Review: Mandatory Release by Jess Riley

As a fan of Jess Riley's work, I was pleased when MANDATORY RELEASE came out so soon after her December 2012 release of  ALL THE LONELY PEOPLE, that I really enjoyed. I liked her cut-through-the-crap, tell-it-like-it-is characters in that book, so I was anxious to see what she was putting out there this time. Turns out, it was something old that she made new again. MANDATORY RELEASE is actually a novel she started years ago, then scrapped and now its been finished and released.

About the Book (from Goodreads)

Thirty-year-year-old Graham Finch spends his days trying to rehabilitate inmates and his nights trying to rehabilitate his heart - until a new coworker, his high school crush Drew Daniels, walks through the prison gates one hot summer morning.  Drew is on the run from a painful past that's nearly crushed her faith in love. Together, they might just have what it takes to mend their hearts.  If only their way to fining one another were easier than working with convicted felons.

My Thoughts: (No Spoilers Included)

This story is about two people trying to overcome circumstances that they find themselves in and not let it define them. Its told in alternating voices of Graham Finch, in the first person and Drew Daniels, told in the third person. The reader really gets to know where Graham is coming from and how he really feels about his life and the blows he's been dealt. I won't go into detail, but Graham's life is nothing like he'd planned. He finds himself in a completely different situation that could happen to anyone. He tries to maintain a 'normal' life and when Drew re-enters his life he would give anything to have a second chance with her but he's almost too afraid to let himself believe it could happen.

Drew has returned to her hometown to live with her parents in her old room after some devastating event has happened in her life, though we don't learn what that is until much later in the book. Little by little, clues are dropped and the guessing continues about what could have happened that up-ended her life so drastically.

Both Drew and Graham are very likeable characters, albeit a little broken and I quickly found myself rooting for them. This is not a complicated story - its just a story about forgiveness, inner strength and the power of love. What I took away from this book is that though life will sometimes deal you a bad hand, its how you overcome it that defines you, not the other way around. You can't lock yourself in a box and wear protective armor for the rest of your life. You have to put yourself out there or you'll never know what could happen.

The writing in this book is true Jess Riley. Its straightforward, and has just the right amount of dark humor. Its apparent that Drew has a great fondness for her Dad and his love of birds and I liked how Drew talked about that with Graham, knowing she was still learning life's lessons through those things. I also appreciate the title of the book and its many meanings. Its the perfect title. This book comes from a true place, as Ms. Riley used her own personal experiences working in a correctional facility in Wisconsin.as a basis for the book. It was very real and believable, as were the characters. I'm glad that Ms. Riley had the opportunity to go back and finish this book the way she wanted to because I think its a worthwhile read and I'm happy that I took the time to read it.  Oh, and if you hurry, you can pick this gem up for 2.99 at the Kindle Store!

MANDATORY RELEASE
Author: Jess Riley @jessrileywrites
Publisher:CreateSpace Independant Publishing Platform
Published: May 2013
Length: 310 pp
Recommend: Yes, definitely.

Its Monday! What Are You Reading?

Happy Monday Everyone! This weekly meme is hosted by Sheila at One Person's Journey Through A World of Books. Wediscuss the books we've read and what we're planning to read for the week.

Books I Read and Talked About Last Week -

I finished reading THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER by Stephen Chbosky last week. The book is made up of a series of letters written by 16-year old Charlie over the course of a year. One reason I wanted to read the book is that I wanted to watch the movie version starring Paul Rudd (who I have a crush on) but I wanted to have already read the book. 

I posted a review of ALL THE LONELY PEOPLE by Jess Riley last week. It's a humorous look at one family's dysfunction that also deals with some serious topics. I encourage you to check it out. 

If you follow me on Twitter, (@SouthrnGrlReads) you'll know that last week I talked alot about Julie Kibler's debut, CALLING ME HOME, last week. It is our February selection for She Reads Book Club and it was a fantastic choice. 

I started reading Sarah Jio's BLACKBERRY WINTER and I know I'm going to really like it. 

Books I'll Be Focusing On This Week -

My main focus is going to be on THE SILENCE OF BONAVENTURE ARROW by Rita Leganski. I started it last evening and right away the lovely lyrical prose is blowing me away! Not to mention the mystical locale of New Orleans and all that that entails. This will definitely be a real treat for my literary senses. 

I will also continue reading BLACKBERRY WINTER this week. I'm hooked on it! Now I know what all the fuss was about when it was making a loud splash on the blogs.

