Once again I’m cutting it close with my monthly book reports, and once again I barely reached my quota. But I made it in the end, and that’s what counts. Unless you’re a synchronized swimmer.
FICTION:
Saving Madeline by Rachel Ann Nunes
I just can’t seem to stay away from Sappy Mormon Romance Novels, despite my regular assessment of them as subpar. (Part of this is because I haven’t actually been to the bookstore or library since I started my 2014 reading quest, so my book selections come from what’s already on my bookshelf waiting to be read, and I have indeed collected a great deal of SMRNs since the last time I was a regular reader-for-leisure [about four years ago]. The other part is because you can take the girl out of Mesa but you can’t take the Mesa out of the girl; in other words, even though I’ve come a long way and read a lot of highbrow literature since then, I was raised on this genre and I actually kind of like it when it’s not too poorly written. SMRNs are predictable, yes, but they’re not vulgar and they usually leave me with a smile on my face in the same way that a puppy does: I wouldn’t want to live with one daily but I can appreciate them for the cuteness they have to offer, however short-lived it might be.)
As far as SMRNs go, this one was decent. It was less predictable than most and had a likeable-enough main character. Plus it was actually written with a cause in mind (raising awareness for the child abuse and neglect that often occurs in homes with drugs), and left me feeling like I should try harder to do something good in the world.
Final Score: 6.5/10 (Not more because I just couldn’t fathom giving it a full 7, but not less because it didn’t make me angry or want to poke my eyes out.)
•••••••
NON-FICTION (loosely)
Bossypants by Tina Fey
I requested the e-version of this book from my local library weeks ago, but apparently they can only lend it out to one person at a time (wha? what’s the point of creating an e-book then is what I want to know), and I was something like number ten in line. So when I got the email this week saying my turn had come it was a complete surprise.
I’m putting this under the non-fiction category because 1) it’s written in the first person and details real stories about Fey’s real life, and 2) it’s the only other book I read this month and I needed it to be non-fiction. But really, it’s more of a memoir or semi-autobiography. I don’t doubt that her stories are true, but I also don’t doubt that she took creative liberties with every single one.
Regardless, it was very funny—exactly as funny as everyone hailed it three years ago when it actually came out. (With reading, as with fashion, I am always just slightly behind most major trends. And that’s if I ever catch on at all.) I was hooked almost immediately with the story of how her mother informed her about getting her period (spoiler: it was almost exactly how my mother informed me of mine).
If you’re on the more conservative side you might not appreciate her colourful language, but as I’ve said before, that sort of thing doesn’t bother me much anymore, and in fact I often feel that the occasional f-bomb contributes quite nicely to a snarky book such as this.
My only real complaint about Bossypants is that it was kind of disjointed. She did tell her stories in chronological order, but thematically they were all over the place. She is a strong advocate of feminism and anti-sexism in the media, which I appreciate, but several times when I thought she’d finished talking about it and moved on to something else, it would suddenly pop up again quite unexpectedly. It felt a little like she was trying too hard to work that theme into stories that might have been more meaningful without it. Of course when it comes right down to it I still really liked the stories, so it didn’t bother me too much…but it was distracting at times.
Also, it made me realize how very out-of-touch I am with pop culture, as there was at least one (sometimes twelve) reference in every chapter that I had to google to understand. But that’s not Tina Fey’s fault. And it’s not something I even necessarily want to change, because at the end of the day I’m okay not knowing every reference to media and celebrities from the 70’s to today. For Tina Fey, her livelihood depends on it. For me not so much. I did like her reference to David Foster Wallace though. It made me feel like part of the literati. (The lowlier part, to be sure, but part all the same.)
Final Score: 8/10 (Not more because it didn’t actually change my life in any way, but certainly not less because I laughed out loud at least once per chapter.)
3 Responses to What I’m Reading: Month 4