The Stories We Tell: Every Piece of Your Story Matters
- Downloads：8357
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-11-09 13:21:34
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Joanna Gaines
- ISBN：B0B9KWLMGM
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Kayo
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Not like I was expecting。 Wanted to really like this one。 More of an inspirational piece， which there are a billion just like it out there。 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。
Terri
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Are you a fan of the Gaines？ This is Joanna's story。 Not the story of their business， or their family， or even their marriage。 This is just Joanna looking at her life and figuring out what she needs to do to be more whole as a person。 She gives us tips on how we can do the same and I found this book fascinating and highly enjoyable。 Are you a fan of the Gaines？ This is Joanna's story。 Not the story of their business， or their family， or even their marriage。 This is just Joanna looking at her life and figuring out what she needs to do to be more whole as a person。 She gives us tips on how we can do the same and I found this book fascinating and highly enjoyable。 。。。more
Michelle Herzing
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If you are looking for more cute Chip and Joanna stories， this is not the book for you。 If， however， you are looking for deep reflection on Joanna's life， what makes her tick， and how she works to overcome insecurities， you are going to love this book。 I struggle with placing The Stories We Tell in the genre of memoir， as it includes only a few stories from Joanna's life， and is comprised mostly of her inner dialogue as she has worked through emotional pain from childhood bullying and the lifelo If you are looking for more cute Chip and Joanna stories， this is not the book for you。 If， however， you are looking for deep reflection on Joanna's life， what makes her tick， and how she works to overcome insecurities， you are going to love this book。 I struggle with placing The Stories We Tell in the genre of memoir， as it includes only a few stories from Joanna's life， and is comprised mostly of her inner dialogue as she has worked through emotional pain from childhood bullying and the lifelong self-doubt it inspired。 The professional persona Joanna Gaines presents to the world as a coping mechanism is contrasted with the person she is in her innermost thoughts and dreams。 The result is an easy-reading， almost conversational， look into the emotional growth of a woman who has lived the larger part of the last decade in the spotlight。Once I got over my expectations for this book， I enjoyed reading， and will likely reread in the future for personal inspiration and self-growth。 Overall， I grew to respect Joanna Gaines more as a flawed， yet inspirational human。 Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Select for the digital ARC of The Stories We Tell。 The opinions in this review are my own。 。。。more
Shelby
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I generally enjoy the Gaines's products， including some Christmassy plaid pillows I bought from Target yesterday and their newest series Fixer Upper: The Castle on Magnolia Network， which I subscribe to with my money each month。 As I'm going through a tough season of family emergencies， I downloaded this audiobook thinking it'd be an easy， potentially insightful listen。I got what I expected: this was an easy read。 Very easy。 I think I understand what Joanna is going for， but the entire memoir wa I generally enjoy the Gaines's products， including some Christmassy plaid pillows I bought from Target yesterday and their newest series Fixer Upper: The Castle on Magnolia Network， which I subscribe to with my money each month。 As I'm going through a tough season of family emergencies， I downloaded this audiobook thinking it'd be an easy， potentially insightful listen。I got what I expected: this was an easy read。 Very easy。 I think I understand what Joanna is going for， but the entire memoir was vague and redundant。 She discusses some hiccups such as being bullied as a child and watching her children become independent， and these can certainly be core experiences that affect one's self-esteem， but I don't feel like she reveals her true self to the reader—which is literally what she's advocating for in the book。 RIYL Brené Brown， journaling， words like journey and storytellingThanks to Libro。fm for the Advanced Listening Copy。 。。。more
Dannie Lynn Fountain
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The Stories We Tell was an interesting read for someone once obsessed with Chip and Joanna and someone who has literally stayed in a Fixer Upper home。 I enjoyed the book and saw it as a helpful and insightful background into what REALLY has been going on in the Gaines' lives。 But I also found it a still-too-glossy and oft departing from reality perspective of how life really works。 I received a complimentary audiobook from the publisher via libro。fm。 The Stories We Tell was an interesting read for someone once obsessed with Chip and Joanna and someone who has literally stayed in a Fixer Upper home。 I enjoyed the book and saw it as a helpful and insightful background into what REALLY has been going on in the Gaines' lives。 But I also found it a still-too-glossy and oft departing from reality perspective of how life really works。 I received a complimentary audiobook from the publisher via libro。fm。 。。。more
HEATHER
