Tag / relationships

by Erik McManus | Breakeven Books

Book Review: Thirst Trap

I have been good friends with the author Zachary Ryan and I have to tell ya that he just keeps them coming with all of his great books! This time I read Thirst Trap by Zachary Ryan and it was great!

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Synopsis: Tragedy comes in all forms, and you never know how you’ll deal with it. Four friends have all dealt with their fair share of struggles. Dillion, an aspiring writer with writers block because of his brothers sudden death, Jesse the emotional stunted drink thanks to his boyfriend’s suicide, Ivan the abused victim just looking for a place to call home, and Leo the stubborn romantic trying to get his friends to open up, while keeping his issues close to his chest.

With these four friends, they avoid all their elephants in the room like a death card agreement between Dillion and Jesse, Ivan completely hoping his abusive lover with change or even Leo focusing on his friends problems instead of his own. Can these four friends learn to embrace and accept their own tragedy or will they be stuck in the past?

Zach just keeps hitting me with all the feels and I am okay with that! He wrote a book of purely LGBTQ+ characters and it follows all 4 of their stories which include tragic occurrences and things that I would never wish upon anyone. They deal with all of these things and it shows so much emotional growth. Having people that you can count on to be there for you and help you through situations like this is why I like seeing that kind of friendship dynamic portrayed in a book because it promotes healthy relationships.

Speaking of healthy relationships, this book deals with a lot of unhealthy ones and shows growth in those areas too. I found myself wanting to reach out to the characters and help them because I could see some of the situations they were in and just wanted to get them out.

The book hits on a lot of serious topics and I think is a great read because it explores them and shows how the situations you are in don’t define you as a person. Normally, I go for Zach’s books because they are dramatic and sometimes a little smutty but this time, it was really cool to see another side of his writing and it showed me that he has a lot of range as a writer.

Book Rating: 4/5

You can buy this book on Amazon and find it on Goodreads.

Disclaimer: This book was sent to me in hardback format by the author to read and give an honest review.


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by Erik McManus | Breakeven Books

Book Review: Who’s Got Your Back?

Welcome back bookworms! I am planning to read a lot of books in July and this is the first of many. This on is called Who’s Got Your Back? Making and Keeping Great Relationships Among Men by David Smith.

A book about men's relationships

Synopsis: Who’s got your back? Most men will simply answer, “no one.” Not many men have close friends in the sense that women do. We’re more likely to form alliances than we are friendships. It doesn’t have to be this way. Who’s Got Your Back? will motivate men to build satisfying relationships which will be there during the ups and downs of life.

David Smith’s new book, Who’s Got Your Back? clearly presents the clarion call for men to be the kind of men modeled for us by Jesus. David shows us how we can be strong, task oriented, and achieving, but also warm-hearted and unmistakably relationship driven in the rough and tumble of everyday life.

This good book brings into sharp focus a genuine and functional and real-life definition of manliness. David Smith has skillfully woven stories with practical application strategies into a narrative as to how we build and support trusting relationships.

This book was in the middle for me. I enjoyed the concept it was trying to get across to its readers but at the same time didn’t really feel like it was applicable to me. It is more centered on men that don’t have fulfilling relationships with other men (in the non sexual way). It is a book on working towards making stronger connections with other men in your life because you need that foundation of people and support to build your character but also to bring joy and understanding of yourself more as a person to your life.

I feel that I have a strong relationship with many close friends that are guys and we make it priority to be ever present in each other’s lives. This book is more focused on the older generation (that being the baby boomers) that have a quieter lifestyle once they are married where the husband has one person to depend and rely on (his wife) and little to no other people. I don’t believe this should be the way either and this book is here to help these men branch out and find other fellowship among men that they could potentially be open and build a friendship with.

I feel that there is value in what this book has to offer and since it is very religious based, I think it would be a great resource for a men’s group based out of church. They could follow along together and work through the discussion questions at the end of each chapter.

It is a good book but I just feel that it didn’t apply to me where I am at in life right now. That being said, I will be passing the book on to my dad as I believe he would enjoy this book and could bring it to his Christian men’s group he attends.

Book Rating: 3/5

You can find this book on Amazon and Book Depository or Goodreads.

Disclaimer: This book was sent to me by a publishing company in physical format to read and give an honest review.

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by Erik McManus | Breakeven Books

Book Review: A World So Small

Hey there bookworms! I did it. I finally sat down and read the book that my friend’s sister wrote and you know what? It was actually pretty damn good. This book was called A World So Small by Cameron Dreamshare. She owns Dreamshare Studios located in Pembroke, Ontario.

