The Mighty Queen of Freeville: A Mother, a Daughter, and the Town That Raised Them

The Mighty Queen of Freeville: A Mother, a Daughter, and the Town That Raised Them by Amy Dickenson

Description: Amy Dickenson has a syndicated advice column “Ask Amy”. Many people ask her where she gets her advice from – and it is her own life. Amy talks about the mistakes she made in her own relationships as well as those she made with her daughter in this touching memoir.

Amy shows us her life and her divorce. How hard it was to date, what she did for her daughter (and what her daughter did for her). Mostly it centers around family and a small town –Freeville. Because that is where Amy’s heart is.

Thoughts:Opening yourself up to admit your faults, the good times and the bad in your life is not easy. And this book is definitely where that happens.

This isn’t a book where it covers her life from one time period to another in order – it jumps around a bit as she explores certain subjects in her life. Allowing her to reflect on everything that was going on and why she did what she did.

I haven’t read “Ask Amy” but after reading this – I see what has given her the insight into life that she has. I think that can only help her in gaining more readers.

What genre would you consider this?
Memoir

Overall:

Thin is the New Happy

Thin is the New Happy by Valerie Frankel

What was this book about?

Valerie Frankel explores her years growing up as an overweight kid. Then it progresses into her teenage years. Finally at some point she finds ways to not be overweight but they aren’t healthy for her emotionally or physically. This yo-yo of not thin enough to being what she felt was just plain overweight was hard on her.

She didn’t want to pass this emotional wreck on to her children like it was passed on to her from her mother. So she explores what made her go back and forth with the weight. Then she starts her own sort of diet. Her goal is to stop making weight an issue. And by doing that she is able to finally control her weight in a healthy way that makes her happy.

What did you think about the book?

I think it was just coincidence (and not some subconscious thought) that I happened to randomly pick this book up off my book shelf of “to be read” books the day I decided I was tired of thinking that I looked fat in pictures and needed to do something about it. I don’t diet. I rarely exercise (I like to say I am allergic to it since I break out and itch constantly and my hands swell when I do anything physical of some sort).

Anyways I picked this up and was like “oh no” is this book going to help or hurt. In some ways I don’t identify with the main character. Growing up I didn’t have problems with my weight or issues of that sort. There were times in college, or when I was in my 20’s where I wanted to lose weight but it wasn’t something where people were telling me I wasn’t think enough (with the exception of one boyfriend who was constantly on me to lose weight – even though I was well within the healthy range).

Despite not identifying with the author in that way I really did like the book. The fact that she revisits the past and contacts someone who was always mean to her. We all have that person (or persons) that we wish we knew where they were or what they were up to.

I have to say I loved her “Not Diet”. I think what worked for her (and hopefully most people like me) isn’t the strict rules of No white bread or pasta but more a mentality. Try to go work out as much as you can. Try to eat more vegetables. Try to eat several times a day – with moderation. Don’t stress about it. Don’t worry about it. But do the things that you know are just good for you – not good for your weight.

What genre would you consider this?
Memoir

Overall:

Question for You!
So what do you do when you feel like you need to diet? Work out? Change your food? Do you think diets really work?

In The Land of Invisible Women

In The Land of Invisible Women by Qunta A. Ahmed, MD

What was this book about?

Qanta is a British doctor who just so happens to also be Muslim. When she is offered a job in Saudi Arabia she decides that it wouldn’t hurt to see what it was like, make good money, and wait till she can get a visa in the United States.

For Qanta this is an eye opening experience. She is a respected doctor who is now in a country that treats women completely differently from what she is used to. She has her eyes opened to how the country works. She also takes a journey and explores her Muslim faith.

This book shows us a small glimpse of life like it was for her. The people are generous and caring and yet there is still that touch of hate and racism, that permeates some of their lives. She opens your eyes to all of this and still see them for the great people, the great country that they are.

What did you think about the book?

