Book Review: Cheerful Money

I received this book in a holiday book exchange for my book club. I started to read this book three times, actually finishing it on the third attempt. I hate to leave books unfinished, and yet, I was very tempted to, even with this third and final try. 

This is essentially an upper class family memoir. Lots of name dropping, vacations, second homes, marriages and money. Also, a great deal of dysfunction. 

Just as with any family, there are some very funny stories, drama and scandals. It was the promise of that which kept me turning the pages. Unfortunately, the author drowns a great deal of it in pretentious language, requiring constant referral to a dictionary (my Nook would have been helpful for this). 

I would also have preferred a more linear history than the tack chosen by the author, but that is my personal choice. 

All-in-all, not a book that I would recommend, unless you knew the author or his family. 

Catherine Schmidt's review 

Oct 24, 11  ·  edit

Read from October 18 to 24, 2011

Liam's Birthday

A little late but . . .

Liam turned 9 last month.  He chose buffalo chicken wings at BW3 for dinner with a Graeters Buckeye Blitz ice cream cake for dessert.  Yum!

Happy Ninth Birthday Liam!

Hard to believe that I quit working nine years ago with the birth of Liam.  What a crazy nine years it has been!

Homecomings

The older boys have been busy with various Homecomings . . . 

Patrick:

    

Conor:

Getting so old!

Happy Father's Day!!

Happy Father's Day to the two dad's in my life . . .

My father; aka Papa, Daddy, Kikki, Kip, Kippy . . .

And the father of my children; aka Mark, Dad, Daddy, Marky and Marky-Mark . . .

Both great examples to the five future fathers we are raising!

Awards Ceremony

Prior to graduation, Conor had his eighth grade awards ceremony.  Just a few pictures from that day . . .

Like father,  like son

Award number one:

The big one . . . .

Way to go Conor!!

Graduation

Conor graduated from eighth grade a couple of weekends ago.  He promptly started up with conditioning for his high school soccer team the next day.  No rest for the weary!  He is now embroiled in his pre-latin readiness class.  Poor baby is up and out of the house around 6:35 am most days.  I love tired children!!

Book Review: Here, Home, Hope

Here, Home, Hope is a good, mindless beach read.  I hate to label it chick lit, but probably more "beach book"; one that gets left behind at the rental property.

I really wanted to like this book.  The setting is close to my home town.  I loved identifying with popular places, restaurants and stores. And for that reason, I found it fun.

Unfortunately, the book is best characterized as being trite.  I really didn't like and couldn't identify or sympathize with any of the characters.  I felt that the author attempted to hit on a lot of controversial topics (eating disorders, rape, underage drinking, midlife crisis, infidelity, divorce, suburban pettiness, to name a few) without really delving into any one of them deeply enough.  Everything was dealt with in a very superficial fashion.  Ultimately, all ends well and is wrapped up with a bow at the end.  All of it.  Ugh!

The author is a very accomplished person in her own right.  It appears as if "write a novel" was on her bucket list.  Done.

I received this novel as a PDF version of an advanced readers copy through my involvement with One2One Network.  I received no compensation for this review and all opinions expressed are completely my own.