By The Wayside

by Anne Leigh Parrish

Marvelous. Honest. Generous. From the first story to the last, "By the Wayside" catches your attention and demands that you give into its every whirl. Each character unfolds with a precision that will have you wondering how Parrish managed to create such real-to-the-bones people within a world that captivates you with ease."By the Wayside" was a finalist for the International Book Awards's short story category.

Genres: Fiction

286 pages, Paperback

Published July 1, 2020

About the author

Award-winning writer Anne Leigh Parrish's second poetry collection, IF THE SKY WON'T HAVE ME, will arrive in April from Unsolicited Press. Her latest novel, AN OPEN DOOR, was published in October 2022, also from Unsolicited Press. Recent titles are A WINTER NIGHT, a novel, March 2021 and THE MOON WON'T BE DARED, a poetry collection, October 2021. She is the author of eight other books, most notably MAGGIE'S RUSE, and THE AMENDMENT, both novels. She has recently ventured into the art of photography and displays her work at www.laviniastudios.com. She lives among the evergreen trees in the South Sound region of Washington State. Find her online at her website, Twitter, Facebook, Medium, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Goodreads.

Reviews

[Mary Latela · Rating 5 out of 5]

5.0 out of 5 stars Anne Leigh Parrish Shines in By the Wayside:Stories (Unsolicited Press), February 24, 2017 Reviewed by Mary E. Latela

This review is from: By the Wayside: Stories (Paperback) Anne Leigh Parrish is a truly outstanding author, and her new collection of short stories, By the Wayside, Unsolicited Press, 2017, is her best yet.

With a sensitive, curious touch Anne Leigh Parrish leads the reader into the lives of a set of quirky to sublime characters, some of whom we like, and others, not so much. Each story in a slice of life and not a word is wasted as the author digs deep into the kinds of struggles women and men deal with in our time.

"Artichokes" is my favorite. Tucked into the middle of the volume it is short, but you know it is just the tip of the iceberg for the beautifully developed character whose story is neatly arranged therein.
Parrish deals with mismatched couples, with people who pretend to be someone else, then get caught up in their own artificial persona.

Some are desperately lonely, hurt so many times or so deeply that you worry about them.It's not surprising to read about the yearning to end one's life, and also the forces that pull one back from the brink. And whether or not you believe in angels or genies, you will have the opportunity to reflect on this in short, crisp stories.

I have read all of Parrish's published works, and truly, she reaches new heights of understanding and fullness of imagery with each one. This is a must read!

[Chrissi Sepe · Rating 5 out of 5]

"By The Wayside" is the latest book by talented and inspiring writer, Anne Leigh Parrish, and I became one of the beta readers for it in anticipation of its release on February 8th. When I was asked to be a beta reader for Parrish, I didn't know what a beta reader was! But I quickly realized that it meant I got the privilege of being one of the very first people to read all the stories in the collection before they were officially published and made available to the general public.

I had already read a couple of Parrish's short stories through her online links from her Twitter account. The first story I read was "Artichokes," and I must admit that when I first opened my beta reader copy of "By The Wayside" and saw that "Artichokes" was included in it, I squealed with the same excitement I used to when I'd surprisingly found out my favorite rock band was coming to town! That's how deeply Parrish's stories can impact. They hit an emotional nerve, and you remember them.

The other story I'd read online is what I'd consider a classic of Parrish's entitled "Where Love Lies." It is about a woman named Dana who moves to a quiet, yet gossipy, island town to escape her former life. Her self-esteem is wrecked, and she wants to start over and rebuild her confidence and heal herself through her love of painting. However, as she befriends an older man and finds herself attracted to another man closer to her age, she realizes that this beautiful island town is everything but serene, and danger lurks because, as she says: "Hating was far easier than loving, and came more naturally."

Yet Dana survives, as Parrish's female protagonists seem to do. No matter how difficult situations get for these strong women, they persist and often turn out wiser and more confident and capable than they were when we first met them in their stories. Not only do we as readers discover shocking truths about them, but the characters themselves are often surprised at the capabilities they hold inside and of what they are able to achieve if they just have the courage to speak up or to make changes in their lives.