Usually I don’t read these sort of books because I find them a little dry. They have a lot of facts, but very little story. But I was intrigued by the book jacket of this book enough to pick it up and see what it was about.

I really enjoyed it. I felt like I was there and finding out about a culture that I didn’t really know anything about. But at the same time it wasn’t written by a complete outsider. It was almost an insiders look at the things that make the Saudi culture. But an insider wouldn’t have the perspective of what is so shocking to someone like me – an American.

If you have any interest in learning about how men and women interact, how the Muslim religion is practiced, what sorts of laws govern that area – this is the book to read for you. It definitely made me think about so many different things. From how others reacted to 9/11, how lucky I am to be a woman in America, and many other things.

What genre would you consider this?
Memoir

Overall:

Question for you:
Have you ever been to a place that was so culturally different then what you were used to? Do you think your experience opened your eyes to your culture and others the way it did for Qanta?

Wife in the North

Wife in the North by Judith O’Reilly

What was this book about?

Judith has always identified herself as a Londerner. When her husband tells her of his dream to live in the country in the North she decides to be self sacrificing and do it for him. She moves him, herself and her 2.5 children to the country. She is pregnant and trying to juggle being a working mother. Her parents are aging and she also has to figure out a way to help them.

It is a difficult and uphill climb – follow her and her family as they do the best they can to get through life.

It is quite the uphill battle in figuring out

What did you think about the book?

For me this was a hard book to get into. It starts by being all about how she sacrificed for her husband. I totally give her credit for that kind of willingness to do what you need to do for your family but I couldn’t identify with the characters (and considering I can do that with werewolves and witches etc. it made it difficult to keep reading).

Maybe it was hard for me to connect because she identifies no one by name. Everyone is her 4-yr old, 2-yr old, husband, daughter named after best friend, or some sort of made up name that she uses to identify people. I understand that this book seems to be semi-autobiographical and that could be why she has done this (to hide the names of the guilty – or in this case innocent). But it just made it difficult for me to appreciate them as people.

Part of me was just itching to like the book, as the author has some really great ideas in terms of dealing with the family dynamics of moving from one sort of lifestyle to another. Moving isn’t easy for anyone and adjusting can be difficult. She also deals with the challenges of being both a mother and a career woman. That people look at her differently when she moved because they see her as more of a mother then someone with ideas and thoughts. Add into the drama of her household, aging parents and having to deal with their mortality.

So overall while there were some great thoughts included in the story – it just wasn’t told in a way that kept me entertained.

Judith was a guest blogger on my website a little while back. And I have to say I found her post there much more my speed then her book.

What genre would you consider this?
Family Dynamics

Overall:

Question for you!:
Did you find the characters as someone you were unable to connect with? Have you ever sacrificed something big for someone you love? How did that work out? Where you able to fully embrace it?

An Exact Replica of a Figment of My Imagination (A Memoir)

An Exact Replica of a Figment of My Imagination (A Memoir) by Elizabeth McCraken

What was this book about?

Elizabeth McCraken and her husband were very happy. Part time writers who had been living in Europe were expecting their first child. Everything seemed to be going perfectly. Then the news – their child was stillborn.

Elizabeth talks about her pain during this part of her life. She speaks of the words of sympathy that helped her through. She speaks of how difficult it was to explain to everyone else in the world that her second child (who was born healthy) isn’t her first. She documents her pain for all the world to read – and it is definitely worth reading.

What did you think about the book?

“This is the happiest story in the world with the saddest ending”. While I understand what the author is saying her – that it started out amazing and ended sadly – the whole book is pretty sad. But that doesn’t take away from the writing or the story.

I can’t imagine what it would be like to have the baby that you are preparing for die before you even get a chance to have it. To go weeks with the baby growing inside of you and then never get to meet him or her. I feel like this book was both an homage to the child who died as well as a display of Elizabeth’s grief.

