2011: Book 37

Daughter's Keeper by Ayelet Waldman

352 pages

Completed 4/19/11

Waldman's writing style's fluidity makes for great reading. This novel, about a young woman caught up in a tumultuous relationship with her mother and step-father, in a federal drug case with her illegal alien boyfriend, and pregnant with an unwanted child, takes the reader on a journey from the naivety of childhood through a prison sentence.

Nailing the daughter's condescending attitude without making her unlikable, Waldman's character development is that which makes you forget whether you are reading a work of fiction or a memoir.

2011: Book #34

Family Album by Penelope Lively

240 pages

Completed 4/3/11

Told from nine points of view - the six children of two parents and their nanny - set in the outskirts of London, this novel was a bit slow to get into, but I am so glad I did. Revealing the secrets behind the family, while combining their past stories with their current lives was written so well that not once did I feel lost in terms of whom was speaking.

Intriguing, I couldn't believe the ease in which huge secrets were revealed. With the mother being oh-so-cheery and living alongside her lost-in-his-own-world husband, the children have very different takes on what went on during their childhood, and each had their own unique voice. Well done; I truly enjoyed this read.

2011: Book 24

The World Made Straight by Ron Rash


304 pages

Completed 3/16/11

This novel tells the tale of Travis, a high school-aged young man who gets in over his head after stealing marijuana plants from a cruel drug-dealing farmer. The subsequent events lead to Travis living in a broken-down trailer with the town's ex-teacher pot dealer, Leonard, and his pill-popping girlfriend. Falling for a headstrong college-bound girl who insists on remaining chaste, dealing with his father's rejection, and accepting the consequences of dropping out of high school, this coming-of-age tale is one to remember.

But this book is not just Travis' story; intertwined is Leonard's  own sad tale, as well as a mysterious and telling doctor's log from the 1800s. In the small town, everything is connected, and the ending of this book will leave readers stunned.

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 #2

The Book of Revelation by Rupert Thomson


272 pages

Completed 1/5/11

This was one of those books that has been sitting in my bookshelf FOREVER so I decided to just start reading it. Based on a dream the author had, the story of a male dancer drugged and kidnapped by three women and held and sexually tortured for eighteen days and the subsequent effects of it on his life is a bizarre tale that somehow became a page-turner.

I feel as if I do not want to reveal too much of this book's story, because as the reader, I didn't see the majority of it coming. While unpredictable, the plot line remains fluid, and I never once regretted picking this one up. Yes, a bit bizarre and graphic in the early chapters, but watching the narrator's life as it unravels and reassembles is presented in such a way that you just have to know what happens next.

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 #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 #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 #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 #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.