Good in Bed

In anticipation of the spring 2008 publication of her next book, Certain Girls, I read Jennifer Weiner's Good in Bed. I started reading Weiner with Little Earthquakes and I loved Goodnight, Nobody, and I always meant to go back and read her first two books (just like how I got hooked on Jane Green with her third, Bookends, and still haven't gone back and read her first two). Certain Girls, which follows Cannie, seemed like the perfect reason.

I knew what to expect from a Jennifer Weiner book--thrilling wonderfulness, a delight to read, something that I would just be enveloped by. I was not disappointed. This book started out innocently enough, and I thought it would be the regular story of girl loves boy, girl breaks out with boy, girl eventually gets back together with boy. No way did I know I was in for a baby and Hollywood. Somehow (and I'm not really sure how) these events and situations seem totally believable at Weiner's hand. Perhaps what I liked most was how these plot developments surprised me and enriched the story.

I am now in love with Cannie, and I cannot wait to read what befalls her next.

K

Slummy Mummy

This was an interesting entry in the Chick Lit category because I felt like the author branched out several times through the dialogue of some characters to share her opinion on current issues like feminism and the SAHM/working mother so called war. But overall, I thought it was a fabulous book, and totally quenched my craving for brit chick lit. I don't want to ruin it for anyone, but I was happy the book ended the way it did, which was what I thought was the "right" way.

In the book, Lucy Sweeney is a former TV exec who is currently staying home with her three sons, the youngest of whom is in preschool. Somehow Lucy tries to accomplish everything and therefore accomplishes nothing. I totally feel for this character because this is exactly how taking care of children full time is--you try and try and try to wash the dishes and start the laundry and cook the meals while not only watching your kids (i.e. making sure they don't hurt themselves) but trying to engage them and stimulate them, heck, even playing with them, and somehow it seems like you just can't do both. I feel like in this book, Lucy kept going back to the fact that she couldn't do it all, you can't have it all, even though she tried for the sake of appearances to her husband and fellow moms. I perfectly understand her feeling of shame when her husband comes home from work and finds that she hasn't done a single thing on her to-do list, and if only he was there to see all the stuff she had to deal with that day, he would probably understand too, but he doesn't, and therefore she feels guilty.

I have thought for awhile that I am a better mother because I work full time--because I'm not with Addie all the time, I definitely feel our time together in the evenings and on weekends is precious, so I'm willing to let things go (like housework) in favor of playing with her for hours. I also feel like working full time gives some structure to my days, so that entire weeks don't go by without me cleaning the house (or at least they shouldn't...). I feel like because I work full time, I'm contributing to the household income, that my husband can't get mad at me for not always having the dishes clean or the laundry folded the second it comes out of the dryer. I am more efficient with my time at home because I work; I'm prevented from trying to be superMom because I have to work; I'm absolved from guilt (some of it) because I have to work.

Of course, there is all that guilt from not spending more time with my child...

K

The Bright Side of Disaster

The Bright Side of Disaster by Katherine Center was fabulous. Wonderful mom lit. I didn't love how the author used the title in dialog at the very beginning of the book, but the rest of the story made up for it. Jenny's fiance leaves her the day before she goes into labor, and most of the book consists of those hazy days right after you've had a baby and your whole world is turned upside down. I totally related to all her descriptions of early motherhood. Somehow the author so completely develops and maintains Jenny's voice; the book never strays from her point of view and her character. It was totally enveloping. You can't help but cheer for Jenny as she makes some good decisions in her love life. This is a debut novel that has gotten lots of good reviews and lots of press, all totally deserved.

Now I'm reading Slummy Mummy, my favorite kind of British mum lit--even the flyleaf says "Bridget Jones with kids". (Can you believe it has been almost ten years since Bridget came onto the scene and totally changed contemporary literature?)