Thank you W Publishing for an early look at a book I’ve been looking forward to for months! The number of times I found myself nodding along to Knox’s childhood pop culture memories were too many to count! I’ve lived all of these years not realizing there were other people in the world who associate Wheel
of Fortune so strongly with bedtime! East cost 8:00 p.m. bedtime struggles.
From Beverly Hills 90210 to those evangelical t-shirts Knox nailed the life experience I remember growing up as a southern, baptist girl. I didn’t realize how many of my memories were so universal for us at the time.
Now, my only hesitation going into this book was that I’m pretty far theologically and spiritually from where I was back then. I was afraid the fact that it was a Christian publisher would mean that I’d have to wade through a lot of being hit on the head with evangelical “truths” in order to get to the good stuff I was looking for about 90s pop culture but I needn’t worry. Knox made a lot of the same discoveries I did along the way and he used those experiences to explain who he is today. I never felt hit on the head so thanks for that,Knox!
If you loved pop culture in the 90s, remember the very confusing feelings of hell houses, or appreciate a memoir from someone who is honest about very specific things they wished they’d done differently along the way - there’s something for you here!

Love Knox and this book. Talked about it on podcast and recommended in our weekly newsletter because I knew our audience would love it!

Knox McCoy is one of my favorite humor writers and podcasters. This book really reads like many short stories. If you like to laugh and occasionally ponder life while also laughing... this is your book. :)

Can you love Jesus and enjoy pop culture? Have you struggled with your faith? Are you tired of the “Christian” books that talk about how great you are and leave out God? Then this book is for you. Knox McCoy’s debut takes you on a journey with him and how he navigated his faith. Sometimes through the lens of pop culture. His real look at faith and deep introspection laced with wit and intellectual analysis makes you comfortable to talk about that topic many avoid. As co-host of The Popcast and The Bible Binge, I experienced his wit but this book really took me deeper and makes me appreciate him even more. The ending is worth the whole book people!

An entertaining and thought provoking book. I’m a big fan of Know McCoy’s podcasts and this book did not disappoint

An excellent book on faith and finding your own story, and all the steps we go through in between. In turns hilarious and heart-wrenchingly honest, it was a fun and thought-provoking read. I look forward to more from the author.

It's rare that a book makes me snort with laughter, but this one did. It's the perfect combination of lighthearted stories and poignancy that make this book a delight. I so related to Knox's childhood stories of growing up in the Bible belt south, and I loved how he related his love of pop culture to faith in such a grace-filled way. This is an amazing book, and I loved it.

I absolutely loved this book! Knox is clearly fulfilling his calling as a writer, and if you have any interest in pop culture, religion, and how the two intersect, you will love this book as much as I did. It has so much heart and hilarity, and I can't wait for his next book!

This book filled with such promise fell flat and left me disappointed by the end of the book. What could have been a great book turned into felt like a lecture.

Ever read a book, and go "Wait, do I know you? You are SO much like me!"? If so, then you MIGHT feel the same about this book! Knox is hilarious in his outlook at the world through a lens dominated by 3 things: sports, God and pop culture- the Southern triumvirate! You may find yourself reading, but looking more forward to his snarky, hilarious,reference notes during each chapter, LOL. Knox describes how he came to form his spirituality, based on the sports and pop culture, and you may find yourself seeing where you may have made similar paths! His book is a revelation in the 'tending to heavy' Christian genre of books, in that it approaches a serious subject in a light hearted way. YET, you may find yourself more understanding of your own faith, and glad of it, by the time you finish the book! I would recommend this book for ALL coeds, and those friends who love some snark with their good books!

Since the Popcast is one of my favorite podcasts I was really hoping this book would be great and it exceeded my expectations. Knox McCoy's book will be relatable to anyone who grew up in the 80s and 90s but ESPECIALLY to those who grew up enmeshed in church culture. The book is laugh out loud funny but also has some really wise observations about the moment many of us find ourselves in where we love Jesus but aren't real cool with our overly legalistic upbringing. Worth the purchase for the chapter on dog evangelism alone. (ARC/NetGalley)

I love pop culture and couldn’t wait to read The Wondering Years by Knox McCoy. I am just a few chapters in so far and really enjoying it!

Here’s the scoop:

When you hear the phrase pop culture, you likely think reality television, boy bands or Real Housewives of various cities. While these are elements of popular culture, they aren’t all it has to offer. Pop culture may not cure diseases, topple political regimes, or make scientific breakthroughs, but it does play a vital role in the story of humanity.

In fact, it’s pretty hard to define the human experience without it. And it’s impossible to create pop culture without the human experience. Popular podcaster Knox McCoy understands this, and so do the tens of thousands of listeners who tune in to hear him talk about pop culture every week on his wildly popular podcast, The Popcast with Knox and Jamie.

In The Wondering Years, Knox explores this idea of connecting popular culture to his own experiences. Through hilarious yet poignant stories, he reflects on how pop culture has helped shape his life and carve out the foundation of his faith. While the three cultural tentpoles—the South, the Church, and Sports—defined many aspects of his East Tennessee upbringing, it was pop culture that most definitively influenced Knox and his sense of the world at large.

Through books, television, music, and movies, Knox found many of the answers he was searching for about God and the universe and why we are all here. The Wondering Years is a hilarious look back at the key influences that shaped Knox’s formative years and his faith, a reminder of our own encounters with pop culture that have shaped each of our formative years and continue to influence us today.

