Sunday, November 05, 2006

LITTLE EARTHQUAKES by Jennifer Weiner
By one of the best authors of "chick-lit," Little Earthquakes by Jennifer Weiner, is more like "mommy-lit" but nonetheless relatable. Told in four separate narrations by four women - three soon-to-be mommies and one former starlet turned mourning mother - Little Earthquakes flows freely and with wit standard of Weiner's work.
The four voices - Rebecca, a chef married to a doctor with an overbearing mother-in-law; Kelly - a perfectionista with a corporate husband and Martha-Stewart inspired apartment; Ayinde, a former news anchor married to a professional athelete husband who recently committed adultery and Lia, an actress mourning the loss of her motherhood to her son's recent death.
While some may relate to an individual, I found a little bit of myself in each character.
Weiner, author of Good In Bed, In Her Shoes (a great movie by the way), Goodnight Nobody-her foray into comedic murder mystery and most recently and my cant-wait-to-read the Guy not Taken, puts herself into all of her books, which most likely is why every woman reading it can relate to each sentence in a different way. I was laughing out loud in some places and tearing up at others seeing both my self and my friends in the unbelieveable situations and reactions.
Weiner's emotionally-frank writing combined with the "everywoman" characters make for a great and comfortable read. Little Earthquakes is what happens when chick-lit grows up.
OVERALL - A fat and sassy read with a little bit of something for everyone.

Sunday, October 29, 2006

THE GLASS CASTLE by Jeannette Walls
Despite living a life with no food, no toys, very little clothing and virtually no "parental supervision," Jeannette Walls, author/narrarator of The Glass Castle, was, if nothing else, rich in a unique love unlike any other I've ever encountered in a work of non-fiction, fiction or otherwise.
Shuttled around the country in what her alcoholic, rootless father and "excitement addict" mother call the skedaddle-usually a midnight dodge of bills or the law- Walls and her siblings parent their mother, father and one another as best they can when confronted with what would normally tax any other person, both mentally and physically.
The family, no doubt, loves one another, if only in a love others cannot understand. Mother Rose Mary resides in an alternate universe of painting and writing and an "everything's an adventure" mentality while father Rex conspires to build his family a glass castle with his self-taught entrepreneurial efforts. Their stance on society, the world, and even the universe paired with their hearty non-conformist ideals were at best, a blessing and a curse, resulting in a life of only the most organized chaos expected.
Effectively emotional without being a sob story, I found Walls' story of survival awe-inspiring while at the same time devastating to realize that people have really lived the way many of us cannot imagine. Walls and her siblings marched on the only way they knew - sleeping under a tarp when the roof over the bed leaked, scrounging for food in the cafeteria trash cans, sleeping in their car when they were inbetween homes, making a cross country move in the back of a U-haul, and most poignantly, choosing what star they wanted for Christmas during a particularly harsh holiday. I was touched by Walls story but for whatever reason did not feel "sorry" for the unique family. That conflict of emotions, nearly bothered me as I feel I am an empathetic reader and person; but at the same time, I wanted to read The Glass Castle as an observer and really understand a childhood to which I could never relate.
One reviewer found the story "sad and occassionally bitter," but I saw neither. Hardly comparable to the other hardscrabble childhood recounts I've read in the past, The Glass Castle, in fact, far surpasses it. It is a memoir, yes, but more than that it is an amazing recount of a survivor (arent we all survivors of childhood) rather than a victim of an unimaginable and more-than-unconventional lifestyle.
OVERALL: Technically, an easy but beautifully-written read and without a doubt, emotionally, completely heartrendering. The Glass Castle is something everyone should read if only to understand the accomplishments of overcoming a childhood, the person one becomes as a result of that accomplishment and the importance of family.

