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Non Friction
After 12 years, 4 months and 1 and 1/2 weeks of marriage, his wife packs up and leaves with their daughter. So he writes an Indie novel. And it becomes a bestseller. Well, sort of.
His fame brings him the lifestyle of a rockstar, and he has the fan mail (i.e. female undergarments, probably clean) to prove it.
But seeing his fame, his wife suddenly believes in marriage counseling. Their homework: to create something beautiful for each other.
So he writes Our Story, his literary secret-weapon that will win his wife back. But in the process he discovers that true love is more than just ticking the right boxes on a checklist..
His fame brings him the lifestyle of a rockstar, and he has the fan mail (i.e. female undergarments, probably clean) to prove it.
But seeing his fame, his wife suddenly believes in marriage counseling. Their homework: to create something beautiful for each other.
So he writes Our Story, his literary secret-weapon that will win his wife back. But in the process he discovers that true love is more than just ticking the right boxes on a checklist..
276 pages, ebook
First published November 1, 2013
38 people are currently reading
873 people want to read
About the author
Morgan Parker
13 books305 followersMorgan Parker is the pen name for a shy and introverted former banker. Given the nature of his former career and his unique childhood upbringing in a trendy, white-collar town West of Toronto, Mr. Parker made up plenty of stories to stay employed and to avoid the responsibilities of adulthood. His novels are a product of those stories.
Mr. Parker believes that all great novels involve realistic characters, motives and love stories. He tries (really hard) to emulate his favorite authors while writing his own novels. He stresses that all of his tales and characters are fictional in nature and welcomes all kinds of feedback, even the worst kind, so that he might continue to develop and grow as an author.
When Mr. Parker isn't writing, he likes to read and watch movies. As a serial napper, he has been known to convert corporate prayer rooms and quiet areas into common siesta zones. He believes in hibernation.
Mr. Parker believes that all great novels involve realistic characters, motives and love stories. He tries (really hard) to emulate his favorite authors while writing his own novels. He stresses that all of his tales and characters are fictional in nature and welcomes all kinds of feedback, even the worst kind, so that he might continue to develop and grow as an author.
When Mr. Parker isn't writing, he likes to read and watch movies. As a serial napper, he has been known to convert corporate prayer rooms and quiet areas into common siesta zones. He believes in hibernation.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 98 reviews
November 20, 2013
This review has me smiling, chuckling actually!
I stumbled upon Morgan Parker over a year ago when I read his books Textual Encounters 1 and 2. Yes I said HIS, Morgan is a man, or so he leads me to believe! These books were so original, they told of a romance where all communication was in the form of text messages. I loved the idea as I’m a bit of a text freak myself and could relate very easily. Yeah thr al in txt spk n I lvd evry LOL, BRB, LMAO ROFL minute of them (see what I did there?) Anyway I was chatting with my lovely friend Nikki from Blissful Book blog and she mentioned his recent book and how she enjoyed it (check out her review on her blog) so I had to take a look, and I am so very glad I did!
Once again Morgan steps over the line and does something quite different, I have to admire his bravery in doing something out of the norm, it takes guts to do that and I personally applaude him for doing so. Morgan Parker writes a book about Morgan Barker who wrote a book called Sextual Encounters.. Confused? Don’t be, this was pure genius, and a little bit strange, but oh so funny. After reading a few pages I was so pleased I did my regular pelvic floor sexcercises. I.Do.Not.Lie. I mean I’m no spring chicken but I’m not that old and I was struggling not to pee in my knickers (if I was wearing any, but that’s another story)
SO…This is a romantic comedy, with a touch of sadness, poor Morgan goes through a lot. He’s attending marriage counselling in the hope of winning his wife back, but she’s the biggest pain in the arse bitch I know and I personally wanted to smash her face in for being so cruel. BUT…. I loved her character, she was so damn funny and quick witted, I know that doesn’t make sense but hey ho when you read it you’ll know what I mean. It’s told in his POV and there wasn’t a page went by where I wasn’t laughing at his thoughts and ideas and I honestly was thinking what a burke this bloke was!! He was so naive and had the worst ideas known to mankind but this was so very much part of the fun. There was a scene where he got into an altercation with a famous author at an event, well this made me belly laugh, I wanna know who said author was, sorry but I’m just nosey like that. I was also really praying for Morgan to get laid, his balls were so blue they almost looked smurf like (in my head obviously)
His daughter Evelyn was a super addition to the story, their father daughter relationship was hilarious, I found myself very fond of the times they shared together. I’d love to see more of Evelyn as a teenager maybe, are you listening Morgan? She was a carbon~copy of both her mother and father so I’d really enjoy hearing more about Evelyn.
I never like to tell the whole storyline at length in a review, that’s for you to find out and I’d hate to spoil it, so my brief synopsis is like this.
This is a great funny read but it’s not just fun, its about a forbidden romance, a marriage drifting apart and how all parties deal with the consequences. Therefore there were a lot of emotional points throughout the book, but the beauty of it for me was how Morgan took those emotional lows and made them highs through his pure comedy genius. Non Fric.tion was a refreshing change for me, it took me out of my box and I love it when that happens. I only wish I’d been lying on a sun lounger, cocktail in one hand, kindle in the other, chuckling away to myself. I could have just jumped in the pool after every chapter and not needed a change of knickers. Perfect holiday read. If someone has the ability to put a smile on my face and make me laugh then I will absolutely adore them for doing so forever. I have to say I bloody adore Morgan Parker and Morgan Barker, they both share my unusual sense of humour and I’m so pleased to have met them both. If you need comparisons I think maybe this has a Tangled feel to it. Or Derek Hudson’s Unholy Romance (another favourite male author of mine) but in all honesty Morgan is just unique in what he does, he’s hard to compare with, so check it out for yourself and come to your own conclusions.
P.S The symbol on his cover will make sense once you start reading } i {
4 Knicker wetting stars
Thanks to Morgan Parker for gifting the book for an honest review
January 2, 2014
It takes a lot of balls to name the main character after yourself (or at least the author’s pen name), but this is exactly what Morgan Parker has done in Non Friction. It’s hard to know where Morgan the writer (author!) ends and Morgan the character begins, since I don’t know much about the man. Here’s what I do know – Morgan is an accountant (the author is a banker) who has written a best selling novel on Amazon (with almost the same title as the author’s first book). The story begins as Morgan is reeling from his wife of twelve years leaving out of the blue, taking their daughter with her. For some reason, she takes a break from being the biggest runt (only start that with a C) in the northern hemisphere to suggest they undertake marriage counseling and Morgan agrees. In the course of therapy, the wife, or Princess Bitch as he calls her on good days (Princess Whore on bad ones) makes a comic book featuring pictures of Morgan (which I would LOVE to see the rest of the issues!) and Morgan writes a love story with the goal of winning her back. At the same time, he begins a long distance text affair with a fellow writer named Emma who is also married, though unhappily.
I’m a little new to the male perspective in this genre and it was refreshing to see the way Morgan’s brain reduced almost everything into terms of sex and how his actions might or might not get him laid. It would’ve been far easier to cast him into the usual role of the tragic hero, abandoned, seeking true love to be pitied and/or sighed over. While Morgan is those things in his own way, his actions are so flawed, that he’s almost an anti-hero at some points and you just want to thwack him for being so stupid. In fact, I loved that Morgan – the author – was brave enough to portray Morgan – the character – with so many flaws.
Still with me? Shiny. There are three things that utterly redeem him as a character for me though, his sense of humor, his willingness to fight for love even when he’s not entirely sure true love exists, and his relationship with his daughter. As a parent, the ups and downs with the little girl ring true from the clingy dependence while sick to the sympathetic cuddles when he’s at his low point. Those moments coupled with Morgan’s cutting tongue made this book for me, and made me want to see him find his happily ever after.
The characters felt like real people I know and love, or at least love to hate. I have never wanted to hit a woman more than I wanted to smack Princess Whore upside the head, so he must be doing something right. While I’m glad he resolved things the way he did for Morgan’s sake, I still wouldn’t have minded seeing her wake up with an infestation of boils just for shits and giggles.
I won’t give the ending away, but instead of being formulaic and ending with rainbows and flowers and the redemption of either of the women in his life, Morgan gives us secret option number three for the final act which is just as satisfying in its own way. If you enjoy snarky humor and the occasional burst of beauty, give this one a read.
I’m a little new to the male perspective in this genre and it was refreshing to see the way Morgan’s brain reduced almost everything into terms of sex and how his actions might or might not get him laid. It would’ve been far easier to cast him into the usual role of the tragic hero, abandoned, seeking true love to be pitied and/or sighed over. While Morgan is those things in his own way, his actions are so flawed, that he’s almost an anti-hero at some points and you just want to thwack him for being so stupid. In fact, I loved that Morgan – the author – was brave enough to portray Morgan – the character – with so many flaws.
Still with me? Shiny. There are three things that utterly redeem him as a character for me though, his sense of humor, his willingness to fight for love even when he’s not entirely sure true love exists, and his relationship with his daughter. As a parent, the ups and downs with the little girl ring true from the clingy dependence while sick to the sympathetic cuddles when he’s at his low point. Those moments coupled with Morgan’s cutting tongue made this book for me, and made me want to see him find his happily ever after.
The characters felt like real people I know and love, or at least love to hate. I have never wanted to hit a woman more than I wanted to smack Princess Whore upside the head, so he must be doing something right. While I’m glad he resolved things the way he did for Morgan’s sake, I still wouldn’t have minded seeing her wake up with an infestation of boils just for shits and giggles.
I won’t give the ending away, but instead of being formulaic and ending with rainbows and flowers and the redemption of either of the women in his life, Morgan gives us secret option number three for the final act which is just as satisfying in its own way. If you enjoy snarky humor and the occasional burst of beauty, give this one a read.
April 7, 2014
THIS IS MY OPINION !
Okay, I do not think this is a romance novel. I see that it is categorized as such. But I just couldn't see it.
I have like 5 pages of notes on this book .. not good ones.
Overall, it just wasn't for me.
Morgan, our MC. He is a complete pushover, but hilarious.
Morgan and his wife are splitting. -ThankGod-
The way he calls his wife "princess" constantly. I wanted to slap him. OMG ! It frustrated me. This woman is an EVIL B*TCH !
All of the name calling and berating in front of their 4 year old daughter, you think would have made him lose hope, but nope. Not Morgan.
