Admission by Jean Hanff Korelitz

When I was in high school, it never once occurred to me to even try to apply to a place like Princeton University. I had o.k., but not outstanding grades, was not good in sports and didn't participate in any extra-curricular activities. Therefore, no one from Princeton told me that "Princeton could use a chick like Elizabeth."

Even with my lack of Ivy League experience, however, I've always been fascinated by the process in which one gets admitted to the most prestigious schools in the world. Admission, a novel by Jean Hanff Korelitz, gave me some good insight.

Portia Nathan is a Princeton University Admissions Officer. Her story starts out on a recruiting trip and ends 400+ pages with the committee meetings in which the final decisions on applicants are made.

Each chapter in the book starts off with an excerpt of a prospective student's admissions essay. I was fascinated by every page Korelitz devoted to the process. What didn't fascinate me were the many, many subplots in the book summarized here:

Portia's long-time lover leaves her for another Princeton colleague; Portia gets romantically involved with one of her former Dartmouth classmates (who she doesn't recall) who is a teacher/administrator at an experimental school; Portia's mother is a radical feminist who wants to adopt a baby; Portia had a baby while at Dartmouth that she gave up for adoption.

It was really too much to pack into one novel. This wasn't a page-turner of a book, but a thoughtful book. Portia was both likable enough and flawed enough to be a good, interesting main character. I'd recommend this novel if you're at all interested in how universities weed through thousands of applications from brilliant students.

The Crowning Glory of Calla Lilly Ponder by Rebecca Wells

Rebecca Wells is famous for her novel "Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood," which I dearly loved. I wish I could say the same about her new novel, "The Crowning Glory of Calla Lilly Ponder," but I can't. It was a fairly good book, but not a great one.

The book is about Calla Lilly Ponder who is enjoying an idyllic childhood in La Luna, Louisiana. Calla has two loving parents who own a wonderful dance studio/dance hall. Her mother also operates a beauty salon on the porch of her house. Calla Lilly has two loving, nondescript brothers and a host of loving friends and family around. She also has the love of a troubled new boy in town, Tuck. Calla Lilly's world comes crashing down when her beloved mother, whom she calls M'Dear dies of breast cancer.

The second part of the book revolves around Calla Lilly's departure from La Luna to make her way in the world. She shares her mother's gift for therapeutic hair styling and goes to a beauty school in New Orleans. There she meets more loving friends and Sweet, a man she later marries.

So, that's what this book is about - loving friends, loving husbands, loving parents, loving boyfriends etc. It's almost sickeningly sweet. I expect Southern novels to have wildly dsyfunctional families, eccentric characters and closets virtually stuffed with skeletons.

The book does have a nice plot twist at the end and Calla Lilly is a very likeable character. I just was expecting more from the author of Divine Secrets...

I'm So Happy for You by Lucinda Rosenfeld

Suppose your best friend is from a wealthy, influential family - are you SO happy for her?
What if she is blonde and has cornflower blue eyes and constantly has some sort of man drama - would you be a tad jealous?
What if you're having trouble in your marriage and this best friend tells you that she's engaged to a wealthy attorney - would your jaw clench as you try to spit out the words "Oh, that's wonderful!"
How 'bout if you're trying, without success, to get pregnant and your best friend just accidentally gets knocked up -- would the resentment make your blood boil?
Try tracking through the snow to see the best friend's new gorgeous town house while you live in a tiny efficiency apartment -- how does sincere can you make your "Your house is beautiful" words sound?

Now imagine that you've always felt a tad superior to the best friend because she always seems to be such a screw up and then, all of the sudden, she's got everything you've ever wanted in life.

That's the story of the friendship of Wendy & Daphne in I'm So Happy for You by Lucinda Rosenfeld. Yeah, technically this book is chick lit, but the skillful way the author conveys Wendy's crippling, destructive feelings of jealousy makes it one darn good read. I could feel Wendy's resentment burning a hole through the page. The only bad thing -- I identified with Wendy! ugggghhhhh!

This is a juicy page turner.

