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Albert Camus

Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend.

Monday, February 24, 2020

REVIEW - You Will Have a Black Labrador by Nino Gugunishvili

Love, memories, family, enduring friendships, cooking, movies, dogs, travels, hairstyles, and saying Yes to many No’s in a witty, yet often sentimental, journey of self-discovery… 


REVIEW

In You Will Have a Black Labrador Nino Gugunishvili gives us ten delightfull essays. 

Maybe I did not agree with some aspects found in In Search of Peter or Make Me an Omelette or even in the Ara Means No! Or, the Art of Saying No but I still enjoyed very much all ten of them. They gave me the occasion to review my own values and limits.

I loved A Family Album and Till Death Do Us Part! Under the lines, I could feel the subtle criticism of today's habits and the tendency of cutting the roots... and how photography lost its deeper meaning. Maybe Till Death Do Us Part hit too close to home.

A Letter to My Unborn Children hides profound regret hidden under a (humorous) resignation.

The humor and light atmosphere (but sometimes ironically) turn down the seriousness of the addressed topics (see the blurb) making them easier to digest. But do not mistake, the topics and the feelings involved are real and vital. When society changes, the rules change, what defines us in the end?

Yep, these essays deserve to be discussed, so I'm waiting for you to read them as I just add another NO: No is for ignoring this volume.

Description:

Love, memories, family, enduring friendships, cooking, movies, dogs, travels, hairstyles, and saying Yes to many No’s in a witty, yet often sentimental, journey of self-discovery… 

You Will Have a Black Labrador is a collection of semiautobiographical essays forming a narrative about a modern Georgian woman. Her stories range from the search for a perfect romantic partner to exploring food as an integral part of the Georgian culture. Many of the vignettes center on childhood memories or weird family traditions, such as the way family members stay connected no matter if they’re deceased or alive. One essay reveals how making a simple omelette can change your life; and that No can be the most powerful word in any language. She shows us, too, that a haircut can be a tribute to the movies you love as well as a path to your freedom; and how owning a dog always brings unexpected experiences. In this poignantly humourous collection, reality mixes and interferes with an imaginative world in so many surprising ways.

About the author:
"You Will Have a Black Labrador" is Nino Gugunishvili’s recently released collection of short essays. She is also the author of a women’s fiction novel, Friday Evening, Eight O’Clock, published in English and Russian. She resides in Tbilisi, Georgia. 

Author's Giveaway
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30 comments:

Nino Gugunishvili said...

Thanks so much for hosting and for a wonderful review that absolutely made my day!

Audrey Stewart said...

I am new to Nino Gugunishvili but I will certainly give this book a read. Thanks for the intro.

Nino Gugunishvili said...

Thank you so much, dearest Audrey! I really hope you enjoy reading it! Thanks for stopping by, and if you have any questions I'll answer them gladly!

Nancy P said...

Sounds great

Nino Gugunishvili said...

Thank you, Nancy! 😊

Bridgett Wilbur said...

I would love to read your book.

Gwendolyn Jordan said...

I like the cover

Nino Gugunishvili said...

Thank you!

Nino Gugunishvili said...

Dear Bridgett, thank you! I hope you'll read it someday soon and most of all I hope you'll enjoy it!

Julie Waldron said...

I like the cover, sounds like a good book!

Nino Gugunishvili said...

Thanks so much Julie! I’m glad you liked it!

amy1825 said...

this looks really interesting!

Nino Gugunishvili said...

Thanks for stopping by 🙏🎈

CCAM said...

@Nino Gugunishvili

You're very welcome! I really enjoyed your essays. I liked Tbilisi and I tried to add images to the texts; a great experience!

Rita Wray said...

Sounds like a good read.

Sherry said...

Looks like a very interesting book.

A. B. said...

I would really like to take a look at this book! Creative nonfiction is my favorite genre, and I ~love~ essay collections.
--Ann B.

Nino Gugunishvili said...

Huge thanks to all of you!

Dale Wilken said...

Sounds great.

Calvin F. said...

Excellent share!

A. B. said...

For the author:
Is there any particular essay that you found most enjoyable to write? Or, do you have a personal favorite essay from the finished collection?
Thank you,
--Ann B.

Nino Gugunishvili said...

Thank you, Ann, for a wonderful question. I think the essays about the family were both the most enjoyable and the most difficult to write but I love all of them dearly:)

Amy Woolard said...

This one sounds like a light hearted read. I must say that I am very interested in reading more!

Nino Gugunishvili said...

Thank you, Amy, it's so wonderful to hear! :)

A. B. said...

This looks like a book that celebrates the significance in the small, ordinary, and everyday things, and that is something that I really appreciate.
--Ann B.

Nino Gugunishvili said...

Thanks, Ann, I think it does, and I hope you'll enjoy reading these stories :)

A. B. said...

For the author:
Is there a common thread, or any particular thematic element, that weaves throughout all or some of the essays?
--Ann B.

Nino Gugunishvili said...

Thanks for the interesting question Anna, I think one of the main themes of this book is about family, love, friendship, culture, or traditions, and more generally discovering who you are through different experiences.

A. B. said...

Thank you for answering my questions. Congrats on the book release! ❤️
—Ann B.

Nino Gugunishvili said...

My pleasure ��