I wanted to like this book much more than I did. I saw it on a Slate list of favorites from the year, and felt like a coming of age novel about a younI wanted to like this book much more than I did. I saw it on a Slate list of favorites from the year, and felt like a coming of age novel about a young woman growing up during the depression would be an interesting read.
And the protagonist, Thea Atwell, is a stand out character - full of deeply held desires, impulses, and emotions. But it is as if all of the available dimension has been given over to her - the secondary characters are all completely flat. Leona is the best of the lot, but only because being cooly imperious gives a good reason for her distance.
Even the long build up to the Family Secret of Bad Behavior that got Thea sent away is really an anti-climactic reveal. I expected Georgie to have been kicked in the head by her horse, or at least to have been damaged in a way that was more directly Thea's fault.
It's not the worst book ever, but I would not put it on any best lists.
This is a heart warming exploration of where the author's missing cat went while he was missing. It's a great book about the lengths people will go toThis is a heart warming exploration of where the author's missing cat went while he was missing. It's a great book about the lengths people will go to in an attempt to try to understand our animals....more
This is a good, albeit selective and somewhat self-serving, justification memoir set against the backdrop of the Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark musicalThis is a good, albeit selective and somewhat self-serving, justification memoir set against the backdrop of the Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark musical fiasco.
Glen Berger, as one of the main writers, has a front row seat to all the things that go wrong, and right, and terribly and brilliantly as the show develops and then gathers steam, only to languish in previews for over 100 performances. He certainly portrays Julie Taymor as a bit of a diva, but his respect for her as an artist shines through, to the point that the reader is not entirely sure whether she is a misunderstood genius/victim of circumstance or a megalomaniac disaster. It seems that Berger himself is not sure, and it is his overwhelming wishy-washiness, his mealy mouthed nature, which makes him a bit difficult to root for as a protagonist. He comes off as nothing so much as cloying throughout the course of the book.
He also skims over the various serious injuries to members of the cast - and although he amends the notes at the end of the book to update the reader on several later phone calls he received from Julie Taymor, he fails to mention the announced closing of the show, and the serious injury that resulted in amputation for one of the actors.
The book might be worth it, for a behind the scenes look at a disaster in the making, or for a serious fan of U2, as the details of how Bono and Edge created the music and lyrics are by far the most interesting thing Glen Berger's story has to offer....more
The sparkle of the earlier installments of this series is absent in this particular book. The characters have gotten older, which is to be expected, bThe sparkle of the earlier installments of this series is absent in this particular book. The characters have gotten older, which is to be expected, but most unfortunately they also seem to have become less introspective, observant, and intelligent overall. The introduction of new characters, essentially so that they can be killed off as plot line cannon fodder, is particularly strange and distressing. I love Ursula, but this is far from Blanchard's best work....more
Visitation Street is a hard book to categorize. It's a novel about a neighborhood in the middle of a sometimes awkward transformation. And it's a noveVisitation Street is a hard book to categorize. It's a novel about a neighborhood in the middle of a sometimes awkward transformation. And it's a novel about the characters who inhabit this particular topography. The mystery, although it is the impetus for much of the action, is almost secondary. The real intrigue is in the glimpses that you get into the minds of this cast of characters, all of whom are thoroughly and compellingly drawn....more
I had never read Allie Brosh's blog before, but as this book was getting mad good reviews, I decided to give it a try. And wow - every bit of praise tI had never read Allie Brosh's blog before, but as this book was getting mad good reviews, I decided to give it a try. And wow - every bit of praise that she has gotten is extremely well deserved. The drawings are sometimes rudimentary, but that's a key part of their charm. She uses them to amplify her writing, to highlight elements of her stories (the goose silhouette! the goose in the rearview mirror) that enhance the tale in delightfully hilarious ways.
