Chosen: A Novel by Chandra Hoffman

About Book:

It all begins with a fantasy...

A caseworker in her "paperwork-signing" suit alongside beaming parents cradling their adopted newborn:  this is the blissful picture that keeps Chloe Pinter, director of Portland's Chosen Child domestic adoption program, happy as she juggles the demands of her boss and the incessant needs of adoptive and biological parents.

But the dream job that offers Chloe refuge from her turbulent personal life soon becomes a nightmare involving three very different couples:  the college sweethearts who, after suffering fertility problems, are now expecting their own baby;  the wealthy husband and desperate wife for whom adoption is a last chance;  and the couple who has nothing - except the baby everyone wants.  But when a child goes missing, perceptions of family and future are challenged, posing the questions:  What happens when you get what you thought you wanted?  How far would go if it wasn't what you wanted after all?

My Thoughts:

I'm not very familiar with the adoption process, so to say this book opened my eyes would be an understatement.  This book focused on every aspect of the adoption process, from the high costs to the emotional struggles that the biological and adoptive parents both endure as they become further enmeshed in each other's lives, along with the realization that the idea of a baby is vastly different from the reality of having a baby become a part of your life and family. 

Solid and engaging, this story does tug at your heart strings and brings you along the journeys of three couples as they attempt to discover what "family" means to them.  We have the couple who is giving up their baby and wanting the adoptive family to provide financial support to them; another couple who have tried fertility treatments to start a family, but have been unsuccessful with the results and so  have opted for adoption; and the third couple,  who have finally had a baby of their own after being rejected as prospective adoptive parents.  Along with the couples, we have Chloe, the caseworker dealing with the drama from her latest adoption case, who is also trying to figure out her life and relationship issues.  Definitely enough characters to make for a page-turning read.  As for the characters themselves, they are not as fleshed out as I would have enjoyed and truthfully it would have been nice to learn more about Chloe.  However, I do recognize that the book's main purpose was to focus on the adoption process and not just the caseworker's personal life. 

Overall, the book was a good read.  Its not my usual choice of reading fare, but it was definitely interesting.  My only gripe was that the use of alternating chapters to tell us the story from each character's perspective was disappointing.  Instead of aiding the flow of the story, it made following the story a bit difficult at times.  Oh, and just so you know, none of the characters are truly likable (except for Chloe I suppose), which doesn't bother me when reading a book (but I figured you should know in case you don't like reading books about unlikable characters).   I suppose I would recommend this book to anyone interested in reading about the adoption process and anyone else looking for a good, solid read on a rainy day.

Thank you to TLC Book Tours and the publisher for providing me with a copy of the book!

Ghellow Road: A Novel by T.H. Waters

About Book:

Ghellow Road is a literary diary of a young girl's journey through the tangled labyrinth that is her life. Theresa's story begins in a large midwestern city where she is born to loving parents in 1965. For a brief moment in time, her life is full, as is her heart, and the world is hers to receive without consequence. As times passes and Theresa grows, supernatural forces begin to shape her existence, no matter how carefully her father colors the empty spaces of her world. After a series of tragic events, Theresa and her family seek refuge in a small Minnesota town nestled near the shores of Rainy Lake. She creates a new life for herself there, sharing adventures with friends and riding the ups and downs of adolescence. Yet through it all, her mother remains forever lost in the prison of her own mind and forever lost to Theresa. The young girl feels as though she is leading a double life, one that no one else could possibly understand. She begins to peer at the world as if looking through a thick, black veil, never certain which pieces are illusion and which are not. Through the kindness and support of the townspeople, she eventually summons the strength to survive. This is a story of tragedy and triumph. This is the story of my life...

My Thoughts:

Truthfully when I was given the opportunity to read Ghellow Road I wasn’t really sure what to expect. However, I am so happy I read this amazing memoir about a childhood filled with pain and struggle. It truly captivated me from the start and I could not put it down - in fact, I read it all in one sitting on a rainy Saturday.

What we have is a story about a family that becomes fractured and completely broken as a result of the mother's battle with mental illness, specifically schizophrenia. The mother is terribly depressed and often talks to the voices that only she can hear - incidents that Theresa is witness to at such an early age. Of course, being so young, Theresa is unable to understand why it is that her mother is home one day and gone the next. Instead she must deal with being shuffled around to different homes, without a parent to watch over her. Her father is so lost and unable to handle his wife's mental illness. And her brother leaves home as soon as he can and doesn't look back - he doesn't want to deal with the fact that his relationship with his mother is nonexistent.

