The BookFetish Blog

Elyssa Friedland’s debut novel, Love and Miss Communication is one that can easily have you nodding your head in empathy or cringing slightly because of how all-to-familiar the characters seem.

From the publisher’s summary:
Evie Rosen has had enough. She’s tired of the partners at her law firm e-mailing her at all hours of the night. The thought of another online date makes her break out in a cold sweat. She’s over the clever hashtags and the endless selfies. So when her career hits a surprising roadblock and her heart is crushed by Facebook, Evie decides it’s time to put down her smartphone for good. (Beats stowing it in her underwear—she’s done that too!)

And that’s when she discovers a fresh start for real conversations, fewer distractions, and living in the moment, even if the moments are heartbreakingly difficult. Babies are born; marriages teeter; friendships are tested. Evie just may find love and a new direction when she least expects it, but she also learns that just because you unplug your phone doesn’t mean you can unplug from life.

Let’s face it, I’m writing this on a laptop with my iPad charging to my left and my iPhone resting to my right. The Facebook tab in my Chrome browser shows 20 unread notifications. We’re a big group of uber-connected people.

And how beneficial is it for us to be so plugged in? I’ve never googled a prospective date, although friends of mine have. I try to keep Facebook lighthearted and entertaining, low on political and religious thought. Still, I post nearly every day and my cousin’s husband teases me when I’m not first to like or comment on his status updates.  So, I get Evie in some relationship to her hyper-connectivity.

But I also get Evie in some of her less desirable traits- like perhaps being too quick to judge a date over some stupid, superficial reason. There were times I was so exasperated with Evie that I wanted to shake her, but those were the times I most often glimpsed facets of myself. I take that as Friedland really understanding her characters’ strengths and foibles. It makes the characters relatable.

I saw the ending coming for a while, but that doesn’t detract from the story.  It’s OK to me that every book doesn’t throw out a mind-boggling, unpredictable trick, but that’s only when the author makes a somewhat predictable ending one that is authentic. It rings with doubt and questions, some soul-searching. Potentially analyzing that part of ourselves we don’t really want to explore.

Friedland gives us relatable characters and an interesting path to the book’s conclusion. Angst, but no melodrama, which is my preference.

This will make a great summer read!

Alison Jean Lester’s debut novel, Lillian on Life, shares Lillian’s reflections on her remarkable journey from the 1960’s through the 1990’s.

Lillian reflects on all parts of life, the nuances that make it exciting and tragic; thrilling and soul-searing, usually against the backdrop of Lillian’s relationship with her family and her lovers.

There were times when I was unsure what to make of Lillian.  There were parts of her I admired, moving from the midwest to numerous European cities, certainly seeming more glamorous and exciting than most of her peers.

She longs for a marriage and family, but will any of the men in her life be that right person?

I asked myself throughout the book, would I be able to be friends with Lillian?  In some ways, she seems too cosmopolitan. In others, I believe we have a lot in common. And while whether I could hypothetically be friends with a fictional character certainly doesn’t determine the merit of a book, it does help me determine how much I relate to the characters.  In a character driven novel, that relatability is important to me.

I had my answer with the end of the novel.  I felt- what’s the best word?-unsettled.  I believe I felt Lillian’s emotions. I’m not certain how happy she is, and that uncertainty feels very human to me.

A few phrases struck me as I was reading the book. I shared a few as a teaser on the BookfetishBlog Facebook page, and I want to share this one here: “…But if I’ve learned anything, it’s this: The world has never loved a spinster, and never will. The more people she tells, the merrier.”

Phrases like that, unique and simultaneously humorous and gut-punching, are throughout the book, and one of the things that made me really enjoy Lester’s writing.

I Don’t Have a Happy Place. Well, I do. I have a happy place. But author Kim Korson doesn’t, as she shares with us in her poignant and funny and touching memoir, I Don’t Have A Happy Place.  I mean, where else can there be humor in the drowning of your best friend’s babysitter’s sister? Ok, maybe not really, but it’s at least a  little funny the way Korson tells it.

And that’s what draws you into I Don’t Have A Happy Place. Completely relatable to some, and completely exasperating to others (me), I Don’t Have A Happy Place is the kind of read that takes you out of your comfort zone and puts you in the place of someone who is never quite at home in her own skin, or in any situation.

