Book Review: BREATH LIKE WATER by Anna Jarzab

After recently taking swim lessons (as an adult!), I was intrigued by the description of this book. I jumped at the opportunity to read an early copy, and it was the BEST book I've read in ages! Scroll down for my complete review.

Breath Like Water
by Anna Jarzab
Publication Date: May 19, 2020
ISBN: 978-1335050236
Publisher: Inkyard Press

Description from Publisher:
Susannah Ramos has always loved the water. A swimmer whose early talent made her a world champion, Susannah was poised for greatness in a sport that demands so much of its young. But an inexplicable slowdown has put her dream in jeopardy, and Susannah is fighting to keep her career afloat when two important people enter her life: a new coach with a revolutionary training strategy, and a charming fellow swimmer named Harry Matthews. As Susannah begins her long and painful climb back to the top, her friendship with Harry blossoms into passionate and supportive love. But Harry is facing challenges of his own, and even as their bond draws them closer together, other forces work to tear them apart. As she struggles to balance her needs with those of the people who matter most to her, Susannah will learn the cost—and the beauty—of trying to achieve something extraordinary.

About the Author:
Anna Jarzab is the author of All Unquiet Things, The Opposite of Hallelujah, Tandem, Tether, Red Dirt, and Breath Like Water. She lives in New York City and works in children's book publishing. Visit her online at www.annajarzab.com and connect with her on Twitter and Instagram @ajarzab.



My Review:

Anyone who's ever dealt with an overbearing, in-your-face coach ... anyone who's ever dealt with disappointment ... anyone who's ever dealt with mental illness ... and/or anyone who's ever wanted a goal so badly every fiber of their being ached for it ... should read this book!

Breath Like Water by Anna Jarzab was simply the best book I've read in ages. The writing was terrific and easy to read. The characters were well developed. The plot was captivating. The setting was fascinating. And I was intrigued from page one.

Often times in books targeted at the young adult audience, the parents are absent from the story or neglectful in some regard (in order to let the teenager solve his/her own problems, which is a necessary story device). However, in Breath Like Water, the main character's parents were present, supportive, and realistic. And the main character, Susannah, was still able to solve her own problems. I think this is true in real life more often than we acknowledge. Part of good parenting is allowing your children to make their own decisions, and part of being a teenager is making choices regardless of what your parents may recommend.

"It's my responsibility to take care of you, and to teach you how to take care of yourself. I take it seriously."

Another huge adult influence in the lives of teens is a coach. If a teen is blessed with a great one, the benefits are limitless. If a teen is cursed with a bad one, the damage is limitless, and the belittling can cause scars that carry into other aspects of their lives and far into adulthood. Breath Like Water explores the two different types of coaches. Many times, parents are never fully aware of the harmful things coaches say to their kids. Books such as Breath Like Water will help many young adults realize it's not just them being verbally abused and bullied by their coaches. This happens to a lot of people. They're not alone, and they can rise above it.

"Dave has been my coach for nearly ten years. He knows exactly what knives cut the deepest, and he keeps them nice and sharp at all times."

My only criticism of this story: I wanted Susannah to be more inquisitive around Harry sooner. I wanted her to care enough about him to ask him questions and probe into his life. This aspect pulled me from the story, aware that the author was making me wait for the information.

Nonetheless, I loved this book so much! Jarzab's storytelling was captivating, and her writing was inspiring. She made me feel emotions deeply; I cried several times (tears of joy, relief, and sadness). She made me stand taller, feeling seen for my own abilities and struggles. We are not alone. We are strong. We are capable.

"Failure is an intersection, but even though I took a detour for a while, I ended up on a better stretch of the same road." 

Breath Like Water offers hope and encouragement to anyone, any age, striving to manage their lives, overcome their circumstances, and achieve their goals. 

For those concerned with triggers, be aware that this book deals with topics of mental illness and suicide.

Some of my favorite lines from the book:

"There's no worse struggle than the one that never begins."

"How do you even begin to mourn the death of a dream?"

"A year ago, I had no idea [Harry] existed. Now, nothing seems to have really happened until I've told him about it."

"And fighting, not for the promise of a reward but simply for one's own satisfaction is the greatest glory a person can attain."

"Failure is an intersection."

"To demonstrate the skills that I'm so proud of ... I have to open myself up to the censure of the world, which will judge me according to its standards, not mine."

"I'm starting to understand the power of individual moments. The joy that can be found when you're not too distracted by the faraway horizon to appreciate the beauty of where you're standing."

