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Start Without Me
Start Without Me: A Novel | Joshua Max Feldman
16 posts | 11 read | 18 to read
The author of the critically acclaimed The Book of Jonah explores questions of love and choice, disappointment and hope in the lives of two strangers who meet by chance in this mesmerizing tale that unfolds over one Thanksgiving Day. Adam is a former musician and recovering alcoholic who is home for Thanksgiving for the first time in many years. Surrounded by his parents and siblings, nieces and nephewsall who have seen him at his worsthe cant shake the feeling that no matter how hard he tries, hell always be the one who cant get it right. Marissa is a flight attendant whose marriage is strained by simmering tensions over race, class, and ambition. Heading to her in-laws for their picture-perfect holiday family dinner, her anxiety is intensified by the knowledge she is pregnant from an impulsive one-night-stand. In an airport restaurant on Thanksgiving morning, Adam and Marissa meet. Over the course of this day fraught with emotion and expectation, these two strangers will form an unlikely bond as they reckon with their family ties, their pasts, and the choices that will determine their way forward. Joshua Max Feldman focuses his knowing eye on one of the last bastions of classical American idealism, the Thanksgiving family gathering, as he explores our struggles to knowand to beour best selves. Hilarious and heartrending, Start Without Me is a thoughtful and entertaining page-turner that will leave its indelible mark on your heart.
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keithmalek
Start Without Me: A Novel | Joshua Max Feldman
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Pickpick

I know it's only the beginning of October, but if you're looking for a great Thanksgiving novel to read, I highly recommend this one.

Bookwormjillk Agree, I liked this one a lot 3y
16 likes1 comment
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Bookwormjillk
Start Without Me: A Novel | Joshua Max Feldman
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One of the few Thanksgiving books I know! From what I remember it was pretty good on audio.

sharread Have a happy Thanksgiving! 💞 3y
40 likes1 stack add1 comment
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suzie.reads
Start Without Me: A Novel | Joshua Max Feldman
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Pickpick

What a fantastic quick read 😍 Two strangers meet in an airport on Thanksgiving and share their stories. Its dysfunctional, emotional, funny and I thought Adam was a great character. I will definitely be reading Book of Jonah.

Reggie I lovvvved this book. 5y
suzie.reads @Reggie me too thought it was fantastic! 5y
45 likes2 comments
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Paperback.Propensity
Start Without Me: A Novel | Joshua Max Feldman

Her fear, was that she was weird - not charming, manic pixie weird, but weird in a way that estranged her, permanently, from a body she didn‘t belong in, from people who surrounded her without being able to comprehend her

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Sweettartlaura
Start Without Me: A Novel | Joshua Max Feldman
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Mehso-so

2.5 stars
I like the premise, but it was uneven. I almost gave up on it... then I was hooked. When I picked it up again, I couldn‘t remember what I liked ... then I couldn‘t stop reading.
So I don‘t buy it, that these two strangers spend Thanksgiving together. We don‘t see why Marissa would bring this guy around her troubled marriage; and while you see Adam‘s charm, he‘s mostly annoying.
It‘s not bad, but I didn‘t gain anything from this read.

TommieMarie74 That‘s too bad. It sounds like a great premise. Thanks for the review! 6y
Sweettartlaura @TommieMarie74 This is going to sound weird, reader to reader, but I think it could be better as a movie 😮😏. There are moments of real humor, moments of real tenderness. A camera might better capture how these two connect, and what compels them to keep being drawn to each other. 6y
TommieMarie74 That‘s not all that weird. I have on occasion thought that about a book. 🤷🏻‍♀️ 6y
28 likes3 comments
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Reggie
Start Without Me: A Novel | Joshua Max Feldman
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Pickpick

I feel like Joshua picked up a piece of paper from his fishbowl of book ideas that read FAMILY DYSFUNCTION. And then he wrote the hell out of this book about Adam, a recovering alcoholic keyboard player, and Marissa, a flight attendant who just found out she was pregnant by a man not her husband. These 2 will meet the morning of Thanksgiving 2016 in a cafe and share a brutal and vicious day of familial understanding and self discovery. Super pick!

