Review: Maid by Stephanie Land

Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive
by Stephanie Land [Biography Land] 

This is by far the most eye opening, emotional, and captivating non-fiction book about poverty in America that I have ever read.

Written in an engaging and fast pace, you won’t even want to set down this book about Stephanie and her little girl, Mia, and their fight to live, strive, and even thrive with nothing but two tubs of belongings to their names. From odd jobs, odd living situations, odd family members, to the increasingly odd clients she scrubs her knuckles raw on their homes for, we follow the young pair as they navigate a frustrating road to a better life.

You will share in all the (rare) triumphs and joy – as well as all setbacks and sorrow.

Riveting, raw, and truthful, this novel should spark renewal and enlightenment about the situation of the working poor in our country.

Land’s voice is captivating.

[ publisher’s official Maid page and official Stephanie Land web site ] [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Nickel and Dimed, by Barbara Ehrenreich, or Waiter Rant, by Steve Dublanica.]

Recommended by Sarah J.
South Branch Library

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The Perfect Nanny by Leila Slimani

The Perfect Nanny
by Leila Slimani

Myriam and Paul have discovered a’miracle’. “The Perfect Nanny” in their neighborhood. Nanny Louise quickly becomes an intregal part of the family. Myriam can return to work and Paul rises in the ranks at his own job. They even have time for one another again, and make sure Louise is almost always with them – even on family vacations.

All the other nannies at the park watch themselves carefully when Louise brings the children around….having heard the wonderous tales of Louise’s long hours, gourmet meals and strong yearning for perfection.

What will happen then when the youngest child, Adam, grows closer to the age of school enrollment? What will become of Louise and her new family?

A psychological thriller that keeps you guessing and racing through. This slim, 228 page turner is nearly impossible to put down.

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Gone Girl, by Gillian Flynn, Girl on the Train, by Paula Hawkins.]

[ publisher’s official The Perfect Nanny web page ] | [ Wikipedia page for Leila Slimani ]

Recommended by Sarah J.
South Branch Library

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Pretty Baby by Mary Kubica

Pretty Baby
by Mary Kubica

Life on the street is wearing thin young Willow and baby Ruby as they trek around Chicago in search of food and baby essentials. Day after day, businesswoman and mother Heidi sees the pair at the train station and begins watching them, worrying through the day in her comfortable surroundings with her young teenage daughter, Zoe – and husband Chris.

Slowly, Heidi builds a relationship with Willow and in an especially heavy downpour, brings them into her home.

The story of what happens next is told from Willow, Heidi, and Chris’s point of view as we gain not only insight into the characters, but learn their backstories and grow attached to everyone involved in the situation. The story bring forth the question – What is the ‘right’ thing to do?

Think again if you think you have this psychological thriller figured out because soon you will not want to put this book down and instead navigate the twists and turns of masterful suspense late into the night.

[ official Pretty Baby page on the official Mary Kubica web site ]

 

Recommended by Sarah J.
South Branch Library

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Lacy Eye by Jessica Treadway

Lacy Eye
by Jessica Treadway

When I picked up Lacy Eye, I had no idea the suspense that the psychological thriller had packed between its pages. The book opens to the life of the Hannah, a survivor of a brutal home invasion and attack that not only disfigured her and placed and coma but caused the death of her husband Joe and injuries to the family dog. Hannah came out of the coma without significant memories of that night. Now, three years later, the convicted murderer – her daughter Dawn’s former boyfriend, has been awarded a retrial. With only her two daughters (Dawn and elder daughter Iris) to support her, Hanna struggles to remember anything “useful” from that night, not knowing she could land herself in the same danger once again. Who should she keep close and confide in, and who should she keep at a distance to keep herself alive?

