Why Have Kids? A New Mom Explores the Truth About Parenting and Happiness by Jessica Valenti

"This is a book about how the American ideal of parenting doesn't match the reality of our lives, and how that incompatibility is hurting parents and children. Because the expectation of a certain kind of parenthood - one where we're perfect mothers who have perfect partners, where our biggest worry is whether or not to use cloth diapers - makes the real thing much more difficult to bear." --Jessica Valenti

In her introduction, the author warns that "this book will likely make you angry." She tackles myths about parenting (children make you happy, mothering is the 'hardest job in the world,' women are the natural parent) in order to provide more realistic expectations about parenting. She argues that being real about what parenting is like will then open up the discussion about to how to make parenting easier and how to provide more support to parents.

This book was made much more interesting by the fact that the author is a mother herself and she doesn't shy away at all from talking about how challenging it is. It's really nice to hear a more realistic portrayal of parenthood.

A quick read and also quite fascinating as she cites studies and articles about parenthood. However, the very last chapter entitled "Why have kids?" was disappointingly the weakest one. It's like she ran out of steam. Anyway, I think this would make interesting reading for parents and non-parents alike, or people thinking about having kids.

Penelope by Rebecca Harrington

Penelope is a Harvard freshman who is not adept at making friends. This book follows her during her first year at school and all of her social and academic mishaps.

This book was quite bad. Neither Penelope nor her friends had personalities. They weren't likeable at all. And, apparently, at Harvard no one uses contractions when they speak. Hum, maybe using contractions is a University of California thing because I use contractions A LOT (see the following sentence)! Furthermore, Penelope doesn't change at all during the book, so I didn't really see the point of the whole story. I finished the book, but I was ho-hum throughout. Please don't waste your time with this book. Thanks!

Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn

If you're looking for a book that will not challenge you or will not make you feel any discomfort, this book is definitely NOT for you.

This thoroughly researched book addresses human rights violations around the world, specifically those against women. We're talking about sex slavery, female genital mutilation, honor killings, etc. The authors clearly explain each issue and tell the stories of women.

This book was quite the education. It was difficult to read. However, at the end of every chapter, there is a story of hope. The authors write about ordinary people who are doing something to intervene with each of these issues. Some people live abroad, and some are in the US. Some are even teens here in the US. So, this book actually left me with some hope rather than feeling depressed and helpless.

The last chapter is about things you can do to help in the next ten minutes. One of them is to make a micro-loan (for as little as $25!) through www.kiva.org.

Like I said above, this is not a comfortable book to read. But if you do care about human rights, and want to know what you can do, this is a very well-written, hopeful, and accessible book to help you get involved.

My Favorite Books of 2012

Below is a list of the Top Books I read this year!

Thank you for reading my blog. I really appreciate your time, comments, and recommendations! Hoping that 2013 is filled with peace, fun, and good books to read! =D
 


Favorite Fiction:
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
I was so into this book, that I told myself that I just had to finish it so that I could get on with the rest of my life. 

A Book That Had Me Thinking About Another Way to Parent:
Bringing Up Bebe: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting by Pamela Druckerman
Wow! This was an eye-opening book about a different way to parent.

Favorite Cooking Memoir:
Yes, Chef: A Memoir by Marcus Samuelsson
A well-written memoir by a serious chef.

Best Distraction to Read During the 2012 Presidential Election:
Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin
Fun, readable, and interesting. Oh yah, and it took my mind off all of the dirty politics of fall 2012.

Favorite Memoir (General):
Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed
A warning though: there are disgusting parts about her toenails falling off, and another very graphic and disturbing description of a horse's death that made me cry and cry and cry.

Made Me Sigh and Think About Living in China:
Kosher Chinese: Living, Teaching, and Eating with China's Other Billion by Michael Levy
Ah, China. What can I say??

The Most Disturbing Book I Read this Year:
We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver
Super disturbing, especially in light of the recent school shooting.

Book That Changed My Eating Habits:
French Kids Eat Everything: How Our Family Moved to France, Cured Picky Eating, Banned Snacking, and Discovered 10 Simple Rules for Raising Happy, Healthy Eaters by Karen Le Billon
After reading this book, I pretty much stopped eating between meals except for an afternoon gouter (snack) of fruit and cheese.

Best Book about the End-of-Life:
The End of Your Life Bookclub by Will Schwalbe
A wonderful, tender book about family relationships, books, and caring for one's parent.

