Highly readable entertaining first novel about family, forgiveness and the closets we all live in
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Abdi Nazemian has created a novel that appears to be about the contemporary Persian-American experience in Los Angeles. The book is really about the universal themes of family, forgiveness and the "closets" we all create and hang out in. There is a rich narrative which  builds a believable context for surprising twists in the plot.

I will not provide commentary on details of the plot. I encourage you to buy the book and to enjoy the storytelling for yourself. Suffice it to say that this book grabbed my attention from the start and proved to be a quick and satisfying read...one that I highly recommend. Many thanks to the author for teaching us about the importance of family, forgiveness and our self-inflicted closets while entertaining us with a well told story!
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The Figgs is a story of a family, seeped in dysfunction and love, told from the viewpoint of the menopausal mom. The parents are finally retiring and yet, still house all three of their adult children in their childhood home. The author weaves topics such as adoption, single parenthood and gay themes into the storyline, and finds a way to make them human and humorous. The story includes road trips with reluctant adult children and all the "mom and dad can't do technology" situations you can imagine. And yet, it does it with authentic dialogue and emotion.
Well written, this book is an easy read, yet brings forth  many emotions for the reader, and is relatable to many of us.
I would like to thank #NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review of the book, prior to publishing.  A solid four stars for entertaining me and give me sincere laugh out loud moments.
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Dr. Purcell has given us a unique and, I think, much needed new perspective on abortion with this page-turning family drama.  Her characters don't fit the polarized talking points which seem to dominate current public discourse on the issue.  They are recognizable, everyday people struggling to overcome their real problems, mistakes and misfortune and hang on to the hope of finding love, forgiveness and redemption.  Happily, the story conveys its insights without moralizing.  It is an entertaining read, set against what I suspect is the authors autobiographical view of an innocent and pious Kentucky community. I hope this first novel is not her last.
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Young Vicky Austin narrates as she and her clan try to apply their ultra-functional family dynamics to help Maggy, a girl who was spoiled rotten until her parents died in a plane crash.

At first, Maggy runs right over the polite and restrained Austin family, but eventually goodness and civility seep into her, as administered by the kind and wise parents. A double crisis arises in the book's climax; while the Austin parents are at a meeting where Maggy's fate will be decided, Rob, the youngest Austin, turns up missing.

There are many good elements in this book, yet I wouldn't recommend it over scores of better books. The book is, first and foremost, an idealized portrait of a strong family unit living a life in the country. Money is never an issue, as the father is a doctor, and the family's energies are devoted to becoming paragons of virtue.

There are some awfully sweet moments in the book, and brash Maggy is a character who will earn both our disapproval and our sympathy. Vicky, the narrator, has feelings that are very realistic, as she struggles with problems that may seem very familiar to an adolescent reader.

We get a sense of how wonderful a community a family can be, if it is isolated from the intrusion of the outside world. Family songs, group readings, piano session and other wholesome pasttimes keep the Austins together and, for the most part, happy.

On balance, however, the book's strong suits are overwhelmed by contrivances and preachiness. The plot meanders; while Maggy's situation and fate are always up in the air, there is never a real sense that she will be taken from the Austins. Meanwhile, many of the episodes, such as when a reading of Charlotte's Web persuades Suzy to give up ham, simply aren't very interesting. Also, the characterization of the children is seriously flawed. While they have realistic emotions, they are supernaturally able to articulate those emotions. Their powers of self-analysis, and their ability to overcome pettiness, just doesn't ring true.

Another problem that I had with the book was the stealthy insertion of religious views. Early in the book, we are treated to Rob's comically cute bedtime prayers, which is fine. But the last few chapters introduce a brilliant religious grandfather who prompts a dinner discussion about how Einstein believed in God (among other religious topics). I think it's fine to portray a religious family practicing their religion, but when the text is hijacked by a very clumsy presentation of a belief system, it becomes a problem for me.

This is also evident in the resolution to Suzy's refusal to eat ham. John, the eldest son, presents a "scientific" argument to Suzy about why vegetarianism is wrong, and that's pretty much the end of it. The biggest points in his argument are that not eating meat is unhealthy, and that eating a pig is, ethically, no different than killing and eating a carrot. I won't go into it here, but these points are very off-base. That they are presented as fact, with no counter-argument, represents a bad job.

