Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Review & Giveaway: Gerry Tales

Gerry Tales: How I lived Happily Ever After, Despite Stabbing Myself in the Back, Scalding My Cojones, and Really Pissing off My Wife During Childbirth by Gerry Boylan

(For review from Phenix Publicity)

Synopsis:

In this collection of personal essays, Gerry Boylan recounts a lifetime of adventures and misadventures. His stories are sweet, loopy, and hilarious, ranging from hitchhiking experiences gone awry to the birth of his first child (sans painkillers or doctors, but with pinochle-playing buddies and malted milkshakes). Whether he's fleeing in terror from a marauding bat or causing a thousand-bicycle pileup in Beijing, he'll have you laughing at his unique mixture of lunacy and heart.

Thoughts:

Gerry Tales was a very interesting book. I loved the title... LOL! It really gives the reader an idea of what inside the book. Gerry has a very interesting view on life. He looks at things from the point of view that "you might as well laugh as cry" as we old folks say. Sometimes things happen in life that you just have to shake your head at and Boylan is very good at describing those kinds of events. His book is comprised of 24 essays about his life. If this is just a sampling of the life he has led, he needs to write another book.

I think my favorite of the stories would have to be, "Idiocy". To have an argument over who is the biggest idiot seemed so realistic to me, LOL. In fact I think I might have had that same argument with my ex, once upon a time. Gerry's stories take an everyday situation and shows the comedy in it. If you choose to look at life in that manner, everything is an adventure and I like that attitude.

Another essay that I liked was called, "Birth of a Daughter". I can't think of two many different situations that include more stress than having a child. For both parents in my opinion, although, I think we mothers get the worst of it. Having a home birth might seem like a good idea to some, not me though. Gerry's wife must not have considered who Gerry was before she decided on this, LOL. Buddies and beer in the room next door wouldn't be my idea of a good birthing atmosphere. You gotta read that one!

I recommend this book to anyone who just needs a lift in their daily life. A break from grind and hopefully a different perspective on how things could be if looked on the bright or maybe I should say, if they looked on the funny side. I hope Gerry decides to write more comedic adventures from his life. His unique look at the world is much appreciated.

Gerry Tales is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

I'm giving this one 4 out of 5 apples from my book bag!




Here is some additional information about the author, Gerry Boylan.

Gerry Boylan has trekked through life as a roustabout, a hitchhiker, a successful businessman, and everything in between. He is the cofounder of a private equity firm, and the father of four remarkably well-adjusted children. He resides in Royal Oak, Michigan, with his all-knowing and always-loving wife, Kathy.

GIVEAWAY DETAILS

I accidentally received two advanced reader copies for this book from Phenix Publicity, so I decided to give one away. The rules are pretty simple:

1.) There will be one winner, U.S & Canadian entries only. I will be sending this one out.
2.) You must be follower of this blog.
3.) You must leave a comment on this post with an e-mail address where I can contact you.
4.) Deadline for this giveaway is: Midnight EST, Tuesday September 14th.

EXTRA ENTRIES:

+ 5 for following me on Twitter @justpeachy36
+5 for being an old follower
+3 for being a new follower
+5 for entering any of the other giveaways on my sidebar
+5 adding the giveaway to your sidebar
+25 for getting the word out about this giveaway on Twitter, Facebook or other social media sites (remember to leave your links)

4 comments:

Teril said...

terilhack(@)gmail.com
+5 old follower
+5 other giveaways

This looks like a great book!
Yeah I agree I need a lift right now ;)

Vidisha said...

Old follower +5

+5 other giveaway!!

vidishamun@gmail.com

Aik said...

I'd love to enter!

+5 for following you on Twitter @aikchien
+5 for being an old follower
+5 for entering HUGE! 5 book giveaway! Simon Serrailler Mystery Series

aikychien at yahoo dot com

Lisa Richards/alterlisa said...

Sounds like a laugh a minute, count me in
+25 http://twitter.com/alterlisa/status/24154145331
+ 5 follow you on Twitter @alterlisa
+5 for being an old follower-Lisa Richards/alterlisa
+5 for entering Simon Serrailler Giveaway


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alterlisa AT yahoo DOT com
http://lisaslovesbooksofcourse.blogspot.com