Book Review- Callan Wink's Dog Run Moon

Thank You to Random House and The Dial Press for providing me with an advanced copy of Callan Wink's Dog Run Moon, in exchange for an honest review. 

PLOT- Callan Wink's short story collection, Dog Run Moon, is filled with memorable characters caught in unexpected situations. Wink has a flair for infusing his tales with quirky scenarios and punishing moral consequences.

LIKE- I didn't recognize Callan Wink's name when I began Dog Run Moon, but I was happy to encounter his story, Breatharians, which I had read in a writing class last year. Breatharians made a huge impression on me when I read it originally, and it was a pleasure to read it a second time. Breatharians is about a young boy living on a farm who is caught in the middle of his parents. His parents have split, but they live on the same property, in two different houses. His father has remarried a much younger woman, and his mother is mentally ill, living off of air rather than food, as a Breatharian. As if this wasn't strange enough, Wink has added the element of having the boy tasked with culling the barn cat population, chopping their tails off, and tacking the tails to a board. This craziness is a reoccurring element in the collection. It had me hooked.

Often story collections are uneven, with some stories shining above others. I didn't notice this with Dog Run Moon. It seemed that every story was as compelling as the last. Another stand-out was One More Last Stand, where a Civil War reenactor, shows up for a yearly festival held on a Native American reservation. For years, he has been having an affair with one of the women from the reservation, who also participates in the reenactment. This year, he comes bearing the secret that his wife has breast cancer, making it impossible to have his fantasy weekend.

Wink's characters are struggling to make sense of the world around them. They have secrets and carry heavy burdens. Although they often make mistakes and missteps, there is a hopefulness in his writing. 

DISLIKE- Nothing, Dog Run Moon is a solid collection from a marvelous storyteller.

RECOMMEND- Yes! If you're a fan of the short story genre, Callan Wink is an author that you need to check out. Dog Run Moon is a stellar debut.

Book Review- Maria Bello's Whatever... Love is Love

Months ago, my husband went to an entertainment industry event, where he received a copy of Maria Bello's Whatever...Love is Love: Questioning The Labels We Give Ourselves. As the bookworm in the family, the book was given to me, and added to my towering TBR pile.

Fast forward to Saturday, two weekends ago. My husband is in the kitchen and I hear a loud yelp. Uh oh. He had stabbed himself in the hand with a sharp knife. As a former caregiver, I've spent many, many hours in emergency rooms. I know the drill. Blood was gushing, so I didn't have time to consider my book options. Whatever...Love is Love was the first book to catch my eye, so I grabbed it, and off we went to the ER.

Half a book, four hours, and one stitch ( sans anesthesia, my husband's tough) later, we headed home. 

PLOT- Maria Bello examines the various labels that are given to us by society, others, and even ourselves. 

LIKE- Prior to reading Whatever...Love is Love, I didn't know much about Maria Bello. I knew that she is an actress, but I could only remember seeing her in Coyote Ugly. I had not read her New York Times article for the Modern Love column, which formed the title for this book. In what would become one of the top ten most popular Modern Love articles, Bello writes about coming-out to her twelve year old son, Jackson, and his response of, "Whatever...Love is Love". Taking from his response, Bello uses her memoir to examine other labels in her life.  

The best aspect of Bello's writing, is her candid, frank approach to difficult topics. She doesn't shy away from discussing her father's abuse and alcoholism, or her mother's cancer diagnosis. Bello discusses her own relationships, her infidelity and rejections. She is imperfect and relatable. She doesn't try to have all of the answers and is okay with her flaws. She owns her actions.

A memorable story is one regarding Bello's gold shoes. Looking for symbolism and "signs" has been a Bello family trait and following tradition, she found a gold high heel when she was down and out as a struggling actress in New York. It was a perfect fit and she kept the heel for many years. When her career took off, she left the shoe and letter outside of a hotel in NY. Her cab driver told her that the act of letting go of the shoe, would come back to her. Since leaving the heel, she has had encounters with other gold shoes found in improbable places, including a gold ballet shoe and gold sneakers. I love the idea of finding a lucky symbol and then setting it free for another person to find. Luck multiplies. 

DISLIKE- Overall, I enjoyed Bello's writing and hearing her take on life. This is not the type of book that I would have likely picked on my own, so maybe like the gold heel, it was serendipitous that it found its way to my TBR pile. The only minor complaint, is occasionally Bello's tone felt a little precious. I think that she was just enthusiastic about things and people that she loves, but it was a touch overbearing. She has a very open heart. 

RECOMMEND- Yes. Ultimately, my take-away from Whatever...Love is Love, was a feeling of reflection and optimism. I think most readers would find portions (if not all) of Bello's memoir to be relatable to their own lives, including their fears, concerns, and the questions that they ask of themselves. 

Book Review- Suzanne Redfearn's No Ordinary Life

Thank You to Grand Central Publishing for providing me with an advanced copy of Suzanne Redfearn's novel, No Ordinary Life, in exchange for an honest review. 

PLOT- Estranged from her husband and struggling to make ends meet, Faye Martin decides to move away from the quite countryside to live with her mother in Los Angeles. Faye's family is forever changed, when her precocious four year old, Molly, stars in a viral Youtube video, and is discovered by a Hollywood agent. Soon, Molly is the latest child actor sensation, landing a plum role on a hit show. Can the Martin family cope with Molly's fame?

LIKE- One of the major strengths in No Ordinary Life, is Redfearns ability to create realistic and sympathetic characters. It's the type of novel, where I found myself wondering how I would react if I were in their shoes; like Faye, the mother trying to do the best for her family, or Emily, the eldest sibling who struggles to fit in at her new school and envies the fame of her younger sister. Most sympathetic, might be Molly, a little kid, who just wants to be a kid, not a brand.  No Ordinary Life is loaded with cringe worthy moments and parental mistakes, but none strike a false note, keeping this tale of Hollywood excess rooted in reality.

From an entertainment standpoint, Redfearn grabbed me with her behind the scenes look at the industry. It's evident that she either has personal experience or has spent plenty of time researching the "ins and outs" of child actors and television productions. I found it fascinating.

DISLIKE- The only off-beat storyline was Faye's romance with Griff, a former child actor turned director of photography. There were too many moments where Faye was distant or did something to upset Griff, all of which Griff seemed to easily forgive. The back and forth eclipsed the moments where they had true passion and connected. I don't even remember the connection, it did not make an impact in the greater story. Griff and his protectiveness over Molly worked for me, but his relationship with Faye, did not. To be fair, Redfearn has written such a compelling family drama, with each person in the Martin family having a strong dilemma, that they overshadowed the romance storyline. 

RECOMMEND- Yes. No Ordinary Life is a quick, engrossing read. It's perfect for anyone who has a fascination with Hollywood and celebrity, but also for those who like family dramas. The vibe of this book is summer-beach read, which was appreciated as I read it during a rainy, weekend in January.