Rating: 
Summary: Three Cheers for Yada Yada!
Review: I'll admit, I'm a jaded reader. I came to this novel thinking, "O great, a Christian rip-off of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood." Man, was I wrong! This is the most important novel for the women of The Church I've read in many years, touching tenderly yet with no apology issues such as racial division, pride and all of our need to come face to face with our own sin and admit "I am just a sinner saved by grace," as undeserving as a drug addict, a prostitute or murderer. I was encouraged to worship the LORD with all my heart, soul, mind and strength, to call upon Him for all things. The faith of Avis and Adele and Florida, Nony and Delores, ripped into my soul like it did Jodi, the main character. This was more than reading a book, this was a flashlight from heaven lighting corners of my heart I didn't even know existed. I pray this book gets into the hands of people all over the world, people of all colors, creeds and lifestyles. Lisa Samson, author of The Church Ladies and The Living End
Rating:
Summary: Delightful and engaging.
Review: Jodi Baxter's life changes when she attends a women's conference. She is forced into a small prayer group of strange women with whom she would not ordinarily feel comfortable. But when the Holy Spirit makes the introductions, a friendship develops, and Jodi is in for some deep growth, some stretching, and some life changing friendships.
Though filled with humor and tender moments, this book digs deep and leaves an impression. I definitely recommend it.
Rating: 
Summary: Ya Ya Yada Yada!
Review: Just another Cristian rip-off of a popular secular work. Doesn't all of Christendom have one single original bone in its body, or must we keep doing watered down versions of the stuff the world likes. Jesus was an innovater, not an imitator. This is marketed (and titled) to look like thay YaYa Sisterhood book. It is a decent and funny book in its own right but I was really put off that it tries to identify with a secular work. Next we will get a spiritualized version of The Sweet Potato Queens or Sex in the City.
Rating:
Summary: Can You Believe I Bought it for the Cover.
Review: Most books I read are upon recommendation or I go to Amazon.com and read the reviews. This one I bought on pure gut. That's right it looked unique. Hate to waste my money but I grabbed it and took the chance. Held onto it a few weeks before reading but once I started it I never set it down. I loved the characters. It was a no brainer read. Interesting and yet fun. I could truly related to everyone especially Jodie Baxter. I think everyone has a little Jodie in them. Most books I forget the moment I read the last page. This one sorta lingers with me. Go for it. I loved it.
Rating:
Summary: A Truly Refreshing Read
Review: Neta (NEE-tuh) Jackson's THE YADA YADA PRAYER GROUP can be recommended on many levels and from many perspectives, but the one that has stuck with me in the week since I finished the novel is her fresh, nonjudgmental take on interracial and interfaith relations. All too often, the most well-meaning Christians preach peace among different races and religions, but we don't practice it --- we're far too busy staying comfortable in our own denominations and churches that mirror our own habits and beliefs (and anyone who has read conservative pundit David Brooks's analysis of "red" versus "blue" America, referring to liberals and conservatives, will know that this is true).Jackson not only practices what she preaches (she and her husband/writing partner Dave attend an interracial Christian worship community), she writes about it, too. Her protagonist, Jodi Baxter, and husband Doug live in Chicago's diverse Rogers Park neighborhood, having moved there in order to answer the Lord's call to build bridges across the racial divide. Caucasian Jodi, a third-grade teacher, decides to attend a spiritual women's conference with her principal, African-American Avis. The two women couldn't be more different: Jodi is casual, bubbly and enmeshed in a happily chaotic life with a spouse and two teenagers, while the elegant and low-key Avis lives alone and seems to be quite happy to keep it that way. But if Jodi and Avis seem to be worlds apart, they find that their differences are infinitesimal compared to those between themselves and the women with whom they are thrown together in their conference prayer group. From irrepressible Florida to reluctant Yo-Yo to near-perfect Stu to nervous Chanda and beyond, this is a group that could have only been brought together by administrative chance --- or by God's hand. Almost immediately God's hand is felt when one member's son is injured and the group decides to keep a nightlong prayer vigil by the woman's side. After that