Love & War: Find Your Way to Something Beautiful in Your Marriage by John and Stasi Eldredge

The Sacred Romance and The Journey of Desire were two of the most important books I read in my 20s, and they both really prompted me to think about life and God in very different ways. Captivating was a very healing book for me as well.

Then, John's books became more formulaic and sloppy. This book falls under the formulaic and sloppy category.

The most helpful list that is included in this book is the list of "top three things that would most help your marriage":
1. Find life in God.
2. Deal with your brokenness.
3. Learn to shut down the spiritual attacks that come against your marriage.

But there were very judgmental parts of the book as well. For example, they write: "I think of friends who have decided not to marry, and of those who are married but have decided not to have children. They are fundamentally selfish. There is just no other description for it." I think that it's very possible to have kids and still be quite selfish, and it's also very possible to be single and childless and to be generous and caring of others. It's careless and judgmental comments like this one that make me think that the Eldredges are getting sloppy.

I don't want to spend too much time writing about this book because it was just mediocre, and I'm eager to return it to the library. So my final word about this book is: SKIP!

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson

Did your teacher ever read this book to you in elementary school?

It's about the annual Christmas Pageant and the Herdman kids, a group of rowdy, dirty, and hungry kids who participate.

The Herdman kids start attending church because they hear that refreshments are served, and they end up with all of the major roles in the Christmas play (mostly because they bullied everyone else into not volunteering). They've never heard the Christmas story before, and the church congregation thinks that the Herdman kids will ruin the whole play, so there is a record turn-out. The kids don't end up ruining the play. Instead, they bring an awe and authenticity to the story, which makes it the best Christmas pageant ever.

Reading this as an adult was different from reading it as a kid. Reading the Christmas story from the perspective of kids who have never heard the story makes it fresh and new, something that isn't so bad around this time of the year.

Paris, I Love You but You're Bringing Me Down by Rosecrans Baldwin

"Paris, I thought, was like a library book, something loaned." --Rosecrans Baldwin

Rosecrans and his wife move to Paris for 18 months. Although he barely speaks French, he gets a job working at an advertising agency. In his spare time, he works on his first novel. In this book, he writes about his adjustment to Paris and his exploration of the city. We read about Paris in all of its glory and not-glory.

This is a funny book. And a crass book, so be forewarned. Also, Rosecrans and his wife attend a lot of parties, so that gets tedious after awhile. Some parts were so funny though that I read them out loud.

The title of the book is kinda incongruent as it doesn't really seem like Rosecrans falls out of love with Paris, or that it really brings him down.

Recommended if you like Paris and don't mind crassness and reading about parties.

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

This was the most twisted and twisty book I read all year. I could not put it down.

Amy Dunne disappears on her fifth wedding anniversary. Is she framing her husband for her murder? I had no idea how this story was going to end, so it was a very fun (but twisted) book.

Recommended. One of the most engaging and engrossing books I read in 2012.

The Cool Chick's Guide to Baseball by Lisa Martin

Boomer and I try to make it to at least one baseball game each season. It's so fun to take the train to the stadium and chow down on some garlic fries. Oh yah, and watch the game!

This is a very straightforward and easy-to-read guide to the game of baseball. It covers the field, the players and their positions, scoring, and even a chapter on how to dress appropriately for the ballgame (which is basically: don't wear the other team's color, and wear sunblock!).

The most helpful chapter for me was on how to read the box score.

If you're new to baseball, or want a refresher course, pick this up.

The Journal of Best Practices: A Memoir of Marriage, Asperger Syndrome, and One Man's Quest to Be a Better Husband by David Finch

Five years into his marriage, Finch is diagnosed (unofficially at first by his wife, and then officially confirmed by a physician) with Asperger Syndrome. Asperger syndrome is a mild form of autism, and people with it have difficulty navigating social situations and engaging interpersonally.

Over the next 18 months, Finch delves into figuring out how to be a better husband and father. Since empathy doesn't come naturally for him, he has to discover guidelines about how to act (for example, fold the laundry instead of rooting through the dryer for just what you need), and he writes these things down in his Journal of Best Practices.

A very interesting look into the mind of someone with Asperger syndrome. This book gave me a greater appreciation for the challenges they face when it comes to relating with people.

Recommended.

