Book Review - What in the World?!

If you are not yet familiar with Leanne Morgan, scurry your precious little thumbs over to any social media platform and watch her. But definitely do it on a thoroughly empty bladder and take off your mascara, because it will be streaking across your darling little face, anyway. Also, I recommend watching in the privacy of your own home, because people tend to look at you askance when you snort laugh in public. Or do it in public because you are middle aged and have figured out God and your husband are the only ones whose judgement matters. That is just how I roll.

Now, I could have suggested you go straight into the book, but I cannot even imagine tackling it without having her Appalachian drawl in my head the whole time. I have read this book cover to cover and, so help me, I will snatch up the audiobook like a deviant possum if she narrates it. (The deviant possum is a real story from my own life. You can ask my momma.) I have no love for memoirs, but Leanne tells her life story with her signature wit, from growing up with her loving and hardworking family in small town East Tennessee to the less than stellar decisions of young adulthood. We tromp alongside as she says yes to Chuck, bless him, and raises their three children while trying to find herself. And giving God the glory. Plan ahead and bring the tissues, because I snort laughed and ugly cried all the way from cover to cover. I personally recommend reading this one with your book club. That way you can snort laugh and ugly cry all over again when you discuss it with your people.

What in the World?! by Leanne Morgan releases September 24, but go ahead and preorder it now from your favorite local bookseller or online:

Christian Book        Amazon        Barnes & Noble        Walmart

Thank you to the author and publisher for allowing me a copy to read and review. All opinions expressed here are my own and are completely genuine.

Book Review - With Every Memory

Janine Rosche begins With Every Memory with an author’s note that includes a trigger warning and information about resources for individuals who find themselves in the situations covered in the book. I begin with that information, as well, because it is critical information. I read the warning before I agreed to read and review this book, feeling at the time like I would be able to handle it and wanting to see how the author handled these situations within the Christian fiction realm. It took a while for me to get my teeth into this story and really bond with the characters, but if I am honest about it, I believe the issues I had in the beginning are more personal than a reflection of the author’s work. Rosche manages to balance the reality of the difficult topics she addresses with care. If this book is for you, then I recommend it. If it is not, I certainly vote to feel good about your decision to pass over it.

Having said all of that, With Every Memory begins as Lori Mendenhall prepares to return home from extensive rehabilitation after a tragic accident. Beyond the physical, Lori is also struggling to recall memories lost in her retrograde amnesia; not only is she struggling to remember the people around her, but also to recall her own identity. On top of trying to figure out who she is, Lori also must work to learn who her husband and daughter are, and how to move forward after losing her son in the accident. With every memory that returns, there are a million other questions that arise about how it fits in the scope of her life as she remembers it and how it fits in the scope of the life she is finding to be her reality. Each member of the Mendenhall family has to learn to navigate life without their beloved Austin in their own way, but learning to support each other and rely on each other through the process is what may be their greatest success. Rosche’s character development of Michael and Avery is very well considered, and to reflect on the track of each one individually shows just how the breadcrumbs come together to create something even more special than I expected early on. Once I began relating to and bonding with the characters, the pages began to fly, and I was torn between wanting to see the resolution and dreading the conclusion.

With Every Memory by Janine Rosche is available now from your favorite local bookseller or online:

Baker Book House        Christian Book            Barnes & Noble            Amazon

Thank you to the author and publisher for allowing me a copy to read and review. All opinions expressed here are my own and are completely genuine.