Having It and Eating It

Rating:
Summary: Page-turning fun and thought-provoking brain food
Review: Although I figured out very early what would happen regarding one key plot point, I nevertheless recommend this book as a good weekend read. The characters are believable, as are the situations and conversations. There are suspenseful moments, and funny ones, and of course, touching ones as well. Very enjoyable, on the whole.
It's of the genre pouring out of England in the past few years -- I think Helen Fielding started the trend with the Bridget Jones books, although the books about Adrian Mole are in the same vein, and predate Fielding by awhile -- humor diarists writing winningly about everyday situations. Jane Green does a nice job, too, and the best recent offering is _I Don't Know How She Does It_. If you read that one, this book will seem a little flat, but still well worth reading.

Rating:
Summary: What a fun sassy read!
Review: This is a fun book! It's a guaranteed read to take your mind off of your troubles! This is my first Sabine Durrant book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I didn't read it to pick at the moral issues ~~ I read it to have a break from nonstop packing and moving woes. And it's a perfect escape!

Maggie gave up her career to stay home to raise her two little boys ~~ her boys with her partner, Jake. One day she runs into her schoolhood chum and realized that her own life isn't as together as Claire's. Then to top it off, she suspects Jake is having an affair with Claire ~~ and off this book goes. With hilarious tales of two little boys running amuck in the house and with other people, Maggie begins a journey into self-awareness. And this is a fun hilarious read!

At first Maggie puts herself down for being a stay-at-home mom ~~ engrossed with recipes and childcare and local gossip. Then as the story progresses, she begins to realize that she is the envy of the women in her life. And she begins to grow up!

This is a must-read for all women ~~ regardless of their marital status or children-status. I think moms with very young children can relate to Maggie's dilemmas with the babies ~~ but everyone can enjoy the stories. Durrant writes with a flair and humor ~~ you can't help but fall in love with the characters and keep on turning the pages. This is the perfect summer read!

5-22-03

Rating:
Summary: Stale cake
Review: This isn't a bad book, but it isn't a very good one either. Yes, I have kids so I can concede that her observations about chaotic childcare are accurate. Accurate, yes, but not original, thought provoking or more to the point, funny. Because this writer seems to have taken a stab at comic writing. My advice: Don't do it, you're simply not funny enough. Sabine Durrant is certainly no Marian Keyes.

I kept reading this thinking it would pick up. It didn''t. The plot didn't really go anywhere and the ending was anticlimactic. I guess I mainly read it because I'm a UK girl living in the US and like reading about England when I feel homesick. But this book was like a long forgotten eclair you find at the bottom of your fridge, looks tasty but ends up tastingt kind of stale.