Help Thanks Wow: The Three Essential Prayers by Anne Lamott

"I pray because I can't help myself. I pray because I'm helpless. I pray because the need flows out of me all the time, waking and sleeping. It doesn't change God. It changes me."  --C.S. Lewis

I like reading Anne Lamott's books. I liked this one. However, it's more like a pamphlet though, not a book. Each section covers each prayer of Help, Thanks, and Wow.

It's a nice read, but glad I didn't buy it since it's a very little book. Also, some of Lamott's jokes are re-runs from previous books.

Read if you can, but see if your library has it.

The Book of Mormon Girl: A Memoir of an American Faith by Joanna Brooks

I've been thinking about the Mormon religion for months now. First, there was that presidential candidate, Mitt Romney. Remember him? And then I read a book The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance about a Mormon girl looking for love. Then, I saw the musical, The Book of Mormon, which required weeks of preparation as I listened to the soundtrack to familiarize myself with the music. And just this weekend, I read this book about a woman who grew up in the Mormon church, but then struggles with the stands the church takes on women and homosexuality.

The problem with having The Book of Mormon soundtrack pretty new in my mind, is that whenever I read in this book that Joanna tells someone, "I am a Mormon," I heard Elder Price singing that same line: "I am a Mormon....and a Mormon just believes!"

This book was just so-so for me. I learned a lot since there's a lot of church history included. I didn't really get a good sense of the author's personality so that kinda made it a bland book. Although some parts were interesting, I found myself wondering if I should even finish the book. I did, but maybe it was a more difficult/boring book to me because even though Mormonism has been on my mind over the last several months, it still has a lot of foreign stories and concepts to me, a non-Mormon.

Anyway, out of all of the Mormon things I've been thinking about, I would definitely recommend the musical, The Book of Mormon to you! It's really funny, touching, and well-done. (Oh yah, it's also by the creators of South Park, so it's offensive to everyone, so beware!)

PS: Thanks to Kjersti for this book recommendation!

Please submit your Best Books of 2012!

I'll post my list of favorite books of 2012 shortly.

What were your favorite books this year? Please leave a comment and let me know so I can make sure I check them out in 2013.

Thank you for reading my blog this year. Keep reading!

The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe

"I was learning that when you're with someone who is dying, you may need to celebrate the past, live the present, and mourn the future all at the same time." --Will Schwalbe

A true story about a son and mother book club. Will's mom, Mary Anne, was diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer. As Will accompanies her to doctor appointments and chemotherapy treatments, they discuss the books they are reading. They read some new books together, and they re-read old favorites.

This is a wonderfully touching book about the relationship between son and mom, and the role that books play in our lives. Mary Anne Schwalbe was also a very inspiring and compassionate person so it was a treat to read about her life and her work toward making the world a better place, especially for women.

As I was reading this book this last week and toting it around with me everywhere I went, I was recommending it to everyone I talked to, and now I'm recommending it to you.

French Milk by Lucy Knisley

Lucy and her mother spent six weeks in Paris to celebrate their birthdays. She kept a journal filled with drawings of their time there. She describes and draws the food they ate and the art they saw. She also writes down her own musings about life, her relationship with her mom, and her boyfriend.

The book is called French Milk because she fell in love with the rich, unpasteurized milk in France.

I really liked this book. It was sweet and funny. And of course, it made me want to go back to Paris and eat loads of unpasteurized Camembert.

Thanks to Grace for the recommendation!

The Art of Hearing Heartbeats by Jan-Philipp Sendker, translated from German into English by Kevin Wiliarty

Julia's father suddenly disappears the day after her graduation from law school. It's not until four years later when Julia finds an unmailed love letter from her dad to a Burmese woman that Julia gets some clue about where her father might have gone. She travels to Burma to look for him, and is given insight into her father's early life that she had no idea about.

Engaging, engrossing, and mystical. The story had some twists that I didn't expect. Overall, a good book, but I'm not raving about it.

The Willoughbys by Lois Lowry

I try to avoid the Children's Room at my local library. It's too loud with children screaming and parents talking over their kids about meeting up at Jamba Juice.

But every so often, I stick my hood on and run into the kids' room to grab some books in the "J" section.

My last run into the kids' section yielded this book.

All four Willoughby children are despised by their parents. Alas, all four Willoughby children despise their parents. The kids would rather be orphans and their parents would rather be childless.

