Sophie Hudson is the type of lady that you want to be friends with. I found myself laughing out loud multiple times throughout the book - she is a true storyteller. This book also hit me with some truths that I needed to hear. Like Sophie, I'm an Enneagram 9, so some of the challenges and shortcomings she has are ones that I have also. I can't tell you how many times I wanted to say, "yes, preach!" as I was reading. A few of the chapters definitely fell short for me, and I didn't love that she likes to capitalize to get her points across (it's a pet peeve of mine, it feels like you're being yelled at), but overall I am really glad that I read this.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for this ARC. I have loved Sophie Hudson since I first started following her blog many years ago. I have read everything she has written and again this came at the right time and place for me. This book of what I call snippets of her life are so honest and true. I lost my mom about the same time Sophie did so there is so much in this book that resonates with me-letting myself go, the deep grief that seems to never end, have a wonderfully supportive husband. I just appreciate her heart that has been put into words in this new book. Thank you Sophie for another great book!

I was hoping this book was going to really be empowering and uplifting. While it definitely had a positive message, it was very disappointing in the overall story lines. I couldn't identify in any specific parts of the book and could not really wait for it to be done, when usually I never want to put a book down. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

What another amazing book by Sophie Hudson. This deals with some hard facts and is perfect for this craziness we are living in right now. Her humor and style of writing allows you to get through the tough stuff she is tackling in this book. She is one of my all time favorite non-fiction writers and she really came strong again with Stand All The Way Up. Her advice is relatable and something I want to share with others!!

I ADORED this book. It's the first I've read from Sophie Hudson, and Stand All The Way Up left me eager to circle back to explore her earlier titles.

Hudson achieves a masterful balance of whimsical and serious, interspersing them with so much joy it was contagious. Two of my favorite lines:

"Anybody who has visited one of America's theme parks knows that we are smack-dab in the middle of an undergarment crisis in this country."

And on a more serious note: "You know what will get us into a mess? Making decisions out of fear instead of conviction."

I have dozens of these highlighted - wise words and hilarious observations, both of which feel really necessary as I figure out how to live in the world right now. I'm grateful to have discovered Sophie Hudson and highly recommend this book.

Thanks to NetGalley & the publisher for giving me the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I am a big fan of Sophie Hudson's books, so needless to say, I was anxiously awaiting her newest book and it did not disappoint! I don't know the author, but reading her book makes you feel like you're sitting down with a good cup of coffee and a girlfriend. She opens up about issues in her life that we all face from time to time and it was so refreshing to have someone put into words what so many of us feel or have gone through. The first few chapters had me crying I was laughing so hard, but by the fifth chapter my tears had turned to a big old ugly cry. The author invited me into one of the most honest and raw parts of her life and I cannot imagine how hard this book must have been to write. There were so many laugh out loud moments (Chapter 2 made me laugh harder that I've laughed in a long time, because I can SO relate) and times when I just wanted to shout "AMEN" and highlight another passage because it just resonated so much with me. I can honestly say when I finished reading this book I was ready to STAND ALL THE WAY UP (Let me get my knee brace on first though!)

"Stand All the Way Up' is Sophie Hudson's newest collection of stories set to release in June 2020. I have enjoyed listening to Sophie and her friend Melanie Shankle for many years on their podcast "The BigBoo Cast."

In this book, Sophie shares of times she has been challenged in her faith in numerous ways. She has an incredible talent of writing in a way that is encouraging, thought provoking, and humorous all at the same time. In the course of reading this book, I laughed so hard I snorted outloud, cried so hard I couldn't even speak, and thought to myself countless times, "Me, too!"

I so appreciate the vulnerability and honesty in this book. It was a delight to read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest opnion.

I was looking forward to Sophie's new book. As a listener of her Big Boo podcast, I knew that I would be entertained at the same time as learning. Each chapter focuses on a specific story of an event in Sophie's life. The stories were new, humorous, raw, and relevant to our world today. Several of the stories had me laughing and I could hear Sophie's own voice emphasizing the key points. As each story wraps up, Sophie ties that life experience or feeling to a story in the bible or how we can apply learning to each of our lives.

For those who have read Sophie Hudson's previous books, this much-anticipated new title is exactly what you would expect: funny, thoughtful, a bit sassy, and with wisdom/truth woven through. It was a good bit lighter than I thought, based on the title and subtitle - but I laughed out loud multiple times, teared up over one particular story (told beautifully, by the way), and was encouraged throughout. Although it left me with things to think about, I'm already anticipating Sophie's next book and hope there will be more to come.

Beautifully written. This book reads like a loving conversation with a dear friend - it is timely, filled with humor and wisdom, and balm for a weary soul.

"Stand All the Way Up" portrays and open and honest look at life approaching 50. In her usually humorous and honest style, the author discusses the loss of her mother, frustration with the tension-filled climate in the country, and life as parent of a teenager. If you are familiar with Sophie Hudson's previous writings and her podcast, you will not be disappointed. If you aren't familiar, you are in for a treat.