Reviews I'll be posting this week are THE RIVER WITCH by Kimberly Brock and THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER by Stephen Chbosky. 

I'm really looking forward to this week in books and I hope your week is full of great books as well! Thanks for stopping by today!

Review: All The Lonely People by Jess Riley

 A few years ago I read a book by a new author that I discovered while reading blogs. The book was DRIVING SIDEWAYS by Jess Riley. Reading that book was a fun experience and I became a fan immediately.  When I realized she had released another book, I knew I wanted to read it as well. If you are familiar with Jess Riley's blog, you are also familiar with her smart wit and great sense of humor, which spills over into her books. ALL THE LONELY PEOPLE is a story that is easy to relate to. We all have family's and I don't care who you are, within those families, there more than likely, is some sort of tension. This is the story of how one woman dealt with her dysfunctional family during one of the hardest times of the year: The Holidays.

About the Book: (No Spoilers Included)

Its been six months since Jaime Collins' mother passed away from cancer. She and her husband, Erik, lived with her mother and cared for her up until the very end.   Now Jaime has the task of sorting and packing up the house, putting it on the market and selling it. All while still mourning her loving mother. Jaime has two older siblings, Clint, who is married with a daughter still living in their hometown in Wisconsin, and Gwen, the over-achiever lawyer living in Atlanta.  They are not exactly close with each other and the stress of selling their mother's home only makes things more awkward. Clint, the outspoken, bullish one of the family, doesn't hide his feeling that Jaime isn't doing everything she can to get the house sold and Gwen is too busy perfecting her life that she gives the impression she just doesn't want to be bothered by any of this.  Gwen's complete lack of a sense of humor only adds to the strain in her relationship with Jaime, whose sense of humor is fully intact, albeit, maybe a little warped at times.

Things come to a head at the Thanksgiving dinner table when a terrible argument erupts and in a fit of anger, Jaime flings a hearty spoonful of mashed potatoes at Clint, but instead nails her niece, Hannah as she comes out of the kitchen.  Visibly upset by all of the fighting, Hannah runs crying from the room leaving Jaime feeling like a complete jerk and everyone glaring at her.

It's nearing Christmas and Jaime hasn't heard from her family and begins contemplating a lonely Christmas. Half kidding and a little buzzed from a bottle of wine, her friend, Frankie, suggests she put an ad on Craigslist for a new family to spend Christmas with. Not thinking it would amount to anything, Jaime  posts the ad. What follows is what happens when you invite complete strangers into your life to take the place of people you feel you have no connection to within your own family. Sounds crazy, right? But honestly, I, myself, have felt this way with my own family and I'm sure I'm not the only one. Jaime, on the other hand, had the guts to go through with it.

My Thoughts:

Having really enjoyed Jess Riley's previous book, I had an inkling of what to expect from ALL THE LONELY PEOPLE.  I'm thrilled to say that my expectations were met and surpassed.  I had an easy time relating to Jaime Collins, the protagonist on many levels. I'm the youngest sibling in our family, I tend to not stick up for myself, and I was in a childless thirteen year marriage when most of my friends were having babies and growing their families. So, right away, I connected with her. And I liked her. Alot.

I loved the idea of this story: Getting so fed up with your real family that you want a new one. Who hasn't secretly wished for that at some point in your life?! But the idea of putting an ad on Craigslist and actually following through with it, gave a glimpse of what it might really be like. Honestly, I don't know many people who would do it, so I was able to experience it without inviting strangers into MY life! I thought this storyline was so original and funny. Jess Riley moves the reader through the story at a perfect pace, allowing us to get to know each of these 'new' people, and the baggage they brought with them, while keeping the momentum intact.

A big reason why the story worked so well for me was the characters. Her 'real' family characters were so authentic, I could actually relate them to people in my own life! I loved meeting the people who answered Jaime's ad. They were an odd mix of very real people and each one quickly became endearing to me. Even Paul. (No really, I did like Paul.) I thought Ms. Riley did an amazing job of incorporating this diverse group of unusual people into the complex family drama that is ALL THE LONELY PEOPLE. One of my favorite characters, though, was her loyal husband, Erik, He was the king of the Good Sport. Another character I really liked was Chris, the transgender man who desperately wanted to be accepted as a woman. I loved his sense of humor and the quick bond that he and Jaime developed.

I was especially impressed with the way in which many serious subjects were brought up and dealt with in this book. Don't get me wrong, it's a humorous look at the family dynamic, but there were also serious things happening: Domestic violence, bullying, attempted suicide and theft. I thought it culminated into such a well-rounded story. This could be anyone's family. The realness of it is what made it a great read for me.

