LIZ: BOOK #45

The Effects of Light by Miranda Beverly-Whittemore

368 pages

Completed 12/27/10

Let me begin by saying I could not wait to finish this book; but not for my usual reason of not liking it. Instead, I had to know what happened as soon as possible. When I say that Beverly-Whittemore is talented, I mean it in a way that makes you not want to do anything else but finish her story.

The story of Myla and Pru Wolfe, whose single father David introduces them to photographer Ruth Handel, is one you are quickly sucked into. Ruth's nude portraits of the girls become "the centerpiece around which their lives unravel." As reader, you are introduced to Kate Scott, aka Myla Wolfe. After a mysterious letter summons her home to Portland, Oregon, pieces of the tragedy that killed her sister and forced Myla to start her life anew begin. The novel is told alternatingly by Kate/Myla and young Pru.

The emotion in this book is overwhleming, but not in a sappy, sad way. In fact, I found myself surprised towards the end when I was moved to tears, as I had not experienced such emotion throughout my reading. My only complaint about this debut novel of Beverly-Whittemore's is the somewhat-rambling philosophical tellings of Myla's deceased father; I will admit that I skipped over most of it for lack of interest.

LIZ: BOOK #44

Dear Diary By Lesley Arfin

288 pages

Completed 12/23/10

Vice contributor Lesley Arfin revisits her diary, tracking her downward spiral from pre-adolescent self-esteem-less girl to heroin-addicted twenty-something, this book's concept intrigued me. Arfin tracks down and interviews the subjects of her entries. This seemed to be the perfect book for me, a lover of addiction/recovery memoirs, a diary format, a tell-all. However, I was pretty disappointed.

Not as scandalous or gut-wrenching as I had imagined, and at times, annoying. The woe-is-me entries from most of her adolescence were exhausting, and when re-connections from her past didn't pan out, I felt myself not even remotely interested. Most memoirs, on the other hand, have me looking up the author online when I am finished reading, wanting to know more. This one, disappointingly, didn't pique any interest at all.

I suppose I thought I would find this memoir juicier, funnier, and more relatable. Instead, I found myself relieved when it was over. I would have been more interested if I picked up a random diary and suffered through it.

LIZ: BOOK #43

The Center of Winter by Marya Hornbacher

336 pages

Completed 12/18/10

I was already a fan of Hornbacher in part to her wonderfully written memoir"Wasted," and this book only solidified me as a fan. Revolving around the Schiller family - mom Claire, dad Arnold, son Esau, and daughter Kate - and how things are after Arnold's suicide. Mental illness, alcoholism, grief, the pain of small-town-living, friendships, and love are just part of the intricate story Hornbacher weaves.

Told in the alternating perspectives of each surviving family member, written in very different styles, the twists and turns and raw emotion of this novel had an effect. Evocative, fragile, and intriguing, I put aside other tasks just to finish reading this one.

While the ending chapter, told in Kate's voice, left me a bit disappointed, the remainder of the novel and it's wonderful, heartbreaking story, more than made up for it.

LIZ: BOOK #42

Love Begins in Winter: Five Stories by Simon Van Booy

256 pages

Completed 12/14/10

Typically, I avoid short stories; they don't often offer as much depth as I like in books. However, this one piqued my interest, and I decided to give it a go - and I am so glad I did. The short stories touched upon human emotion and life as no other collection has for me, but without being sappy as I had expected based on the title alone.

The isolation of the characters was moving; reading it, I was surprised how quickly Van Booy was able to draw me into the characters with just a brief few pages. Quirkiness, memories, and unrequited love reigns throughout all of the tales.

One of the most intriguing parts of this book was the interview with Van Booy in the prologue. He answers that he bases his characters on brief moments he sees between people. His eloquent way with words transforms these chance non-encounters if you will, into wonderfully-spun short glimpses into these "characters." As Publisher's Weekly put so well, "Each of these stories has moments of sheer loveliness."

LIZ: BOOK #41

Loose Girl: A Memoir of Promiscuity by Kerry Cohen

224 pages

Completed 11/16/10

This sad tale of a girl who realizes far-too young her power as a female over men was deep. Cohen's young what-the-hell attitude is both freeing and terrifying at the same time. As her promiscuos ways continue throughout high school and college, the tales - told tastefully, not raunchily as I had expected - grow sadder. Her own self-reflections cannot help but allow the reader to feel for this woman.

With her dysfunctional family proving what could possibly be deemed one of the best memoir-featured ones, Kerry attempts to use her physical beingness as means to escape, but when finding herself in the process, is haunted by what she sees. With actual relationships thrown in along with cross-country moves, this memoir is a must-read.

LIZ: BOOK #40

What Happened to Henry by Sharon Pywell

352 pages

Completed 11/6/10

This was the first book I've managed to finish in a few weeks; hectic schedule really cuts into my leisurely reading time. This was a novel that piqued my interest and then bored me throughout the rest. Centered around a trio of siblings and their unspeakable loss during childhood and the after-effects of it, Pywell writes of the two brothers and sister's bond, despite their maturing and taking separate paths.

With an accident forever changing the once-predictable eldest brother's mind, the younger two are left to cope. With Henry's odd behavior progressing as the three aged, the siblings struggle with their own changes. Somewhat unrealistic, and mostly strange, but a story to get through, in my opinion, if only to find out the ending of the story.

