The Manny

The Manny - Holly Peterson

Thanks to Dial Press for this ARC from the 2007 Book Expo. It was pretty good, if you like reading about lifestyles of the rich and richer. It cracked me up that a woman who worked part-time needed a live-in nanny, housekeeper and a part-time manny to look after 3 kids (2 of them in school). What would she have done if their household income was less than $1.6M per year?

The love story was okay - the chapter from Peter's perspective was pathetic (did I need to know what he thought in the linen closet???). Her work situation was a bit more interesting. This was an easy read, and perfect for summertime or vacation travels.

July 2007.

Poseur

Poseur - Rachel Maude

This ARC is the launch of a new series along the same lines as Gossip Girls. It was a very uneven read, and at the beginning, I had to keep reminding myself not to be depressed that teenage girls read this schlock, but to be happy that they were reading, period. Fortunately, things picked up about a third of the way through the book.

I don't love illustrations (waste of space - get back to the story), but I could see how these would appeal to junior fashionistas. The characters became more fleshed out as the book progressed, and by the end, I was interested in what happened to them. Job well done, Ms. Maude! I'm going to pass this on to my baby sister, who has been known to read Gossip Girls, and see what she thinks.

July 2007.

Mrs. Zhivago of Queen's Park

Mrs. Zhivago of Queen's Park - Olivia Lichtenstein

Thanks Orion books and Olivia - I got this free at Book Expo 2007 and loved it. Really good. I should tell you that the setting is London (as the hubby pointed out, anywhere that has a monarchy probably has a Queen's Park), not Toronto as I initially believed. The recipes at the beginning of each chapter started to feel a bit gimmicky to me, and in some cases, I skipped them. People who like to cook might love them, though.

The main character's relationship with her father was beautifully written, and the au pair and her special friend were hilarious. I loved the scene where she thought Bea was quitting, but instead she ended up hiring them both.

The very end of the story was poignant - when you realized her husband knew (or suspected) all along, but hadn't confronted her about her affair. This one made me happy they stayed together.

The cocaine-addicted best friend made me sad, but again, the friendship was very well-written.

I highly recommend this one to anyone who has been married for what seems like forever.

July 2007.

Life on the Refrigerator Door

Life on the Refrigerator Door - Alice Kuipers

Thank you Harper Collins and Alice Kuipers for this ARC. First, the positives: interesting format, clever concept, extremely easy to read. However, the big negative is this: if the main character of a book dies, shouldn't you care??? The note gimmick (the entire book is notes between a mother and a daughter left on the fridge) does not do this story justice, and would have been better as chapter intros, with traditional narrative to fill in the many missing pieces. Some people might love this, mainly, I imagine, because it is so easy to read, but I think most readers will be left feeling shortchanged.

This was my 9th book of the month, bringing me to 49 YTD.

June 2007.

Out of Character

Out of Character - Vanessa Craft

Another Key Porter title from Book Expo 2007. This was super-blah, and I can't recommend it. It's supposed to be a psychological study of what drives a woman to become a stripper, but it never quite makes you care about Emma/Phoenix. And the final 2 page chapter about the mother who left her behind made no sense to me! Why bother including it if you are going to be so vague about her motivations and reasons for walking out on her family?

The strangest thing for me was the endorsement from Rebecca Eckler on the cover. I can only assume that she is friends with the author (who also freelanced newspaper articles) and owed her a debt. Either that, or her taste in books is not congruent with mine. So, it has left me with a Do Not Read list - anything by Rebecca Eckler.

I'm trying to give this away, but in good conscience, can only pass it on to people who read a lot and don't mind some dross with their gold.

June 2007.

Between Interruptions

Between Interruptions - Thirty Women Tell the Truth about Motherhood - edited by Cori Howard

Thank you Key Porter! This was an ARC from the 2007 Book Expo, and I loved it. I called my best friend to read sections out loud, it was that funny in places. There are essays on everything from being a working mom, being a stay at home mom, turning into your father, post partum depression, only children, and finding friends with the same parenting values you hold. Not every essay tickled my fancy or funnybone, but out of thirty, I'd say I liked 28 of them. A lot. And tolerated the other 2. Denise Ryan perfectly pierces the belief that the world needs another Erma Bombeck (back to your blogs, mommies, and stop trying to land a newspaper column!). I could probably quote from every essay, but instead I say: Read this book if you have children, or are thinking about having children. Buy it, borrow it, it doesn't matter which. Just make sure you read it!

June 2007.