Shine, Shine, Shine by Lydia Netzer

Daily writing prompt

What book could you read over and over again?

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There are a few books that I have enjoyed so much in my life that I recommend them and gift a copy of them to others to enjoy. “Shine, Shine, Shine” by Lydia Netzer is one of these. I believe I have read this book at least three times.

“Shine, Shine, Shine” is not a book everyone would purchase, but one I believe everyone would enjoy. The main characters are Sonny and Maxon. Sonny and Maxon and their son, Bubber, are all weird, smart, eccentric, and completely human and relatable. The book uses a series of flashbacks from their present to their pasts, and each glimpse into the past is rich and beautiful and awful – filling us with sympathy and a growing love for the characters. The characters have secrets they want to keep from the world, but these secrets don’t make them terrible people, they just make them human. Secrets have a way to coming to light, however.

At the center of the book is the love that Sonny and Maxon share, a love that began when they were young and continued throughout their lives, even when they aren’t together for long stretches and even when they make you wonder if that love has waned or died out. Their love is what made this book so special for me – it is beautiful, protective, accepting, encouraging and powerful.

I don’t want to tell you about the characters, because discovering who they are is such a delight. I hope you can give the book a try – I highly recommend it.