The story of the unbreakable sibling bond of the Coopers is established an flourishes under Pywell's way with words, but her repetitive nature of the push and pull of life is somewhat tiring.

LIZ: BOOK #39

Under Observation: Life Inside the McLean Psychiatric Hospital by Lisa Berger and Alexander Vuckovic

288 pages

Completed 10/15/10

A combination of clinical reports and patient activity and the life of a doctor inside a psychiatric facility, Under Observation was more dated than I had hoped. As a student of psychology, I am always drawn to case studies and daily interactions with disturbed patients. However, much like the real world of psychology, the bureaucracy surrounding these patients and the McLean facility bored me.

A lot of medical advances have occured since this book was written, and new findings studied. If I had read more carefully, a book chronicling the treatment of patients in 1995 would not have drawn my interest. However, as a glimpse into a psych wing - albeit a very small window - this book could be considered telling to those simply interested in the accounts of one doctor.

As for myself, I would not recommend this work. Exhausting to the point of repetition, I wonder if I had viewed it differently as an outsider who has never experienced working with this population. I did, however, heartily appreciate the follow-ups on the patients provided at the conclusion of the book.

LIZ: BOOK #38

Assholes Finish First by Tucker Max

416 pages

Completed 10/11/10

The follow-up to Max's successfully hilarious, yet completely chauvinistic, "I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell," "Assholes Finish First" provides more amusing escapades of Max. One of the rare female fans of Max, I was really looking forward to this book; IHTSBIH literally had me laughing out loud, crying it hurt so badly because the stories were THAT good.

I was curious to see how Max's adventures would change with fame - the answer is that there was less of a chase, and more skanky girls just offering themselves up to him, leading to less amusing endings. Two arrests, and the inevitable lack of amusement about being a man in his thirties chasing barely-legal girls just wasn't as hysterical this time around.

This was a quick read, and somewhat disappointing. Don't get me wrong, there were some laugh-out-loud moments, but not the side-splitting humor I had come to love from Max. I was pleasantly surprised at the end, however, as he revealed another book - perhaps two - will follow next year. Hopeful some more of the hysterical anecdotes will step it up.

LIZ: Book #37

The Good Eater: The True Story of One Man's Struggle With Binge Eating Disorder by Ron Saxen

252 pages

Completed 9/26/10

This memoir takes you from abused, chubby little Ron to unhealthy-habitted model Ron, to self-destructive Ron. And the whole while, you want to feel for this guy, but I found that you just can't. It took me quite some time to get through this one; not because it was dull or didn't interest me, but because I honestly just wanted to smack the character through the book.

Binge eating, which affects millions of Americans, was the focus of this book; but not really addressed. Yes, it was clear as Saxen shoveled multiple Big Macs and one pound bags of candy followed by entire loaves of fried bread that this was unhealthy binging at it's finest. But the author seems to have used this book to connect his feelings to the food (which I know is the reasoning behind binge eating, but not the reasoning behind this book); if he was unhealthy, unhappy, tired, wary, scared, uneasy, pleased, or overwhelmed - in went the food. Skyrocketing from 204 lbs. to almost 300 in an unbelievably short amount of time, Saxen was just hard to feel for.

Yes, the short peek into the male modeling world and crazy dieting ideas Saxen tries was entertaining, albeit sad, but towards the end of the book, I found myself completely uninspired. Instead of addressing his clear binge eating disorder, Saxen chooses to close the book out by introducing his new love interest and simply summing it all up by saying "I am happy now." For this to be the explanation behind why he doesn't binge eat anymore is absurd. For people looking to this book for advice or reaching out for help, Saxen addressed BED terribly, especially connecting his happiness with healthiness and leaving it at that.

LIZ: BOOK #36

Hungry by Crystal Renn

256 pages

Completed 8/30/10

Leading plus-size model Crystal Renn takes us into her susprinsingly dramatic childhood, her dive into anorexia and exercise addicition, her entrance into the modeling world, and her subsequent conquering of it at her heaviest. Entertaining in the way most fashion world memoirs are, and as sad as most spiraling teenage girls into eating disorders always are, this was a good - albeit very quick - read.

Typically if a memoir begins presenting statistics to me, I skip the chapter; if I had done so in Renn's case, I would have finished in half the time. However, this was a rare case in which I welcomed the numbers and journal article excerpts. The appalling low numbers of weights, salaries, and ages of these models was shocking were countered with the fashion industry's heavyweights (no pun intended) adding their own opinions and experiences about the plus-size world of things.

What is intriguing about Renn's story is that her plus-size status doesnt not always designate her to only the plus-size jobs. She's closed out Jean Paul Gaultier's runway shows, she has starred in Dolce & Gabanna's ad campaigns, and has over a dozen high fashion covers under her belt. She was the back behind (ha!) the breast cancer ad of the velvet-draped goddess. All at a size 14. And by maintaining her sanity, her brain, and herself.

LIZ: BOOK #35

Love and Other Impossible Pursuits by Ayelet Waldman

352 pages

Completed 8/29/10

This novel about a young woman who marries her lover and gains a precocious stepson, Waldman makes the reader both related and love the main character while loathing her. When Emilia loses her newborn daughter, despair follows her everywhere.

As someone who is not a kid-person, I was hesitant to find any good in Waldman's five-year-old protagonist; the little know-it-all made me literally feel Emilia's frustration. By the end, predictably, I loved the little bugger, but Waldman does make it difficult.