He keeps coming back for more. He obviously loves being tortured.
She was already in bed with another man and treated Morgan like complete and utter shat ! I just couldn't believe how stupid he was acting. Practically begging her back.
This woman could stand next to Satan and still look good, seriously.
It amazes me how much someone will hold onto such a bad thing. There was no love there. It was like, he got married and that idea of "perfect" was so strong, of being needed, feeling important and loved, that he would do anything to keep it, even being treated like a piece of shat. That is just completely bonkers to me. I couldn't relate. From the beginning, I would have walked out. I could in no way have put up with that much belittlement.
When you have to work that hard to make someone love you and treat you with respect, it is hopeless. Clear as day.
You can not make someone love you. Our MC obviously didn't know this.
Moving on..
I think the story concept was great. The execution? Not so much, unfortunately. I think a little more self discovery for all that Morgan had been through, would have been great. Characterization just wasn't there. We didn't get inside Morgan's heart enough to see his true feelings. I needed more of that.
I think the Author put in too much funny and not enough feelings. It seemed like he tried to hard to be overly funny, or that is how it came across to me. It got a little annoying after a while.
Enter Emma. Morgan met her online after his book got "big." -Which it didn't-
I didn't feel any connection between them at all. I had no idea it was even going in that direction. Then BAM. All of a sudden it starts suggesting just that. When Emma and Morgan were together, it felt really awkward. He says he wants to "do her" too many times to count, which was really creepy btw. The way he talked made him sound like a creepy old dude trying to hit on a young hottie. Funny, but not romantic. Emma acted like a friend to him, punching him and laughing at him. I didn't see how he thought she wanted to do him. It was not there.
Emma seems to "brother" him. Like he was a teenage boy with a crush and she wanted nothing to do with it, but thought it was cute. That is exactly how she treated him. No relationship at all. It was like she took pity on him and hung out/helped him.
At an Author Event, that she tells him about and sets up for him, they stay in the same Hotel. Emma won't even tell Morgan what room she is staying in. Even though they have been talking for a while and have hung out, she still treats him like a creeper. That is how I took it anyway, by her actions. It was really awkward. More times than not, it seemed like he freaked her out.
By 50% I still don't know hardly anything about Emma at all. There is no depth there. Only what is on the surface.
I have no idea why Morgan claims he loves her. LOL I'm hoping it was a joke, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't.
"Yes, even though it took me more than 75% of the way through this story to admit it, I absolutely loved Emma, every last ounce of her."
They barely even know one another. It was out of left field. He knew she was married and had a family that lived far away. That was it. He knew NOTHING about her. This book was just too weird for me. Love is different for everyone I guess. So I don't know if my opinion is really justified, but how can you love someone when you only know 2 things about them and have only spent a handful of times with them, at that. I don't see how it was possible. Lust, of course. But these two are seasoned vets in the marriage department. They know, or should know, what love is right? There was just no way I could believe it. Nothing was shown to me in their defense. Maybe some character depth would have changed my mind. I don't know.
Emma goes around with Morgan, even though she is married, and says she can't have sexual relations because she is taken already.
WHAT !?
In my eyes flying to another state to be with a man is cheating. So why not go all the way. You have been cheating this whole time. Everyone is different, I guess. Lol
Okay. This review sucks. Lol I tried at least.
I don't think this was a Romance whatsoever. I think it was a mans journey through the motions after his wife left him. Mainly his encounter with a messed up woman, named Emma. I don't think either of them really loved one another.
Had this been fleshed out a little more, I might have believed in it. But I just couldn't get there.
January 3, 2014
Oh, Mr. Parker -- you naughty, naughty boy you!
First off let me say that I didn't expect to enjoy this book as much as I did. I was pleasantly surprised, to say the least! One night I was just laying in my bed thinking of all the things I could be doing if I got up out of bed, but of course being it was 2 am, there was no way it was a good idea to get up and wake up the whole entourage. I flipped through my phone (see, this was before I got my glorious Kindle, that I am now officially in love with and committed to) and remembered I had gotten this book to do a review. I decided to dive into it... then proceeded to stay up ALL night finishing it.
I was actually quite duped at first, and believed this whole book was a true story that really went down, since there's many "truths" among the "lies", or shall was say "fiction"? I love the nicknames given, and the sheer sarcasm that oozes through. I was able to picture everyone and everything, which at times was even more hilarious in my head after reading, if that's possible. The story seems SO true, and I still can't believe it's a work of "fiction". I also love that Mr. Parker not only alludes to his first novel Textual Encounters, but includes visuals throughout the book. The alphabet will never be the same again...
The book is well written and flows quite smoothly. I actually purchased Textual Encounters after reading this, and that one didn't grip me quite the way Non Friction did. It was interesting, and the concept unique, and I'd probably have loved it if I read it first, but since I read Non Friction first, I was able to see where Morgan Parker REALLY shines and fell in love with his writing there. It's different reading a story like this written by a guy, but knowing his emotions as turmoil was going down, made it all the better. I really, thoroughly enjoyed this one!
If you're looking for a sappy romance novel, this definitely is NOT the book for you, but if you're wanting to laugh, and think that this could be a totally believable situation, then you're heading in the right direction with this one!
Let your }i{ LOL!
my }i{ gives this 4 stars for humor, wit, sarcasm, and stay up all nightedness ;)
February 10, 2014
I received a copy of the book for an honest review.
This book is categorized as a romance novel, which I don’t understand, because it’s not very romantic and better described as a “family life comedy”. Having said that, I enjoyed the story. It’s funny, irreverent and unique, and I boy did I feel bad for Morgan!
His wife hates him, his new fantasy love is married and mercilessly teases him, and he’s broke. He tries to do the right thing for all the wrong reasons, and although he refers to his wife as Princess Bitch and Princess Whore and he’s disgusted by his daughter’s puke, he’s a nice guy and simply trying to navigate a nasty divorce and come to terms with his own failings.
I loved Morgan’s honesty, especially when it involved his desperate need to get laid, and like a lot of guys (not judging!), he would do and say anything to get some action, and I couldn’t help but root for him.
Entertaining, quick read!
This book is categorized as a romance novel, which I don’t understand, because it’s not very romantic and better described as a “family life comedy”. Having said that, I enjoyed the story. It’s funny, irreverent and unique, and I boy did I feel bad for Morgan!
His wife hates him, his new fantasy love is married and mercilessly teases him, and he’s broke. He tries to do the right thing for all the wrong reasons, and although he refers to his wife as Princess Bitch and Princess Whore and he’s disgusted by his daughter’s puke, he’s a nice guy and simply trying to navigate a nasty divorce and come to terms with his own failings.
I loved Morgan’s honesty, especially when it involved his desperate need to get laid, and like a lot of guys (not judging!), he would do and say anything to get some action, and I couldn’t help but root for him.
Entertaining, quick read!
February 6, 2014
Non Fric.tion is an inspirational tale of one man trying to make the best out of a bad situation. The premise focuses strongly on a love gone wrong while trying to put something that was once special back together, when the broken pieces no longer fit. The undercurrent theme is poignant and very real, yet Morgan Parker has injected bouts of honest hilarity that will have you waving your girlie fan-pants and congratulating him on a job well done!
I’ve never picked up a rom-com written by a male author before, and I was a little apprehensive. I’m not prejudice at all (just wanted to clear that up), it just never transpired. My TBR is laden with contemporary romance and with this specific marketplace saturated by the ‘female’ writer population, it just never happened… until now.
Non Fric.tion came highly recommended to me by a fellow blogger friend. She knows the author well and bullied him into gifting me a copy via Amazon. I was quite surprised that he heeded the call of ‘Kelsey the Great’ (http://kelseyskornerblog.com/) when my inbox pinged to tell me that Mr Morgan Parker, 'brilliant' author of Textual Encounters had indeed sent me a little present. ;)
This story follows Morgan Barker, an accountant who loses it all when his wife of 12 years leaves him, taking their young Daughter with her. He is left angry, confused and terribly wounded. With too many sick days under his belt, his boss lets him go, only then to come under pressure from Jennifer ‘aka’ Princess Bitch to sell the house so she can get her 50% cut. Bored of accountancy and pissed off with life’s little detour, he takes it upon himself to try something different – thinking outside the box, he decides to write a book titled Sextual Encounters (yes…very clever Mr Parker!!)
With Indie success comes fan mail in form of xs panties (clean), and nudie picture messages from one obsessive fan named Emma (enter new ‘potential’ love interest here and incorrigible prick tease).
Emma is pretty, smart, a fellow writer and unfortunately, married to a dead beat. This doesn't deter Morgan; hes got a serious case of the blue-balls and feels Emma could be just the thing he needs, although she thwarts his advances due to her ‘marital status’ and decides it best to remain ‘pen-pals.’ I don’t believe I’m in the minority here when I say that Emma drove me to distraction. I wanted to punch her in the vagina for pulling our main protagonist around by his dick… sorry, just sayin.’
With newfound success, Princess Bitch decides they should try Marriage counselling. This exercise, albeit hostile gives birth to a new idea… a story of love, second-chances, loss and heartbreak, aptly titled: Our Story.
In the process of writing his new literary masterpiece, the arduous journey of irrevocable love between Oliver and Olivia start to entangle into his everyday life, making him question the notion of real-love and what it really means to have something pure and undeniable, as he views his life and what is lost, in a whole new light…
*
What I loved about this book is that Morgan Parker has taken a very real theme that many can relate to, and run it concurrently parallel to a fictitious tale, giving the impression of a story within a story. The premise is intelligent and executed flawlessly. I love delving into the male psyche, and I appreciated the fact that our main character is flawed to the point of being a real dork at times. Morgan Barker felt real and not a figment of imagination and that worked for me.
Non Fic.tion reads like an autobiography and I had to pinch myself now and then to remind myself that this is, in-fact, a ‘brilliant’ work of fiction that is refreshing and new. A large majority of this book is highlighted on my kindle with one scene in particular involving 'the twit' that had me waking up my Husband at 1am as I lay in bed beside him laughing my arse off!
Take a chance on this one as I don’t think you will be disappointed. And if nothing else, you won’t be able to sing ‘L M N O P’ anymore without thinking ‘yellow mellow pee.’ Yeah… the kid is great! :D
4-STARS
Read and Reviewed for: www.perusingprincesses.com
I’ve never picked up a rom-com written by a male author before, and I was a little apprehensive. I’m not prejudice at all (just wanted to clear that up), it just never transpired. My TBR is laden with contemporary romance and with this specific marketplace saturated by the ‘female’ writer population, it just never happened… until now.
