Everything That Came Before Grace by Bill See

BOOK INFORMATION

Genre: Family Life Fiction, Coming of Age Fiction

• Paperback: 263 pages
• ISBN-13: 979-8697945605
• Publisher: Independently published (November 6, 2020)
• Language: English
• ASIN: B08MSMP6DW

Synopsis: A single-father comes of age as he discovers whether it’s love or fatherhood that could save him. Haunted by his mother’s death and a series of serendipitous events from his past, Benjamin Bradford desperately tries to keep his mental illness under control while raising his daughter Sophia. Set against the iconic streets of Los Angeles, there’s music always playing, heavy therapy sessions and private emails to discern, shattered friendships and betrayal, and the specter of a true love that got away. Think: Silver Linings Playbook meets High Fidelity with a dash of Eighth Grade. Can Benjamin find redemption? Can he escape his demons and find love again? Come along for the ride and find out.

Review:

This is one of the most moving books I've read this year. Single dad Benjamin is trying to raise his daughter Sophia while keeping her in the dark about his mental illness, as well as the mental illness of his mother (and its impact on his childhood). Add in losing his "one true love" in college, and subsequently seeing her married to his best friend, and life gets pretty complicated pretty fast. The main theme of the father-daughter relationship is very well-written, and its ups and downs are incredibly realistic. The fears Benjamin has about his parenting may seem a little over the top at times and make him more than a little overprotective, but it all tends to make him someone you just want to hug (and at times, shout at to get over himself). I was also glad to see that the author did not give us a predictable ending, but that it was still full of hope and promise. There are a lot of song references throughout the book, which was fun. The author has put together a Spotify playlist of all of them, which makes for a great soundtrack while reading.  Rating: Five years About the author Bill See was the founding member of critically acclaimed Los Angeles indie rock band Divine Weeks and has been a mainstay in the L.A. music and writing community since the mid-80s. His debut docu-novel "33 Days: Touring in a Van, Sleeping on Floors, Chasing a Dream" was released in 2011. His new novel, "Everything That Came Before Grace" is set to be released in December 2020. Check out the Everything That Came Before Grace Official Website at: https://www.everythingthatcamebeforegrace.com Check out the Everything That Came Before Grace Podcast: https://anchor.fm/etcbg See Divine Weeks on All Music Guide for an overview of the band's career: http://www.allmusic.com/album/never-get-used-to-it-r5916/review 33 Days Official Website: http://www.33daysthebook.com Divine Weeks' official website is http://www.divineweeks.com/

Love, Secrets and Absolution by K.L. Lovely

BOOK INFORMATION

Genre: Family life, coming of age

Paperback: 280 pages

• Publisher: Globeflower Books (November 1, 2017)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1999829409
• ISBN-13: 978-1999829407

Synopsis: People in the village gossip about Grace’s son, Alfie. 

He’s a lonely boy full of secrets, lies, and obsessive thoughts. 

How far can a mother’s love go? Will she ultimately sacrifice her life for his? 

Set in Nottinghamshire, this family drama follows the lives of Grace and Alfie as he transforms from a naïve, young boy into a teenager spiraling out of control. 

Love, Secrets, and Absolution is a coming of age story with a difference. 

Deceit, betrayal, love, and addiction, a family falling apart in the midst of teenage angst and torn loyalties; will anybody find absolution? 

Review: This book is the story of a family of a child with Asperberger's Syndrome. Although we don't learn exactly what makes Alfie so different until he is a college student, I had a strong suspicion much sooner based on his behaviors and his feelings.

The book has chapters from the point of view of Grace (the mother), Alfie (the child) and Paul (the father). I loved the chapters from Alfie's point of view as an infant and toddler--they were definitely a new perspective on things.

Reading all the challenges this family went through over the years and seeing how each of them dealt with those challenges (too much trying to keep things from the others, in my opinion!), was a deeply emotional experience. 

The ending is very realistic, giving the reader hope for Alfie's future without tying everything up in a neat little bow.

I received an ARC of this work from the author and publisher, with no expectation of a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.

Rating: Five stars

About the author

 K.L Loveley is an exciting new author whose debut novel, ‘Alice’ was published in February 2017. Her love of writing began with a gift of a five-year lockup diary at the age of seven and she has never stopped writing since. In addition to writing novels, the author writes poetry and will be sharing some of these on her blog.