I read fiction, although I do not often find something I love. This book was so real to me that I ad to check when I concluded reading that it was indeed a novel and not one of my new favorite memoirs. Waldman has a new novel out, and I am on the waiting list. An eloquent writer without overwhelming the reader, I recommend her.

LIZ: BOOK #34

I Am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced

198 pages

Completed 8/19/10

With a title like this, the memoir lover in me couldn't resist; gets straight to the point, now, doesn't it? So, believe it or not, this was an account of a young Yemen girl who, at 10 years old, was married off to a man many years her senior. While this is not uncommon in itself, the telling of Nujood's self-awareness and fight to escape and demand a divorce in front of the court is surreal.

Clearly, this book was translated, and it was an as-told-to story. That being said, I sped through this read. Young adult level, at most, and it left me wanting more information, instead of coming away with an amazing tale. In fact, I liked the writing in the epilogue the most; a Glamour magazine writer who introduced further details and stories of other girls who experienced similar account of Nujood's premature end to childhood.

If anything, this is a book for people who want a different perspective on arranged marriages. Not often does such a young girl have the gusto, courage, and heart to not only escape from such circumstances, but tell the story with -not depth- but truth.

LIZ: BOOK #33

Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang by Chelsea Handler

256 pages

Completed 8/15/10

Let's preface this by saying I adore Chelsea Handler. I think she's hysterical; yes, she's crude and not very classy, and that is exactly what I love about her. I have read all of her books, and while this one was not the funniest, I was still laughing out loud so hard at some points that I had to stop reading.

That being said, I sped through this book; 6 hours and done. Disappointing when a book is that good and you get to that last page. Clearly, this is not a work of literary genius, but nonetheless beyond enjoyable.

LIZ: Book #32

Cabin Pressure: One Man's Desperate Attempt to Recapture His Youth as a Camp Counselor by Josh Wolk

*Be warned, I read an advanced reader's copy of this memoir, so things may be slightly different in the final published version than what I read.*

288 pages

Completed 8/13/10

This was a campy (no pun intended) kitchsy memoir about a man in his mid-thirties about to get married who decides to relive his childhood by returning to the camp he so fondly remembers. When I first began to read it, I thought it was going to be a sappy let's-discover-who-I-am throughout this book, but I was pleasantly surprised when it did not end up that way. However, this book is hard to categorize; equal parts midlife crisis, troubled adolescent boys, sleepaway camp expectations, and relationship problems, there wasn't enough about each for it to really matter to me.

If Wolk had chosen to only focus on his feelings of underachievement or only his relationship, I wouldn't have picked this up in the first place. But I feel like a lot of instances in which ironic humor could have been injected went to waste. Ten year old boys are a species of themselves; that's enough material to drum up some humor. Instead Wolk takes us along his woe-is-me problems with the boys of his youth - who are now fellow adult counselors - and his inner conflict over why his fiance is stressed. (Perhaps because two months before their wedding, he decides to up and leave for rural Maine?!)

This was one of those memoirs that took awhile to get through even though it wasn't heavy or deep. I just lacked the interest needed to read it in it's entirety before picking up a new book, so it took me some time. If you're looking for a humorous, gritty story of a man who returns to camp to relive his glory days...this is not the book for you.

LIZ: Book #31

The Good Doctor by Damon Galgut

224 pages

Completed 7/26/10

This novel was a bit slow, but nonetheless enjoyable. Focusing on a middle-aged, divorcing doctor posted in a decrepit, quasi-abandoned hospital with a total of five other people in post-aparthied South Africa, he is forced to discover himself when a fresh-faced, young and eager new doctor requests to join the pathetic team.

Disillusioned and stuck - both figuratively and literally - Frank resists change, except when it can benefit him. But putting himself in poor situations - an affair with a married local woman, reliving his military days, and challenging a dangerous ex-leader - leads to devastating consequences, both for himself and others.

While I would say this book is more mystery-like than I normally prefer my fiction to be, it wasn't a bad read. Well-written and eloquent without drowning the reader in words, Galgut is a talented author for sure. Amonst the ruin of the story, though, the ending left me wanting more; and not in a I-need-more-from-this-author kind of way, but more of a this-ending-is-it?! way.

LIZ: BOOK #30

Five Men Who Broke My Heart by Susan Shapiro

240 pages

Completed 7/7/10


This memoir was one I had wish-listed, but it had been so long that I had no idea what I was getting myself into when it finally arrived. I wasn't blown out of the water, to say the least. Chronicling Shapiro's short dive into her past and the lovers that accompanied said past, I found it a whiny and un-entertaining trip down memory lane.

Approaching 40 (why was I even drawn to this book?) and wanting a child (DEFINITELY confused as to why I chose this one...), Shapiro visits/emails/interviews five ex-boyfriends, all of whom annoyed me. Even her husband, who she seemed to be throwing under the bus the duration of the book, was obnoxious to me.

If you're feeling nostalgic about old boyfriends, are pining for a baby, or envy the lives of women who are, this is the book for you. For a twenty-something single girl who doesn't like kids or women whining about them, skip this one.

LIZ: BOOK #29

Girls in Trucks by Katie Crouch

272 pages

Completed 7/3/10

A story of a Southern debutante's life told in varying perspectives and focusing on a variety of topics - love, friendships, family, relationships, jobs, sex - you name it, it's in this book.