Monday, October 16, 2006

BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN by Annie Proulx

Having read Brokeback Mountain prior to seeing the movie, I found this more of a love story than anything else. The too-short story of two people who meet under certain circumstances, fall in what can only be called love, are torn apart and reconnect time and time again, could fill any gender, race or age into the blanks. Once I saw the movie, my opinion only heightened and filled with a warm, pink glow.
Beautifully-written with each word carefully thought out and positioned, Brokeback Mountain reads like a extended poem. Proulx, a recognized short-story author, moves the story along quickly and efficiently without sacrificing an ounce of eloquence. It is just simply excellent-the type of short story I strived to write in my college years, but could never find within my mind or pen. Deeply-sincere but easily grasped by anyone who has ever experience love of any kind, Brokeback Mountain moves anyone with a heart that will accept it into their reading rapport.
I struggle with saying that it is not for the close-minded, because I feel many people cant get past the fact that it follows a relationship between two stereotypical males, but it is so moving that even the narrowest of minds could be broadened to the overall tone of love and longing.
Just as the book, this review is brief, but there is not much more to say. It truly speaks for itself.
OVERALL: An all-too-brief-love story above all else. Easy read, I completed it in a night. And how do you not read a book with one of the best lines ever, "I wish I knew how to quit you."
WAKE UP CALL: THE POLITICAL EDUCATION OF A 9/11 WIDOW by Kristen Breitweiser

Ironically, I began reading Wake Up Call: the political educaiton of a 9/11 widow, by Kristen Breitweiser, a 9/11 widow and now author, just a few days before the fifth anniversary of the tragic attacks that rocked New York City, the Nation and ultimately the world. As I neared the middle of the book, I found myself with the television on at the close of that infamous day. Reading Breitweiser's story that night, I continually found myself gazing at the tv screen that was displaying the C-SPAN broadcast of the reading of the 2000+ names of those who perished that day. It was only after I gave my full attention back to the book the next night that I could try to comprehend even a fraction of how Breitweiser must feel.
Breitweiser lost her husband who worked for Fidicuary Trust in tower two of the World Trade Center. Ron Breitweiser was killed when the tower finally collapsed just minutes after the planes impact. Unlike others, Breitweiser was able to speak with her husband prior witnessing his death on television. Infuriated at the government, its representatives and its response to the terrorist attacks, Breitweiser explains why she and her fellow 9/11 widows, the Jersey Girls, as they have been dubbed, began what can only be a practically-grassroots campaign to answer the hardest question, "how did this happen to our loved ones?" Their efforts alongside others 9/11 families, directly resulted in the formation of the 9/11 investigative commission as well as continued prodding of the government's response to many of the questions the Jersey Girls, as well as the nation, had following the attacks.
Her dedicated activisim and lobbying as told through her no-nonsense and frill-free method of story-telling combined with the heart-wrenching personal account, gives readers a tug large enough to imagine what it must feel like to be so close to the events of 9/11.
Not a political-minded reader by any means, I surprisingly found Wake Up Call to be less political and more poignant than anything. I found myself pondering the same questions that she and her friends had and really, that we all should have. While Breitweiser has been considered a critic of the Bush Administration, the book is thankfully, not political in nature. Somewhat raw with emotion, and rightfully so, Breitweiser ventures from grief, to anger, to action, to resolution and back again during her time asking the hard questions, demanding answers and finding internal peace for her sake and the sake of her daughter and helping readers began striving towards that peace as well.
Unfortunately, Breitweiser is not yet a true household name unlike that of Ann Coulter, the conservative pundit, who attacked the Jersey Girls and their campaign. Breitweiser's response to Coulter is included at the end of Wake Up Call and should be read by all as well.
For someone who had no personal ties to 9/11, other than what will become the proverbial "where were you" question down the road, I was deeply touched by Wake Up Call. If you are not, perhaps you should read it again.
OVERALL: Moving without being grief-filled; have some tissues handy, her letters to her husband will definitely start the sniffles. P.S. I am poised to read Coulter's latest Godless, where she makes the claim against the Jersey Girls-keep an eye out.
THE LOBOTOMIST: A MAVERICK MEDICAL GENIUS AND HIS TRAGIC QUEST TO RID THE WORLD OF MENTAL ILLNESS by Jack El-Hai

