Recent Reads

I've been more slack in my summer reading progress than usual, thanks to True Detective and good weather.  However, I have discovered a few good titles so far.  Two of the books are rereads that I remembered liking, but not necessarily what they were about.  The third is a new title that I checked out mostly because I liked the guy's glasses on the cover. 

Black Swan Green by David Mitchell (2006).
Find it in the catalog!
I first read this book shortly after graduating from college and really enjoyed it.  However, I could no longer remember much about it other than the cover and that it was British and had a kid that stuttered.  So naturally I checked out again just to refresh my memory.  Based loosely on author David Mitchell's childhood, the book follows 13-year-old Jason Taylor who is dealing with a garden variety of life issues.   His parent's marriage has hit a rough patch.  His older sister is going away to college. He's also secretly a published poet, which he keeps secret to avoid being picked on in school.  Like most intelligent, sensitive kids, Jason deals with some pretty intense bullying at school, which is intensified by his speech impediment. The book is set in 1980s Margaret Thatcher era England.  I wasn't all that familiar with that period of history, which includes the Falklands War, but Mitchell does a good job dropping the reader into that era. 

The Man of My Dreams by Curtis Sittenfeld (2006).
Find it in the catalog!
I first read this book while I was in graduate school.  I remember immediately relating to the main character, Hannah Gavener, who's kind of a socially awkward loner.  Imagine my horror later on to read reviews of the book describing Hannah as irritating and a "sourpuss" (thanks a lot, New York magazine!).  After rereading the book recently, I can see how some people find Hannah to be a difficult character.  She is stubborn, usually says the wrong thing, and is primarily responsible for her own misery (isn't everyone?).  However, I think that makes her more of a realistic and sympathetic character.

Sittenfeld follows Hannah's life from early adolescence, where she struggles with having an emotionally volatile father, to her late twenties.  The book primarily focuses on Hannah's relationships with the different men in her life.  In high school and college, Hannah frets over her lack of a love life.  However, even after she starts dating, she finds her actual relationships wanting.  Instead, she longs for Henry, the on-again, off-again boyfriend of her more glamorous cousin, Fig.  Throughout the book, we see Hannah struggle with her low self-esteem and poor social skills while trying to become a functional adult.  I especially enjoyed the depiction of Hannah's relationships with her more together sister Allison and her beautiful but irresponsible cousin Fig, which seemed pretty true to life. 

Courting Greta by Ramsey Hootman (2014).
Find it in the catalog!
I'm a sucker for a man with thick glasses, so naturally this book called to me from the book cart.  However, the main character Samuel Cooke didn't turn out to be the bespectacled hunk the cover alludes to.  Instead, he's a cantankerous 34-year-old disabled computer geek turned public school teacher.  In spite of their age and size difference, Samuel quickly develops a crush on Greta "Cass" Cassamajor, a 46-year-old, tough as nails gym teacher and girls' basketball coach.  In spite of her tough exterior, Samuel decides to ask her to dinner, thinking she will immediately rebuff him.  Much to his surprise, Greta agrees and the two start an awkward and uncertain romance (aren't they all?).  Both Samuel and Greta has a whole host of issues.  Samuel is super neurotic, bitter, and doesn't really take care of himself in the way that he should.  He also has never been in a relationship before.  Greta is a woman of very few words, a lot of rules, and she's been badly hurt by men in her past.  However, despite her tough attitude, Greta is very caring and fiercely loyal.  This is a very sweet romance, but Hootman doesn't spare the character's darker sides or the awkwardness of their courtship.  The book is also frequently funny, especially Samuel's jaded perspective on life.

Help Yourself: It's Not You: 27 (Wrong) Reasons You're Single

 It's Not You: 27 (Wrong) Reasons You're Single by Sarah Eckl
Call No.: 306.815 ECK
Find it in the catalog!

Relationship self-help books aren't really my standard reading.  But this book stood out as being a little bit smarter and different than your standard "hard truths" about why you're single.  Instead, Eckl puts a positive spin on singles and women who marry later in life.  She break downs twenty-seven common myths about "what's wrong" with singles, and shows why maybe those aren't necessarily bad things.  Eckl's focus isn't on fixing yourself to land a partner.  Instead, she shows that while being single, especially if you'd rather be coupled, might be tough; it doesn't mean that there is anything fundamentally wrong with you that needs to be fixed.

Anyone who's ever been single for longer than their family or friends deemed acceptable has surely heard some of the "wrong reasons' before.  For instance, if only you "put yourself out there" (where ever "there" is), you'd meet the perfect gent.  Or my personal least favorite, "You're too picky." Because, of course, you should be happy to spend your life with just anybody!  It was affirming to hear Eckl break down each stereotype and show exactly how stupid they are.  "You're too intimidating" was one of my favorite chapters; where Eckl points out that maybe it isn't the best strategy to downplay your confidence and accomplishments just to attract a mate. 