And, for all that the book is absolutely one to read in a place where others will not be bothered by periodic outbursts of laughter - Brosh's cartoons about depression illustrate the ways in which mental illness is misunderstood better than any other book in recent memory. (I still think about the picture of her with the dead fish in her hand, frequently.)
The only reason I'm giving it four stars instead of five is because I did feel that some of the segments were slightly repetitive in theme (the procrastination ones, in particular - was she using some filler there to make a deadline?).
Overall, the book manages to walk the fine line between the serious and the silly with great aplomb, and is a quick and fun read. Highly recommended....more
This book is right at the outer limits of how creepy a book I can stand. One of those books that grabs all of your imagination and makes you - for houThis book is right at the outer limits of how creepy a book I can stand. One of those books that grabs all of your imagination and makes you - for hours or days of weeks - afraid of the dark in the way that you were as a child. It's excellently done, and a fantastically written thriller of a story. It doesn't stop with making the hairs on the back of your neck stand up - it will not be satisfied until you have turned on all the lights in the apartment to ward off the nameless terrors....more
This is an extremely well-written book about two people who, at the end of a 25 year marriage, are essentially tired of each other. It is an impressivThis is an extremely well-written book about two people who, at the end of a 25 year marriage, are essentially tired of each other. It is an impressive feat, that at the end of a fairly short novel, the reader is as sick of them as they are of themselves. Although O'Nan's prose is biting and sarcastic and crackles off the page, the book leaves the reader with a feeling of existential depression about the state of relationships over time, and the state of the world in general. The ostensibly happy ending feels strangely out of place and unrealistic, amid all the other grimness that abounds....more
This book is an absolute delight. It is a rare thing when an author's gift for making a reader cry at the sadness in her fictional world is equally maThis book is an absolute delight. It is a rare thing when an author's gift for making a reader cry at the sadness in her fictional world is equally matched by her ability to make the reader laugh out loud at the absurdity and ridiculous and joyousness of same. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is one of my new favorites....more
After my disappointment in "Sycamore Row," this book was like a tonic. It's incredibly well written, it doesn't shirk away from the ugly realities of After my disappointment in "Sycamore Row," this book was like a tonic. It's incredibly well written, it doesn't shirk away from the ugly realities of history, and it has a powerful female protagonist. It has all the best elements of a page turning thriller and a genuine mystery which leaves you guessing until the end....more
Marilyn Hagerty is not a remarkable food critic, and Grand Forks, North Dakota is not really a hub of restaurant culture. But what makes this book so Marilyn Hagerty is not a remarkable food critic, and Grand Forks, North Dakota is not really a hub of restaurant culture. But what makes this book so interesting is story that is captured over time - twenty five years of reviews are included here - about dining in America.
In the early years, it's all about Blue Plate Specials, pot pies, and local specialties of Norwegian and Germanic cuisine. [I freely admit to being previous unaware of lefse (a soft flat potato bread) and lutefisk (fish steeped in lye?!) before I picked up this book.] Then, slowly, the names of chain restaurants begin to encroach. Taco Bell (a cool pastel oasis, per Mrs. Hagerty), Subway (where you have to make too many choices), and Dairy Queen are among the first to appear. They are later joined by McDonalds, Red Lobster, Wendy's, Arby's, Applebee's. The heartbreaking element of this picture is written in the epigraphs following each review, how many of the small family owned businesses are no longer in business, and how many of the chains are still operating and thriving in the area.
Marilyn Hagerty reviews every new restaurant in town. She goes to the chains, she revisits old favorites, she looks into the restaurants that operate out of truck stops, meals served at the VFW, local dinner theater offerings, and everything in between. Her writing style reminds me of Dot Weems' bulletins in Fried Green Tomatoes and the Whistle Stop Cafe. (Sample observation: "Pretty good. That's exactly what Constant Companion says when he is pleased with something. Men don't get exuberant." ) She is folksy and plain spoken. She tells you what she likes (white table linens, cloth napkins, servers who do not swoop in to clear your plates before everyone in the party is done eating) and what she doesn't (spelling errors on menus, overly salty soup, plastic silverware).
