This summer, members of the Vise Library are participating in a Summer Reading Challenge. We have received copies of several books from publishers for honest reviews. We hope that you enjoy these reviews (and books)!
The first book on our schedule is The One and Only by bestselling author Emily Giffin.
"Thirty-three-year-old Shea Rigsby has spent her entire life
in Walker, Texas—a small college town that lives and dies by football, a
passion she unabashedly shares. Raised alongside her best friend, Lucy, the
daughter of Walker’s legendary head coach, Clive Carr, Shea was too devoted to
her hometown team to leave. Instead she stayed in Walker for college, even
taking a job in the university athletic department after graduation, where she
has remained for more than a decade.
But when an unexpected tragedy strikes the tight-knit Walker community, Shea’s comfortable world is upended, and she begins to wonder if the life she’s chosen is really enough for her. As she finally gives up her safety net to set out on an unexpected path, Shea discovers unsettling truths about the people and things she has always trusted most—and is forced to confront her deepest desires, fears, and secrets.
Thoughtful, funny, and brilliantly observed, The One & Only is a luminous novel about finding your passion, following your heart, and, most of all, believing in something bigger than yourself . . . the one and only thing that truly makes life worth living."
But when an unexpected tragedy strikes the tight-knit Walker community, Shea’s comfortable world is upended, and she begins to wonder if the life she’s chosen is really enough for her. As she finally gives up her safety net to set out on an unexpected path, Shea discovers unsettling truths about the people and things she has always trusted most—and is forced to confront her deepest desires, fears, and secrets.
Thoughtful, funny, and brilliantly observed, The One & Only is a luminous novel about finding your passion, following your heart, and, most of all, believing in something bigger than yourself . . . the one and only thing that truly makes life worth living."
The One & Only by Emily Giffin is a very well written book set in a small town called Walker, Texas. In Walker, football rules the town.This book was a fun and delightful book to read. You will not want to put the book down. Giffin is very descriptive and makes sure that the reader is entertained. There are themes of love, abuse, loss and going out of one's norm to find out who they really are.
Shea Rigsby is the main character who is sort of stuck in life. She has always lived in the same town, works for her alma mater and has a boyfriend that she is just comfortable with. You instantly like her. She realizes that she needs a change when a town and personal tragedy happen. This makes Shae question everything about her life, the people around her, and things she has denied herself. She makes drastic changes, but the only thing that has remained the same is her love of Walker Football and people in the Coach Carr family (Coach Carr himself and his daughter Lucy, who is Shea's lifelong friend).
Coach Clive Carr is the coach of the Walker football team and is also facing changes after the shocking loss of his wife, Connie, to cancer. After her parents divorced, Shea and Lucy become close friends. Lucy does not enjoy football or have a passion for it in any way. Shea, however, does enjoy football more than anything and shares a special connection with Carr and football. The death of Connie changes everything about the relationships between these three people.
Shea Rigsby goes on a journey of self discovery and encounters painful circumstances and secrets that unravel her life. This book is full of memorable characters that readers will want to know more about once they finish. Giffin has written a wonderful novel that has both happiness and sadness mixed throughout the story. Even if someone not a fan of football, readers will enjoy learning and reading about these characters. The bad thing about receiving an advanced copy of this book is having to until Emily Giffin writes a new one!
This book is available in the Vise Library. To see the record for this book click here.
For other books that are available in the library by Emily Giffin click here.
Praise for
the Emily Giffin:
“Emily Giffin ranks as a grand master. . . . She has
traversed the slippery slopes of true love, lost love, marriage, motherhood, betrayal,
forgiveness and redemption that have led her to be called ‘a modern-day Jane
Austen.’ ”—Chicago Sun-Times
“Giffin’s writing is true, smart, and heartfelt.”—Entertainment Weekly
“[Giffin] excels at creating complex characters and quick-to-read stories that ask us to explore what we really want from our lives.”—The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
“A dependably down-to-earth, girlfriendly storyteller.”—The New York Times
“Giffin’s talent lies in taking relatable situations and injecting enough wit and suspense to make them feel fresh.”—People
“Giffin’s writing is true, smart, and heartfelt.”—Entertainment Weekly
“[Giffin] excels at creating complex characters and quick-to-read stories that ask us to explore what we really want from our lives.”—The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
“A dependably down-to-earth, girlfriendly storyteller.”—The New York Times
“Giffin’s talent lies in taking relatable situations and injecting enough wit and suspense to make them feel fresh.”—People
“When it comes to writing stories that resonate with real women, bestselling
author Emily Giffin has hit her stride.”—San Francisco Chronicle
About the
author:
Emily Giffin is the author of six New York Times
bestselling novels: Something Borrowed, Something Blue, Baby Proof, Love the
One You’re With, Heart of the Matter, and Where We Belong. A
graduate of Wake Forest University and the University of Virginia School of
Law, she now lives in Atlanta lives with her husband and three young children.
-AT
P.S. For more information about the summer reading challenge and the books that we will be reviewing click the badge below!
P.S. For more information about the summer reading challenge and the books that we will be reviewing click the badge below!
