Pretty in Plaid by Jen Lancaster

Jen Lancaster is one of my favorite writers. Everything she writes is just a delicious treat. From her twitter to her blog to her books-I love it.

Which is why my dislike for her 4th book, Pretty in Plaid, is very disappointing.

As a side note: this was the first book I ever read on my Kindle. Don't read Jen Lancaster on a Kindle. She is famously known for her awesome sub-scripts. On a Kindle, you have to scroll to and select each number. Once there, you select, each number, go the page it's on, then hit back to go back to the page you were reading. 213 notes later, I probably only read half. If I wanted to be that annoyed, I would have read this in hardback (don't even get me started).

This book is the prequel to Bitter is the New Black. It actually starts with a young Jen and works forward. It's really classic Jen writing, but I felt like it didn't work.

For starters, (and this may not make sense) I felt like Jen wrote what her 8 year old self was thinking-but really what her 40 year old self thought her 8 year old self might be thinking. She just seemed to be trying way too hard.

The epilogue was the worst part of this book because it made NO sense. I have no idea why she included these little stories here; a couple of anecdotes from her Such a Pretty Fat book tour. It just has no context. If there was a point, I don't think she made it.

Does it make me love Jen less? No. Not every book is a winner. She is still an amazing writer and I can't wait for her next book.

Official Book Club Selection by Kathy Griffin

This book is right up my alley. Memoir, gossip and Hollywood. Official Book Club Selection: A Memoir According to Kathy Griffin has it all.

This book is laugh-out-loud funny and not many things can make me laugh out loud. Kathy Griffin gives you everything you want-hot Hollywood gossip, real live family drama and her hilarious wit. This book is impossible to put down.

There are no big lessons. No smart take-away. Just a strong reenforcement that Kathy Griffin is the hardest working-and most hilarious-person in Hollywood.

In My Skin by Kate Holden

In My Skin by Kate Holden is a memoir about her addiction to heroin and subsequent life as a prostitute to support her habit.

The very best thing about this book is the no nonsense storytelling. Holden doesn't come from a place of a victim who fell into this horrible life. She doesn't blame her parents or boyfriend or the big, cruel world. This book is very straight forward. Some might find it to be too unaffected, too unemotional, but I think it only adds to the story.

We all hear stories about how easy it is to fall into addiction, but this book really shows you. Drug addiction has played a big role in my life and family and I always appreciate a story that gives you insight into that life; how easy it is to fall. And it really is easy.

It's easy to get swept up into Kate's world, to root for her when she isn't rooting for herself and to stay with her until the end. My only complaint would be how easy it seemed for Kate to give up the drugs once she decided to. I felt like she just suddenly let it go. Maybe it really is just making up your mind. I just felt like the process was a little too easy. But maybe it's because that wasn't what this book was about.

Testimony by Anita Shreve

Anita Shreve is definitely one of my favorite authors. One of the things I like (and it's a weird thing to like) is that I don't always like her books. I wasn't a fan of A Wedding in December or Body Surfing, but I still love most everything she does and continue to look forward to new books from her.

Testimony was one of the best books I've read in a long time. It's the story of a private school scandalized by a sex tape (so hollywood!). You soon learn that the whole thing is precipated by a patch of black ice. It's very much like the Butterfly Effect (at least I thought of it that way). The story is told from many different character's perspective and it really adds layers. Some people only appear once, some people get a big voice, but every persepctive makes you see something you may not have thought of.

It really makes you think about how the choices you make can effect every person around you. Every action we take can ripple through our friends, family and sometimes, people we don't even know. It's this kind of story that makes you take pause before you do something reckless.

Any story that makes you think, is a story worth reading.

Waiter Rant by Steve Dublanica

I had to put off reading this because it came out in hardback. I hate hardback. This is the reason I have yet to read Jen Lancaster's latest. I just refuse to pay extra for a big, bulky book that is hard to read in bed. So, I have to wait. If I could just get my boyfriend on board with buying me a Kindle . . .

 Ahem.

I have read Waiter Rant for years. I love blogs gone book, but I am always wary that it's just going to be the same stuff I've already read. Lucky for me, Waiter Rant by Steve Dublanica seemed new and fresh, if maybe slightly familar.

The thing is, Steve is just so damn likeable. He struggles with his life and his choices, just like everyone, but the way he views life is just so unique and inspiring. After every chapter I just thought "man, I like this guy".

The inside view of running a high-end restaurant in Manhatten is fascinating. Who ever imagined all of the politics going on behind the scenes of meal out? This is one of the points of the book. I like to think that I am respectful of my waiters and a good tipper, but I have never thought about some of this stuff.

It's a great book. Whether you have read the blog or not, you won't be able to put it down.

The Senator's Wife by Sue Miller

This was one of those books I randomly picked up while wandering aimlessly in Barnes and Noble. It, along with many others, has been gathering dust on my shelves as I go through a "re-read all my favorites" phase. It happens to me occasionally-I just want to get lost in a familiar story. Most good books will always have something new for you to discover.

In any case, I decided I was ready for something new. I did start a book that was so horrendous, it put me off books for a whole month. The Senator's Wife by Sue Miller, however, totally brought me back. I liked this book.

The story is told from two perspectives, Delia and Meri, with Delia jumping back and forth in time. Meri moves in next door to Delia, who is an older woman and wife of a famous ex-senator. They strike up a tentative friendship and we learn a lot about them, how they got to where they are and where they are going.

There were a lot of things to like about this book. For example, Delia often speaks of political events, both in the past and present day (of the story, which is early to mid 90's). The fun thing about it is, since it's in the past, we can be in on the joke. We know how Bill Clinton's affairs ended. I, for one, love being in the know.

Along with the friendship of Meri and Delia, another one of my favorite subjects is explored: fidelity. Delia is still married to her husband, but they haven't lived together in years. After his many affairs, he lives in D.C. carrying on his little life and Delia lives in their home state, carrying on with hers. Delia still loves him and they are still lovers a few times a year. I thoroughly enjoyed learning the complexities of how they got to where they're at and where they continue to go. The subject is so multi-faceted and fascinating that I don't believe I can ever get tired of it.

I will admit, I wasn't a fan of the ending. I just didn't buy it. I don't know if it was me, if I rushed it or didn't understand the characters completely, but it just didn't seem right. However, I wouldn't say you shouldn't read the book because of it. It is still a delightful read.