false 19 115 112 true 5749189 read 1 true 28389 currently-reading 2 true 28388 to-read http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/80241716 to: Push: A Novel (Paperback) by Sapphire
I recently re-read this one after several years, mainly because the movie based on it just came out and I wanted to refresh my memory before I saw the film. This book is gorgeous; an easy read yet difficult to read. Reads like an autobiography, but the content is heartbreaking... one of those real "keep on going" sort of stories. You can't put it down yet you don't want to read what's going to happen next, either. It's hard to sum this one up in words, but it's one that needs to be read. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/80242970 to: Girl, Interrupted (Paperback) by Susanna Kaysen
This is one of the few books where I liked the movie better. While I found this to be an interesting and engaging read, Kaysen is extremely cryptic in her writing and left me craving more information, more anecdotes and more answers. Normally for me as a reader, this is a good thing, but in this case it left me feeling just a bit dissatisfied. I'm not asking for a black and white picture--I get the point that mental health is subjective, that it's hard to get the whole story, that maybe there is no "whole" story--but I would've liked to know more about Kaysen and the other girls on her ward. It may be simplistic of me, but this was not the type of story where I wanted to fill in the blanks for myself... I wanted it all spelled out for me and, in this type of story, it seems that would be impossible to do. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/80242282 to: Louder Than Words: A Mother's Journey in Healing Autism (Hardcover) by Jenny McCarthy
I knew this book would annoy me, but I didn't realize just how much this book would make me hate Jenny McCarthy.

I knew that I felt the whole "you can cure autism" thing was a crock, but didn't expect McCarthy to be so smug and self-satisfied.

I knew McCarthy wrote it herself, but would've expected she'd have an editor.

This book was worse than I expected it to be. McCarthy martyrs herself and implies that every parent of an autistic child who is not following the latest fads to "cure" their child is a bad parent. Maybe she acts this way because she blamed herself for Evan's disabilities--this was implied earlier on--but major breakthroughs with her son's behavior, personality, speech and physical needs to not mean that he's no longer autistic. Did no one tell this woman that this is a spectrum disorder?

Jenny McCarthy is an asshole. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/79090466 to: Lullaby (Paperback) by Chuck Palahniuk
This one started off a little slowly but really picked up about 75 or so pages in. It took a while to become invested in the characters and events--maybe it was just bad timing on my part, who knows?--but once I did, I really did. Funny at times, heartwrenching at others and, as Palahnuik is wont to be, completely and utterly twisted and bizarre.

I think the only thing that kept me from loving it is that you don't read books like this when individuals in your life have recently died. Just sayin'. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/79582621 Sesame Street: A Celebration of Forty Years of Life on the Street (Hardcover) by Louise Gikow
bookshelves: currently-reading
It's good so far, but weighs more than my head. A coffee table book in size and volume, but with some good stories and info (though still not 100% what I've been looking for in a Sesame Street book) ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/77030413 to: Never Have Your Dog Stuffed: And Other Things I've Learned (Paperback) by Alan Alda
Alda tells some good stories, especially when recounting his childhood in vaudeville and burlesque. The book winds down as he gets older; it seems like he is nostalgic for his oldest memories but glosses over more recent events. The result is a book that starts off well and loses steam. I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it. The dullest portions actually dealt with filming M*A*S*H, but that may be because I never really watched the show and think Hawkeye is a brand of frozen veggies.

Alda makes no secret of the fact that he always wanted to be a writer, and this book is mostly an effort in fulfilling a dream. I'm glad I picked this one up for free on the street, but don't think I'll read it again. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/72289439 to: Good Family: A Novel (Paperback) by Terry Gamble
(Actually 3.5 stars)

This book was a mixed bag. When it was given to me by a friend who thought I'd like it, the premise didn't really appeal to me but I decided to read it to be polite (and because I can't turn down anything to read). I initially thought it would be an interesting glimpse into the problems of WASPy people with money, which in some regards it was, but it was also, at the heart, a family drama that I found relatable, touching and entertaining.

That isn't to say it was an easy read. Maybe it was just poor timing in my life, but I found myself consistently forgetting that I was reading this book. Its premise--family black sheep returns to childhood summer home after 10 years as her mother prepares to die and confronts her past, present and future--was engaging enough, and the main character, while not always likable, was one you wanted to root for. I generally like non-linear storytelling and I love characters with baggage (especially when the baggage isn't thoroughly explained), so this should've been an easy sell for me, but there was just something forgettable about this book.

There were moments that hit wonderfully and uncomfortably close to home. There were decently drawn characters (especially considering the large cast) who reminded me of people I know and have met. There were some beautiful images and lovely sentences. But there was also a lot of fluff. I could've done without the side plot regarding Maddie's almost-wedding to another local on Sand Isle and felt the Edward storyline could've used some more development. I wanted to know more about Jessica and Beo. But what I liked about the incomplete, somewhat self-centered narrative was that it was how families often actually are... full of self-centered individuals who forget to see each other as nuanced characters with thoughts and feelings as deep as their own.

Having recently watched my family deteriorate after the stroke and death of our matriarch, I liked that a similar set of circumstances was, in this instance, able to mend some of this fractured family. I also like that it didn't end with roses and kittens and rainbows and group hugs; perfection was not achieved, this terrible loss didn't bring out everyone's best. But it reminded us that, at the end of it all, your family are the people who know you the best, like it or not.

Worth reading, but if your experience is like mine, expect it to be a little slow-going. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/65273860 Kristen's review of The Unlikely Disciple: A Sinner's Semester at America's Holiest University
by Kevin Roose

Would you just review the damn thing without reading the last 5 pages?!?! ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/69316350 to: Possible Side Effects (Paperback) by Augusten Burroughs
Augusten Burroughs is a fantastic writer. Dry is a fantastic book - funny, heartbreaking, insane, moving, all the words you want to use to describe a memoir - and Running with Scissors is hysterical and troubling. This book is a collection of short works, which, while still good reading, falls short of Burroughs' standard.

Burroughs' short fiction, in my opinion, lacks the depth of his other writing. Some stories are incredible, but a lot of them fall short of the mark. My biggest problem is with his endings; the stories will start off strong, gather steam and... end. Abruptly and poorly. They often left me wanting more, but not in the good way... in that "Oh, it's done?" sort of way.

Some of the stories in this anthology are gorgeous: Mrs. Chang, A Forecast for Sommer and Little Crucifixions are incredible. Others are laugh out loud funny: Team Player, The Sacred Cow, Killing John Updike and GWF Seeks Same made me self conscious as I chuckled on the train or alone in my apartment. Some of the stories, like the masterful Kitty, Kitty, are both hysterical and heartbreaking (there's great symbolism in this story). But a lot of them are abrupt, random and uninteresting. They feel like the sorts of jokes that are building over time to a fantastic punchline, but then the joke teller forgets the punchline and the joke falls flat. A lot of the stories meander from one story or topic to another without completing either bit.

Even at his most disappointing, Augusten Burroughs is a talented writer and always worth the couple of hours and $15 tops that it costs to read one of his books. While I wanted to love Possible Side Effects I came away liking it enough. At very least it's engaging and you get some wonderful reoccurrences of favorite characters from other memoirs (Pighead! <3, Augusten's mother!, Assburger!) and a few new gems (both Grandmothers!). If possible, grab this one at the library and save yourself the money, but enjoy the read. While not spectacular, there are enough gems in this collection that make it a perfectly respectable read. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/66522213 Karen's review of The Red Tent
by Anita Diamant

what, no review??? You become my GoodReads friend and all I get is a star rating?! pfff!!! :0) ]]>