I received an Advance Reader Copy via NetGalley and look forward to receiving my pre-order when it arrives in the mail.

xI'd missed Sophie story-telling. And make no mistake, this is a collection of stories from the south, told in a southern way. If you've read her previous books, read her blog, and/ or listen to her podcast with Melanie Shakle than I am sure you'll like this book, too.
Sophie is one of those Internet people I wish I knew in real life and I'd also like her to be my friend/ mentor because she's wise, but in a totally relatable and down to earth kind of way.
The book is divided into 13 chapters, each one sharing stories relevant to an idea she presents in that chapter. The second part of the chapter is where she makes her point and she makes it relevant to her readership. I like this sort of nonfiction writing, especially since the ideas are relatable, despite the age difference between me and the author.
However, one thing that fell flat for me were all those details and digressions. Of course details are the sauce of a story, and her story-telling skills are on point, but at some points I felt that the focus was too much on the anecdotes (plus, they were too long sometimes), and too little on the substantial part. I wish she had written more on the deeper aspects because she makes Scripture passages so relevant and easy to understand for the day-to-day life.
Having read her first three books, I can see how her writing has become better. This book is funny, yes, I have laughed out loud a few times, to my surprise, but also honest, deep, and mature. I love it when an author I've been reading from the very beginning becomes more settled into their craft. This is the case with Sophie Hudson in this new book, a book I recommend for fans of Christian nonfiction and lovers of family stories; you'll laugh, and then take something to heart and think about it.
I can't wait for her next book!

Sophie Hudson understands.

She understands what its like to sit at the hospital for days on end as a loved one prayerfully breathes into their final moments of life.

She understands what it's like to live in a body that can act more than a little unpredictably and the awkward combination of shame and determination that one feels when this occurs.

She understands shame. She understands what it's like to live in a body that embarrasses you and that causes you to isolate from others including those you love the most.

She understands the difficulty in finding friends and building community and being vulnerable because vulnerability has come with a price in the past.

Sophie gets it. Sophie gets it and she stands up in it and she stays in even when she wants to burn it all down.

Creator of the "BooMama.net" blog in 2005, Sophie Hudson has subsequently written such books as "A Little Salty to Cut the Sweet," "Giddy Up, Eunice," "Home is Where My People Are," and others. She's a lifelong educator and co-host of The Big Boo Cast and someone whose laugh you can practically hear even as you're reading her writing.

"Stand All the Way Up: Stories of Staying In It When You Want to Burn It All Down" is Hudson's latest book and it finds the author once again in good heart and good humor. Due for release on June 16th from B&H Books, a LifeWay imprint, "Stand All the Way Up" is written with Hudson's trademark southern sass meets down home goodness. Hudson loves the Lord and isn't afraid to say it and writes with a wonderful weaving together of humor, heart, aching vulnerability, spiritual insight, and a humility that is sometimes woefully absent from many of today's faith-based writers.

"Stand All the Way Up" is an engaging and entertaining collection of stories revealing a God who teaches you to stand up for yourself, stand up for the people you love, stand up for the people who can't and, perhaps most of all, stand up for the Kingdom of God. As someone who doesn't have feet, all that standing up wore me out.

As is nearly always true for collections of stories, some stories will resonate more than others and some will feel nearly irrelevant alongside some of Hudson's more substantial and even more humorous stories of life past and present. There is one moment, in particular, of confusion as Sophie poignantly shares the journey of losing someone she loves, yet in almost the immediately following stories seems to reference the person as if they're still alive.

Help. Confusion.

However, these are minor quibbles.

No, really. "Stand All the Way Up" is an engaging, insightful, and incredibly real collection of stories targeted primarily at women and girls yet easily accessible to anyone who appreciates sassy, spiritually grounded writing and a willingness to stand up and hold in during the darkest and most mundane days of the faith journey.

I read a quote recently by Christian author Lysa TerKeurst that said "We can be divided by issues and opinions… or we can be united by our tears and our love for Jesus." Hudson lives into this belief in "Stand All the Way Up" and she does so deliberately and with tremendous compassion. She gracefully declines the rabbit holes of conflict in favor of seeking common ground and kinship with one another. She recognizes that social media has become a cesspool of conflict and division and, humor and heart firmly intact, gently yet undeniably admonishes those who contribute to those unnecessary divisions and avoidable conflicts.

In other words, with "Stand All the Way Up" Sophie Hudson stands up and keeps loving, loving, loving to the best of her ability.

A resident of Birmingham, Alabama where she lies with her husband and teenage son, Sophie Hudson shares her life and her faith journey in "Stand All the Way Up: Stories of Staying In It When You Want to Burn It All Down" with openness, honesty, an abundance of humor, and a a desire to give all of it to God.

"Stand All the Way Up" is written in Sophie Hudson's typical style: with loads of humor and honesty. Filled with several real-life essays, this book will make you laugh and then make you think. I highly recommend it!

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