Believe it or not, I am a huge L'Engle fan, and I highly recommend her "Wrinkle in Time" series, including the religiously inclined "Many Waters." This book, however, should be pretty far down on your list. If you would like a portrait of a wholesome, God-fearing family that is less objectionable, I would recommend the Little House on the Prairie series.
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The novel focuses on the lives of Mudear, her three daughters (Betty, Emily, and Annie), and husband (Ernest) and the havoc she caused in their lives. The author weaves back and forth through time to paint a sad story of children struggling to make sense and adjust to a night-time gardening, TV-watching, self-absorbed, man-hating, non-nurturing, dictator-like mother. While the husband/father, Ernest Lovejoy, can escape into his job at the chalk mines, the everlasting effect she has on her children's life is profound. Mudear believed she was instilling virtues of self-reliance, independence, and self-confidence into her daughters, but soon learns (via her ghost) the motherly lessons has wrecked havoc in their adult relationship with men, has lead one daughter into a rushed marriage just to escape from home, and contributed to another's nervous breakdown. Although all the girls are successful professionally, it stems from their desire to please Mudear and satisfy her very high expectations. The pivotal event is the mother's funeral where it brings the family together and only then do the years of suppressed anger, resentment, and frustration finally surface and the healing begins. The book is easy to read and follow-there are detailed descriptions, and lots of funny, entertaining dialogue to keep the story flowing.
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I very much enjoyed reading this admirable first novel.  The authors presented a believable cast of characters moving through a poignant family situation to a satisfying ending.  Good dialogue.  I recommend this fast paced, entertaining book.
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I really enjoyed this book when I read an early release. I think that its themes of family, marriage, divorce, and growing older will resonate with readers of all ages but that its especially suited for a book club discussion. I'm definitely looking forward to a second book from this first time novelist! More Please!!
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Psychologist and Professor Maggie Davidson is struggling with her disenchantment with the Catholic Church over several policies, resulting in a building conflict with her very devout husband, Mike.  As she is doing laundry one afternoon, her 17 year old son Jamie drops a bomb on her attempts to maintain the image of a Perfect Family - he is gay.  What follows is an insightful novel about the effects on Jamie's family, friends, and schoolmates.
Jamie's brother Brian, a high school jock, is angry about the effect this will have with his friends.  His dad, Mike, is revolted - the Church calls homosexuality an abomination and his son an unrepentant sinner. Maggie is more accepting.  She loves her son, unconditionally, and her studies of psychology have led her to accept - academically - sexual orientation as natural in all its forms. .But this is HER son!
As a researcher myself, I am very impressed with Shay's ability to convey the attitudes and emotions surrounding the family's coming out process so well.  One might even believe there is some biographical content in this novel.  Family members' ability to hurt each other, and their friends' rejection not only of Jamie but the rest of his family as well, strike true to life.
The Perfect Family is an easy, conversational read with a strong message.  How should families react to such news?  How can they protect a beloved child?  And, in this case, can Maggie's marriage survive?
I recommend this book highly.  It is a must read for anyone dealing with coming out to their family, friends, and coworkers.
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Sheila Grinell's debut novel, Appetite, resonates with anyone who loves their imperfect family.  Characters face their shortcomings and dreams for the future while getting along with the people they love.  This modern suburban family embraces ordinary life, work and the realization that change is inevitable.  I recommend this book for it's heartwarming relationships, a wonderful journey.
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The Portable Veblen by Elizabeth Mckenzie is a very highly recommended novel about a young couple on the brink of marriage. It is a quirky, humorous, unique novel that encompasses dysfunctional families to personal professional goals to relationships to feelings about squirrels.

Veblen Amundsen-Hovda has accepted the marriage proposal of her boyfriend Paul Vreeland, a 34-year-old neurologist. While the ring seems a little big and Paul doesn't like squirrels the way Veblen does (she talks with them) they are both determined to make this work even though they have only known each other for three months. They still need to meet each other's families.

