The Bookworm: Dad by Steven Manchester

  • Title: Dad
  • Author: Steven Manchester
  • Format: 336 pages
  • Publisher: The Story Plant
  • Published: 14th of September 2021
  • Genre: Fiction
  • ISBN 10: 1611883083
  • ISBN 13: 9781611883084
  • Source: E-book gifted for Review
  • Buy: Amazon * Book Depository
  • Goodreads: Link here

In an apple core (The Bookworm’s version of a nutshell)

A book that gives new meaning to the word Dad. Told from different perspectives, from people in different phases in their life, yet all intertwined.

Summary

Three generations of dads, playing traditional roles in each other’s lives, arrive simultaneously at significant crossroads. The decisions they make and the actions they take will directly – and eternally – affect each other.

After a life of hard work and raising children, Robert is enjoying his well-deserved retirement when he discovers that he has an illness he might not be able to beat. At 19, Jonah is sprinting across the threshold of adulthood when he learns, stunningly, that he’s going to become a father. And Oliver – Robert’s son and Jonah’s dad – has entered middle age and is paying its demanding price. While reconciling the time and effort it has taken him to reach an unfulfilling career and an even less satisfying marriage, he realizes that it’s imperative that he keep it all together for the two men who mean everything to him.

When different perspectives lead to misunderstandings that remain unspoken – sometimes for years – it takes great strength and even more love to travel beyond the resentment.

Dad: A Novel chronicles the sacred legacy of fatherhood.

My Thoughts

If you’re an adventurous reader like I sometimes am, you tend to auto-buy or auto-read a certain handful of authors. What I mean is that with certain authors, just pass me the book and I’ll read it, no questions asked, no blurb needing to be read. With some special authors, you just need to have a little faith and press that Buy button cause you know they’ll bring the magic.

So here I was upon seeing the book title of Steven Manchester’s latest contribution to the written word. Dad. Just one word was all it took to explain this book. And yet silly me thought it was just written from a perspective of a Dad. In truth, I wasn’t wrong on one count, but then this book is so much bigger than that. And if you, unlike me, have read the blurb, you’ll know that this book introduces us to more than 1 person called Dad. Three in fact! And while this isn’t Steven’s first venture into multi-generational books, this is the first one I remember where three generations actually have a real voice in the book.

So here goes: What do I think of this book so simply yet aptly titled Dad. The saying “When life gives you lemons” is probably the most perfect way to sum up this book if you ask me. So you have two choices. Either you accept that you’ve been drawn some bad cards in life, or you make lemonade out of it! And of course, that’s exactly what Steven’s characters do. In fact, they made lemonade, lemon popsicles, lemon cakes, and even more lemony goodness!

From one Dad on the last leg of his life, trying to make up for lost time with his remaining family members, to his son, struggling and fighting for his rocky marriage, who is stuck in his hole of a 9 to 5 job just to pay the bills, to his grandson, on the cusp of his own new adventure who at first isn’t even bothered with anything except playing video games and relying on his parents to cook his food and do his laundry. One of the magically elements this author brings to the table every time is his realistic portrayal of the lives and paths his characters go through. Just like the grandson’s, honestly, most of us have been there at some point in our lives.

Without giving too much away as is my style of book reviewing, with Steven’s books, the only true way to enjoy them is to read them yourself, because how else do you explain and condense a whole rollercoaster of a book into a few paragraphs? With Dad, you’ll get to live three very different lives and see that although we are all on our own separate paths, our lives are more intertwined than we think. And that there is so much to learn from each generation that comes before and after ours. And as with Steven’s books, he crafts little snippets of military life into his stories in the most respectful way, paying tribute to their dedication and bravery.

Dad is yet another book worthy of a place on everyone’s bookshelves, to be revisited on a regular basis. If you feel lost in life, read this book. If you need a bit of joy in your life, read this book. And if you feel like you need a good cry, read this book, and don’t forget the box of Kleenex. And no matter if you’re feeling these emotions, or maybe none at all, just read this book. You won’t regret it. I sure don’t!

 

Steven Manchester is the published author of the #1 best seller, Twelve Months, as well as A Christmas Wish (the holiday prequel to Goodnight, Brian). He has also written Pressed Pennies, The Unexpected Storm: The Gulf War Legacy and Jacob Evans, as well as several books under the pseudonym, Steven Herberts. His work has appeared on NBC’s Today Show, CBS’s The Early Show, CNN’s American Morning and BET’s Nightly News. Recently, three of his short stories were selected “101 Best” for Chicken Soup for the Soul series.