In "How She Was Found," lead character, Fiona, begins the story described as a "mouse." She is compliant and insecure, and these traits are not likely to serve her well when she sets out as the only female on an archaeological dig with her professor and three male fellow graduate students. When she finds the bone of a human hand, she believes her professor will finally take her seriously, as she feels he never listens to her. She also suspects that the only reason why she has been invited on this dig is due to his instructions to abide by gender equality when choosing the students to attend it. She initially puts the bone back, tells her fellow students about it, and finally her professor. For the next nine days, the team finds more and more bones of what they believe is a woman skeleton. As they camp out, she tries to be one of the guys, drinking beer (which she hates) and eating goat that they cook themselves. But unlike her companions, she becomes fascinated by the female skeleton. She wants to know everything about this woman. She names her "Estrella" after the stars they can see in the beautiful night sky. She imagines that Estrella is a complete woman, where she feels that there are so many missing parts to herself. She tries to figure out what kind of clothes and jewelry Estrella wore and pictures her as having been far more beautiful than she herself is. Suddenly, the skull speaks to her: "You need to get a life. Stop living through other people and just do your own thing." The next morning, the guys find Fiona sleeping in her cot with her arm embracing the skull. But instead of thinking she's crazy, they see her as being daring and brave and as doing something that timid Fiona would never do. "That was pretty fucking badass," one student tells her. Another adds: "Didn't know you had it in you." Suddenly she is seen as someone who has guts and who has a sense of humor they didn't know she was capable of. Finally, Fiona has the courage to make her own decisions rather than abiding by everyone else's wishes for her.

"An Act Of Concealment" is another example of a woman who just does as she's told and does what society and those in her life expect her to do even though she often feels misunderstood and as an outsider. When she befriends a fellow male outsider, the story reaches a shocking conclusion that I didn't see coming from a mile away when I first picked up the story.

Yet as serious as the subject matter of many of these stories is regarding women being mistreated and feeling powerless, Parrish's stories often have a subtle humor underlying them. "Letters Of Love And Hate" is the perfect example of this. Protagonist Cammy J has trouble getting her articles about helping at-risk youths published. Even her father is out of touch with the points she tries to make. Parrish writes: "He grudgingly admired his daughter's growing confidence on the page. She was acquiring sass. He liked a sassy woman, in moderation." This last sentence is an excellent description of how society often regards women who show dissent either in writing or verbally: Be assertive. But not too much.

Cammy J decides to start a blog instead. She tries to do everything by the book. She follows people on Twitter who she thinks would be interested in reading her blog, and she reads up on how to promote herself on social media. Finally, she puts up the link to her blog and asks people to comment. Here's an example of why I love Parrish's talent for humor: After unfolding the events for us, giving the facts of how Cammy J puts together her blog and her Twitter account and asks people to comment, she says: "She received two comments. One was from someone identifying himself as Ronald 123: 'You're a dingbat. Actually, you're probably worse, but I'm too nice a guy to say exactly what.'" I didn't expect that, and although I felt sorry for Cammy J who had all these expectations that people would embrace her initial blog post, I still had to laugh at how Parrish paints a realistic portrait of what often happens when we express our opinions on social media!

Ultimately, all of Parrish's characters endure as best as they can. They keep plugging along because they have to, and in doing so, they find new-found strength and a sense of identity they never knew was in them. Many short story writers depict women, yet Parrish's stories stand out to me. She immediately draws us in, and we know that something profound is going to happen as soon as we meet the women in her stories. It could be a physical circumstance that shakes up their lives or it could just be a revolution from within. But either way, it will always be interesting, and we'll always feel changed when we reach the last line.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love short stories.

As a writer, I love the way short stories give you the freedom to experiment with different styles of writing – voice, narrative style, POV, genre. In this way, short stories are like play.

As a reader, I enjoy seeing what individual writers do with various literary forms, but I also appreciate pieces that are short enough to read in one sitting – one cup of tea, one good soak in the bathtub.

The stories in By the Wayside include all the things I appreciate as a reader. Deft use of language, clever turns of dialogue, interesting characters. I particularly enjoyed “How She Was Found” and “Artichokes,” but the rest of the collection was equally compelling, sometimes sad, often poignant.