Pretty in Plaid - a memoir by Jen Lancaster

The subtitle of Jen Lancaster's newest book, a memoir, is "a life, a witch, and a wardrobe, or the wonder years before the condescending, egomaniacal, self-centered smart-ass phase."

If you've never read a Jen Lancaster book you are missing out. Lancaster is one funny, talented, and witty writer. I guess she'd be considered "chick lit," but don't let that label throw you off.

Lancaster tells the story of her life through the clothes she wore at various milestones. If you are over 30 something, you will have a wonderful time reliving things like "Izod shirts," "Gunne sac" dresses and dressing like Madonna.

My favorite part was the pageant Jen entered when she was 17. Never having been in a pageant myself, I could not really identify, however, reading about it made me laugh until-I-snorted!!

Read this book and laugh through chapters with subtitles such as: Jordache Jeans, Part II or A Variety of Stained Aprons.

All in all this was a great summer read!

Multiple Bles8ings surviving to thriving with twins and sextuplets by Jon & Kate Gosselin and Beth Carson

I'm a fairly new observer to the Jon & Kate Plus 8 extravaganza. A co-worker used to talk about how much she liked the show and how cute and funny the children are. I caught a re-run on t.v. and became hooked. Now my co-worker doesn't watch the show any longer (she can't stand how Kate treats her husband Jon) and it appears that the couple may divorce!!!

Nevertheless, I'm still curious about all things Gosselin so I decided to read the couple's book, Multiple Bles8ings for a look on how it all began....

Jon met Kate at a picnic. They got married at a young age (part of the problem?) and decided they wanted children. Kate had fertility problems so had to have treatments. The couple was blessed with twin girls, Maddie & Cara.

Later they decided to try for another child, but had to have more treatments. They realized there might be a possibility of another multiple birth, but they were thinking another set of twins or even triplets at the most. They were stunned when a sonogram revealed that Kate was carrying sextuplets. They were warned of the considerable risks of carrying and giving birth to so many children and were urged to have "selection reduction." However, Jon and Kate were deeply religious and decided to place themselves in God's hands.

Kate had a very uncomfortable, trumatic pregnancy and endured many weeks of hospitalization and bed rest. At the same time, Jon was having employment trouble. It seemed that companies don't like to assume the extravagant insurance costs entailed with having sextuplets.

This book is published by Zondervan so it has a very strong religious message. Each chapter is introduced with a bible verse and Kate (the book is supposed to be by both parents, but it's obviously Kate's voice) often speaks of faith and is confident that God will provide.

The next part of the book deals with the birth of of six children and the logistics involved with taking care of so many babies! It was the most fascinating part of the book to me. The couple had to rely on an army of volunteers to help feed and take care of the children, but somehow all the babies managed to thrive and become the cutie pies they are today.

It's heartbreaking to me to see this couple who endured so much start to disintegrate!! The family no longer has financial worries -- thanks to the show -- and has all the help it needs. Furthermore, the children are five years old now and don't need the constant care that babies require. This should be the best of times for the couple and the large family -- not the worst!

I'm hoping that Jon and Kate will remember how the struggles they've already faced and how they were able to overcome them. The book, although an interesting read, rings false in light of the Gosselins' current situation.

When Skateboards Will Be Free -- A memoir of a political childhood by Said Sayrafiezadeh

As a member of the so-called working class, there have been times, albeit fleeting, when I've thought that maybe socialism wouldn't be such a bad thing. Equality, no rich people, a workers' rebellion -- it's pretty heady stuff to think about it.

However, I've never done more than just think about it. Socialism has some pretty negative connotations in this country, it's a small fringe group and, besides, wouldn't being rich be simply awesome?

Said Sayrafiezadeh's did more than think about socialism -- they actively practiced it. They are members of the Socialist Workers Party. Not exactly a group in the U.S. with a huge membership, but a passionate, dedicated group nonetheless.

In his memoir, When Skateboards Will be Free, Said tells us about what it's like to have a political childhood. The title refers to a longing Said had to own a skateboard. His mother told him that "when the revolution comes - skateboards will be free."

