It's a hoot...

The Day I Ate Whatever I Wanted
Elizabeth Berg

Genre: short story, chick-lit
Pages: 270
Rating:****

I have checked out many books by Elizabeth Berg....but never got around to reading them.  Well, I came across this book and I had to read it.  All because of the title: The Day I Ate Whatever I Wanted.  Who can resist a book with that title!

The Day I Ate Whatever I Wanted is a collection of short stories.  The stories are centered around the lives and emotions of women.  The subtitle is And Other Small Acts of Liberation.

It is hard to write a review on this book.  I loved reading it, but the stories are varied and rarely have repeat characters.  Some are laugh out loud funny, others are bittersweet.  There are two in the middle that just kind of dragged.  Each gives an insight into how women think.  I noticed myself in several of the stories, even though I am younger than the women in the book.  I take that back there is a young girl in one story.  Most, but not all, center around food and weight.  Could women really spend that much time thinking about their weight and food?  Probably so.

The draw back to me was the language.  The F-word was dropped more than once, along with other words, but they were in context and fit with the characters.  It was very well written and enjoyable, except for two.  I will definitely check out other books by Berg.

- Caren

I'm in Love.....

Those of you who have been reading my rants know I have taken a break from reading mysteries.  A difficult break.  I have started several books and set them aside before reaching chapter 2.  Thankfully that streak has ended!

Dolci di Love
By Sarah-Kate Lynch

Genre: chick-lit, fiction
Pages: 309
Rating:  ****1/2
Favorite quote: " Their absence had just sapped the pant-peeing happiness right out of her."

   I love this book.  I stayed up late last night to finish it.  This morning I struggled with the rating.  It was not a literary masterpiece in the ranks of JRR Tolkien, but it was a wonderful book.  One I would gladly run out and buy to read again.  (A rarity for me, I am a library girl.)  So what is it about?
   It is a tale of love, broken hearts, forgiveness, and widows.  To make it even better it is set in Tuscany.  Lily is married to Daniel.  They have a problem that has caused them to grow apart, sort of.  Daniel travels to Italy a lot.  There he has another family. Lily finds out about it and flies to Tuscany to confront him.  Things don't work out as she plans.  Telling anymore would just take all the fun out of the book.

   I love this book for many reasons.  One being is the language is funny.  Lynch weaves in Italian words with phrases like pant-peeing happiness and tipsy tourism (which by the way sounds fun).  She takes a story that could be very heavy and sad, and makes it bittersweet (yes), but also very funny.  Like life things don not always go as planned.  Events and people get in our way, sometimes that is for the best.

   The star(s) of this book is Violetta, Luciana, and the other members of the Secret League of Widowed Darners.  A group of very old widows trying to mend the brokenhearted.  I have realized I love a book with old ladies.  They are smart, witty, and have a wealth of experience to share.  Not to mention they add comic relief, especially here.  I'm pretty sure this group of ladies could form a coup if they so chose.

   Dolci di Love, has a cast of well formed characters, great writing, and a heart tugging story.  I loved every inch of this book.  Grab a copy now and read it.

- Caren