the last thing on my mind.


As Ive been dealing with sudden health issues since Oct, my world turned upside down and for many months just getting through the day was the goal.


However, as my body has SLOOOOWLY started to heal, I realized just how important it was to have things in my life that I enjoyed and made me smile! And honestly, thats why I started this bookstagram.
I couldnt get out of a bed, but I could listen to audiobooks!

And I just adored this book!! I have listened to Annie F.
Downs podcast for years and she and her guests have made a huge impact on my life and for that Im so thankful.
This book felt like it was written by and older sister that said, “Hey, heres what Ive learned about the joys of being an amateur, the power of falling in love and why you need a hobby!”

Some fave quotes:
“To know what sounds fun to you, what uniquely brings a level of joy and peace and simple rest to your heart, is what reminds you that Gods journey for your life includes glimpses of Eden that show up in smile lines on your face and laughter that sounds just like you and art made from your unique spot on this planet.
”

“This is where weve broken Western culture by hearing and repeating the lie that alone is strong in together is weak.
. . But its just not true, It lacks the center thing it lacks love, Isolation doesnt lead to flourishing isolation leads to death, What we need is love, ”

“ I sat with a friend a few days ago and she said, “You show what matters most by what you say yes and no to, by who gets your time and money.
” It really made me think about hobbies, about friendship, and about the speed at which Im living my life.
”.