A great summer read

AND ONE LAST THING... by Molly Harper

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Publisher's back cover summary
Lacey Terwilliger's shock and humiliation over her husband's philandering prompt her to add some bonus material to Mike's company newsletter: stunning Technicolor descriptions of the special brand of "administrative support" his receptionist gives him. The detailed mass e-mail to Mike's family, friends, and clients blows up in her face, and before one can say "instant urban legend," Lacey has become the pariah of her small Kentucky town, a media punch line, and the defendant in Mike's defamation lawsuit.
Her seemingly perfect life up in flames, Lacey retreats to her family's lakeside cabin, only to encounter an aggravating neighbor named Monroe. A hunky crime novelist with a low tolerance for drama, Monroe is not thrilled about a newly divorced woman moving in next door. But with time, beer, and a screen door to the nose, a cautious friendship develops into something infinitely more satisfying.
Lacey has to make a decision about her long-term living arrangements, though. Should she take a job writing caustic divorce newsletters for paying clients, or move on with her own life, pursuing more literary aspirations? Can she find happiness with a man who tells her what he thinks and not what she wants to hear? And will she ever be able to resist saying one...last...thing?

My review

I received a copy of this book for review from the publisher, Gallery Books, a division of Simon and Schuster, Inc.

I want to be Molly Harper when I grow up. Seriously. This woman knows how to do funny. You know the kind of person who always has the perfect, stinging but witty, comeback or remark? The kind of person who leaves you thinking, "oh how I wish I had said that?" That person is Lacey Terwilliger, the creation of Molly Harper. And it is not just Lacey; the other characters animating this novel are equally sharp-tongued, especially Lacey's wisecracking gay brother, Emmett.

The book was a riot from start to finish. There is the usual chick lit love story line in the form of Lacey's gorgeous neighbor, but this is no banal girl gets dumped, girl gets even, girl gets guy story. Lacey's observations about life, love, loss, and revenge are worth the price of admission and then some.

As a side note, Ms. Harper has penned a series of successful paranormal romance novels; not a big fan of vampire lit, I have not read any of these books. In fact, I was unfamiliar with any of Ms. Harper's previous work. I liked this book so much that I am tempted to try one of these, although I can't promise anything..I really don't like the vampire stuff. In any event, I sincerely hope that this latest effort is not the "last thing" from Ms. Harper in this genre, but only the beginning.

This book is a quick, highly entertaining read, that I recommend enthusiastically.

What's On Your Nightstand?

This is my first time participating in the What's On Nightstand event hosted by 5minutesforbooks.com!

I intend to read One Day by David Nicholls, Think of a Number by John Verdon, Lowcountry Summer by Dorothea Benton Frank, and Blind Man's Alley by Justin Peacock. All of these books were sent to me by the respective publishers.


This past month I finished a number of titles. Most recently, I read The Coal Tattoo by Silas House, Stash by David Klein (reviewed here), A Seat at the Table (review to come), and I listened to the audiobook versions of Tobacco Road by Erskine Caldwell and Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. The Coal Tattoo was a book I had on my bookshelves for a very long time, and I finally got around to reading it when it was selected by one of my book groups.


I also read two titles for blog tours in July:



Forget You by Jennifer Echols


reviewed here




And One Last Thing by Molly Harper



review to be posted Thursday, July 29th.




Can't wait to see what everyone else has planned for the month!

Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Monday, hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page, is an opportunity for book lovers to see what books fellow readers have brought into their homes during the week.

This week I received The Christmas Cookie Club by Ann Pearlman

and


Commuters by Emily Gray Tedrowe

Both books came courtesy of the publishers.

Hope you all had a great week reading!

Good Book Club Option

Stash by David Matthew Klein


My rating 2.5 of 5 stars

I was given an ARC of this book by the publisher, Broadway Books, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc.

This debut novel tells the story of Gwen and Brian Raine, who are living what appears to be the ideal life in suburban New York with their two small children. One day, that all changes as Gwen makes an impulsive decision to smoke marijuana and is then arrested for driving under the influence while involved in a car accident in which someone dies. At the same time, Brian, who works for a pharmaceutical company, is caught up in questionable tactics for the merchandising of a prescription drug.

Ethical dilemmas abound in this somewhat slow-moving novel. It is easy to see why there is a reading group guide available for this title, as the story is sure to provoke lots of discussion, making it a good book club choice. Undoubtedly, there will be many different opinions on the choices the various characters make, since each reader will be guided by his or her own moral compass.

