I LOVE me some Jen Lancaster. My first encounter with her was on MySpace, back in the days before it became internet-central for sleazy hookups & cheesy bands. She had posted a comment on a post I had copied from an email, chastising me for not giving credit to the author who turned out to be a firend of hers. I apologized for not posting information I didn't have, pointed out that I *had* put a dsiclaimer that it wasn't my work but I found it to be too funny not to share, and after verification of the author, changed the post to include that. She sent me a message apologizing if she'd come across as too harsh, but she was an author herself and that she appreciated me taking the time to A: verify the information and give credit where it was due, and B: Not send her a "GFY, B***h" message for telling me off in the first place. I asked what she had written (Bitter is the New Black) and put it on request at the library after she gave me the name of her book.
After reading Bitter in one sitting, laughing like a loon through most of it, I went out and bought a copy. Then I went to her blog www.Jennsyvania.com and read through her archives. Then I waited (impatiently) for each of her subsequent books to come out. I love her sense of humor, ability to laugh at herself, and the fact that we may not agree politically but have so many other shared loves (Rick Springfield- EEEEEEEEEE) that it doesn't matter. Also, thanks to Jen's sporadic reading lists and promotion of books by her friends, I have found and enjoyed several other authors I might not have read otherwise.
So what is this book about? More looks into Jen's sometimes chaotic but always entertaining life. From her deranged pets, to her awesome husband (Fletch rocks!), to the trials & tribulations of trying to stop acting like a college kid and become an adult, this is a hoot. Each chapter ends with a summarized 'life lesson.'
Want to see me giggle? Shriek "perimeter breach!" at me. Die-hard Jen fans will know why this is funny- if you don't, READ this book.
Sadly, I've never heard from her since those brief messages on MySpace. But, Jen, if you should happen to see this, I'm totally up for having a new addition to the ranks of my BFF's! Seriously, I think we'd have a blast!
I have never read Lisa Scottoline's mysteries. I need to, and will get to them one of these days. But after reading her essay collection Why My Third Husband Will Be A Dog, I realized that this was a woman I could love! Daughter Francesca collaborates on this third collection, and it's just as funny to me as the original. I see many echoes of my relationship with my own mother in their writing.
Take these quotes for example:
Francesca on Apartment Living - When I saw a mouse, the first person I called was Mom. She told me to call my super, but I felt bad bothering him. I hate to bother people. But I love to bother my mother.
Lisa on Things Every Daughter Should Know - Your mother is always thinking about you, but that’s not creepy. Your mother will never forget who did you dirty in the sixth grade, for which you can thank her. And your mother will never stop asking you if you need to go to the bathroom, before you leave the house. Well, do you?
Then I read the Battle of the Green Jacket and really got hysterical. Having had a life-long aversion to Mommy & Me outfits, I can totally understand Francesca's reaction to her mother buying the exact same jacket she bought and wanting to wear it at the same time. My mother and I rarely exhibit the same taste in clothes, but when we do, it seems that we inevitably wind up wearing them out in public together. My mom loves it. I do not. But I feel better knowing I'm not alone!
As you may have surmised, I am a total Anglophile. I love books about Britain, set in Britain, and British authors. I also have a lesser known fondness for shopping (when in the right mood) and pampering/amusing myself. For some reason, reading about how other people do this is equally fascinating to me. India Knight was kind enough to fill a book with her personal choices for the best of many shopping moods, telling you where to shop and what she recommends you buy. As she states, everyone has different tastes, so you may have different tastes, but she's given me enough ideas that I can't wait for my next trip to England. Not only am I going book shopping, I'm going to look for a few of India's suggestions! (BTW- she does also give websites for those who are interested. I'm probably gonig to be checking a few of those out too!)
