Jessica read and liked Christina's review of Confessions of a Counterfeit Farm Girl:

"I'm giving up on this. The author is shallow, vapid, immature, whines a lot, and is obsessed with doing as little as humanly possible. I'm not sure I can stand any more time spent with a woman who does so little and feels entitled to so much. "

Jessica read and liked Angela's review of Confessions of a Counterfeit Farm Girl:

"I couldn't do it. I just couldn't finish it.

I love memoirs. I love fish-out-of-water-stories. I just couldn't get past the author's "oh aren't I clever / funny / darling" wink-wink writing style.

No.

You...more I couldn't do it. I just couldn't finish it.

I love memoirs. I love fish-out-of-water-stories. I just couldn't get past the author's "oh aren't I clever / funny / darling" wink-wink writing style.

No.

You're not.(less) "

Jessica read and liked Laura's review of Confessions of a Counterfeit Farm Girl:

"I realized why I didn't like this book much on p. 232 when the author explained, "I'm pretty sure he (her husband) thought that once the girl left the city, the city would leave the girl, but I'm simply incapable of making that kind of metamorph...more I realized why I didn't like this book much on p. 232 when the author explained, "I'm pretty sure he (her husband) thought that once the girl left the city, the city would leave the girl, but I'm simply incapable of making that kind of metamorphosis. In fact the reverse is true; I'm doing my best to Park Avenue this place up. You might say I'm on a mission to cosmopolitanize the country."

Rather than learning or growing from her rural experiences, the writer remains adamant that Starbucks is a need not a luxury. I think the book began as her blog, newspaper columns, and emails to friends, which I can see as being quite funny. It was when someone said, "you should put these into a book!" that the trouble began because I can't figure out her tone. Someone who is able to write and practice the piano daily must have some level of responsibility and dedication, but she refers to herself as a dumb blonde who doesn't listen to her husband, pays $25 to get her hair blown dry once a week, and lives on a farm for a year without purchasing a pair of practical boots. Are we supposed to like her?

I think she'd be fun to have coffee with (Starbucks of course!) because her tone is so conversational but reading her writing wasn't that rewarding. And, her parenting seems inconsistent. She volunteers in her son's classroom (a plus in my book) although she (pretends?) she can't understand the science. She bemoans the cost and amount of McDonald's toys piling up in her home which made me want to call out "just say no!" when she reports on her kids begging her to turn in to Mickey D's.

There's a nice chapter about the chemical basis of depression and I'm going to see what her husband writes. This book got me through a plane ride, but I don't recommend it.(less) "

Jessica read and liked Tracy's review of Confessions of a Counterfeit Farm Girl:

"I couldn't resist picking up this book when I found it on a sale table. Sounded like an fun concept (I have my own dreams of living on a farm one day), plus it's set in Virginia. However, so far I'm not enjoying it much. One reason being that the ...more I couldn't resist picking up this book when I found it on a sale table. Sounded like an fun concept (I have my own dreams of living on a farm one day), plus it's set in Virginia. However, so far I'm not enjoying it much. One reason being that the author is far to much of a whiny princess to be likable.

Ok, I managed to finish and, frankly, I hated it. The only reason I slogged through was because of the location of their farm, which is about an hour from where we live. We actually just visited the area last weekend and it's gorgeous. I'd give a limb to live on one of the farms there.

This book began as a weekly email to her family and friends, which she then turned into a blog. It really should have stopped there. I can see how this "memoir" might have worked as a blog, but as a book it falls flat. The humor is extremely forced (and not particularly funny) and most of the situations seem exaggerated, but I'm sure those who actually know her and the family might think she's hilarious (?). I just found it all incredibly annoying.

Anyone want a free book?(less) "