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I've been a huge fan of Chip and Joanna Gaines since Fixer Upper！ I have both of her cookbooks along with some of her magnolia kitchen items。 I was excited to be able to get an advanced copy of this book。 It has some insight into her life and her family but it's more about helping yourself through life。 I've been going through some things lately and this book gave me inspiration 。 This book is a must read for people wanting to get inside of their head and really think about things in life and wa I've been a huge fan of Chip and Joanna Gaines since Fixer Upper！ I have both of her cookbooks along with some of her magnolia kitchen items。 I was excited to be able to get an advanced copy of this book。 It has some insight into her life and her family but it's more about helping yourself through life。 I've been going through some things lately and this book gave me inspiration 。 This book is a must read for people wanting to get inside of their head and really think about things in life and ways to make our lives easier。 Not letting things get to us and do more journaling to get it out and help you down the road。 I would definitely recommend this book。 Thanks again for allowing me the opportunity to read this early。 。。。more
Cindy Coats
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I received an ALC copy from the publisherI have always loved Joanna。 I appreciate her grace and kindness to all。 I love her approach to life and how she is gentle with her faith。 People of all beliefs can follow her and feel safe and comfortable。 I enjoyed this book and will be thinking about my own story and how I can make small changes to shift the narrative
Sarah
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The Stories We Tell provides a glimpse into the inner world of Joanna Gaines and lands somewhere between memoir and a personal development book。 I am a long-time watcher of Fixer Upper and enjoy the occasional issue of Magnolia Journal。 It was nice to learn more about Joanna and her upbringing。 The book is not a linear telling of her life story， but is split up into chapters built around themes。 It is largely about her perspective on life （not detailed life events） and how her mindset has shifte The Stories We Tell provides a glimpse into the inner world of Joanna Gaines and lands somewhere between memoir and a personal development book。 I am a long-time watcher of Fixer Upper and enjoy the occasional issue of Magnolia Journal。 It was nice to learn more about Joanna and her upbringing。 The book is not a linear telling of her life story， but is split up into chapters built around themes。 It is largely about her perspective on life （not detailed life events） and how her mindset has shifted after the birth of her youngest child。 Not knowing this going in， I was initially disappointed it didn’t read like a traditional memoir。 Some chapters resonated with me more than others， like “Look Up”。 However， other chapters seemed very generalized and I couldn’t tell if she was writing a memoir or an attempt at a Brene Brown-style personal development book。 I think it is lost somewhere in the middle of the two genres （which isn’t a bad thing but it did seem to lack a cohesive identity at times）。 Overall， it felt generally uplifting and I enjoyed it。 Recommend on audio as well as Joanna narrates the book herself。 Thank you to Libro。fm for the advance listening copy！ 。。。more
Sarah Notarangelo
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The Stories We Tell， follows Joanna Gaines throughout her life story。 As a young child she explores the teasing and bullying she endured， and the parts of her identity that she unknowingly suppressed in order to fit the mold of who she was expected to be。 In The Stories We Tell， Joanna explores how she has unpacked all of these insecurities， fears， and misconceptions throughout her adult life--allowing her to build a successful business （understatement of the year！） and grow a loving family。 "Ev The Stories We Tell， follows Joanna Gaines throughout her life story。 As a young child she explores the teasing and bullying she endured， and the parts of her identity that she unknowingly suppressed in order to fit the mold of who she was expected to be。 In The Stories We Tell， Joanna explores how she has unpacked all of these insecurities， fears， and misconceptions throughout her adult life--allowing her to build a successful business （understatement of the year！） and grow a loving family。 "Every time I choose fun over fear， play over performance， vulnerability over perfection， it feels like a homecoming， like I'm returning to myself after all these years。" -Joanna Gaines， The Stories We TellI enjoyed following Joanna's journey in this memoir。 I would definitely be interested in the audiobook of this--there were times where I found the text to be repetitive， which was intentional， but hearing it in her own voice， would have made the difference for me。 There were several passages that I highlighted throughout the chapters， I found her words to be inspirational， but also grounding。 I think that this book would make a great gift for a loved one or friend。 。。。more
Becca Kate
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Joanna Gaines has been such an inspiration to me and I was ecstatic when I got the opportunity to read an advanced e-copy of her book （thank you Harper Select）！ This is not so much a memoir of her life like I initially thought， but more so a love story to herself; past， present and future。 She reflects on a range of topics on everything from her childhood to motherhood to her business empire and all in such a vulnerably heartwarming way that makes you feel so connected with her。 While reading th Joanna Gaines has been such an inspiration to me and I was ecstatic when I got the opportunity to read an advanced e-copy of her book （thank you Harper Select）！ This is not so much a memoir of her life like I initially thought， but more so a love story to herself; past， present and future。 She reflects on a range of topics on everything from her childhood to motherhood to her business empire and all in such a vulnerably heartwarming way that makes you feel so connected with her。 While reading this I didn’t feel like it was just a book， I felt like I was having an intimate conversation with a close friend。 One that I never wanted to end。Though she is world famous， Joanna has not lost touch of what is most important to her in her life and this book makes you reflect on your own life and what values you hold。 Her honesty throughout is to be applauded and her unfailing optimism is inspiring。 She compels you to focus on your own story and lets you know it’s ok to change， to evolve， to rewrite your story until you find your spark and joy in life。 So if you’re needing a little motivation， are a fan of Joanna or just want a book with a marvelous message， pick up a copy of #thestorieswetell。 Thank you Joanna for sharing your story with the world and reminding the little girl in me that her story matters。 。。。more