There is so much more I could say about this book, but I will leave that to you to discover on your own. This was a truly enjoyable read for me and I think alot of people can relate to it. The moral of this story: All families have a certain level of dysfunction. But the bottom line is, no matter how insane they make you, they're still your family and you wouldn't trade them for anything.

ALL THE LONELY PEOPLE
Author: Jess Riley
Publisher: Create Space Independent Publishing Platform
Published: December 5, 2012
Printed Length: 276 pages
Source: Purchesed

Teaser Tuesday: All The Lonely People

I finished reading this book early this morning and I enjoyed it so much I thought I'd share a bit of it here on Teaser Tuesday. It's from ALL THE LONELY PEOPLE, the latest from Jess Riley. It's the story of Jaime Collins, who is still dealing with the loss of  her mother to cancer six months ago. She and her husband, Erik, lived with her mother and cared for her until the end. Its now Thanksgiving and, like most families,there are  tensions that rise. A huge blow-up ensues with her brother and sister during dinner resulting in Jaime flinging mashed potatoes and accidentally hitting her niece, Hannah, who runs crying from the room. A few days later, one of Jaime's friends suggests she put an ad on Craigslist for a new family to have Christmas with since her brother and sister aren't speaking to her anyway. Here are my teasers:

Plots all around me were thickening.  Turf wars, suicide attempts, broken hearts, con men, restraining orders...well, that's Craigslist for you. ~ Location 2066 Kindle Edition

I'll be posting my review of this book in the coming days and I hope you'll come back for it. But in the meantime, if you like a little humor in your family dramas, you should go to the Kindle Store and pick this gem up. It's only 3.99 and I promise you'll enjoy it.  

For more teasers or to participate, be sure to stop by Should Be Reading every Tuesday. 

Teaser Tuesday: All The Lonely People by Jess Riley

Today I'm taking my teasers from Jess Riley's ALL THE LONELY PEOPLE. For those of you who read her blog, you understand how witty this talented writer from Wisconsin is. Sometimes I actually have coffee coming out my nose from the things she says! Her previous book, DRIVING SIDEWAYS had me laughing out loud. This book, while dealing with the subject of loss, still has the same humor I've grown to expect from her. I'm bending the rules a bit today and sharing more than two sentences, but this particular passage really struck a chord with me. I chose to read this book for many reasons, some of them, quite personal. This quote isn't actually a funny one but it definitely shows another side to Ms. Riley's writing, which I love.

My Teasers:

Rumor has it, the death of a parent can bring brothers and sisters together.  It must make some people so glad to have siblings with whom to endure the ordeal.  They are your clan.  you share memories that keep that lost parent alive.  You help define one another.  You hold each other up, cry on one another's shoulders.  I know that losing  someone you love can make you a little crazy, dig up old resentments.  And we do hurt those we are closest to.  We take them for granted, screaming at them before answering the phone all sweetness and light, Hyde back to Jekyll in less than two seconds.  But what happened here?  How did my brother and sister and I fall so far away from one another?  If Clint or Gwen even noticed our distance, if they mourned but lost something even a little, I failed to see it. ~ Location 716 Kindle Edition

I hope you enjoyed my teasers today.  Thanks for stopping by! For more great teasers please visit Should Be Reading every Tuesday. 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

This weekly meme is hosted by Sheila @ One Person's Journey Through A World of Books. it's a place where we discuss what books we've read in the last week and what we plan to read this week.

Last week was a great week! I read and posted a review of one of the most interesting books I've read recently. I didn't know at first what to expect because the book is centered in and around the world of art and I am not well versed in it at all. But THE ART FORGER by B.A. Shapiro took off immediately and I was completely drawn in. I had difficulty putting this one down. Loved the characters, the story, the writing, the locale, but most of all, I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the art and having a bit of an art history lesson along with a lesson in forgery.. The book was fascinating. You can find my review of THE ART FORGER here.  This book is the January selection for She Reads Book Club that I am honored to be a part of and you can read the reviews of our other members here. You can also find a great guest post by B.A. Shapiro discussing why she chose to write this book. 

Last week I finished reading CALLING MY HOME, a terrific debut by Julie Kibler. It's the story of two unlikely friends traveling from Texas to Ohio to attend a funeral. Isabelle is in her eighties and her friend who drives her on this trip is Dorrie, a thirty-something African-American single mom of two almost-grown kids. Dorrie doesn't have a lot of details about the trip, she doesn't even know whose funeral they are attending, but along the way, Isabelle tells the story of her life while Dorrie deals with some serious issues in her own life. The journey brings the two women close together but also shows the divide this country still has between races. 

