Books I Read in August and Whether or Not You Should Read Them

What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty

Plot: "Alice Love is twenty-nine, crazy about her husband, and pregnant with her first child. So imagine Alice’s surprise when she comes to on the floor of a gym and is whisked off to the hospital where she discovers the honeymoon is truly over — she’s getting divorced, she has three kids and she’s actually 39 years old. Alice must reconstruct the events of a lost decade, and find out whether it’s possible to reconstruct her life at the same time. She has to figure out why her sister hardly talks to her, and how is it that she’s become one of those super skinny moms with really expensive clothes. 

Ultimately, Alice must discover whether forgetting is a blessing or a curse, and whether it’s possible to start over." -Via Goodreads

Favorite quote: 

"It was good to remember that for every horrible memory from her marriage, there was also a happy one. She wanted to see it clearly, to understand that it wasn’t all black, or all white. It was a million colors." 

My thoughts: I loved this book. Absolutely loved it. It was different than I was expecting, since the other two Moriarty books I've read were filled with mystery and, well, murder, but this one was just as compelling. 

She has a way of flawlessly weaving multiple characters' stories together in a way that is satisfying but not overwhelming. When I finished the book, it was like I had finished three books about three different people, and I didn't have any questions left about any of them. 

This book made me think a lot about marriage--what it means, what mine means, how certain things can change it and hurt it and help it. It was a really, really thought-provoking book. Can a relationship as big as a marriage stay the same when two people change so much? 

I don't really know how to go all the way into telling you why I loved it without spoiling some things, but I will say this: I was incredibly satisfied with the ending...and that doesn't happen too often! 

Should you read it? Yes!

Belly Laughs: The Naked Truth About Pregnancy and Childbirth by Jenny McCarthy

Plot: "Oh, the joys of pregnancy! There's the gassiness, constipation, queasiness, and exhaustion, the forgetfulness, crankiness, and the constant worry. Of course, no woman is spared the discomforts and humiliations of pregnancy, but most are too polite to complain or too embarrassed to talk about them. Not Jenny McCarthy! In the New York Times best-selling Belly Laughs, actress and new mother Jenny McCarthy reveals the naked truth about the tremendous joys, the excruciating pains, and the unseemly disfigurement that go along with pregnancy. Never shy, frequently crude, and always laugh-out-loud funny, McCarthy covers it all in the grittiest of girlfriend detail. From morning sickness and hormonal rage, to hemorrhoids, pregnant sex, and the torture and sweet relief that is delivery, Belly Laughs is must-read comic relief for anyone who is pregnant, who has ever been pregnant, is trying to get pregnant, or, indeed, has ever been born!" -via Goodreads

Favorite quote: There is not a single quote I can write here that isn't too embarrassing or too crude. And that tells you everything you need to know. 

My thoughts: My sweet friend Meg gave this to me (just right before she went into labor, actually!) and told me "Ignore the fact that it's by Jenny McCarthy...it's hilarious and true and you will cry from laughing." 

I read this in one day--it's short and sweet and the chapters are 2-3 pages each. It didn't teach me anything, didn't tell me to do anything, it just sympathized with me hilariously. Yes, you WILL be pregnant forever. No, anchovies and ice cream isn't gross at all. No, you're not psychotic at all. It's totally normal to throw things at the television because you hate the commercial thats on.

Should you read it? If you're preggo and looking for a laugh, go for it. 

One More Wish (Christy & Todd: The Married Years) by Robin Jones Gunn

Plot: I'm not going to put the plot here because there are so many more books to read before this one, and I don't want to spoil anything for you. You can read it here if you want.

Favorite quote: 

"The future didn't frighten her when she felt this content. It was the joy of the sacred "now." 

My thoughts: Sometimes, fiction books can teach me more about what I'm needing to learn than books actually written on that subject can. This book taught me a lot about patience and contentment and not worrying about the unknown--it was the absolute perfect read for me right now. 

The Christy Miller series was my favorite in middle school/high school. Much to my happiness, the author has continued writing about her life, so it's like I've grown up with Christy. While I was turning 23 this year, she was turning 26. Reading this book was like catching up with an old friend, and I loved it. 

Should you read it? Yes! But, if you've never heard of Christy Miller, than no. You need to go read the very first book in the Christy Miller Series and then go from there.