I enjoyed the different characters author Parrish let us meet, by the different lifestyles we were able to glimpse. In addition, I found that Ms. Parrish is incredibly adept at subtly twisting expectations. In “The Professor,” the young girl is NOT seduced, for example.

By The Wayside is a collection of stories worth reading. Keep it in your bathroom or on your nightstand and savor the tales, one at a time. You won’t be sorry.

[Mary Latela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mary E Latela review of By the Wayside by Anne Leigh Parrish

Outstanding short stories fill this collection by author Anne Leigh Parrish, who has lifted short story writing to a new, elegant level. Her descriptions are rich and real; one of my favorite stories is a most wonderful piece entitled "Artichokes." She traces the path of a marriage falling apart in An Act of Concealment, about a family new to Huron, South Dakota. where the husband is a habitual liar, pretending that they are not the people they really are. He tells neighbors his wife is a Jew. He encounters men shell-shocked from the war, but he does not interact with them. It is a sad, but true reflection of how some people wear masks, but you can see right through to the face behind. This collection is another treasure by Anne Leigh Parrish, a superb author.

[Maureen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I totally loved this book. Such a great selection of short stories to read! Anne Leigh Parrish is an excellent writer!

[Shweta Padma Das · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the few short story collections I have read end to end. There's depth and range. And you'll keep turning the page to find out what happens next.

[Ally Fell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an almost perfect collection of short stories. Each one is filled with beautiful detail and populated by amazingly real and diverse characters. It is extremely impressive the amount of character development that Parrish accomplishes in just a few short pages of storytelling.
Furthermore, the stories themselves draw you in. Each is a window into a person’s life. Most share empowering tales of people taking control of their lives. They leave an uplifting impression, particularly after so easily sliding into the characters’ lives.
It’s a fairly quick read that I would highly recommend. Truly, Parrish is a master of character creation. She spins what is usually detrimental to creating true individuals, the short story format, into a real advantage. And she accomplishes this heavy task all while sharing compelling stories with strong themes. The only thing you’ll regret is how soon it’s over; just as you get comfy walking around in those characters’ skins, their story is done being told.

DISCLAIMER: I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for writing a review. I was not obligated to give a positive review, and all thoughts are my own.

[Elizabeth Fish · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story collection! Anne Leigh has a lovely writing style reminiscent of classic fairytales, which really brings the characters and scenes alive in readers' minds. I love the descriptions of characters and settings as they allow us glimpses into their mindsets and show us how they have come to be where they are.

Each story focuses on a different protagonist with their own unique backgrounds and challenges, and the author does a great job of showing how relationships with the other characters impact the protagonist's mindset and how they will choose to handle those challenges.

The stories work both on their own and as part of the larger collection, which I definitely recommend to others. Both women and men will appreciate these characters and their determination to find their way in a world which isn't always kind to them.

DISCLAIMER: I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for writing a review. I was not obligated to give a positive review, and all thoughts are my own.

[Pam McGaffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

By the Wayside (Unsolicited Press, 2017) is Anne Leigh Parrish's third short story collection, and it’s another fine one. With heart and honesty, she pulls you into the lives of women who are trying to move forward and find their true selves in spite of past hurts and those who would dismiss or deny their strengths.
As the title implies, they might start out sidelined by guilt, emotional-scaring and self-doubt, but by the end of the story, either manage to break free (in sometimes dramatic fashion) or arrive at a new understanding about themselves.
Parrish’s writing is spare, but she manages to convey the rich complexity of her characters and their lives with well-chosen details and spot-on dialogue.
In my favorite story, "An Act of Concealment," the main character, Anna, is called upon to save her neighbor’s holiday dinner. It’s a seemingly innocent scene, but it reinforces the story’s theme of behind-the-scenes women who protect their family’s (read male) reputations even at the expense of their own.
"Smoke" begins with the observation that, when it comes to forest fires, “a healthy, living tree was harder to ignite.” It’s the perfect metaphor for a young woman so filled with hate and self-loathing that she can’t give or receive love.
I would describe Parrish as a feminist writer, but her message never feels heavy-handed. She tackles her most political subjects – racism and abortion – in short allegories with some humor.
Magic realism is also used to highlight how blind to the truth people can be. A genie pops out of an engaged couple’s spare-tire compartment (Trial by Luck) to grant them one wish, except these two can’t agree on anything.
In “How She was Found,” a young woman, Fiona, who has been living according to her father’s wishes, discovers an ancient skeleton while on an archaeological dig with a group of men. The men see the discovery in win/gain terms, but Fiona is so captivated by the possible life behind the skeleton that she hears it speak to her.
If you love short stories, you'll love this collection.