Trish Ryan
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I appreciate Joanna Gaines’ clear， gentle voice on her show， and it comes through in this book。 I didn’t find anything new or revelatory here， nor does the book leave me with anything particularly thought provoking to take away。 But for fans of the Magnolia dynasty， this will provide an excellent opportunity to spend time with Joanna Gaines， which is， I think， the purpose of this project。 Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book。
Shannon
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I have the hugest crush on Joanna Gaines and her newest book/memoir only made me love her more。 In this book she delves into the way her second act in life has made her reconsider what's most important。 She is refreshingly honest about her journey to lean into being vulnerable， taking the time to relish being present in the moment， embracing empathy and learning how to make time for fun。 Excellent on audio read by the author herself。 If you were a fan of Fixer Upper you won't want to miss this o I have the hugest crush on Joanna Gaines and her newest book/memoir only made me love her more。 In this book she delves into the way her second act in life has made her reconsider what's most important。 She is refreshingly honest about her journey to lean into being vulnerable， taking the time to relish being present in the moment， embracing empathy and learning how to make time for fun。 Excellent on audio read by the author herself。 If you were a fan of Fixer Upper you won't want to miss this one！！ Much thanks to NetGalley and Librofm for early digital copies of one of my most anticipated 2022 reads！！**Interesting note， the author refers several times to a picture of her as a child as the cover photo but they must have made a photo change without updating the audio/text of the book。 I can totally understand from a marketing perspective that adult Joanna would sell more than child Joanna but it's sad to see the author's wishes lose out in the end in the interest of sales。 。。。more
Yolanda | yolandaannmarie。reads
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[arc review]Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Select for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review。The Stories We Tell releases November 8， 2022“Our story may crack us open， but it also pieces us back together。”I am unable to give a full review at this time because the digital arc I received was unfortunately incomplete due to every second page having sentences cut off from the copyright tag。However， what I was able to read， I did enjoy。This is more of a generalized self-reflection/inspi [arc review]Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Select for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review。The Stories We Tell releases November 8， 2022“Our story may crack us open， but it also pieces us back together。”I am unable to give a full review at this time because the digital arc I received was unfortunately incomplete due to every second page having sentences cut off from the copyright tag。However， what I was able to read， I did enjoy。This is more of a generalized self-reflection/inspirational piece rather than an autobiography/memoir。 While good， I did hope to connect with or gain further insight from Joanna on a deeper or more vulnerable level。I liked the idea that everyone has a unique story to tell that should be embraced。 What is life， if not told through stories？ Of ourselves， or just simple occurrences。 How valuable is your story？“And isn’t almost every story a connection of cause and effect？”Towards the beginning there were deep rooted feelings connected to Joanna’s identity of growing up mixed-race that I could relate to。 I would have liked even more connection to this or additional parallels scattered throughout the rest of the book。“The lies I told out loud， though， weren’t as harmful as the lies I was letting take root in my heart—that the person I was made to be wasn’t good enough， that I’d have to learn to push aside the part of my family’s history that didn’t seem like it fit into the corner of the world I lived in。” I hope to revisit and reread this at a later date after publication to have the full reading experience！“I believe that at our core， we are all more similar than we think。 That we all long to be seen。 Plainly。 And loved just as we are。 We long to be known more intimately than we sometimes let ourselves show。” 。。。more
Kyra Leseberg （Roots & Reads）
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Joanna Gaines does an exceptional job of sharing her truth and looking to connect with her audience in what feels like an authentic way。 She shares memories of her childhood， motherhood， marriage， and business that have shaped her， considers the things that mean the most to her， and discusses her journey to finding her purpose。My big takeaway from this book is that she’s had a little and she’s had a lot。 Gaines hasn’t forgotten where she comes from and decided that she was willing to trade fame Joanna Gaines does an exceptional job of sharing her truth and looking to connect with her audience in what feels like an authentic way。 She shares memories of her childhood， motherhood， marriage， and business that have shaped her， considers the things that mean the most to her， and discusses her journey to finding her purpose。My big takeaway from this book is that she’s had a little and she’s had a lot。 Gaines hasn’t forgotten where she comes from and decided that she was willing to trade fame for a life that encompassed her family and allowed her to focus on the little things （which， spoiler alert: are actually the big things）。 While much of this book is repetitive， it honestly has a lovely message that is worth repeating。Joanna Gaines is relatable and this story is genuine。 I loved what she had to say and it made me think about what means the most to me。Thanks to Harper Select and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review。 The Stories We Tell is scheduled for release on November 8， 2022。For more reviews， visit www。rootsandreads。wordpress。com 。。。more
