I actually liked this book. I was warned that the anti-baby angle of the book was a little aggressive and offensive, which it was, but it was all so believable. And since I'm at the stage where all my friends are either having babies, trying to have babies, or discussing (fighting about) when to have babies it is especially interesting.
I also appreciate Emily's positive portrayal of adoption. Being adopted it is an issue that is especially close to my heart and it doesn't always get displayed in the most positive light. Just this weekend I had an acquaintance say some really terrible, hurtful things about adopting and watched as she quickly put her foot in her mouth when I revealed I was adopted. Since I'm on the subject I'll get on my soap box momentarily. [Mom, if you miraculously have learned how to swiftly navigate the Internet and are reading my blog, this is not me announcing that I am pregnant or that we are trying. Someday you'll be the first to know]. Adoption is not Tim and I's first choice when it comes to having children of our own, but we certainly wouldn't view it as a consolation price. It's a beautiful, wonderful gift. Someday we may end up with a houseful of children who are ours because I birthed them or because a piece of paper and piece of my heart tells me they are. I don't feel the overwhelming need to be pregnant or genetically parent a child to feel like a mother, probably because I know first hand that families are made in ways much more profound than DNA.
I take back some of the mean things I said about Emily Giffin in my commentary about The Heart of the Matter. She does know that not all women are overworked, urbanite lawyers. We can be overworked, urbanite book editors too. I did find this much more tolerable though because it reads like a dream job and I was fascinated. To have an office full of books. To get paid to read all day (not just over my lunch when I'm covering the phones). Heaven. I don't take it all back though. Emily still [spoiler] let's the dirty scumbag cheater stick around. I only spoil because it's obvious from the beginning that shallow sister Maura will never get the nerve to leave her philandering husband.
It's a good read. I cried. Again.
I did have to put down two books this week that would not have passed go if I was the book editor. First, Life Would be Perfect If I Lived in that House which I had such high hopes for because it has a great title and a good cover.
When I discovered that Curtis Sittenfeld (Prep and The American Wife) and Sloane Crosley (I Was Told There'd Be Cake), whom I really enjoy, gave high advance praise on the book jacket I was even more excited. Then utterly let down. Waste of time.
Second, The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake.
As my friend Loren pointed out this week, there is nothing sad about lemon cake. It's wonderful. The book, however, is sad and pitiful. And while we're on the subject of cake: who puts chocolate frosting on a lemon cake? Yellow cake- yes. Lemon cake- no. Some cover art editor should be fired over this. Idiot.
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