Goodreads Mobile | see what your friends are reading

Sep 19, 2008

Betsy rated it:

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 a More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Aug 16, 2008

Tami rated it:

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 More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jan 08, 2009

Kathleen rated it:

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 More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Aug 10, 2008

Sarah rated it:

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" More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jan 06, 2009

Johnna rated it:

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 More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

May 29, 2009

Dana rated it:

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 la More...

1 comment like

Feb 15, 2009

CJ - You Carry On As If I Don't Love You rated it:

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, Deni More...

0 comments like

Dec 22, 2008

Summer rated it:

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.

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

May 07, 2009

Mikkee rated it:

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 oft More...

0 comments like

Mar 19, 2009

MB rated it:

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 More...

0 comments like

Aug 15, 2011

Sharon rated it:

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 exp More...

0 comments like

Mar 07, 2010

Charlotte rated it:

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 ensu More...

0 comments like

Aug 13, 2009

Jenn rated it:

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 any More...

2 comments like

Sep 26, 2010

Angela rated it:

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...

0 comments like

May 23, 2009

Rachel rated it:

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).

0 comments like

Nov 03, 2011

Sarah rated it:

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.

0 comments like

Apr 22, 2009

Celese rated it:

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!

0 comments like

Dec 14, 2010

Vivian rated it:

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 More...

0 comments like

Oct 29, 2009

Courtney rated it:

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.

0 comments like

Jan 21, 2012

Diana rated it:

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 :)

0 comments like

Oct 29, 2011

Ashley rated it:

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...

0 comments like

Sep 13, 2009

Laura rated it:

I enjoyed this book--especially the Wisconsin references to things I know from back home. The road trip format was fun and kept me moving along with the story; it only got slightly long toward the end. The main character was likable and felt like an old friend. I enjoyed her voice and seeing the story unfold from her perspective.

0 comments like

Nov 02, 2009

Debbie rated it:

I enjoyed this book. It was interesting to follow Leigh thru her trip. Makes me wonder what I would do if given a "second chance at life". The characters were quirky and there was a lot of humor, even in the midst of the sad part of the story.

It was a quick easy read!

0 comments like

Mar 15, 2009

Janet rated it:

The ultimate road trip book. The main character is a kidney transplant patient who feels like she has not experienced much of life due to her illness.....but she looks to make up for it in short order. Funny, compelling, poignant.

0 comments like

Mar 07, 2009

Jess rated it:

I adored this book. It's one of those books you never want to end, and can connect with the characters. I'm a quick reader and never seem to have a problem going on to the next book. After reading this, I just couldn't move on right away.

0 comments like

Aug 17, 2009

Shirley rated it:

I didn’t really like the “contrived circumstances” like Denise stealing her purse for a ride or her friend getting in a huge fight with her fiancé and ditching him or the guy following Denise or any of the many other things that seemed kind of made up. I liked hearing from Jess Riley how her editor made her put certain things into the book ~ it was not all her fault. I also did not like references to bands or people that I did not know. It was kind of a dull read for me….but I didn’t want to More...

0 comments like

May 09, 2009

Lisa rated it:

Cool book. I've read books about women with serious illnesses, but this was different because it was about living with it instead of dying from it, and there was a lot of funny language and humor that made the book a little offbeat.

0 comments like

Jul 15, 2011

Mary rated it:

A trip of a lifetime. Some crazy adventures of a women traveling across the country to reconnect with old friends and family. There's a side story of her kidney health issues--PKD which add a different dimension to this tale.

0 comments like

Oct 20, 2008

Jenh rated it:

Didn't love it. Didn't hate it either. It was fine. Slow. A little far-fetched at times. There were some funny parts. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I actually thought there was too much sarcasm/too many "zingers". I generally enjoy that kind of humor and didn't think it possible to have too much of that...but it got a little old in this book. Also, I didn't like the sexual comments/material. It was unnecessary to the story, and I felt like the author added it to satisfy some More...

0 comments like

Mar 22, 2009

Caroline rated it:

Leigh is recovering from a kidney transplant and decides to take a road trip out West to find the mother who left her when she was a child. Along the way, she meets old friends and makes new ones and learns that she's stronger than she knew. A hipper, edgier entry in the chick lit genre.

0 comments like

reviews