Sarah, the self-sabotaging main character, grows up in front of the readers' eyes - loving and losing almost everyone. A cute summer read with a little more intelligence and substance to it than most first-time fiction books.

I enjoyed Crouch's writing so much, in fact, that I searched on Amazon to see if she's released anything since. No, but I cant wait!

LIZ: BOOK #28

Hell Is Other Parents: And Other Tales of Maternal Combustion by Deborah Copaken Kogan

224 pages

Completed 6/27/10

A cute summer read, this combination reflection and motherhood drama memoir read easily. A former war photographer, Kogan is now the mother of 3 young children; an actor son, a middle daughter struggling to find her place, and a late-in-life toddler. Throughout the book, Kogan entertains with heartfelt stories of her everyday life, and occasionally we get a glimpse into her past (my favorite part).

I currently have on order Kogan's first book; not because her writing so impressed me, but because I am intrigued by this woman's life - a life I would give my left arm to lead.

Dotted with both humor and sadness, this book is a good beach read for those of us who don't go for murder mysteries or romances.

LIZ: BOOK #27

Fashion Babylon by Imogen Edwards-Jones & Anonymous

336 pages

Completed 6/13/10

The third book I've read in the true-account Babylon series by composed by Edwards-Jones, this book didn't disappoint. More entertaining than "Air Babylon," but still not quite up to "Hotel Babylon," I still thoroughly enjoyed it. Featuring a fairly new English fashion designer, her flamboyant partner, her gorgeous muse, and a stylist as wacky as they come, this book features names and designers in the fashion world that would make any Vogue reader swoon.

I know this book is a composite of many fashion industry stories the author gathered, but nevertheless, I tried to figure out who this designer was. In fact, I may have enjoyed it more if at the end, her identity was revealed. Speaking of the end, it was disappointing. Unless a sequel is planned (which it is not), the conclusion was too open-ended.

If you've read either Air or Hotel Babylon, I highly recommend this book. Edwards-Jones sticks to her same tried and true writing formula, which makes for an easy, but entertaining read.

LIZ: BOOK #26

Air Babylon by Imogen Edwards-Jones & Anonymous

386 pages

Completed 6/3/10

A few years ago I read Hotel Babylon and immediately put myself on the waiting list at paperbackswap.com for the other two similar books; Air Babylon and Fashion Babylon. This book follows the same format of Hotel Babylon; a period of 24 hours, written as if one character is experiencing everything but actually is the result of composing the stories from dozens of airline employees.

Surprises, debauchery, and annoying customers that could only be found on an airline, are all requisetely present, but with limited humor. The main character, who was probably meant to be dryly sarcastic, instead read as annoyingly depressing. No situation was so shocking, though, so I was kind of bored throughout.

Fashion Babylon is on it's way, so hopefully that will read a bit more humorous as Hotel Babylon than Air Babylon was.

LIZ: BOOK #25

The Carrie Diaries by Candace Bushnell

400 pages

Completed 5/31/10

The prequel to Bushnell's oh-so-popular Sex and the City, this book is definitely at a young adult level. Given the tame subjects and story lines throughout, I guess I cant say I'm surprised.

I am a die hard SATC fan...I can recite episodes, I actually DID read the original book, and annoyingly refer to things said as "remember when Carrie..." So I was excited for this cute little book. Introducing us to high school senior Carrie and her misfit group of friends and broken family, requisite bad boy, and chain smoking habit, nothing really blew me out of the water when reading this. But then again, I don't think I was really expecting much; this was just one of those books you HAVE to read because it comes out.

That being said (and be prepared, this is going to reveal just how corny the SATC girls make me feel), when Carrie's introduction to one of the other 3 women who plays an intrinsic in her NYC adventures, I legitimately got goosebumps. The way Bushnell made this book just about Carrie but also led the reader into her infamous future was done wonderfully, in my opinion.

LIZ: BOOK #24

Too Close to the Falls by Catherine Gildiner

400 pages

Completed 5/24/10

An account of Gildiner's own 1950s childhood, full of town characters, her religious school-based upbringing, and the challenges that came along with those, shapes this book from the very beginning.

Employed at her father's pharmacy at four, put on delivery duty with the one African American man in town soon after, Gildener's sharp humor amuses throughout this memoir without being predictable.

A good memoir about coming of age in a time before my own, with an undercurrent of self-discovery, this memoir was good, but not one that I'd recommend.

LIZ: BOOK #23

Crazy Love by Leslie Morgan Steiner

336 pages

Completed 5/6/10

The memoir of Steiner's fast-tracked relationship and subsequent marriage to the man of her dreams - who was physically abusive. Eloquently written and with the gift of retrospect, this book made me feel for the author. An intelligent, educated woman who ignored the signs of, and then the blatant domestic abuse at the hands of her husband until a near-death encounter made her leave.

The complicated relationship with her parents was not explained enough, in my opinion. Especially towards the end of the book, when a unthinkable betrayal occurs. Despite the horrific encounters with her battering spouse, I didn't feel very emotional until something unrelated to the troubled couple occurs.

This well-written account of abuse and subsequent escape is a good book for teens, in my opinion. Yes, a bit advanced and unrelatable to most teenagers (grad school rather than high school), but an account of things she missed, friends who betrayed, family who didn't understand, and strength in getting out would be indispensable for girls getting into new relationships.