A squeamish subject to say the least, lobotomies and the subject of psycho-surgery and mental illness is not traditional reading material. When I picked up freelancer Jack El-Hai's The Lobotomist..., I thought it would be one person's experience with having a lobotomy as a result of mental illness. While that is tapped within the piece, what I found was an intriguing mix of history and biography in the life's practice of Dr. Walter Freeman.
A pioneer of psycho-surgery but a neurologist and psychiatrist by training, Freeman's specialization led him to St Elizabeth's Hospital and Fort Steilacroom, Pierce County, where he was able to almost-freely practice the underdeveloped sub-specialty psycho-surgery, the unique and highly criticized melding of psychology and surgery. The public's revulsion of such an unknown area followed by their lack of acceptance of the mentally ill led to hospitals overcrowded with patients that could not be reached emotionally much like the nation itself following WWII.
While Freeman did began doing lobotomies using an ice pick, hammered into the eye socket and then into the brain, his passion and dedication to the oft-misunderstood field led to the fine-tuning and revision of his practice of psycho-surgery resulting in different types of lobotomies utilizing tools from ice picks to his invention, the leucotome and finally the orbitoclast. The controversial procedures were deemed successful by patients and their families. Patients that were once lethargic, combative, psychotic, schizophrenic, in varied states of catatonia or completely "not like themselves," were found, following their surgeries and extensive therapy, to be reading, writing, speaking, and living their lives as normally as to be expected. Some had negative results - Freeman's ill-fated lobotomy on John F. Kennedy's sister Rosemary-and few resulted in death.
As reported in The Seattle Times, author Jack El-Hai discovers within his research that "aside from Nazi doctor Josef Mengele, Walter Freeman ranks as the most scored physician of the twentieth century." Readers can both understand and wonder why when despite his best intentions, Freeman's procedures were highly controversial and occasionally thought to completely alter, rather than cure, his patients. El-Hai validates the readers emotions, okaying both the morbid curiosity and the sympathy and empathy for both Freeman and his patients. He details the state of the mentally ill in the nation during Freeman's time and why his perspective on their treatment was necessary.
The Lobotomist.., is not light reading, nor for the faint of heart or delicate of moods. It is a very informative and truly interesting read. El-Hai offers both the biographical and historical information needed to enjoy the book as a great non-fiction read. In fact, I found myself Googling "walter freeman" and "lobotomy" to find out more; I wanted to know more about Rosemary Kennedy and her mental illness, and more about mental illness in general.
OVERALL: The Lobotomist is an excellent, deep and strong read, highly recommended if only for the curiosity and interest in knowing something you didnt know before.

Monday, September 25, 2006

THE LONG LIST

The list of "to be reviewed" is long and dare i say, arduous. Lying ahead of me like the Everest of my imagination, its a task to be tackled one review at a time. But should you wish to somewhat skip ahead in the Choose Your Own Adventure book that is being friends with Jessica and/or reading her blog, below is the list of the "to be reviewed." I wont reveal the "to be read" pile, for it is quite long as well and I have reasons to read them in a certain order which will be unveiled upon their reading. Aside from the fact that its one I lack, patience is a virtue.

In no particular order, the review-ominees are...
Little Earthquakes & Goodnight Nobody/Jennifer Weiner
The Abortionist Daughter/Elizabeth Hyde
Savannah from Savannah & Savannah Comes Undone/Denise Hildreth
The Lobotomist/Jack El-Hai
The Tattoo Artist/Jill Ciment
A Bride Most Begruding/Deeanne Gist
The Girls/Lori Lansens
Lovely Bones/Alice Sebold
Secret Life of Bees & The Mermaid Chair/ Sue Monk Kidd
Brokeback Mountain/ Annie Proux
Quality of Life Report/ Meghan Daum
Bride Stripped Bare/Anonymous
Portrait of A Killer/Patricia Cornwell
The Harry Potter series(through book 6)/JK Rowling