What genre would you consider this?
Memoir

Overall:

Comfort: A Journey Through Grief

Comfort: A Journey Through Grief by Ann Hood

What was this book about?

Ann Hood, a novelist went through one of the most difficult things a parent can go through – she lost her 5 year old daughter. One day Grace was a happy healthy kid, the next she was dead.

Having a mother (and a writer) analyze their grief and get it down on paper has to be difficult. But that is what Ann has done in this novel.

What did you think about the book?

Ann Hood has also written “The Knitting Circle” which I definitely enjoyed. When I found out that that novel came from a tragedy in her own life – and she had written something about that I knew I had to read it.

It definitely didn’t disappoint. While it seems to jump from one place to another – in many ways I feel that it only represents what is really going on in her mind and her life. Grief for losing a child is something I can only imagine. While the book isn’t going to end all fairytales and roses, I feel it realistically both describes her grief and describes how she has as best she can continued on with her life.

What genre would you consider this?
Memoir

Overall:

Somewhere in Heaven: The Remarkable Love Story of Dana and Christopher Reeve

Somewhere in Heaven: The Remarkable Love Story of Dana and Christopher Reeve by Christopher Andersen

What was this book about?

It is exactly what it is titled – the Remarkable love story of Dana and Christopher Reeve.

It begins before they met and explains their instant attraction for one another. You see them love each other, get married, have a child together. Then the unthinkable happens Chris hurts himself and ends up in a wheelchair. They struggle to maintain a stable relationship and life.

We follow their lives past Chris’s death to Dana’s own illness and death.

What did you think about the book?

I loved the story of true love in Hollywood when you find that it is not normally the case. They really did love each other. You find out that Chris is a bit of a daredevil and his injury while devastating maybe wasn’t such a shock.

I have to admit that while I knew who Christopher Reeves was – Superman – and I knew of his injury I didn’t realize the point he was at in his life career wise when it all happened. I saw him as the hero who came back from an injury – not a man who was having trouble getting roles and was being rejected by his peers.

What genre would you consider this?
Memoir

Overall:

If I was to nominate this book for an award it would be: I hope my love can be like this book – forsaking all odds (though I hope it ends a little happier).

Moose: A Memoir of Fat Camp

Moose: A Memoir of Fat Camp by Stephanie Klein

What was this book about?

Stephanie Klein is told by her doctor that the twins she is carrying require her to gain 50 lbs. What the doctor doesn’t know is that Stephanie has a history of weight problems and the thought of gaining all that weight sends her into a tailspin.

It requires her to reevaluate her past – what brought on the poor self confidence and weight problems. How did she overcome it? Did she truly overcome it? She tells her story of the battle of the bulge while living in a society that only persecutes you for being overweight.

What did you like/dislike about the book?

This book is written in the same style that Stephenie’s blog is written (Greek Tragedy). You can’t help but cringe when people do cruel things to her, cry when she cries, and laugh when she laughs. She just brings that out in you. She poors our her heart and her story – opening herself up for critiques and you just can’t help but identify with some part of her story. Every woman has felt inferior about something and she opens up about one of her greatest struggles.

While at times it was a little difficult for me to follow along (since she has combined many years of her own experiences into one year). I genuinely enjoyed it and will continue to read her books and her blog for many years to come.

What genre would you consider this?
Memoir

Overall:

Loose Girl: A Memoir of Promiscuity

Loose Girl: A Memoir of Promiscuity by Kerry Cohen

What was this book about?

Kerry suffers through her parents divorce in a way many children do – by rebelling. Her mother leaves to pursue her own dreams – giving into Kerry’s feelings of abandonment, and Kerry and her sister move in with their father. Kerry’s father really wants to be more of Kerry’s friend then an authority figure and she is left to do what she wants.

What Kerry wants to do is party, meet boys, do drugs and experiment. She wants attention and way to fill the void left in her heart and she does that by appealing to men. She wants them to love her and she finds out the easiest way for them to love her is sexually.