She lives with her husband in a quaint village in Nottinghamshire and enjoys walking and cycling in the famous Sherwood Forest. The author and her husband own a narrowboat and spend time navigating the British waterways. She spends many cozy evenings on her boat writing additional novels which will be released in the future.

SUMMER READING CHALLENGE: The Choices We Make by Karma Brown #src2016 #bestsummerever

Book Information

Genre: Women's Fiction

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: MIRA (July 12, 2016)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0778318931
• ISBN-13: 978-0778318934

Synopsis: Following her bestselling debut novel Come Away with Me, Karma Brown returns with an unforgettable story that explores the intricate dynamics between friends and mothers

Hannah and Kate became friends in the fifth grade, when Hannah hit a boy for looking up Kate's skirt with a mirror. While they've been close as sisters ever since, Hannah can't help but feel envious of the little family Kate and her husband, David, have created—complete with two perfect little girls. 

She and Ben have been trying for years to have a baby, so when they receive the news that she will likely never get pregnant, Hannah's heartbreak is overwhelming. But just as they begin to tentatively explore the other options, it's Kate's turn to do the rescuing. Not only does she offer to be Hannah's surrogate, but Kate is willing to use her own eggs to do so. 

Full of renewed hope, excitement and gratitude, these two families embark on an incredible journey toward parenthood…until a devastating tragedy puts everything these women have worked toward at risk of falling apart. Poignant and refreshingly honest, The Choices We Make is a powerful tale of two mothers, one incredible friendship and the risks we take to make our dreams come true.

Review: I didn't know if Karma Brown could top the emotional writing of Come Away With Me, but after reading the synopsis of this novel, I had a feeling she might have found a way. I was not disappointed. This one is a very different story, but it is no less emotional and realistic.

There are so many heart-wrenching scenes in this story that I would suggest keeping a box of tissues close at hand while reading. The themes of friendship and motherhood are wonderfully displayed from beginning to end--from the highs to the lows and everything in between. Knowing that portions of the story were based on the author's personal experiences makes it an even more amazing read.

Some of Hannah's actions after the tragedy mentioned in the synopsis of the book made me wonder if they weren't out of character for someone who had been friends with another woman for 25 yrs. She seemed just a little too cavalier about letting go of that friendship when I would have expected her to be torn apart by the decisions that needed to be made. Since that was my only complaint, it did not impact my rating at all.

**I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.**

Rating: Five stars

About the author

KARMA BROWN is an award-winning journalist and freelance writer, who probably spends too much time on her laptop in coffee shops. When not writing, she can be found running with her husband, coloring (outside the lines) with her daughter, or baking yet another batch of banana muffins. Karma lives just outside Toronto with her family.

Idiots And Children, by Diana Estill

Synopsis: Idiots and children are said to be divinely protected, and to tell the unvarnished truth. To prove that theory, in her latest collection of humor essays, award-winning humorist Diana Estill delivers twisted tales of past and present. Having grown up with an absent-minded father and a mother who refused to wear—but nevertheless tried to sell—beauty products, Estill drolly recalls her childhood angst and confusion. The author’s keen observations about life and family straddle the line between satire and memoir, consistently hitting the comedic bull’s eye.


Besides poking fun at herself and her kin, Estill unleashes tongue-in-cheek commentary on subjects such as populating Mars, finding the “fun” in funerals, cloning Neanderthals, and store gun policies. (“If you’re feeling unsafe enough to pack a shotgun for your trip to purchase pork rinds, then maybe you ought to stay home and shoot your own snacks.”) Travelogues about crossing the pond (“Looking for the Loo in London”) and commissioning a hot air balloon to fly across a desert (“Fatal Attractions”) offer witty vacation advice. If you enjoy a good laugh, this book is one to add to your collection.

My thoughts: A fun book of essays that will resonate with most families. I laughed with recognition at several of the situations she described, such as "Family Pillow Fight." 

Each essay is fairly short, something you can read in five minutes or less. But they are so good that you're not going to want to put the book down after just one! Some of the essays also include photos, which is a nice touch. 

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, and all opinions are entirely my own.

My rating: Four stars