It’s time to look at the books I read in June!
Good Apple: Tales of a Southern Evangelical in New York by Elizabeth Passarella
★★★★★
Elizabeth Passarella grew up in Memphis, TN in a conservative, Republican family with a Christian mom and Jewish dad. Then she moved to New York City, fell in love with the city, then met and fell in love with her husband, and…she changed, in a way. Her politics shifted to the left, but her faith has always remained first in her life. This memoir shows how those two can actually go hand in hand. To quote part of the book’s description on bookshop.org, “She upends stereotypes about Southerners, New Yorkers, and Christians, making a case that we are all flawed humans simply doing our best.” Yes! Exactly that! While politics and religion are a big part of this memoir, there is plenty of life growing up, young married life, young life with children, New York living, and so much more. Normally, I would have thought a book with a lot of politics and religion would have been boring and would have steered clear of it but I’m glad I trusted the reviews and decided to read it! This book is informative, profound, hilarious (and many more adjectives), but to quote bookshop.org again, “more importantly, it’s about the God who pursues each of us, no matter our own inconsistencies or failures, and shows us the way back home.”
Because this is one of the things that she said that I loved and wanted to share: “What I’d like to say to my Christian brothers and sisters is: my political party, and yours, is not a big deal. It should not be the basis for your identity. It should be a footnote to the person that you are. …The only person who has walked this earth and lived a blameless life was Jesus. …We are all making tough decision, weighing options, and trying to go with our conscience. Where mine leads me might not be where yours leads you. That’s the lovely outcome of being freethinking people.”
A Runner’s High: My Life in Motion by Dean Karnazes
★★★★.5
Written by ultramarathoner Dean Karnazes, “A Runner’s High” takes us on amazing, and extraordinary, adventures leading up to his return to the Western States 100-mile Endurance Run, in his mid-fifties. He first ran it decades ago, but this time, it becomes his most demanding and challenging race. Western States is run through and over rugged terrain and in extreme temperatures. But despite the pain and physical and emotional battle, he still shows his true love for the sport. Again to quote some of bookshop.org’s description, “‘A Runner’s High’ is at once an endorphin-fueled adventure and a love letter to the sport from one of its most celebrated ambassadors that will leave both casual and serious runners cheering.” Yep! It makes me want to go run right now!
linking up with Eline for this month’s book review!
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