It’s really rather heartbreaking having to read how alone these children were and the ways in which they had to fend for themselves. Reading about Theresa managing childhood and the angst-ridden teen-aged years is sad and riveting. The ups and downs that life throws her way makes you wonder how Theresa will turn out - will she be a victim of a broken home or will she be an exception and grow up to be a strong and independent woman capable of tackling the world? The answer is that you will be happily surprised and amazed at the positive direction that Theresa manages to steer her life. Thanks to some dear friends and members of her community, Theresa is able to finally get some help and support, which truly do make a difference in her life. Not only does she realize that there are good people and experiences out there in the world, but that there are people who care about her. Plus, Theresa envisions a future for herself, which I believe is the biggest success of all.

Well written, compelling and very character-driven, Ghellow Road is a memorable book that will leave you feeling sad and happy. Though heartbreaking to read at times, you will enjoy the few happy moments that Theresa recalls, along with the ending where she finds herself heading toward her future. Broken up into two books, “Living in the Shadow of The Invisibles” and " Fumbling through the Tangled Labyrinth”, this story does not contain any chapters and simply flows from one memory to the next. You can get a sense of how Theresa is remembering her childhood and teen-aged years. Definitely a good read! I would recommend this book to anyone interested in memoirs, books on family dysfunction and stories that involve mental illness, specifically schizophrenia. This is one book that I will not soon forget.

I want to thank T. H. Waters for providing me with a copy of this great book - it was engaging and emotional and completely captivating!

Shiny Objects: Why We Spend Money We Don't Have in Search of Happiness We Can't Buy by James A. Roberts

About Book:

In Shiny Objects: Why We Spend Money We Don’t Have in Search of Happiness We Can’t Buy, James A. Roberts, a leading researcher and expert on consumer behavior, exposes the hidden motivations and erroneous assumptions behind our spending habits. He also reveals the key to reversing the devastating and ever-increasing effects of materialism in modern culture, showing readers how we can actually increase our well-being by scaling back.

In addition, Roberts poses important questions like:

• Do you have an emergency fund of at least $2500 for that proverbial rainy day?
• Do you have at least six months’ worth of living expenses in the bank in case you lose your job or become ill?
• Are you regularly making investments to a retirement account?

If the answer is no to any of these, Shiny Objects offers the lessons needed to change spending habits and develop smarter saving strategies. With a series of quizzes and questionnaires developed over years of consumer research—and full of staggering new research on credit card abuse and compulsive shopping—Shiny Objects will help readers examine their day-to-day behavior, offering tips and tools to make the necessary changes.

A perfect antidote to the fiscal anxiety that’s been sweeping the nation—and out just in time for the holiday shopping season—Shiny Objects sheds some much-needed light on the science of spending, and demonstrates how we can cultivate lives of real value.

My Thoughts:

Talk about a fascinating read.  Roberts has written a book that details the history of how American consumerism originated and has spun so out of control that our economy is on the brink of collapse.  He discusses our need to spend money on objects that bring us instant gratification and how these spending habits are not only similar to an addiction, but how we perceive them to be representative of our social and economic status.  Along with the history, are stories of people getting trampled during holiday shopping and the ways in which they manage their maxed out credit card debt.  However, the most interesting parts of the book are the quizzes included in each chapter.  These tests allow for us, the reader, to profile our own spending habits and take a look at the ways in which we are participating in America's consumer culture.   Its sort of like a self-help assessment - which, being a fan of self-help books, I was game for taking some quizzes.  Plus, its always interesting to learn new things about your self and find some solutions to help you figure out how to curb your over-spending ways (which I admit to being guilty of at times). 

Will buying something really make us happy? That is truly the question at the heart of this book and it is really interesting to be able to see just how much emotion is connected with the concept of spending.  Roberts not only examines the economic and social aspect of spending, but he also looks at the roles politics and religion play - two areas that I wouldn't have really thought of examining with regards to consumer consumption.  And along the way, Roberts does provide some solutions to help you recognize your bad spending habits and the ways in which you can work toward reigning them in.  Definitely makes you look twice at your Christmas shopping list - LOL!

Anyhow, Shiny Objects turned out to be quite a good read and I'm glad that I was able to get my hands on a copy of it.  This is definitely an interesting book that will help you look at your own spending habits and reflect on how much of a role your material possessions play in your search for personal happiness.  Plus, it makes a great topic for discussion.  I would definitely recommend it to anyone fascinated by America's obsession with consumerism and anyone wanting to explore their own personal spending ways.  

 

Thank you to TLC Book Tours and the publisher for providing me with a copy of the book!