Said's father is a mathematics professor from Iran. His mother, a secretary. They split up when Said was very young, but did not divorce. Said lived with his mother in a series of run-down apartments. His father, brother and sister lived apart and were only occasionally and tangentially part of his life.

During the 70's & 80's Said observed his mother's extreme devotion to the party. Any free time was spent trying to sell copies of The Militant (the party's newspaper), going to party meetings, and supporting Socialist candidates. The latter particularly seemed like an extreme exercise in futility.

A vacation for Said meant going to Oberlin College in Ohio to attend party conventions or taking a Spring Break trip to Cuba. Pretty fun stuff for a kid!

Said is compassionate towards his parents, but recognizes early on that he is living a peculiar life. How many kids are addressed as "the little revolutionary," as his parents' "comrades" called him? He's good at spouting off party lines, but it's pretty clear that the words are hollow to him.

When Skateboards Will be Free is a short book and a quick read. I polished it off in a few reading sessions over the weekend. I liked the author and felt compassion towards him -- it's hard enough to be a kid, but when you're not like your peers it's even harder. Not only was his parents' beliefs a pain in the butt to him, but he also had to deal with his Iranian heritage -- not an easy feat during the Iran hostage crisis in the 80's.

I'd recommend this book to people. like me, who love memoirs. If you're curious about socialism, it's interesting as well. I don't think When Skateboards Will be Free will be used as a recruiting tool by the party, however.

The Nightingale by Morgana Gallaway

All Leila al-Ghani wants is to be a modern woman and a doctor. That's pretty hard, however, when you are living in Mosul, Iraq during the height of the insurgency.

Leila's father, Tamir, was a respected judge during Saddam's reign. The family lived an upper-middle class lifestyle. Leila was encouraged to dress in western jeans and to get an education. Leila has an undergraduate degree in biomedicine from the University of Cairo. Once the Iraq war began, everything changed. Leila's father has become a hard-line Muslim who supports the mujahideen.

Leila puts her life in danger when she secretly becomes a translator/medical assistant at a US field hospital in Mosul. There, she meets and eventually falls in love with a special forces solider, Captain James Cartwright.

Leila finds herself with divided loyalties. Does she obey her once beloved father, whose nickname for Leila is Nightingale or does she help the Americans advance their war efforts by betraying her fellow countrymen and later her own father?

This book is an excellent read. It gives you the war from an Iraqi's perspective -- dealing with violence, curfews, and shortages and American's treatment of Iraqi detainees. However, it also doesn't sugarcoat the fanatical Iraqis' cruelty. Honor killings, beheadings of traitors and tyranny toward women is all addressed. You experience the war through the eyes of Leila.

The Nightingale is also just one heck of an exciting, page-turning read. You'll find yourself rooting for Leila to make her escape from a god-awful situation.

Eat, drink and be from Mississippi by Nanci Kincaid

Courtney and Truely had what I think was an idyllic childhood in rural Mississippi. They had land, a stable family and a fishing pond right outside their house.

So, of course, the first thing Courtney does when she becomes an adult is leave for California. Truely a few years younger, follows his sister when he is able.

The brother and sister find material success in California. Courtney marries a wealthy real estate developer and Truely joins up with another young entrepreneur and makes his fortune. He marries an idealistic young teacher.

Several years later, they still have the success, but they don't have their spouses or their parents -- their spouses have divorced them and their parents have died.

Courtney and Truely become a two-person family unit. They find a common purpose when Arnold, a young, troubled black man enters their lives. They make it their goal to save Arnold from the streets. Courtney tutors him and encourages him to get his GED. Truely invites him to move into his upscale loft.

The two-person family unit becomes an unconventional three-person unit. Some of this transformation is interesting to read, while some of it is rather banal and boring. It took me a long time to get through the book -- it wasn't a "page-turner."

Yet, the characters were so admirable and likable that I managed to finally finish the novel this morning. My favorite parts of the book were the Mississippi portions. I thought it was moving when Truely found out that his father had secrets and flaws. I enjoyed the descriptions of plain ole Mississippi cuisine. It was cool to read how even sophisticated Californians took pleasure in simple things like fishing.

