Reseñas
By Phil Nork
2019
Reviewed by Angie Mangino
Rating: 5 stars
Readers meet Matthew Davis as Dr. Darla poses a question to him that immediately sets up the story of the Bang Bang man.
“Matt, what was the trigger that got you into this situation in the first place?”
What situation? The aftermath of a heart attack has this obese man confined to hospitalization. Dr. Darla’s delving into what got him to this place in his life seemed to be his last hope.
“This was so different for me. It had been a long time since I trusted someone. … I was at the lowest I ever had been and there was nowhere to go but up.”
Written from Matt’s point of view the story of his life continues, with his childhood, his ex-wife, and his fascination and ultimately compulsion with betting on horseracing at the track. A conversational approach in the author’s writing keeps readers involved as they come to care for this man.
Why is he called the bang-bang man? Readers will learn the reason for the title in this engaging story while additionally finding themselves identifying with the compulsions, albeit not necessarily as extreme, in their own lives.
Matt would never see himself in this view, but he has much to teach all of us.
Angie Mangino currently works as a freelance journalist, author, and book reviewer, additionally offering authors personalized critique service and copyediting of unpublished manuscripts. www.AngieMangino.com
Story of Matt who is now single, he's lost his wife and kids to divorce and they don't bother with him anymore.
Only thing important to him is betting and the horses. VInnie-the landlord of his complex sets him up with a computer and teaches him how to use it for betting.
That's after he's been tossed off the grounds of the horse facility where he used to bet and argue with the the drivers that made him lose his money.
Over the years he learns he can order anything online and have it delivered. His house is a mess and he gets into chat areas where he states one time the left side of his body is numb.
Vinnie tends to him and Matt wakes up in the hospital where he'd suffered a heart attack. With help from so many he's able to change his life around and even lose 300 pounds.
Those who do care about him, and he thought he had none, come to talk to him and that gives him enough promise to continue on and show progress.
It just takes that one person in his life to change it all around.
Like this story because it tells me of what really happens behind the scene with the horses and also about not only heart attacks but stomach surgery which my girlfriend had just undergone.
Felt so sorry for Matt when he hit bottom and glad he changed his habits to better his life.
Never give up, someone is always there for you.
Received this review copy from the author and this is my honest opinion.
Enriching and heartwarming story!
Last class assignment for the year and Pete has to find out about his ancestors and what better way then to go visit and talk to them.
Family, uncles and grandparents load up the car and lead to southern IL where other parts of the family live. Treasure the history of this one family and how it's portrayed to those of todays age.
Love how the author also explains what mining terms mean and how they were done.
Mining accidents and telling the time by the sun so much to this book.
Loved hearing how they use everything growing on the land.
Received this review copy from the author and this is my honest opinion.
Book starts out with a 50+ man who's an author and also works at his full time job in a store. He's sent to various locations to boost that stores sales.
He meets many women along the way who help to promote his works and he can't believe that although they are 10+ years older they love his looks.
Many know him from the past or his other works and touch base with him. Being lonely and alone at his age and he finds memories and feelings that come out to make him feel his normal self again.
What I love about this book is that it's about an older man and has hot steamy sex scenes and how to sell his own books, dress the part, etc.
Love where this leads him and all the excursions are detailed. Can't wait to visit some of the places described. Love the twists and turns and can't believe the people he meets.
This is more my age than the regular romance books I read about 20 year old. Every book I read by this author turns into my best favorite-there are a bunch of them already and can't wait to read the others.
Received this review copy from the author and this is my honest opinion.
Enjoy learning about horses and have yet to ride one but want to learn more about them.
Enjoy the Derby and other races in May but more about finding out about the people who train them and ride them.
Gambling is an escape and ends up being an addiction. Bobby Tucker grew up with no father, those he loved had died. It's best to just go on by himself he thinks.
Love that it explains all the terms about betting and place the horse comes up at the end of the race.
Strikes up friendships with some ladies and pops. Different track where the horses run got him unnerved and things just aren't right...
Loved hearing all the stats, percentage wise about the different tracks and horses. Wind and drafting totally makes sense!
Word gets around among the teens and they use him for his winning bets.
Time goes on and things go horribly wrong on all counts. After graduation he goes with his father to live in FL. He hopes to remake himself and be more outgoing.
He gets a job and once again you wonder if he's done with gambling.
Tough love sets in and you hope he will wake up from his nightmare....Love the opportunity that is offered.
Lots of twists throughout this book, left you guessing what could happen next.
Received this copy from the author and this is my honest review.
This book starts out with the author's struggles through childhood as his parents divorced.
He had others in his life as he grew up and treasures everything he learns from them. The lessons he learned are listed in the chapters.
Love that he is able to get something and give something to others in return and how he meets them again later in life.