Non Fric.tion came highly recommended to me by a fellow blogger friend. She knows the author well and bullied him into gifting me a copy via Amazon. I was quite surprised that he heeded the call of ‘Kelsey the Great’ (http://kelseyskornerblog.com/) when my inbox pinged to tell me that Mr Morgan Parker, 'brilliant' author of Textual Encounters had indeed sent me a little present. ;)
This story follows Morgan Barker, an accountant who loses it all when his wife of 12 years leaves him, taking their young Daughter with her. He is left angry, confused and terribly wounded. With too many sick days under his belt, his boss lets him go, only then to come under pressure from Jennifer ‘aka’ Princess Bitch to sell the house so she can get her 50% cut. Bored of accountancy and pissed off with life’s little detour, he takes it upon himself to try something different – thinking outside the box, he decides to write a book titled Sextual Encounters (yes…very clever Mr Parker!!)
With Indie success comes fan mail in form of xs panties (clean), and nudie picture messages from one obsessive fan named Emma (enter new ‘potential’ love interest here and incorrigible prick tease).
Emma is pretty, smart, a fellow writer and unfortunately, married to a dead beat. This doesn't deter Morgan; hes got a serious case of the blue-balls and feels Emma could be just the thing he needs, although she thwarts his advances due to her ‘marital status’ and decides it best to remain ‘pen-pals.’ I don’t believe I’m in the minority here when I say that Emma drove me to distraction. I wanted to punch her in the vagina for pulling our main protagonist around by his dick… sorry, just sayin.’
With newfound success, Princess Bitch decides they should try Marriage counselling. This exercise, albeit hostile gives birth to a new idea… a story of love, second-chances, loss and heartbreak, aptly titled: Our Story.
In the process of writing his new literary masterpiece, the arduous journey of irrevocable love between Oliver and Olivia start to entangle into his everyday life, making him question the notion of real-love and what it really means to have something pure and undeniable, as he views his life and what is lost, in a whole new light…
*
What I loved about this book is that Morgan Parker has taken a very real theme that many can relate to, and run it concurrently parallel to a fictitious tale, giving the impression of a story within a story. The premise is intelligent and executed flawlessly. I love delving into the male psyche, and I appreciated the fact that our main character is flawed to the point of being a real dork at times. Morgan Barker felt real and not a figment of imagination and that worked for me.
Non Fic.tion reads like an autobiography and I had to pinch myself now and then to remind myself that this is, in-fact, a ‘brilliant’ work of fiction that is refreshing and new. A large majority of this book is highlighted on my kindle with one scene in particular involving 'the twit' that had me waking up my Husband at 1am as I lay in bed beside him laughing my arse off!
Take a chance on this one as I don’t think you will be disappointed. And if nothing else, you won’t be able to sing ‘L M N O P’ anymore without thinking ‘yellow mellow pee.’ Yeah… the kid is great! :D
4-STARS
Read and Reviewed for: www.perusingprincesses.com
February 1, 2014
After reading this, I really had to work through getting Morgan out of my head!!!
Recently I was asked to read Non Friction by Morgan Parker. I was incredibly excited since I have read his other work—Textual Encounters 1 and 2.
Let me first say that NON FRICTION is completely different from Textual Encounters. The writing style alone makes for a very different story.
Non Friction was a humorous yet a very emotional read for me. The story delves into the inner circumstances of a failed marriage between Morgan and Jennifer aka Princess B****. And in fact really looks at what makes any relationship fail or be doomed before they ever begin.
The humor in Non Friction cannot be overlooked or dismissed as merely random—at least in my opinion. Parker had me in laugh out loud, snort in public, oh my heck this woman must be mad kind of laughter. Maybe I’m reading too much into the humor but there were aspects of it, that given the circumstances, one would have to use to get through the difficult moments or, what I think to be more the case, look at the circumstances as things that are seemingly simple to repair or communicate but many find themselves unable to exhibit or execute such tasks. It’s the little things that drive the big things. Ok, enough of me trying to be overly profound or zen like.
There was one point in the story where the male m/c Morgan has a dream. I’m not even sure if I understood it to its fullest, yet it was so meaningful and so sad. It somehow put things in perspective for me.
The other female character—and she is not a secondary, both her and Princess B**** of equally valuable roles, Emma is that grounding character. She is the one that tidies things up or clears the tunnel to broaden your view, whether you want her to or not. She is a realist, she says it like it is but still hides behind the yearning of that fairy tale that women hold close to their heart. It was interesting to see both Jennifer and Emma in almost parallel—separately you might think they are so different but as you continue to read further into the book, you see that both of these strong women carried the same vulnerable insecurities between each other and probably most women.
Morgan Parker brings us characters that are so much like you or I yet somehow makes them extraordinary. Not in the Iron Man , Mother Theresa or Angelina Jolie way, but fortifies them with a resilience and an understanding to be human with real feelings and real emotions. Sorry there’s that zen stuff again. Blame Morgan Parker. I do.
Oh I almost forgot—the side story of Oliver and Olivia, which really spotlights many parts of the book, is beautiful and a reason to love and not give up on love.
Bottom line. Read the damn book. It’s so good and honestly I could tell you so much more but just find out for yourself. Parker writes amazeballs stories. I have said it before he is a ‘smart’ writer. This isn't your typical romance story. So please when you once click, do not go into thinking there is going to be this wishy washy broad with the broken yet damaged alpha male. This is real love with an outside looking in view. One you rarely come across these days. Non Friction is a story that helps to de-clutter and sweep out the unused portions of your brain. D 5/5
This one is definitely on my TOP 10 for 2013!!! And one of my TOP of all time.
Recently I was asked to read Non Friction by Morgan Parker. I was incredibly excited since I have read his other work—Textual Encounters 1 and 2.
Let me first say that NON FRICTION is completely different from Textual Encounters. The writing style alone makes for a very different story.
Non Friction was a humorous yet a very emotional read for me. The story delves into the inner circumstances of a failed marriage between Morgan and Jennifer aka Princess B****. And in fact really looks at what makes any relationship fail or be doomed before they ever begin.
The humor in Non Friction cannot be overlooked or dismissed as merely random—at least in my opinion. Parker had me in laugh out loud, snort in public, oh my heck this woman must be mad kind of laughter. Maybe I’m reading too much into the humor but there were aspects of it, that given the circumstances, one would have to use to get through the difficult moments or, what I think to be more the case, look at the circumstances as things that are seemingly simple to repair or communicate but many find themselves unable to exhibit or execute such tasks. It’s the little things that drive the big things. Ok, enough of me trying to be overly profound or zen like.
There was one point in the story where the male m/c Morgan has a dream. I’m not even sure if I understood it to its fullest, yet it was so meaningful and so sad. It somehow put things in perspective for me.
The other female character—and she is not a secondary, both her and Princess B**** of equally valuable roles, Emma is that grounding character. She is the one that tidies things up or clears the tunnel to broaden your view, whether you want her to or not. She is a realist, she says it like it is but still hides behind the yearning of that fairy tale that women hold close to their heart. It was interesting to see both Jennifer and Emma in almost parallel—separately you might think they are so different but as you continue to read further into the book, you see that both of these strong women carried the same vulnerable insecurities between each other and probably most women.
Morgan Parker brings us characters that are so much like you or I yet somehow makes them extraordinary. Not in the Iron Man , Mother Theresa or Angelina Jolie way, but fortifies them with a resilience and an understanding to be human with real feelings and real emotions. Sorry there’s that zen stuff again. Blame Morgan Parker. I do.
Oh I almost forgot—the side story of Oliver and Olivia, which really spotlights many parts of the book, is beautiful and a reason to love and not give up on love.
Bottom line. Read the damn book. It’s so good and honestly I could tell you so much more but just find out for yourself. Parker writes amazeballs stories. I have said it before he is a ‘smart’ writer. This isn't your typical romance story. So please when you once click, do not go into thinking there is going to be this wishy washy broad with the broken yet damaged alpha male. This is real love with an outside looking in view. One you rarely come across these days. Non Friction is a story that helps to de-clutter and sweep out the unused portions of your brain. D 5/5
This one is definitely on my TOP 10 for 2013!!! And one of my TOP of all time.
November 14, 2013
Let me tell ya folks, I haven't laughed while reading a book so much...like...EVER!! Which brings me to a surprisingly impressive element to this love triangle on steroids...the humor never quite sequesters it's tragedy.
Sometimes I felt like I was reading about high schoolers who needed a brickyard dose of maturity to see through the insanity of their decision making. And other times, I felt as if my heart were being ripped out while still beating, the sickness of their thoughts in such need of intervention, before it burst right then and there.
This book isn't heavy by any means...but it's not light either. (If I'm sounding a little bi-polar, its because that's exactly what this book is...*laughs*) It's all the crazy-ass things we think of when we're mad, and all the insane things we do when we're heartbroken...all balled up into one non-stop HILARIOUS read.
This one is worth your time because you'll feel like you read it in an hour, even if it takes you two days. It's a little crazy-eff'd up ride.
Sometimes I felt like I was reading about high schoolers who needed a brickyard dose of maturity to see through the insanity of their decision making. And other times, I felt as if my heart were being ripped out while still beating, the sickness of their thoughts in such need of intervention, before it burst right then and there.
This book isn't heavy by any means...but it's not light either. (If I'm sounding a little bi-polar, its because that's exactly what this book is...*laughs*) It's all the crazy-ass things we think of when we're mad, and all the insane things we do when we're heartbroken...all balled up into one non-stop HILARIOUS read.
This one is worth your time because you'll feel like you read it in an hour, even if it takes you two days. It's a little crazy-eff'd up ride.
December 11, 2018
I rather enjoyed this - the story, the characters, the writing style, the humor! In the book, the character Morgan is self-deprecating, realistic, funny, irreverant, and doesn't take himself to0 seriously. He's charming and quirky, insecure at times, pretty self-aware - so yeah, very real! I absolutely loved the book he was writing about Oliver and Olivia. It was so romantic and beautiful and heartwarming and heartbreaking. I absolutely abhorred the Princess Whore (his (ex????) wife). I also wasn't all that taken by Emma, but loved the interplay between Morgan and her, and how well they seemed to work within each other's orbit. I will definitely be reading more by this author!!