Knox is warm, introspective and funny as he writes about pop culture references and his faith. I love looking back at the 80s/90s and reflecting on my own past as I read the author’s essays.

I loved every minute of this book! As a child of the 80s and 90s, it was so easy to relate to all of the stories and side roads that make up the text. Each chapter focuses on a piece of the author's faith, and does so through pop culture references. Admittedly, I didn't get all of them (not much of a sports fan), but the entertainment ones were right on target. It feels like having a road trip conversation with your wittiest, snarkiest friend, and I love how it challenged me to re-examine my beliefs. One element that it touched on, which isn't often seen, is our need for closure. The author challenges us to make faith a journey, rather than a destination. (I may have borrowed that from Aerosmith...) I've never heard of his podcast, but would be interested in finding more from his voice now.

YAY! I'm happy to say my fandom of Knox McCoy, thanks to The Popcast with Knox and Jamie, now translates to his writing as well.

I really loved this book. The pop culture references are, of course, all over the place—and perfectly placed, at that—and the humor is spot-on. Non-fiction can be a hard sell for me, but an awesome writing voice will get me every time. And as someone who grew up in the same time period, similar evangelical background who doesn't resent it at all and yet, still has questions, concerns, etc...well, this book spoke to me. The reminder that God doesn't just tolerate our questions, but actually welcomes them...I loved it. And can I just say, I also loved McCoy's approach...sure, he's not afraid to level criticism here and there, but he doesn't seem to be coming from a place of bitterness or arrogance (like, um, some others)...but instead, it feels sincere and honest and to me, that makes any criticism all the more compelling.

When I first started reading, I thought perhaps if I was going to have one minor downside about the book, it might be that maybe its audience would end up being a somewhat narrow slice of people—certain age groups, certain backgrounds, certain pop culture aficionados. But by the end, I realized that actually, one of The Wondering Years' greatest strengths—and any book, really—is its specificity. Non-fic books that appeal to a crazy wide audience can often feel a little shallow because they're trying to be relevant to too many people at once. The Wondering Years knows its audience and for readers in that audience, it's all the richer and more authentic.

Super loved it. Super recommend it. Super hope we get more from Knox McCoy in the future.

Thanks to NetGalley for the courtesy copy. I was not required to write a positive review and all thoughts are my own.

The Wondering Years is a fantastic memoir, both in content and writing style. As a child of the 80/90's in the South, it was great to have a relatable story that was enlightening, funny, smart, and thought-provoking. This book is a must-read for anyone who loves pop culture, has struggled with their faith, and/or wants to laugh out loud.

Children of the '90s will love this book. Knox McCoy, podcaster and pop culture fanatic, wrote a nostalgia-fest that had me laughing out loud at inappropriate times. Very fun, quick read.

The Wondering Years
How Pop Culture Helped Me Answer Life’s Biggest Questions
by Knox McCoy
Thomas Nelson--W Publishing

Thomas Nelson
Christian
Pub Date 13 Nov 2018


I am reviewing a copy of The Wondering Years through Thomas Nelson -W Publishing and Netgalley:




In this book we are reminded that though Pop Culture won't cure diseases, topple political regimes or make scientific breakthroughs but it does play a vital role in the story of humanity.


It is in fact pretty hard to define the human experience without it. And it is impossible to create pop culture without the human experience. Popular podcaster Knox Mccoy understands this as do the tens of thousands of listeners who tune into his podcasts weekly to listen to him talk about Pop Culture!


In the Wondering Years Knox Mccoy explores the idea of connecting popular culture to his own experiences, through Hilarious yet poignant stories, he reflects on how pop culture has helped shape his life and carve out the foundation of faith.


In a humorous style Knox Mccoy is able to draw his life experiences to pop culture.


I give The Wondering Years five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

I listen to The Popcast with Knox and Jamie every week - and have for years. Because of that, I was really looking forward to this book from Knox. I hate to say I was disappointed, but I just couldn't find a thread running through this book. If I didn't listen to the show, I really wouldn't have understood his voice in several places.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of The Wondering Years. I have just started listening to The Pop Cast and was very interested to read this book by Knox. I really liked this book. I think due to me being several years older than Knox some of the pop culture references went over my head - and I try to keep up. But the story of how he has struggled with understanding his very own faith instead of faith that was presented to him as a child/teenager felt so very honest and true. I would definitely recommend this book. Thanks!

I feel greatly privileged to have been given the opportunity to be part of this book's launch team and a chance to read it two months before it's released. I was interested in reading it from the day it was announced because I'm OBSESSED with Knox's podcast, The Popcast. I jumped at the chance to pre-order the book and was thrilled to be accepted on the launch team. Anyway - it was fantastic! I think I might have laughed out loud at this book more than any other I have ever read. Knox has an innate talent at relating pop culture references to everyday faith and life. He is also supremely talented and writing exactly the way he speaks, which makes the whole experience so much more delightful. Each chapter is a unique look at different pop culture examples and how they connected to his own life and helped shape his faith. What struck me most about this book was simply how much I could relate to it! I'm knocking it down half a star rating because I think if you are not in your 30's, or you didn't pay any attention to pop culture in the last 30 years, you probably won't get as much out of this book. There were quite a few sports references that went over my head because I care nothing about sports, though the names of many were at least recognizable to me. But the tv and movie references? SO on point. And absolutely hilarious. I found this book incredibly entertaining and would recommend it to anyone!