Remember our skating days and wondered if I ever skated past my spouse as we didn't know one another til 10 years later-fond memories.
Author writes his side of the story and you get a glimpse of the other's thoughts as well. Love school writing assignment where the class all realize one major thing that effects them all. Everybody has their own plan of action to be accepted into society.
Love the definition of acquaintance and I have a ton of them, LOL
Feel like I've learned so much and it's been right in front of me the whole time. Can't wait to read other works by this author.
Received this copy from the author and this is my honest review.
This book summarizes the prior book in the series: Misguided sensitivity and then moves on to when the male character is older.
Heartache, struggles, joy, death, medical emergencies, emptiness-he sometimes needs help to get through life that balances good and bad.
He wonders if the gift is actually a curse. He needs to take control of his own destiny, find his spiritual self again.
For the summer he and his younger brother head to FL where his father lives and they reconnect and he learns of his life there.
He decides to live in FL after their return, he cuts away from everybody he knows in St. Louis after a huge going away party from the roller rink.
FL has many opportunities for him as he takes it all in. Love the descriptions of the rides, so detailed I feel like I am there.
Auras are fascinating to learn about. This book is so involved with the people he meets and each one gives another clue to the puzzle of his life.
At times you wonder if he will find one to really love and grow old with. Love the visits from Nana and what rain and roses signify.
Received this copy from the author and this is my honest review.
Book sounded interesting and I can't put the book down. It will be one of my favorite for this month.
Starts out in early 1900's when the grandfather and grandmother buy into a land development in southern WI where they go to visit every weekend leaving the big city in IL for much deserved time off.
Over the years they get to make suggestions as to what they want the area to be and how things change over time, including children. Author is so descriptive you can smell what the air is like and see the layout of the development as if you are there.
Love this book because it's about the same timeframe of when I grew up and I can recall playing outside with all our cousins as we all lived next door to one another. Our grandparents beach house had one big open living/bed area and one kitchen with no electric, just propane and bottled water. Bathrooms were in a separate building.
Wicked cool memories as they bring a tear to my eye of awesome upbringing as the children grow up and I love the message of the book: A person never knows when someone will enter their life and broaden their horizons forever. What a treasure! Foreign language in also replied to in English terms so you get the gist and are not left in the dark. Love saying about God and what rain means-priceless!
The people met over the years and the inventions created are so cool to hear about. Love the legends and we also had the same one about waiting one hour after eating before swimming again...
Love closeness of the family and how they grow forward together. Can't wait to read more from this author. Miss values we grew up with-a handshake was better than any written document. Such open and honest interactions between the characters.
Mix this all with baseball-no matter what team and 8mm family movies and you have an awesome read.
Met via Facebook, got a review copy and this is my honest review.
As a big fan of Philip Nork, I've made it my mission to read all of his works. I am never disappointed either. He writes in the beginning "the utter confusion that once was my life" as a preamble for his great story of discovery, remembrance, and lessons learned. Yes, Life is a balance ... and yes, there's more to life than sex (maybe). His travels through women and his corresponding lovers lead to great lessons in life that his Nana is all too happy to point out. An enjoyable journey once again.
Legends of generations and legacies of stories that continue on. This story doesn't just tell you the stories created on the lake, once called Snapping Turtle lake, but makes you think of your own legacy and generations. Not every story is totally true but the heart countered changes the impact of the storyteller. It's another amazing story by Nork ...not just a writer but a great storyteller. Highly recommended.
Romance written by a man. Quite a concept and wonderfully written. I have recently been blessed with reading the work of Nork, and this by far is one of my favorites. I was captivated by the shadows of the past that loomed over author Paul Summer, as well as his connection to the other characters in the book. Connecting with Shelby and Kathy, I loved it being written from the man's point of view, his own insecurities and body reactions to the women, who seem to be fawning in his presence. Then enter Cassie ... I loved this book and if you love a good romance, you'll love it, too. Worth the read.
Young Peter the third seems oddly surprised (from my point of view anyway) to learn his father used cursive not a computer to write his tale. But he’s studying a past where even indoor plumbing wasn’t a given, well-water might be considered to cause diabetes, and Grandpa might never clean up himself or his language – well, apart from the sh.. word.
Dialog in this novel is a sometimes uncomfortable mix of convincingly colloquial passages with a young student’s penchant for quoting the phrasing of a textbook. After speaking of “the trials and tribulations that the early families had after coal had been discovered,” he asks, innocently, “How can you live without a car?” But it’s told with pleasing good humor and blunt honesty, and the depiction of mining, family, and thwarted love in the 1800s is filled with fascinating detail, and bound to intrigue, even if it's occasionally repetitive – after all, the history’s being told to an easily distracted boy, and old teaching methods aren’t the same as today.
