Week #7- Official Book Club Selection: A Memoir According to Kathy Griffin

I read Official Book Club Selection in two days. I didn't want to put it down, so I kept finding ways to take reading breaks until I was finished. This is a memoir, so it is all about Griffin's life and career. And she did a brilliant job, but that should come as no surprise to anyone that has enjoyed her comedy over the years. I know when it comes to Kathy Griffin, if you know who she is, you either love her or hate her. There doesn't seem to be much gray area for most people. I think that's part of her draw at least for me it is.

Whether you're a hater or a fan I'd recommend this book. Why? Well I'm glad you asked (Note that I didn't wait for you to ask.) The book offers up glimpses of a more sensitive side to Griffin It sounds cliché even as I say it. However, it is true. She really opens up about her marriage, divorce, the loss of her father and more. Of course the entire book is funny and even the most serious moment is followed by a wise crack. I found myself laughing out loud often, which is something I rarely do while reading, which elicited some interesting looks from my husband. One of my favorite parts is a great little conversation between Kathy and Paris Hilton toward the end of the book. It is still making me giggle just thinking about it.

The language is vulgar, the humor is honest and the celebrities are exposed (including herself), but that's what I have come to expect from Kathy Griffin and I wouldn't have it any other way. The book was easy to read and like her stand-up comedy, it was as if I was having a conversation with a friend. Her style is extremely accessible even when she's gossiping about the Hollywood elite, and the book absolutely showed that. I don't watch My Life on the D-List, but my husband and I both enjoy her stand-up and after reading her book I'll be remaining a loyal fan. So, if you're looking for something funny and you don't mind reading non-fiction/ memoirs pick up a copy of Official Book Club Selection: A Memoir According to Kathy Griffin.

Week #6- A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick

It is mid-October in 1907, on a bitter cold Wisconsin afternoon and the wealthy Ralph Truitt awaits the woman that is to be his bride. Ralph placed an ad in the papers seeking “a reliable wife” and Catherine Land was the one he chose. Why did he choose her and why did she accept? That is the story in a nutshell. The motivations of Ralph and Catherine are what drives the story, their histories, their heartaches, their needs and eventually their love for one another. (It's not a spoiler, of course they fall in love that's how stories work.) Now mix in a gratuitous amount of sex, some violence, suffering, mommy-issues, daddy-issues, betrayal and all that juicy stuff and you have Goolrick's A Reliable Wife.

I am torn when it comes to A Reliable Wife. On one hand the story line, while somewhat predictive, was creative and interesting, on the other the whole book seemed like the non-fantasy/ sci-fi version of a male romance novel. There was too much sex in the novel, I know that didn't sound right to me even as I typed it. Given that the characters all seem to be sex addicts, I did expect there to be a lot of sexual content, but at times it seemed very unnecessary. Almost as if the author was trying to force the reader to think about sex rather than using the sex as a way to further the story or develop the characters. Don't get me wrong there are plenty of places where Goolrick does do this, it just gets a little repetitive after awhile.

I know the reviews by other people have been mixed, a lot of people loved it and a lot of people hated it. I'm in the middle. I didn't love or hate the novel, it was good, it was entertaining but there was something not quite right about it. It had a lot of potential but left me with a “meh” feeling at the end of it all. Overall the book was entertaining, but I probably won't read it again.

Week #5- The Postman Always Rings Twice by James M. Cain

I had originally picked a different book to read this week, but we're in the middle of moving and I knew I wasn't going to have time to finish it. Lucky for me The Postman Always Rings Twice is short novel, around one hundred pages.

Frank Chambers is a young man drifting his way through life, literally, until he wanders into a diner in rural California and is offered a job by the owner. I will say the owner's pretty wife Cora is probably the reason Frank sticks around. Frank and Cora begin an affair which leads to the plotting of a murder.

In the end Cora's husband, Nick Papadakis, does die, but that isn't the end of the story.

At the end of the novel the title made perfect sense to me however there were times I was wondering when that dang postman was going to show up. The style left a little to be desired but the story itself was entertaining. I didn't love it, but it was a good book.

If you enjoy crime novels or if you want to see why the book was banned in Boston when it was released, pick it up. You'll probably enjoy it.

Week #4- Ice Cold by Tess Gerritsen

I finished Ice Cold yesterday, I was late getting started on my reading this week.  Luckily, the book was easy to read and hard to put down.  Now Tess Gerritsen is one of my favorite authors in the suspense/ mystery type genre, so I am a little biased I suppose.  However I think most people that enjoy medical thrillers/ suspense novels would enjoy her work.  This particular novel is the eighth in the Rizzoli & Isles series, yeah the one that TV show is based on.

Now to the book, Maura's torrid love affair is putting too much stress on her; so while out of town at a medical conference she decides to take an old friend up on an offer that lands her into a world of trouble in a small community called Kingdom Come. Her disappearance sends her friends on a mad dash to find her before time runs out, the only problem? They aren't the only ones interested in finding her. Why is Dr. Isles being hunted? Well that is one of the fun little twists in the novel and I'm not giving away any more of the plot.

Now I would recommend reading all of the Rizzoli & Isles series in order, and all of Gerritsen's other suspense novels. If you enjoy the genre with a very creepy edge at times, get started today. Ice Cold is not my favorite in the series, that would be The Mephisto Club, but it is a great read and I'm glad I chose it after City of Saints and Madmen. No there is no comparison from a literary standpoint but the novel was extremely enjoyable in its own right.

Week #3 City of Saints and Madmen by Jeff Vandermeer

City of Saints and Madmen is a collection of novellas about the fictional Ambergris. Each novella offers a look into the thoughts of its citizens and the darkness that is Ambergris. Vandermeer has done an amazing job of creating a complete world, a disturbing and violent world but utterly complete.

I normally don't read fantasy it has never been a genre I was very interested in. However, the style of the prose and vision of the author was absolutely addictive. I found myself reading and rereading passages based solely on the vividness of the descriptions. Vandermeer transported me into his twisted world and I enjoyed every moment of it, I can still see the image of Dradin naked with a machete in my mind.

If you are looking for an interesting read with vivid imagery, powerful language and a little bit of fantasy mixed in do yourself a favor and read this book. The organization of the novel into separate parts makes it easy to put down and pick back up again if the week gets busy. I am glad someone on reddit recommended this book to me and I'm even happier that I read it.

The only down side, I fear, is that the next book I read will pale in comparison. I may have to indulge in some more “junk food” this week just to get over the hump.  In closing I'll leave you with a passage from Dradin in Love,  " He knew this in the way his knees shook the closer he came to Hoegbottom & Sons, the way his words rattled around his mouth, came out mumbled and masticated into disconnected syllables."