ReadingGrrls Paper Safari

Title:   Sober is the New Black: A Then and Now Account of Life Beyond Booze (giving up drinking alcohol, giving up drinking wine) by Rachel Black Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform Format: Paperback Pages: 146 pages Genre:  alcoholism, self -help Synopsis:  Wine is a normal part of life, isn't it? It is usual for thirty-somethings to collapse in the evening with a glass or two of something sophisticated to diffuse the stress of the day and calm their buzzing brains, whether they be professionals, mothers, wives or homemakers. Rachel was no different. She juggled her many roles and responsibilities well and rewarded herself with wine at the end of each day; after all, she deserved it. But, gradually her wine intake began to increase each night and soon it had gone from being a little treat to an absolute necessity. As wine invaded more and more areas of her life, it became harder to cope. In turn it meant she drank more wine, firmly believin...

Title:   Jane's Melody: A Novel by Ryan Winfield Publisher:  Atria books 337 pages Genre: Romance Synopsis: That's the question a grieving mother must answer when she takes in a young street musician she believes can shed light on her daughter's death—only to find herself falling for him. Review: I needed something light after reading my last book.  I kept seeing ads for this book on facebook (so their advertising worked on me!) so I thought I would check it out.  I was pleasantly surprised.  While there were a few things that didn't suspend my disbelief overall I found the book to be entertaining and fun. Drug addiction, alcohol addiction and grief all play big roles in this book and while that may seem heavy it didn't weigh the story down.  Unfortunately I know a few people who have lost their children to drugs and the grief experienced is twice as raw and three times as painful as what is portrayed in this story but I will let that go since...