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381st out of 1,873 books
—
3,708 voters
Driving Sideways
by
Jess Riley (Goodreads Author)
Leigh Fielding wants a life. Seriously. Having spent the past five years on dialysis, she has one simple wish: to make it to her thirtieth birthday. Now, thanks to the generosity of the late Larry Resnick and his transplanted kidney, it looks like her wish may come true.
With her newfound vitality (and Larry’s kidney) in tow, Leigh hits the road for an excursion that will c...more
With her newfound vitality (and Larry’s kidney) in tow, Leigh hits the road for an excursion that will c...more
Paperback, 352 pages
Published
May 20th 2008
by Ballantine Books
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I loved, loved, loved this book. Here are some of the reasons why:
1. The author points out how disconnected you feel when you're away from home and you see nothing but local TV commercials (and hear the jingles). She even mentions "Save big money at Menards."
2. Her pop-culture references are spot-on -- references to everyone from Georgia O'Keeffe to the Blues Brothers to the Las Vegas strip to Target.
3. Her main character is funny, self-deprecating and amusingly profane (and to all the prissy pe...more
1. The author points out how disconnected you feel when you're away from home and you see nothing but local TV commercials (and hear the jingles). She even mentions "Save big money at Menards."
2. Her pop-culture references are spot-on -- references to everyone from Georgia O'Keeffe to the Blues Brothers to the Las Vegas strip to Target.
3. Her main character is funny, self-deprecating and amusingly profane (and to all the prissy pe...more
This is the story of a kidney transplant patient with a new lease on life. After her transplant, Leigh Fielding decides to embark on a road trip from Wisconsin to California to settle various unfinished business. Of course, the road turns out to have more metaphoric bumps and detours than she expected.
Denise, a quirky 17 year old hitchhiker with a couple of little secrets, is my favorite character. With her carefree exuberance and capriciousness, Denise draws the narrator out of her egocentric r...more
Denise, a quirky 17 year old hitchhiker with a couple of little secrets, is my favorite character. With her carefree exuberance and capriciousness, Denise draws the narrator out of her egocentric r...more
I picked up this book as a bit of "fluff" after reading a very depressing memoir. I expected it to be very forgettable. I was pleased and surprised to find that it was amusing, touching and witty. I didn't want to come to the end, and when I did, I wanted to know more. The only problem was the speed with which sarcasm and "one-liners" appeared. I felt that I was still appreciating the wit and language of one when another had already gone by. I do read very fast, so maybe the problem was mine..
This book is what I ultimately classify as my favorite term for a novel: subtle.
It was simply wonderful. It touched on a lot of the issues that I face as a so-called cancer survivor, except in this case, the narrator has PKD (a kidney disease I'm not quite adept at spelling). All the health insurance problems, life decisions, desire for independence and friends and a social life that does not revolve around hospital visits, etc...the author did a great job of getting it "right" - even though it...more
It was simply wonderful. It touched on a lot of the issues that I face as a so-called cancer survivor, except in this case, the narrator has PKD (a kidney disease I'm not quite adept at spelling). All the health insurance problems, life decisions, desire for independence and friends and a social life that does not revolve around hospital visits, etc...the author did a great job of getting it "right" - even though it...more
WBC-10 pts---new author
I LOVED this book. It caught my attention from the first few pages and held it all the way through. I loved the fact that the main character made her way through South Dakota. Being from Sioux Falls, you don't find many books that deal with anything near here, but this one did. I also loved the ending. Not all the strings are tied up, but you get the gist of what is going to happen. I am a sucker for the happy endings, but the ones that allow you to make your own ending is...more
I LOVED this book. It caught my attention from the first few pages and held it all the way through. I loved the fact that the main character made her way through South Dakota. Being from Sioux Falls, you don't find many books that deal with anything near here, but this one did. I also loved the ending. Not all the strings are tied up, but you get the gist of what is going to happen. I am a sucker for the happy endings, but the ones that allow you to make your own ending is...more
This novel was excellent. Typical coming of age novel with amazing characterization. There were times when I felt that the narrative perhaps dragged on a little too much, specifically at the end. Fortunately though, this novel has way more highs than lows and makes the 340+ pages feel like a short story. If one judges the quality of a novel to the degree in which it provides moments of emotional engagement during the read, then this novel undoubtedly hits a home run. Even though Leigh Fielding i...more
Whenever my daughter or I read a great book we share it. Driving Sideways was first read by Lauren and she passed it along with a great review read by the author no less. Knowing that the author might read your review is very daunting to me. I am not an English major and tend to write in short but sweet sentences. But here goes.
Leigh Fielding has a kidney disease (PKD) and for the last five years has been on a restricted diet and constrained by being on dialysis. Now thanks to the late Larry Res...more
Leigh Fielding has a kidney disease (PKD) and for the last five years has been on a restricted diet and constrained by being on dialysis. Now thanks to the late Larry Res...more
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Feb 15, 2009
CJ - Secret Charm
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
anyone who likes good stories
A really good book about living your life and learning to be your own person. It's a story about Leigh Fielding who has PKD and has just had a kidney transplant, a miracle unto itself, she then decides to take a road trip so that she can see her mother,meet up with her best friend and essentially be free of her overprotective brother and her own limitations.
