#BookReview #TheGuncle #StevenRowley #PenguinRandomHouse

 

The GUNCLE

From the bestselling author of Lily and the Octopus and The Editor comes a warm and deeply funny novel about a once-famous sitcom star whose unexpected family tragedy leaves him with his niece and nephew.

Patrick O’Hara has always loved his niece, Maisie, and nephew, Grant — from a safe distance. His Palm Springs home and reclusive lifestyle aren’t exactly welcoming to children. But when tragedy strikes, Patrick finds himself suddenly taking on the role of primary guardian.

Patrick has no idea what to expect, having spent years barely holding on after the loss of his own great love and managing a stalled career. He regrets his decision to take them in, until he starts to recognize that his outsize lifestyle and unusual life wisdom could bring about a season of healing that redefines their understanding of family, and finally lead Patrick back to himself.

WINNER of the Thurber Prize for American Humor
USA Today Bestseller
Wall Street Journal Bestseller
A Library Reads Pick
A PEOPLE Magazine Best Book of the Week
A Washington Post Feel Good Book for Summer
One of NPR’s Books We Love 2021
A Goodreads Choice Award Finalist

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/608011/the-guncle-by-steven-rowley/9780525542285/

Steven Rowley

Steven Rowley is the New York Times bestselling author of Lily and the Octopus, a Washington Post Notable Book of 2016, The Editor, named by NPR as one of the Best Books of 2019, The Guncle, a Goodreads Choice Awards finalist for 2021 Novel of the Year and winner of the Thurber Prize for American Humor, The Celebrants, a TODAY Show Read With Jenna Book Club pick, and the instant USA Today Bestsellers The Guncle Abroad andThe Dogs of Venice. His fiction has been published in twenty languages.

Originally from Portland, Maine, he is a graduate of Emerson College and currently resides in Palm Springs with his husband, the writer Byron Lane, and three rescue dogs.

Rights Inquiries / All titles

Rob Weisbach | Rob Weisbach Creative Management
Tel: 323-498-5853 | rob@robweisbach.com

Media Inquiries / The Editor, The Guncle & The Celebrants

Katie McKee | G.P. Putnam’s Sons
Tel: 412-561-1207 | kmckee@prh.com

Stephen’s Social Media

https://www.instagram.com/mrstevenrowley/?hl=en

https://www.facebook.com/stevenrowley/

https://x.com/mrstevenrowley?lang=en

https://www.simonandschuster.com/authors/Steven-Rowley/547722072

The GUNCLE 

Written By Steven Rowley 

Review By Heidi Lynn’s Book Reviews

Steven Rowley had me snickering and giggling at the things Grant and Macy would say to their Guncle Pat in The Guncle!! This was such a cute fun read that will make you smile but there are moments that unfortunately are heartbreaking. However, It in my opinion is unlike any other book out there and is creatively written outside the box. Which is refreshing. 

Krish Del Rosario I totally loved your cover design on the book! It was so colorful just like Guncle Pat! Oh and the two kids marching behind their Guncle was perfect.It drew me in to want to know more about the book. 

Guncle Pat had a great idea for Maise and Grant to make a video for their Mom who had passed. The kids also wanted him to share how he met their mother.

OMG seriously remember not to turn off my phone at night!! I would have had a major panic attack if I woke up to 13 missed calls from Patrick’s parents and one from Greg. I get it if his motto is if their was an emergency he would deal with it on a full night's sleep. However, this was a HUGE phone call he missed. Sadly, after a year in a half Sara passed away. 

I loved how the kids called Guncle Pat GUP. Can you guess why? For Gay Uncle Pat. 

To be a fly on the wall at the restaurant scene it was the most comical thing ever with Patrick being a vegetarian and educating me on Lacto-Ova and Pescatarian. But the kids all they wanted was bacon and hotdogs. I was laughing my booty off on that scene. 

I was quite surprised and shocked by maisie’s question Guncle Pat and actually I was too. She asked him if he liked being gay. Who would ask someone that. I understand she is young but still you don’t ask that question! To find out his reaction you just need to go pick up this book!! 

#BookReview #OvercomingtheWallofAwful #BrendanMahanMeDMS #AlexHughesCapell #GCPBalance

 

Overcoming The Wall of Awful

Why it’s Hard to Get Things Done With ADHD, Autism, and Anxiety (and how to do them anyways) 

Written by Brendan Mahan, M.E.d, MS with Alex Hughes Capell

A groundbreaking, practical guide to accomplishing your goals and thriving in life, written for people with ADHD, autism, trauma and anxiety. 

“Overcoming the Wall of Awful is not only endlessly validating, but epically empowering. This book needs to be in the hands of everyone who has ever failed at anything.” —Jessica McCabe, New York Times bestselling author of How to ADHD 

We’re afraid to talk about it—that feeling we all get when we need to do something as simple as cleaning the kitchen or sending an email and we just … can’t. It’s not because we don’t want to, it’s because we feel paralyzed. We’re not aimless. We’re not lazy. Our brains are working against us! We have purpose, we just need guidance.  

This is that guide. Just like bricks, negative emotions and experiences can build up until they feel like an impenetrable wall between us and our goals. Brendan Mahan, MEd., MS. calls this the Wall of Awful—and he’s lived it. Diagnosed with ADHD as an adult, Mahan has made it his life’s work to help people overcome their own Walls of Awful and accomplish their biggest, scariest ambitions.  

