Thursday, January 15, 2009

Love and Other Natural Disasters

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Title: Love and Other Natural Disasters
Author: Holly Shumas
Pages: 352
Genre: fiction, family relationships
Yearly Count: 4

Eve, a pregnant wife and mother. She never sees that her life could change from its suburbia, soccer mom state to what she grew up with, father figures who weren't right, a mom who wavered and a family that was being torn apart.

Her husband's emotional affair bubbled to the surface on Thanksgiving day during their afternoon dinner. From then on it was all downhill. She questions every motive and feeling that Jon (her cheat husband) has ever displayed towards her. Has he ever really loved her at all?

Seriously, what did I think? Well...it was kinda like reading a bad dream or a nightmare. I think that may be what the author was aiming for, but it was too much for me. I read it late into the night and then had those scary dreams that start after you have done something horrible and you know it is horrible, but you can't go back and change it. Most of the night I had dreams like that.

To me it seemed that the point Holly Shumas was getting at is that emotional affairs do come with just as many consequences as physical affairs and that our society needs to understand and recognize that. For me though, I believed that already and more than anything now I just get to go though and clear my mind out of all the negativity from Eve and Jon's constant fighting and caos.

I did find the book interesting, I did. It was almost like that TV show that you know you should just quit but you can't because you want to know how they end up. It was too much emotional trauma for me to handle. I live the books I read and because of that I need to be careful with what I read, this was not a great choice for me. All that said, it was intriguing, interesting and suspenseful. I thought that it was well written and insightful as well, now I know more than ever before....that I don't want to ever go there, and that it is much easier than you think to make some poor choices that will impact your whole family.

What about you, are you like me? Do you live the books that you read, feel the pains the hurts deeply or do you just read? I am sure there is a wide range of people out there...I am very empathetic and I literally feel it. Are there some books that you try to stay away from because they are too hard for you?

Would you like to win a copy? Comment on this post by midnight on the 24th of January and you'll be entered.
Only US and Canada residents please, and no PO boxes. Thank you :)

Author blog: Holly Shumas Musings

18 comments:

Alyce said...

No need to enter me. I just wanted to let you know that I felt the same way when I read this book.

S. Krishna said...

No need to enter me either, but I liked your review!

Anonymous said...

I'm like that with some books as well. I read them and feel exactly what they feel. It happens even more strongly with short stories. Intense bursts of emotions. Sometimes they can make me feel incredibly sad out of nowhere. I'm glad to know I'm not the only one out there!

Luanne said...

No need to enter me - just stopping by on the tour. I enjoyed your review. I do 'feel' some of the books I read more than others. Books featuring social injustice stick with me a long long time.

Melissa said...

I have heard great things about this one from other bloggers and would love to win.

Gwendolyn B. said...

And I liked your review -- I'd love to read this book! Thank you for the chance!
geebee.reads AT gmail DOT com

Anonymous said...

I would love a copy! Thanks.

ANovelMenagerie said...

No need to enter me either, I was on the tour. It was kind of tough for me to read, too.

Check out this week's Sunday Salon for some gossip about ya'

KR said...

I'd love to read this!

Unknown said...

I'm like you, I really get into books with my emotions. Unless its a book that is way to far fetched to relate too, then I feel confused for the characters. This book sounds really good and I'd love to be entered please, thank you!

Unknown said...

Glad to see I'm not the only one who has dreams tied into the books I'm reading!

Please enter me in the giveaway - I'll brave the nightmares too!

jgbeads AT gmail DOT com

Stephanie said...

Ooh, sign me up, this sounds like something I'd read! :)

darbyscloset said...

I totally get into my books characters and sometimes even if I can tell what is going to happen in a book I'll continue it because I like the character. Also I get attached to the settings. Now there have been 2 books that I could not finish "The Glass Castle" almost finished it 2 yrs ago yet it was so depressing I couldn't stomach it so I never finished and the other is "Strong at the Broken Places" the stories themselves were good yet the author was so angry and I could feel his anger....that was almost read last yr., yet I didn't finish it either.
I'd like to give this book a chance.
Thanks for your good questions!!
Darby
darbyscloset at yahoo dot com

avisannschild said...

No need to enter me. I just reviewed this book here (and linked to your review). I actually found that it was a relatively light read!

LissaL said...

I get so absorbed into the book I am reading & the characters in it that I can't hear anything going on around me. This really irritates my family, who have to sometimes yell at me to get my attention. However reading is my passion.Please enter me in this great giveaway.

kissmyirishlass(at)yahoo(dot)com

Cynthia said...

Would love to be entered. It sounds like a good read! Thanks!

Anonymous said...

Thats an intense book :) and prolly not my cuppa of tea :)
:)

Amy said...

i'd love to win this!
theodoragroger@yahoo.com