Tag: Daniel Wallace

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Big Fish by Daniel Wallace

Robin’s Rave Reviews 2023

5 Stars

Big Fish by Daniel Wallace would make a great Father’s Day gift!

If you are looking for a quirky, quick read that will make you laugh, check out Big Fish: A Novel of Mythic Proportions by Daniel Wallace. It was different from the kinds of books I usually read, but oh so good. A refreshingly original story, a son tries to get past his father’s larger than life tales to discover who he really is before he dies. The story is told with a voice like The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and a tone of satire reminiscent of Mark Twain. It is categorized as magical realism for the Tall Tales the father tells. With Father’s Day just around the corner, this book would make a great gift! (You did remember Father’s Day, didn’t you?) And yet, I recommend this book for women as well because it’s just an interesting book!

SUMMARY

Edward Bloom, always wanting to be a big fish in a big pond, is largely absent in his son’s life. When he’s home, he is full of dad jokes and unbelievable stories, based in fact but embellished into legendary tales. Now an adult, his son William is frustrated. While his father is alive, William wants to understand him: fill in the blanks of his dad’s life and understand his goals and dreams, as well as his failures and successes. Edward never gives a straight answer to William’s questions. Each one is responded to with a fantastical story, some light, some dark. These hard-to-believe tales, used to evade the truth, end up telling William exactly who his father is.

I found myself laughing aloud (not something I often do when reading). Be prepared. You’ll want to share stories from the book with anyone nearby who’ll listen. After reading the book, I enjoyed watching the film adaptation done by Tim Burton in 2003. Although the movie was different in some ways, it was enjoyable and true to the intention of the book; however, the book is better, in my opinion. I’m surprised to say this, but Big Fish by Daniel Wallace is one book I plan on reading again! Check out more about this author on his unique author website at DanielWallace.org.

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Sneak Peek of Upcoming Book Reviews

It’s good to be back! And I’ve got some good stuff for you. I’ve returned with a sneak peek of upcoming book reviews! You see, I’ve been reading a lot. What else was a girl to do while recovering from surgery?Twisty road in Nevada desert

Life is full of twists and turns, valleys and mountaintops. Although I prefer the mountaintops, I’ve been traversing my way through the twists, turns and valleys for the last few months, including surgery for my rotator cuff and bicep. Although I had a similar surgery done two years ago on the other arm, this one has been a much harder recovery. So, three months later, I’m still having pain and I don’t have full range of movement, but I’m working through the PT to recover. I just couldn’t wait any longer to reconnect with you!

When I couldn’t hold my arm up to type yet, I read. So – I have some great book reviews coming up! I’ll spread them out so you don’t have to rush out to get them all at once. I found it interesting that I was picking a wider variety of books, some out of the genres I usually read. But that’s great! Maybe my venturing out will give you something new to consider, too. Some books are brand new and others have been out a few years.

A new book review will come out later this week. Make sure you watch your email for it! If you don’t get email notifications when I write a new blog, why not?  I promise I won’t stuff your inbox. (I normally only write 2-3 blogs per month.)  Don’t put it off. I know how it goes. If you tell yourself you’ll do it later, you probably won’t. You simply need to type in your email address. Sign up on the bottom of any page on my website or go directly to https://robinshelley.com/home/contact-info/.  Do it! Do it now!

And now… (drumroll please), here’s a sneak peek at some of the book reviews coming in the next few months ( in no particular order):

The Liz Taylor Ring by Brenda Janowitz, Beautiful Little Fools by Jillian Cantor (for The Great Gatsby fans), The Peachtree Bluff series by Kristy Woodson Harvey, This Close to Okay by Leesa Cross-Smith , Big Fish by Daniel Wallace, The Last Secret of the Secret Annex by Joop van Wijk-Voskuijl and Jeroen De Bruyn (for those interested in the Anne Frank story), The True Love Experiment by Christina Lauren, Perilous Times by Thomas D. Lee, The Paris Daughter by Kristin Harmel, The Summer of Songbirds by Kristy Woodson Harvey, and The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry.

Just a reminder:

Mother’s Day is just around the bend. Wouldn’t Mom love a good book for her spring/summer reading? If you order at bookshop.org, your purchase supports small, independent bookstores. You can even pick which store you want to support! (I’ve been supporting MacIntosh Books as they recover from the hurricane that hit the Sanibel Island/Fort Myers area in Florida.)