2020!! We Can See Clearly Now!
New Year….New Decade…New Ways to See the World!
I’m in the mood to play! Energize in the new year with these quirky books that are refreshingly honest! Warning….don’t drink hot liquids while reading theses stories- you may laugh and splurt yourself!!
JENA’S REVIEW
I may be the Number 1 fan of this book. After a slightly rocky start, Leah’s story of finding herself will make you love her. Pure party in a book. Yes, there is plenty of sex… and a gun- but it works! And I adore any character who creates a blog named thongburner.com
Good-Time Girl by Leslie M. Rollins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Zany, wildly creative with surprising heart and emotional power- this is the perfect read when your weekend plans go to pieces and you are feeling sorry for yourself. This is also the perfect read when you wake up in the middle of the night and your brain goes through the highlight reel of the calamitous moments in your life spotlighting how you have been a terrible wife and mother. But probably the best time to read Good-Time Girl is when you are feeling on top of the world and you need something to reinforce your devil-may-care feelings.
If I tell you the plot of the book, I’m afraid you won’t be brave enough to read it, so I’ll share some of the book blurb with you, which I edited a bit to not give everything away.
“Leah hates thong underwear as much as she hates being middle-aged and fighting to stay relevant in her job. What strange freedom when she unexpectedly purchases a gun! It’s enough to make her consider an act of terrorism at a certain lingerie store. Though she may need the help of the handsome twenty-two-year-old across the street.
Her shrink wants to help her, her mother wants her to get married, and only her dogs love her.
But Leah and her gun have a different path to follow.”
Leah tells us her story in the first person, present. At times she is witty, sarcastic, self-deprecating and off-putting. But every so often, she reveals her more vulnerable and caring side. She senses she is at a crossroads in her life. On the one hand, she’s getting older, which impacts how the world from men to her mother see her, and how she fits in at her marketing/graphic design job. On the other hand, she’s still witty and vibrant and at her sexual peak. She’s old enough to feel comfortable with her opinions, but insecure enough to hide at home with her dogs.
Buying a gun brings her life in to focus.
You will breeze through this book, it’s fun and clever. I had a little trouble at the beginning getting in to it, as the humor seemed forced and Leah was on her high horse. But once I got to know Leah better, and I assure you, you will bond with her, I had a blast. Yes, there is some fairly graphic sex, but Leah is open and honest and it’s not gratuitous at all. You will love her dogs, her twenty-two-year-old lover, her old lady neighbor, and her mother. By the end of the story, Leah has sorted most of it, and has started a blog, thongburner.com How can you not love a book that ends like that? (Oh, and the bonus material at the end particularly the book club discussion questions is hysterical.)
Please author Leslie M. Rollins, can this book be the start of a series? Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy. This is my honest review.
Another quirky character, more problems with love…and yes, there’s still a gun! Have you ever read a book written as a series of lists? Here you go!
Twenty-one Truths About Love: A Novel by Matthew Dicks
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
A novel written in list form. Seriously? Wait…what did you say? A novel written in list form? What kind of book is that???
An engaging, captivating book. Really! My one piece of advice before you start this book- buy some Little Debbie Snacks.
On Amazon, Twenty-one Truths about Love is categorized as “Epistolary Fiction”. (Please don’t confuse “epistolary” with “episiotomy”- which also figures in this book.) Epistolary fiction is a novel written in letter form. I have read books like that, and also books written in diary form. This is the first time that I have read a book that is written in list form- and only lists.
Author Matthew Dicks is an accomplished author and he has crafted a story that will make you laugh, shake your head, tear up a bit, and completely entertain you. The lists, some are long, some short, some use but a few words, amazingly form a complete story. A story that will engage you with a well-rounded main character. Sometimes you want to hug Dan and sometimes you want to shake him. He has many problems, involving his wife, job, family, friends, his whole life. Months by month, list by list, he struggles to work it out.
I highly recommend this book and I also recommend that you read the reviews for this book. Many of the reviewers were braver and more talented than me and reviewed this book in list format- and their reviews work, too! Here’s my favorite item from one of Dan’s lists: “Winners arrive on time. Losers are always unexpectedly stuck in traffic.”
Many thanks to NetGalley, the writer, and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with a digital review copy. This is my honest review.
No guns this time…but plenty of joy and laughs! When Hannah decides she wants to be more than a Mum, she chooses an amazing career. Will she succeed? This book is a hoot, and Hannah seems very similar to someone I know.
More than Just Mum by Rebecca Smith
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
How fun- someone wrote a book about me and my life! And even funnier, I noticed from other reviews about this book, that the reviewers all thought the book was about them, as well. What does this say about being a wife and mother, daughter, friend and teacher?!
Apparently as main character British Hannah Thomas moans, “We are not living our best lives.” Hannah decides that she wants to begin a new chapter in her life, a life where she is the star. But first, she has to make beans on toast for tea, keep the felt-tip markers away from her English class, rush her 10-year-old’s hamster to the vet and make sure her two teenagers are on an even keel, because it’s horrible when an Instagram post doesn’t have enough likes. Can Hannah make it to Fizzy Friday?
This book is enjoyable, relatable, witty and fun. As an English teacher, Hannah is used to enduring the “slings and arrows” of daily life. The author describes Hannah’s life so well and makes the humdrum details of daily living come alive. Hannah keeps trying, and is supported by her rather clueless but nice husband who means well, her girlfriend, her work colleagues, and her chirpy mother.
Hannah does indeed come up with a plan for her life- but will it work? Treat yourself. Why don’t you grab this book, head to a steaming bubble bath, lock the door and read this book! After you are done laughing, you may want to work on your own life plan.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Harper Impulse and Killer Reads, and One More Chapter for an ARC. This is my honest opinion.
Looking for more books to read? Please visit my Book Promotions page and explore all the latest releases. Extracts, blurbs, reviews, author info, books links- all waiting for you!
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