View from a Bouncy Castle (by Adrian Plass)

(Amazon UK link)

I always enjoy books by Adrian Plass. Some are so funny I laugh aloud, others give me tears in my eyes. All of them combine wry observational skills with pertinent theological comments and honest reflections about life and God.

'View from a Bouncy Castle' contains general anecdotes and fascinating ramblings. They show clearly how Plass combines his observations on life with his ability to spot God working at all times. He admits with candid honesty how often he fails: how he makes mistakes and gets things wrong, time after time. His wife often despairs, but his children - especially his youngest, daughter Katy - continue to trust him wholeheartedly.

He begins with a description of a bouncy castle for adults, where even the most uptight and rigid were eventually tempted to take off their shoes and lose their inhibitions. Adrian Plass then takes us on a somewhat random devotional journey. He is a gifted writer and I found that a lot resonated. 

I smiled, I felt moved, and I found much that provoked me to think. There's no deep theology, but plenty of reality. 

Recommended. Currently out of print, but can often be bought for good second-hand prices.