[ official Jessica Treadway web site ]

 

Recommended by Sarah J.
South Branch Library

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It Was Me All Along by Andie Mitchell

It Was Me All Along
by Andie Mitchell [Biography Mitchell]

In this touching memoir, Andie as an unhappy and obese adult looks back on her childhood, adolescence, and college years - and the relationships she had with food as well as people during those years to find out why she has a food addiction. We catch up on her past and root alongside her as she tries to lose it all to gain the happiness and freedom she desperately desires. We follow her triumphs and struggles with hilarious insight that lead to her present success. A non-preachy, knowledgeable voice that still understands the struggles and heartache, Andie's book is quick and enjoyable read. -- recommended by Sarah J. - South Branch Library
[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Andie Mitchell's blog, started before the book at canyoustayfordinner.com.]

[Also available in book-on-cd formats.]

[ official Andie Mitchell web site ]

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The Returned by Jason Mott

The Returned
by Jason Mott

It begins with a simple story of Harold and Lucille - a couple in their seventies content in their relationship. One day, a man from the government arrives at their door with a simple question - Do you know this child? Out steps their 8-year-old son Jacob - who had drowned in 1966. It was a phenomenon happening across the world. Jacob was found halfway across the world. And so it was, the dead popping up 'Returned' all across the world - leaving the government to deal with scared, astonished, and even angered citizens who asked the unanswerable questions of How? Why? How long? How is it possible? We follow the story of the reunited little family and how their own town drastically changes. We even get stories of how different townspeople welcome - and reject- those who come back. There is confusion in their hearts on how they should feel, where the people truly "belong". And so, a great divide begins across the globe and sections right through the Hargrove's tow n of Arcadia. Is this the "second chance" that Harold & Lucille? How about Pastor Peters? Is this the beginning of the world. Is it the end? -- recommended by Sarah J. - South Branch Library

[Amazon offers three e-book only prequels to the book. I didn't know about these and still felt the story had a natural opening. The titles of the prequels are: The First, The Choice, and The Sparrow. The synopsis of the TV series Resurrection (based loosely on the book) caused my interest in this book but does not fall very closely in line with it at all.]

[Also available in downloadable E-book and Large Print formats.]

[ official Jason Mott web site ]

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Hyperbole and a Half

Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem and Other Things That Happened
by Allie Brosh [Biography Brosh]

Allie Brosh's blog-turned-book is packed with humorous illustrations and page turning reflections from her life from a childhood to current day. In addition, Brosh sandwiches in segments about what it is like to deal with depression and mental illness in the first person. (A great resource for friends and loved ones.) You will laugh until you cry. Dogs, geese, cake and various adventures are color coded for reading ease....but you definitely won't want to stop! -- recommended by Sarah J. - South Branch Library

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Let's Pretend this Never Happened by Jenny Lawson.]

[ official Hyperbole and a Half web site ]

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If I Stay

If I Stay
by Gayle Forman [YA PB Forman]

I wanted a chance to read this YA novel before seeing the movie, and am happy to say it doesn't disappoint. In the beginning of the novel, we are introduced to Mia and her eccentric family, rock star boyfriend Adam, and the center of her universe - her own love of music and performing music on her cello. A freak accident on a snowy day leaves Mia in the ICU comatose. It is there she has time to reflect on her life to help answer the question becoming more demanding by the hour - should she stay with family and friends on Earth or let go. -- recommended by Sarah J. - South Branch Library

[Also available in downloadable audio, book-on-cd and downloadable E-book formats.]

[ official If I Stay page on the official Gayle Forman web site ]

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The Bright Side of Disaster

The Bright Side of Disaster
by Katherine Center

When we first meet Jenny at the beginning of the book she is pregnant and trying to patch together the remaining threads of her and her fiance's (Dean) relationship. Jenny is dealt a handful of unacceptable actions, and the novel sweeps forward with a roller coaster of emotions starting with childbirth and following her navigation of the new world of single motherhood that has been thrust upon her. We watch as Jenny builds a support system as well as a relationship with her next door neighbor. Will Dean return to meet his daughter or should she take a chance on the guy-next-door or should she even be worrying about guys at all? This novel has large doses of chic lit but also broaches the bewildering struggles a single parent must face. Center will have you flying through this quick read in eager anticipation of the ending. -- recommended by Sarah J. - South Branch Library

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try the Bridget Jones series or the Shopaholic series.]