Through it all, she has a politeness that I associate with my grandmother's generation, a desire to accentuate the positive in any experience, instead of dwelling on the minuses of any particular restaurant experience. She's also not a genuinely adventurous eater (if a Rueben or a club sandwich is on the menu, she may not need to look further for her order) but she is genuinely engaged in the enterprise of food reporting as she tries lavosh bread for the first time, or orders a chickpea curry, and even - towards the end of the book - octopus while in New York. When she doesn't seem to like the food she might describe it as "good enough" or "adequate" and then quickly move on to describing the restaurant's decor in detail.
The book also winds up being an unintentional chronicle of life in Grand Forks both before and after the flood that ravaged this area of North Dakota in 1997. And a chronicle of Marilyn Hagerty's life before and after the death - during the year they spend in Bismarck while Grand Forks was recovering from the devastation - of her husband and Constant Companion. You get a sense of her pluck as she goes out for new meals with friends old and new after she gets back to town. Although this is a book that is composed entirely of restaurant reviews, it captures so much more in its pages.
The only reason that I am not giving this book five stars is that I think less might have been more in terms of some of the inclusions here. Her unaffected style is great, but over the course of 128 reviews, starts to seem a bit repetitive towards the end.
But, as we are likely to see the end of daily printed newspapers in my lifetime, it makes me unaccountably happy that Marilyn Hagerty and her Eatbeat column can still exist in this world. She is one of the last of her breed, and I really enjoyed her company over the course of this collection. ...more
Having never read "Eat, Pray, Love," I came to Elizabeth Gilbert's latest novel without any expectations. From its first pages, The Signature of All THaving never read "Eat, Pray, Love," I came to Elizabeth Gilbert's latest novel without any expectations. From its first pages, The Signature of All Things revealed itself to be exactly the kind of book that I like. It is epic in scope, but intimate in detail. It has a strong female protagonist, with a great supporting cast of characters that all feel palpably real. The historical expanse of the nineteenth century, and of this particular moment in the study of the natural world, is exquisitely rendered.
I would rate this book as comparable to A.S. Byatt's "Possession" and also as the equal of any of Sarah Waters' novels of this time period. I love the metaphor of the moss as it relates to Alma Whittaker -- its adaptability and resilience, and its incredible patience -- the way it does so much while appearing to have not accomplished much at all. But given time, as Alma notes, it eats boulders, and transforms the world.
It's been a long time since I picked up a John Grisham novel, but I remember enjoying his early work - The Firm. The Pelican Brief, and especially A TIt's been a long time since I picked up a John Grisham novel, but I remember enjoying his early work - The Firm. The Pelican Brief, and especially A Time to Kill. So the idea of this sequel had me interested enough to seek out "Sycamore Row," but it really doesn't live up to the hype.
Just by its nature, a tale of justice and revenge, with an insanity plea and a capital punishment case (A Time to Kill) is going to be inherently more interesting than the probate of a will. No matter how much money is at stake, and no matter how acrimonious the petitioners are, it's never going to be a life or death story. It's more like a Rich or Poor Story, or a Rich or Slightly Less Rich Story - which is just not as compelling.
I remember Grisham as an excellent creator of characters - but it seems like he has either gotten tired, or lost his knack for it somewhere along the way. Even as opposed to The Firm, where several floors of lawyers were rendered as interesting and distinct people -none of the new characters in this installment are very richly, or even very completely, drawn. They feel like pencil sketches more than individuals. Especially in light of the over abundance of lawyers involved with the case, having a few distinguishing traits between the horde of them would have been really helpful.
Also, the "twist" at the end is telegraphed so early that the eventual wrap up seems both obvious and contrived. And the willingness of the judge to bend/throw out procedure and the rules of evidence is over the top unbelievable.
