2011: Book 39

For the Sins of My Father: The Legacy of a Mafia Life by Al DeMeo

288 pages

Completed 4/24/11

For a tale of death, greed, murder, and cheating, DeMeo's story of his childhood with his Mafioso father was heartwarming. A man who truly seemed to care for his only son, yet struggling with keeping up his obligations, the elder DeMeo's luck finally runs out; as does the younger's.

Planning to stage his father's murder, helping him to establish identities in the Bahamas, and meeting hordes of "uncles,' the younger DeMeo revisits the moment when he realized his father was not just a used car salesman. With poignancy that would touch any reader, the discovery of his father dead leaves Al in shock, as does the subsequent "tell-all" books and a legal case that seems to never go away. An easy read, it is still as full of heart as any father-son story.

2011: Book 26

A Three Dog Life by Abigail Thomas


192 pages

Completed 3/18/11

I have had a lot of extra reading time these past two months, and this may be the last time I do for a while, as my life in NYC seems to finally be taking off. But thinking that this memoir is my half point of my year's goal and it's only mid-March, I feel good!

Abigail Thomas' memoir following the debilitating accident of her husband, Rich, is interlaced with tales of her three pooches, making a life of her own, and her own grief dealing with her husband's brain injury. Honestly, the title was what first attracted me to this book, but then I was afraid to pull it out of my shelf in fears that the book would feature a death of one of her beloved pets (it did not). I finally got around to it, and my interest was piqued when I noticed Stephen King had said it was "the best memoir I have ever read." I did not share his feelings.

It was well written, and told an interesting, if brief, story. But that was it. I wasn't feeling any emotion, was not moved to further read about the author or her husband when I finished; I was just left uninspired. Luckily, it was a short read, but one I would not recommend for those seeking a tell-all memoir.

2011: Book 20

The Velveteen Father: An Unexpected Journey to Parenthood


242 pages

Completed 3/7/11

The tale of Jesse Green's new relationship with a man who has recently adopted a child, The Velveteen Father was not my favorite. Definitely a good read for gay men or men at similar points in their lives, but the statistics bored me and I just could not relate to anything throughout the book.

The fact that Green adopts (no pun intended) a parenting role, but does not live with his partner or his eventual two children, struck me as so odd and kind of led me to dislike Green. Now, I am not a children-person, but this does not seem like a healthy or supportive way to co-parent. While the memoir does offer interesting facts about gay adoption, overall, this was a read I should have skipped.

2011: Book 7

The Almost Archer Sisters by Lisa Gabriele


272 pages

Completed 2/3/11

A novel about two sisters, their bond, and the unraveling of it after one betrays the other in an unthinkable way, Gabriele's talent made me forget that these were fictional characters. With one sister escaping to New York City and the other remaining on the family farm in Canada with her wise, hairdresser father, husband, and two young sons who need constant attention, the two sisters' world rarely mesh...until they do in an unpredictable way.

While the ending bored me, the novel itself was pretty good; nothing to rave about, but I enjoyed it well enough.

2011: Book 6

Slackjaw: A Memoir by Jim Knipfel


256 pages

Completed 1/31/2011

This memoir about Knipfel's descent into depression and blindness, intermittently disrupted by his punk lifestyle and attitude, was well-written, and a quick read, but not a book I'd recommend. Although the lack of self-pity was commendable, I didn't feel like I gained anything from this read.

A few years ago, I read Cockeyed by Ryan Knighton, and thoroughly enjoyed it. Entertaining, and chock full of dry humor, I thought it'd be interesting to pick up Slackjaw; it seemed so similar, and I figured I'd enjoy it. I don't know if it was the fact that if I knew Knipfel in real life, he would annoy me, or if his attitude was just too abrasive for my liking,  but I just wasn't as drawn to this memoir as I was Knighton's.

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 #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 #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 #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 #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.