Veblen is named for Thorstein Veblen, an economist who coined the term "conspicuous consumption," is a temp agency typist and an amateur freelance translator of Norwegian, especially the works of her namesake. Her mother is a hypochondriac and a narcissist. Her step father is a nice guy, but is an enabler and panders to her mother. Her father is institutionalized for mental illness. Veblen is a free spirit who loves typing, talks to squirrels, and tries to gauge her reactions based on what other people are saying or doing. She's fixed up a crumbling house in Palo Alto by herself and made it her own. She admires Thorstein Veblen and his beliefs.

Paul grew up with hippy parents who grew pot and had other people traipsing in and out of the house/commune all the time - not to mention the DEA watching the house.  He always has felt his older brother Justine, who is mentally disabled, was favored by their parents. He is recruited by a large medical corporation with a Department of Defense contract due to his invention of a device that could potentially minimize brain trauma for those in combat situations. Paul is ambitious and driven to succeed, so he accepts the position with its promise of fame and fortune. ( (Admittedly, I wasn't a fan of Paul at the beginning of the book, but quickly began to see his point of view.)

Now this young couple who have seemingly totally opposite views on life, are trying to navigate the emotional, tense meeting-of-the-parents, as well as their own misgivings over their future. What would you do for love - of another or those in your family?

This is a wonderful, entertaining, extremely well written literary gem. It is quirky, but replete with exquisitely descriptive passages. Adding to the mix are the well-developed cast of characters and all of their incongruous idiosyncrasies.  Interspersed throughout the book are these photos, that are both funny and endearing, placed to illustrate something in the text as simple as a bag of ugly clothes for donation.

Disclosure: My Kindle edition was courtesy of Penguin Publishing Group for review purposes.
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It's often the case that you have no real notion of the people you've met whose lives you've impacted.

Emma Johnson --- a rancher's wife, mother of seven rambunctious young men and boys from nineteen to two years old, Colorado pioneer woman, practiced healer, devoted Christian, and the focal protagonist, among several, of SEASON OF FORGIVENESS by Templa Melnick --- is one such woman.

SEASON OF FORGIVENESS is the first book in the Seasons in Riverbend series. Historical fiction, set in 1904 Colorado, it paints a picture of an ever-changing lifestyle fraught with hardship, challenges, celebrations, and small victories.

Emma is the quintessential capable pioneer woman, deftly managing a hectic household, maintaining some semblance of a social life with her colorful neighbors, and separating squabbling children. She even manages to find time to help three women, each having been abused or abandoned or both, and solve a devious scheme.

If I could wish one improvement upon the work, it would be, in fact, that Emma seems two-dimensional in many ways: the stereotypical staunch Christian without many personal struggles or faults. An example thereof is evident in her forgiving even a man who tried to rape and harm her; that conversation passes in the text with an ease that struck me as necessarily unconvincing, as I know very few Christians who could so cheerfully have done the same.

The story is densely written, as most historical novels are. Its sub-genres might be classified light suspense and family drama, but the work is above all faith-based, and Emma's faith is admirably portrayed.

Written in the much the same style as the Little House series, in which protagonist Laura Ingalls Wilder simply recounts the routines and expectations that defined her childhood and is not necessarily concerned with an overarching plot arc or personal character development, SEASON OF FORGIVENESS is a feel-good novel, perfect for a rainy afternoon.

# # #

Author: Templa Melnick
Title: SEASON OF FORGIVENESS
Series: Seasons in Riverbend (#1)
ISBN: 978-98910141-74
Purchase here: http://cladach.com/Season-of-Forgiveness.html