She gets "hostage-ed" into taking a 17 year old hitchiker named Denise with her to California and coincidentally, Denise is the name of her...more
She gets "hostage-ed" into taking a 17 year old hitchiker named Denise with her to California and coincidentally, Denise is the name of her...more
just finished this book today. I'm sad that it is over. Jess Riley is a great author and I hope to read more from her in the future. When I read this book, I wished Jess was the cool (as defined by me) older sister I never had. So many funny lines, but also inspiring at the same time. It inspired me to stop staying in (and drinking red wine) and "get a life if it kills me." Well maybe that will start tomorrow because I am definitely drinking out of the box of wine tonight.
If the 1/2 star system was available, I would give this book a 2 1/2. This was Jess Riley's first novel, and while there were definite moments peeking out at good novel writing skills, overall, I am unimpressed.
Riley for the most part had a good sense of flow and kept the reader connected to all the details of the characters. Her wit in the book began to weigh the book down. She reminded me of a 5 year old child who realize that they are funny and start doing the same thing so often that the adu...more
Riley for the most part had a good sense of flow and kept the reader connected to all the details of the characters. Her wit in the book began to weigh the book down. She reminded me of a 5 year old child who realize that they are funny and start doing the same thing so often that the adu...more
Going in, from the cover art and book blurb, I expected this book to be chick lit. It turned out to be something else entirely. Like life, it was both heartwarming and heartbreaking at times. It was flip, funny, and sad, and ultimately hopeful. I am glad that I read it!
I wish that I had found this book earlier in my life. It reminded me of a friend who had experienced and was experiencing much of what this book's heroine went through. If I had read this book then, I would have had better underst...more
I wish that I had found this book earlier in my life. It reminded me of a friend who had experienced and was experiencing much of what this book's heroine went through. If I had read this book then, I would have had better underst...more
I only got this book because it was written by a woman who lives about 20 miles away from me. Wow! Was I surprised! I loved it and couldn't stop reading it. It's not a mystery, or even classic fiction, just a really good book about a woman with a chronic illness that could be fatal, and how she deals with it. Sound depressing yet? But it's not, it's someone who chooses to live, and on the way, it's great to drive along with her. I don't know why I loved this book so much, I didn't expect to, but...more
What a FUN book!! Driving Sideways is a fun, girl-power, road tripping, life is too short, Chick Lit book.
Leigh Fielding has one goal in life. Make it to her thirtieth birthday. And after her kidney transplant, she just might get her wish. Six months post op she is feeling good. Better than she has in ten years. And much to the dismay of her brother, Jess sets off on a cross country road trip. She wants to find their mother. Who left them when Leigh was just five years old. What ensues is worthy...more
Leigh Fielding has one goal in life. Make it to her thirtieth birthday. And after her kidney transplant, she just might get her wish. Six months post op she is feeling good. Better than she has in ten years. And much to the dismay of her brother, Jess sets off on a cross country road trip. She wants to find their mother. Who left them when Leigh was just five years old. What ensues is worthy...more
Riley presents an interesting story that has the potential to be a lot of fun while still addressing some interesting issues including chronic illness at a relatively young age and the impact that this can have on an already difficult or complicated life; however, she falls short. She uses a lot of unpleasant ableist jokes in her narrative - which is incredibly unproductive given the focus on Polycystic Kidney Disease and the awareness-raising attempt at the back of the book, which immediately t...more
I really loved this book -- it was one I couldn't put down. Between the references to Wisconsin that were spot-on (Oh, you're from Wisconsin, do you have any cheese? -- How many times have I heard this while traveling?) and the fact that I felt like Leigh could fit right in to one of my evenings out with the girls, this book was a fun read. Even better was meeting Jess Riley in person at our book club last night. She was intelligent, fun, approachable, much like Leigh. Looking forward to anythig...more
Driving Sideways by Jess Riley is yet another one of those books I acquired on a whim, added it to my "to be read" mountain with every intention of reading it quickly. Instead, it languished for years in the bottomless pit of my reading pile. With Driving Sideways, new to me author Jess Riley introduces us to Leigh Fielding, a dialysis patient who has recently received a kidney transplant and thereby a new lease on life.
