The Truth About Hillary

I finished The Truth About Hillary:What She Knew, When She Knew It, and How Far She'll Go to Become President by Edward Klein about a month ago. I haven't written about it because I have been busy hiding it under my sister's pillow, in her purse, and in her car, so that Hillary's face is ever present to scare her. As you can see, the cover image is frightening. Even better, the spine of the book has one large eye that stares out at you from the shelf or underneath the sofa or where ever you choose to store (hide) this book.

Now to the contents: I will first admit that it took me several months to read this book. I started it around May and have been reading it sporadically over these past few months. It is interesting enough, but I can't trust Klein. So many of his "sources" are anonymous, and it is clear that his agenda is to defame the former first lady.

You might be wondering why I bought this book. Am I for Hillary, against her, or was there some other force that led me to pick up my volume? To be perfectly honest, I bought the book because I thought the picture was super scary. I thought it might be some sort of biographical account of her life, and hey, who isn't curious about someone else's life? I thought I could learn something.

What I learned from the book is that Edward Klein hates Hillary and will go to any length to tie her to every bad thing he can think of. He proclaims that she is a lesbian because she had lesbian friends in college, and because she was given a magazine as a gift, she is a poster child for the ideas that are promoted within those pages. He rants about her nefarious deeds and sites sources on every page. I found that I checked every source (which added to my reading time) because I didn't believe what he said. It was outlandish, boring, and unfounded. After reading the book, I really feel like I trust Hillary more than I could ever trust Klein. She is a sympathetic character who is making it, even after he tried so hard to ruin her image. I could relate to her - I have friends who do things I might not agree with, have been cheated on and stayed with my partner, and there are other similarities. She is attacked and now I feel like I have to protect her.

Should you read this book? Probably not. It is not worth it. If you want to learn about Hil, why not choose a more credible author (one not consumed with some grandiose, paranoid theory that Hillary is out to get him)? I am just glad it is over.

Fat Chance by Deborah Blumenthal

I just finished Fat Chance. I really enjoyed it. The praise on the cover should tell you enough about the book - "Spring's Best Chick Lit 2004." It was a quick easy read, one that I read in small "bites" over the past few weeks. Small sections end at the bottom of the page so it is easy to pick up when you have to put it down after sneaking in five minutes of quiet reading time.

This book is fun. It is predictable, but it is a Red Dress Inc. book, so you can't expect more. It is a book to place by the bed or put by the tub. There are some steamy sections, but the book was tasteful overall. There were sections that led me to believe that Blumenthal is actually a great writer, but other sections seemed to highlight the purple prose that is so common in romance novels.

The story focuses on Maggie, a cynical writer from New York City, who becomes involved in a movie deal as a consultant. With the allure of meeting a favorite actor, the former fat champion betrays her readers and attempts a weight loss regimen that just may change her life. I won't tell you more than that, other than this is a great read if you are with someone you love, you are still wishing for the object of your desire, or you are simply ready to learn something about weight loss. Happy reading!

The Dirty Girls Social Club

I have to tell you, I did not love the ending of The Dirty Girls Social Club. It was neat and pretty and everything you would expect. There was nothing that you didn't.

The ending was the worst part of the book. The rest of the book was interesting. There are five main characters who each have a crazy set of problems that they are trying to work through, alone and with the help of each other. Also, there is a Latina for every flavor - Mexican, Spanish, Puerto Rican, Dominican, Columbian, Cuban and I am sure there are others.

There is a sequel that is called Dirty Girls on Top. The description that I read about it makes is look great. The neat ribbon that was tied at the end of The Dirty Girls starts to unravel in the second novel. I am afraid to read the book, though, because I feel that the way the author tied up the first book might be a habit. I can't take that again.

I can't say that I recommend this book. I know I am starting to sound like a broken record, but the books I have been reading start out great, but then take a nose dive right at the end. I do want to pass this book on, though, because I think it is important to support Latina artists. I also think it is important for Latinas to know that there is literature out there that is aimed at us.

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.