Chicken Soup for the Soul: All in the Family: 101 Incredible Stories about Our Funny, Quirky, Lovable & Dysfunctional Families

Something about the Chicken Soup for the Soul books has always appealed to me. I love that I can pick them up and read a story whenever my kids give me a few minutes to myself. The stories are short and always true stories from people like you and me. The newest Chicken Soup for the Soul book is called "All in the Family." It has 101 incredible stories about family moments that will make you laugh, some of them I dropped the book I was laughing so hard. It is basically a book that I am sure we could all write and have experienced, but it is nice to see it happens in other families! I thought I was the only one with a Crazy Aunt? I haven't read the whole book yet, but the stories I have read have been great. My favorite story is "Merry Christmas, I broke into your house!" Yeah the stories are that good, think America's Funniest Home Videos meets a book! The stories really are though short (about 3-4 pages each) and sweet and really make you appreciate your own family no matter how crazy they are! Oh and best of all is that the stories are organized into chapters including: Eccentrics Are Us, In-Laws and Outlaws, Family Vacations and Reunions, Forgiveness, Thanks for the Memories, Putting the Fun in Dysfunctional, Family Secrets, Happy Horrible Holidays, Reunited, Brothers and Sisters, and Parents and Kids.

This book truly does touch one deeply on all levels-and brings home the fact that our families, no matter how quirky or dysfunctional they may be, mean the world to us. This is a compilation to read during the Holidays, and you will laugh, cry, and hug the ones you love a little closer after reading these heartwarming, touching stories. The best "Chicken Soup" book yet--highly recommend it!!

I wrote "A Daughter Moves Back Home" in Chicken Soup for the Soul, All in the Family. I state this up front so the reader can put my review in perspective. I write this not because the book needs a positive review, although it is an excellent book with a wide variety of moving and powerful stories. I write it because I want potential readers to know that the cover promotion, in my opinion, is not the best description of what is inside. The cover states, "101 Incredible Stories about Our Funny, Quirky, Lovable & 'Dysfunctional' Families." There are funny, quirky, lovable stories about families, but the majority are about survival, growth, redemption, fortitude, compassion, and kindness. They give insights into the amazing resiliency of the American family. The word "Dysfunctional", even with quotation marks around it, detracts from what most of the storytellers are trying to achieve: sharing with readers the pain, the beauty, and the love within their gloriously diverse families.

This is a fascinating selection of family stories. Each contributor made me feel their story. A number of family member's quirks sounded very familiar to me. I'm sure it will to many readers. It is a sometimes funny, sometimes touching collection of stories. I love this Chicken Soup For The Soul book!

The writers of Chicken Soup for the Soul must be peeking in my windows and taking notes. Every member of my family, and then some, are in this deliciously funny book. Chicken Soup for the Soul: All in the Family contains 101 well-written and memorable stories, from the Happy Horrible Holidays (who hasn't had a few of those?) to the Family Secrets (it made me feel like I was a fly on the wall), to Eccentrics are Us (it's nice to know there are other families just as crazy as mine). I recommend taking this book home with you on your next family get-together and reading the stories aloud. You'll have the relatives rolling off the couch, and pointing fingers at one another. Chicken Soup for the Soul: All in the Family is a fun read, and well worth the purchase price.