This book is probably funnier if you're an adult reading it than if you're a child, so a note to my junior readers: wait until you're in your 20s to read this one. Reading about parents not liking their kids could be damaging at a young age.

But if you're an adult, and you haven't read any kids' books lately, this is a funny book to read. It's whimsical with cute illustrations, and a funny neighbor boy who thinks he's speaking German but he's not ("Helloschlimhofen, neisch day, isn't itzenschlitz?").

Just for fun!

Finding Contentment: When Momentary Happiness Just Isn’t Enough by Neil Clark Warren

Please check out my latest post on Sindy's blog about the book, Finding Contentment: When Momentary Happiness Just Isn’t Enough. I even talk about cheese. Cheese and books!!

How to Eat a Cupcake by Meg Donohue

Annie and Julia both grow up in a mansion in San Francisco, but only because Annie is the daughter of Julia's nanny. Class differences aside, they are like sisters...until Julia spreads some rumors about Annie during high school. Then they go their separate ways (and to emphasize how different they are, isn't it appropriate that Julia goes to Stanford and Annie goes to Cal?). Ten years later, they are thrown back together and Julia offers to fund a cupcakery for Annie who is now a baker.

One very good thing about the book is that the descriptions of cupcakes are mouth-watering.

Overall though, it was cheesy, predictable, and yet very readable. It was a rainy, rainy weekend here in California, and this book is perfect for rainy weather.

The Time Keeper by Mitch Albom

Tuesdays with Morrie is a book that I try to read once a year to remind myself about what's important in life. Tuesdays with Morrie was, by far, Mitch Albom's best book, but I continue to read whatever else he writes.

The Time Keeper deals with time, having too much, or having too little of it.

It's a fast read and gave me some things to think about.

The format of the book is weird though, and takes some getting used to. It's like Albom typed all of his topic sentences in Bold, and forgot to go back and undo the Bold.


When you're visiting your in-laws this Christmas, and this book happens to be on the nightstand in the guest bedroom, go ahead and pick it up. Otherwise, I wouldn't go out of your way to find this one. But read Tuesdays with Morrie if you haven't already.

PS: I have an extra copy of Tuesdays with Morrie if you want to borrow it.

PPS: An update - my copy of The Casual Vacancy has been spoken for despite my warnings against it! Sorry, Julie, don't say I didn't warn you, and thanks for taking this one off my bookshelf.

Confessions of a Scary Mommy: An Honest and Irreverent Look at Motherhood - The Good, The Bad, and the Scary byJill Smokler

Smokler took some time off from working when her kids were young. She started a blog about motherhood, and found a community out there with other blogger moms who shared about the ups and downs of motherhood. She added an anonymous "Confessional" sections and moms responded with real, honest, sad, and funny confessions.

This book has short chapters on different aspects of motherhood (pregnancy, birth, vacations, sick children), and each chapter begins with a bunch of "confessions" from her blog.

Some confessions:
"I like my children best when they are newborns. I like them less every year after."
"If I'd known the kind of father my husband would be, I never would have married him."
"I swear at my kids in German and they have no idea what I'm saying."
"I have triplets, so why am I lonely?"

All I have to say about this book is: if you're thinking about having kids, you probably shouldn't read this book. If you already have kids, you might be either totally amused and relate to Smokler, or maybe you'll think she's a bad, bad mom. Or maybe both. I thought it was funny.

Guest Blogging on The Chocolate Gravy Diaries

I'm happy to write that I'm guest blogging on Sindy's blog, The Chocolate Gravy Diaries. For those of you who don't know Sindy, she is a very creative, curious, and thoughtful lady, and her blog posts are great food for thought.

Each month on her blog, I'm writing more in-depth about the books that have influenced me and shaped who I am today. You can head over there to read my November post on He's Just Not That Into You. My December post will be up next week.

Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese

A little bird told me that you're looking for a great book to read during your upcoming holiday vacation. A sprawling novel with superb writing, well-developed characters, and a wonderful story?

Well, get out your pencil from your pencil pouch, because I have the book for you!

This book has everything: a nun who gives birth, twins, an abandoning dad, political uprisings, homicide, suicide, love, unrequited love, and transplant surgery. What else are you looking for in a book??

I really, really enjoyed this book. I'm thinking of giving it to some people for Christmas.