January 31, 2014
I was given this book as an ARC for an honest review.
This is a stand alone series.
and is the first book that I have read by Morgan.
I gave this book 5 stars.
This book will take you by surprise. First off it is written by a male and that in itself is a big deal. There are not many indie writers out there that are male. And it was great to read a story from a guys POV.
Morgan has been married for 12 years and one day his wife packs up her and her daughter Evelyn's things and moves out. She is unhappy.
Morgan doesn't see this coming, to him he was happy.
And the only way he deals with this is to write an indie book.
He does pretty good and even gets a fan that sends him her underwear to prove it.
And once his "Princess Whore" of a wife sees that he is doing well she decides that she wants to do counseling.
Morgan is confused and really doesn't know what he wants.
He does counseling with her, but is back and forth on whether he wants this to work or not.
Join him on his journey as he learns what love is really about, how life can give you one thing and you end up with another. Morgan learns who he really is and how to be really happy.
I think this is a book more about learning to deal with life's circumstances and being happy with what you do with it, than it is about love. Morgan becomes fast friends with his new fan.
Her name is Emma and she lives far away from him, but they become pen pals and she helps him sort through his mess of a life and gives him good advice.
She is in a bad marriage with a man who ignores her, but she is true to her vows and wants to stay faithful to her husband.
Morgan falls for her before he even realizes that he has.
What will happen when his life finally starts to come together ?
Will there be room for another woman in his life?
Or will Morgan finally do things on his own?
The Author did a great job at pulling me into this story. It felt like I was right there with him and it wasn't just a story he was telling it was his life. The things that happened to him, were things that could happen to any of us. The way he handles it is the same. I found myself laughing at the weird and quirky things that he does. He learns to live his life the best way he knows how and to be satisfied. And isn't that what we all want? This was not a story that took me to a far off place and said things that never could have happened. I really related to this story and felt Morgan's pain. Marriage takes two, and although I hated his Princess Whore of a wife, I get why she left. And I think in the end Morgan realizes why too. And that's what the story is all about, learning to see the mistakes you made and making sure you don't do them again.
Thank you Morgan for your wonderful story, I was so engrossed in it. I hated to see it end. But when it did. I was happy with the ending. I don't think you could have ended it any other way. I look forward to reading more from you in the future.
November 20, 2013
This was one of the best books I’ve read this year. Yes it is going in that category of mine. I loved how REAL it was. It wasn’t your regular love story. It was a book with things happening that really could happen in someone’s life. It was a wonderful story that I enjoyed reading. It was emotional, heartbreaking, and extremely funny. I found myself literally laughing out loud through some of the book and crying in others. Again let me say I LOVED it.
Morgan is a sweetheart. You can’t help but love him because of how amazing and real his character is. It’s honestly like being inside a man’s head. He has the same feelings that each of us has every day. Not to mention he is a charmer and you can’t help but fall in love with him.
I felt so bad for Morgan when the story began. He was definitely being thrown a lot of bad luck from the very start. His wife is not one of my favorite people by the way. I hated how she treated him and thought he deserved better when I was introduced to her, Jennifer.
When Morgan and Jennifer start marriage counseling, let’s just say it was very interesting. I loved that it helped both of them to see the errors they both made in their relationship. It helped them to learn to get along better for the sake of their daughter and even become friends.
I absolutely ADORED Emma. She was sweet and caring and even a little spunky. She pushed Morgan to see how wonderful he is and that he is very talented and needed to follow his dreams. I was really rooting for Emma, she was just that great. The only thing about her that drove me crazy was how she tried so hard to ignore her feelings for Morgan.
In Non-Friction you will be introduced to Olivia and Oliver. Let me tell you I loved and adored their story. I mean I really got into them and what was going on with them, it was touching. I wouldn’t mind reading more about them. I was just drawn to that part of the story as well.
The ending, well let me say it about killed me. I wanted it to go a certain way sooo very bad. Of course things never go like you want them too. I don’t want to give much away because I really think this is one of those books where the ending you should experience yourself. Because it will break your heart and have you holding your breathe, just wanting Emma and Morgan to finally be together. I could feel each of their loss and it broke my heart. Yet it will also heal your heart, but that’s all I’m giving away.
Morgan is a sweetheart. You can’t help but love him because of how amazing and real his character is. It’s honestly like being inside a man’s head. He has the same feelings that each of us has every day. Not to mention he is a charmer and you can’t help but fall in love with him.
I felt so bad for Morgan when the story began. He was definitely being thrown a lot of bad luck from the very start. His wife is not one of my favorite people by the way. I hated how she treated him and thought he deserved better when I was introduced to her, Jennifer.
When Morgan and Jennifer start marriage counseling, let’s just say it was very interesting. I loved that it helped both of them to see the errors they both made in their relationship. It helped them to learn to get along better for the sake of their daughter and even become friends.
I absolutely ADORED Emma. She was sweet and caring and even a little spunky. She pushed Morgan to see how wonderful he is and that he is very talented and needed to follow his dreams. I was really rooting for Emma, she was just that great. The only thing about her that drove me crazy was how she tried so hard to ignore her feelings for Morgan.
In Non-Friction you will be introduced to Olivia and Oliver. Let me tell you I loved and adored their story. I mean I really got into them and what was going on with them, it was touching. I wouldn’t mind reading more about them. I was just drawn to that part of the story as well.
The ending, well let me say it about killed me. I wanted it to go a certain way sooo very bad. Of course things never go like you want them too. I don’t want to give much away because I really think this is one of those books where the ending you should experience yourself. Because it will break your heart and have you holding your breathe, just wanting Emma and Morgan to finally be together. I could feel each of their loss and it broke my heart. Yet it will also heal your heart, but that’s all I’m giving away.
January 4, 2014
I was given Morgan Parker's book Non-Friction with expectations of an honest review. With that being said. Ok so first off, I really enjoyed the comedic aspect of this book and the storyline to a point. Morgan did an amazing job at catching and keeping my attention, until about 70% into the book. Morgan talks about his journey of trying to salvage his marriage, selling his first book, writing a new book, raising a child, and getting laid. I loved reading about all of this except for when the story went into the writing of a new book. I thought that it could have been just fine without going into the actual story he was writing. It was repetitive at points. All in all, Non-Friction was a well thought out book, but it was a little rough around the edges for my personal taste. Would I recommend it to people? Yes I absolutely would. I also look forward to reading Morgan's other books based on reading Non-Friction.
December 27, 2013
I would recommend that you have your box of kleenex handy because you will need them in a few spots! The book is very believable especially for those of you that have gone through a divorce, going through a divorce, strange relationship etc..... This book brings it on.
My next book to read will be Morgan's "Textual Encounters" because if the man can bring me "non friction" & I loved it so much I have to believe I will love his other books!
My next book to read will be Morgan's "Textual Encounters" because if the man can bring me "non friction" & I loved it so much I have to believe I will love his other books!
February 4, 2014
This book was REALLY different to the books I normally read. You are literally being told a story by Morgan and I have to say at times I was not a fan of him at all.. and as for princess bitch, well I could have given her a slap at times.. But after reading it and discussing it with my good friend Denise it was amazing how much more there was to the story when hearing it from a different perspective to my own. I will without doubt be happy/delighted when/if a second book come out.
January 3, 2014
Wow, when I first started reading this book I had to ask a mutual friend if this was a true story! It was SO convincing that I really thought for quite a bit that this was his life. And I love that you can tell a guy wrote it because who else has the actual insight of how a guys mind works other than a man? :D It was written beautifully and I will recommend it to all of my reading buddies <3
May 18, 2014
5 + Dazzling, April 4th Shooting Stars and a recommended essential read for any lovers of the fiction genre (romance and other)!
Honestly, the story started out kind of rough for me. Maybe it was the male POV and the casual language, but I wasn’t a big fan of our narrator Morgan Parker and his attitude. But then at some point early on my frustration with the tone turned to fascination and I determined that Morgan Parker, the pen name for the writer (not the character), had become a new favorite.
Non Fric•tion }i{ is the humorous & heartbreaking story of the effects of Morgan’s marriage falling apart. He was apparently oblivious to just how unhappy his wife Jennifer had become and this establishes our storyline. Non Fric•tion }i{ is a recap of how he coped with the separation from his wife and daughter (by writing) and the notoriety he gains from these writing efforts. We follow as Morgan meets his #1 fan Emma and watch their developing relationship, all while he is working to salvage his marriage. This is all done with great wit and wonderful dialogue writing. It just took me a bit to get used to the voice, but once I did I was hooked.
As the storyline goes, Morgan (the character) is newly famous from his accidental best seller “Sextual Encounters”. He has a four year old daughter, Evelyn, which he seems fairly disconnected from but in trying to be a good father, he does what he needs to do to be with her and he takes on Jennifer’s demand to see a marriage counselor. From this veiled attempt to work towards reconciliation comes the story of the story called “Our Story”. I have to stress just how Non Fric•tion }i{ is so dazzlingly plotted. “Our Story” is Morgan’s attempt to woo back Jennifer ( a.k.a. “Princess Fill in the blank”) and salvage his marriage. Or is it? In his creation of “Our Story”, Morgan gives us Oliver and Olivia, soul mates who meet quite by accident and although they become emotionally attached, they try to maintain their vows to their respective partners.
What follows is Morgan’s offering of a love story that uncannily resembles his very relationship with his #1 fan Emma. Are you keeping up? Yes, It’s sublimely convoluted and oh such a joy to read. This is where the real story rests, with Morgan and his relationship with Emma. While developing his writing career, and trying to keep his soon to be ex from taking his soul while still using their reconciliation as the inspiration to write, Emma becomes his best friend and fixation. It’s such an interesting premise and endeavor at a love story. It feels so real. After all, we are reading a story based on the authors name. And this is where the brilliance shines through. You can’t think it’s not real. The author has set us up with all the tools to take this entire storyline in as a personal journal of sorts. The storyline is just so thoroughly plotted.
In Non Fric•tion }i{, I found a new favorite character in Emma. To Morgan, she’s a fellow writer, she is clever, and she is unwaveringly faithful. Yep, Emma is married but oh does she belong with Morgan. It’s a slight twist on Oliver and Olivia’s situation. In my heart of hearts, I believe Emma to be the true catalyst, the true inspiration for Morgan’s adoring love story “Our Story”.