Mahan draws on twenty years in teaching, counseling, and coaching people with anxiety, ADHD, autism, and trauma. He teams up with writer Alex Hughes Capell in Overcoming the Wall of Awful to present his comprehensive model. The book explores:  

• How anxiety works and why it gets in the way 
• Ways people try to get past the Wall that don’t work—and what does 
• How to climb your Wall of Awful and take back control 

Learn how to identify key emotions, the bricks in your Wall. Then, learn the tricks, systems, and habits you’ll need to not just climb one Wall—but to overcome your blocks throughout your life, one step at a time. The Wall is real, but you are stronger than you know. 

Brendan Mahan, M.Ed., M.S., grew up with undiagnosed ADHD. He has spent the last twenty-five years becoming the person he needed. Mahan draws on his experience as a former teacher, principal, and mental health clinician in his work as a highly esteemed ADHD coach, consultant, celebrated podcast host, and speaker. He has coached hundreds of clients with ADHD, autism, and anxiety through their most difficult challenges. Over that time, he has built a groundbreaking model that helps people understand and solve their challenges at a deeper level. That model is the subject of this book, “The Wall of Awful.”

Connect with Brendan on his socials 

Website: https://brendanmahan.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/ADHD-Essentials/376907899134627

X: https://twitter.com/adhdessentials

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendan-mahan-med-ms-1303a71

Alex Hughes Capell is an award-winning career writer of 22 book length projects and numerous shorter pieces. She is highly conversant with psychology and behavior, neurodiversity and mental health, science, business, and the technology industry. In addition to her expertise as a writer, Alex adds patient expertise on the mental health community, anxiety, and trauma informed approaches to the book.

Overcoming the Wall of Awful 

Written by 

Brendan Mahan, M.Ed, MS

And 

Alex Hughes Capell 

Review By Heidi Lynn’s Book Reviews 

First, I want to thank Brendan Mahan, MEd, MS., Alex Huges Campbell, and Grand Central Publishing for providing me with this book so I can bring this review to you. 

Brendan made me smile as dedicated this book to his father, Bill Mahan, who has always supported his writing and without this book wouldn’t have happened. He also tugged on my heart strings when he dedicated this book in memory of his Mom, Peggy Mahan. He wishes you were here to see what all that studying you helped him do lead to. Brendan, I bet she would be extremely proud of all your accomplishments! 

Brendan starts out his book with a very beautifully written and insightful forward from Jessica McCabe who is a creator and host of How to ADHD.  She shares with the readers how she first met Brendan and how she learned about The Wall of Awful. She shares all the invaluable lessons that she had learned from attending his program. Jessica is proud of Brendan for climbing the Wall of Awful! If both Jessica and Brendan can do it then for sure anyone that picks up this book can do it as well!! 

Brendan was very mindful when planning on writing this book! He wanted this book to be geared towards every reader! I appreciate how considerate he was of the population that would be reading this specific book. Specifically the neurodivergent community. So to help with this he put in multiple supports that can help. For example the parts he found important he stressed in bold print. 

You will see side bars, bullet lists, landmarks at each chapter level at the beginning of each chapter you will have one sentence summary at the beginning of the chapter a mini review and action step guide at the end of the guide.

I think it was very important to know upfront that this book does not have to be read in order from start to finish. That for this book of ideas and that you can pick and choose which section you would like to focus on. 

I found this crutial and I actually think Brendan should have mentioned this sooner in the book. If you are reading this and suffering a mental health crisis this is not the book for you. Getting help in stability is the first step. 

However, if you are in a non crisis situation or managing a chronic or long term mental health condition then yes this book could serve you additional help. You would have never guessed it but for years I have suffered from anxiety, overthinking, ptsd, and social awkwardness (or so my sister calls it). It wasn’t till I changed my mental health therapist from a male to female to get a different perspective on things over this summer and was introduced to an low dose anxiety med. Let me tell you those two changes and a few others have really made an impact on my life in a positive way! So, when I was offered to read and review this book by the publisher it was a no brainer that I agree to it. It came at the perfect time when I was open to taking it all in and learning more about what could help better myself. So, thank you Grand Central Publishing for sending this book and for Brendan for writing it. 

Small world! Brendan is friends with author Caroline Maguire who is the author of Friendship Skills for Neurodivergents that ironically I just read and reviewed for her. It is a phenomenal eye opening book if you have not read it you definitely should. In his book he refers to her under the topic of social skills.

For me change has always been hard. So accepting the situation and changing your self talk of the situation is very hard for me. Then bravely moving on from it sometimes is not so easy. 

At the end of the book in the appendix Brendan gives a great extra bonus tool kit with breathing exercises, the 5-4-3-2-1 method, sensory regulation strategies, the mammalian driving technique and Immediate distraction technique. You will also find a climbing the wall of awful quick start worksheet. 

After reading this book you can tell Brendan really has a gift for what he does for a living. Not only that but a passion for helping people seek help they need. If you or anyone you know are suffering from anxiety I highly suggest you read this book! This book would also be a great addition to any mental health office, school library, etc.