Smashed: Story of a Drunken Girlhood by Koren Zailckas


My rating: 2 of 5 stars
So far, there are a couple of reasons I really like Smashed. First, she's exactly my age, so when she's talking about things that happend in highschool, etc, it's kind of fun to see the social parallels, but secondly,she's from New England. I'm more than a little obsessed with all things New England since I'm a transplant. (I've watched The Departed and the Dennis Lehane movies more times that I can count). Her bio says she grew up in the 'suburbs of Boston', but when she's talking about a girl who goes to her regional high school andsays "Billie lives in the bordering town of Clinton..." I gasped in excitement, because that's just up the road!

It's a bio that I'm hopingdoesn't turn out to be bogus like that of James Frey.

I wanted to read it before sending it off to my 15 year-old niece as a'cautionary tale' (yep, I'm *that* aunt) and have found that it's really good, frank, and I think that most parents would benefit from reading it even if your kids aren't there yet.

Even though the 'times are different' it hasn't been all THAT long since I was in high school, but I feel like I've forgotten a lot of the nuance. Oh yeah, and I never drank in high school.

The above was written when I was only about a third into the book...I have to say it went downhill from there. She was either grossly exaggerating her drinking in parts, or in fierce denial in others because she'd talk about slugging drink after vodka-filled drink for hours on end on a regular basis, while maintaining a certain level of function; but at others would say things about how 'some' people could tolerate 3 long island iced teas while she was blasted after just two.

I also felt like she never, really, admitted that she had a problem. Saying instead that she didn't have a "genetically based reaction to alcohol that addiction counselors call 'a disease'" or "I drank for the explicit purpose of getting drunk, getting brave, or medicating my moods."

Even though the book is aimed at being a cautionary tale for teen-age alcohol abuse, it's more a cautionary tale for not owning your alcoholism. She was/is an alcoholic. Period. I'm disappointed that she never admitted that. She only says that she stopped drinking because her husband enabled her to feel in a way that she formerly couldn't without alcohol...um...that's alcoholism.

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* Cross-posted at Knitty Reviews

Calling All Modern Moms!

I find myself lately itching for the next baby ...okay, nursery, as it'll finally be in an honest to goodness house...our first home. I love flipping through websites and catalogues like Land of Nod and looking at all the bold prints and funky furniture because a Whinnie the Pooh nursery will just never be for me.

There's an online shop that's headquartered on Boylston Street in Boston called AllModernBaby, and they carry some of my favorite lines like Stokke (including the Stokke Tripp Trapp chair, which you can use from infancy to adulthood and carries a seven year guarantee on all wooden parts), Maclaren, Dwell Studio and Bugaboo (my dream stroller). Like they say, champagne tastes on a beer budget...

Every time our Land of Nod catologue comes, I am drawn to the Stokke Sleepi crib. There's just something really appealing about an oval shaped crib in a square room.

AllModernBaby is a fun site full of splurges and steals; right now there's some great wall art at 50% off, and they offer large discounts on returned items. For instance, a Skip Hop diaper bag in 'West Side Wave' is available for $75, when it lists at 149.99 plus free shipping! Definitely the place to go if you're intent on creating a one of a kind nursery with quality, eco-friendly pieces.

From now until next Friday (July 31st), your comments will be entered in a drawing, with the prize of your choice of item up to $50 from the AllModernBaby site! With the sales going on right now, you could really get a great prize! Browse around on the site and then leave a comment here telling my what your biggest splurge (for your baby's room or gear) would be if money were no object. I'll choose one winner randomly, and announce it here on Saturday, August 1st.

Good luck!

The 19th Wife: A Novel by David Ebershoff


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The 19th Wife drew my attention as I was checking out Under the Banner of Heaven for the second time. This is quite likely my least well articulated review, but I found myself with so much to say after reading this, I'm still editing and tweaking a post about it. I find books about any religion that deal with the history and founding of it, in conjunction with how those ideals are standing up now, very interesting. There were several things that I really liked about this book, but here are just a few;



Ebershoff has you on the edge of your google button throughout the entire novel, wondering which parts of Ann Eliza's tale are straight from her book, and what has been embellished in order to keep the book moving. Twisting the two stories of Ann Eliza Young, the famed '19th wife' of Brigham Young (Mormon prophet) who left the church and denounced plural marriage and a modern-day '19th wife' in the polygamous sect 'The Firsts' who is accused of murdering her husband.



I appreciated that the author was very clear in the modern-day scenario to separate the polygamous group from the official LDS church, as they are so often lumped together. Kelly Dee, a graduate student at BYU's Women's Studies program is writing a thesis throughout and it documents her attempts to gain access to the sealed archives that would shed light on the details of Brigham and Ann Eliza. She is ultimately given access and able to complete her thesis.



Kelly made the statement several times in her request that by embracing their history, and acknowledging their polygamist past that the Mormon church would be able to truly move forward. Had the doctrine of polygamy not been retracted in 1890, it's thought that the faith would surely have fizzled out to just a fringe group.



Being able to acknowledge that, of course there are things in the church's past that are unsavory, and motives that can be questioned, and practices that should never have been endorsed but were...that's true of any religion.



The storyline regarding the modern-day "Wife #19" was so intriguing because it shed some light on just how little the people living in communes and other cults question what they're being told. Jordan, a son of Wife 19 had been previously ex-communicated for taking his step-sister's hand during a conversation, so was living elsewhere when news of the murder hit the news stands. Throughout the novel, he's returned to Mesadale, home of The Firsts, so that he can attempt to assist in his mother's defense.



Because this review doesn't contain spoilers, you'll have to read for yourself to find out 'who done it'.



If you're concerned that having people read this book will give them ammunition in their theological arguments against the modern-day church, I don't think that's the case. Everybody loves to read about a scandal...a book about your average LDS dentist neighbor, his friendly wife, and five hard-working caffeine-and-R-rated film-free kids probably wouldn't be flying off the shelves.


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Lady and the Tramp

May I just say that I was slightly embarassed when I heard the newest term for one of my gotta-have-it-now-that-I live-in-the-big-city-at-the-tender-age-of-23, oh-so-unoriginal (both in theme and placement) tattoos? Yep, the tramp stamp. Can't wait until my boys come home from school realizing that mommy has one...I looked at J the other night and asked "How could you have just stood by and let me get that?!" He didn't even respond beyond his scoff and eye roll, because we both knew it was an asinine question...had he said a thing, it would have been bigger and trampier.

**I should add, however, that one unforeseen advantage has been noted by both anesthesiologists when placing my epidural...that middle flower is dead center for needle insertion.

Rip, Rip It Good

I was going to put this sweater in the yardsale because it had had it's day in the sun...then I looked at all that yarn and decided I'd do my first re-purposing project. You can see at the bottom where I started to unravel it. I'll have to put it aside until I finish the socks I'm doing, but we'll see how it goes! I may make something for the boys, we'll see.