Seating Arrangements by Maggie Shipstead

This story takes place over one weekend on the East Coast island of Waskeke. The Van Meter family is gathered for their eldest daughter's wedding. It's like we're flies on the wall of their beach house as everyone gets together and catches up.

I don't want you to write this book off as a chic-lit wedding weekend easy reading book. For having so many characters (the parents, sisters, bridesmaids, groomsmen, other relatives), each one is quite distinct and memorable. Furthermore, the relationships between each person are also very clear.

This is a very detailed and observant book about relationships, the things we tell ourselves, and the importance of figuring out what matters in life and what doesn't.

For whatever reason though, I'm finding that I can't give this a wholehearted recommendation. Maybe about an 70%-hearted recommendation. It's a good read, just not one to make me gush.







PS: Contains adult themes and content.

Shortcomings by Adrian Tomine

This is a graphic novel about a Japanese-American man, Ben Tanaka. His longtime girlfriend, Miko Hayashi, accuses Ben of being attracted to white women. This is just one of her problems with Ben. What's really going on between them and can it be helped?

Ben is really not likable at the beginning of this book. I started to have some empathy for him toward the end. And at the very end, it was just heartbreaking, so give this guy a chance!

The dialogue in this book is spot on. The observations about ethnicity and relationships also hit close to home. Painful and heartbreaking, but I'm recommending it! However, if you happen to have some Asian male angst, I'm not recommending this to you because it might hit TOO close to home.

Friends Like Us by Lauren Fox

Willa was best friends with Ben during high school. He had a secret crush on her. Fast forward to their mid-20s. Willa and Ben re-connect, Willa introduces Ben to her best friend, Jane. Ben and Jane fall in love. However, as the Prologue tells us, Willa and Jane are no longer friends. The rest of the book tells us what happened between them and Ben.

Okay, sounds like another chic-lit book? And it kinda is, but this one is different mostly because it is painful and crushing to read at times. I found it to be very engaging. The only distracting thing is that Willa likes to use a lot of puns, and this is a bit overdone. Overall though, this would make a satisfying read for a rainy winter afternoon.

The End-of-Life Handbook: A Compassionate Guide to Connecting with and Caring for a Dying Loved One by David B. Feldman, PH.D. and S. Andrew Lasher, Jr., MD

This book has been sitting on my shelf for years, and I finally picked it up and worked my way through it.

It's not easy to talk or even think about end-of-life issues, but this book addresses the kinds of questions that families might have when a loved one is dying.

The titles of the chapters are in the form of questions:
Could the doctors be wrong? (chapter 1)
Who are all of these people? (chapter 2)
What treatments are available? (chapter 3)
...and so on through symptom relief, what to expect as someone dies, and how to say goodbye, etc.

I appreciated that this book addressed not only the physical component of caring for a dying loved one, but also the emotional piece as well. This book also discusses hospice care which I think is a very under-utilized service, or if it is used, a patient is oftentimes admitted very late, so there's not enough time to take advantage of all of the services that hospice has to offer.

Hopefully you won't need the information in this book right now or anytime soon, but if you ever do, know that this is a very helpful guide to read, and that there are answers to your questions.

Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple

Bee's mom, Bernadette, is a brilliant ex-architect who hates Seattle (where they live) and also dislikes people. So Bernadette hires a virtual assistant from India to take care of various tasks for her, including planning a family trip to Antarctica as a reward for Bee's excellent marks in 8th grade.

Right before the Antarctica trip, Bernadette disappears, and Bee is left to figure out what happened.

This is a very delightful, clever, and engaging read and one of my favorites this year.

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel by Deborah Moggach

Elderly Englishmen and women move to a Bangalore retirement home, and although there isn't always electricity, there are a lot of unexpected laughs and adventures.

I found this book to be slow and plodding. It alternated between being interesting and very boring. It took me awhile to get through it. It was okay. This is a case when I actually wondered if the movie might be better. Has anyone seen the movie yet?

PS: To my junior readers, this book contains mature content.

Happier at Home: Kiss More, Jump More, Abandon a Project, Read Samuel Johnson, and My Other Experiments in the Practice of Everyday Life by Gretchen Rubin

This is a sequel of sorts to Rubin's bestseller The Happiness Project. In her newest year-long project, she focuses on making changes in order to make her home a happier place. She focuses on a different theme each month, such as Parenting, Time, and Marriage, and chooses several goals to work on.