[Irene Frances Olson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read Anne Leigh Parrish's collection of stories in advance of publication. I am thoroughly pleased to provide this review of Anne's work.

I am a striving-to-be-published author of fiction. As a novice writer, one of the rules I am told to follow in order to become a better writer is to read, read, read, and then read some more. It seems each time I read Ms. Parrish's works, that writing rule is proven as a must-have in my writing toolbox. While reading Anne's stories I can't help but exclaim, "Gosh, I wish I could write like that!" She writes so many satisfying nuggets of words and collections of words that I immediately put pen to paper to capture them so I can re-read them again and again. That was the case for BY THE WAYSIDE. I enjoyed each and every one of the stories contained therein. I have my favorites to be sure, but I hesitate to declare which ones fall into that category so as to not influence those readers who are about to be gifted with Ms. Parrish's stories. Those readers will draft their own list of faves and they will be hard pressed not to include each and every one of the book's stories. Quite simply, Anne Leigh Parrish has something grand to say, and I'm certainly glad she chose to say it through the written word.

[Irene Frances Olson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am thoroughly pleased to provide this review of Anne's work.

I am a striving-to-be-published author of fiction. As a novice writer, one of the rules I am told to follow in order to become a better writer is to read, read, read, and then read some more. It seems each time I read Ms. Parrish's works, that writing rule is proven as a must-have in my writing toolbox. While reading Anne's stories I can't help but exclaim, "Gosh, I wish I could write like that!" She writes so many satisfying nuggets of words and collections of words that I immediately put pen to paper to capture them so I can re-read them again and again. That was the case for By the Wayside. I enjoyed each and every one of the stories contained therein. I have my favorites, to be sure, but I hesitate to declare which ones fall into that category so as to not influence those readers who are about to be gifted with Ms. Parrish's stories. Those readers will draft their own list of faves and they will be hard pressed not to include each and every one of the book's stories. Quite simply, Anne Leigh Parrish has something grand to say, and I'm certainly glad she chose to say it through the written word.

[Hannah Sandoval · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the privilege of being a beta reader for this book. Anne’s greatest strength is capturing her character’s thoughts and feelings in actions. She never over explains, yet we know all we need to about her characters. And what characters they are! Anne focuses on women, but she doesn’t fall into the clichés. Most of her female leads are not “likable” in the stereotypical sense. A.k.a, they are not boring, one-dimensional American sweethearts who never do anything questionable, never complain, or never get into trouble of their own accord. They aren’t demure victims; in some cases, they are the victimizers. And yet, we root for them no matter their flaws. Even when we don’t agree with them, we feel the pain that led them to those decisions. We understand their desires. We feel close to them, and so we cannot help but relate on some level, even if what they’ve done makes us cringe or sigh or want to turn away. You will meet many women on your journey through these stories. Some you may relate to or cheer for more than others, but all will arrest your attention and hold it fast until their tale is done.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

A few years back I read a collection of linked stories, Our Love Could Light The World, by Anne Leigh Parrish. The stories were about a family with five children, set in the Finger Lakes region of New York state. Since I grew up in a family with five children in that region, I had to read it.

I loved the book, and it reminded me of Elizabeth Strout's Pulitzer Prize-winning linked story collection, Olive Kitteridge, but I enjoyed Parrish's book even more.

Parrish is back with a more traditional collection of stories, By the Wayside. Instead of linked stories with the same characters appearing in the stories, these stories have similiar themes. Many of the stories have appeared in other publications as well.

The eighteen stories in By The Wayside deal mainly with young women facing a crossroads in life. These sassy women are dealing with dead parents, mental illness, sibling animosity, disappointment, marriage, and unrequited love. Many of these women are lonely, and some have adult responsibility beyond their young years.

