It's hard not to compare her new books to previous treasures like Operating Instructions and Traveling Mercies. Those two are hands-down my favorites of hers, but I liked Some Assembly Required more than Plan B or Grace Eventually. As usual, in this book she's really candid about her own flaws in a way that makes us feel slightly more comfortable with our own, and I love her for that. In particular, her journey in recovery and her experiences as a new grandmother resonate with me on so many levels.

Sam's contributions to the book are mostly in the form of emails he wrote or interviews he did with his mom. However, he sounds so much like her in spots it made me wonder whether he's just picked up a lot of her mannerisms or if her influence came through in the interviews/editing. And that's not necessarily a bad thing. Amy (the baby's mom) also contributes some too. This book, like her other non-fiction offerings, celebrates and laments the dailyness of living, which always helps me -- to borrow from one of her previous books -- to be where my butt is. If I could give half-stars I probably would've given it 3.5, but since I couldn't, I tipped the scale up, rather than down, because I think it's definitely a worthwhile read.