Between Heaven and Mirth

I’ll admit: I approached *Between Heaven and Mirth* skeptical. Another book about Christian joy? How original. But within minutes, James Martin’s narration—wry, self-deprecating, and *alive*—had me hooked. There’s a moment in Chapter 3 where he mimics a grumpy saint (you’ll know it when you hear it) that had me rewinding just to laugh again. That’s the magic here: Martin doesn’t preach joy; he *performs* it, using his voice like a stand-up comic’s toolkit—pauses for punchlines, a conspiratorial drop to a whisper when sharing a Jesuit’s cheeky joke about prayer. The structure smartly balances storytelling and scholarship. Martin’s deep dives into biblical humor (did you know Jesus’ parables are *funny*?) are fascinating, but the audiobook shines brightest in his personal vignettes—like the time he botched a homily or his confessions about *Monty Python* marathons during seminary. My only gripe? The production occasionally feels *too* casual; a few chapters open with ambient noise (a door creaking, a chair scooting) that disrupts the flow. And while Martin’s humor lands 90% of the time, a handful of jokes (especially the early 2000s pop culture references) already feel dated. Still, this is a spiritual audiobook that dares to be *fun*—a rarity worth celebrating. If you’ve ever rolled your eyes at pious platitudes or needed permission to laugh at life’s absurdities (even the sacred ones), this is your sign.