Rachel
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The Stories We Tell: Every Piece of Your Story Mattersby Joanna Gaines is a great memoir that gives us a deeper look into the mind and life if a truly inspiring woman。I have been a fan of Joanna Gaines for quite some time。 I was super excited to jump at the chance to read more about her life， thoughts， past， and experiences。 In this memoir， we are able to get more insight into what Joanna has felt， experienced， and her outlook and determination through the ups and downs she has been handed throu The Stories We Tell: Every Piece of Your Story Mattersby Joanna Gaines is a great memoir that gives us a deeper look into the mind and life if a truly inspiring woman。I have been a fan of Joanna Gaines for quite some time。 I was super excited to jump at the chance to read more about her life， thoughts， past， and experiences。 In this memoir， we are able to get more insight into what Joanna has felt， experienced， and her outlook and determination through the ups and downs she has been handed throughout her life。 Some moments were lighter than others， and while I thoroughly enjoyed this book， a few more of the “deeper” moments would have been welcomed。Still a great read for any fan of Joanna and her family。 4/5 stars Thank you Harper Select for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion。I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon， Instagram， and B&N accounts upon publication on 11/8/22。 。。。more
Barbara Brewer
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I always loved the fixer upper shower so this book was fun and interesting。 Joanna gaines to me always has been a hard worker and I think she sets a good example for even al of the little girls out there if you work hard your dreams do come true this nokn was approved by netgalley and the publisher for me to read and review。
Johnnysbookreviews
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I rated it higher than I should。 This rating might change when I listen to the audio version。 I didn't finish this book。 I got to pg。 50 and couldn't continue with it。 I love Joanna and the Gaines family。 I'm watching the Fixer Upper castle season now， but I just couldn't continue reading this book。 I got bored， and I think listening to Joanna talk might be a better option。 I listened to Magnolia Story twice， and I loved this book。 I read some parts of the book and did get bored as well。 I think I rated it higher than I should。 This rating might change when I listen to the audio version。 I didn't finish this book。 I got to pg。 50 and couldn't continue with it。 I love Joanna and the Gaines family。 I'm watching the Fixer Upper castle season now， but I just couldn't continue reading this book。 I got bored， and I think listening to Joanna talk might be a better option。 I listened to Magnolia Story twice， and I loved this book。 I read some parts of the book and did get bored as well。 I think the audio versions for the Gaines books （besides Joanna's cooking books and decor books） might be the best option， but we'll see when I get the audio book。 。。。more
Andrea Pole
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The Stories We Tell by Joanna Gaines is an inspiring memoir in which the author shares her personal journey in an honest and vulnerable way。 The takeaway here， I think， is Joanna's encouragement that， first and foremost， we need to be good stewards of our own stories。 This is hers， and there is much to be learned from an intimate look behind the curtain of the public persona。Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Select for an ARC。 The Stories We Tell by Joanna Gaines is an inspiring memoir in which the author shares her personal journey in an honest and vulnerable way。 The takeaway here， I think， is Joanna's encouragement that， first and foremost， we need to be good stewards of our own stories。 This is hers， and there is much to be learned from an intimate look behind the curtain of the public persona。Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Select for an ARC。 。。。more
Janilyn Kocher
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I made quick work of this book。 I was a follower of the Gaines from 2012 until 2018。 When they went to streaming I gave up since I refuse to pay for shows I’ve already paid to watch through cable。Gaines’ book is about reflection on self improvement。 She uses the word intentional quite a bit。 Her writing is like her: purposive， straight forward， and inspiring。She interspersed a few stories within the reflections， but I was hoping for more of her stories。I think she has learned to slow down and en I made quick work of this book。 I was a follower of the Gaines from 2012 until 2018。 When they went to streaming I gave up since I refuse to pay for shows I’ve already paid to watch through cable。Gaines’ book is about reflection on self improvement。 She uses the word intentional quite a bit。 Her writing is like her: purposive， straight forward， and inspiring。She interspersed a few stories within the reflections， but I was hoping for more of her stories。I think she has learned to slow down and enjoy the ride instead of rushing to the next thing。I did miss out on portions of sentences due to the publisher’s notification on every page， a sentence would become fragmented and I had no idea what the next line was。Thanks to Harper Select and NetGalley for the early read。 。。。more
Courtney
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