Anyone who has ever had a reason to discuss typos with me knows that I love them. It’s not just that I don’t mind them (although I don’t) but that I actually really enjoy them. I feel like they make authors seem human (which they are). Plus there are a lot of typos that make me laugh; it’s like you have your own private joke with the author when you realize that they messed up a little bit.

I mention this because one of the things that I remember about today’s book of the day is that the version I have had a lot of typos in it. None of them were really glaring typos but there were enough of them in there that it stands out in my memory. It made me smile as I read the book but it wasn’t so many that someone else would be totally annoyed reading my copy.

The book is called Falling: I Find Wings and the author is Betty Morris. Although the typos stand out in my mind, I do actually remember the book as well – perhaps because I read it more than once. It’s the story of a female therapist and four of the women she is working with. Through the tales of these different women, we get to examine the different problems (particularly with relationships) that women might have at different stages of their lives.

I liked this book. I also like the fact that it’s kind of hard to find. It might be available on Paperback Swap or through one of the major bookstores online.

Tags: book recommendation, book review, books, kathryn vercillo, reading, smartchick

Sometimes the books that I read are books that I like but only kind of like. I think that’s okay. We’re not going to like every feature of every book that we read but we can still get something out of the books if we give them a chance. That’s how I felt about reading Marianne Williamson’s Enchanted Love: The Mystical Power Of Intimate Relationships.

The thing about this book is that it has a really spiritual basis to it. I don’t mind reading spiritual books and even seek out some of the books that describe Eastern spirituality but I’m not particularly drawn to books that talk a lot about God. This book is about relationships and I’m not sure how I feel about God being brought into discussions about relationships so I wasn’t wholeheartedly interested in this book.

However, it’s actually a really great read in a lot of ways. It describes some very great tips for looking at relationships through a lens that can allow them to develop better which I think is always something that’s worth thinking more about it. Plus I really loved the magical storytelling voice that the author uses to describe things. It’s almost like reading a fairy tale for adults that’s all about how to find love.

Williamson is a well-known author. If you’re interested in self-help books or books about relationships that you might like this one. You can get it from Amazon through the link above or over at Paperback Swaps.

Tags: book recommendation, book review, books, enchanted love, kathryn vercillo, marianne williamson, reading, smartchick

Yesterday I wrote about a book (Confessions of a Serial Dater) that was a fun easy-to-read work of fiction. Some people believe that all fiction is “fluffy” like this. I beg to differ. There are some novels that really address important issues and cause you to think about the lives of the characters even if those characters aren’t real. One great example of such a book is The Effects of Light by Miranda Beverley-Whittemore.

This is a book that I came across randomly at a book store many years ago. I read it once then and it struck me as a great book. Then I forgot about it until about a year ago when I re-read it. Once again, it struck me as a really great book. Things that are terrific about it:

• The writing is really stellar. Sometimes you get that in fiction and sometimes you don’t. With this book, you do.
• The imagery is impressive. The book is related to photography and you can tell that the author has an interest in the topic simply by how well she describes the images in the book.
• The topic is controversial. Without giving too much away, the story is about two girls who had nude pictures taken of them and these pictures create a controversy that makes for an interesting storyline.

This is one of those books that I don’t want to describe in too much detail because it’s really a lot better if you read it yourself! I’ve read it a few times but now I’m done with it so I’ve posted it for trade at Paperback Swap. You can also get it at Amazon through the link above.

Tags: book recommendation, book review, books, effects of light, fiction, kathryn vercillo, miranda beverley-whittemore, paperback swap, reading, smartchick

Just a quick note to let you know about a new feature that will be starting up here on Diary of a Smart Chick for the month of July. I’m going to be doing daily book recommendations. I read a lot of books. I usually read mutliple books at one time and I try to read daily. As a result, I have opinions on a lot of different books and I’d like some place to share those opinions. I’m hoping that this blog will serve as a good place. If it does then I’ll continue posting daily about different books for the rest of the year (with July being the trial for that). Would love to get your feedback on this new feature as the month goes on so feel free to leave your comments!

Note: I use Paperback Swap to trade books. I think it’s a great way to get books at a super low cost as well as a great way to recycle the books that I’m done reading. The first set of books that I’ll be reviewing on Diary of a Smart Chick will be from my bookshelf of available books on Paperback Swap. After that I’ll continue with the books on my own shelf and the books I’m getting from the library.

Tags: book recommendation, book review, books, diary of a smart chick, kathryn vercillo, paperback swap

The weather in San Francisco has been sunny and beautiful for a change. In fact, it’s been so beautiful that I actually got the chance to spend an entire day at the beach over the weekend which is a rarity around here. There was a breeze but no wind and the perfect amount of California sunshine. It was ideal for lounging around with an easy-to-read novel and that’s exactly what I did.

My book of choice was The Summer of Naked Swim Parties by Jessica Anya Blau. It’s the story of a teenage girl growing up in the 1970′s with hippie parents whose liberal attitudes cause her a lot of discomfort and confusion a she tries to develop her own sense of self and sexuality. The book is about self-development as well as about relationships.

There are three types of relationships that play out in the book – the girl’s relationships with boys, her relationships with her friends and her relationships within her family. Each of these relationships is described in such a way that the reader can truly relate to what the girl is going through. There is a thud of honesty here that makes you think, “yeah, that’s actually how it really is” in regards to how these relationships change and develop at that age.

Through the series of events that happen in the novel, the main character learns the lesson that most of end up learning … that boys will come and go and friends will come and go but our families will always be there for us. We may be embarassed by them or frustrated with them or we may need to separate from them as we establish our own identities but in the end they are going to be there.

Put simply, this is a very human book. It’s an easy read but it’s an interesting one and I’d definitely recommend it as summer reading this year.

Tags: book recommendation, books, jessica anya blau, kathryn vercillo, reading, summer of naked swim parties, summer reads

I have just finished reading The Bitch in the House: 26 Women Tell the Truth About Sex, Solitude, Work, Motherhood, and Marriage. This is a collection of essays that makes a complete anthology of how women (mostly females who make a decent living at writing) feel about their lives as women. A theme that seems to course through the book is that these women are trying to figure out the nuances of how to make choices and decisions in a life comprised of multiple demands and options.

What is great about this anthology is that it is filled with really honest and articulate writing about emotions and thoughts that sometimes don’t get revealed in other types of writing. The women who contributed to this anthology all seem to be able to take the many different (and often contradictory) feelings that they’ve dealt with over the years and to put them into words that any reader can clearly understand even when the emotions themselves may have been confusing.

People today are struggling to make choices in a world where there isn’t a set pattern for how to live your life. Both men and women decide every day about how to handle their daily decisions in a way that is true to who they are and yet flexible enough to accommodate the changing needs of others in their lives. Reading this book provides insight into how some smart, independent women are figuring that out. For women who need more than just their own social circle to help them understand the thoughts and feelings that they themselves are having, this book is a great start.

Tags: anthology, bitch in the house, book recommendation, book review, books, books for women, cathi hanauer, essays, hanauer, reading