Book Review- Kelly Oxford's Everything is Perfect When You're a Liar

I don't even remember how I came across this book, but somehow it made its way to my Amazon Wish List and when the Kindle version went on sale last month, I took a chance on it.

I'm so glad that I did.

Kelly Oxford is absolutely hilarious. I hadn't heard of her prior to this book, which naturally means that I reside under a rock. I looked her up and she has a huge twitter and blog following. I joined her minions to get a daily dose of funny while awaiting the follow-up to her first book, Everything is Perfect When You're a Liar. 

Everything is Perfect When You're a Liar is Oxford's compilation of non-fiction shorts spanning her childhood in Canada to her present, as married woman with three children. I connected with Oxford immediately, with her first story, Queen of the World or Something. In this first story Oxford recalls her attempt to put on a theatrical version of Star Wars (Stage adaptation written by Oxford) with the kids at her elementary school. Her story was as painfully awkward as it was hilarious.

In that first story of her book, I realized that Oxford was writing about my childhood too. I was that kid who had big aspirations, boundless creative energy and a need to boss everyone around. It was my way or the highway and things often did not work out as I had planned. If we had attended the same school, Oxford and I would have either joined forces and ruled the playground or we would have imploded. There would have been no middle ground. 

Though reading Oxford stories, I went on my own trip down memory lane, thinking of my own uncomfortable childhood moments. Time has given me the perspective necessary to laugh at the child that I was and to see how it has shaped me into the adult that I am. It's all good! I liked this quality in Oxford's writing, her ability to reach out to me as a reader and to make that connection. Her book has more substance than just a humourous set of stories for pure entertainment value. On a fun note, Oxford gave me a feeling of nostalgia for products and pop culture from the 80's/90's that she peppers throughout her stories. 

Readers of my blog will find it funny that she wrote a whole chapter about a trip to Vegas that she took as a guest of magician David Copperfield, who is a fan of hers. I read this book just a week too late. I can't escape Copperfield!!!!  I still don't know what to think of him.

I enjoyed this book so much, that I finished it during a day trip to Santa Barbara. I ignored the beautiful views of the ocean and ignored my family while having drinks at a wine bar. I couldn't put it down.

Outrageous, funny and often poignant, Everything is Perfect When You're a Liar is a must-read and Oxford is an author to put on your radar. 

Book Review- Helen Fielding's Bridget Jones Mad About the Boy

I have mixed feelings regarding Helen Fielding's Bridget Jones trilogy. The first book, Bridget Jones's Diary, was a hilarious piece of chick-lit perfection. The second book, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason was abysmal and nearly unreadable ( or if we are talking about the film version, unwatchable). 

It's been twelve years since Fielding last published a Bridget Jones novel and now she is back with Mad About the Boy. I probably would have skipped reading this latest book, if I had not heard about her bold and surprising move. She killed off Bridget's leading man, Mark Darcy! Whoa! I had to read the book to see how it would play out and mourn the loss of Darcy. If they make a film version, Colin Firth will be much missed. 

The book is set many years in the future, five years after Darcy is tragically killed in an accident. Bridget and Darcy had married and she is left a widow with two young children. The book takes place right as Bridget is ready to start dating again, which naturally leads to craziness and hijinks. She is finding that dating in her early fifties has many challenges that she didn't face in her thirties.

Killing off Darcy is brilliant, as it allows for the series to have a reboot and it also gives a bit of depth to an otherwise very shallow story. The best parts and really only good parts of the story are the quiet moments when Bridget is reflective and struggling with her grieving and the stress of being a single parent. The book has some nice moments towards the end, when the story gets to be less outrageous and more serious.

The story desperately tries to be funny and mostly falls flat. There were endless jokes about hair lice (aka nits) that just went on for too long. If the comedy had been attacked in a more subtle manner, it may have been more genuinely funny, although it probably wouldn't have been very "Bridget Jones". There is little subtle about this series.

I kept picturing the actors that portrayed the characters in the film versions of the first two books, especially Renee Zellweger as Bridget. Normally this would have been distracting, but in this case it helped me stay rooted in the story.

I liked the return of Daniel Cleaver as the godparent to Bridget's children. The character is well conceived in small doses and I loved the direction that Fielding took him in the third novel.

This is not a great story, but if you're a fan of the series, you need to bite the bullet and read it. 

Book Review- Lee Woodruff's Those We Love Most

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Reading Lee Woodruff's novel Those We Love Most was very apt timing. I've just started a writing class through UCLA Extension that is focused on writing through grief and trauma. The characters in Woodruff's novel are all caught in the middle of grief and trauma, when a child in the family is struck by a car and killed. The stories and perspectives in this novel could have been directly from some of the writings produced by my classmates.  

When their young son is killed, Maura and Pete must not only face the loss of their child, but they're also confronted with guilt over their own personal failings that were happening prior to the accident. Maura has been having an affair with the local veterinary and Pete is a raging alcoholic. The story also follows Maura's parents, Margaret and Roger, who are also experiencing marital discord as Roger has been having an affair with a younger woman in Florida. The death in the family shakes them into examining what is really important.

As much as this is a story about managing grief, this is a story about making mistakes and owning up to them. The characters are all imperfect and flawed, but in a realistic way. You want to root for them to make the right decisions.

I love the theme of the story of when a person dies it makes you reflect on your own life. I've had this experience with every family death and although the death part of it is horrible and you miss your loved one, death has a great effect of making you reflect on what's important. It prompted me to make a bigger effort with family and friends. I became more spontaneous and traveled more. This is a story of people who have that epiphany.

I really liked the way that Woodruff wrote the storyline of Maura confronting the teenager that was driving the car that hit her son. The teen has had his life do a 180 and he is a mess. Although Maura is in immense pain and harbors plenty of anger towards him, she is also able to empathize and see how his life has been affected. She sees glimpses of her dead son in the teen.

Sometimes gritty, sometimes a bit sappy, but over all this book is a decent story that packs an emotional punch. It's a worthy read, especially if you're experiencing grief.