LIZ: BOOK #22

Waiter Rant by The Waiter aka Steve Dublancia

302 pages

Completed 5/5/10

Started as a blog destressing about his waiter position at a high-end NYC restaurant. As a twice-time server, I could totally relate to most of the obnoxious - and great - customers. But what I found most intriguing about this memoir was the breakdown of the relationships between coworkers, bosses, and significant others. Fueled by his own sense of underachievement and unmistakable confusion of where he wants to go in life (even though he's pushing 40), Dublancia really made me feel for him.

I enjoyed how each chapter focused on one subject without it being spacey between them. Although not as side-splitting as I had hoped, the dry humor and amusing conversations kept me entertained.

I checked out his blog, www.waiterrant.net, which Dublancia still updates frequently, and think I'll bookmark it. Likable in a way only someone who admits to his faults can be, the writing was edited just enough to feel like this was just someone telling you his story face-to-face.

LIZ: BOOK #21

Whistling in the Dark by Lesley Kagen

336 pages

Completed 5/4/10


This novel revolves around two young sisters in the 1950s left to fend for themselves with a hospitalized mother, absent older sister, and alcoholic stepfather, in a town that's been plagued by two assaults and murders of two girls. The sisters' relationship is touching; other than that, though, nothing in this book really got to me.

Far too many characters with far too large families lead to confusion, a twisted love triangle, all combined with the unlikeliness of the majority of the situations written, this was novel was far too much of a stretch to be believable.

Sometimes after reading books, I check online to see what other readers had to say. I was surprised that the overwhelming majority of people loved this book - I thought it was overwritten, lacking, and disappointing all at the same time. I think it's time for a memoir...

LIZ: BOOK #20

The Los Angeles Diaries: A Memoir by James Brown

224 pages

Completed 4/19/10

Overdue for a memoir I would enjoy, I picked this book up off the shelf it'd been sitting on for over a year. Brown allows the reader to delve into his drug and alcohol fueled existence with brief interruptions of his troubled childhood. Relationships with his disturbed mother, equally addicted brother and sister, a less than perfect father, and broken marriage with rarely-mentioned children paint a picture of a broken man.

Shaped by addiction, Brown's memoir is dark and haunted by the suicides of his siblings. However, as in most memoirs I enjoy, dry humor is laced throughout - both by the mere pathetic events that take place and Brown's own awareness.

Of note: the last chapter, focused on the author's suicidal sister, is written in a different way than the rest of the book. Normally, this would bother me; I like consistency in writing. However, the confusion and broken sentences allowed me to understand the desperation of the characters and the rise to the surface of addiction that Brown seemed to have made. With unanswered questions, I went to Google with searches of Brown's epilogue - to me, a successful memoir that led me to wanting more.

LIZ: BOOK #19

Not Buying It: My Year Without Shopping by Judith Levine

288 pages

Completed 4/17/10

The mere idea of this title made me break out into a sweat; there's no way I could do this. But it piqued my interest. I expected a humorous self-effacing account of a twenty-something year old forced to save and not spend. Oh, how I was wrong. I should have realized I was off point when the first chapters focused on the economics and societal effects of spending and shopping.

Levine voluntarily embarks on this no-spending journey with her roommate (a random guy in his forties...I wish more details were revealed about this weird relationship) and situations that could have been written funnily were instead dry and, quite frankly, boring. Are Q-tips a luxury? What foods are not a necessity? Ugh, spare me.

I began this book and was so annoyed a few chapters in that I had to stop. Only when I was too lazy to go get another book did I pick it back up again. Readers more politically lined may enjoy this, but for me the book was more about consumerism than quirky ironies and a better-than-thou attitude.

LIZ: BOOK #18

Tabloid Love: Looking for Mr. Right in All the Wrong Places by Bridget Harrison

384 pages

Completed 4/13/10

This memoir read like fiction to me - not necessarily the intended effect when reading a memoir. However, see my last post to understand why I needed something a little lighter to read. Gossipy and humorous without reading too much like chick-lit, this account of an English 29 year old's next 5 years in New York City working for a tabloid paper, writing a dating column, and pursuing men of all walks of life, keeps your interest if only for the reason you want to see what happens to Bridget.

Yes, there were a lot of similarities - and references - to Bridget Jones and Carrie Bradshaw, but this was book was more self-discovery than single girl escapades; although there were plenty of those. My biggest complaint about this memoir was how it wrapped up so open-ended.

All in all, Harrison is a talented writer with some unique experiences under her belt. Obviously not a book you'd pick up for substance, but a good beach read nonetheless.

LIZ: BOOK #17

Children of the Flames: Dr. Josef Mengele and the Untold Story of the Twins of Auschwitz by Lucette Matalon Lagnado and Sheila Cohn Dekel

320 pages

Completed 4/6/10

I have been working on an intensive research paper on medical experimentation in concentration camps during WWII and in my research came across this book. For this one paper, I've actually read 13 books, but none worth reviewing for this blog; until this one.

Dr. Josef Mengele, or "The Angel of Death" was medically fascinated with twins. This fascination led to twins' lives being spared from the gas chambers, but their fate instead led them to horrific medical experiments at the hands of Mengele. I won't go into too much detail here, but this book is not for the weak-stomached. Only 160 of 3000 twins subjected to genetic experimentation by Mengele survived through the end of the war.

