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25 Before 25 by Whitney Thompson - I don't usually read self help books, but this one is just a little slip of a thing, and besides, it's geared to under 25 year olds! However, it's packed with common sense concepts that might resonate with women of any age. Whitney has a great voice, she's not bossy or preachy, and doesn't presume to know more than anyone else as she talks about the difficult experiences that led her to write the book. This isn't a list of things to do before you turn 25; it's a look at life lessons. The cover is delightful, and between the pages is practical inspiration for navigating the tough times and realizing that you're not the only one.
Green Cane and Juicy Flotsam Short Stories by Caribbean Women Edited by Carmen C. Esteves and Lizabeth Paravisini-Gebert - Another intriguing title for a book of stories about life in the different islands. The reading isn't easy, in part due to the physical style of the book. The font is nice and dark, but the letters and lines are close spaced, and it's as if there are few or no paragraph breaks. So with the eyes, it was hard reading, and that took away from some of the amazing stories. The title and cover are about the place... the heat, the vegetation, the water. The stories are personal and engaging. I'm glad I read it.
The Psycho Ex Game by Merrill Markoe and Andy Prieboy - A well written letter-exchange genre book is always a pleasure; the psycho ex game is about a man and a woman who meet almost in passing, and begin a correspondence about their psycho exes. It's modern, a little edgy and very L.A. I enjoyed every word - sometimes it's funny, sometimes sad, often frustrating, and you might even recognize someone you know but wish you didn't. If you are a toxic person, don't bother with this one. It's too good for you. Eat Pray Love - The movie. Fell asleep not even half way through, and have kept it on my DVR, but might delete without watching further. Breaking Bad - Just watched the first episode of the final group of shows. It was really good. After not watching the middle two seasons, I easily caught up with some help from the internet. It's just as well - I didn't need to see the extreme violence that made up Walt's reign as Heisenberg. What will become of Walt, Jessie and Hank in the end? Who will end and who will go on? Is Walt really a sick psycho without a shred of empathy or humanity?
The Collected Stories by Amy Hempel - This is a solid collection of short stories and a long story, most of which are told in the first person. They are easy reading but then deep, and the author has a great style which is chatty and spare at the same time, and she often employs a turn of phrase that I love, but that I didn't save. She seems to have a thing for dogs, because there is an underlying theme of dogs and people who work with them. Some stories are very short, one is rather long, and the final story is remarkable; the woman telling the stories might be the same person in many cases. Here and there a story will connect to another, but there are so many, and they are so varied, that I didn't always remember which story went with which voice. These are expertly crafted, serious and seriously enjoyable short stories.
Girl Walks into a Bar...Comedy Calamities, Dating Disasters, and a Midlife Miracle by Rachel Dratch - This isn't an error, there are two books entitled Girl Walks Into A Bar and I do love that title. This one is the fun version written by Saturday Night Live Alum Rachel Dratch. She's got a low key humor with a tiny bit of sassy and a homey nice way of writing funny stuff. When I got to the middle of the book, and the big question of the story was presented, I just had to read until I finished. After the big question, there is a big surprise, and Rachel kept me turning the pages. If you like reading funny books by comediennes, this is a good one, and walking into a bar changed this girl's life.
