I purchased this journal for my mother, who is religious (I am not). There's little bible verses at the bottom of each page, and I feel this will be good for her to write her devotional notes in. The soft cover is very flexible and nice. I'm sure it will feel very natural to write in and not feel like the cover is going to snap shut every time you try to write in it. The only issue I had with the product, is that the elastic band did cause a bend in the leather edge of the journal on the top and bottom. You can actually kind of see it in the product picture itself. I'm not sure if my mom will mind the crease or not, but honestly, it's the thought that counts when it comes to giving a gift, right?