Book Reading Boy Mama

I give Lies We Tell our Kids by Brett E. Wagner a solid 3 stars because it was an extremely quick read that had me chuckling. While I consider it quirky and humorous, admittedly I had never heard many of these “lies”.  The author is a very creative man as he not only wrote but also illustrated the book.  The illustrations are very unique.  **Spoiler alert: some of the humor was a little too much for me: “Cookies and Cream is made out of bird poop” or “Bluejays are used to give blueberry pie its color.”  I believe there is a target-audience for this book; it’s one I’d expect to find on a side table in a Dad’s office or in a therapist’s waiting room. Definitely a lot of “boy humor” which I appreciate as a boymom. 

I was thrilled to receive my very first Advanced Readers Copy, but didn’t get to dive into it right away. Once I did, I couldn’t put it down. Gretchen Rubin highlighted this book on LinkedIn, so I really wanted to read it. The character development was done very well, from multiple angles. I am a fan of the multiple voice style, which is common in books by Jodi Picoult (one of my favorite authors). There were places where it was clear there were two authors; however, in my opinion, it worked very well.  I often hear hype about books, and then feel let down, but with this one, I was not disappointed!  Can we say PLOT TWISTS?! I was surprised so many times while reading this book. It is hard for me to say much without putting out spoilers, and it is too new for me to feel comfortable spoiling already.  Suffice it to say this one will keep you on your toes! 

My husband picked up this book in the airport to read while on a business trip.  When he brought it home, I decided to read it.  Even though it isn't the genre I would normally pick for myself, I was pleasantly surprised.  If you are unfamiliar with the author, Jay Payleitner, this book is written in his style of 52 Things  books.  Some of his others include 52 Things Daughters Need from their Dads  and 52 Things to Pray for Your Kids . Payleitner writes in short 2-3 page easy-to-read chapters.  He is down-to-earth, honest, and heartfelt in his message.  I sincerely appreciated his candor throughout the book.  I am a person who loves it when authors weave quotes into a story.  Payleitner effectively quotes biblical scripture to support the main points of each chapter.  He also quotes both religious and world leaders with respect to the existence of God.    *SPOILER ALERT*   This is not your typical ...