Book Pick: I Regret Nothing

Le sigh. I have such a love/hate relationship with Jen Lancaster. And it doesn't seem to be improving.

I really loved her in the beginning. She was gutsy and sharp, and even though I didn't agree with her politics I certainly enjoyed her fighting spirit.

With each book, I feel less so.

And it's funny because in this most recent memoir (how many of those can one person write, exactly?) she waxes on about how people are so mean to her in online formats. The only thing I can think is this, Jen: you're not really that lovable. (Smug. That pretty much sums it up. And it's the word I see again and again when readers review her.) Not that you have to be lovable. That may not be your goal or even on your radar. But if you're really looking to learn and grow (like you always say you are) maybe you should consider that's why trolls are always busting your chops.

But I will say that and still be quick to tell anyone to be yourself. Haters be damned!

I'll admit I don't like to be hated on by online trolls either. It's low-down and absurdly cowardly. I also agree with Jen in how fake Facebook has become.

But that's about where our sisterhood ends. Once she goes on and on about how much money she has to throw away now, I begin to lose interest. And it's not that I don't think she earned it.....it's just not my bag, and I really don't care about how often a person visits an overpriced Starbucks in a day.

I think this latest book is just kind of boring. It's not that I root for her being poor, but in the earlier books she was working toward something: a job, a house, weight loss, self-improvement. Now she just seems to like to constantly remind everyone that she's a grown-up now and her life is awesome.

(And yes, I found her Midwesterner's guide to Italy equally boring. I'm not a fan of Liz Gilbert, either, FYI.)

Which brings me back to the ongoing theme of this book: "why don't y'all like me?" (Not that Jen would say y'all unless she was making fun of us Southerners, of course.)

So I guess as long as Jen truly has "no regrets" I suppose she should stop worrying about her nay-sayers, huh?

Just sayin. Or nay-sayin. Or whatever.

Reclaiming Your Childhood: Priceless

This story might take a minute to tell. Bear with me. When my sister and I were little girls, my mother took us to a large baptist church in town. Even as a child, I never remember feeling welcome there. But I do remember the lovely older couple that kept my Sunday School class. They gave us saltines and kool-aid, and I remember thinking they would be nice grandparents to have. At Christmastime, the Sunday School class was set to have a random gift exchange. Every child was supposed to bring a gift that could be exchanged with any other child.....no specific gift designations. I received the gift of an Avon 7 bead necklace which was very popular at the time. I loved it so much and was thrilled to have it! I was somewhere between 5 and 7 at the time. (Back in the 1970's and 80's, Avon was a cosmetic company that was also known for it's inexpensive jewelry. I couldn't find a price on what this necklace would have cost back then, but apparently there is ...

My Week with Rumor

My dog Rumor was an experiment. A trial offer. And all parties knew that going in. Except for maybe Rumor. Rumor was an outdoor country dog. His given name was Ruger (named after a firearm if you don't know, I didn't) which made sense for a dog raised in hunting country. He was a stray that came to live with a loving family at about the age of 1. He lived outdoors, slept in a garage crate at night, frolicked with an older dog pack and had a lovely life. We think he was about 4 years old. He had been neutered, had vet care and was by no means a "rescue". His dad offered Ruger to me on a give-it-a-try basis. He knew I wanted a dog. He told me Ruger would be sweet to me and also be my protector. He was right on both counts. He told me if it didn't work out, I could bring Ruger back to him and his wife. I could tell they were a little sad when they dropped him off. It made me glad to see that Ruger came from such ...

NYE for $200, Alex

Can we all just agree that New Year's Eve is the worst of the string of winter holidays? I would even go so far as saying it's THE WORST of all the holidays. I loved when Stanford Blatch defined a party as feeling very "forced festive". To me, most NYE parties feel that way. The idea that this is a big year-end blow-out and we'd all damn well better make it awesome! The reason I hate NYE is because it combines two of things I most hate about celebrations: cold weather and crowds. Plus it's during a time of year when everyone has already spent all their money. AND you usually have to the leave the house. ADDITIONALLY, you have to stay up late. It's a big F.U. from me on all this. I would dare say that some of my happiest New Year's memories have been spent at home in my pajamas with either my child, an S.O. or happily alone. I remember one unforgettable year of moving into a 3rd floor apartment on NYE. I rememb...

Becky's Greatest Hits Vol. II

Search This Blog