A humorous and dramatic sequence of events makes up This Can't Be Normal.

The author, Diana Estill, grants the reader a peek at certain pieces of her life as only she can narrate. Don't be fooled, this is not a run-of-the-mill, sappy, lesson learned autobiography. It is a quirky, detailed compilation of life stories that holds elements of tribute, community, reinvention and epiphany

This book is a scathingly honest articulation of a southern woman and her insight into the layers and layers of the soulful laughter and dynamics of married life, child rearing, and social interaction; all wrapped up and, to a large degree, depicting insanely emotional nuance.

Estill, by far, holds an incredible voice within her writing. The central theme remains concrete, whilst the story continues to multiply and jump from one scene to the next.

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Bookend Chronicles ( )

Received as an ebook to review. Very funny Southern humor. Just about anyone can relate to at least one of her essays. I will definitely be looking for more of her writings! This is not Jeff Foxworthy humor but truly funny, more Erma Bombeck type humor. ( )

This Can't Be Normal by Diana Estill is a collection of 23 true, short stories about everyday life. Or rather, her everyday life. Set around her home base of Dallas, Texas (with the occasional tale from abroad), we're given small snapshots into the daily goings-on of her household.

There are far too many stories for me to give detailed descriptions of all of them (plus I don't want to spoil anything), so I've created a "mini-trailer" (or something) for the book as a whole. Text only of course. Try to picture a dramatic voice-over. Here it goes:

In a world where garage sales are Utopia, we find these brave heroes on their
extraordinary missions.

From analysing the perfect cup of coffee down to its molecular level, to providing
health risk statistics on death by "space pollution" to the public, these warriors may just be
the answer we've been looking for.

What really happens at the dentist? What is the perfect cookie recipe for catering an
apocalypse?

Fighting for humanity against the dreaded CAPTCHAs and taking on an epic quest to
discover untold wisdom hidden in your drawers.

One woman must conquer her fear of glasses containing unknown substances. And
could mens' boxers be the cause of the recession?

This brave family battles onward, desperately trying to provide us with an explanation
of what normal really means.

Coming soon to a book store near you! Actually it already has, pick up a copy today. Okay enough of that. Onto the actual book itself. The writing style is very similar to newspaper columnists. The stories are brief, anecdotal and tell of real-life situations. Therefore, the humour of each story will be completely subjective to the individual reading them. Whether a story is funny or not will completely depend on their own perspective and what most relates to them. But, the likelihood is that everyone will find at least one story that makes them smile in this collection.

The author mixes social commentary with her family oddities, intertwining the two so that both will be entertaining. She can be a little cynical at times, but then who isn't? It just adds to the humour. Her humour is very tongue-in-cheek and she's not afraid of writing degrading comments about people, but makes sure it's all in jest by including herself in the mockeries.

An easy, afternoon read, that'll strike a cord with anyone who's ever wondered what normality really is? And if it's possible for their family to be part of it.

Disclaimer: I received this book from the author. This is not a sponsored review. All opinions are 100% my own. ( )

I enjoyed this book which was filled with the author's humorous take on her family life. There were many times that I could see myself or my family in her stories and believe that she points out the funny things that are almost universal in families. The book was easy reading and had a very conversational tone as if she were sitting right in front of me and telling me the stories as we laughed together. I received this book as a gift from the author through member giveaways on Librarything.com. ( )

I received this book free from Library Thing to read and review. This book is funny, interesting and very relevant. We all have quirky family, and in this book, the author has compiled a bunch of little vignettes about familial interactions that underscore this. From the crazy garage sale gifts no one really wants but will take to not hurt/upset the giver to the to a trip to the Caribbean where the unexpected happens to hoarding empty juice cans, the author has covered episodes that everyone can relate to. The style is casual but outstanding. The characters are zany but endearing. As I said, the episodes are humorous but ring true to us all. This is a great book. It is a book you can pick up to read if you only have a few moments to spend reading, or you can sit back with nice iced tea on a sunny afternoon to read it from start to finish. Either way, you will probably spend an enjoyable time reading. By the end of the book, I almost wished it would go on, so I could enjoy myself more with these stories and characters. I recommend this book to anyone who has lived the kind of life most of us consider normal, for you will see yourself and your family everywhere. It is definitely refreshing to realize we all are not exceptions to the norm. ( )