"Just because a dream won't bend to your will when it's convenient doesn't mean it's not worth pursuing."


[I received an early copy of this book from the publisher for free, via Net Galley, which in no way influenced my opinion.]

Book Review: THIS IS HOW I LIED by Heather Gudenkauf

This was my first time reading a novel by Heather Gudenkauf, and I was not disappointed. Scroll down for my complete review.

This is How I Lied
by Heather Gudenkauf
Publication Date: May 12, 2020
ISBN: 978-0778388111
Publisher: Park Row


Description from the Publisher:
Gudenkauf proves herself the master of the smart, suspenseful small-town thriller that gets right under your skin.” —Gilly Macmillan, New York Times bestselling author of The Nanny

Everyone has a secret they’ll do anything to hide…

Twenty-five years ago, the body of sixteen-year-old Eve Knox was found in the caves near her home in small-town Grotto, Iowa—discovered by her best friend, Maggie, and her sister, Nola. There were a handful of suspects, including her boyfriend, Nick, but without sufficient evidence the case ultimately went cold.

For decades Maggie was haunted by Eve’s death and that horrible night. Now a detective in Grotto, and seven months pregnant, she is thrust back into the past when a new piece of evidence surfaces and the case is reopened. As Maggie investigates and reexamines the clues, secrets about what really happened begin to emerge. But someone in town knows more than they’re letting on, and they’ll stop at nothing to keep the truth buried deep.

About the Author:
Heather Gudenkauf is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Weight of Silence and Not a Sound.  Heather lives in Iowa with her family.


My Review:

This is How I Lied by Heather Gudenkauf kept me guessing until the final pages!

What is a secret you've kept to yourself your entire life, hoping no one would ever find out about? Interesting concept to ponder. And while Gudenkauf does a terrific job exploring this facet of the small-town Grotto society, I would not call this story a thriller. It is definitely a well-told mystery, but not a thriller. A mystery is designed with the crime at the beginning of (or before) the story and the narrative question is: Who committed this crime? A suspense or thriller novel usually has an impending crime, and the narrative question is: How can this be averted? Nonetheless, while it was promoted as a thriller, Gudenkauf's mystery was well-written and captivating.

The slow reveal of information kept me intrigued and glued to the pages to find out who the real killer was, and the final reveal was justified.

Admittedly, at the start of the novel, I wasn't certain if I was going to like it, because I felt distanced from the fifteen-year-old character, Eve, and even had to check to see if this novel was written for the young adult audience or an adult audience. (It is written for an adult audience.) I assume Gudenkauf wrote the opening the way she did to avoid revealing the gender of the killer, but it was clunky and I almost stopped reading. Throughout the novel, anytime the story was from Eve's point-of-view, I had to work to stick with the story.

I'm glad I kept reading.

The rest of the book was fascinating. The different points of view, the non-linear timeline, and the multiple formats of storytelling (utilizing transcripts from therapy sessions) kept me engaged and curious to find out what was going to happen next.

I do wish there had been a content warning, because I usually choose to avoid any books involving childhood sexual abuse of any sort. Gudenkauf dealt with it at the surface level, never delving too deeply. So I was able to handle it, but consider yourself warned. There are topics of sexual assault, domestic violence, pedophilia ... in addition to the expected violence that accompanies any mystery or thriller. 

In This is How I Lied, Gudenkauf gives the reader a well-developed cast of characters, a twisty plot, and a satisfying ending!

I look forward to reading more books by Gudenkauf!


Some of my favorite lines from the story included:

"I'm used to toting around a sidearm, not an infant."

"Plastic garbage bags stuffed with random items filled corners, their black mouths gaping open as if vomiting mildewed clothing, board games, and VCR tapes."

"The orchard fills both sides of a lush valley and I love walking the rows of apple, fir, spruce and pine trees. Each row has its unique scent--sharp, sweet, woody. I've always imagined our children playing beneath the trees trying to catch the falling delicate pink-and-while apple blossoms that cling to their hair like confetti."

"If you don't understand how things die, how can you understand how they live?"


[I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influenced my opinion.]

Insecure Writer's Support Group: Writing Rituals

Have you visited the Insecure Writer's Support Group website recently? Rated one of the top websites for writers, you will find tons of invaluable information there. Check it out: www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com . . . and while there, be sure to sign up and join the group.

www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/p/iwsg-sign-up.html

May's Question: Do you have any rituals that you use when you need help getting into the ZONE?