Written as both a biography of Mengele interrupted by interview excerpts from some of the twin survivors, I was more intrigued by the firsthand accounts of the children - now adults. I also could not keep all of the names straight which was a shame because the epilogue updates (as of 1993) were very thorough.

LIZ: Book #16

Tweaked by Patrick Moore

215 pages

Completed 3/27/10

Another addiction memoir; this one not as intriguing as most I've read. More of a focus on his 10 year sober life, Moore didn't really succeed at making me connect with the story. After losing his lover to AIDS in the early nineties, and already in love with drugs, Moore spiraled into the world of meth. Now, having escaped NYC to California and moonlighting as a drug addiction counselor, he tends to flashback to some moments in his addiction-fueled life, but just not enough, in my opinion.

The most interesting parts of the book, for me, focused on Moore's relationship with his grandmother. Early in life with her idiosyncrasies, and later in life as she's dying. Her character left me wanting more, as opposed to Patrick's story.

To summarize, this memoir simply left me underwhelmed.

LIZ: Book #15

The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff

544 pages

Completed 3/25/10

This novel took a novel - no pun intended - approach. Ebershoff successfully mansges to merge a current day story with a grad student's thesis, a nineteenth century autobiography, news reports, and letters into a wonderful story.

Polygamy and FLDS has fascinated me for quite some time, but most memoirs I have read are pretty similar. So when I came across this fiction book regarding the same topic, I was pleased. It didn't disappoint. A present-day 19th wife of a FLDS man is pinned with her husband's murder and her estranged gay son ventures back into the world he had left so long ago to find out the truth. Meanwhile, the mystery is juxtaposed with the 19th wife of Brigham Young - FLDS leader in the later 1800s.

At some points, I was almost bored to tears; early in the novel, it's almost an information overload. But by the end of the book, I could not put it down. The intricate connections between characters was so well written I nearly forgot that this was only a work of fiction.

LIZ: Book #14

Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult

464 pages

Completed 3/19/2010

Well, I have been slacking on reviews, so here is the first of a few!

My teenage sister is a big fan of Picoult's novels. I, on the other hand, could take her or leave her. When I listened to "My Sister's Keeper" on audio, I did enjoy the story, but was reluctant to pick up anymore of her books. This storyline, however, reeled me in.

A murder leaves a pregnant woman bereft of her husband and daughter. The murderer is apprehended and sentenced to death. Years later, the child is in need of a heart and the man who killed the family she never knew wants to give her his. Enter a variety of characters - a priest who served on the jury, a lawyer brought up in a religious environment, a bitter widow, an AIDS affected inmate - and an attempt to change a NH law, you have a story that lasts almost 500 pages (which could have been edited down...a lot.). When religion got to be a main storyline, I have to admit that I was bored.

This was a typical Picoult novel; predictable, medically-based, and heart-wrenching. If you are a fan of hers, or a believer in miracles, this is a must-read. Those who aren't, don't bother with this one.

LIZ: BOOK #13

The Year of Yes by Maria Headley

288 pages

Completed 3/10/10

By the age of twenty, the author was fed-up with dating in NYC and somehow came to the assumption that it was because she was being too picky. Hence began her resolve to say yes to every man - and woman - who asked her on a date for a year.

This book reminded me of Danny Wallace's "Yes Man," and not only for the obvious similarities in title. Annoyingly so, in fact. Headley writes about her adventures - but too briefly to really feel connected to the author. She goes on dates with a maintenance man, a classmate, even a homeless man; most are seedy. How this helped Headley feel better about the dating pool escapes me. But, as in a book hoping to become a movie (which is how I felt throughout its entirety), there is a happy, albeit predictable, ending.

Although a memoir, this book reminded me too much of a chick-lit novel to really draw me in. Fans of Jennifer Weiner would enjoy Headley's book, but those looking for a gritty memoir should skip this one.

LIZ: BOOK #12

Symptoms of Withdrawl: A Memoir of Snapshots and Redemption by Christopher Kennedy Lawford

416 pages

Completed 3/3/10

The Kennedy family seems to intrigue many people; I myself tend to focus more on Jackie O.'s fashion sense than the family 'curse'. But when I stumbled across this memoir of the nephew of JFK, I figured it was worth a shot. I actually began this book as an abridged audio; I was not only bored, but also felt that I was missing a lot of important things that had not been included, so I picked up a physical copy of the book.

This memoir ended up being more of a recovery-discovery set in a notorious family dynamic, rather than a tell-all. Yes, there were some dirty details and fascinating details, but all in all, this was a depressing memoir. Overdoses, deaths, broken relationships - you name it, Lawford writes about it. And not very well, in my opinion.

All in all, I say that this is an account to skip. Someone I had spoken with regarding this book was intrigued by the name-dropping: Frank Sinatra, Marilyn Monroe, Sammy Davis Jr., and of course, the immortal Kennedy's, all make an appearance. But, in my opinion, this is not enough to carry this book.

LIZ: BOOK #11

The Man of My Dreams by Curtis Sittenfeld

269 pages

Completed 2/27/10

After listening to Sittenfeld's "Prep" on audio a few months ago, her light writing style drew me in. She is not a literary genius by any means, but she tells a good story without too many annoying extras.

This novel revolves around Hannah - beginning when she is fourteen up until her late twenties. With an unbearable cousin, separated parents, her love of love, and a complicated relationship with her sister, Hannah's self-discovery is non-specific enough to apply to almost every young woman. I was pleasantly pleased by Sittenfeld's way of incorporating love and relationships without this being a chick-lit book.