This is a good book with a satisfying ending. Be prepared to renew it at the library, however, you won't get through it in a weekend.

When Will There Be Good News? by Kate Atkinson

I selected this book because I liked the title - in these rough times "When Will There be Be News?" seems like an apt question.

The book begins 30 years ago, when a woman and her three children are walking along a rail road track in Scotland. A man springs from out of nowhere and proceeds to murder the family. Only one child, Joanna is able to escape when her mother yells to her: "Run Joanna Run!"

Joanna grows up to be a very kindly doctor who has a baby boy. Her mother's helper is Reggie a 16-year-old orphan who lets everyone think her mother is still alive.

Reggie is fond of her employer and is very devoted. When Joanna is informed that her family's murderer is out of prison. Joanna disappears and only Reggie seems to care.

Two other main characters in the book are Lousie, a police detective, and Jackson, a former policeman. At first it seemed that these two characters had their own separate stories but, eventually, you could see how the stories all entwined.

Another subplot in the book concerned Reggie's n'er do well brother, Billy. I admit that dyslexia or inattention made me got lost in that subplot.

I enjoyed Atkinson's writing and having the story set in Scotland added interest. Sometimes I had a little bit of trouble understanding the vernacular of the location, however.

The best part of the story for me was the relationship between Reggie and Joanna. Both had been through early childhood traumas and seemed to understand each other.

This was a good book -- partly a mystery, partly a thriller, partly a coming of age story.

Here's the Story by Maureen McCormick

Everyone has a deep, dark secret, I suppose, and here's mine: I love, love, love celebrity-authored, tell-all books. I know -- I'm shallow and frivolous. Just get off my back! I'm also extremely curious too. Curious about the lives of the rich and famous because I'm poor and pretty darn obscure!

That is why when I heard that Maureen McCormick -- Marcia Brady of 1970's The Brady Bunch (as if she needs an introduction!) had written an autobiography I just knew I had to put it on my Christmas wish list!!

I've read enough of these books by former child stars to know the formula:

"I had a dysfunctional family life, but a deep desire to be an actor. I got my lucky break on a wholesome family t.v. show. Little did I know, however, that my early fame would haunt me and propel me into a whirlwind of meaningless sex, alcohol abuse and drug addiction. It took some effort and soul-searching, but I was able to overcome the pitfalls of being a celebrity with therapy and/or religion and now I'm a stable, productive and happy person."

And that's the story for Maureen McCormick as well. Although I given away the plot, her story is still worth a read. For one thing, I really was surprised by the genuine love she seemed to have for her Brady family. Robert Reed sounded like a pain in the butt with his complaints about the quality of Brady Bunch scripts, but he was also a warm and caring person. For example, when a sequel of the Brady Bunch was proposed -- The Brady Brides -- he said that no one was going to give away his girls except him!

I would have loved more Brady Bunch gossip and anecdotes Marcia! That's why I asked Santa for the book after all! Most of the book concerned Maureen's post-Brady life. You might be surprised that Marcia Brady really loved the "blow!" I felt she spent far too much time detailing nearly every line of coke she ever snorted!!! It made for some pretty tedious reading!!

More interesting was her very active love life. Did you know, for example, that she had a serious relationship with Gregory Harrison? (t.v.'s Gonzo Gates/Levi Zindt -- hey there's a tell all book I'd like to read -- how 'bout it Gonzo?) She ruined her relationship because her lust for cocaine was stronger than her love of that dark, hunky, awesome Gregory Harrison! Marcia! Marcia! Marcia! No wonder why they call drugs "dope"!!!!!

The last part of the book detailed Maureen's fight to overcome her addictions, depression, and really bizarre family secrets and troubles. She's been married over 20 years now to the same guy and is a proud mother so I'd say she's done a pretty good job! She's now over 50 years old, but everyone will always think of her as an eternal teenager. She's seems o.k. with that.

One of my new year's resolution is to read and review more serious works of literature, but first... I must, must, must read the sequel to Keith Partridge/David Cassidy's autobiography!!!