Bitmo Sunday book review

Sunday Book Review – Grow Damn It!, by Cheryl Orteglia

Published on by dgkaye

Welcome back to my Sunday Book Review. I am thrilled to review this book today by friend and debut author, Cheryl Orteglia – Grow Damn It! – The Feeding and Nurturing of Life. Cheryl runs an amazing, and often hilarious blog all about her colorful life at Living in the Gap. She writes about things that happen in her daily life, and there never seems to be any shortage of stories. Cheryl can make a book out of what may seem an ordinary day, but from what I’ve read, no day is ordinary in Cheryl’s life.

This is Cheryl’s debut book, and I truly hope there will be another and another following. I was also thrilled to bits when she invited me to write an editorial for her book just before publication. I’ll share it here with you:

Praise For:

Vignettes and slices of life that will touch your heart, make you laugh, and sometimes cry—but, mostly, laugh. From tales of life, loss, values, victories, kids, road trips, and wine—always wine, Oreglia’s mini memoirs are guaranteed to captivate and entertain. I highly recommend this read! Sit down and savor these stories and Grow Damn It, while living vicariously through Cheryl’s journeys of life. I love her attitude and wit and am already looking forward to her next book!

~ D.G. Kaye, author of Twenty Years: After ‘I Do’ – Reflections on Love and Changes Through Aging.

Blurb:

Grow Damn It! is a captivating work by Cheryl Oreglia, who uses uncommon honesty and arresting humor to draw you into her cantankerous life, forty-year marriage, and revolving empty nest. She claims the space between past and future is where our potential is created or destroyed.

If you don’t like where your life is going, dig deeper, and write a new story. By weeding out the things that clutter her life, she invites you into a refreshing space with some of her most popular posts from her beloved blog Living in the Gap.

She surrounds herself with a gaggle of intriguing friends, along with a large and rambunctious family who challenge both her and the reader to live fully in an ever-changing world. Her provocative writing dares us to confront our lives not only with optimism, but courage, and uproarious laughter. Oreglia uses her experience to explore what matters most in life… the degree to which we love and are loved.

My 5 Star Review:

This book is an inspiring and entertaining romp through memorable moments in the life of Cheryl Oreglia – ‘Living in the Gap’. With her sassy attitude and clever wit, the author takes us somewhere between lost in the 70s and back to the now. Her stories will bring us to places many of us have been to in life, in tales we can relate to. From living life, to suffering losses and everything in between, and even some tours of California wineries, well, because, Cheryl loves wine, to her beloved lakehouse in Clear Lake, California, we get to take in a day of the life of Cheryl – which is never usual, by any means. As Cheryl likes to say, “Persevering after failure is learned behavior and it is the one damn thing that improves with age.”

“Middle age is a time for living unapologetically,” with a wealth of advice and reminders to live life to the fullest and stop focusing on our flaws, Cheryl does just that. You will laugh and you will cry, but you will laugh mostly as she shares hilarious stories, most of them including her good sport husband and wingman, Larry. And it doesn’t sound like these two waste much time with their living, especially when there is wine. Did I mention the wine?

As she glides through life and continues to query where the time goes, the author asks, “How did we arrive at old age where energy is as extravagant as premium gasoline?” But nothing stops this woman. She is a force to be reckoned with. When she speaks about events concerning her children, she’ll take your heart with her, and make you pause for a moment as she’ll remind you of heartfelt stories of your own. “We never think of our time as finite. Instead we saunter through life as if we will live forever. When the landscape of your life suddenly changes, you are left with the impossible task of repainting your life, minus the brilliant colors, or familiar forms.”

Get this book, and get some wine to go with it, and stroll along with Cheryl and her Bombeck-esque stories. Just a few to mention: When it’s Covid lockdown and your whole family moves back in with you during their home renos, the boat ride and broken ribs, the Thai massage and the Larry factor, Colonoscopies and Coffee, Revisiting old friends and the bird on the Uber driver’s head, and hilarious biking adventures. I tell you, this couple need their own reality show!

Cheryl is a whippersnapper with prose and humor. She’s tough and loving, and takes no shit. And she can tell a story that won’t let you want to close the book. “Idleness is not the root of all evil, as the Jones’ would have you think. It is the fertilizer, which is required, if you wish to Grow Damn It!”

©DGKaye2023

62 thoughts on “Sunday Book Review – Grow Damn It!, by Cheryl Orteglia”

  1. Sounds great! I picked up my copy. Congrats to Cheryl on her debut novel. We live about three hours north of Clear Lake and have spent a fair amount of time there.

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    2. Thank you Pete! I hope you enjoy the collection of stories and messages embedded in Grow Damn It, especially the ones where we spend time at our beloved Clearlake! I don’t meet many people who know about Lake County, we consider it our little secret! Love to hear your thoughts about the book when you’ve finished. Hugs, C

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      1. We’re up here in Eureka, Cheryl. I’ve got a niece living close to that area. My wife was a big Konocti concert goer when that was a thing.

