Last week, I was approached by author Edmund Christopher McCombs to write an honest review of his new non-fiction collection for a free digital copy of the book. I definitely love to give my opinion, so here we go... 

I started McComb's Stuck.at.Seven (while awkwardly aiming for ten) , yesterday evening and read it in a single sitting. It's a fun collection of true stories in McComb's life. Don't worry, the bizarre title is clarified in the opening story and it sets the stage for all that follows.

McCombs has a knack for writing comedy. I found most of his stories to be very funny, but only one made me actually laugh-out-loud. It didn't just make me laugh, but was the kind of laugh that produces tears and made me set the book down to gather my composure. The section that I found so hilarious was the I'm Your Biggest Fan-ny, Australia in which McCombs explains why one should never use the word Fanny while visiting the land down under. I found this especially hilarious because it has recently been brought up in conversation as my best friend is named Fanny and my English boyfriend just met her. Fanny isn't an appropriate word in England either!

McCombs is a relatable writer. I would put him in the same category as Jen Lancaster or David Sedaris, as a writer who has an off-beat out look on life and knows how to express it in a unique voice. A writer that would make an awesome dinner guest!  

I related to his obsession with the reality show, Survivor. At times, it was a tad too relatable! McCombs's little quirks and obsessions feel familiar. I thought the hostel story was also particularly funny. 

As with most collections, not all of the stories are equally entertaining. I'm not at all prudish, but at times this book is crude and it's distracting. It could have been toned down to make a stronger impact. It's kind of like a person always swears and their cuss words have little impact vs. someone who never swears and when they do it carries a lot of weight. I think that the author has great content, but a bit of restraint, would have given his key moments a bigger punch.

I finished reading and was left wanting more. I look forward to reading more of McComb's stories in the future.