Synopsis: When all you ever wanted was to make music that sells, and all she ever wanted was you, but ex-lovers reappear and repeat like a catchy chorus.

Jordan Barker is a gig rat with a soul-crushing day job and big dreams of becoming a musician and Valkyrie Snow is an architect hitting her stride midlife. Everlasting love should be easy in a world of instant gratification, but it’s harder than ever.

I enjoyed this book quite a bit. I got a little nostalgic because it was set in a futuristic Ottawa and I am from that area originally so I recognized a lot of the street names and restaurant names that were mentioned.

Romance books are not my “go to” when I choose a book but Cameron managed to keep this one interesting with a subplot to the romantic bits that kept the ball rolling and the reader wanting to find out what was going to happen to the two main characters that they have been following along with. I will say that some of the romantic parts were quite explicit but it does warn you of that in the synopsis and on the back of the physical book.

Val is such a self-sufficient character. I applaud her for being true to herself and believing in what she wants. She is not controlled by the mainstream thoughts of society but forms her own opinions on matters and takes action. Her ties to feminism are very evident and it is great that she is such a strong leading force.

There is a lot of character building and part of Jordan’s character is that he is a musician. I actually want to hear his band play a show based on what I have read about them. They seem like they have a unique sound and I feel like I would be into them.

The ending was definitely something to wait for. It had a good pace for most of the story but it really picks up in the last 70 pages or so. I flew through them because it got really intense in a way that I couldn’t put the book down until I knew what happened next.

I am very happy to say that I enjoyed this book and will be picking up a copy of the sequel next time I am back in my hometown visiting with my friend. If you get a chance, I would recommend picking it up to. Just be warned that if explicit sexual content bothers you, there is quite a bit of it in this book so be wary of that.

Book Rating: 4/5

You can buy this book on Amazon and Book Depository or find it on Goodreads.

Disclaimer: I was sent this book by the author in physical format to read and give an honest review.

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by Erik McManus | Breakeven Books

Happy Valentine’s Day

Happy Valentine’s day to everyone out there! Spend today with your loved one and do something special even if that is only watching a show together or just spending some quality time hanging out.

Or if you are single, don’t sweat it. Today is your day to celebrate you and your awesomeness!

This is a short and sweet post but just wanted to let everyone know to enjoy their day regardless of being in a relationship or not. We don’t celebrate ourselves enough and we all deserve it. Stay tuned for a review of the second book in a trilogy I am reading. It will be posted tomorrow :).

Sabon

by Erik McManus | Breakeven Books

Book Review​: Treading The Uneven Road

Bookworms! I have the pleasure of sharing another review with you. This one was called Treading The Uneven Road by L.M. Brown and was published by Fomite Press.

Cover of Threading The Uneven Road

Synopsis: The stories in this linked collection are set in a small village in the Northwest of Ireland in the early 1980’s and 90’s. A bypass around the village has rid them of their once busy traffic. The residents feel forgotten by the world. The need to reach out and be heard is explored in every story, from the young woman who starts to have phone conversations with her husband’s gay lover, to the dyslexic man who confronts his cruel teacher years later.

The collection is not only about the characters need for salvation but it is about a society that is unraveling. In Amends, we hear about the Bishop who has fathered a child. A priest is beckoned by a dying man to be mocked. The world inside and outside the village is changing. In every story, the characters need to make a choice on how they might carry on.

This book was a breath of fresh air. Not only did it satisfy my craving of travel with its beautiful descriptions of Northwest Ireland and the surrounding landscapes, but it also brought on this feeling of “lust” (not sure if this is the right word) to go there and see it for myself.

A lot of times, I won’t read a synopsis and jump right into a book so that I am completely unprepared and surprised by everything. An example would be to watch a movie without seeing the trailer for the non-readers out there. So I was very excited when I realized that all of these short stories were connected to the next and previous stories and the characters were the same in most of them. It was like revealing a little bit more of the townsfolk piece by piece from different viewpoints.

The story about Patrick was my favorite. He had a rough encounter that left his relationship with his father very tense (I won’t say what it is, no spoilers here). It made me feel for Patrick and just want him to succeed and be happy. The only downfall to this story is that I wanted more of it. It left me wondering if he would be ok and I just wasn’t ready to leave it at that.

