Review: Stranger, Father, Beloved

Stranger, Father, Beloved by Taylor Larsen
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Bought this book at the Book Loft in Columbus OH. The premise was interesting: a man sees his wife talking to a guest at a party and decides that she is supposed to be married to that man, rather than him. However, the book is an *incredibly* slow read about his descent into self-imposed exile and self-pity. While some of the characters were interesting (most notably, his daughter Ryan), in general the pace was too slow to appreciate and the resolution completely unsatisfying.

View all my reviews

Review: Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body

Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body by Roxane Gay
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a really interesting and honest read. I decided to read something by Roxane Gay because I've recently read both Lindy West, Jessica Valenti and Rebecca Solnit, and wanted to continue rounding out my modern feminist exposure.

This book is a memoir by Gay about her life being overweight - "morbidly obese" as her doctor tells her at one point. She talks about trauma from her teenage years and how it triggered her to have an (over)eating disorder that has followed her and shaped her entire life. It reminded me in several sections of Appetites: Why Women Want in its blending of memoir and social commentary on women's inability to both express and get the things they want. It also helped me find compassion for overweight people; her descriptions of what it is like to be overweight and sitting in an airplane seat, a subway seat, a folding chair, was harrowing and definitely changed my point of view on it.

Brava, Roxane, a beautiful life to share.

View all my reviews

Review: The Girl Who Slept with God

The Girl Who Slept with God by Val Brelinski
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was on a business trip to Denver, and noticed this book at Tattered Cover Book Store. It was pretty good! It's about a religious family whose eldest (and most devout) daughter goes on a missionary trip to Mexico and comes back pregnant. She claims it is God's baby, and her parents send her and her middle sister to live in another town, ostensibly in shame over the pregnancy.

The best part of this book was the character development. Each character was really well-thought out, and detailed. The story moves a bit slowly in places, but overall I enjoyed reading the book.

View all my reviews

Review: Casting Lots: Creating a Family in a Beautiful, Broken World

Casting Lots: Creating a Family in a Beautiful, Broken World by Susan Silverman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I got this book complimentarily from PJ Library, a Jewish-themed organization. The rating of 3/5 is not a reflection on Silverman as a person - I admire her unconditionally. She is a rabbi, and along with her husband, they've built an amazing family - three biological daughters and two sons, both adopted from Ethiopia. The things they've navigated, as Jews, as a family, and as parents, are enormous and they do it compassionately and with great thoughtfulness.

I was, however, disappointed with some of the writing. It was honest, and straightforward, both of which I appreciated. I just thought it could have used some better editing - more even editing throughout the book to be precise. I felt like the first two-thirds held my attention, then the remainder of the book was rushed. Memoirs in general seem to suffer from this more so than novels since some of the events have taken place further in history than others. Still, it was choppy to experience that as a reader.

That aside, I'd still recommend it for its unique story of parenting.

View all my reviews