And to me, that’s the gem of the book. Even if we don’t have Korson’s issues, most all of us feel, at some time, off kilter and out of sorts with the world around us. Korson just tells us that it’s OK.  She’s been lucky enough to find a partner who gets her, no matter how much she may frustrate him. And she gets him, which is the equal beauty.

She’s also brutally honest in her interpretation of life. If there’s a downside to be found, she’ll discover it. But thankfully, the book doesn’t dwell in Debbie Downer. Well, it sort of does, but in a humorous, self-deprecating way. In fact, part of the joy in reading the book is discovering happiness and gratitude in places where Korson least expected it.  Is Disney really the happiest place on earth?

What Korson does well is show us that people who fundamentally don’t have  a happy place want largely what we all (generally) do- to find their own place in this world. And there is one.

It’s through reading about the experiences of others not like me that I strive to be more empathetic. A better person.  Someone more understanding. But it’s also a guide in how to come to peace with ourselves, however imperfect we may be.

Recommended for those who like memoirs, and revel in imperfection.  It’s out TODAY and available anywhere you buy books.

I do love reading and writing reviews. And although I’ve been doing this since 2010 (wow!) I still get a little thrill of flattery when an author or publisher asks me to review their work.

There’s all kinds of things to consider with a review request.  First and foremost, for me, is stating clearly  in my review policy that a request for a review does not guarantee a positive review.  But things like review policies are only the tip of the iceberg.

What’s become challenging for me is keeping track of review requests and managing them in a timely manner, while still reading and reviewing books just for fun.  Although I’ve created a separate email folder and label for review requests, I’ve found it hard for me to always stay on track and complete reviews in a timely manner.

I’ve been thinking about this for several days, and I’ve decided to make better use of the fabulous calendar I have from erincondren.com.  Yes, I’m old school and still like a paper calendar although most things are also tracked electronically.

I’ve decided I need to treat requested review reading a little bit like homework. Select a date for review publication, mark it in the calendar, then plan around that due date to read the book and write the review.  Only one thing about that worries me.  Reading is FUN!  I adore getting lost in a book, staying up late because I have to know what happens next, reading as fast as I can.  And I don’t want that thrill to go away.  I want to be able to revel in a book that just catches my eye.  That means I can’t have this process be too regimented, or reading and blogging becomes a second, unpaid job.  So, I think I am going to change my review commitments, and agree to only two reviews a month.  That should give me the balance I’m looking for, and give the authors and publishers who ask me to consider their books for review the attention that they deserve.

I’m curious to know what authors, publishers, and other bloggers might think of this approach. What works for you?

The Husband’s Secret was one of those books that took the women’s fiction world by storm- lots of buzz about it. I read it and I liked it. I wanted to read more by Liane Moriarty. Big Little Lieswas the next one I chose, and I listened to the audiobook. This is one where I looked for more opportunities to listen, because I wanted to know what happened next.

Big Little Lies is set in a seaside community in Australia. The local primary school is the central setting around Madeline, Celeste, and Jane. Each of these women has children starting kindergarten. Madeline is fierce and loyal and is struggling with her ex-husband and his new wife, as well as with her teenage daughter who suddenly seems to prefer her father to her mother.

Celeste is that “perfect mom” – stop-and-stare beautiful with longed-for twin sons and a handsome, successful husband.  But sometimes, the price for perfection is high, and Celeste has to decide how much she’s willing to pay.

Jane is a young single mom, new to the community. She fiercely loves her son but also fears what he may be.

Big Little Lies explores relationships between friends and families, but also the lies we tell ourselves about our own lives.

Liane Moriarty is a good storyteller.  She creates relate-able, authentic characters. She tells a compelling story in a way that engages and entertains readers. More than once in listening to Big Little Lies, I found myself indignant on behalf of the characters; wondering what I might do in their situation; scoffing at the high-school-like behavior of some adults.

Big Little Lies reveals those parts of ourselves we often try to keep secret. The pieces we may share with our therapists, but may not tell even our best friends.  I like this one, and highly recommend to anyone who enjoys good fiction, and especially women’s fiction.