Ten Tiny Breaths by K.A. Tucker

Everyone once in a while a book comes along and knocks you on your ass, and changes your world view.  The last book that had that effect on me was The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger.  A book, now nearly 10 years old which defined where I was in my life in that place and time, waiting, always waiting.

Very seldom do I read something these days that shakes me to my core.  This book has been getting a ton of hype, and a nice woman in my book group loaned it to me.  I've had to put it down a couple of times because of how it was hitting me.  I have a close family member who suffers from PTSD and alcohol has shaped my formative years in ways no person should have to deal with.

Describing this book is challenging, but I'll give it a stab, Kasey, and her sister Livie start a new life in Miami leaving behind a lecherous abusive uncle and a blind to reality fundamentalist Christian aunt who became their guardians after their parents died in a drunk driving accident.  The uncle has squandered away their insurance and having had enough Kasey packs up Livie and runs.

They settle in a run down apartment complex in Miami and set up as close to a normal life ass possible, with some interesting neighbors.  Storm/Nora is a bartender who gets Kasey a job tending bar in the gentleman's club where she works.  Storm is a single mom of a beautiful little girl who has a troubled past of her own.

Kasey plays the typical avoidance scenario, pain is hard, and it sucks, and PTSD sucks, and she copes in ways that are less than healthy, drinking, sex, violence, she runs the gamut of little girl lost ways to act out.

She meets and falls in love/lust with Trent, the quiet, secretive neighbor.

She doesn't open up, she doesn't talk about her past, she locks it all inside, often with some really dangerous consequences.

This isn't a neatly tied with a bow story about love, sex, or life.  It's raw and visceral and it slaps you in the face every now and again.

It is a story that's worth every second of time you take to read it, and re-read it to gain insight into the nuances you missed the first time around.  I try and read TTTW once a year, I'm positive this book is about to go into regular rotation for me.  And from me that is THE highest compliment I can give a book and an author.  I've read well over 450 books in the last two years.  The fact that of all those this is one I will pick up over and over to read is a big deal.

So, let's start of our re-vamped blog, now with an enhanced experience with a give-away.  In the comments section tell me about a book that has changed your life or you feel defines you as a person.  Comments will be accepted through January 2, 2013.  In the end I'll pick a random poster to receive a copy of this book through the book-seller of your choice.

I look forward to hearing your responses.

And if you don't win, you should pick up this story anyhow, it isn't a pricey ready and would be worth it at ten times the price.

http://www.amazon.com/Ten-Tiny-Breaths-ebook/dp/B00ALQC858/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1356553125&sr=1-1&keywords=ten+tiny+breaths