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest, though not necessarily positive, review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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If you have ever lived in a small town, be prepared to run into some of your neighbors in Hubbard, Oregon, the setting for this fresh first novel. If you haven't, GOING TO BEND will give you a marvelous peek into life in a community of fewer than 5,000 souls.
Rich in lush details, this great big slice-of-life story has characters who may surprise you, especially in how much you care about them. But there's more than just a likable --- and spunky --- cast. Diane Hammond's prose sparkles with wonderful sentences like, "Rose's life was gliding by in a lovely blur of good soup and purposeful days and warm uncomplicated nights with Christie. A good life."
Nadine and Gordon, a brother and sister team, move up from L.A. to this tiny Pacific village. They want to escape the feverish rat race that is the city. While planning to open Souperior's, a restaurant focusing on --- you guessed it --- soups, they hold a contest for recipes. The grand-prize winner will be offered a job. For Rose Bundy and Petie Coolbaugh, making soup has always been a way to survive. Perpetually short on money, for them it meant the difference between eating and going hungry. It is their recipe that comes out on top and that lands them a job they split between them, a job they sorely need. Now they find themselves humming along, creating chowders, minestrones, purees and anything that involves broths, veggies, meats and fish.
This may not sound like the makings of a great novel, but the characters take over and live on these pages. Petie has a husband, two kids about as opposite as salt and pepper, and childhood baggage even her best friend knows nothing about. Rose lives alone with her daughter, except for when the fishing boats dock for a while and her fellow comes to stay for a few months.
Hubbard is a small town; everyone knows everyone --- and everyone's business. But the new business in town struggles. Small towns don't like newcomers. They carry a grudge against outsiders. It will take Rose and Petie's greatest effort to keep themselves employed, which means keeping Souperior's running. Meanwhile, other star players, like Petie's deadbeat husband, are hanging out doing what townsfolk do: dropping by the tavern, haggling for items automotive, and helping neighbors. And there's the inveterate ladies' man, flashing his impish grin and showing a side of himself even his insanely jealous wife never knew existed.
The people are so real, I wondered how the author had come to know some of the same people I did. She gave them heart. She gave them flaws. They come with an attitude, and a lot of love. If this is indeed a first novel, Diane Hammond is going to blow the socks off the fiction world. This is a spectacular entry into the genre. The glimpse into the lives of Rose Bundy and Petie Coolbaugh is so authentic (right down to the "gargantuan pink wooden butterflies with three-foot wingspans nailed to the siding"), I could smell the soup.
  --- Reviewed by Kate Ayers
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The protagonist is a good woman with a grudge who is forced to forgive through circumstances that won't let her run away anymore. Author Edie Claire does a great job writing believable characters that you identify with and care about.  The family dynamics, small town shenanigans, and the anger and angst of the protagonist are realistic. The secondary characters were entertaining; the author provides enough plausible suspects and avoids overloading the story with extraneous and see-through motives. The romance was suspended (which I prefer over those kissy-face pseudo stories that are all sex and no plot) and the paranormal theme was eery without being all out creepy. This book exceeded expectations and I can't wait to read another one by Edie Claire!
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Cyndy Salzmann is a Christian writer who uses the backbone of her religion to launch a career that includes three Christian nonfiction books on home management, a national speaking career, and work as a radio personality. She is married and has three children.

She hates laundry and love to cook, which has led her to include some really yummy sounding recipes in her book.

DYING TO DECORATE isn't a murder mystery. Instead it uses the word "mystery" loosely to describe a trip that Liz Harris, local newspaper columnist, takes with her friends Lucy, Jessie, Marina, Mary Alice, and Kelly. They have a small club called "FAC" or Friday Afternoon Club, which is a bonding and relaxation time for busy mothers who forget to reward themselves. When Lucy misses club, they rush over to her home to find her in a depressed state after the deaths of her husband and mother. Lucy has inherited a home her Aunt Bette has lived in entitled "Locust Hill house" which needs remodeling and/or selling. They decide to make a trek to see Locust Hill, only to find a cryptic note left by Aunt Bette, who has moved to a nursing home:

"At the same time, I have been praying that you wouldn't make any rash decisions about the disposition of Locust Hill without first exploring the house's history. I knew if you felt strong enough to make the trip to Tredway, you would be strong enough to hear what I have to say."

Aunt Bette's plea begins not only a home renovation, but the discovery of a very special diary that ties the home to Civil War history and enshrines Lucy's relations in the "hero" category. The mystery becomes unraveling the past and bringing courageous and truly religious people back to life.

