Book reviews

I'm finished with my "(self) required reading" for the month and wanted to share my thoughts on the two books I read.

First off, for non-fiction I read Parenting, Inc. by Pamela Paul.

I got my copy from the library but here is a link to the book on half.com

I enjoyed this book and found it insightful but I also caught myself at times justifying my actions and purchases to the book. While the author does not advocate a bare bones approach to child raising (i.e. "here's a string and a stick, and those are your only toys for the year") she does come down strongly on what she deems unnecessary childhood gear and classes.

I took it in the manner in which it was intended. Yes, I agree that sometimes we can get out of hand, especially when it comes to what we are told is best for our children. On the other hand, I got that Sleep Sheep as a gift and I really like it, so that's really all that matters.



I read The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows for my fiction book. I read a couple of positive reviews online for this book about a year ago and attempted to read this book when I was pregnant and never could get into it. (The pregnancy had no relevance to my liking or disliking the book, it just happens to be a good reference point). When I saw it on my library's featured book shelf, I took it as a sign I should try again. I enjoyed it but I wouldn't necessarily re-read it. The fact that the book is written entirely in correspondence was a little off-putting to me. I didn't really feel like I could visualize the characters with such a limited narrative style and the attempts to do it via such lines as "you asked what I look like so here's a description of me..." weren't quite enough for me to really get into the story.

That being said, I did enjoy the book's subject matter (a writer meets a book club circa 1946 in the middle of post-war reconstruction) and there were several humorous parts to balance out the potential for this book to be bleak and depressing.

In other news, I went grocery shopping today and spent $123. However, I think this will last us a week and a half with maybe a $25-$50 grocery run next Friday.