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    2. Hi Stevie, Debby’s review just blew me out of the water! I’m always amazed by the WP community and how supportive they are of fellow writers. If you do check out Grow Damn It (without the wine!), I’d love to hear what you think. I hope the collection of stories resonates with you. Thanks so much, hugs, C

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    2. Hi Liz, thank you so much for spreading the word about Grow Damn It. Debby wrote a fabulous review, I’m humbled and grateful for her generosity. She has supported and encouraged me from the start and I’m ever so appreciative. Hugs, C

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    2. Thank you Lauren, I too love Debby’s review, and I’m so glad she has intrigued you enough to take a chance on me. I’m ever so grateful. I’d really love to know what you think about Grow Damn It when you finish! Hugs, C

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  6. Wow! I woke up late this morning as I hosted a birthday party for Larry last night! It went into the wee hours of the morning! I’m just enjoying my first cup of coffee when I notice my ranking on Amazon is moving up, up, up! I start browsing around and quickly realized the Debby magic has begun. Thank you so much for this kind and generous review of Grow Damn It. You have encouraged me when it was just an idea and you so graciously responded. I’m extremely humbled, excited, grateful, and hopeful that your words will help spread my work and it will land with the right person at the right time. Much love and hugs to you my friend, C

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    1. Hi Cheryl. It was my pleasure to share my review for your beautiful and engaging book. One must only give it a chance and they will be hooked on your words and stories. You have a gift Cheryl. I hope you’re already working on a second book 🙂 ❤

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    2. Hi Yvette, thank you, that title has a story of course, it came from a little sign my Dad used to stake in his garden when I was growing up, but it also perfectly defines his philosophy on life. One of the stories in the book focuses on his incredible legacy. Hugs, C

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  8. Great review, Debby 🙂 I picked up my copy and look firward to reading it since I spent a lot of time in my youth in Clear Lake.

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    2. Hi Denise, I rarely meet people who have ever heard of Clearlake, let alone, spent any time there! You’ll be able to appreciate the more subtle references to Lake County, the landscape, and presence of this beloved lake. I’d be honored to hear your thoughts when finished! Hugs, C

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      1. Spent a lot of time there first in Lakeport and then Riveria 🙂 Its where I learned to fish. Look forward to reading this!

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    2. Hi Norah, I hope you add Grow Damn It to your selection of fun reads, it does have it’s fun moments, but also covers some of the more difficult aspects of life, with humor, and doused in love. Hugs, C

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  10. Wow, what a title and what a review, Debby. A 40-year marriage and all the sh-t. I’m IN!

    I’ll snag my copy as soon as I post this. Like you, I always like to support authors with debut novels or memoirs. 😀

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    2. Marian, I think you might be my new best friend, “a 40-year marriage and all the shit!” You are hysterical. I hope you enjoy Grow Damn It, the title came from a sign in my beloved dad’s garden, which seconded for his philosophy on raising kids, there’s a story of course in the book! I so appreciate your support of debut novels and taking a chance on new authors. I hope it’s a good fit for you, if not, give it to an annoying neighbor. Hugs, C

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  11. What a fabulous review, Debby. And I love the editorial. What an honor to be asked and you nailed it. I’ve also read the book and thought it was wonderfully funny and touching and relevant. I’m just delighted for Cheryl. Congrats, congrats. ❤ ❤ Hugs to you both!

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    1. Hi Diana. Thanks so much. I know you too wrote a fabulous review for Cheryl’s book. Hard not to love right? I think it’s a book most people would enjoy. Yay for Cheryl! ❤

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    2. It doesn’t get better than this for a new author, Diana and Debby, you two are a dynamic duo when it comes to launching a book. I had no clue what the hell I was getting myself into, but I’ve been observing you both, more than you know, and I’m learning the ins and outs of marketing, It’s one of those things, I either Grow Damn It, or get rototillered with the next wave of books. I can’t thank you both enough for your generous support of my debut novel, of me, of this little dream that somehow became a reality. Hugs, C

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      1. Lol Cheryl, you’re so funny – and an ace student my friend. You are a great observer and you are doing a wonderful job with your book. Welcome to the club! ❤ xx

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      2. ” get rototillered with the next wave to books.” Lol. I love that. Well, you’re handling it like a pro, Cheryl. And Debby is one of the kindest and most generous gals around. I’m happy to be in kahoots with her. 🙂

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  12. Hi Deb, so nice to see your post pop into my email inbox this morning! I have missed you.

    What an honor to be asked to write an editorial for her first published book. What a fabulous review as well. It sounds like a fun read. Congratulations to Chery! I will have to check out her blog as I haven’t known of it until now! Sounds like I’ve been missing out!

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    2. Hi Lisa, I agree, I missed Debby too! Debby has been gracious from the beginning, as if a professional doula, she assisted me with the gestation, and the labor of pushing this little dream out into the world. I welcome you to Living in the Gap, and hope to engage with you in the comments, as we wrestle our way through life. If you happen to pick up Grow Damn It, I’d love to hear your thoughts! Hugs, C

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      1. Omg Cheryl, stop swelling my head! Always happy to help out a fellow author. I’m thrilled to feature your book here, and you here in Q & A next week! 🙂 xx

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  13. Debby, this sounds just like the kind of book I would like to read. It also sounds a lot like your type of books. Thanks for sharing it. ❤

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    1. Hi William. Thanks for saying that. I suppose I was so drawn to Cheryl’s stories because our writing styles are similar, like being invited into someone’s life stories told in conversational style. Amazing you picked that off. Thanks for dropping by William. ❤

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    2. I would be honored if you chose to read Grow Damn It, William. Debby and I do have similar writing styles, and like you, I enjoy both the humor and topics that resonate. So glad to have connected with you! Hugs, C

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    2. Good morning Robbie, I agree. Debby wrote a wonderful review of Grow Damn It. I’m humbled and awed by her words. You may have seen it on Sally’s or Diana’s blog? I hope they have inspired you to dive in and explore my collection of meaningful stories. I’d love to hear your thoughts. Hugs, C

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