by Bryan Mooney ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 19, 2014
A jolly portrait of the perfect New England Christmas.
In this latest offering from novelist Mooney (A Box of Chocolates, 2014, etc.), miracle upon Christmas miracle visits the small town of Woodstock, Vermont. Jack Reynolds, a native son returning home for the season, is an Iraq War veteran mourning his MIA brother and struggling with his needy, big-city girlfriend. Hope Caldwell, meanwhile, is a schoolteacher with a new job in Woodstock, where she has come to sort out the broken pieces of her past. Soon, the two team up to spread Christmas magic throughout the town, beginning by delivering a batch of misplaced Christmas cards from the year before. Serendipitous coincidences and holiday clichés abound: Every card happens to hold monumentally good news for its recipient, and between them, Jack and Hope carry out just about every good deed imaginable, from preventing a suicide to rescuing a doomed puppy. The story is so thoroughly saccharine that a happy ending seems predestined from the start, and any attempts at narrative conflict—the trouble caused by Jack’s insufferable girlfriend, for example—feel too manufactured to generate much suspense. Similarly, the writing often strays into triteness, especially in the voices of down-home characters. In one instance, Jack smiles and thinks to himself: “That’s the way it is in Vermont, neighbors helping neighbors.” The novel is staunchly nostalgic throughout, painting a simplistic picture of a storybook town where nothing ever changes and all wrongs are righted by the wonders of a traditional New England Christmas. Mooney succeeds, however, in conjuring a vivid sense of a town at its most joyful, and his captivating descriptions of Woodstock and its celebrations are a notable strength. Additionally, the realistic, nuanced depictions of veterans and their struggles provide the story with some much-needed gravity. While lacking in overall narrative depth and character development, the book remains a charming glimpse into an idyllic winter wonderland, which will likely please readers looking for a feel-good holiday escape.
Pretty as freshly fallen snow, and just as fluffy.
Pub Date: May 19, 2014
ISBN: 978-1494808839
Page Count: 204
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: Sept. 22, 2014
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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by Bryan Mooney
by Marc Brackett ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 3, 2019
An intriguing approach to identifying and relating to one’s emotions.
An analysis of our emotions and the skills required to understand them.
We all have emotions, but how many of us have the vocabulary to accurately describe our experiences or to understand how our emotions affect the way we act? In this guide to help readers with their emotions, Brackett, the founding director of Yale University’s Center for Emotional Intelligence, presents a five-step method he calls R.U.L.E.R.: We need to recognize our emotions, understand what has caused them, be able to label them with precise terms and descriptions, know how to safely and effectively express them, and be able to regulate them in productive ways. The author walks readers through each step and provides an intriguing tool to use to help identify a specific emotion. Brackett introduces a four-square grid called a Mood Meter, which allows one to define where an emotion falls based on pleasantness and energy. He also uses four colors for each quadrant: yellow for high pleasantness and high energy, red for low pleasantness and high energy, green for high pleasantness and low energy, and blue for low pleasantness and low energy. The idea is to identify where an emotion lies in this grid in order to put the R.U.L.E.R. method to good use. The author’s research is wide-ranging, and his interweaving of his personal story with the data helps make the book less academic and more accessible to general readers. It’s particularly useful for parents and teachers who want to help children learn to handle difficult emotions so that they can thrive rather than be overwhelmed by them. The author’s system will also find use in the workplace. “Emotions are the most powerful force inside the workplace—as they are in every human endeavor,” writes Brackett. “They influence everything from leadership effectiveness to building and maintaining complex relationships, from innovation to customer relations.”
An intriguing approach to identifying and relating to one’s emotions.Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-250-21284-9
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Celadon Books
Review Posted Online: June 22, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2019
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by Jancee Dunn ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 21, 2017
A highly readable account of how solid research and personal testing of self-help techniques saved a couple's marriage after...
Self-help advice and personal reflections on avoiding spousal fights while raising children.
Before her daughter was born, bestselling author Dunn (Why Is My Mother Getting a Tattoo?: And Other Questions I Wish I Never Had to Ask, 2009, etc.) enjoyed steady work and a happy marriage. However, once she became a mother, there never seemed to be enough time, sleep, and especially help from her husband. Little irritations became monumental obstacles between them, which led to major battles. Consequently, they turned to expensive couples' therapy to help them regain some peace in life. In a combination of memoir and advice that can be found in most couples' therapy self-help books, Dunn provides an inside look at her own vexing issues and the solutions she and her husband used to prevent them from appearing in divorce court. They struggled with age-old battles fought between men and women—e.g., frequency of sex, who does more housework, who should get up with the child in the middle of the night, why women need to have a clean house, why men need more alone time, and many more. What Dunn learned via therapy, talks with other parents, and research was that there is no perfect solution to the many dynamics that surface once couples become parents. But by using time-tested techniques, she and her husband learned to listen, show empathy, and adjust so that their former status as a happy couple could safely and peacefully morph into a happy family. Readers familiar with Dunn's honest and humorous writing will appreciate the behind-the-scenes look at her own semi-messy family life, and those who need guidance through the rough spots can glean advice while being entertained—all without spending lots of money on couples’ therapy.
A highly readable account of how solid research and personal testing of self-help techniques saved a couple's marriage after the birth of their child.Pub Date: March 21, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-316-26710-6
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Jan. 17, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2017
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by Jancee Dunn ; illustrated by Scott Nash
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by Jancee Dunn ; illustrated by Scott Nash
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by Cyndi Lauper with Jancee Dunn
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