Last Updated on 2022-07-08 by Joop Beris
The book “Atheist Tiki Hour” popped up in my Twitter feed a couple of days ago, as a result of me following the author. She goes by the nickname of “Logospilgrim” on Twitter and pretty much anywhere else you care to look for her. As it turns out, she has her own WordPress blog as well. I promised her a review when I finished reading so without further ado, here is my review of “Atheist Tiki Hour, your guide to a secular blast”.
I have reviewed the Kindle edition of “Atheist Tiki Hour” so I didn’t literally open the book. However, when opening the book, you can’t help but notice that this is no ordinary book. Much like the author, it has a sense of uniqueness and quirkiness about it that will either attract or repel you. I am not one to shy away from unique or quirky. In fact, I am rather attracted to people who dare to be themselves. So when I started reading, I knew I was going to finish this book.
“Atheist Tiki Hour” is a highly personal book. Logospilgrim reveals a lot about her life, without ever going into specific events or mentioning specific people. She does this in the form of a monologue. The reader is encouraged to think of him- or herself as being in a bar (of the Tiki kind, of course), having a conversation over drinks. As the monologue goes on, you learn more about the authors’ past, her struggles in life and especially in faith. I don’t think I am ruining the ending by saying that eventually, Logospilgrim rejects religious faith and embraces atheism.
I enjoyed the familiar way the reader is addressed which is very reminiscent of the atmosphere of an actual bar. There is little in the way of explanation of concepts, theory or complicated arguments. Her writing style seems careless, meandering, as an actual conversation over drinks generally is. Don’t expect to learn much in the sense of difficult concepts or philosophy because this book doesn’t offer that.
That’s not to say that this book doesn’t have any substance to it, far from it. It just gets delivered under the surface, casually it slips in under the radar. Without the reader noticing, you pick up the way religion ensnares people. You learn how religious faith speaks to those people who are already damaged. You also learn just how hard it can be to loosen the mind-forged manacle that religious faith is and of the liberation someone can experience when they discover it is all just falsehoods, lies and ancient fairy tales.
“Atheist Tiki Hour” is not a book for everyone. It will upset some or be too familiar or “light” for others. That being said, it also speaks loudly of the shortcomings of religious faith and proudly of those people who are courageous enough to embrace life as a mere human being and all the consequences of that. Life may not always be a Tiki bar but that is no reason to be gloomy!
This review can also be found on Amazon.