After finishing "Sycamore Row," I would prefer to remember Grisham as the writer he was at his best, and forget all about this tedious attempt to recapture his earlier energy....more
Reading this book is like watching a classic Hitchcock movie for the first time. There are jolts, and shocks, and really great moments of not knowing Reading this book is like watching a classic Hitchcock movie for the first time. There are jolts, and shocks, and really great moments of not knowing things that you thought you knew. As a thriller, it is top notch.
But the characters are exclusively and relentlessly unsympathetic - so don't expect to spend any time really enjoying their company. Sometimes there are villains who are really good at heart, and sometimes there are villains who are delightfully evil to the point of being fun to read about. But a story where the two main characters are equal parts victim and villain can be a bit wearing.
After reading it, I initially felt that the book should have ended earlier - that it continued needlessly past the point of ultimate denouement. But I've come to feel that inserting the day to day realism of what life would be like after the events of the main story is actually a great counterpoint to the main part of the narrative.
A lot of the raves for this book are related to the fantastic use it makes of the unreliable narrator device. And it is great, but it is also a trick that's only going to fool the reader one time. I don't think this book is one that a reader would really go back to again - but it's quite a ride the first time through....more
It is a truth universally acknowledged that the market is flooded with Austen knock offs, but Longbourn manages to be its own animal - refreshingly unIt is a truth universally acknowledged that the market is flooded with Austen knock offs, but Longbourn manages to be its own animal - refreshingly unique, well written, and resulting in a fresh take on a familiar story.
Sarah, the main character, is a bit of a below stairs Elizabeth. She's interested in the world around her, she's plucky, and a reader - but due to her position as an overworked house maid, she is also more of a drudge. One of the best things about Longbourn is the way that it uses snippets of Austen's original text - a throw away line about a private being flogged, or shoe roses gotten by proxy - and builds them into this narrative as part of the lives of the servants. It serves to tie the new story to the old, adding richness and depth to both.
There were a lot of things that this book does very well. The glimpses of Mary having tried for Mr. Collins (who among readers has not wondered why the two of them did not make a match?), Mrs. Hill trying to ingratiate herself to Charlotte Lucas upon learning she would someday be the new mistress of Longbourn, and the more sympathetic treatment of Mrs. Bennett. It really is a good point that she would have been almost constantly in child bed for many years, attempting to produce a male heir - which would strain the nerves of any woman, however sensible or insensible she may have been to begin with. Also, the details of how much extra work it would be to have the Gardiner children to stay - dirty nappies etc - and all the notes (that in Pride and Prejudice just seem to appear by magic, on the wings of doves, etc) between Netherfield and Longbourn during the Bingley affair make the reader appreciate the invisible strings (or bell chords) woven between Baker's world and Austen's, between Sarah's life and Elizabeth's.
One criticism that I have, in a book that is otherwise very convincing in terms of character transition, is that Mr. Collins' voice is not quite captured. Perhaps he is only really insufferable in company with his betters - and I did like the more sympathetic lens through which the servants view him - but he felt slightly less convincing than many other characters from the original novel.
This leads me to the main reason that I am not giving Longbourn a higher rating. I can accept, and even enjoy, alternate viewpoints on Mrs. Bennett and Mr. Collins. I can delight in the fact that if Elizabeth had to wash her own petticoats, she would be more careful with them. The characterization of Wickham - although painted with a more sinister brush - is completely of a part with his known actions. All these things I can embrace - but I was not able to accept with a generous spirit the plot twist regarding Mr. Bennett (view spoiler)[having a bastard son with the house keeper. (hide spoiler)] We know him as a man who married foolishly, who does not respect his wife, and who has been financially remiss about saving and woefully lax in the raising of his children. And it is true that these are all sins that spring from a certain self-indulgence on his part - but (view spoiler)[fathering a secret son and having him raised on a nearby farm - that strikes me as a horse of a different color. (hide spoiler)]It is a too-muchness of change, a liberty that this story it has not entirely earned. I was not, as a reader, able to get past it. (view spoiler)[Although the penultimate library moment between Hill and Mr. Bennett, where she feels it has all come to the same thing - them being old and caring for one another - is lovely, I still could not bring myself to believe or fully accept the idea of their affair. (hide spoiler)]And that turns out to be a main spring on which this book hinges.