What did you like/dislike about the book?

This book is scary like no horror story I have ever read. I enjoyed it – don’t get me wrong. But the idea that someone’s daughter (or even mine someday) would behave in a way that leaves them open for so much pain and hurt is just frightening.

Her words and story are painfully honest and require every reader to think about themselves and how certain stories mimic their own past. Whether it was the innocent desire or need or even addiction to be loved by someone, or whether you put yourself in situations that had the possibilities that it could hurt you, there is something in there that I believe that every person out there can relate to.

What genre would you consider this?

Memoir/Biography

Overall:

If I was to nominate this book for an award it would be: Book I would never let my husband read if we were expecting a daughter.

The Last Lecture

The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch


What was this book about?

Randy Pausch is a husband, a father of three, and a faculty member at Carnegie Mellon University. He is invited to participate in their “Last Lecture” Series where professors speak for an hour about what they want to pass on or teach their students if they knew they were going to die shortly. The twist with Randy is that he knows he has only 3 – 6 months to live. He has been diagnosed with cancer and has 10 tumors in his liver alone.

Randy takes the time out of his last days with his family to prepare his last lecture. This book is essentially a replay of the knowledge that he wanted to pass on. This isn’t just for his students but is also something that his children (all quite young) can remember for years. It is like having a little piece of their father that is always available to them.

What did you like/dislike about the book?

This book is quite inspirational. He doesn’t just think about how his time is flying away, except as it applies to the time he wishes he could spend with his wife and children. I spent the entire time chocked up, but at the same time just thinking the thoughts in this book are happy.

What genre would you consider this?

Inspirational

Overall: A

If I was to nominate this book for an award it would be: Book I Want to Give my Mother for Christmas

The Middle Place

The Middle Place by Kelly Corrigan

What was this book about?
Kelly is a happy mother, a doting daughter, and overall has a life many would wish for. She is in that middle place, of being both a caregiver for her kids, as well as being cared for by her wonderful parents. Then news that she wasn’t expecting comes, she has cancer.

She needs to figure out a way to overcome it both physically and emotionally. But when her father, a larger then life man, also gets cancer and she is unable to care for him because of her own health problems she has to figure out what to do.

What was your favorite part about this book?
This is both an emotional and yet enjoyable read. The story of a woman going through this is something that many people can identify with. Then to have her father also get a relapse of cancer hits home as well. You try to do your best as an adult to care for your children and also your parents. It is many times not as easy as you wish it could be. It is a hard adjustment for both yourself and your parents.

What was your least favorite part about this book?
Didn’t really have one.

What genre would you consider this?
Autobiography, but in no way a dry autobiography

Overall: B+

If I was to nominate this book for an award it would be: Another book I would love to give my mother-in-law

Her Last Death

Her Last Death by Susanna Sonnenberg

What was this book about?
This is a true story about Susanna Sonnenberg told from her point of view. After growing up with a mother that didn’t act at all motherly, she gets a call from her family – her mother has been in an accident and they do not expect her to live. Expectations from her family expect Susanna to immediately drop everything and go to her mother’s side. Only she doesn’t. Instead you find out what drove her to this painful decision.

A life filled with things that children shouldn’t have to go through. A mother that is highly sexed and is convinced that her children are too. A mother who is dependent on drugs and create an atmosphere where her oldest child is afraid that she should take her to the hospital. A mother who you can not trust because most of her life is a lie, and after a time she and all around her begin to believe that the lie is reality.

What was your favorite part about this book?
This book makes me very glad for the mother that I had. The life that I had. It takes a strong women to reject what she grew up in and become a caring mother who doesn’t repeat her own mother’s mistakes.

What was your least favorite part about this book?
Sometimes it was hard to read the pain that was went through. You wish no one had to do that.

What genre would you consider this?
Memoir

Overall: B