Geek and Ye Shall Find: Devotions for Nerds, Geeks, and Dorks Everywhere

by Ellen Elliott

Go Forth and Geek Out!

Nerd. Geek. Dungeon Master. These used to be derisive labels. But now, geek is the new chic.

Humorist, cartoonist, and geek culture enthusiast Ellen Elliott invites you to embrace your inner Spock and boldly go where no devotional has gone before—on a righteous, pop culture-filled quest for truth, meaning, and authenticity.

From Lost to Back to the Future to Minecraft, and worlds beyond, join Ellen as she searches for spiritual Easter eggs hidden all over the geek multiverse. Get a Kung Fu grip on what God's Prime Directive says on topics such as hardship, fear, courage, and more.

And now, true believer, you know what this book is all about. And as you also know, knowing is half the battle.

Genres: Christian Non Fiction, Nonfiction

224 pages, Paperback

Published April 2, 2019

About the author

ELLEN ELLIOTT graduated with an art degree from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. She works in a variety of mediums—from acrylic and watercolor to collage and digital—and is continually inspired by her favorite artists, including Mercer Mayer, Tomie dePaola, Jim Henson and many mid-century modern illustrators. Ellen has illustrated children's books and created gift products for DaySpring Cards and Worthy Publishing. She likes laughter, feeding ducks, obsessive research, baby bellybutton lint, coffee and creating stories. She does not like Brussels sprouts, trigonometry, jerks, diet colas, rejection and cold toes. Ellen remains neutral about Switzerland. She lives in Arkansas with her two well-behaved kids and a rude cat.

Reviews

[Cynthia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the connection between religion and pop culture in this book. However, the book is aimed at a fairly conservative audience, and I'm not sure it would appeal to younger and more progressive readers. Also, many of the pop culture references are fairly dated - Back to the Future, Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, Star Trek. Many younger readers, I fear, may not have seen these movies/shows.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you ever thought that there just aren't any good devotionals out there for the geeks among us? Geek and Ye Shall Find would have you think differently. This book is a series of devotionals with geek-a-riffic themes. Pulling from fandoms like Star Wars and Star Trek, and from a wealth of other pop culture references, Ellen Elliott shares scriptural insights in a way that even the geekiest among us can relate to. I am a geek and a nerd, and these devotionals are a great way to close out my day with Biblical truth.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions here are my own, and I don't say nice things about books I don't like. #GeekAndYeShallFind #NetGalley

[Andy Hickman · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Geek and Ye Shall Find: Devotions for Nerds, Geeks, and Dorks Everywhere” by Ellen Elliott
Reeking of American evangelicalism, but hey, to be expected.
Objects completely different on the inside than they were on the outside such as
• Oscar the Grouch’s trashcan
• Mary Poppins’s bag
• Jeannie’s bottle
• Doctor Who’s TARDIS (p93)
She talks about worshiping false gods (2 Kings 23:32; Jeremiah 11:10, 18-23) and how Jeremiah was bound (Jeremiah 20:2).
There is a spelling error on “Jeremiah was thrown in prison until his prophecy came to pass: The Babylonians captured Jerusalem, just as he said {would} they would (Jeremiah 38-39).” (p111)
The author completely misinterprets Mary McFly. “Be a Daniel. Not a Marty.” (p120)
Awesome to see DOCTOR WHO: LEGACY (p215)
3/5 stars

[Anam Cara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great devotional. It was fun, entertaining, thoughtful, inspiring.


Ms Elliott takes various movies, games, TV shows and connects them quite thoughtfully with Biblical insights. She can connect things that the normal person woudn't see to give a lesson in something that brings us closer to God. Some may seem obvious like a father figure in Star Wars and how this relates to an understanding of God the Father. But others are less clear - like learning about deception in Wallace and Gromitt, or unity in The Avengers.

The book has 31 chapters making it a perfect daily read for any month with 31 days.

I liked it so much, that I have purchased and given additional copies as gifts.

[Katheryne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ellen Elliot’s devotional is just plain fun - and also seriously thought provoking, much like the pop-culture references that geeks, nerds, and super fans the world over are uber passionate about. We fall in love with our superheroes, get addicted to our games, and binge watch our beloved shows and movies over and over. Now Elliott has given us a book full of insights that link our fandoms to spiritual truths from the Bible. Drawing on Biblical passages, recaps and excerpts, and her own life experiences, Elliott addresses topics such as deception, courage, treasure, and legalism. The fandom multiverse joins God’s universe - and walks hand in hand with geeky Christians everywhere. What could be more fun than that?

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was sooo good! I am so glad I got this book! If you are into all the nerdy stuff and a Christian you need to read this devotional! I enjoyed it a lot and I want more! Thank you Ellen for writing a book for us (geeks, nerds and dorks, oh my).

[Kanoa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this quirky little devotional! If you're looking for something that's not too long, this might be just for you. There are devotions for 31 days in which different movies, tv shows, and other cultural reference points are tied to Scripture.

[Eugene · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the second "geek" devotional I read, and probably my second favorite. This one has too much personal story; it took time to adjust to it, and I didn't connect with the stories much because the author and I are very different people. The messages were still good, though.

[Sunny Skaggs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully geeky book that perfectly mixes fun and silliness with serious spiritual issues. Wonderful for preteens and adults looking for a unique perspective on being a Christian.

[Kyle Carnegie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A topical devotional full of pop-cultural references, personal anecdotes and biblical stories. Highly enjoyed it for its thought provoking discussion of life in all its messiness.

[Erica (The Literary Apothecary) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Geek and Ye Shall Find completely changed my life. Ellen takes the common stuff us geeks enjoys and infuses with Scripture. The links she finds between geekdom and Scripture was amazing and unexpected.
Are you a geek? No...Are you a Christian Geek? If so, consider adding this as a daily devotional. The chapters are short and begin with an appropriate verse that ties into whatever out-of-this-world scenario she has planned.

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Geek and You Shall Find is subtitled a Devotion for Nerds, Geeks and Dorks Everywhere. However even the average viewer of pop culture will know of most of massively varied fandoms included. There are a few that are expected and a few that would be hard to expect. This devotional is unique, the content involved doesn’t always follow the stereotypical allusions that you would normally expect. This is very helpful as it in agreement with Ellen’s great, conversational writing style to draw the readers into her devotional thoughts. This is not an advanced devotional, but it would be helpful for tweens through young adults.

[Erika · Rating 3 out of 5]

She’s super sharp but I couldn’t bring myself to read it to fruition.

[Maggie Nambot (macarons & paperbacks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a thoroughly entertaining devotional that reminded me that God's truths can be found in the most unlikeliest of places, including within my favorite fandoms. I enjoyed reading Ellen Elliot's anecdotes about unconventional ways God reached out to her, and the nostalgia of revisiting some of my favorite geeky movies and tv shows was also a plus.

[J.D. DeHart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Geek and Ye Shall Find is original and interesting. I've read many devotions, but not like this. Author Ellen Elliott does something fairly new here, mingling belief with nerd culture. Nicely done.