We're All Damaged by Matthew Norman

We're All Damaged by Matthew Norman is a hilarious romp through one man's disintegrating life. Left by his wife for another man, Andy heads to New York to drown his sorrows and try to forget the loss of his marriage, and also as we find out later, all of his friends and social connections. But after over a year of hiding, his grandfather is dying, and so back to Omaha Andy goes. What ensues is a series of misadventures and encounters with his old life, each one funnier than the last, though all touched with a dose of sadness. For Andy is sad, and broken, and a young friend of his grandfather's, Daisy, decides to help Andy put the pieces of his life back together again.

Along the way, Andy has to deal with his conservative talk radio host mother, the "Glitter Mafia" who keep harassing her for her anti-gay marriage stance, his father who himself seems to be unraveling,  his dying grandfather, his former friends who want nothing to do with him, and of course, his ex, whom he sorely wants back, but whose new boyfriend has other ideas. And then there is Daisy, this mysterious girl with questionable motives but good taste in T-shirts - why is she even bothering with a guy like Andy at all? If this all sounds sad, it's not! It's absolutely funny and a rip-roaring adventure through one man's misfortune. Norman's take away message - we are ALL damaged, but if you can't see the funny in that, then what's the point?

66 Laps by Leslie Lehr

66 Laps by Leslie Lehr is a cautionary tale about what happens when deceit and doubt infiltrate a marriage. Audrey seems to have it all: a successful doting husband and a darling little daughter. When her best friend points out that her hair is turning gray, she does what any LA woman whose currency resides in her appearance would do - she slaps "the bitch."

The story devolves from there, with Audrey's insecurities wreaking havoc with her marriage. Can she trust that Jim will remain faithful even though he's spending more and more time with a younger version of herself? And when she loses hope in him, will she take her own revenge and settle the score?

The obvious answer is, of course! Something needs to happen after all. But the path of her revenge takes an unexpected turn and sets in motion a sequence of events that Audrey could never have anticipated. This book starts with a slap and ends with bang that echoes through her life and haunts her, and the reader, forever.

Life Drawing by Robin Black

Life Drawing is an intricate tale about marriage, infidelity, and death. Robin Black takes a risk with this novel by informing the reader in the first sentence that the narrator’s (Augusta, Gus, Augie) husband (Owen) is dead, and then allows the rest of the book to chart the course of his demise. There are no hints at first as to whether his death is natural, at his own hands or from violence, and it seems as though their new neighbor, Alison, is somehow involved, but that is also unclear. So why keep reading if you know how it ends? This is no mystery novel, but instead an intimate look at a marriage and the effects of infidelity and betrayal on it. Halfway through you might even forget that Owen, a novelist, is going to die at some point, but then the tension begins to build and build until he does, and it’s hard to put the book down. Gus is a painter, and Black herself draws (haha) you into the detailed world she’s painted (hahaha) with excellent writing and compelling characters. There is no fairy tale ending here, but many memorable passages like this one:

 “There are often two conversations going on in a marriage. The one that you’re having and the one you’re not. Sometimes you don’t even know when that second, silent one has begun.”