So, although I started out not being a very big fan of Morgan’s voice, about a quarter of the way through it I discovered that either the book tone changed or my interpretation changed. By this time I was so invested in the story of the story that became the story that this actually became a marathon read for me. I was so enchanted with the cleverness of the plot. Then I discovered that although Non Fric•tion }i{ isn’t touted as book 1 in a series, Parker’s Hope and Sick Day are continuations of the story in a convoluted and utterly clever way. Hope actually contains chapters of “Our story” written by Emma, and Sick Day contains new “real” characters introduced in Hope.
There are so many facets to this story and that’s it’s hard to contain myself to a review without spoilers. If I say what story I want next I’ll be giving away the end, and I won’t do that. But once you read, and you SHOULD read this this, I’m confident many readers will feel the same.
Book provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Honestly, the story started out kind of rough for me. Maybe it was the male POV and the casual language, but I wasn’t a big fan of our narrator Morgan Parker and his attitude. But then at some point early on my frustration with the tone turned to fascination and I determined that Morgan Parker, the pen name for the writer (not the character), had become a new favorite.
Non Fric•tion }i{ is the humorous & heartbreaking story of the effects of Morgan’s marriage falling apart. He was apparently oblivious to just how unhappy his wife Jennifer had become and this establishes our storyline. Non Fric•tion }i{ is a recap of how he coped with the separation from his wife and daughter (by writing) and the notoriety he gains from these writing efforts. We follow as Morgan meets his #1 fan Emma and watch their developing relationship, all while he is working to salvage his marriage. This is all done with great wit and wonderful dialogue writing. It just took me a bit to get used to the voice, but once I did I was hooked.
As the storyline goes, Morgan (the character) is newly famous from his accidental best seller “Sextual Encounters”. He has a four year old daughter, Evelyn, which he seems fairly disconnected from but in trying to be a good father, he does what he needs to do to be with her and he takes on Jennifer’s demand to see a marriage counselor. From this veiled attempt to work towards reconciliation comes the story of the story called “Our Story”. I have to stress just how Non Fric•tion }i{ is so dazzlingly plotted. “Our Story” is Morgan’s attempt to woo back Jennifer ( a.k.a. “Princess Fill in the blank”) and salvage his marriage. Or is it? In his creation of “Our Story”, Morgan gives us Oliver and Olivia, soul mates who meet quite by accident and although they become emotionally attached, they try to maintain their vows to their respective partners.
What follows is Morgan’s offering of a love story that uncannily resembles his very relationship with his #1 fan Emma. Are you keeping up? Yes, It’s sublimely convoluted and oh such a joy to read. This is where the real story rests, with Morgan and his relationship with Emma. While developing his writing career, and trying to keep his soon to be ex from taking his soul while still using their reconciliation as the inspiration to write, Emma becomes his best friend and fixation. It’s such an interesting premise and endeavor at a love story. It feels so real. After all, we are reading a story based on the authors name. And this is where the brilliance shines through. You can’t think it’s not real. The author has set us up with all the tools to take this entire storyline in as a personal journal of sorts. The storyline is just so thoroughly plotted.
In Non Fric•tion }i{, I found a new favorite character in Emma. To Morgan, she’s a fellow writer, she is clever, and she is unwaveringly faithful. Yep, Emma is married but oh does she belong with Morgan. It’s a slight twist on Oliver and Olivia’s situation. In my heart of hearts, I believe Emma to be the true catalyst, the true inspiration for Morgan’s adoring love story “Our Story”.
So, although I started out not being a very big fan of Morgan’s voice, about a quarter of the way through it I discovered that either the book tone changed or my interpretation changed. By this time I was so invested in the story of the story that became the story that this actually became a marathon read for me. I was so enchanted with the cleverness of the plot. Then I discovered that although Non Fric•tion }i{ isn’t touted as book 1 in a series, Parker’s Hope and Sick Day are continuations of the story in a convoluted and utterly clever way. Hope actually contains chapters of “Our story” written by Emma, and Sick Day contains new “real” characters introduced in Hope.
There are so many facets to this story and that’s it’s hard to contain myself to a review without spoilers. If I say what story I want next I’ll be giving away the end, and I won’t do that. But once you read, and you SHOULD read this this, I’m confident many readers will feel the same.
Book provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
January 4, 2014
On a lazy Saturday morning, I have finished reading this book before starting my day.
I haven't read many chick lit books written by guys, mostly because there aren't many guys who 'bother', or me being blind and unable to come across them...
I found this one interesting enough to read it until the end. English is not my first language and thus prevents me from finding the best way to express what this book made me think in an elegant and accurate way. Bearing that in mind, I'll try my best.
I found it a bit too sober, the way you walk on a dry land, you miss the grass, the flowers, the 'cosiness'. If this novel had a geometrical figure equivalent, it would be a polygon, as opposed to... (there is no antonyms for 'polygons' so I'll leave it as '...', meaning a geometrical figure delimited by curved lines and curved planes, if that makes sense...).
Having said that, I found it refreshing. For once, there is a love story where being crazy in love about someone doesn't mean losing your own self and become a shadow of that 'someone'. The only female-written novel I saw something close to this was 'Epilogue' from 'The Dark Duet Series', but 'almost' .
Then being a guy's POV that is not a girl's POV with a male name (as it happens with all female's authors' attempts). He is getting to the facts without giving a 'feelings overdose', and what I found hot... get to the male body responses without having a length-and-thickness-perfect multi orgasmic penis. Ok ok, I understand you don't read a fiction romance novel if you look for crude realism, and yes, I like length-and-thickness-perfect multi orgasmic penises too, but it seems all fiction romance novels just repeat the same pattern (perfect male bodies and complete lack of female power of decision). I miss the fact that a guy actually may have a hard-on as a natural response without feeling the butterflies and all, just as a nice reaction to a nice looking girl without him being a womaniser, and abuser or a cheating husband/lover, or without a life purpose, just simply describing the way a male body works. That's for me much hotter than describing a perfect ravaging cock.
The reason I gave 3 starts is the distorted female portrait, too... mono-dimensional. It seems both female and male author fail in trying to get the opposite gender POV accurate. I wish for once two authors created a romance novel hand to hand, writing their gender's characters POV, that would be as hot as accurate as it could get, with the flowers and green grass (metaphorically speaking)from the female feelings contribution plus the straightforward non-nonsense and simple facts that I love from a bloke's POV. Trying to do the other way around is like putting some sugar to your chips or a spoon of salt to your tea.
And couldn't help smiling to myself with another bit in common with guys and girls... we all love having someone who is forever in love with us, even from the distance, unable to forget his/her story shared with us . The fact of wanting to be someone else's object of desire is a human weakness I guess ;)
I haven't read many chick lit books written by guys, mostly because there aren't many guys who 'bother', or me being blind and unable to come across them...
I found this one interesting enough to read it until the end. English is not my first language and thus prevents me from finding the best way to express what this book made me think in an elegant and accurate way. Bearing that in mind, I'll try my best.
I found it a bit too sober, the way you walk on a dry land, you miss the grass, the flowers, the 'cosiness'. If this novel had a geometrical figure equivalent, it would be a polygon, as opposed to... (there is no antonyms for 'polygons' so I'll leave it as '...', meaning a geometrical figure delimited by curved lines and curved planes, if that makes sense...).
Having said that, I found it refreshing. For once, there is a love story where being crazy in love about someone doesn't mean losing your own self and become a shadow of that 'someone'. The only female-written novel I saw something close to this was 'Epilogue' from 'The Dark Duet Series', but 'almost' .
Then being a guy's POV that is not a girl's POV with a male name (as it happens with all female's authors' attempts). He is getting to the facts without giving a 'feelings overdose', and what I found hot... get to the male body responses without having a length-and-thickness-perfect multi orgasmic penis. Ok ok, I understand you don't read a fiction romance novel if you look for crude realism, and yes, I like length-and-thickness-perfect multi orgasmic penises too, but it seems all fiction romance novels just repeat the same pattern (perfect male bodies and complete lack of female power of decision). I miss the fact that a guy actually may have a hard-on as a natural response without feeling the butterflies and all, just as a nice reaction to a nice looking girl without him being a womaniser, and abuser or a cheating husband/lover, or without a life purpose, just simply describing the way a male body works. That's for me much hotter than describing a perfect ravaging cock.
The reason I gave 3 starts is the distorted female portrait, too... mono-dimensional. It seems both female and male author fail in trying to get the opposite gender POV accurate. I wish for once two authors created a romance novel hand to hand, writing their gender's characters POV, that would be as hot as accurate as it could get, with the flowers and green grass (metaphorically speaking)from the female feelings contribution plus the straightforward non-nonsense and simple facts that I love from a bloke's POV. Trying to do the other way around is like putting some sugar to your chips or a spoon of salt to your tea.
And couldn't help smiling to myself with another bit in common with guys and girls... we all love having someone who is forever in love with us, even from the distance, unable to forget his/her story shared with us . The fact of wanting to be someone else's object of desire is a human weakness I guess ;)
January 2, 2014
Sorry this is so late!!
ARC provided by Reading Bliss for honest review.
“Love is a product of habit and routine. If you break that habit and change those routines, the person you’ve loved and lost and can’t live without suddenly becomes an easy memory to file in the back of your mind.”
I feel like I’m on the good book gravy train!! Once again, I’ve found myself smiling at the end of yet another good book!! And once again, I’m pleasantly surprised!!
It has been ages since I’ve read anything from a male author. And I forgot how refreshing it can be to read from a male perspective. The sarcasm that oozed throughout this story was by far, my favorite. Not many people can pull sarcasm off when spoken much less written!! Kudos, Mr. Parker!
“Jennifer decided that our marriage of 12 years, 4 months and 1 ½ weeks just didn’t “do it” for her anymore, I figured now was as good a time as any to take that first step.”
