The Paperback Pursuer: Review # 263: Confessions of an Edgy Suburban Mom by Pam Grimes

Winner of the Shirley You Jest - Shirley HAH (2nd place) in Non-Fiction!

Description: (from Amazon)

Columnist Pam Grimes puts her off-kilter spin on marriage and children, while delving into the bizarre underbelly of suburbia. Her true tales of suburban life are populated by quirky characters that will make you laugh, cry and reach for your prescription meds all at once. Grimes speaks with a refreshing honesty and unabashed candor about raising three boys in today's world. Frankly, if you've got a beef with your inner child, the Edgy Suburban Mom offers to beat the tar out of the little twerp for you. So, dust off your sense of humor, refresh your perspective and adjust your comfy straps for a hilarious spin around the 'burbs with the Edgy Suburban Mom.

Review:

When I was asked to be a sponsor for the Shirley You Jest Book Awards (SYJ), I had no idea what kind of material I would be reading. I expected comedy, but was not sure about the content. However, after receiving the winning titles I was excited - two hilarious books by two seriously funny moms - each a goldmine of truths and realizations that any woman could relate to, and laugh at!

The SYJ 2nd Place Winner was Pam Grimes, and her book, Confessions of an Edgy Suburban Mom, was rife with honest and wit-filled humor from the get-go! I was laughing my tush off before I made it to page three, but Pam truly had me at "Hypodermic Needle Hopscotch". Her way with words is playful, yet structured, each story striking a chord with me - and with every other reader, I bet. Pam writes about her experiences without coddling the reader, speaking the truth that every woman, wife and mother knows to be true - responsibility can be downright rough, especially when you have so may shoes to fill! She understands what women go through because she is one, and she is not afraid to speak her mind, (something most of us only wish we could do!). Some stories nearly had me in tears, particularly "The Family Road Trip from Hell", "The Great Toilet Paper War", "Hello Kitty... Time to Die!" and "Touching Indians", among others. The length (132 pages) was just perfect for readers on the go, with plenty of stopping points, (if you could tear your eyes away from it), and I really loved the cover art - very fitting! My only complaint was that it was over too soon - so I guess that I will just have to follow Pam's blog for some more laughs! Overall, a smartly written, down-to-earth, riotous journey through the life and times of an Edgy Suburban Mom, that anyone can enjoy! Recommended for all readers, wives and mothers in particular.

Rating: Clean Getaway! (5/5)

***I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

About the Author:

Pam Grimes was born in Portland, Oregon during the turbulent 1960's, an era she still feels a deep affinity for. She attended the University of Oregon, majoring in English and minoring in snack foods. There she met and married her college sweetheart with whom she currently lives in the suburbs of Portland, Oregon along with their three sons and Keeshond, Inca. Her column The Edgy Suburban Mom has been published in Portland Monthly Magazine, Portland Family Magazine and Connecticut County Kids Magazine. Influenced by the goofiness and absurdity abundant in family life, Pam continues to mine the treasure trove of crazy off-kilter adventures and mishaps only to be found in that bizarre no-mans-land known as the 'burbs. Please visit her at www.pamgrimes.com to learn more about her books and blogs!