We're Just Like You, Only Prettier

I just finished reading this book, but I have to say, about halfway through, I was tired of reading it. Have you ever read a book and thought that the person writing it was trying a little too hard to be funny? Ms. Rivenbark struck me that way. She writes in a way that seems forced, quite often, and you are surprised when you find the picture of her, because she mentions being fat and menopausal throughout the book, though she is thin and strangely young looking.

I read the book on a lark because my best friend bought a companion book (Stop Dressing Your Six-Year-Old Like a Skank). She loved it and so did her dad. Maybe it is a good book if you like trite, "comical," essays. I wish I had spent my time reading something else, though. This book will go to my friend where it can live a life and be loved, rather than loathed as it was at my house.

My Sister's Keeper

I planned on giving this book to my fiancee's sister for Christmas, and I probably still will, but she has recently gone through quite a tragedy, so I wanted to go over the books I had chosen for her in order to prevent bringing this tragedy up again.

I chose to give My Sister's Keeper because it was popular and has recently been made into a movie. It is quite a long book, also, and should provide for a few hours of escape. I just finished a class on medical ethics, as well, so I thought it might be interesting. And it was.

The thing that gets me about this book is that it is not predictable. There are shifts from character to characters and I found myself wondering if the shifts were not made simply because Picoult is a subpar author and isn't quite capable of creating an entire story line with just one narrator. I still think this might be a part of the puzzle, but it was refreshing to pry into each character's mind a bit. The interesting part is that you are never allowed to see what the "main" character, Kate is thinking. Anna is suing her family for medical emancipation because she does not want to give Kate, the sister who is dying of cancer, a kidney. (This is revealed early on, so don't worry, I am not giving anything away.) There is a definite reason for not revealing her thoughts, but when you finish the book, it does seem strange that you are able to feel what everyone feels except for Kate, who is the most central character, the reason for the story.

I read the book in about three days. It captured my attention, and I found myself finding small increments of time to lock myself in my bedroom and read. I think it will be the same for most people who choose to read it. I don't think, though, that it is a great work of literature or that it will be remembered ten years from now, just as most of the books I read through probably won't. That doesn't take away from the value, though, and I think it will prove to be an entertaining read if you want to delve into a world that is a little different than that which you are used to.

So Many Books, So Little Time

The premise behind this book is that the author will read a book a week for a year. It sounds like a great idea. She comes up with a plan and starts reading and writing about her books and the life that occurs while she is taking on this challenge. The problem comes in when she starts talking more about her (mundane) life and dropping the names of her famous friends as often as possible. You learn very little about her books, but quite a bit about her husband who works for Saturday Night Live, her child who came along in her later life, and once again, about her famous friends and great vacations.

Sure, I read the book. I toiled through the pages, but did I enjoy it? No. I am wrapping it up to give away to a friend who will enjoy the concept, but will probably donate the book (back) to the Goodwill. Should you read it? Probably not. Is the idea a good one? Sure it is. Maybe you should just challenge yourself to read a book a week for a year (and try not to brag about it as Ms. Nelson did).

The Devil in the Junior League

Call me a shame to feminists everywhere, but I did not enjoy the ending to this book. It was interesting enough, inviting, and intrigued me with the rules for being a good Southern woman.

The book was centered around Frederika Mercedes Hildebrand Ware (a.k.a. Frede, pronounced Freddy) and the terrible events that followed her realization that her husband had been having an affair. Honestly, when Nikki, the NC (no class) neighbor from next door was introduced, the book finally picked up speed. Sure, it was fun to follow the transformation of her character, but did it really help the story? I am not so sure.

Also, the men in the book were very interesting. There was the cheating husband, the abrasive neighbor, and finally, the brooding, yet handsome artist. I enjoyed finding out about these characters, though they seemed quite static and did not play as large a part in the story as they could have.

I will never read the book again, though I think it could be fun for a summer day on the beach, no matter how moralistic the ending is.

I just looked at the website of Linda Francis Lee, the author, and have discovered that the book will be made into a movie, with Jennifer Garner as a lead and a producer. I hope that the movie will give us some of the dimension the book was lacking, but I feel like this movie will rank with Must Love Dogs and other romantic comedies that just didn't fare well.

Shopgirl by Steve Martin

I just finished reading Shopgirl, the novel, surprisingly written by Steve Martin. I have to say first, that if Martin had been writing for a creative writing class in a traditional college setting, his work would be rejected because of the severe voice of the narrator; however, I am so glad that he was not redirected with this book.

When one first opens the book, it is impossible to look at the words without hearing Steve Martin read them, which does add to the appeal of the book, at least for me. I had to read several pages before I lost his voice and could fully immerse myself into the story. The narrator never leaves the story, but it ends up working well for the story that is told. The three main characters - Mirabelle, Ray Porter, and Jeremy (Kraft) - are elusive. The reader is told so much about them, yet fails to really know them, which leaves the reader outside of the relationships - the way it almost seems it should be.

The writing in the book is sometimes so beautiful and insightful, one really wonders about what Martin reads in his spare time or what his previous education was. I am including one of my favorite passages, that I hope you will enjoy as much as I enjoyed the entire book. I highly encourage you to go out and buy or run to the library and read this book immediately.

"Ray, not understanding that what he is taking from her is torn from her, believes that the arrangement is fair. He treats her beautifully. He has begun to buy her small gifts. He is always thoughtful toward her, and never presses her if she isn't in the mood. He mistakes his actions for kindness. Mirabelle is not sophisticated enough to understand what is happening to her, and Ray Porter is not sophisticated enough to know what he is doing to her. She is falling in love, and she fully expects her love to be returned once Mr. Porter comes to his senses. But right now, he is using the hours with her as a portal to his own need for propinquity."

Book 1: Lucky by Alice Sebold

I just finished Lucky by Alice Sebold. It is a memoir and the bulk of it is about her rape and how that shaped her life. Honestly, it was hard for me to relate because the traumatic events that I have experienced in life haven't been inflicted upon my by another person, but through medical oddities.

I felt the book hard to read, but impossible to stop reading. I think I would have felt guilty if I had not finished the book, guilty for not allowing Sebold to tell her story to me. The book really does allow the reader to get a sense of being there with the author and going through her trauma as she does.

I can't say that I would recommend this book because it is so tough to read, just mentally and emotionally exhausting, but I think it could be valuable for a survivor. I don't know... I just know that I don't think I will ever read this book again and I am most definiately listing it on half.com after this posting.

New Yorker

I have been hopelessly behind in my reading. To prove this, there are stacks of magazines in my library, many of which I have been considering just donating to the local thrift store. I recently adopted a soldier, however, and as I am not currently working or going to school, I started reading everything in sight in order to have something to write about. Finally, I have started making my way through several New Yorkers that are a year or more old.

There are several things that I love about the New Yorker, but one article stood out and inspired me to start this blog - "The King of Reading." This article talks about Art Garfunkel listing all the books he has read since June 1968, which I am going to attempt to do starting today (or when I finish the book I am currently reading). My list may not be as literary as his, but I am hoping it will one day be as expansive. For a peek at the article, visit the New Yorker website at the following link- http://www.newyorker.com/talk/2008/01/28/080128ta_talk_paumgarten.

Tipping my hat to another inspiration, I will be using this blog space to post my cooking triumphs and terrors. I just finished Julie and Julia (which I highly recommend), and I want to just put what I am doing and what I am passionate about out there. If it works, great; if not, I won't be devastated, but I am going to try to give this my all.

Welcome to my journey!