My Answer: Yes! Music. With each manuscript, I choose at least one song that represents the mood and energy of the story. Sometimes, I create a playlist of multiple songs. I listen to it to set the right tone and focus my mind. Other times, I will listen to high energy music and dance around the room with my dog to vitalize my mind. And other times, I'll listen to instrumental music while typing to help my mind zero in on the words and flow of sentences. Music is a huge resource for me.


What about you? Do you have writing rituals?

Book Review: THE SEVENTH POWER by Kevin Hancock

I love the topic of leadership, and as a fan of nonfiction books, I jumped at the opportunity to read THE SEVENTH POWER by Kevin Hancock. Scroll down for my complete review.

The Seventh Power
by Kevin Hancock
Publication Date: February 25, 2020
ISBN: 978-1642934069
Publisher: Post Hill Press


Description from the Publisher:
A corporate executive loses his voice and discovers a new pathway to organizational excellence built on the premise of dispersed power and shared leadership.

“Kevin Hancock’s personal journey holds universal messages for people at all levels of business and community. The Seventh Power’s new, more inclusive approach to leadership and management will give you important insights into your life, your career, and your company.” —Chip Conley, Hospitality Entrepreneur and Bestselling Author

“Many business books have discussed management, innovation, culture, and how to be great, but none grab you like Kevin Hancock's The Seventh Power: A CEO’s Journey into Shared Leadership. One has to admire what Kevin has accomplished after experiencing a serious speech impediment. Kevin takes what most of us would be an insurmountable challenge and uses it as a learning tool to make himself, those around him, and his company better. The Seventh Power is not only a good read, it's a must read for all aspiring leaders and even those of us who have been around a while. It's never too late to learn!” —Rick Holley, Chairman of the Board, Weyerhaeuser Company

“From his home in Maine to Navajo and Lakota communities in the West to Ukraine, Kevin Hancock takes the reader on a personal journey of more than 15,000 miles in which he learns to listen and empower people. The Seventh Power is an exploration of a new model of leadership in which individual voices are heard and the human spirit is celebrated. The principles that Kevin puts to work in his 171-year-old family business offer an enlightened way forward for all institutions.” —U.S. Senator Susan Collins

About the Author:
Kevin Hancock is the President of Hancock Lumber Company. Established in 1848, Hancock Lumber operates ten retail stores and three sawmills that are led by 460 employees. The company also grows trees on 12,000 acres of timberland in Southern Maine.

Hancock Lumber is a multi-year recipient of the ‘Best Places to Work in Maine’ award. The company is also a past recipient of the Maine Family Business of the Year Award, the Governor’s Award for Business Excellence, and the MITC ‘Exporter of the Year’ award.

Kevin is a past chairman of the National Lumber and Building Materials Dealers Association as well as the Bridgton Academy Board of Trustees. Kevin is a recipient of the Ed Muskie ‘Access to Justice’ Award, the Habitat For Humanity ‘Spirit of Humanity’ Award, the Boy Scouts of America ‘Distinguished Citizen’ Award, and Timber Processing Magazine’s ‘Man of the Year’ Award. Kevin also spent 20 years coaching middle school basketball for the Lake Region school district.

Kevin is a graduate of Lake Region High School and Bowdoin College. He is also a frequent visitor to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. In 2015, Kevin published a book about his experiences with the Oglala Sioux Tribe titled, Not For Sale: Finding Center in the Land of Crazy Horse. The book won the 2015 National Indie Excellence Award, first place in leadership and runner-up in the spirituality category.

Kevin is an advocate of strengthening the voices of all individuals—within a company or a community such as Pine Ridge—through listening, empowering, and shared leadership.


My Review:

I LOVE IT!!!

In case you'd like a more in-depth review, read on . . .

Whenever I pick up a nonfiction book, I have a process: 
* I open to the Table of Contents and scan through the sections and chapter headings to determine if the book is organized and logical.
* I flip through the pages to see if the layout is easy to navigate and diagrams are easy to understand.
* Then I read the book.

The Table of Contents in The Seventh Power contain simple chapter headings, but they are thought provoking, making me curious to read more. The diagrams, also, are simple and easy to read. In addition to the diagrams, there are pictures at the back of the book that allow the reader to see the significant real-life players of the book.

The layout looks more like a novel or memoir than a leadership book, but after reading the book, I discovered that's because it is narrative nonfiction. Much of it is memoir based, taking from the author's personal search for self-actualization and interviews he conducted with various people around the country and world.

But make no mistake . . .