Sarah Eckl herself married in her late thirties, after being single for most of her twenties and thirties. This book could have been a terrible "this is how I did it" guide for the later-in-life singles.  But thankfully, Ms. Eckl didn't take that route. Instead It's Not You is an empowering guide for anyone who might be less than lucky in love.

Also recommended:  Though fictional, Melissa Bank's short stories explore similar territory.  I heartily recommend both of her short stories collections, Girls Guide to Hunting and Fishing and The Wonder Spot.  Her books are funny, smart and deeply relatable.  Read them even if you are happily married!

Recommended Reads: A Girls' Guide to Love and Supper Clubs

 The Girls' Guide to Love and Supper Clubs by Dana Bate.
Call No.: FICTION BATE (Adult New Fiction)
Find it in the catalog!

Foodies looking for a funny and light beach read will love this new book by Dana Bate.   It follows 26-year-old Hannah Sugarman who seemingly has her life together.  She's a researcher at a Washington think tank (the Institute for Research and Discourse aka. NIRD) and shares a swanky D.C. pad with her politically ambitious boyfriend Adam.  However, Hannah despises her job and desperately wants to work as a chef, but her parents and boyfriend don't take her cooking ambitions seriously.  Also, her boyfriend is getting tired of her occasional big mouth and general way of being.  

When Adam dumps Hannah, she rents a garden apartment from Blake, a pirate talking aspiring politician whose frequently away on business.  Finally on her own and with encouragement from her friend Rachel, she decides to finally start an underground supper club (an unlicensed restaurant run out of someone's home).  But when her place floods before the first meeting, she decides to use her out-of-town landlord's apartment and barely used gourmet kitchen without his knowledge.  The supper club takes off and Hannah continues to use Blake's pad on the sly; a precarious arrangement as Blake is running for a local office on the platform to crack down on the illegal supper clubs.  Obviously at some point this is going to blow up in Hannah's face.  But in the meantime, she becomes increasingly good friends with Blake, who encourages her culinary aspirations. 

Hannah makes a lot of poor decisions in this book, mostly because of her desire to live up to other people's expectations, and she wrestles with guilt over using her landlord's apartment for her semi-illegal business venture.  But in spite of her mistakes, Hannah eventually learns to take charge of her own life.  This is a great book about growing up and finding your own path.   Being from the northern Illinois, I had an entirely different idea of supper clubs, a term which also refers to rural(ish) Midwest dining establishments with cocktails and very large portions.  However, it was interesting to learn about these clandestine dining clubs and the food sounded a lot better!  There are lots of drool worthy dishes in this book including a grilled cheese sandwich with smoked gouda and caramelized Asian pears and deep fried turkey leg confit.  Recipes are included at the end of the book. 

Recommended Reads: Always a Bridesmaid Edition...

Wedding season is pretty much over this year; which means you can resume doing whatever you like on weekends and not having to get dressed up (well, for a couple more weeks anyway, when the holiday season begins).  However, it's not too late to relive the fun (or dread) with these two wedding themed reads.  Don't worry, I'm not a huge fan of weddings.  So if you aren't the type of person whose been planning your wedding since you were 12, you will still enjoy these books.

The Singles by Meg Goldstein
FICTION GOLDSTEIN (New Fiction)
Find it in the catalog!

The only thing worse than attending a wedding, is having to go to one alone.  This book follows the plight of five such unfortunate souls who choose to attend the lavish wedding of Beth "Bee" Evans solo, in spite of the bride's generous offer of a plus one.  Three of "the singles" are friends from college: Hannah- a bridesmaid who is worried about seeing her ex-boyfriend again; Vicki-who is suffering from depression, and Rob-who is unable to make it to the ceremony because of a sick dog.  Another single, Bee's Uncle Joe, is in the midst of mid-life crisis and develops a crush on the much younger Vicki.  The last single is Phil, a die hard momma's boy who is only attending the wedding because his mother is sick and can't attend.  There's a lot of drama, some life altering changes, and a little romance.  The Singles is a fun, light and short read.  I could definitely see this book being made into movie, especially since Hannah works as a casting director and basically casts the book.

Girls in White Dresses by Jennifer Close
FICTION CLOSE
Find it in the catalog!

This title follows a group of friends from the time they graduate to college to their early thirties.  Throughout this time period, the girls attend many, many weddings (including being bridesmaids for a bridezilla who demands a seemingly endless amount of bridal showers) and watch their friends pair off and settle down.  Women in their twenties and thirties will probably identify with at least one of the girls.  I really liked this book a lot.  It's smart, introspective, a little wistful and very funny.  Recommended for fans of Curtis Sittenfeld. 