At the very end, I was surprised by how emotion-full the story became; perhaps it's only because I could so deeply relate to Hannah. While I did not like Sittenfeld's way of using a letter as an ending, I don't see how else it could've been done. I will definitely keep my eye out for new Sittenfeld books.

LIZ: BOOK #10

Swing Low by Miriam Toews

208 pages

Completed 2/18/10

This book's writing style convinced me to pick it up; Toews wrote this book as if she were her father. An interesting concept, but one that failed to impress me. Her bipolar teacher father, who committed suicide later in life, left his family, and especially the author herself, with unanswered questions. A cathartic way of coming to terms with who her father was, I'm sure, but it never reeled me in enough to be moved by this book.

Coining this book as a memoir is deceiving, I think. Although told from the perspective of the main character, there's no way Toews could have truly entered her father's world and his lifelong struggle within it. I think that my own wariness for such an iffy way of presenting the story never allowed me to fully believe it. I can see, however, how this book could be a great resource for family members who have lost a loved one to mental illness - either living or dead.

An extremely talented writer, Toews did manage to churn out a very well-written book with "Swing Low". From early adulthood up until the day of what would end up being his last, Toews does cover her father's life in depth. I guess it just wasn't personal enough for me to enjoy it.

LIZ: BOOK #9

Tales From the Bed by Jenifer Estess

256 pages

Completed 2/11/10

Diagnosed with ALS in her early thirties, Jennifer Estess decided to not wallow in her fatal diagnosis, but instead used the bond with her two sisters to realize the truly important things in her life. Founding Project A.L.S., the Estess sisters show what rallying behind a loved one really is.

As any book revolving around illness does, this was chock full of medical terms, but in a way that didn't make you feel lost and unintelligent. While the story of Jenifer Estess was inspiring, her bond with her sisters is what touched me the most. As someone who is forging a stronger bond with my own sister, I was moved to tears on more than one occasion during this reading.

The ending is predictable; the epilogue not so much. All in all, I was not overly impressed with this memoir. The dropping of celebrity names, the blurry line between Jenifer's and Valerie's writing, the lack of impression it made on me; all led me to conclude that I do not recommend this one, regardless of it's heartbreaking storyline.

LIZ: BOOK #8

I'm Perfect, You're Doomed: Tales from a Jehovah's Witness Upbringing by Kyria Abrahams

352 pages

Completed 2/2/10

Religions - especially ones surrounded my controversy - fascinate me. My own maternal grandmother briefly practiced alongside the Jehovah Witnesses and it was, especially to my 10 year old mind, odd. No recognition of birthdays, Halloween, cereal brands; this is religion?! So when I picked up Abrahams' book on her own JW's upbringing, I was intrigued. A self-described precocious child, Abrahams reveled in her religion and its meetings, rules, and family dynamic.

Once she reached her teens, however, the author's story takes a dramatic turn with rebellion, a bout of OCD, and a marriage at eighteen. Drugs and alcohol make a brief appearance (as in most memoirs) and she struggles with her religious identity.

While religions do pique my interest, I was not necessarily intrigued by this memoir. Expecting a dark, humorous account a la Augusten Burrough's "Running With Scissors," I was deeply disappointed. The humor is lacking after the first third of the book, and the ending - which can only be described as abrupt - leaves you with nothing.

LIZ: BOOK #7

From Baghdad, With Love by Lt. Col. Jay Kopelman

216 pages

Completed 2/1/10

Both heartwarming and heartbreaking, this book revolves around Lava, a pup found in Fajullah by a Marine battalion in the height of the Iraqi conflict, and Kopelman's desire to breach rules and save this helpless pup from a war zone.

I, as usual, was drawn into this book by the beyond adorable cover; I am sucker for puppies. War, not so much. So it was difficult for me to get into this read; a lot of it focused around battle zones, suicide bombers, transporting between bases - bureaucracy. If there's anything I hate as much as I love puppies, its droning. This book seemed to do a lot of that.

While the story is touching - a tough Marine is so touched by the little pup that even after leaving Iraq he fights to bring him to the United States - it seemed to have the opposite effect on me that what most readers probably have experienced. I felt a deep sadness for the multitudes of other animals - especially dogs - that were not helped; that were left behind, wounded, hungry, alone. Yes, Lava stumbled upon a battalion who ignored the rules and adopted her, but couldn't there be something else that could help more? For all of the effort and teamwork that went into bringing this dog all the way to the U.S., how many dogs were lost?

Well, I knew I would go off on a woe-are-sad-puppies tangent, but that's mostly what this book left with me. I would recommend this one more towards a male audience - the war descriptions were a little much for me - and to animal lovers who can keep perspective on the issue at hand.

JOHN: BOOK #1

Ok...so here this goes. First, let's start with a little background on me. I just joined the blog - the read-a-thon as I like to call it. I got suckered in by my friend Liz.. just kidding, I voluntarily joined. Liz and I are gym partners and I thought it would be a good idea if I worked out my mind over the next year as well as my body; we'll see how it turns out. Also, this is my FIRST blog ever!!! Big step! So without any more babble, here it goes...