One of her goals was to "Create shrines." Rubin writes that we enjoy our possessions more when similar things are grouped together. She's a fan of children's literature, so she put all of these books together so she could enjoy them all.

I decided to try this out and re-organized the wall of books in my house. I put all of the Harry Potters on one shelf, all of the Chronicles of Narnia on one shelf, and all of the Lord of the Rings on yet another shelf. Indeed, seeing all of the series together did make me happier. I then grouped all of the other books according to subject. This made me even happier, and I enjoy looking at the bookshelves much more now.

Overall, this book was interesting to read. In general, I like Rubin, but she does come across as pretentious and busy! She is so task and results oriented that I feel tired after reading everything that she strives after. I'd love to see her write a book on Rest.

Also, she makes it pretty clear that her family is very well-off, and I think this is what allows her to spend money on family portraits and creating a miniature scene in a kitchen cupboard, etc. which is definitely not really an option for a lot of families in order to make home a happier place.

I Never Promised You a Goodie Bag: A Memoir of a Life Through Events--the Ones You Plan and the Ones You Don't by Jennifer Gilbert

Jennifer Gilbert was 22-years-old when she was brutally attacked in New York City on the way to visit a friend. She doesn't want the attack to dictate the rest of her life, so she bravely goes forward with life, buries the trauma, and never speaks of it.

She starts her own business as an event-planner and creates picture perfect weddings and parties for her clients. However, on the inside she did not feel like the perfect, successful, happy image she projected on the outside, and she finally finds that she needs to face the trauma and how it has affected her.

Gilbert is humble, funny, and aware. I liked this book.

Blackberry Winter by Sarah Jio

Heya! I know that I haven't been giving very glowing reviews lately, but that is how the cookie crumbles. And I do love cookies, especially peanut butter. However, I am in the process of reading some books that I think will be getting some very good reviews, so you'll have to be patient here. In the meantime, send some cookies to keep this reader going. Thanks!

Okay, so here goes another mediocre book. There are two story lines in this book. One is in May 1933 in Seattle with Vera Ray, who leaves her three-year-old son at home while she goes to work as a hotel maid and when she comes back in a freak May snowstorm, her son is missing. The other story also takes place in Seattle, but in 2010 after another freak snow storm with reporter, Claire, who is assigned a story about the snowstorm.

Like Sarah Jio's other books, there are many predictable coincidences and connections from the past to the present and everything is neatly explained by the end.

With that said, I did read the entire book in one sitting last week while I was at home on a rainy afternoon. 

All Gone: A Memoir of My Mother's Dementia. With Refreshments by Alex Witchel

Witchel's mom starts to show signs of dementia, and this is the story of Witchel coming to terms with losing the mom she knew. Wichel goes back and forth between recounting her relationship with her mother while growing up and the present-day dealings with her mom.

A pleasant enough read, but not a book that I found to be engrossing or one that I would re-read.

Almost Amish: One Woman's Quest for a Slower, Simpler, More Sustainable Life by Nancy Sleeth

Sleeth writes about her quest to lead a simpler, more intentional, and slower life. She addresses different areas of life like finances, community, service, and nature, and gives some really practical ideas to slow down and enjoy life and people around us.

A pretty easy-to-read book, but can, at times, be preachy, pretentious, and really conservative (she suggests that sticking to traditional gender roles keeps things more simple and clear-cut for everyone). In addition, sometimes the writing felt like it belonged in a pamphlet, not a book. There's also a lot of Scripture quoted, so if that's not something you're into, I wouldn't recommend this book to you.

I liked the ideas in this book, but I didn't like the delivery as much. The one big plus about this book though is the collection of simple recipes she includes at the back. I cooked the curried lentil soup, and I really liked it, and so did the spouse.

Brand New Human Being by Emily Jeanne Miller

Logan Pyle is a stay-at-home dad whose own dad just died. Logan's relationship with his wife is not going so well, and his son is regressing.

This book started out promising and smart, but went downhill from there. Around the 2/3 mark, I was reading just to finish and found myself skimming some. The story just started falling flat.

If I was on a plane, I'd rather read this book than have nothing to read, but I'm not recommending that you pick this one up.

30 Things Every Woman Should Have and Should Know by the Time She's 30 by Pamela Redmond Satran and the Editors of Glamour

A list of 15 must-haves (for example, a cordless drill) and 15 must-knows (for example, how to fall in love without losing yourself) for women age 30 and beyond, and maybe before.