‘Princess Bitch’ (Morgan’s wife,) decides she’s had enough of married life, packs her and their 4 year old daughter up, and leaves Morgan without so much as glance backwards. In his misery, he buys a book that is “supposed” to help him get laid (because he’s lost his only source of sex). Whilst reading this book Morgan decides the mediocre writing, and lame subject matter is something he can perfect. He writes his own version of a ‘how to.’ He encounters great success. In fact he’s dubbed “brilliant.” He’s flooded with fan mail, well flooded may be a term used very lightly because most of it comes from one woman. Emma. She catapults Morgan to ‘rock star’ status when she sends him a pair of her panties…clean of course! (Because lightly used would be too close to a real rock star)
Soon his encounters with Emma border on ‘blurred lines.’ Morgan puts to use some of his “Textual Encounter” handy work. The created a symbol as a ‘code word’ and texted it to one another every time they wanted to chat. }i{…when I first saw this I thought of two people looking at one another, then upon closer review (and yes, Morgan’s description) I was able to see what he saw. Pretty crafty!!
As time moves on, Morgan and Emma continue to blur the lines. She masterfully manipulates or tactfully teases, depending on how you view it (I say she’s tactfully teasing) Morgan. Who by the way, wears his heart on his sleeve and isn’t afraid to share sad heart.
This is a witty, couldn’t-put-down, laughed-out-loud, and snickered a few times, type of book!! It quickly rose amongst the ranks to one of my favorite reads of 2013. I appreciate the humor, the honesty of Morgan, and the masked deviousness of Emma (yes, I said deviousness).
Five souring sarcastic stars for Mr. Parker and non fric•tion!!
ARC provided by Reading Bliss for honest review.
“Love is a product of habit and routine. If you break that habit and change those routines, the person you’ve loved and lost and can’t live without suddenly becomes an easy memory to file in the back of your mind.”
I feel like I’m on the good book gravy train!! Once again, I’ve found myself smiling at the end of yet another good book!! And once again, I’m pleasantly surprised!!
It has been ages since I’ve read anything from a male author. And I forgot how refreshing it can be to read from a male perspective. The sarcasm that oozed throughout this story was by far, my favorite. Not many people can pull sarcasm off when spoken much less written!! Kudos, Mr. Parker!
“Jennifer decided that our marriage of 12 years, 4 months and 1 ½ weeks just didn’t “do it” for her anymore, I figured now was as good a time as any to take that first step.”
‘Princess Bitch’ (Morgan’s wife,) decides she’s had enough of married life, packs her and their 4 year old daughter up, and leaves Morgan without so much as glance backwards. In his misery, he buys a book that is “supposed” to help him get laid (because he’s lost his only source of sex). Whilst reading this book Morgan decides the mediocre writing, and lame subject matter is something he can perfect. He writes his own version of a ‘how to.’ He encounters great success. In fact he’s dubbed “brilliant.” He’s flooded with fan mail, well flooded may be a term used very lightly because most of it comes from one woman. Emma. She catapults Morgan to ‘rock star’ status when she sends him a pair of her panties…clean of course! (Because lightly used would be too close to a real rock star)
Soon his encounters with Emma border on ‘blurred lines.’ Morgan puts to use some of his “Textual Encounter” handy work. The created a symbol as a ‘code word’ and texted it to one another every time they wanted to chat. }i{…when I first saw this I thought of two people looking at one another, then upon closer review (and yes, Morgan’s description) I was able to see what he saw. Pretty crafty!!
As time moves on, Morgan and Emma continue to blur the lines. She masterfully manipulates or tactfully teases, depending on how you view it (I say she’s tactfully teasing) Morgan. Who by the way, wears his heart on his sleeve and isn’t afraid to share sad heart.
This is a witty, couldn’t-put-down, laughed-out-loud, and snickered a few times, type of book!! It quickly rose amongst the ranks to one of my favorite reads of 2013. I appreciate the humor, the honesty of Morgan, and the masked deviousness of Emma (yes, I said deviousness).
Five souring sarcastic stars for Mr. Parker and non fric•tion!!
January 29, 2014
This is not your typical book, nor is your typical love story. What this book is is a brilliant story of human relationships and the result of your actions.
Morgan's wife, Jennifer, takes their 4 year old daughter one day and leaves him after 12 years of marriage. Deep inside he knows their marriage was done a long time ago, but sometimes is harder to admit to the truth than to continue living a farce.
After his wife leaves he's left lost, without motivation and trying to figure what his life will be like from here on. That's when after seeking the advice of his neighbor in the ladies department, Morgan decides to write a book. His book becomes somewhat of a best seller and Jennifer comes back ready to try marriage counseling.
In the meantime, Morgan meets Emma, a fan of his book who sends him undergarments (clean, mind you.) Emma becomes his biggest fan and encourages Morgan to want to do and be a better person as well as guiding his writer career to more positive path, they start a friendship that soon crosses that little imaginary line to "more than friends."
In counseling, the therapist encourages Morgan and Jennifer to create something "beautiful" for each other. Jennifer is bitter and mad at Morgan, other than her graphics, there's no beauty on the comic book she creates, only raw rage and resentment; her version of their relationship. Morgan on the other hand, starts writing what he thinks will be the story that's going to save their marriage, “Our Story.”
On the road to trying to save his marriage, he discovers that there are so many different components to life and that true love it's not an illusion.
I have to say that after just finishing another book written by a guy that left me asking myself WTH, I was a little apprehensive of reading another book written by another male (yes, I know I shouldn't generalize.) I'm happy to say that Morgan proved me wrong and left me looking forward to reading his two previous books.
The storyline, the development of the characters and the human touch of this story is brilliant (yes, there’s that word again, read the book and you’ll understand why.) I laugh (the scenes with his daughter are precious and pretty funny,) I was angry (at Jennifer and sometimes at Emma for not making her damn mind up) and I cried (because if you ever have been through any of the situations that Morgan goes through, I can assure you this story will bring you down to your knees and you will feel his pain.)
This is a witty, laugh out loud, intelligent story; written by a very smart man who it seems to me that, unfortunately or fortunately, understand what real family and personal struggles are all about. Highly recommended!!!
Morgan's wife, Jennifer, takes their 4 year old daughter one day and leaves him after 12 years of marriage. Deep inside he knows their marriage was done a long time ago, but sometimes is harder to admit to the truth than to continue living a farce.
After his wife leaves he's left lost, without motivation and trying to figure what his life will be like from here on. That's when after seeking the advice of his neighbor in the ladies department, Morgan decides to write a book. His book becomes somewhat of a best seller and Jennifer comes back ready to try marriage counseling.
In the meantime, Morgan meets Emma, a fan of his book who sends him undergarments (clean, mind you.) Emma becomes his biggest fan and encourages Morgan to want to do and be a better person as well as guiding his writer career to more positive path, they start a friendship that soon crosses that little imaginary line to "more than friends."
In counseling, the therapist encourages Morgan and Jennifer to create something "beautiful" for each other. Jennifer is bitter and mad at Morgan, other than her graphics, there's no beauty on the comic book she creates, only raw rage and resentment; her version of their relationship. Morgan on the other hand, starts writing what he thinks will be the story that's going to save their marriage, “Our Story.”
On the road to trying to save his marriage, he discovers that there are so many different components to life and that true love it's not an illusion.
I have to say that after just finishing another book written by a guy that left me asking myself WTH, I was a little apprehensive of reading another book written by another male (yes, I know I shouldn't generalize.) I'm happy to say that Morgan proved me wrong and left me looking forward to reading his two previous books.
The storyline, the development of the characters and the human touch of this story is brilliant (yes, there’s that word again, read the book and you’ll understand why.) I laugh (the scenes with his daughter are precious and pretty funny,) I was angry (at Jennifer and sometimes at Emma for not making her damn mind up) and I cried (because if you ever have been through any of the situations that Morgan goes through, I can assure you this story will bring you down to your knees and you will feel his pain.)
This is a witty, laugh out loud, intelligent story; written by a very smart man who it seems to me that, unfortunately or fortunately, understand what real family and personal struggles are all about. Highly recommended!!!
December 9, 2013
5 stars- The word brilliant comes to mind, ha! If you read this book you will know why I used this word to describe it. Wow! This book is amazing! So funny, I thought for some reason that it was going to be a sad story but it was far from it. I truly enjoyed all of it. To tell you a little about the story, it is the story of an author that one day finds himself alone, his wife walked out on him and took his daughter. She then comes back when his book gets on Amazons best sellers and she wants to try marriage counseling but she already has a boyfriend on the side. Morgan, the main character on the book and author in the story still wants to save the marriage. The Dr. asks both of them, the wife "Princess" (that's what Morgan calls her), and Morgan to do an assignment, they both had to use 6 pictures and describe feelings. Morgan decided to write a story called "Our Story" and Princess decides to do a comic book. Morgan calls the wife "Princess" but he also uses a second word after it, it is always a bad one, lol! With Morgan being an author he finds that he has some fans, one of them in particular very persistent, she even sent him underwear. They become friends, then more as the story goes along. They meet, she lives in NY and he goes to visit her. Her name is Emma, she is married and has 2 daughters. Emma decides even though she wanted more with Morgan that they needed to be just "pen pals" The story continues, many things happen and I'm not going to write all of it and spoil anything but they fall in love. They make many mistakes. And in the end, there is a kind of a happy ending. To me it was a happy ending, even if it was just for Morgan. I thought during the whole story that he deserved a happy ending, just for him. I really didn't like Emma much, if I was her, I would have left the husband for Morgan like right away. But she was different and made different decisions.
I really loved the story, super funny and very entertaining. It also had a moment that made me sad, one that involved the daughter but it was not an ugly cry kind of moment, it was just a little sad and made me tear up a bit. The story held my attention the whole time and I loved the authors writing style.
If you are looking for a fun story to read then this is the one for you. It is also a very real life story, like I was thinking the whole time, yep, that happens, specially when he spent time with his daughter Evelyn.
Get this book, you won't regret it.
I really loved the story, super funny and very entertaining. It also had a moment that made me sad, one that involved the daughter but it was not an ugly cry kind of moment, it was just a little sad and made me tear up a bit. The story held my attention the whole time and I loved the authors writing style.
If you are looking for a fun story to read then this is the one for you. It is also a very real life story, like I was thinking the whole time, yep, that happens, specially when he spent time with his daughter Evelyn.
Get this book, you won't regret it.
December 2, 2013
Received a copy in exchange for an honest review.
I didn't know what to expect, I didn't get the title until reading and then went 'doh!' silly me!! omg??? the cover pic, pmsl, I love it! Will never get that out of my head ;-)
I am another who doesn't normally read books my men, I don't know why, I do have one author who is a man, my crime thriller guy, but he is a recent find to, well, i shall be rectifying that matter after reading this. I thoroughly enjoyed it!