[ official The Bright Side of Disaster page on the official Katherine Center web site ]

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Landline

Landline
by Rainbow Rowell

Nebraska author Rainbow Rowell pens an adult novel about a troubled marriage that is falling apart among the laughter that it was founded upon. An unexpected twist in the plot lets our protagonist - Georgie, work through the hard question of where did everything go wrong...to the even more difficult question of should I try to keep my family together? A slew of friends and family try to sway Georgie's path, but she finds help in the most unlikely of places - in the most unlikely of times. -- recommended by Sarah J. - South Branch Library

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Eleanor & Park, Attachments, Fangirl - all by Rainbow Rowell.]

[Also available in book-on-cd, and Large Print formats.]

[ official Rainbow Rowell web site ]

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Her (on DVD)

Her
[DVD Her]

In the beginning we meet our protagonist, Theodore Twombly (played by Joaquin Phoenix), as he is going through a divorce because of his inability to express his thoughts and emotions enough for his wife to understand. We follow the depressed Twobmly through his dreary days where his only highlight is work. Twombly works writing personal letters for other people - children to parents, employees to bosses, etc. He has it developed into an art form - the ability to express emotions for others. However, his personal life seems to be at a standstill until he meets "Samantha" - a new operating system able to grow and adapt to a user's needs. Suddenly, Twobly's life is all about Sam, and the adventure begins blindly, with our protagonist blissfully unaware of the hardships that lie ahead. Very intriguing and unique. -- recommended by Sarah J. - South Branch Library

[ Internet Movie Database entry for this film ] | [ official Her the Movie web site ]

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Stranger Here

Stranger Here: How Weight Loss Surgery Transformed my Body and Messed with My Head
by Jen Larsen [Biography Larsen]

Join Jen on one of the biggest decisions of her life – obtaining weight loss surgery – and watch the surprising impact it has on friends, loved ones, and even strangers. Weight loss alone does not seem to be as easy and a permanent fix as she sets up for. Become absorbed as she has to face an even bigger issue – herself. -- recommended by Sarah J. - South Branch Library

[ official Stranger Here page on the official Jen Larsen web site ]

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Let's Pretend This Never Happened

Let's Pretend This Never Happened: [a Mostly True Memoir]
by Jenny Lawson [Biography Lawson]

Be ready to laugh, cry, and laugh some more as you get a glimpse of Lawson's life from childhood to adulthood with all the raucous adventures that form her into the woman she has become. If reading in public, be warned you might not help but burst out into laughter quite frequently as Lawson brings humor into every situation she encounters. Warning - explicit language used. -- recommended by Sarah J. - South Branch Library

[ official The Blogess web site ]
 
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Bloom: A Memoir

Bloom: A Memoir
by Kelle Hampton [Biography Hampton]

An emotional rollercoaster of a story when author Kelle Hampton's second child is born with Down's Syndrome. Follow her journey from grief to joy and the slippery spots along the way of Baby Nella's first year and redefining what the words 'special' and 'different' mean. Laugh, cry, and grow as an individual....whether your are a parent or not. -- recommended by Sarah J. - South Branch Library
 
[ "Bloom" blog entry on the official Kelle Hampton blog ]

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The Nanny Diaries

The Nanny Diaries
by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus

Ever wonder what it would be like to be a nanny to the rich? Two New York nannies spin their real-life experiences into a fictional diary following the life of 'Nanny' who takes a job for Mr. and Mrs. X while attending college. She soon finds out that - like her young charge, Grayer - she has become nothing more than a pawn in an endless cycle of greed and dishonesty. Time and time again, Nanny is put in awkward positions that make question her own moral judgement. Should she stay on and try to protect young Grayer from self-destructing in the endless cycle and vengeful society or try to save herself and whatever semblance of a life she has left? -- recommended by Sarah J. - South Branch Library

[Also available in downloadable audio, book-on-cd and DVD Adaptation formats.]

