Oops, I did it again...haha...thanks Britney.

Now that I've quoted Britney Spears in the title of this post, you're not going to be mad, right? Molly V I'm pretty sure you're the only one who reads this anyway, and I'm only posting because you reminded me to do so when I saw you recently, so...here ya go. Don't hate me.

Over two months now...Pretty sure that's a record.

So I totally would have forgotten what I was reading two months ago if I hadn't seen it in my "currently reading" thing that I left un-updated...I was reading a book called Spiced by Dalia Jurgensen. I remember two things about this book:
1) There wasn't enough food talk and
2) Her descriptions of her lesbian relationship made me wish there was more food talk.

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not homophobic (I work in fashion, if I were homophobic I would be having a much bigger problem with my job). It's just that I felt that Jurgensen used her lesbian relationship (short lived though it was) to somehow justify her existence as a chef or give herself street cred. Or kitchen cred. Whatever. As if the picture of her on the cover with her arms covered in tattoos wouldn't do that. There may have been a piercing or two as well, I'm not sure. Anyway...if you're looking for a straight up food book, this isn't it. If you're looking for a book whereby the author attempts to figure out her sexual preferences by reliving all of her escapades on paper, then please go ahead and put this book on the reserve list at your library.

Now, you're going to have to forgive me, because I have pretty much forgotten everything I read between Spiced and the books I read in late August. At one point I did re-read the entire Twilight series and then buy the movie (HORRIBLE. I knew this before purchasing it. I did it anyway) on DVD and download it onto my iPod (WHAT? Robert Pattison. Enough said). Let's just pretend that is what I was doing for those first few weeks in August.

Late in August I traveled to Guatemala for a couple of weeks. This is what I took with me:
The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
Ok, well, first of all, this book has a puppy face (ok, it's a dog, but whatever) on the cover, which immediately garners points with me. Second, it's a great book. A book written from the perspective of a dog about his owner's life and the changes that they go through together. Poignant, funny, insightful...awesome. I think even dog-non-fanatics would enjoy it. It was creative and well written. I read this straight through on my flights down to Guatemala, and then finished it sitting in the factory waiting for things to be shown to me. I tried (unsuccessfully) to hide my tears from the tough Guatemalan men who came into the room to check on me as I finished the book. I highly recommend this one.

Piece of Work, Dating Big Bird, and Her by Laura Zigman
Three separate books here - all same author. Found them all as I made a mad dash through the library to get some books to take with me to Guatemala. I had heard there would be a lot of downtime. This wasn't true, but I did still find time somehow to read a few books. What can I say...I really do like books more than people.

The fact that I'm combining the three into one post should tell you two things:
1) I'm lazy (reinforced by the lack of posting for 2+ months)
2) They didn't really stand out as unique beings to me.

They served their purpose - books to keep me distracted while I was traveling. Did they make me cry in the middle of a factory in Guatemala, or on a plane back from Guatemala? No. Maybe. I don't remember. But I don't think so.

I read Her first and made short work of it. It's not rocket science. Blah blah, insecure twenty something who meets a fabulous man who remains friends with his fabulous ex, she goes insane about said ex and potentially destroys her relationship with fabulous man. Let's be real - who hasn't fantasized about stalking their man's ex (or...has actually done it?)? But this book made me feel awkward. There's a difference between funny awkward and funny crazy. This was funny crazy. Except more on the crazy side and less on the funny side.

Nevertheless, I hadn't brought too many books with me to Guatemala, so I had no choice but to continue with Dating Big Bird. Thirty-something woman, basic premise is that she is in a relationship that she's not convinced is going anywhere (it's not) and she compares it to dating big bird - the relationship is comfortable and friendly, not threatening in any way, but not really maturing beyond the most infantile level. Big Bird is a warm (Feathery) body to sleep next to at night. She considers the idea of taking on parenthood by herself. Yawn. Honestly I'd rather just talk to all my girlfriends about their problems - it's the same deal, same content (we're not quite to that stage yet, though) but I actually CARE about them. I didn't care about this character. She had this niece she really loved (so Molly maybe you would like her) but (sorry Molly) fictional characters who care a lot about children only serve to creep me out. Especially when said children are not their own. I'm never having children, am I?