Give Steven Manchester a buzz:
Email * Website * Facebook
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Check out Steven’s other books:

Twelve Months – Amazon * Book Depository
Goodnight, Brian – Amazon * Book Depository 
The Rockin’ Chair – Amazon * Book Depository
The Changing Season – Amazon * Book Depository
Pressed Pennies  Amazon * Book Depository
The Thursday Night Club – Amazon 
Gooseberry Island – Amazon * Book Depository
Ashes – Amazon * Book Depository
Bread  Bags & Bullies – Surviving the 80sAmazon
The MenuAmazon 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Read my reviews of Steven’s other books:
Goodnight, Brian
The Rockin’ Chair
The Changing Season
Pressed Pennies
The Thursday Night Club
Gooseberry Island
Ashes
Three Shoeboxes 

Bread Bags & Bullies – Surviving the 80s

The Menu 
Disclosure: I was sent the book for review but was not compensated financially or otherwise. Everything mentioned are my own thoughts based on my experience.

The Bookworm: The Menu by Steven Manchester

  • Title: The Menu
  • Author: Steven Manchester
  • Format: 318 pages
  • Publisher: Luna Bella Media, Inc
  • Published: 2nd of June 2020
  • Genre: Fiction
  • ISBN 10: 0984184252
  • ISBN 13: 978-0984184255
  • Source: E-book gifted for Review
  • Buy: Amazon
  • Goodreads: Link here

In an apple core (The Bookworm’s version of a nutshell)

A must-read for those who feel lost and hopeless in this time in our lives. A heartwarming yet heartwrenching story that will lift you up and show you that you are never alone. Even if it seems that way.

 

Summary

Blessed with a high emotional IQ, Phinn Reed enters the world with the promise of finding his soul mate. With heaven’s memories erased, his romantic quest teaches him that the heart often sees clearer than the eyes—and that not everyone has ordered the same items from The Menu. Evidence that love stories come in many different forms, The Menu is a spiritual journey involving more than just a man and a woman; it is a modern-day tale that reaches far beyond the boundaries of reason.

 

My Thoughts

Firstly, I fear that this might be my shortest Steven Manchester review ever. But it is only because this is a book you have to read to be able to comprehend the depth of its contents.

Steven Manchester is one blessed with the innate ability to craft stories that infuse his personal stories and experiences with a touch of fiction and turn them into new masterpieces worth revisiting over the course of one’s lifetime. His latest book is the perfect example of that. The Menu takes you on a journey through love and loss, faith and religion (without being overbearing), and the journey everyone has to face from the time of birth until their death day based on the choices made daily. This story was also the most difficult of Steven’s books for me to finish due to some personal events I’ve been through in my life. Steven has a way with words that will touch your soul and have you reaching for the Kleenex box.

The timing of the release of this book is also most apt due to the worldwide crisis we’re facing at the moment. When we feel like all hope is lost, and when we need a miracle the most, it’s always good to know that there is someone watching over us from afar.

And now, onto the story. The book starts off with a meeting between God and the title character, Phinn, who is given The Menu. He must then choose the life he wants to live on Earth, knowing that there will be consequences to whichever path he chooses. He’s told that he’ll have to take the bad with the good, the pain that comes with happiness. And just like any Steven Manchester book, he’ll thug on those deeply hidden heartstrings and make you feel each and every emotion.

Based on all the books I’ve read of Steven’s, this is by far the most personal in my opinion. And also the most adult! You’ll understand when you read it. *wink* His descriptions of certain places transport you there and you’ll feel like you’re right there with the characters. A lot of heart went into this book, and it is evident to all who reads this book. 

As promised, I won’t go into further details about this book simply because it isn’t possible to do that without downright telling you everything about the book. I only hope that you’ll take a moment out of this point in time to sit down and read this book. You’ll come away enlightened and hopefully, with some hope and faith restored.

Steven Manchester is the published author of the #1 best seller, Twelve Months, as well as A Christmas Wish (the holiday prequel to Goodnight, Brian). He has also written Pressed Pennies, The Unexpected Storm: The Gulf War Legacy and Jacob Evans, as well as several books under the pseudonym, Steven Herberts. His work has appeared on NBC’s Today Show, CBS’s The Early Show, CNN’s American Morning and BET’s Nightly News. Recently, three of his short stories were selected “101 Best” for Chicken Soup for the Soul series.

Give Steven Manchester a buzz:
Email * Website * Facebook
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Check out Steven’s other books:

Twelve Months – Amazon * Book Depository
Goodnight, Brian – Amazon * Book Depository 
The Rockin’ Chair – Amazon * Book Depository
The Changing Season – Amazon * Book Depository
Pressed Pennies  Amazon * Book Depository
The Thursday Night Club – Amazon 
Gooseberry Island – Amazon * Book Depository
Ashes – Amazon * Book Depository
Bread  Bags & Bullies – Surviving the 80sAmazon
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Read my reviews of Steven’s other books:
Goodnight, Brian
The Rockin’ Chair
The Changing Season
Pressed Pennies
The Thursday Night Club
Gooseberry Island
Ashes
Three Shoeboxes 

Bread Bags & Bullies – Surviving the 80s

Disclosure: I was sent the book for review but was not compensated financially or otherwise. Everything mentioned are my own thoughts based on my experience.

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