I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell by Tucker Max

277 pages

Completed 1/31/10

Last night, I finished"I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell" by Tucker Max. This is the book that actually got me to do this; I couldn't put it down. Now I must add a warning: this book is not for the faint of heart! Centered around hooking up with women and verbally abusing complete strangers, Tucker recounts the stories of his early twenties. Being in that same age bracket, I could easily relate to the scenarios Tucker speaks of...well, semi-relate. One redeeming quality about Tucker is he says and writes it like it is. On the back jacket of the book, the first line is, "My name is Tucker Max, and I am an asshole." True to form, this sentiment is echoed throughout the book.

I must admit, in the beginning I often asked myself "Is this stuff true?" but as I finished the book I realized one thing: if Tucker is anything like the way he writes then everything HAS to be true. Tucker writes with pure admiration for himself, disregard for other people and their feelings, and lets his penis run his brain. Some may ask how this would be tolerable. I will tell you: along with these "endearing" qualities Tucker is smart! He writes with wit, insight, and honesty. Anyone can be mean and insult people; not many can do it via hilarious and intelligent comments. This is the exact reason that without question - not because he hooks up with so many girls or has crazy nights - I would be friends with Tucker.

I'll be honest...if this book was just about sexual conquests and crazy nights of a twenty-something and only that, I would have put the book down as quickly as I picked it up! In addition to these stories, though, Tucker writes at the end of each one his reflections, what he would have done again and what he wouldn't. This older, more wise conscience makes Tucker human, even - dare I say it - likable.

Like I said, great book... loved it, but not for everyone. The twenty-somethings of the world will love it;others...not so much.

LIZ: BOOK #6

The End of the World As We Know It by Robert Goolrick

214 pages

Completed 1/31/10

Until page 160, this book seemed to just drone on. But at that point in this book, the author wakes up as a four year old boy being molested by his father while family members snore nearby. In fact, there was an entire chapter of just run-on sentences questioning 'how they went on.'

This memoir seemed to be a cathartic healing process for the author, rather than an entertaining memoir to the reader. In fact, "morbidly funny" are the words on the cover used by a critic to describe the book; this was anything but funny. Instead I found it sad; the putting-ons of appearance, the facade the family had built up, and the anguish of Goolrick throughout the years.

I feel like perhaps this book was more suited towards a male audience; an entire chapter was dedicated to male puberty, in a way that didn't seem necessary to the book, in my opinion. I have veered away from memoirs as of late because of their plainness; I should have done the same with this one, as well.

CeCe: BOOK #1

So, here it is... Finally!!! My first book review!!!

The Shack by William P. Young

256 pages

Completed 01/27/10

After reading this book, I felt accomplished and even a bit uplifted. I don't consider myself to be the religious type, but I am spiritual. Although this book was based around religious structure, I found it quite enlightening and would recommend it to anyone that has suffered a loss in life or faced adversity.

After his daughter Missy was abducted an killed, Mack (Mackenzie) basically withdrew himself from life and surrendered to depression. Years later, he receives an anonymous note inviting him back to place of his daughter's death: the shack. Determined to find out who wants him to go and why, he embarks on a journey that changes him forever.

Mack's weekend at the shack with his new found friends open up his mind and heart in a way never before. The religious references throughout the story were somewhat overwhelming, but equally enjoyable.

LIZ: BOOK #5

Thin Is the New Happy by Valerie Frankel

256 pages

Completed 1/26/10


Recently began a new workout and diet regime, and was inspired to pick this memoir up - mostly because of the cover. Guilty again. What I thought would be a comical journey through a lifetime of weight struggle stories actually turned out to be more of a self-help book; not my thing.

Being put on her first diet at 11 and feeling the thrill that came with being thinner, Frankel proceeds through the rest of her life ranging in size from 6 to 22 on and off a variety of diets, weight loss programs, denial, and obsession. Now in her forties with two daughters, Frankel decides to shed not pounds this time, but her obsessive behavior surrounding dieting and weight.

Frankel's quest to rid herself of her self-critical body obsession while tackling the root cause of it just didn't reel me in as I had hoped. More of a cathartic book for her it seemed, and equally boring for me.

LIZ: BOOK #4

Nanny Returns by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus

320 pages

Completed 1/14/10

This much anticipated sequel to 2000's Nanny Diaries failed to impress. I loved the original; the charming story of a 21 year old nanny to a four year old Grayer whose parents were like so many of New York City's hands-off workaholics. Nanny Returns picks up 13ish years later, with Nan returning to N.Y.C. with her Harvard Hottie - now husband - to a dilapidated fixer-upper, dire job prospects, and an absent said husband. Then, oddly enough, a 17 year old Grayer shows up, draws Nan back into his and his (unknown until this point) younger brother's lives. The same neglectful parenting style, the same inner conflicts, the same snobbish upper class.

I really wanted to enjoy this book, I really did. But the unlikeliness of it all - Nan's elderly grandmother still thriving, reconnecting with friends long since lost, a job falling into her lap - it was just such a stretch. This time around, and perhaps because I am more jaded 10 years after first beginning this series, Nan didn't pull at my heart strings. In fact, she seemed downright implausible. When the authors attempted to weave marital woes into the story, it seemed ridiculous, what with Harvard Husband being absent for 90% of the story.

What should have taken me a few days instead took a week to get through, if only because I was forcing myself to continue. I'd skip this one if you were a big fan of The Nanny Diaries, if only to keep the original story untouched in your memory.