First, what do we think of a mother who lives an otherwise upstanding life, but chooses to act in a way that threatens the security of her family? Does Gwen have any duty to protect her old flame who supplied the stash as a favor to her? What about the prosecutor, who threatens to charge her in connection with the death even though all evidence indicates the accident was not her fault, on the ground that there is a serious drug problem in the community? I am not sure if the author intended the reader to empathize with or to condemn Gwen for her choices -- I suppose that that is a strength of the novel because it allows one to evaluate Gwen’s choices through the prism of one’s own moral sensibilities.

The concurrent story line involving Brian’s role in a marketing campaign aimed at physicians poses its own ethical issues. In fact, I found this part of the narrative more interesting than Gwen’s story. The gray areas that have arisen in prescription drug industry practices since the rules were loosened to allow direct advertising of drugs to consumers are explored in fascinating detail here. What is the obligation of drug companies to the public versus their shareholders? Where is the line between drug companies educating physicians about the use of their products, and enticing physicians to prescribe their products in a way that skirts FDA oversight?

There are several reasons why I did not rate this book higher. I found myself repeatedly frustrated by the three main characters, particularly Gwen. I felt the novel dragged at times, and I did not like the way it ended. Ultimately, it was the premise of the book and the questions it raised that kept me reading, but I was less than enthralled along the way.

Keep a teenager reading this summer

Forget You by Jennifer Echols

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

I received a copy of this recently released paperback original for review from the publisher, Gallery Books, a division of Simon and Schuster, Inc.

Zoey Commander is a seventeen-year-old girl living in Florida with her emotionally troubled mother, and her self-absorbed father, who has impregnated his 24-year-old mistress. On top of her family issues and the normal teenage anxieties, Zoey must cope with the aftereffects of a car wreck that have left her with no recollection of one evening -- an apparently eventful evening given the comments of her friends and the two boys with whom she had somewhat complicated relationships before the accident. As Zoey struggles to protect her mother from scurrilous gossip while trying to discover what exactly happened that night, the story rockets along to a surprising and satisfying end.

Bravo to Ms. Echols for creating such an authentic, engaging character in Zoey, and for weaving a storyline that is sure to hold the interest of the target audience -- without relying on wizards, vampires or end-of-the world scenarios. Everything about this book rings true, from the language, to the reactions of Zoey’s peers, to the interaction between the teenagers and their parents. The love story that develops is volatile, touching and frustrating, as teenage relationships often are. For those who keep track of these things, there is minimal offensive language and graphic sexual content, although in this day and age, books aimed at the Young Adult audience can hardly be expected to be G-rated and still appeal to the target reader.

Anyone looking to encourage a teenager to pick up a book this summer, and for those adults who enjoy a youth-oriented novel, I say check out Forget You…you won’t soon forget Zoey.

Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Monday, hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page is an opportunity for those who love books to learn what books fellow readers brought into their home during the week.

In my mailbox last week, I found , , , ,
and


All books were sent by the publishers.
Forget You and And One Last Thing are having blog tours; Forget You on July 22nd, And One Last Thing on July 29th.

This is my first time participating in Mailbox Monday, and I am looking forward to seeing what the rest of you have received!

When surgery is the answer

Designated Fat Girl: A Memoir by Jennifer Joyner

My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars




I was provided an ARC of this title by the publisher. The ARC indicates the book is to be released in September 2010 as a paperback original.

This memoir chronicles the author's struggle with food addiction and her decision to have gastric bypass surgery. Having had an acquaintance years ago who had this type of procedure, I was curious to learn more about why someone would choose to undergo what can be very risky surgery. After reading this book, I now have a much better understanding of the surgery and recovery process.

The section of the book dealing with the recovery phase was particularly informative, making clear that those undergoing the procedure may face serious complications; at the very least, there will be significant discomfort on the road to eventual well-being. I would guess that those who share the author’s history of morbid obesity might find much of value here, particularly as it relates to how she came to make the decision to undergo the surgery, and how she dealt with its aftereffects. I respect the fact that Ms. Joyner takes the position that while she is glad she chose the surgery, she would not presume either to encourage or discourage anyone else from the procedure because she believes it is such a personal decision.

I do feel that the author could have included more about her attempts to understand and deal with the underlying causes of her food addiction. Upon finishing her memoir, I was left wanting to know more about the author and her struggle with her weight.