[ The Nanny Diaries page on the official Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus web site ]
 
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Operating Instructions

Operating Instructions
by Anne Lamott [306.871 Lam]

This is a great story of a first time mother who has fought off some personal demons. Now, she takes on single motherhood in a diary format and shares her struggles and triumphs. The raw emotion expressed makes you empathize and celebrate every milestone. It is a nice change from a parenting book where everything goes so perfectly. Life is messy, and Lamott managed to wrap up the first year of her son's life in an appealing package. [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Some Assembly Required: A Journal of My Son's First Son, also by Lamott.] -- recommended by Sarah J. - South Branch Library

[ unofficial Anne Lamott fans web site ] | [ official Anne Lamott page on Wikipedia ]

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Two Kisses for Maddy

Two Kisses For Maddy
by Matthew Logelin [Biography Logelin]

"Life and death. All in a 27-hour period." This is the heart-wrenching memoir of a man who welcomed his premature baby into the world only to lose her mother the next day. The book envelops us from the first page into two stories. We are immersed in Matt's thoughts and feelings as he navigates the memories of meeting and building a relationship with his wife Liz - from high school to delivery, the anticipation of meeting their daughter Maddy. and everything that comes with losing a spouse and raising an infant. From the emotional highs and lows, to the struggle to live daily with tangible memories of his wife surrounding him and reflected in his daughter Maddy's face. This story will move the reader from tears to laughter along with him because of the gripping, unedited, raw emotion. The book does contain 'rough' language - as did his corresponding blog.. However, it is used to capture his voice and honest reactions. The tale also brings hope for Matt and Maddy - and hope for the future, that things can change for widows/widowers and society in general. An added bonus is that you can jump onto his blog and see how the Logelin family's life has evolved and how Maddy has thrived.

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try a fiction book called Good Grief written in 2005 by author Lolly Winston. She is widowed at the age of 36. For her, the death of her husband sets off a sprial of events in the first year - some crazy, some sane. In her journey, she rediscovers who she is and re-prioritizes her life to reflect who she has become. Not only does our heroine become a Big Sister to a troubled teen, but there is an element of romance and re-birth. Written with comedic tone, this quick read gives us another look at how grief can equal growth. (But not without the dreaded growing pains.)] -- both recommended by Sarah J. - South Branch Library

[ official Matt Logelin blog -- where this book began! ]

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Library: An Unquiet History

Library: An Unquiet History
by Matthew Battles [027.009 Bat]

This book is a quick and relatively easy read about the history of the development and destruction of libraries. Matthew Battles takes readers from the starting point of online catalogs all the way back to libraries of cuneiform on clay tablets that were inadvertently preserved for future generations by the fires that consumed the buildings that held them. Many such paradoxes exist in human history generally, no less in the specific history of libraries. It is a quick and enjoyable read with an inviting bibliography and well-written notes and index for the curious among us. -- Recommended by Sarah E. J. - Bennett Martin Public Library

[ Library: An Unquiet History on books.google.com ]

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Waiter Rant

Waiter Rant: Thanks for the Tip -- Confessions of a Cynical Waiter
by Steve Dublanica [647.95 Dub]

In this hilarious book (that originated as a blog), Dublanica takes us with him from his journey beginning as a waiter in u pscale restaurants. From learning the lingo to dealing with big wigs and their clientele, Dublanica will have you clutching your sides as he works the floor (and his co-workers) with quick wit. -- recommended by Sarah J. - South Branch Library

[ official Waiter Rang blog ]

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