I laughed out loud so much, the cheeky wit and sense of humour of Morgan is something else, it can be seen on his Facebook page too, which i checked out before reading, so was so glad it crossed over into the book.
The novel is written like he is having a conversation with you, matter of fact, say it how it is and i love that about it. Morgan can be quite blunt sometimes, matter of fact and if i had been drinking while reading I swear i would have spat my drink out everywhere! Love it!
When he had his Daughter to stay, (as the Princess B*tch or his wife as she is otherwise known left him) well, if this was a movie, she would win the Best Actress, she made it for me, i was screaming, every scene between Father and Daughter is priceless! You couldn't write this stuff....well, you could, because, he did...obviously!
The A,B,C Song...he wanted to sing Twinkle Twinkle, but she was 'Alergic' pmsl!
'L,M,N,O,P' or in Evelyn-speak, "yellow mellow pee."
They had an argument over this. The pair of them off to bed angry. Angry? The visuals i had of Morgan in one bed, sulking as his little 4 year daughter hates him is in the other bed probably rolling her eyes thinking Men!
But the sick day...when Evelyn was ill and Daddy had to look after her. I was weak....weak with laughter, shopping! omg the visuals!
But it isn't all sassy wit and laughter and thinking about getting his leg over with his Fan Girl Emma. There are sweet romantic moments, trying to get his life and wife back. Before realising that may not be actually what he wants?
There has to be a follow up I hope, it was hinted at I think although the story did wrap up, hhmmmmm..I hope it isn't tightly sealed :-)
Recommended and I will be reading more from Morgan!
I didn't know what to expect, I didn't get the title until reading and then went 'doh!' silly me!! omg??? the cover pic, pmsl, I love it! Will never get that out of my head ;-)
I am another who doesn't normally read books my men, I don't know why, I do have one author who is a man, my crime thriller guy, but he is a recent find to, well, i shall be rectifying that matter after reading this. I thoroughly enjoyed it!
I laughed out loud so much, the cheeky wit and sense of humour of Morgan is something else, it can be seen on his Facebook page too, which i checked out before reading, so was so glad it crossed over into the book.
The novel is written like he is having a conversation with you, matter of fact, say it how it is and i love that about it. Morgan can be quite blunt sometimes, matter of fact and if i had been drinking while reading I swear i would have spat my drink out everywhere! Love it!
When he had his Daughter to stay, (as the Princess B*tch or his wife as she is otherwise known left him) well, if this was a movie, she would win the Best Actress, she made it for me, i was screaming, every scene between Father and Daughter is priceless! You couldn't write this stuff....well, you could, because, he did...obviously!
The A,B,C Song...he wanted to sing Twinkle Twinkle, but she was 'Alergic' pmsl!
'L,M,N,O,P' or in Evelyn-speak, "yellow mellow pee."
They had an argument over this. The pair of them off to bed angry. Angry? The visuals i had of Morgan in one bed, sulking as his little 4 year daughter hates him is in the other bed probably rolling her eyes thinking Men!
But the sick day...when Evelyn was ill and Daddy had to look after her. I was weak....weak with laughter, shopping! omg the visuals!
But it isn't all sassy wit and laughter and thinking about getting his leg over with his Fan Girl Emma. There are sweet romantic moments, trying to get his life and wife back. Before realising that may not be actually what he wants?
There has to be a follow up I hope, it was hinted at I think although the story did wrap up, hhmmmmm..I hope it isn't tightly sealed :-)
Recommended and I will be reading more from Morgan!
January 16, 2014
This book was different to the usual romance novels and I think that's why I liked it so much. It is written entirely from Morgan the character's point of view, I should say Mr Parker named the character after himself so this could get confusing. His wife is horrible to him the whole way through the book and though they are separated (her choice) and going to marriage counselling (also her choice) she seems very resentful of Morgan. When Morgan's wife left him he decided to get back into dating, his friend gave him a book on how to sext and well it didn't work out so well for him. So Morgan decided to write his own book Sextual Encounters (also a real book written by Morgan Parker) he hit publish on Amazon and became a best seller overnight. He received some fan mail from a woman called Emma that included panties and a phone number. Emma and Morgan spark up a cyber relationship and it is flirty texts and emails for the most part then she changes the rules on him. I have no idea how to even begin to explain their relationship. Anyway while at marriage counselling Morgan and his wife Jennifer also known as Princess Bitch are asked to produce something to help them communicate. She makes a comic book series about him and he writes a novel 'Our Story' at first he thinks he's writing it to win Jennifer back but the more he writes and tells people about his new novel, he realises that's not it at all. This book also tell's the story of 'Our Story' Oliver and Olivia two people who should never have fallen in love but did and the consequences of not changing something for the one you love. Its quite sad really. So if you wanted a book that would be sunshine, rainbows and happily ever afters you're looking in the wrong place with this one. It shows the harsh reality of missed opportunities and wasted chances. It was well written and a great plot very well thought out. Well Done Morgan Parker. 4 Stars!
January 17, 2014
Non Friction was a different type of writing than I have become accustomed to reading lately. The book was from the male POV and what he was going through in his life. He was in a stagnant place in his marriage which he seemed to like the routine of things but he was just not happy.
Morgan's wife, Jennifer, leaves and takes their daughter with her because she is no longer in love with Morgan and is in a relationship with another man. Jennifer decides to set up marriage counseling but it doesn't seem like she wants the counseling to work. They both aren't nice to each other. The doctor can see that their relationship is not going to survive because neither of them are putting forth the effort to reconcile and move forward with each other.
Morgan self publishes a book and has a fan named Emma who shows interest in his writing and in him. He enjoys the attention and is looking for more to happen with her. She encourages him in his writing and to write more. She is an ego booster and shows him that he is more than how Jennifer makes him feel. They develop a unique relationship but she is married and so is he. She doesn't want to take their relationship to a physical level because she is married and we find that she will not leave her husband.
The marriage counseling doctor through different activities with the couple make them realize that they are both at fault for the breakdown of their marriage. They must come together and make things amicable between them for the sake of their daughter.
Read this book to find out if Morgan finds his HEA. I would recommend this book because it has more realistic characters not the love at first sight and you know that there will be a HEA. Unfortunately in life that is not always true. Not everyone finds their soul mate and have an HEA.
Morgan's wife, Jennifer, leaves and takes their daughter with her because she is no longer in love with Morgan and is in a relationship with another man. Jennifer decides to set up marriage counseling but it doesn't seem like she wants the counseling to work. They both aren't nice to each other. The doctor can see that their relationship is not going to survive because neither of them are putting forth the effort to reconcile and move forward with each other.
Morgan self publishes a book and has a fan named Emma who shows interest in his writing and in him. He enjoys the attention and is looking for more to happen with her. She encourages him in his writing and to write more. She is an ego booster and shows him that he is more than how Jennifer makes him feel. They develop a unique relationship but she is married and so is he. She doesn't want to take their relationship to a physical level because she is married and we find that she will not leave her husband.
The marriage counseling doctor through different activities with the couple make them realize that they are both at fault for the breakdown of their marriage. They must come together and make things amicable between them for the sake of their daughter.
Read this book to find out if Morgan finds his HEA. I would recommend this book because it has more realistic characters not the love at first sight and you know that there will be a HEA. Unfortunately in life that is not always true. Not everyone finds their soul mate and have an HEA.
February 3, 2014
Full details of the author, his books and my full review today at Foxylutely Book Reviews
http://foxylutely.blogspot.com/2014/0...
*Copy provided by the author in exchange for my review for the blog tour
I did not know anything about this author or previous books so when I started reading I was pleasantly surprised. It was like a breath of fresh air. This was not a rainbows and unicorns skipping in the sunset type of read. It was an earthy with a reality kicking punch type of read that first had me raising my eyebrow then a satisfied grin was plastered on me for the remainder of my read.
It’s a story of a man – Morgan (yes that was confusing at first) who is going through a marriage break up which was sprung upon him when his wife of over twelve years suddenly upped and left him, taking their four year old daughter with her. After a period of self-pity and sense of loss, he picks himself up and begins a new avenue which leads him to instant status of published author – well self-published, which opens reams of possibilities which Morgan translates as opportunities for getting laid! His wife then requests they attend marriage guidance (for why, who knows) which leads to some funny incidents with the tasks they are asked to undertake by the marriage guidance counsellor.
I loved the scenes of Morgan with his daughter and found them quite touching but for the most part it was a humorous tale interwoven with touches of sadness. In short it covered real life with believable actions and believable characters.
The plot was original and unique and I enjoyed the ‘story within a story’ in this book. A highly enjoyable read which you really need to read to experience for yourself. You won’t regret it.
http://foxylutely.blogspot.com/2014/0...
*Copy provided by the author in exchange for my review for the blog tour
I did not know anything about this author or previous books so when I started reading I was pleasantly surprised. It was like a breath of fresh air. This was not a rainbows and unicorns skipping in the sunset type of read. It was an earthy with a reality kicking punch type of read that first had me raising my eyebrow then a satisfied grin was plastered on me for the remainder of my read.
It’s a story of a man – Morgan (yes that was confusing at first) who is going through a marriage break up which was sprung upon him when his wife of over twelve years suddenly upped and left him, taking their four year old daughter with her. After a period of self-pity and sense of loss, he picks himself up and begins a new avenue which leads him to instant status of published author – well self-published, which opens reams of possibilities which Morgan translates as opportunities for getting laid! His wife then requests they attend marriage guidance (for why, who knows) which leads to some funny incidents with the tasks they are asked to undertake by the marriage guidance counsellor.
I loved the scenes of Morgan with his daughter and found them quite touching but for the most part it was a humorous tale interwoven with touches of sadness. In short it covered real life with believable actions and believable characters.
The plot was original and unique and I enjoyed the ‘story within a story’ in this book. A highly enjoyable read which you really need to read to experience for yourself. You won’t regret it.
February 20, 2014
Sometimes I'm very fortunate to find a book that I've enjoyed reading so much that I'm actually sad to see the book end. One that I found so enjoyable, that it's tough to put into words just how much I loved the story. This is one of those books. "Non Friction" is about Morgan Barker (no, no, not Morgan *Parker*-- that's the author) ;)
Ok, so I'm going to try really hard to do this review with NO spoilers! Here we go :)
Morgan Barker= Hilarious... Caring... An author (not a "writer"!)... Sexy (he says so, so it must be true, right?)... A good dad (I had to laugh at the banter between him and his daughter... my son comes out with some one-liners and tries to argue cases, so the humor between he and his daughter was funny and relatable).