Romance in the Stacks: Tempted Again by Cathie Linz

Tempted Again by Cathie Linz
PB Romance Linz
Find it in the catalog!

Teen librarian Marissa Bennett has just went through a painful divorce and wants to start over in her hometown of Hopeful, OH.  Unfortunately, she doesn't exactly make the best first impression when she makes a wrong turn and accidentally crashes the Founder's Day in her beat up lime green VW bug.  She's pulled over by hunky cop Connor Doyle.  Doyle is a former, third generation Chicago police officer who moved to Hopeful after seeing too many of the teens he was trying to protect from gangs wind up murdered.  He also has a history with Marissa.  They dated when she was in high school and they worked at the same pizza place.  Connor dumped her with not even so much as a phone call.  Naturally, she still hates him.

However, the fates seem to keep on pushing them together.  First, Marissa and Connor are forced to work together on a teen group.  Then, Marissa accidentally signs a lease next to Connor. No way these two adversaries get over their mutual disdain and find true love, right?

Praise:  Cathie Linz is a former librarian, so the portrayal of Marissa's job is pretty accurate.  I like the support characters a lot, especially Connor's extremely proud, Polish granny.  Marissa's dad, a history professor who turns every conversation into a dissertation on ancient Egypt, is pretty funny too.  Also, I found the obstacles to Marissa and Connor's relationship refreshingly realistic.  Marissa is on the rebound and has been hurt by Connor once before, and Connor isn't ready to settle down yet. 

Quibbles:  I'm kind of tired of the police officer/ librarian pairing.  This is the third library romance where the love interest is an officer.  Nothing against dreamy cops (or anyone dreamy), but I'd like a little more variety!  Why not a dreamy firefighter or chef for a change? 

Overall, this book was pretty enjoyable.  It's not too sappy or emotional like some of the romances that I've read.  Some parts of the book are laugh-out loud funny. Tempted Again reads more like witty chick-lit than a traditional romance novel.

What We've Been Reading: Other People's Rejection Letters

I consider myself a curious person, which is a nice way of saying that I have a hard time minding my own business.  So naturally I'm a big fan of burgeoning Schadenfreude genre, that include collections of people's mail, awkward photographs, or darkest secrets including editor Bill Shapiro's other book Other People's Love Letters.

This book is relatable. Almost everyone has been and will be rejected numerous times in their lifetime and have probably had the unpleasant experience of rejecting someone else.  But you also get the creepy rush of reading something you're not supposed to have seen.  What's not to love?

There is a wide mix of rejection letters including romantic, business, academic and even medical.  Who knew there were so many ways to get rejected?  Some of the letters are funny.  My personal favorite is a profane letter issued from a Cleveland council man to a repeat offender/ drug dealer in his ward. He refers to the drug dealer as "dumber than mud" and that's actually one of the nicer things in his letter. Some of the letters are sad or written in cold business or legal terms.  The book also features letters to and from famous people, including MoMA turning down a Warhol painting (whoops!) and F. Scott Fitzgerald telling his daughter what he really thinks of her (it's not pretty).  Best of all the book has a post-script, letting you know how things turned out for some of the rejectees. So check out this book, it's less creepy that listening to your neighbors' conversations by pressing a glass against their wall!

Find It in the Catalog!

Help Yourself: Undateable by Ellen Rakiete and Anne Coyle

Are women constantly running away at your approach?  Perhaps you're just unlucky in love.  Or maybe it's your flip-ups.  Who do you think you are anyway, Dwayne Wayne?  Or maybe it's your creepy, Old West mustache or your awe-inspiring bling.  Find out what fashion and dating faux pas are roadblocks in your way to finding love by checking out Undateable: 311 Things Guys Do That Guarantee They Won't Be Dating or Having Sex.  Including chapters on what not to wear, what not to say and what not to do, Undateable will transform you from a loser to a lady killer...

Okay, probably not, but it is a fun book to flip through and laugh at all the clueless guy pictures.  Most women will probably recognize some of the transgressions from friends, former (or current) beaus, and family members.  It is pretty affirming to learn that you aren't the only person who finds a guy who owns a cat or refers to his "inner child" a little off-putting.  All of the things listed in the book are fixable and most guys (and girls) are guilty of at least a couple infractions.

Find It in the Catalog!

Help yourself: He's Just Not That Into You

Can a book make you a younger, thinner, better person? Probably not, but we test and review self-help and diet books anyway.

He's Just Not That Into You by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo.   

I was definitely skeptical about this book before I read it.  It's a little hard to take seriously a book inspired by an episode of Sex and the City, especially when one of the co-authors of the book has exceptionally silly hair .  I also wasn't into the movie version of the book, though Justin Long was charming in it.  That being said, I was pleasantly surprised by this book.  It's a breeze to read, funny, and offers sound advice to women receiving an abundance of mixed messages from the jerks that they are dating.