This week, I'll be reading a new book by Jess Riley, the author of DRIVING SIDINGS that I absolutely loved! Her new book, ALL THE LONELY PEOPLE is the story of a family, broken by loss and deep-rooted tensions that grow within a family. It all comes to a head at Thanksgiving and the situation seems hopeless. I've just started reading, but in usual Jess Riley style, this potentially sad subject is tackled with her clever wit and entertaining writing. I am sure this book will be everything I expect it to be. I love Jess Riley's sense of humor and it certainly comes through strongly in this new book. If you act quickly, you can pick this gem up at the Kindle store for just 2.99. 

Reviews I'm working on for this week are THE UNLIKELY PILGRIMAGE OF HAROLD FRYE by Rachel Joyce and THE RIVER WITCH by Kimberly Brock. I hope you'll stop back by to check them out! 

Thanks for visiting and have a wonderful reading week!!

Book Review: Driving Sideways

What would you do if you were 29 years old, had been very sick and ultimately had a major organ transplant, never really lived on your own or was able to do the adventurous things in life most twenty-somethings do? Would you drive across country from Wisconsin to California in your Saturn with a kayak strapped to the roof in search of answers to questions you have about your life?

That’s exactly what Leigh Fielding did Much to the dismay of her over-protective, angry older brother, James. But its not surprising he wouldn’t approve of this rebellion of sorts; he lives a very responsible life with not a lot of consideration for the spontaneous. But there are good reasons why James has become the person he is. Maybe its because their mother ran off to California without ever looking back when Leigh was just five years old and he was fifteen. Not to mention the loss of their father a few years later.

A year after Leigh’s kidney transplant, she feels healthy and strong enough to do something uncharacteristically crazy. That’s when she decides to make this journey. Her ultimate destination is Los Angeles to find her mother whom she hasn’t seen in 23 years and barely remembers. However, she does plan a few stops along the way. First, to look up her ex-boyfriend, the only serious relationship she’s ever had, who broke her heart. Secondly, to spend a day in Colorado visiting her best friend, Jillian who now lives there with her fiancé, who Leigh hasn’t met, but already doesn’t like much. Then its off to Utah to look up the family of Larry Resnick, the previous owner of the organ Leigh now uses to filter her urine. Along the way, Leigh encounters some interestingly unusual people and circumstances, many of which force her to take a long look at herself and the choices she makes.

DRIVING SIDEWAYS is the most entertaining book I’ve read all year. I loved it! If you’re like me and you love sarcastic humor, you’d enjoy this book too. There were times that I’d laugh until I had tears in my eyes. Literally, laughing out loud! Also, you have to appreciate a writer that uses your favorite word, especially when its an odd word. That word for me is ‘snarky’, and I was tickled to see Ms. Riley use it. Even though the story itself has a common theme - self discovery, she made it fresh and different. And while Leigh deals with a serious illness (PKD), she was able to raise awareness about the disease without it becoming depressing. She incorporated it into a very well written story. All of the characters were interesting and likeable. I loved their senses of humor and the way they interacted with one another. While reading this book, I had such a clear image of who these people were that I was able to visualize it all in my mind It was like a movie. A really good movie. As I said before, this book made me laugh, but it also touched my heart.

I won’t say that it is a quick read, because for me, it wasn‘t. The story is told by Leigh as if the reader is a new friend and she’s talking about a very important time in her life. There was so much in this book, that I wanted to read it slowly and not miss anything. It all just worked!

I first heard about this book from Julie P at Booking Mama. Based on her review (read it here), I ran out and got my own copy. By the way, the book is now in its THIRD printing! Jess Riley was even kind enough to send me a signed bookplate for the front of my book! Thanks Jess! I think DRIVING SIDEWAYS would make an interesting choice for a book club. Its not your normal book club pick, but it would certainly lead to some interesting discussions. If you’re looking for a fun read with lots of interesting and entertaining dialogue, you can’t go wrong with DRVING SIDEWAYS.

Check out Jess Riley’s website at http://www.jessriley.com/. I really enjoyed reading this book and I’ll definitely be looking out for more from this unique and very talented writer.

DRIVING SIDEWAYS
Author: Jess Riley
Published: May 2008
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Pages: 338
Would I recommend this book? YES!