The Bitch in the House

Author: Cathi Hanauer
Genre: Non-Fiction
Publisher: Harper Collins Publisher, 2003
Pages: 320
Rating: Do Not Recommend

Synopsis: Virginia Woolf introduced us to the “Angel in the House”, now prepare to meet... The Bitch In the House.

Women today have more choices than at any time in history, yet many smart, ambitious, contemporary women are finding themselves angry, dissatisfied, stressed out. Why are they dissatisfied? And what do they really want? These questions form the premise of this passionate, provocative, funny, searingly honest collection of original essays in which twenty-six women writers—ranging in age from twenty-four to sixty-five, single and childless or married with children or four times divorced—invite readers into their lives, minds, and bedrooms to talk about the choices they’ve made, what’s working, and what’s not.

With wit and humor, in prose as poetic and powerful as it is blunt and dead-on, these intriguing women offer details of their lives that they’ve never publicly revealed before, candidly sounding off on:

• The difficult decisions and compromises of living with lovers, marrying, staying single and having children

• The perpetual tug of war between love and work, family and career

• The struggle to simultaneously care for ailing parents and a young family

• The myth of co-parenting

• Dealing with helpless mates and needy toddlers

• The constrictions of traditional women’s roles as well as the cliches of feminism

• Anger at laid-back live-in lovers content to live off a hardworking woman’s checkbook

• Anger at being criticized for one’s weight

• Anger directed at their mothers, right and wrong

• And–well–more anger...

“This book was born out of anger,” begins Cathi Hanauer, but the end result is an intimate sharing of experience that will move, amuse, and enlighten. The Bitch in the House is a perfect companion for your students as they plot a course through the many voices of modern feminism. This is the sound of the collective voice of successful women today-in all their anger, grace, and glory.

Review: While I didn't love this book, some essays did resonate.

My Parents Were Awesome

Author: Eliot Glazer
Genre: Non-Fiction
Publisher: Random House Publishing, 2011
Pages: 240
Rating: Highly Recommend

Synopsis: They bathed you. They fed you. They raised you to become the person you are today. Your parents are an integral part of your story. But guess what? They have a story too—one that started long before you entered the picture. Before embarrassing fanny packs and Lite FM, there was a time when Mom and Dad were young and carefree—just like you. They were also fun and flirty, full of hope and desire and effortlessly cool.

Based on the wildly popular website, My Parents Were Awesome, shares heartwarming and hilarious essays by sons and daughters—including Jamie Deen, Christian Lander, Dave Itzkoff, Katherine Center, Laurie Notaro, and Holly Peterson—who’ tell tales of their folks before babies, mortgages, and receding hairlines: the mom and dad who traveled by VW bus to see Led Zeppelin for $1, the grandmother whose halter top and shorts belied her perfect demeanor, the father whose wanderlust passed down to his equally nomadic daughter. Accompanied by treasured vintage photographs, these stories will make you laugh, melt your heart, and spark your own reflections of Mom and Dad.

Review: This was a fun read, although some essays did not reach their full potential. The book illustrates how ordinary people carve out a place and write their own stories. In our own ways, each of us is awesome.

And the Rest is History

Author: Marlene Wagman-Geller
Genre: Non-Fiction
Publisher: Penguin Group, 2011
Pages: 256
Rating: Highly Recommend

Synopsis: Antony and Cleopatra, Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo, Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas, Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley and Priscilla Beaulieu, John Lennon and Yoko Ono-while we're familiar with all of these people as individuals, we also associate them with the grand, sometimes fiery passion they shared with their partners. And the Rest is History is an intriguing look at how these iconoclastic lovers first crossed paths, whether it was through fate, setups, or blind luck. From angry sparks flying to love at first sight, the meetings shared in this book give us a look at what makes that one great love.

Review: Romantics Unite! What a fun, easy read. Loved it. I had several favorite couples. You'll have to read this and see whose love story tugs at your heartstrings.

Ghosts of Gettysburg

Author: Mark Nesbitt
Genre: Supernatural
Publisher: Second Chance Publications, 2012
Pages: 78
Rating: Recommend

Synopsis: Ghosts of Gettysburg is the first volume in Mark Nesbitt's popular book series. A combination of history and mystery, this volume focuses on the early ghost-lore of Gettysburg. Included are the timeless stories of the woman in white, the surgeons of Old Dorm, the ghosts of Devil's Den, the Blue Boy, and other infamous spectres who wander the Gettysburg battlefield.

Review: Perhaps I didn't make the best decision when I chose this as my bedtime reading, but having been to Gettysburg myself and experiencing "something", I found I couldn't put it down.

Nesbitt presents the facts and leaves interpretation to the reader. To fully grasp the context and stories one must travel to Gettysburg. Having been there several times myself, I highly recommend a visit (or two). I also recommend taking a candlelight walking tour.

By the way, this is not a new series. The first book was originally published in 1991.

Life is a Trip

~ January's theme is books that are collections of essays ~

Author: Judith Fein
Genre: Non-fiction
Publisher: Pudie Inc.
Pages: 128
Rating: Recommend

Synopsis: Very few travel writers seek out wildly exotic experiences such as burial practices on the remote Micronesian island of Mog Mog or the work habits of the good witches of central Mexico, and even fewer have the wherewithal to uncover profound life lessons along the way, but then Judith Fein is anything but your average travel writer.

A longtime columnist for Spirituality & Health magazine and a contributor to nearly 100 other publications over her writing career, in addition to acclaimed Hollywood screenplays, Fein's interest in travel has always been a fascination for what lies beneath the surface.

In Life is a Trip: The Transformative Magic of Travel, we follow her on 14 assignments from North Vietnam to Turkey, Guatemala, Nova Scotia and beyond. This remarkable collection of essays is positive proof that travel can transform, inquisitiveness and openness to unexplained experiences is just as important as the passport.

Review: This book is a collection of essays written by a woman who immerses herself into the cultures she visits. She is more than a travel writer; this is travel journalism.

I realized as I was reading that while I love to travel, I am clearly a tourist and that's okay. This was a great way to start off a new year of reading. Thought provoking and educational I found myself savoring each story and adventure.

This is the kind of book that stays with you, and one that you will take something away from every time you read it. It's more than reading, it's discovering.