All of these stories were just people being themselves and trying to fit into society or be what society wanted them to be. The feelings were raw and powerful and it came through in the way the author wrote about her characters.

I would recommend this book to anyone that wants intricate storytelling of an Irish village and all the components that make up its inner workings. It wasn’t a “WOW this is amazing” book but more of a subtle “wow I quite enjoyed that”.

Book Rating: 4/5

About the Author
L.M Brown is the author of the novel Debris. Her stories have appeared in numerous literary magazines. She grew up in Sligo, Ireland, but now resides in Massachusetts with her husband, three daughters, a dog and a bearded dragon.

You can buy this book on Amazon and find it on Goodreads.

Disclaimer: This book was sent to us in ebook format by the author to read and give an honest review.

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by Erik McManus | Breakeven Books

Book Review: Foe by Iain Reid

Wow. Just wow. This book was awesome! Hey bookworms, I have another review to share with you. This one is called Foe by Iain Red. and was sent to me by NetGalley for review.

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Synopsis: In Iain Reid’s second haunting, philosophical puzzle of a novel, set in the near-future, Junior and Henrietta live a comfortable, solitary life on their farm, far from the city lights, but in close quarters with each other. One day, a stranger from the city arrives with alarming news: Junior has been randomly selected to travel far away from the farm…very far away. The most unusual part? Arrangements have already been made so that when he leaves, Henrietta won’t have a chance to miss him, because she won’t be left alone—not even for a moment. Henrietta will have company. Familiar company.

It would be classified as a sci-fi psychological thriller? It’s Iain Reid. His books for lack of a better word f**k with your head but in a good way that keeps you drawn into the story and wanting more.

I figured out the twist pretty quickly but read the entire story to get the satisfaction that I was right. It was like unpeeling an onion layer by layer and unveiling each new part to the story that gave you just a little bit more.

The character development was wonderful. The main characters become so engrossed in their lives together yet are so far apart from each other at the same time. They get set in routine but don’t actually realize what the other is feeling.

If you don’t want to know any more, go buy this book! But below I will reveal a spoiler so don’t read it if you don’t want to know the end.

SPOILER BEGINNING

SPOILER HERE - READ AT YOUR OWN RISK

So I knew right from the beginning that Junior wasn’t human due to the fact that when he spoke, there were no parentheses around his words. None the less, I was still engrossed in his character development and loved learning about the Installation and where the real Junior has been all along.

I also love that Henrietta actually left the real Junior at the end to make a life for herself that was her own and where she wasn’t expected to be at Junior’s beck and call. The fact that Junior couldn’t tell the difference between real Hen and a fake shows a lot about his personality and his connection or lack thereof with the real Hen.

SPOILER END

This book is a must-read recommendation from me! I want to talk about it with others and hear their opinions. If you have read the book, leave a comment below about what you thought.

Book Rating: 5/5

You can buy this book on Amazon and find it on Goodreads.

Disclaimer: This book was sent to us in ebook format from NetGalley to read and give an honest review.

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by Erik McManus | Breakeven Books

Book Review: It’s A Bright World To Feel Lost In

A new book review is on the Breakeven Books shelves. This one was called It’s A Bright World To Feel Lost In by Mawson Bear (yes I looked it up and the author of the book on Goodreads is a bear).

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Synopsis: Are you feeling a little lost? Got that ‘left in the spare room’ emptiness about you? Mawson does too.

He sits atop his cushion and ponders about baffling things.

The world is a funny place for a curious teddy bear to live in. Friends approach him about their own dilemmas. They seek instant answers that will make everything all right. Mawson does his best. But after he ponders deeply, most things remain for him just as baffling as they were before.

Take a moment out of your day to pawse with him and explore the world. For the many frazzled readers who feel, secretly, much the same, he offers the comfort that the world is a bright place to be.

So first of all, this book was quite confusing. A lot of the sentences were cut off and went to the next page which was not the greatest for text flow and communication.

I only understood it about half way through that it is about being left in a relationship and trying to put yourself back together after the dust has settled. About not focusing on your faults or blaming yourself for the relationship ending but about being okay on your own. This is a great message, it was just hard to grasp at first (it was probably the fragmented sentences that were throwing me off).

The pictures were all taken by a photographer and they were of the stuffed animal doing a bunch of things that are supposed to correlate with the storyline. I’m not sure if they flowed very well with it but it wasn’t a very long book so maybe it just needed more to it. Overall, the book didn’t really impress me.