That said, Designated Fat Girl is a worthwhile account of the way one individual chose to address a problem facing a significant portion of the population. I would suggest it to those who are interested in learning more about why for some people, surgery may be the only viable option.

Two recent classics reads

In keeping with my personal reading challenge goal of 12 classics in 2010, I recently read The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells

and Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand

Because I rarely read science fiction, I was very pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed The Invisible Man. Not that I will rush out to read The Time Machine or other Wells work immediately, but I did find myself thoroughly entertained.

As for Atlas Shrugged, I had always wanted to read Ayn Rand, but ended up being put off by the thousand pages of teeny tiny print. When I saw the CD-audio version of this book at the library, I thought I would give it a try, and I am very glad that I did. The CD is narrated by the actor Edward Herrmann, and I am convinced that his narration held my attention in a way that I am afraid the book might not have had I attempted to read it on my own. It's funny, for someone who once dismissed audiobooks out-of-hand, I seem to find more and more situations where they work well for me. Add this to the list: books that I want to read but might otherwise not have attempted due to their daunting length.

How about you? What classics will you read (or maybe listen to) this year?

Science everyone?

THE DISAPPEARING SPOON by Sam Kean
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

I was given a hard cover edition of this book for review by the Hachette Book Group, Inc.

As you have probably ascertained from the reviews posted here, I tend to read mostly fiction. On occasion, however, I do like to pick up non-fiction titles, mostly in the areas of biography, religion, food, and health. In that regard, The Disappearing Spoon was a stretch for me, a step outside the reading comfort zone. What intrigued me about the book was the notion that the periodic table could be the subject of interesting reading to someone without a science background. For me, fun and chemistry are two words that do not naturally go together. After reading this book, I would say that is no longer true, but only to a point.

The Disappearing Spoon contains a number of fascinating tidbits, including why a recent Senate candidate actually had a blue skin tone, and the fact that Marie Curie had a reputation as a femme fatale. I do not want to discuss the content in greater detail, as the obscure nature of the stories is the appeal of the book. What I would say as a review, however, is that this book definitely was not a read that flew by. While I was expecting a sort of “conversational” chemistry quality, what I got was very interesting anecdotes, interspersed with sections that read like a chemistry textbook. As a result, I found myself having to read paragraphs over several times, and I admit to feeling my eyes glaze over once or twice, particularly when equations were discussed. In the interests of full disclosure, I was not a science major in college, and I am sure that a reader with a strong science background would have a much easier time with the book than I did. For those readers in circumstances similar to mine, I still think there is much to be enjoyed here if you don’t mind wading through some serious scientific exposition along the way.

Say Hallelujah!

More Church Folk by Michele Andrea Bowen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was given a hard cover edition of this book for review by the publisher, Grand Central Publishing, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.

In More Church Folk, Ms. Bowen writes a rollicking tale of corrupt bishops and ministers in the Gospel United Church who perpetuate a variety of schemes on their congregants. The crooked preachers reach a new low when they plot to import a "miracle" product that they intend to sell at the next Triennial Conference of Bishops, thereby guaranteeing their dominance over the selection of bishops and other church business. The action moves along at a fast pace while the righteous clergymen of Gospel United and their wives attempt to purge the bad apples from the fold and reclaim their church.

One of the things I love most about reading is when I discover an author new to me that I like, or a new genre of literature that I enjoy. More Church Folk allowed me to do both. This is the first of Ms. Bowen’s books that I have read, and while I have read Christian fiction before, I have not read anything like this. Most religious fiction that I have read tended to be too bland or sanctimonious for my taste. Not so here. The type of Christian fiction Ms. Bowen writes is, pardon the pun, a revelation!

I lost count of the times I laughed out loud while reading her over-the-top portrayal of church politics. The story is a hilarious reminder that the church is made up of human beings, and as such, can be held hostage at times to the shortcomings and foibles present in us all, including those of the cloth. It also retains the uplifting message one expects to find in Christian fiction -- the hope that God provides and the joy that living in the faith can bring. Thank you Ms. Bowen for such an entertaining read, and I hope there are more church folks tales to follow, and soon -- but not too soon because first I want to go out and read Church Folk, the first book in this series!

Has this ever happened to you?