Sunday, September 24, 2006

SAMMIE'S HILL by Kristen Gore

I am a firm believer in things happening for a reason and karma and what goes around comes around. This book not only came into my life at an appropriate time and gave me a ultra-witty way of observing my current situation but was also a way to get lost in someone else's situation without the cliche "get away from it all" feel.
A 20-something political aide on Capital Hill, Sammie is a reader's "every girl." Easy to relate to, acceptable to laugh at and unavoidable to laugh with, Sammie is a character somewhat typical of chick-lit but with a refreshing difference.
A difference that varies with the reader. Recommended to me by a friend (you know who you are) who recognized my need to read this book, Sammie's Hill was the perfect read for me at the precise moment in my life when I read it and will most likely be the appropriate time for you as well. I could also, within the first chapter, see and understand why my friend read it and how it related to her. It reads so well, circulating seamlessly between instantaneous thoughts and the immediate sitauation at hand.
Sammie advises a Maryland senator in D.C, and though tripping along over life's stumbling blocks, she seems relatively content. She lightheartedly struggles with her career and its effects on her in an all-too-familiar cocktail of passion and politics.
Of course, a man comes into the mix as only the literary staple can and stirs the concoction moreso until readers are pleasantly tipsy on her life events and their outcomes. Sammie's relationships with the man, er, men in her life -her boyfriend, her father, her boss- as well as her friends, adversaries, co-workers and those she meets along the way, allow readers to reflect on their lives, the people within it and one's appreciation and/or unfavorable emotions towards them.
Even Sammie's introspections pop and bubble as everyone's do. From her daily battle to keep her Siamese fighting fish alive, to her review of animal attack defense movements while in the shower ( a true laugh-out-loud moment) Sammie reassures us that we are not crazy after all when we find outselves pondering during the weeklt budget meeting why we can't keep a plant thriving, milk from spoiling or remember to get an oil change.
With a splash of karma and what-was-she-thinking, Sammie's Hill might be chick-lit in flavor but goes down like a delicious glass of relatively-affordable white wine.
OVERALL: Delightfully easy read without feeling patronized; great weekend read!

Thursday, September 14, 2006

I REALLY AM DOING SOMETHING.

I really am doing something. I am. I'm compiling a list of all books I can remember reading in the last few months. A somewhat daunting task being as how I devour books like Jessica Simpsons love life chews up tabloids.

I call my friendly library the other day in hopes of obtaining a list of all the books I've read in the last, oh say, 2 years. But alas,contrary to popular belief, the library, which I routinely turn to, aside from Internet, for information, does not keep reference or records of every book I have ever checked out. Surprisingly enough, I was informed, in a "big brother" is watching-type way, that due to a privacy act, the library cannot keep a record of such things. Not cannot reveal it to me, not does not keep record or will not keep record, but CAN NOT.

But she could tell me I had some currently checked out that were overdue and would I like to renew them. Shocked as I was, I did renew the cd of Harry Connick Jr's We are in Love and Entertainment Weekly's Billboard Hits of 1992 as I had already turned in the biography of Madame Tussaud and Marrying Mozart and set to making the list of all lists.

I found myself writing on scraps of paper, napkins, my palm and texting to myself, titles of books that would pop into my head, in fear of forgetting just one sumptuous literary meal I once savored. So far, I can only remember 17 delectable word feasts and am busy writing the recipe for everyone to sample as well. For those unfamilar with similes or metaphors, it just means I'm writing a review of them all soon.

That said, if you can remember me telling you that "I read this really great book called _____" please let me know via email or phone call so that I can include that particular one as well. Or, if you have read a great or not-so-great book or article or even have discovered a really great magazine, let me know. I'll take a look and see what I think.

Wednesday, September 06, 2006

WELCOME TO JESSICA, ETCETERA. Aside from being my first attempt at "blogging," JESSICA, ETCETERA, is really just an outlet and response to my friends and family saying, 'please, stop telling us about these books you read.' I read all genres, for the most part, and will definitely give an opinion vastly different from that which you would read in the famed New York Times on books that you may or may not find on that same list. I'd like to think it will be a bit of literary couture, if you will. A high-stakes undertaking, couture is defined as "tailored, with close attention to detail and high end fashion." While JESSICA, ETCETERA might touch on fashion, among other things, now and then, it will be a tailored, detailed, witty, occasionally sarcastic, at times poignant, discussion and recommendation of books, magazines and other words and literature that has found its way into my life. Events, whether tragic or exciting, occur in life for a reason, just as friends and people make appearances and departures.I feel similarly about books. Lately, it seems I am reading the appropriate book for the exact moment I'm currently living and as a reader of this blog, you will see that as well. I have alot of catching up to do for JESSICA, ETCETERA and am up to the task, so it might be a bit before I'm reviewing the moment I'm complete with my latest read.