Aside from this (fairly major) point, by any other standard, Longbourn is really quite good. Sarah is not as bright as Elizabeth, and doesn't have the same range of opportunities - but hers is a story that is interesting as that of a woman who must work, rather than marry, to earn her keep. It's not a story that Austen would have been able to tell us, and I'm glad that Jo Baker did....more
Although I am not an obsessive shoe aficionado, this was a really interesting read about a woman making her way in the business world.
Tamara Mellon, aAlthough I am not an obsessive shoe aficionado, this was a really interesting read about a woman making her way in the business world.
Tamara Mellon, as a narrator, can be a bit of a pill. But she is also a ferocious executive and a hella talented creative force. Sure, she name drops to the point of utter silliness, and she doesn't seem to see a lot of gray in the behaviors of those around her - they are either her supporters and good, or her enemies and bad - but that doesn't make her story a bit less interesting.
It's a personal narrative, and not intended to be a guide for All Women in Business. (Certainly, it is not much of a replicable path to be to the Nouveau Manor Born, and then marry one of the heirs to the Mellon fortune.) Nonetheless, you can't come away from this book not appreciating the fact that she worked like a dog for years, genuinely for the good of the company, valuing it much more highly than her own financial gains or emotional of physical well being. And she is never afraid to be brutally honest about making mistakes - sometimes big ones, like getting in bed with venture capital.
She sometimes compares her story to that of a Danielle Steele heroine, and if you like your stories of romance and struggle to involve shoes and high stakes drama, that's not too far from the mark. Of course, she does get a bit poor-poor-pitiful me from time to time, but I didn't feel that it was enough to mar my overall enjoyment of the book.
I do wish that she had gone into more detail at the end - her leaving the company, especially in light of all the years and all the care she had devoted to it - felt a bit sudden. Then again, when she talked about having to recover from post-traumatic stress for a year after making the break, I suppose that level of burnout makes it more understandable.
Tamara Mellon doesn't always come across as likable, but she does indisputable possess and indomitable bravery, sense of style, and enviable business savvy. I'm glad I picked this up, as it took me into a world of high fashion shoes and cut throat business that I would never have otherwise experienced.
The story that this book wants to tell is fantastic, but unfortunately the writing gets in the way at every single turn. It is a shame, that after allThe story that this book wants to tell is fantastic, but unfortunately the writing gets in the way at every single turn. It is a shame, that after all Kristin Beck has done in her life - all the tours of duty, all the fire fights, all the courage that it takes to come out as transgender in the military environment - she has not picked up a better ghost writer or editor. I'm very glad that this book exists, but I wish that more time and effort had been devoted to making it more coherent and less of a mess.
The chapters are short, and strung together in a roughly chronological order. Each contains a variety of errors that really should have been caught and corrected in early drafts of the manuscript - which led me to feel, after awhile, that his was a rough draft hurried to press. Example: "Why do I stay alive when good family men like John dies?" How simple would that be to catch, and fix? Sentences change from present to past tense and back again, words are omitted, and the writing in general is really a shambles.
Not only are many of the themes repetitive, some of the sentences are recycled verbatim from page to page. Page 101: "...Chris didn't feel like he could break away and retire or leave the fight. And that was all about guilt--his survivor guilt." Page 103: "...Chris didn't feel like he could break totally away after retirement or leave the fight. And that was all about guilt--survivor guilt." Page 102: "Chris also kept paying against some unseen debt ledger that could never be satisfied because he was so confused about himself." Page 104: "Chris also kept paying against some unseen debt ledger that could never be satisfied because he was so confused about himself..." It's fine if an author wants to stick with the same image, but not even using different wording is lazy writing and poor to non-existent editing.