Cathythoughts 😱. That will be quite a conversation 6y
Reggie @Cathythoughts it was soooo good. Part of me was this Jerry Springer audience and part of me was hoping all would be ok for these 2. I felt like I was a ghost riding in the backseat of the car with them. The book is just so intimate. There was so many good things about this book. (edited) 6y
Cathythoughts Sounds really good 👍🏻 6y
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Kaye Love your description, @Reggie ...😁 6y
Reggie @Kaye Thanks!!! 6y
LauraBeth This sounds great! 6y
Reggie @LauraBeth it was. Adam has a deep relationship with music and Marissa has a difficult relationship with her mother. Throughout the book you never feel sorry for them but you definitely root for them. I really liked it. 6y
kspenmoll Sounds great! 6y
67 likes7 stack adds8 comments
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Reggie
Start Without Me: A Novel | Joshua Max Feldman
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This character is talking about a rock band but I actually miss this about symphonic concert band. You, with your instrument, and your piece of music, whether it be 3rd trumpet or 2nd flute, become part of something larger than yourself and it is beautiful. P.s. Loving this book.

GatheringBooks sounds awesome! what do you use for editing? typorama has such a limited space for text - only a few characters allowed. :) 6y
Reggie @GatheringBooks I use pic collage. When I add text I just paste into their text box and then you just resize with your fingers. 6y
shadowspeak17 Ah, I miss band. ❤️ What did you play? 6y
See All 9 Comments
GatheringBooks @Reggie great! thanks! will check it out. :) 6y
Reggie @shadowspeak17 I played trumpet. You? (edited) 6y
shadowspeak17 @Reggie Flute and piccolo 😊🎶 6y
BookishTrish @shadowspeak17 I'm learning flute now as an adult beginner and loving it. Do you still play? 6y
shadowspeak17 @BookishTrish Oh, that‘s awesome! 😃 I don‘t play very much anymore, but I still take it out occasionally. 6y
lynneamch 💖🎶🎵🎶💖 Beautiful, powerful quote. Thanks for posting. 6y
50 likes1 stack add9 comments
review
Bookwormjillk
Start Without Me: A Novel | Joshua Max Feldman
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Pickpick

Thanksgiving books are always so melancholy, this one included. Since it's my favorite holiday I don't usually appreciate that. However I liked the main characters and thought the ending was good, so this one is a pick.

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Bookwormjillk
Start Without Me: A Novel | Joshua Max Feldman
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If it seems extraordinary that's because it happened to you.

Myhusbandhatesreading Pretty picture 🍁 6y
21 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Allietaylor16
Start Without Me: A Novel | Joshua Max Feldman
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Reading with the bird before watching Charlie Brown Thanksgiving!

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Bookwormjillk
Start Without Me: A Novel | Joshua Max Feldman
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I have two other audio books going now, but I needed something to get me through all of this cooking!

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BeckyBelt
Start Without Me: A Novel | Joshua Max Feldman
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I'm not usually one for seasonal/holiday books but the cover of this grabbed me and it sounded like a good story and it happens to take place around Thanksgiving. My favorite holiday. Just got into it but I like it so far!

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Tav
Start Without Me: A Novel | Joshua Max Feldman
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Our next book club pick - a literary novel about two single adults dreading Thanksgiving with their families for different reasons. That‘ll get us in the spirit! Lol

Tamra 😂 6y
Tav @Tamra right?! 6y
Tamra @Tav it‘s perfect. 6y
13 likes2 stack adds3 comments
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Librarylady
Start Without Me: A Novel | Joshua Max Feldman
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This one is getting me in the mood for the holidays as the characters converge on their childhood home for Thanksgiving. I love a good family drama as well; I have high hopes for this one.

20 likes1 stack add
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BookNAround
Start Without Me: A Novel | Joshua Max Feldman
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Thanksgiving can be so fraught! Started this one last night.

35 likes1 stack add
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Paperback.Propensity
Start Without Me: A Novel | Joshua Max Feldman
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I am enjoying this a lot, but don't really know what to say about it. It's hard to put down.

11 likes1 stack add