The story starts off letting us know what is happening with Morgan's marriage -- er, the (?)end of his marriage, actually... His wife is nicknamed Princess B*tch (it's deserved, you'll see). Then you'll also meet their little girl, Evelyn.
Princess B*tch leaves Morgan, and she takes their daughter with her.
Morgan then meets Emma. I don't want to give away too much about Emma here. I'm afraid if I say too much I'll give spoilers to those of you who haven't read the story yet. As someone who loved seeing how things unfolded in this story, I really don't want to spoil anything for you!
After a turn of events, Morgan begins writing a story, which he feels could be the remedy to fix his marriage.
There's humor, romancing (that's a word, right?), sweetness, sexiness, sadness... My emotions got a little workout.
This is a wonderful story, and I highly recommend it. I happily give it 5-stars, well deserved.
}i{
Ok, so I'm going to try really hard to do this review with NO spoilers! Here we go :)
Morgan Barker= Hilarious... Caring... An author (not a "writer"!)... Sexy (he says so, so it must be true, right?)... A good dad (I had to laugh at the banter between him and his daughter... my son comes out with some one-liners and tries to argue cases, so the humor between he and his daughter was funny and relatable).
The story starts off letting us know what is happening with Morgan's marriage -- er, the (?)end of his marriage, actually... His wife is nicknamed Princess B*tch (it's deserved, you'll see). Then you'll also meet their little girl, Evelyn.
Princess B*tch leaves Morgan, and she takes their daughter with her.
Morgan then meets Emma. I don't want to give away too much about Emma here. I'm afraid if I say too much I'll give spoilers to those of you who haven't read the story yet. As someone who loved seeing how things unfolded in this story, I really don't want to spoil anything for you!
After a turn of events, Morgan begins writing a story, which he feels could be the remedy to fix his marriage.
There's humor, romancing (that's a word, right?), sweetness, sexiness, sadness... My emotions got a little workout.
This is a wonderful story, and I highly recommend it. I happily give it 5-stars, well deserved.
}i{
August 11, 2016
Non Friction by Morgan Parker
3 Stars
Morgan’s 12 year marriage has ended and he decides to write a trashy novel and independently publish it, just for something to do. Pleased that he sold over 5000 copies in its first month on sale and that he received fan-mail, Morgan decides to write another book… now that he’s a real author or is that a writer? One description bugs him but I can’t remember which!
There is a lot of humour in this book, and parts of it made me laugh but there were also other parts I just didn’t find funny that I think were supposed to be. I suppose for whatever reason, be it nationality or taste I just don’t have the same sense of humour as this author, I’m not on his wave length.
I love romance, I like to have a touch of it in every book I read or I don’t really enjoy it, so I was hoping for great things here. Unfortunately this book didn’t do it for me. It has nothing to do with the writing style the editing or anything like that, it was mainly the story and the characters that I didn’t enjoy. The ex wife was a grumpy cow but apart from seeing her bad side we didn’t really learn why she was like that, Emma was nice on the outside but at times I thought she was leading him on and she got on my nerves. Then Morgan himself, well I found him creepy if I’m honest! All in all I didn’t find them likable or easy to connect with.
I would possibly read Morgan Parkers work again, just to see if it is just ‘Non Friction’ that I didn’t get along with or if it is Morgan Parker’s (the author) way of thinking that I don’t suit.
Copy supplied for review
3 Stars
Morgan’s 12 year marriage has ended and he decides to write a trashy novel and independently publish it, just for something to do. Pleased that he sold over 5000 copies in its first month on sale and that he received fan-mail, Morgan decides to write another book… now that he’s a real author or is that a writer? One description bugs him but I can’t remember which!
There is a lot of humour in this book, and parts of it made me laugh but there were also other parts I just didn’t find funny that I think were supposed to be. I suppose for whatever reason, be it nationality or taste I just don’t have the same sense of humour as this author, I’m not on his wave length.
I love romance, I like to have a touch of it in every book I read or I don’t really enjoy it, so I was hoping for great things here. Unfortunately this book didn’t do it for me. It has nothing to do with the writing style the editing or anything like that, it was mainly the story and the characters that I didn’t enjoy. The ex wife was a grumpy cow but apart from seeing her bad side we didn’t really learn why she was like that, Emma was nice on the outside but at times I thought she was leading him on and she got on my nerves. Then Morgan himself, well I found him creepy if I’m honest! All in all I didn’t find them likable or easy to connect with.
I would possibly read Morgan Parkers work again, just to see if it is just ‘Non Friction’ that I didn’t get along with or if it is Morgan Parker’s (the author) way of thinking that I don’t suit.
Copy supplied for review
January 17, 2014
I loved this book. I always love a story from a males perspective. I am not sure why. Maybe it is because I find some woman romance novels a bit whiny or too swoony. Don't get me wrong I do enjoy them every now and then, but give me a little more drama than a skank trying to get between the books main characters lol. Plus we, women, are very complicated creatures.
In a way this book was an emotional rollercoaster. The comical times help break up the seriousness that this book may have on people who lives hit close to home with the story line *raise hand* Life isn't always unicorns and rainbows. There are thunderclouds, tidal waves and those HUGE fucking pot holes in the road of life that sometimes we can't avoid. We hit them, pound our fists on the steering wheel, swear and wallow. But then we eventually have to put on the spare and continue driving. Morgan's non friction reminds you of that.
One thing I really enjoyed was the daughters perspective and dialogue in this book. I have read many books that included children but always played them as being oblivious to the situation and dumbed down their conversations. Children are more perceptive than that. The thoughts Evelyn had were amazing at times.
And then there's Morgan *sigh*. How could you not want to love him, fix him, slap him and tell him to wake up. I told you, ROLLERCOASTER! But one that you must ride...I mean read!
In a way this book was an emotional rollercoaster. The comical times help break up the seriousness that this book may have on people who lives hit close to home with the story line *raise hand* Life isn't always unicorns and rainbows. There are thunderclouds, tidal waves and those HUGE fucking pot holes in the road of life that sometimes we can't avoid. We hit them, pound our fists on the steering wheel, swear and wallow. But then we eventually have to put on the spare and continue driving. Morgan's non friction reminds you of that.
One thing I really enjoyed was the daughters perspective and dialogue in this book. I have read many books that included children but always played them as being oblivious to the situation and dumbed down their conversations. Children are more perceptive than that. The thoughts Evelyn had were amazing at times.
And then there's Morgan *sigh*. How could you not want to love him, fix him, slap him and tell him to wake up. I told you, ROLLERCOASTER! But one that you must ride...I mean read!
December 21, 2013
Fan-flipping-tastic I really enjoyed this book I started it and couldn't put it down. Morgan Parker is one unique author, he put funny, heartwarming, unhappy and sexy all into one book. Non Friction is about (haha) Morgan who's wife just decides its not working out for her on day and packs up herself and their daughter and hits the road. Morgan is so devastated he just just wants his family back. This begins the whole story really, Morgan Parker is very blunt and to the point as he writes which had me laughing out loud a several points. Morgan the main character in the book decides he going to write a book after he loses his job and he meets the woman of his dreams but can't have her. On and on this goes between him and Emma. They text each other constantly and when they are together Morgan just wants what most men what to get laid but the problem Emma is married. This book is not your typical romance novel thats for sure, one of the best I read this year and I read a lot. Will Morgan and Emma get their happy ever after or will his wife come to her senses? Don't want to put out spoiler alerts so you will just have to go and grab you a copy. Great job Morgan Parker you really brought me along with them on this journey hopefully there is more to come.
February 1, 2014
What I loved about this book was that it's not your traditional love story in the least. This is a story of love and marriage gone wrong after being together for 12 years and the two people trying to find themselves throughout the process of divorce. Morgan's life was turned upside down when his wife decides to pack up their daughter and leave. The two try to work through their marriage in counseling and along the way try to discover what makes them happy in life.
Morgan Parker weaves a story filled with laughter, pain, hatred and ultimately love even though it is not in the traditional sense. Morgan creates characters that are really believable and you feel as though you can become part of the story while reading it. I recommend this story to anyone that is ready to try something different than the classic romance. I love a story that can keep me thinking even at the end of the story and there were so many real parenting moments in the book that were just touching. I look forward to seeing what Morgan has in store for us in the future.
Morgan Parker weaves a story filled with laughter, pain, hatred and ultimately love even though it is not in the traditional sense. Morgan creates characters that are really believable and you feel as though you can become part of the story while reading it. I recommend this story to anyone that is ready to try something different than the classic romance. I love a story that can keep me thinking even at the end of the story and there were so many real parenting moments in the book that were just touching. I look forward to seeing what Morgan has in store for us in the future.
January 26, 2014
MY REVIEW:
4 out of 5 stars from me. I found the story to be a wonderful change of pace. It was nice to read a story told from a mans point of view. The writing was witty, heartfelt, and charming. I laughed out load on many occasions along with dabbing my eyes with tissue on others. It broke my heart to see how awful Morgan's wife Princess W***** had treated him. But I can tell you from experience that between hearing their story through the "Scrapbook Sessions" and just Princess Whores own words directed at Morgan, I can appreciate her frustration of being married for 12 years and being unhappy. The story had several twists and turns throughout. I think the relationship between Emma and Morgan was the true clincher. It was up and it was down. It was going to be special, it was going to be a ship passing in the night. The ending, for sure will throw you off your rocker....Hang on for that! It was out of left field for sure!
4 out of 5 stars from me. I found the story to be a wonderful change of pace. It was nice to read a story told from a mans point of view. The writing was witty, heartfelt, and charming. I laughed out load on many occasions along with dabbing my eyes with tissue on others. It broke my heart to see how awful Morgan's wife Princess W***** had treated him. But I can tell you from experience that between hearing their story through the "Scrapbook Sessions" and just Princess Whores own words directed at Morgan, I can appreciate her frustration of being married for 12 years and being unhappy. The story had several twists and turns throughout. I think the relationship between Emma and Morgan was the true clincher. It was up and it was down. It was going to be special, it was going to be a ship passing in the night. The ending, for sure will throw you off your rocker....Hang on for that! It was out of left field for sure!
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