I did find it very cool that this book came from Australia and was published there. I swear Australia, I will make it to you someday and I can’t wait for it 🙂

Book Rating: 2/5

You can find this book on Amazon and add it to your shelf on Goodreads.

Disclaimer: This book was sent to us in physical format to read and give an honest review.


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by Erik McManus | Breakeven Books

Book Review: The Hermit of Blue Ridge by Cary Marc Grossman

Another review by our marvelous @saramact !! This time she reviewed The Hermit of Blue Ridge by Cary Marc Grossman. She has been such a great help and I appreciate all of her time spent helping us out at Breakeven books as being part of the review team. Without further ado, here is her review (Hey that ryhmes :P).

COVER 2 The Hermit of Blue Ridge

This book is about a writer who has secluded himself from the world, up in the Blue Ridge Mountains, living in a cabin with only his dog for company. Soon, a young woman bursts into his cabin in the middle of a snow storm, and hurls his life into chaos. As he tends to her in her recovery, they begin to learn more about each other and themselves. After noticing some strange tendencies, he soon realizes that she wasn’t entirely transparent with her intentions when she first arrived, and the strangeness of her purpose there is only exacerbated by what becomes a passionate relationship.

(Spoilers Ahead)

As Jeremy and Sarah begin to develop a passionate relationship, we are given insight into the uncomfortable feelings Jeremy experiences; being forced out of his seclusion, and being forced to consider love again, after being burned so badly several times in the past. We soon discover that Sarah has been having violent dreams about Jeremy’s first love, Pricilla, since she was young. This only adds to the tension in their relationship, as he still mourns Pricilla, and Sarah’s young age already reminds him of Pricilla too often.

It was interesting to read about these two artists, as Sarah soon takes up painting, as they create a cozy little life for themselves. There is a lot of turmoil in their relationship, most of which is told from Jeremy’s perspective as he adjusts to Sarah’s presence, age, and relationship to Pricilla. Though it becomes obvious they both feel deeply for each other, there are a lot of issues in the relationship.

It was a very well written telling of the two people trying to balance their lives together, and the characters were developed fully, and were very relatable. I really enjoyed the flow and skill of the writing, as well as the unique plot. I could have done without the casual domestic violence that was peppered into the book – I think there is a way to have passion and even anger written into a relationship without it becoming violent. There were also a few “typos” and one plot error where a character was where they weren’t supposed to be, though some of this could have been due to its e-book conversion.

Book Rating: 4/5

Disclaimer: This book was sent to us by the author in a digital version for an honest review.

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by Erik McManus | Breakeven Books

Book Review – I’m Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid

I recently finished I’m Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid and man oh man was it ever intense! I was sent this book by Simon and Schuster Canada for winning their Book Club Pick of the Month contest. Now this happened in the summer and I had a huge list of books to go through but I am finally getting to it.

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I read this book on a flight to the great northern city of Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada over the Christmas break to visit my friend Jordan. I had my nose in this book from takeoff to landing on the flight home and was completely engrossed in the intricate web of a masterpiece Iain Reid created.

The story starts with a woman in a car with her boyfriend and they are travelling to his parents house so that she can meet them for the first time. Meanwhile, she is thinking of ending the relationship and a lot of the book is her constant struggle in her head about what to do in this situation since she no longer wants to be in the relationship. They get to the farm and she meets his parents but things seem to be out of place and she starts to notice a lot of things that are “off”. Thus ensues a crazy twisted nightmare of a story that I never expected in the least.

I will be spoiling the ending because holy crap it was crazy. But I will clearly define where the spoiler is so don’t worry. Before that though, I wanted to share the best quote from the book.

You can say anything, you can do anything, but you can’t fake a thought.

This line is so haunting once you know what the ending is. Alright without further ado, spoiler time…

*SPOILER INSERTED HERE, DON’T READ FURTHER IF YOU WANT TO READ THIS BOOK*

So it turned out that this woman was one of multiple personalities inside the boyfriend’s head and she was never real the entire time. When she is thinking of ending it, she is meaning ending his life. After you come to this realization, the entire book becomes so much creepier.

I also never caught it till after but the author just says “a woman” instead of giving the main character a name because she is the one telling the story. It made so much sense at the end but it was a very intense plot twist.

*SPOILER ENDED*

If you wish to read this book, you can find it here: http://www.simonandschuster.ca/books/Im-Thinking-of-Ending-Things/Iain-Reid/9781501103452

Disclaimer: I was not compensated for this review in any way. I chose to write it because I wanted to.