In the first story, An Angel Within, Leet is a twenty year-old woman whose parents are gone. She is responsible for her two younger sisters, a sixteen year-old obsessed with nail polish, and a thirteen year-old whose obsession with beautiful clothes and handbags sometimes led to shoplifting.

Leet believes that an angel lives inside her; it is the only way she can get through her days at her lousy job as a grocery bagger in a town that requires a two-bus communte, only to return home to deal with her sisters.

The second story, How She Was Found, is one of the strongest. Fiona is on an archeological dig with her male professor and three male fellow students who treat her with disdain until she makes a significant find. I particularly liked Fiona's spunk. (Lou Grant would not like it- Mary Tyler Moore Show shout-out.)

Short stories require that the author get right to the point with her words, there is no room for flowerly descriptions. Parrish excels in that, using indelible phrases and sentences that set the mood and character in the reader's mind, like these:

In the terrific Where Love Lies, she writes "Dana figured nothing had been her fault. Bruce figured everything had been his fault." You learn a lot about that married couple in one sentence.

When Anna and her newlywed husband Paul move to the dusty town of Huron, South Dakota in 1920 in An Act of Concealment, Paul "thought the place he looked at nothing like home, His heart sank a bit. Anne's didn't. To her, home was an idea, not a place." I absolutely loved that passage, and again we know who these people are immediately.

When Anna says to another man that she believes marriage causes a kind of blindness, he tells her that "marriage alters one's vision... I mean that he doesn't see you well enough and (that) you see him too clearly."

Another story I loved was The Lillian Girl, about a teen who run aways from her disinterested parents and finds a woman looking for her daughter. It's the last story, and a fitting end to the this wonderful collection.

I found that I enjoyed the stories that were longer, the stories that were but a few pages seemed to end too abruptly for me. I recommend By the Wayside for those looking for a good short story collection, written beautifully. It's a perfect one-day read, but one that you'll contemplate much longer.

[Jada Ryker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anne Leigh Parrish offers an excellent volume of short stories spanning some twenty years of her prolific career as an acclaimed author.

My personal favorite was The Professor. In The Professor, a woman awaits the outcome of an adoption. As she frets, she sees a man from her childhood, taking her back to a long-ago place and time.

“He gazes at the twilight sky, a view that doesn’t inspire you much because of the neighbor’s ramshackle house and the overgrown bushes around its front walkway. You realize that your eye is drawn to the world’s flaws, not its glory, so you begin examining this trait, wondering how it affects you and your chances for future happiness in life. Professor DeLille turns and looks up at you. His eyes are moist, red-rimmed. A sick man’s eyes, you think, someone broken apart from the inside out. He puts his glass on the unpainted wood floor and takes your hand. The shock of it nearly takes your breath away. His palm is callused and rough, damp with sweat. It’s an ugly sensation, and the pit of your stomach lurches.”

Ms. Parrish captures both beauty and ugliness. Her descriptive writing style draws the reader into the story, teasing all of the senses through the written word.

I received a free copy for review.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this story collection to be well-written and filled with a multitude of relatable, strong female characters. The characters were similar but each was strong in her own way, and each story offered a unique plot, many of which examined societal constraints women face. Although I liked these characters, I sometimes found myself wanting more development of their experiences. Some of the stories ended a bit abruptly, and some of the underlying concepts felt too similar to other work I’ve read. Overall, though, this was a pleasant read, and I would recommend it to those who enjoy character-driven short stories.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for writing a review. I was not obligated to give a positive review, and all thoughts are my own.

[Unsolicited Press · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hearty. Fresh. A read for any time of the year.

[Maureen Sherbondy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored these short stories. Parrish is an excellent short story writer. Looking forward to reading more of her work. Smart and original stories.

