Alex Shahla

Lying to Children by Alex Shahla started out promising. It was lighthearted and humorous. However, once I read the chapter “If you eat too much candy, your teeth will fall out”, I realized this book wasn’t for me. The thought of a grown man going to an egg/silly-string/toilet paper war with pubescent boys and having to get rescued by the fire department after climbing too high in a tree, even a fictional character, was too much. The stories stayed at the level of absurdity reminiscent of a bad sitcom or one of those frat-boy-rejects-adulthood movies. The father wasn’t likable, and the relationship between him and his wife wasn’t believable. This wasn’t my kind of humor. Because the stories and his character traits stuck with that pattern, I DNF at 51%.

My appreciation to Alex Shahla for the Goodreads Giveaway and free Kindle edition.… (más)

I really enjoyed this book. I think it’s important to note that these are letters the author wrote from a fictional dad to his children. It is not a novel where you read about this family from the birth of Annabelle to her going off to college. It is letters where the dad tries to explain his side of various memories. They were funny. I read them a bit each morning with my coffee. They helped brighten up a year that has been tremendous. What stood out to me the most was the love this dad has for his family. That might be lost in reading these letters. Some may think the dad is over the top or trying to hard for laughs. What I found was a dad who was being real. He was writing to his children in the way they would recognize him. He was telling them not only of his love for them but also his love for their mother. I found it very relatable. It reminded me of the Erma Bombeck books my mom had. I read those at 13, before having my own children. I remember enjoying them so much because they felt real. That is the feeling I had reading this book. This is a real, (but fictional), dad talking to his real, (but fictional), children. I loved reading this each day and am a bit sorry that I am at the end of the book. Read the book and enjoy his fictional memories. I’m sure you will laugh and you might even remember similar things that happened in your family. You might be inspired to write a letter or two to your own children.
I am grateful to have won an electronic copy of this book in a Goodreads Giveaway. I voluntarily reviewed this book because I enjoyed it. I hope you do, too.… (más)

Lying to Children by Alex Shahla had me laughing on page 1, and I really did not stop until the end. The book reads more like a collection of essays with a memoir like quality than a novel to be read beginning to end. I relate to the narrator and the situations. I laugh...a lot. I look forward to sharing this book with my children as the “other side of the story” to childhood.

Read my complete review at rel="nofollow" target="_top">http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2017/07/lying-to-children.html

Reviewed for NetGalley… (más)