It's an interesting list and easy to read. I don't think it's a book you need to own, so just check it out from the library when you have the chance.

The Vanishing Point by Val McDermid

I don't usually check out books from the Mystery section, but I like to keep myself on my toes sometimes, so I checked this one out.

It starts out with a child being kidnapped at an airport security checkpoint as his guardian, Stephanie, watches on (she's in the security inspection box thing so she can't do anything except watch). As the guardian is interviewed, we find out the story behind the kid and why he's with her. The kid is the son of a celebrity who died from cancer, and leaves the kid to Stephanie, her closest friend who is also the ghost writer behind her biography.

This was a fast read, but it's really not that well-written. SKIP!

Cruising Attitude: Tales of Crashpads, Crew Drama, and Crazy Passengers at 35,000 Feet by Heather Poole

Heather Poole was a flight attendant for 15+ years, and she shares what the training, lifestyle, scheduling, and passengers (including celebrity ones) are really like.

A fun, mildly entertaining book. I'm not gonna read anymore about flight attendants though. I don't think I need to know more about what really goes on in the kitchens and restrooms of planes. It seems germy enough to fly, I don't want to add more knowledge to an already uncomfortable situation.

Library Love

Have you visited your local library lately?

Snow Angels by Stewart O'Nan

This is the story of the unraveling of two different families in a small Pennsylvania town. The stories intersect and it's a beautiful, deceptively simple book.

Arthur is in high school when his parents divorce, and Annie, his old babysitter dies. Each story unfolds, and it's quite the gripping read.

I actually stayed up late reading this book so that I could finish it. This is not fun, beach reading. But it's autumn now, and this book would read well on a cold, blustery afternoon.

Yes, Chef: A Memoir by Marcus Samuelsson

If you've been reading this blog for some time, you know that I like cooking memoirs. There's quite a range of what kind of chef the writer is though. With this memoir, we are talking about a serious, trained, award-winning chef, and his memoir definitely falls into a different class of cooking memoirs.

Marcus Samuelsson was born in Ethiopia. His mom died, and he, along with his sister, was adopted by a couple in Sweden. He dreamed of being a soccer star, but was not big enough, so he went to cooking school. He completes internships in cities around Europe before moving to New York City.

I really liked this memoir. Samuelsson has a remarkable story, and really admirable parents. There is depth to this memoir which sets it apart from some of the other cooking memoirs I've read.

Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar by Cheryl Strayed

Written by the same author as Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail, this is a compilation of columns that she wrote as an advice columnist at The Rumpus.

The letters she received are really about everything, but mostly about relationships and love. Her columns don't read like Dear Abby columns. Instead, she delves into her own experience and tells stories from her own life. Her answers are not short, but they are really interesting and usually, the letter writer already has a clue about what they want to do. Sometimes they just lack the courage to do it (quit the job, dump the boyfriend, say No to an unhealthy situation).

This is a very dense book. You definitely get your money's worth. I could only read one letter and answer at a time, so it took me weeks to finish, but it was a thoughtful read.

The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling

You probably all know that I'm a Harry Potter fan. There are two+ sets of the Harry Potter series in my house, one in hardcover and one in paperback. There's a sign that says "Hogwarts Express" by the guest bathroom. I know when a guest is a Harry Potter fan because they see the sign and say, "Platform 9 3/4!!!"

Years ago, I was at a social gathering and the topic of Harry Potter came up. I asked the guy next to me if he liked Harry Potter. He said, "I barely have any free time, so if I did have free time, why would I waste it reading Harry Potter?" Wow! I understand that not everyone likes Harry Potter, but you don't have to be a jerk about it! By the way, this guy later asked me out for coffee, and I declined. I think I already knew enough about him.

Now that I'm on the topic of dating and Harry Potter, when Boomer and I were dating, he once showed up at my house on a Saturday morning looking bleary-eyed and tired. To explain his tiredness, he said, "I stayed up late last night re-reading Harry Potter #7." Ah, that's more like it! Re-reading #7 in one night is quite the accomplishment.

Anyway, onto the subject of this post: Rowling's newest book written for an adult audience. It's set in the little town of Pagford right after the death of parish council member, Barry Fairbrother. This sends the town into a tizzy and we're introduced to a sprawling cast of characters and all of the gossip and wheeling and dealing behind-the-scenes as the town tries to figure out who will fill his council seat.

