Publisher's Synopsis
"Your book," she said in her completely honest and unfiltered style, "is not book club material."
So begins Aaron Zevy's new story collection, Not Book Club Material. Stories, memoirs and vignettes which are funny, often poignant, and sometimes thought provoking.
And while Aaron Zevy's new book "Not Book Club Material" may not fit with the traditional book club offerings, you will be hard pressed to find a more amusing, self-deprecating narrator, eccentric cast of characters, or surreal, meta tales that blur the line between fact and fiction, for your book club.
Even if you are the only member.
Praise for Not Book Club Material...
From Publishers Weekly"Wry, self-deprecating humor is the highlight of this delightful collection of drawn-from-life short fictions,
With prose and a warm, incisive comic spirit reminiscent of the likes of Arthur Bradford or Ruskin Bond, Zevy's vivid vignettes find inspiration in people the author meets...But behind these quotidian happenings and their hilarious descriptions, these stories also gently illuminate human foibles and follies. "The language is casual and engaging, with the inviting feeling of being in the company of close friends, after a good meal, relishing a well-told anecdote. This highly enjoyable collection will not only capture readers' hearts with its humor, it will also leave them feeling more charitable and magnanimous towards this world, which Zevy makes seem a touch brighter... "These comic vignettes, drawn from life, create the feeling of being regaled with a friend's best anecdotes." From Kirkus Reviews:
"He's at his best proving that the extraordinary exists within the ordinary. Readers will be drawn into these largely brief vignettes, and the line of demarcation between the real and the imagined will cease to matter. In fact, the audience will learn to embrace the messy mixture. (...) "All the stories have the tenor of an intimate confidence-minor events are recounted in an informally anecdotal style brimful of lighthearted insights. This is a companionably diverting selection of stories, vibrantly humorous and thoughtfully perspicacious. Those in search of an easy but still engaging work will enjoy these offerings." Starred Review from Blue Ink Reviews:
"The laugh-out-loud quality of his work makes fact or fiction irrelevant... His writing has a staccato-like quality... moving the story quickly along and making reading a delight... Like a good comedian, he always delivers... From Diane Donovan, California Bookwatch:
"...A rollicking ride through a life that introduces (and quickly answers) the question of what makes a good book club read and that book clubs... above all, enjoy vivid, thought-provoking material. ...Here lies bright, sparkling jewels of insight and experience in fun mix of reality and fantasy that features a host of characters and dilemmas and more than light references to food... "Jewish, literary, and general-interest humor and memoir readers who delight in stories of food and family will all find Not Book Club Material a major attraction. And, yes, book clubs interested in any of these subjects should put it high on their reading lists. Praise for The Bubbe Meise and Other Stories... Starred Review from Blue Ink Review: "With the ease of a practiced storyteller and an outrageously droll sense of humor, Aaron Zevy, presents an anthology of rollicking personal essays and fictional short stories in his latest offering... "Zevy's self-deprecating humor makes him an irresistible character. His easy-going prose and fast-paced, sitcom-style conversations create laugh-out-loud and sometimes poignant moments. ...Zevy's facile comic ability will appeal to anyone willing to find humor in the human condition."
