When I grow up, I want to be Melanie Shankle, but I’ll settle for just being her friend…or hey, just meeting her in real life and hugging her neck.
This lady makes me laugh, cry, and really think about what it is that I’m investing my time towards. She also makes me think about new yoga pants, buying puppies, and my love for Jesus.
Before reading my first Shankle book back in 2013, I was a little worried. I have this thing with Christian authors that come off pretentious and stuffy- to be honest, it’s an issue I have with the church, but I feel God has asked me to be raw and authentic in order to transform this stereotype. Either way, Melanie Shankle is NOT those things. She is neither pretentious nor stuffy. Instead, she is real. She is transparent. She is more about loving others because of the way Jesus loves her and less about forcing religion down your throat.
At this point, I have read all of Melanie Shankle’s memoirs, and each one is just as good as the last! When a writer has multiple books I love, I feel a sense of loyalty to buy the next, but it’s always so hard for me when it seems that author’s new book doesn’t reach the same caliber as their previous ones. Again, Shankle is NOT that writer. With each book published, you feel like you are back with an old friend. You feel connected with her and Gulley, her actual bestie. You feel like you’ve seen her daughter Caroline grow over the years. You’re pretty sure she knows exactly how you feel and is secretly a fly on the wall of your own life.
Over December, I was able to read Church of the Small Things thanks to Winter Break. This book released back in October, but I finally had time to sit down and absorb the words. Church of the Small Things covers everything from Shankle’s family relationships to magenta yoga pants. It covers the loss of one of her dearest friends. It gives an in-depth look into the beauty of owning dogs. And, it tells us how she manages social media for her teen daughter. There’s really something for everyone in this hot pink bundle.