There are lots of apposite sayings in this tale, and much to be learned about a way of life that’s slower, older, and less cut-throat than the town-life of the narrator. “[R]ememberin’ where you came from is important,” says an uncle, as Peter learns more and more of his family’s past; and “[M]aking money isn’t the only thing in the world.” Sometimes asking questions is all that’s needed to find out who you are, and sometimes the past is a gift, freely given to the present, as in this project and this book.
Disclosure: The author freely gave me an ecopy of this book, and I offer my honest review.
A great story that doesn't tell but shows the way of building a home. There is a major difference from having a house and then having a home. A home is what is made out of it, by the family, past and present. It was a great story of influence of ancestors and how that past becomes important to those living in the present. Family influence and connections may grow apart, but the past and the memories can bind them together forever. It's not about what we own, but who we love and who loves us that makes us complete. “Sometimes that’s all a man needs in order to remember who he is.” Highly recommended.
I enjoyed this book, so much that I read through it twice before writing my review. It is tailored to young men who will learn how to be loving, caring, real men but it is a good read for anyone, male or female, especially those who need that inspiration or little pick-me-up. We all need support. In our lives there are others and the actions of others that can affect our lives and it's what do with that to determine our life's path. If you are looking for a emotional, supportive, inspirational book, this is the book to read. All readers will want to share it with their families, especially young sons and daughters.
In Florida they receive a warm welcome, Phil gets involved in a party lifestyle and gets into drugs, alcohol and meeting more girls. In this book you see Phil go through a lot of ups and downs. He deals with people who are not who he thought they were, the death of someone close to him, he also marries and has a son. Much like the first book you see a very different Phil at the end of the book then at the beginning and it was fascinating watching him go through these changes.
I felt like Life Is A Balance was a better book than Misguided Sensitivity. This one shows an older and wiser Phil but it shows him as a person who is still making mistakes and has a lot to learn. I liked the part where his ex-girlfriend shows up at his workplace saying she was pregnant. I also liked when Phil meets his dad for the first time in several years. Life Is A Balance is a good coming of age novel that young adults will get a lot out of. Phil takes on several personalities in this book such as Disco Phil, A sensitive ladies man and an insecure person who feels empty. This book is a look at Phil’s journey to self discovery. It’s an interesting read that gets deep into one man’s meaning of life.
He was taught at a young age to respect women and make them feel special. Also as a kid he listened in on his mother and several friends from the neighborhood talk about how bad typical men were. He decided at that point he didn’t want to be a typical man and went out of his way to be different from everyone else. What comes next is the boys lessons in life that he learned from all the women he met while growing up. It also looks at how each experience turned him into the adult he is today.
Phillip Nork states in the beginning of the book that it is based in truth with names and places changed to protect people’s identity. This is a well written memoir that young adults can learn a lot from. Personally I found it a little hard to relate to because I have never experienced the things that he has gone through and never met anyone like him. I also found the book overly sentimental and even though they weren’t graphic, I got tired of the sex scenes. I’ve read a lot of biographies that had funny moments and not so serious moments but this one was different. Misguided Sensitivity was a serious book that was trying to teach life lessons and not to entertain.
I did find Misguided Sensitivity to be an informative book. Phillip Nork was telling what he learned from the people who have gone in and out of his life so the reader can look at their own life and learn from it. I liked seeing how Phillip changed by the end of the book. I also thought it was interesting learning about how divorce affected Phillip. My favorite scene was when Marcy makes Phillip realize he is not alone. Several kids have to deal with divorce and this book shows how it changed Phillip’s life. Phillip was looking to be accepted and loved. He found that the journey to what you want is never easy. This is a good self discovery book that I think young male readers can learn a lot from.
Don’t let the title deter you. This book isn’t only for men and it isn’t only for heterosexuals. It’s a wonderful coming of age story that has a little something for everyone.
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“Funny that I couldn’t or wouldn’t talk back then” he muses, “but this writing about my past seemed to be pretty easy for me to do.” It’s easy to read too—a dark story where the reader knows the protagonist is going to mess up further, but where the search for reason and hope becomes reader’s as well as writer’s.
Author Philip Nork offers a thoroughly convincing first-person tale, told bleakly and sadly. When word choices seem odd, they also feel right for a narrator who’s already made so many odd life choices. In a changing world, the protagonist soon traps himself at the computer keyboard and loses track of who he might have been. But “Everyone had a reason to live, you just don't know what yours is yet,” says the nurse. Is that true? Can six hundred pounds of pizza, beer and self-loathing find a purpose in life? With a little help from his friends…
It all makes for a satisfying and oddly uplifting tale filled with fascinating characters and plot.
Disclosure: I was given an ecopy and I offer my honest review.