Kevin Hancock skillfully threads leadership lessons throughout the entire narrative of The Seventh Power.

Some leadership books allow the reader to just jump around from topic to topic, but these chapters need to be read in order to fully grasp the lessons being shared within the pages. The concepts being taught build sequentially upon each other.

Overall, while I love this book and highly recommend it to everyone, there are elements I disagree with, and there are sections that were too heavy handed and/or wordy. For example, on page 109, the value of therapists is questioned. I believe skilled therapists help people find themselves and improve their lives every day. Another example, in the beginning as well as the epilogue of the book, Hancock tries too hard to force his "spiritual" perspective on the reader. The main chapters of the book teach great leadership principles - so don't be distracted by the spiritual concepts (if that's not your cup of tea). However, part of me is glad he included those passages because I always enjoy exploring ideas "outside my lane," but they distract from the body of the book and make it feel as if there are two books/concepts forced into one. 

The Seventh Power would be a great reading selection to be discussed at a business retreat or a book club.

"The five big social institutions (family, school, place of worship, place of work, and government) are lagging behind the individual aspirations of their members. Around the globe, memberships in traditional organizations are dwindling, engagement is falling, and participants are rebelling." (page 18)

Leadership styles, goals, and guidelines need to change. 

"The new goal: create a socially transformative work culture for the 21st century in which employee engagement soars because everyone feels authentically heard." (from jacket description)

Within the opening pages, Hancock suggests that everyone is a leader, but I know people who prefer being followers. And then if to respond, Hancock writes on pages 20-21, "Following has one big advantage: you don't ever have to take full responsibility--someone else can always be held accountable if things go wrong, as they often do." Hancock continues to advocate, quite convincingly, that everyone is capable of being a leader in their area of expertise.

A few of the most valuable leadership principles within the book include these ideas:
-- Leading through listening is essential.
-- Great people are everywhere.
-- In nature, power is dispersed.
-- Organizations exist to improve the lives of the people who belong to them.

Hancock offers a lot of terrific one liners to post on your desktop and remind yourself of higher thinking. Such as:
-- "Seeking is the biggest step in finding." (page 43)
-- "Proving others wrong rarely creates progress." (page 61)
-- "Moving at nature's pace has regenerative powers." (page 72)
-- "It's respect for the diversity of thought that creates unity." (page 126)
-- "The power of princes and presidents pales in comparison to what all the world's strangers can do just by being nice to each other." (page 118)
-- "Personal growth is an act of faith followed by action. (page 254)

As I got deeper into the book, I started wondering if the ideas presented are too Utopian in nature. Is it unrealistic to have wide-spread dispersed power? With all the narcissists and misogynists and sociopaths in the world, will it ever be possible to achieve Hancock's idealistic leadership model? Or will ego and pride prevent our evolution? There's no simple switch to flip. Within the book, Hancock explores groups who've had their voices taken away but what about the groups and individuals who TAKE those voices away? What happens to the dominant and aggressive personalities in the Utopia proposed by Hancock? 

Hancock seemingly answers my questions with this repeated idea: "We change the world by working on ourselves." (page 85)

Reading The Seventh Power by Kevin Hancock is certainly a major step in "changing the world by working on ourselves."

Hancock's interviews with compelling people give readers glimpses into lives foreign to their own, broadening perspectives and deepening awareness.

The Seventh Power contains seven important lessons encapsulated in seven main chapters. These lessons include:
1. GREAT PEOPLE are everywhere.
2. CULTURE makes the difference.
3. CHANGE is created first from within.
4. LOCALIZE and shrink the center.
5. LISTEN for understanding, not judgment.
6. OVERREACHING has consequences.
7. BROADEN the mission.

I highly recommend The Seventh Power by Kevin Hancock.

A few of my favorite passages:

"The problem with a preoccupation with external enemies is the opportunity cost of internal exploration. As long as there is an adversary 'out there,' we can postpone the real work of looking inward." (page 74)

"Transcending the urge to judge, fix, solve, or transform others is what actually creates the conditions for communities (or companies) to progress. When people feel heard, not judged, they relax. When people relax, they think. When people think, they grow." (page 127)

"Making the time to listen to the stories of the other side creates a new set of possibilities. Awareness and connectivity are powerful acts." (page 206)

"The challenges faced by disenfranchised communities, in my view, are exacerbated by people staying in their lane and not engaging humanity more broadly." (page 223)


[I received a free copy of this book from FSB Associates in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influenced my opinion.]