I really wanted to like this book but it was full of stereotypes. It seemed tone deaf to our current reality especially the bit about her Jewish family members getting one last chance at becoming Christian after they die. How disrespectful of a beautiful religion and tradition. If that's how she thinks of her own family, it's hard to imagine that she thinks more kindly of those she's not related to.

In "Good Apple", Elizabeth Passarella details her life growing up as a Southern evangelical and then her subsequent adulthood, which included marrying a Jewish man and then moving to New York City. Passarella does a wonderful job of including humor and transparency while describing the culture shock she experienced, and that her parents were convinced she had lost her religion. I really enjoyed her honesty and the humor she brought to her memoir. Although I do have to include one trigger warning: There is a whole chapter about miscarriage, and it is very detailed and specific. I wish I had known that before reading. Overall, this is a good book and I especially enjoyed the portions about living as a family in a very small NYC apartment.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Elizabeth Passarella’s book, Good Apple, is the story of a born in the deep South evangelical Christian who moves to New York City and stays. This is the shocker...a southerner living in the land of Yankees. Now before anyone gets their panties in a wad, next to Boston, my favorite place to travel is New York City, and I live in the land of Disney World, where dreams really do come true (I jest). I ❤️ New York. But the author's stories of adjusting to life, marriage, and children in a major metropolitan city are funny, witty, and downright laugh-out-loud hilarious. In full disclosure, Elizabeth shares her beliefs liberally in this book, and while it is nothing I fear, I wanted people to know that she does talk extensively about her Christian faith. This has been a surprising start to my book year, with a lot of nonfiction and Good Apple is another win for me. Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC, but all reviews and thoughts are my own and without bias. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ #GoodApple #newyork #netgalley

I loved this book. I'd only read one magazine article by the author, but I loved the way she wrote and was thrilled to hear she had a book out. She talks a bit about growing up in Memphis, but mostly it's about marrying and raising her three children in Manhattan. I'm fascinated by all things New York, so this was just up my alley. She's funny and snarky, but also thoughtful and spiritual, which is a great combination in my opinion. Thank-you to Nelson Books, the author, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book

Rounding up to 4.5 - Goodreads add a half system please.

First - the reason for the .5 point deduction (the narration) for some reason bothered me. Other than that I loved this.

Being a southern transplant from Texas to Los Angeles I can relate. Although I still consider myself a Texan, I should perhaps start calling LA home based on Elizabeth Passarella idea that living in one place for 21 years makes you a (insert city). I was raised Baptist (in the bible belt no less) and while I have my own relationship with God now that does not involve weekly church visits, I do relate to all of her brilliantly written stories. She spins her tales with the love of the city and faith that provides her stability in an ever changing world. Her responses to questions southerns ask about living in New York I find relatable to people who question my decisions to live in LA. I am also one of two democrats in a family that staunchly Republican.

Highly recommend for a funny, witty, and at times laugh out loud memoir I wish I had written.

Pros: Recently, I’ve been wanting to read memoirs by progressive Christian women (e.g., Jen Hatmaker and Rachel Held Evans) and added this book to my “to read” list as soon as I learned about it. In addition to the anecdotes about religion and politics (separately and together), I especially enjoyed the section on southern manners—so relatable. Also, I’m sure I’ve read the author’s work before in Southern Living, but I look forward to intentionally looking for her articles in future issues because I enjoyed her writing in this book so much.

Cons: I read this book as an ebook, but I think I would have enjoyed it more on audiobook read by the author. (I enjoyed the author’s interview on the From the Front Porch podcast, which makes me think I’d enjoy listening to the audiobook version of the book.)

3.5 stars rounded up to 4 on the Goodreads scale.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for the opportunity to read this book!

“For a woman who thinks of herself as a New Yorker at this point, I buy a lot of clothes from companies named things like Shrimp & Grits. Why? Because identity is complicated. We can be proud of where we came from and desperate to escape it at the same time.”

GOOD APPLE is a collection of essays about parenting, motherhood, stereotypes, and life in New York. @espassarella was raised in the South as a Christian Republican, but after moving to New York, parts of her identity shifted, as can happen when someone experiences a different culture and forms a community among people with different viewpoints. she’s now a New Yorker, a Democrat, and yes, still a Christian. I found this book to be an absolute fresh breath of air as Elizabeth writes about her experiences and her shifting politics, giving readers a perspective they might not have previously had and reminding us that we all have more in common than we think. I laughed throughout the entire book because her stories and her way of telling them are hilarious. I marked passages that were thought-provoking and found myself thinking about how complicated all of our identities really can be. she’s the kind of person I’d love to have as a friend, and this is the book I’d like to put into the hands of all of my friends. 5/5⭐️—I loved it!

