This book is crazy. It’s as if the narrator of My Year of Rest and Relaxation went back to college and took too many drugs. There are certain elementsThis book is crazy. It’s as if the narrator of My Year of Rest and Relaxation went back to college and took too many drugs. There are certain elements of magical realism, combined with a weird commentary on consumerism and a dash of Heathers. It’s like a trippy-ass dream, but shot through with just enough cynicism to make it feel uncomfortably real. If that makes any sense. ...more
This one came out of nowhere. I saw it in the Amazon Prime store and it was so highly rated that I couldn’t pass it up, plus the cover was intriguing,This one came out of nowhere. I saw it in the Amazon Prime store and it was so highly rated that I couldn’t pass it up, plus the cover was intriguing, and I do not regret a single moment spent with this book. I read it in under a day. It was that short, but also that beautiful. The book is just stories of this guy’s life in rural Appalachia and it’s sad and funny and lovely. ...more
**spoiler alert** What if Hillary hadn’t married Bill? This is the conceit of this book and damn if I don’t wish I’d written this myself. I admire the**spoiler alert** What if Hillary hadn’t married Bill? This is the conceit of this book and damn if I don’t wish I’d written this myself. I admire the hell out of Mrs Clinton, but I admire Ms. Rodham even more. I wonder what Hillary thinks of this book. I would be thrilled if someone thought I was as brilliant and clever as Book Hillary. Donald Trump does make an appearance in this book, but not how you would imagine, and Sittenfeld writes him perfectly. ...more
At her worst, Chelsea is snotty, bitchy, and shallow. She is capable of being more, but a lot of the time, she’s satisfied to be a dumb drunk blonde, At her worst, Chelsea is snotty, bitchy, and shallow. She is capable of being more, but a lot of the time, she’s satisfied to be a dumb drunk blonde, which is a shame, because I kind of like her. I loved her latest because she’s obviously grown a lot as a person. But this book highlights her being the worst kind of American abroad. I was embarrassed for her as I read this book. ...more
This lady has not had it easy. Her childhood was a straight-up nightmare, her first marriage was a hostage situation, and even now, she struggles withThis lady has not had it easy. Her childhood was a straight-up nightmare, her first marriage was a hostage situation, and even now, she struggles with the same sexist bullshit every female artist suffers. She’s talented and this book turned me into a fan. ...more
**spoiler alert** A little YA-ish for me. The characters are, admittedly, young adults, but I was hoping for something more...heavy? Substantial? I’m **spoiler alert** A little YA-ish for me. The characters are, admittedly, young adults, but I was hoping for something more...heavy? Substantial? I’m not sure of the word. If the narration had been in third person I might have liked it more. Cassidy’s suicide feels like an afterthought and the characters are stock: the mean one, the cute one, the sexy one. ...more