Book Reviews

It has been so nice being off work and having Carlos off, too. We haven't done anything particularly interesting, but we are enjoying the time off.

I'm always reading, either new books or rereading old favorites. I was actually very disappointed with a recent purchase, Faro's Daughter by Georgette Heyer. Normally, her books are hilarious. They are old historical romances (the romance generally consists of a couple of kisses on the last page), with remarkably witty dialog and well-done characters that usually have me giggling at each page. This one, unfortunately, wasn't very funny. The guy was a boorish jerk, the girl was stupid, and I won't bother reading it again. I'd give it a 2 out of 5 stars. If you are interested in one of her better ones, read The Corinthian or The Masqueraders.

The non-fiction book I've been reading recently is Raising Our Children, Raising Ourselves, by Naomi Aldort. A bit of hyperbole to follow, but there is some accuracy in it: If you read books by Ezzo, Dobson and some of that ilk, you get the idea very quickly that babies and children are BAD. They are selfish, manipulative little monsters that must be defeated by the parents against whom they are at war. This book presents a very different perspective of children who are always trying to do their best in any given situation. Parents need to validate and just deal with their own issues. OK, as I said, that was exaggerated and oversimplified. It was actually a good book that I am glad to have in my toolbox, and one that I will draw on at times. There were times when the way things were phrased made me roll my eyes a bit, but I felt like I was a better mom on the days that I applied some of the principles in the book. I'd give it a 4 out of 5. Playful Parenting by Lawrence Cohen was better, though.