What a brilliant idea for a #bookstackchallenge!! My friends @bluntscissorsbookreviews @thebookblondie and @poketsized_pageturner all teamed up to create a #stackchallenge that stretches you to think #beyondmyshelf.  They started to see a trend in reviews where books received a lower rating because the reader didn’t “connect” or “relate” and they want you to think a little deeper about the why.  So they’ve asked you to build a #bookstack filled with FAVORITE books with characters and stories that you can’t actually relate to but LOVED anyway.  

I’ve never been married to the President of the United States.  I’ve also never won a World Series Championship.  And I’ve never been to the Olympics.  I am not a trained assassin, a refugee, or a woman passing as another race.  I am alos not a Brazilian singer, a muslim, nor part of the LGBTQ community.  And I have never been thrown from a moving vehicle, experienced the pain of losing a parent to suicide, or been locked in an underground hole overnight.  

But I have felt pain and loss, joy and love.  I know what it feels like to want more for my life.  To have dreams and goals.  I understand longing for someone.  I have known fear.   The human spirit is what connects our hearts even when our situations don’t.  We can have compassion and empathy for each other even when situations seem impossible to comprehend. 

And THAT is what I love about this community.  We are connected by these incredible stories even if we look different, sound different, and have different life experiences.  I am friends with all kinds of people on here and what connects us is our love of these stories.  

So friends, don’t be afraid to read a book by or about a person that doesn’t look, act, or even believe in the things you do! Let’s keep learning.  And let’s keep exploring.  Let’s keep opening our hearts to others.

QOTD:  What’s a favorite book this year that has opened your eyes to an experience you’d never imagine?  

AOTD:  It’s really hard to pick just one, but I’d have to say that was The Vanishing Half for me! 

To find MORE stack challenges to join and participate in, follow along with Leighellen on her Instagram page. To read reviews of her lates books, check out her blog!