I was very excited about this book. I actually bought it (pre-order!) and eagerly awaited its arrival. What a let down! The first 200 pages were s...l...o...w. I found myself not wanting to read it. The characters were forgettable. I kept forgetting who belonged to which family. Maybe it was because everyone had normal names like "Stuart" and not "Dumbledore," but that shouldn't have mattered. The characters were not distinct or developed. At the end, I didn't care what happened to any of them.

Also, it seemed like Rowling made this book for an adult audience by writing detailed descriptions of body parts. Totally unnecessary.

So that's two thumbs down for you. I even recommended that Boomer not waste his time reading this book, so if you want to check out this book even after reading this post, you can have my copy for keeps! But you're gonna have to come by and pick it up (and please stay for a cup of tea and some cookies), because I'm not wasting any time, money, gas, or postage on it.

The Four Things That Matter Most: A Book About Living by Ira Byock

This is written by a palliative care physician. The four things that the title refers to are the following:

Please forgive me.
I forgive you.
Thank you.
I love you.

These are things that Dr. Byock encourages his patients' family members to communicate to the dying patient, and for the dying patient to communicate to family members.

Dr. Byock goes further though and recommends that we think about communicating these things in any relationship that has unfinished business. It's a way of emotional self-care.

Anything can happen at any time to any of us, so I found this book to be inspiring, thoughtful, and challenging.

The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance by Elna Baker

This was recommended by my friend, Kjersti, on her blog. It's a memoir written by a 20-something lady living in New York City trying to find her way professionally and personally. She's trying to figure out her own identity, and how being Mormon plays into that. It's kind of a coming-of-age story, but with very funny stories about dating, heartbreak, and weight loss. A very fast read, and I learned some stuff about the Mormon religion, so you could say it was educational as well.

Thanks for the recommendation, Kjersti!

A note for my junior readers: this book is definitely rated PG-13, almost, but not quite R.

Apron Anxiety: My Messy Affairs In and Out of the Kitchen by Alyssa Shelasky

This writer was living in New York City when she fell in love with a chef. On a whim, she moved down to Washington, D.C. to live with him as he started up a new restaurant. She found out that being in a relationship with a chef meant not seeing him that often. She had days on end alone so she decided to learn how to cook.

There's other relationship drama and moving back and forth from coast to coast, crying, and self-pity.

I read this book over two days. It was easy to read. But after I finished, I was struck by how spoiled and whiny the writer is. So although I couldn't put it down, I can't really strongly recommend it to you either.

Here If You Need Me by Kate Braestrup

Kate's husband died suddenly in a car accident, leaving her a widow with four young children. Her husband, a Maine state trooper, had been planning on making a career change and attending seminary, so Kate decides to do that herself. In this book, she doesn't include so much about her own grieving process. Rather, she tells tales from her work as a chaplain to search-and-rescue teams.

Readable, and okay. I liked the author and I admire her courage, but in terms of a reading experience, it was satisfactory, but not enough to give you a glowing review.

Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin

Is this year's election season getting you down? Tired of all of the presidential campaigning? I'm here to suggest that you take a break from this year's campaign by reading about the 2008 campaign!!

This book is an insider's look into the 2008 presidential race. It follows Obama, Clinton, McCain, Palin, and even includes some Edwards in there. Who knows exactly how accurate this book is, but the authors claim that it was meticulously researched and that many of their sources independently reported the same conversations/interactions.

This was a fascinating, fun, and interesting read. It was also a great distraction! However, at 400+ pages, I'm only recommending this to those of you who have more than a mild interest in politics.

PS: Thanks to my cousin, Russ, for recommending this book to me!

Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed

Dealing with her mom's death, a recent divorce, and some experimentation with drugs, Cheryl Strayed set out to reclaim herself by hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. With no experience or training, she tackles this long trail by herself.

I didn't start off liking this book because I didn't start off liking the author. She made some very poor choices and seemed impulsive and self-centered. Over time though, as I read more and more about her hiking adventures, I really came to like her (except for some romantic decisions she makes on the trail)! She's gutsy, flexible, and has a good heart.

A recommended read!

A word of caution though: if you get queasy reading about losing toenails, this is not the book for you.