[Jessica Bucci · Rating 3 out of 5]

This eighteen-story collection contains unique short stories featuring strong, realistic, and relatable characters. Anne Leigh Parrish does a beautiful job crafting stories that are each so different from one another that they could stand on their own. The stories vary in length, but Anne’s writing style and tone of voice stay consistent from story to story, creating a nice flow. She utilizes simple sentences that are easy to understand and read, while also supplying enough detail to be able to imagine the scene. Each character has their own problems to face within the stories, allowing readers to be able to connect with at least one, if not more. It allows reader to reflect on his or her own lives and potential. Anne’s characters were what drew me to this collection and what kept me reading. Their unique ability to find themselves or solve their problems is inspiring. My two favorite stories were ‘How She Was Found,’ and ‘The Fall.’

I would recommend this collection to readers who enjoy down-to-earth characters featured in easy to read stories.

DISCLAIMER: I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for writing a review. I was not obligated to give a positive review, and all thoughts are my own.

[Anonymous · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first few works in the collection are beautifully written, diverse in style and shows how well the author has perfected her unique voice. The rest of the stories read the same, follow the same vein, and consist of similar protagonists that face life’s difficult questions. I found the repetition to be bothersome; not horrible, not a deal breaker, just something I noticed. Some of them worked with the author’s writing style, some of them left far too many unanswered questions.

The realistic, down-to-earth characters are where this author clearly shines. They revolve around and move her stories along, perfectly flawed and human, confusing in their actions as much as they think they are justified. Many of these characters share similarities with each other, all of them seem to be cut from the same mold that this author is very comfortable with working with- again, it works in some places, and sometimes collections just happen to be those places. If you read the stories in stints, not back to back as I did, I’m sure the similarities would be less noticeable and the collection would be all the more enjoyable.

This is a decent collection; some flaws here and there, but nothing that any avid reader wouldn’t enjoy. Parrish has a real talent for realistic characters and a solidified voice, one that some published big name authors still have trouble finding. If you like short story collections and realistic fiction, I would definitely recommend not passing this one up.


Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for writing a review. I was not obligated to give a positive review, and all thoughts are my own.

[Kathy Duffy · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting collection of short stories written by Anne Leigh Parrish. my favorites were "How She was Found" and Trial by Luck". The author is excellent at characterization, draws you into the story with her characters. Short stories I believe are harder to write than novellas because you need draw in your reader and provide the action in a limited space, This collection was well worth reading. Very enjoyable.

The only thing I found annoying was the way the publisher bound the book or printed it I guess the right hand pages were always too far into the gutter which was unnecessary as there was a good size margin on the outside of the pages...but that was mechanical and had nothing to do with the writing.

[Susan Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a fascinating anthology of short stories. I enjoyed every story, and all of the characters! The stories were honest and intriguing. The characters are multi-dimensional and real, an amazing feat in the abbreviated time we get to know them. These stories are fast reads, perfect for times when you don't have a big time commitment to read, but want to get caught up in a story and its characters.

[Angie · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a fan of short stories I was looking forward to devouring BY THE WAYSIDE but I hate to tell you that is not how it transpired. In this situation, I only read 60% of the stories due to legitimate circumstances. After years of reading short story books, I have constructed a strange pattern in the manner I read them, never from front to back. Therefore, I start with the first story which had me excited, more on that later, then the last, after that I jump around marking each story with a ™Post-it so I don’t overlook something essential in my review. I know you are thinking why am I telling you this? Hence, the stories were not holding my attention due to the fact the main points eluded me. Even short stories have a beginning, middle, and an end, but these felt as if a small section from a general book had been removed and just placed on the pages. Therefore, when I went back and looked at my ™Post-it’s all but one were revealing the same conclusion, little depth, dry writing style, and what was the author insinuating to the reader?

Nevertheless, I kept thinking about these stories on and off for days, as if they were haunting me, causing my mind to go rogue trying to figure out what this author was attempting to convey, eventually leaving me at a loss. All things considered, there is a story that I give high praise, please don’t fall over, AN ANGEL WITHIN the first one in the book. In contrast to the others, this contained uniqueness and the writing was impressive. Furthermore, it’s about an Angel that sits wobbly on the head of a pin in a woman's chest. So could you imagine my surprise regarding the rest of the book? In conclusion, remember though BY THE WAYSIDE was unbefitting to me realize you as a reader could fancy it.

"Thanks, TLC book tours, for letting me give an honest review"