I recently read an article in Real Simple written by Elizabeth Passarella and loved it. I immediately sought out the book and was thrilled to receive a digital copy thanks to NetGalley and Nelson Books. 5 stars for a book that I know I will return to again and again.

This is a series of essays about Elizabeth's life as a wife and mother of 3 living in NYC after being raised in the south. She has a strong evangelical Christian faith, was raised in a mixed religious family (her father was Jewish) and is a Democrat. Needless to say, there is a lot of material here! Elizabeth has such a completely honest description of her life including admitting to yelling at her kids and her husband - you know, those things we all do but don't always tell everyone about. This book was like having a glass of wine with a friend and spilling all your secrets with the added bonus of a spiritual twist. Not smack in your face, my way is the only way, religious words but comforting, thought provoking ones. As a cradle Catholic, I valued her thoughts. And humor - so many laugh out loud moments! It's also a love letter to NYC - while I live in NY, I'm 3 hours away, squarely in the upstate, mountainous part of the state and happy about it! But it was still an interesting perspective.

This book offers so much and I highly recommend it!

A absolutely loved this book. Coming from an evangelical background and having a love of NYC, this book was 100% in my sweet spot. I loved hearing her stories of living in New York, and I found myself nodding along with many of her thoughts and opinions. I highly recommend.

Y’all. Elizabeth Passarella reminds me of funny-girl Christian author Jen Hatmaker. Only Elizabeth lives in Manhattan instead of Austin.

Elizabeth is a good apple. She’s a well-mannered gal from Memphis (aka, The South) who was raised as a Republican Evangelical. Now, a born-again Democrat, she still puts her faith first. And as a contributing columnist for Southern Living magazine, she loves living in the city with her husband and their three children. She seems normal-ish (read: not uptight) and has to get creative in her parenting efforts. Like letter their youngest sleep in the closet … because that’s what happens when you lack space in the Big Apple.

She also considers herself a “Subway-sherpa,” giving random tourists help to find where they’re going—despite getting frazzled and not totally understanding directions herself. This is just one funny example of many from Elizabeth’s hectic world.

As a fan of the memoirist Mary Laura Philpott (“I Miss You When I Blink”)—who wrote a blurb for this book—I’m grateful for the read. And I’m especially grateful to Thomas Nelson for the digital copy of the book, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review. I also recommend listening to the audiobook, narrated by the very likeable Jill Blackwood.

This was an intriguing memoir. As someone who has never lived in New York City, I appreciated the opportunity to view it through the lens of someone who would also be considered an "outsider" like I would.

This was a great, leisurely read. I love memoirs, and Elizabeth Passarella's incredible writing skill, sense of humour and her ability to address serious issues made this one a joy to read. Her essays are filled with nuance, address serious topics in a witty and lighthearted way, and address the real and powerful issues facing so many Evangelicals in North America today. You'll want to read this one!

This is an amusing book that isn't quite sure what it wants to be. Is it a memoir? Parenting book? A tribute to Christianity? A political commentary? An introduction to New York City life? Self-demeaning humor? It's hard to say since the author has tried to combine all of these into one book and has succeeded overall, but perhaps confused her readership. Each page will have you reclassifying what you're reading and either it will appeal to a large and diverse audience or if you're not up for a very human confession, you may put it down.

But you shouldn't. There are gems in this book and it may be helpful in breaking down some stereotypes. One can only hope!

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.

Think real housewives day to day in a book. I absolutely loved reading this and going through the life of a southern housewife living in NY. Highly recommend. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

As both a Southerner and Christian I highly enjoyed this memoir. I am a trained singer and lover of classical and Broadway music and theatre as well. Passarella writes in an engaging and entertaining way. The chapters are arranged topically. One of my favorites was when she talked about the many times she had been to the Radio City Music Hall Christmas Show. My husband and I visited New York City last November and that was one of our favorite activities there. The book brought back memories.
If you are lover of New York City, a Southerner, or a Christian you will like this book. Even if you are not one of these, I think you will enjoy this humorous memoir.
I received a complementary
copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Cute book! I enjoyed it and laughed out loud several times.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Book was funny, irreverant, and just plain true-life. Loved the book.

Thanks to author, publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book. While I got the book for free, it had no bearing on the rating I gave it.