experience, "Prayer Group 26" (as they were designated by stickers on their conference packets) decides to keep in touch via email --- and to take on their special name, derived from a chance remark by Yo-Yo and shown to be nearly perfect by Ruth (a Messianic Jew whose Yiddishisms are a funny counterpoint to the African-American women's speech patterns). Soon the "Yada Yadas" have made all sorts of plans, including a round robin of visits to each other's home churches. But their true camaraderie is not without problems and pain. Misunderstandings and miscommunications are frequent, and Florida's quest to be reunited with her long-lost daughter causes one of the worst of these. Still, each time the Yada Yadas find fault or don't connect, their powerful individual faiths shine through. Jackson's depiction of these very different yet very sincere faiths is one of the shining strengths of her book. The author does not try to pretend that just because we are one in Christ Jesus, we are one and the same. THE YADA YADA PRAYER GROUP is a truly refreshing read. However, it's also a book with a deeply felt message. All along, we have seen the prayer group through Jodi's perspective, and her perspective is that of a woman who has led a happy and comfortable life. She brushes away the dissatisfactions that surface from time to time or tries to deal with them in a super-efficient, elementary-school teacher way. Finally, Jodi winds up --- very much through the fault of her own --- in a situation that cannot be dealt with via email, or swept up into a casserole like so many leftovers. It's what she and the Yada Yadas do then that makes this little novel a must-read. --- Reviewed by Bethanne Kelly Patrick
Rating:
Summary: Cool, smart, Christian woman's fiction
Review: This book in an incredibly powerful, life changing book. The characters are so real, you feel like you could call them on the telephone and chat. The story is truely gripping and this book is hard to put down. This book truely makes you step outside of your own skin and look at the way you look at life and the Christian walk. I LOVED THIS BOOK!
Rating:
Summary: Eternally Grateful!!!
Review: This book is very powerful. I learned a great deal about myself and my spiritual walk just from reading the words on these pages. I was trully inspired by the women in this book. I was able to really connect with a few of them.
Rating:
Summary: Changed my outlook on life....
Review: This book was amazing. I could relate to the main character so much, that I learned her lesson also. I'm so in love with the book that I'm going to read it again. I can't wait for Neta Jackson's newest release in August! I'd reccommend this book to any woman of any age, race, religion, etc.
Rating: 
Summary: A check yourself read
Review: This book was good from the beginning to the very end. I had no idea that the story would take a major near the end. I was so inspired by the many scriptures that were highlighted throughout the book. This is a good christian novel that will help any christian along the way.
Rating:
Summary: Yada, yada, ladies!
Review: This book, about a group of women forced together by divine destiny, is one that should be recommended for every woman that is afraid or intimidated to step outside of their comfort zone in their little corner of the world--get out there and get to know other women from other cultures (saved and unsaved) and see what you learn them and---yes---about yourself!!
To explain the 4 rating: it was not the most gripping read for me, the ending was too quick and too predictable, and the time span in the book seemed to drag on forever. Without those, this would be a 5 for me. It was refreshing to read about characters that I know, work with, associate with, pray with and pray for, and are all around me in everyday situations. I loved the scattered-yet-precise character development--kept me on my toes and looking for small tidbits of information for future situations in the book.
I commend Ms. Jackson for having the courage to write a simple novel about salvation and grace--two themes many Christian writers don't explore very practically. No theology, no Strong's concordance needed, no Bible scholars required. Just simple, tried-and-true message of Christians being saved by grace--not works (or perception of your own 'goodness').
This is definitely NOT a regurgitation of Ya-Ya as other reviewers have suggested! This takes a very different turn and explores the friendships that evolve among women from very different walks of life that start a the most intimate relationship outside of marriage (a prayer group) knowing absolutely nothing about each other...and what comes out is pure beauty! I hope you'll find the same as you read Yada Yada--enjoy!
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