Something happened to me yesterday that has never happened to me in all my years of reading for pleasure. I was in the middle of a book that I was enjoying immensely. Mind you, this book, a biting satire, is one of those books that I think you either hate or love, no middle ground. I can easily see how there would be those who would find the book offensive for a variety of reasons. For me, however, the book just touched a perverse chord, and I could not stop turning the pages.

And then…at about the ¾ mark, something happened, and I started to hate the book. It was not funny to me anymore, then there was a scene that I found totally repugnant, and thereafter it was all downhill. To top it off, I did not like the way it ended.

I felt like Charlie Brown after Lucy pulls the football away for the thousandth time…I wanted to cry, what happened? Maybe I should have quit while I was ahead, but I had no clue that the book was going to fall apart for me the way it did. Certainly, I have had the experience of reading a book that I did not like at all; I have read books that left me cold or at best, indifferent; I have read books that I loved, only to be disappointed by the ending; but I have never before had such an up and down experience when reading.

Thankfully, I am pleased to report that the world seems to have righted itself again. I like the book I am reading now, and I am confident that there are no trapdoors waiting to open beneath me as I make my way to the end.

Be careful what you wish for

Substitute Me by Lori Tharps


My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I received an ARC of this book from the publisher, Atria, an imprint of Simon and Schuster. The ARC lists the on-sale date of this paperback original as August, 2010.

What happens when the “substitute me” a working mother in Park Slope Brooklyn hires to care for her infant son becomes more of a “substitute” than she bargained for?
Katie, the mother, is white, and Zora, the woman she hires, is from an upper-middle class African-American family. The women are close in age, but at different points in their lives. Katie is on a focused career path, and Zora is struggling to reconcile the expectations of her high achieving family, with her desire to live a more unconventional life. Katie’s husband Brad works in the financial industry, although his true passions lie elsewhere. Over the course of a year, Zora and Brad are drawn to each other, and when the inevitable happens, all three are forced to face their own issues and do what is best for themselves and the child who brought them together.

Substitute Me is a good read that rises above the cliché into which women‘s lit can sometimes descend. Questions of racial divides, individual and societal definitions of success, and the costs of sublimating one’s desires to make others happy, overlay this spot-on portrayal of New York City urban parenting. Ms. Tharps has drawn two female characters that are very different, yet equally authentic, and both have qualities with which most women will undoubtedly identify. The danger in this story for me was how the author would choose to resolve it -- I admit to reading this with an eye to what was going to happen at the end, dreading that the novel would dissolve into some trite conclusion. Happily, I need not have worried as the novel ends in a satisfying way. Each of the three main characters responds as the reader would expect him or her to, and there is just the right touch of ambivalence about his or her situation that one would expect from real life individuals who find themselves in a similar situation.

I recommend this book as a quick, absorbing read, perfect for those who like contemporary women’s fiction with a somewhat sharp edge.

Listen to this

Here's the Deal: Don't Touch Me by Howie Mandel


My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I should begin this review by saying that generally I am not a fan of audiobooks. I have always felt that using an audiobook was not really reading...that it was "cheating" somehow. Lately, however, I have come around to the idea that there is a place for audiobooks for me -- that is, when I exercise, either in the gym, or when I take a long walk outside. I do not have to struggle to focus on the printed word on the treadmill, and listening to the audiobook makes the time pass quickly, which is always a good thing. In choosing an audiobook, I am likely to pick a title that I would be unlikely to read as a printed book.

I know Howie Mandel's work from St. Elsewhere, which I loved, and Deal or No Deal, which I watched at first, but no longer do. I am not familiar with his stand-up routine, never having seen or heard him perform. What interested me about this title was the Obsessive Compulsive Disorder aspect. I knew that he suffered from this disorder and was curious to learn more about how it affected his life. This is definitely a book that I would not have picked up to read myself, but it was perfect for listening purposes.

Early in the book, Mandel explains how his OCD was triggered at a young age by an unsettling incident with sand flies. He then goes on to describe how the disease impacted his personal relationships with his family and friends, as well as his career. Some of the stories are heartbreaking, some are hilarious.

Mandel himself narrates the CD, and therein lies the appeal. I liked this audiobook, in large part because he was the reader. He animates the story perfectly, and he is, not surprisingly, quite entertaining in doing so. As for the substance of the book, he is very open about his issues, and after finishing the audiobook I definitely understand more about a disorder that is so often the subject of parody.

Listeners be forewarned: there is quite a bit of profanity on this audiobook, so if that offends you, you might be advised to forego this one.