And let's round it out with Piece of Work. Actually somewhat appropriate for the current economic situation, woman is a stay at home mom until her husband loses his job and she's forced to become the breadwinner for the family. Antics at the office, antics at home, woman questioning her worth as a mother and therefore her worth as a human, blahhhhh. I don't think I'm mature enough yet to empathize (sympathize? whatever) with this character's plight. Check back in 20 years.

Ok so then I came back from Guatemala...and I was in Columbus for two days...and then I went back home to Virginia, North Carolina, back to Virginia in a week...what was I reading down there?

Oooh I read Fallen Skies by Philipa Gregory after a brief false start where I forgot that I had already read The Debutante Divorcee (don't read it) and I tried to read it again. So, Fallen Skies. The first of Gregory's novels that I've read that did not deal with the Tudor monarchy. Honestly, I wasn't expecting much, given how much success and notoriety Gregory has gained from the books she wrote about that period, but it appears that she is just an all-around solid historical fiction writer. This book is set in the 20s in America and deals with a few different issues -- the role of women in marriages and in the household, the Madonna/Whore contradiction, the role of men as they return from war (how their lives are changed, etc). Basically Gregory does a great job, again, of convincing you through period details that you're reading something more intellectually challenging than drugstore romance novels (you're not). But at least she doesn't resort to the use of phrases like "throbbing member." Not that I'm entirely sure I would be opposed if she did. This is a good one - quite long, though, so settle in.

Oh I just remembered two that I REALLY enjoyed but had totally forgotten there for a minute!!
Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict and Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Viera Rigler
These two were probably my favorites over the past couple of months. I read them out of order- or rather, in reverse order, because I wasn't aware the pair existed. You're supposed to read Confessions before you read Rude Awakenings - it didn't really lessen my enjoyment at all, but I think there were things I was supposed to catch on to that I didn't until later than I should have. Basically they're about two women who wake up in each other's lives. One girl, Jane Mansfield, is from the time of Jane Austen, and wakes up in modern day. The other, Courtney Stone, who is from modern day, wakes up in the time of Jane Austen. I really think it would make a great movie to combine the two stores into one...but that's just my opinion. Basically, it offers a commentary on both times from the perspective of someone from the other - interesting social satire with a bit of "grass is always greener" thrown in. Both thoroughly entertaining.

So after Fallen Skies...what was there...you'd think I would remember this because it was only about 3 weeks ago...but I don't. Bleh.

Ok so when I returned to Columbus, I read Comfort Food by Kate Jacobs (also the author of The Friday Night Knitting Club and Knit Two, which were recommended to me but which I have not yet read). A little bit food, a little bit comedy...I liked it. Fluffy on the food side, well, fluffy all around, really, but it was lightheaded. About an aging woman (in her own perspective, really) who is approaching 50 (I hope I don't feel as bad as she does about turning 50) and isn't sure where her life is going - she has a television show on a fictitious version of the Food Network, two adult daughters whose lives she is constantly trying to fix, and a dormant love life. If I were writing the blip for the jacket of this book, now I would probably say something like "Add a little spice and see what she cooks up!" And I just did. It's fluffy, but I wanted to keep reading it. Again, not going to change your life.

And, finally, after that I read The Appeal by John Grisham. I don't think I've ever read a Grisham book I didn't like. Again, he's one of those authors who has figured out a successful formula for novels - insert part A into part B, add part C and voila, bestseller. This one is about a group of people whose lives are all intertwined as they are affected by the repercussions of a major verdict that faults a chemical manufacturer for the instances of cancer in a small town. Richly layered, intricately detailed, masterful plot lines. Reading Grisham at this point is like riding Space Mountain. You're in the seat of a machine that knows where it's going, even if you're not entirely sure where you're going to end up. There are twists and turns, surprises around ever corner. Sometimes you're excited, sometimes you're scared...and you're in the dark until you come around that final corner. Regardless of how you feel along the right, though, you always know you're in good hands.

I finished that book this afternoon, so I'm pretty sure that I would remember if I had read another book between that one and now.

Good news for you, dear reader, is that I recently purchased an iPhone (yay!) and I have started taking a picture of the cover of every book I read so that I cannot forget anymore!

Until next time!