Salzmann employs a deep sense of humor with a genuine love of her family to take the reader down a fascinating historical path that includes the Underground Railroad. Her idea of human values and religion rings true, and the story she has to tell is one of simple Nebraska settlers who risked everything to help to end slavery. DYING TO DECORATE begins with light banter, but its lessons are sober and inspiring.

Shelley Glodowski

Senior Reviewer
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Published by Thomas Nelson and provided free from BookSneeze and NetGalley for review, "Need You Now" by Beth Wiseman is a work of fiction that feels real. The story written from each character's perspective shows their relationship with God and those around them. It is a story that could be about anyone's family. The characters are enjoyable and fun to get to know. As with life, tissues are at times necessary while reading this touching family's story.

Brad and Darlene move their family (Chad, Grace and Ansley) from Houston to a small town called Round Top. Hopefully this will provide their children better focus on what is important in life and help them stay strong in the face of the adversarial teenage years. Secrets, feelings of betrayal, lies and loss cause this family to re-evaluate their relationships with each other and with God. Learning forgiveness is the hard lesson of the day.

I must say my favorite character of this book is Skylar, a friend of Grace's from school. She reminds us that it is easy to judge someone by their looks but we must look beyond the obvious to see who people really are. She is a wonderful friend that any of us would enjoy knowing.
2272261
Set in Carswell North Carolina the dye is cast to Addie Lockwood's life during the 1970s. Byrd is a story about connections. Reading this novel focused my attention on upbringing, relationships, and how early personal connections can set the course of a life.

The novel begins with the lines of destiny being drawn. A letter to a character named "Byrd" wistfully outlines the circumstance of Byrd's paternitythe tenuous relationship of parents Addie and Roland. The first chapter describes the childhood friendship between these two, beginning in the fourth grade, which becomes a constant thread in Addie's life. The novel is about this life; Addie growing up among friends and family who later she feels little in common with; the disappointment of love, high school reunions (remarkable for the ordinariness of the lives of her classmates) and the changing relationships around her. Throughout the story there is a sense that Addie is finding herself; who she really is, who she wants around her and what kind of life she desires. Her notes to Byrd, sometimes addressed to Baby, continue through the novel as she considers the baby's life and adjusts to how her own is turning out.

I grew up believing that nobody can take care of anybody. I was wrong. People take care of each other all the time. Just maybe not the people you expect.
Byrd is beautifully written. The prose is bare bones stuff, cutting through, communicating, without need for clever literary technique. The sense that 'you don't choose the life you have, rather it chooses you' is a theme which resonates in Addie's thoughts. The commonality of this theme among the characters, each on their own diverging paths, is conveyed simply. And then there are the sections in the novel that just 'paint a picture'.

Rows of wooden houses squinting like drunks in the late sun. Women in dresses propped in open doorways. Men inside laughing, glass jars clanking. Every now and then a whiff of reefer. Children and dogs running circles in dirt yards. Tonight the children will stay up late while the grown-ups get high, because it's the weekend, no school tomorrow.
Simply told, in an engaging present-tense narrative, Kim Church's debut novel is an absorbing read. The characters in Addie's upbringing have little ambition, are ordinary, flawed, yet seen through her eyes remain imbued with love and understanding. This could be regarded as a sad story but such is the insight learned along the way it remains optimistic to the end. The endingand what an ending it isbrought this reviewer a lot of satisfaction.

Byrd is as outstanding as it is understated. It's a novel of exceptional clarity that reaches into hidden corners. It left me feeling I understood my own life better. I'd recommend it to any reader from young adults to those who've had a full life of their own.
1602455
A social commentary, a trip down the memory lane, an ode to old (however imperfect) friendships, and more. This is a noteworthy debut of an author that clearly thinks deeply about the rigid social structures that are keeping rural communities down, and who loves her hometown with an aching love, the way you love your children while wishing they can reach their full potential. It is also a fun read, and the author draws you in with all the elements of storytelling: suspense, romance, jealousy, revenge. Cat fight! Perhaps too many fireworks for my taste, but that too is part and parcel of the place and time: a small town with not so small problems. The book left me wishing for solutions, and that is not a bad outcome for a work of fiction.