I know it doesn't sound very appealing on the surface, but where this story...more
I know it doesn't sound very appealing on the surface, but where this story...more
I really, really liked this book. I would recommend it to anyone who needs to get a little Perspective with a capital P, and who needs to realize that compared to the main character in this book, any problems you may have really aren't THAT bad. Leigh is 28 and is faced with spending the last several years of her life in and out of hospitals, on dialysis, and waiting for a kidney donor. She truly doesn't believe that she will make it to age 30. If that isn't enough, her mother abandoned her and...more
A lot of times, I'll pick a book like this one expected one thing and end up disappointed when I get another. Not the case this time. I really enjoyed the narrator's voice, and sense of humor. I laughed out loud several times throughout the story. A little way in, I started thinking she might tie everything up with a cute little bow at the end, but she didn't! Gotta love that. That's not to say it didn't end decently, it was just a realistic "ending" rather than the cutesy formula you get with a...more
I really enjoyed this story. If you are looking for a book to take on a trip or for a good weekend read this could be it. I found it to be an easy book to pick up and read when you just have a few minutes to spare, although I found myself getting engrossed at times and it was hard for me to close the book. There were a couple of interesting twists to the story that i did not expect, which added extra interest for me. If done right, i could see this book as a most wonderful road trip movie.
After years of dialysis, Leigh Fielding has new found energy and vitality following a kidney transplant. She takes off on an excursion to find the family of her donor and her own long-lost mother. But she's bargained without a teenage hitchhiker, a loaded gun and some eccentric fellow travellers. Oh,and her donated kidney. A very funny book written with great verve and optimism. Entertaining more than insightful.
Driving Sideways was a good book. It is about this girl who had a kidney transplant and wants to travel across the country to meet the donors family. Along the way she meets so interesting people, and she learns some life lessons. It was an average book because it wasn't really that great. I am glad I read it though because it was a good book and there was a ton of drama in it. You should read this book if you like funny and dramatic books. One thing I didn't like about this book was how there w...more
Again this book was full of garbage. I could call it smut. It started out light enough and was even funny and enjoyable until I started being assaulted with the f bomb. So I had to put it down. So annoying to start a book that looks innocent enough only to be hit by a barrage of dirty language. Glad I didn't pay for it...the library is stuck with this dirty piece of literature (if you can call it that).
Cute story - especially because the main character is from Wisconsin and around 10 years younger than I currently am... so lots of cultural references that made me smile and feel "part of the club." (albeit the Wisconsinite Club). Some fun surprises; a readable book about living with kidney failure but also about abandonment and the irreplaceable value of long-time friendship.
I really enjoyed this book. It was fun how it was written so personally -- including the rambling of her thoughts. I was disappointed that there were some swear words as well as some descriptions of things. But, I really did enjoy it. Her personality is so much like mine. I loved how she just lived life in her awkward kind of way! It was fun reading and lots of surprises!
After receiving a kidney transplant Leigh questions whether some of her desires are being channeled thru her new kidney by reflecting the personality of the donor. No longer tied down by dialysis appointments, Leigh sets out on an "Unfinished Business" road trip from Wisconsin to California. The road trip is filled with adventure, mishaps and interesting characters. Jess Riley has a way of painting a place with her words so you are transported to the landscape at hand. Her writing is witty, sarc...more
I picked this up looking for a quick fun read, and that's what I got. I enjoy random humor, so this book was pretty entertaining for me, with some laugh out loud moments. Some people might say the author is trying a bit too hard to be funny and goes overboard, I was okay with it.
To keep the summary short and sweet:
A girl goes on a roadtrip and encounters some interesting people and crazy adventures. And the moral of the story - live life to the fullest.
The people she meets and some of the things...more
To keep the summary short and sweet:
A girl goes on a roadtrip and encounters some interesting people and crazy adventures. And the moral of the story - live life to the fullest.
The people she meets and some of the things...more
I came across this on my Kindle's "Save For Later" list. I couldn't remember putting it there, but it sounded good, so I purchased it. I really enjoyed the story about a young woman with kidney disease who sets out on a road trip, intending to do some things that are important to her. It was a good friendship tale, and even though I'm healthy, I could relate to where she is at this point in her life.
I love when I can really relate to a book. Seeing that the author is from Wisconsin, has a real knack for sarcasm, and has no qualms about anything most authors would be too "embarrassed" to write about, this book felt like a conversation with a home-town friend. I hope there will be more from her in the near future :)
Absolutely loved this. Equal parts sad and funny, the author does a great job dealing with a woman dealing with the aftermath/limbo of a serious health condition. Great story of her traveling cross country to deal with "open" issues in her life. Loved the teenager hitchhiker. Engaging read that makes you think.
This one was just ok for me... Leigh Fielding, a twentysomething who had a kidney transplant last year takes a road trip. She starts solo, but soon picks up a teenager at a rest stop. They continue to meet Leigh's BFF, Jillian, who ends up joining their journey. Leigh's ultimate goal is to meet the family of her kidney donor, Larry, and meet her mother who walked out on her family when she was a kid. Things goo awry, Leigh makes some relevations, and voila, there's the mostly happy, somewhat unr...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
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| Win a Free Signed Copy of Driving Sideways | 2 | 20 | Apr 01, 2012 04:47pm |
Wisconsin native Jess Riley spent much of her childhood being punished for lying and/or passing notes during class, both of which qualified her for a possible future as a novelist. She won her first short story contest in high school for a tale told through the point of view of a seven-year-old black boy living in Cabrini Green because as a middle-class white teenager, she knew a lot about that ki...more
More about Jess Riley...
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