The way that the chapters are set up doesn't allow for any real follow through or progression of characters. You hear about Chris marrying his first wife when she gets pregnant, but later on there is a second child without any mention of when he was born, or the circumstances. You also get a chapter where Chris reveals himself to a fellow SEAL by coming over to drink on his boat while wearing a wig and a dress. What happens afterward? Everyone is cool in the moment, but then there is no follow up - does he serve with this guy later on, what is his reaction when Kristin announces her intention to transition to become a woman?
If you can sift through the rubble of grammar destruction and poorly constructed sentences, there are some great stories in here. Kristin Beck has lived one heck of an interesting life, whether making it through rigors of SEAL training, surviving seven combat deployments, or making a high profile gender transition while working in the halls of the Pentagon. There are also a lot of nice family moments that are captured in here - hunting with Kristin's brother Jake, the transformation of his father from a frequently drunken religious zealot to a more mellow and loving old man, and the advice that Kristin's mother - though disapproving - gives her about the height of her heels.
The reactions to Kristin's transition are among the most memorable parts of the book. Her combat experience and engineering knowledge are so unique and valuable that they really seem to force many elements of the defense community to accept her new self much more readily than I would have expected. Also, the idea that she has fought so tirelessly for America's freedom that she has more than earned the ability to live however she wants - that seems to be a typical reaction among the other members of the armed services that was much more open minded than I would have anticipated.
As I write this, I realize that this book may draw a somewhat unusual section of cross readership - those who are interested in LGBT issues and those who are interested in stories about the tough lives of NAVY SEALS. And that is an excellent, broadening thing - just as Kristin Beck's life has been so far. This is what actually kills me about this book, is that it is just brimming with wasted narrative potential.
The psychologist who seems to be the primary ghost writer has selected a stilted third person style, and also elects to use quotation marks around the word "her" when talking about Kristin. She seems to have no real background with gender identity issues, and although she is very understanding and willing to learn, the material really seems like it would have been better served by an author with more experience either with trans issues or writing.
Time spent looking forward to new Bridget Jones book: Months! Time spent reading new Bridget Jones book: 2 days Time spent being disappointed in new BriTime spent looking forward to new Bridget Jones book: Months! Time spent reading new Bridget Jones book: 2 days Time spent being disappointed in new Bridget Jones book: rest of life, approx. (view spoiler)[ I was so excited about this book, and even hearing the Big Spoiler about Mark Darcy did not dim my enthusiasm. Bridget Jones at a new stage in her life, as a widow and a mother, it seemed like it could be an interesting idea. If Helen Fielding wants Bridget to be an older singleton, I do think that it's better this way than - for example - if they had been married and then divorced, or just never managed to uncross their signals once and for all.
But this book - oh my. While it seems like Helen Fielding really wants you to chuckle with fondness over Bridget being the same old Bridget, I felt like her version of Bridget Jones at 51 was a bit too hollow, or too facile, perhaps.
Yes, Bridget would perpetually forget school permission forms and musical instruments. Yes, she might be too distracted by her own concerns to notice a septic fingernail. And it's fine for her to not know exactly where Germany is - as noted in The Edge of Reason. But I do think that if she was working on a screenplay adaptation of Hedda Gabler, that she would at least have a copy of the original play showing the correct author and spelling of the character's name. This is a minor plot point, but it shows the larger issue with this book - it veers from making Bridget seem stupid to making Bridget a character that it is hard to believe in.
Maybe part of that is because Bridget's new circumstances are less relatable - she has a nice townhouse and a nanny and no need to work for money. Through the course of these books, she has morphed from Eliza Bennett to Anne Elliot, and somehow landed at Emma Woodhouse. The bits that seem to try to make Bridget relatable are all to do with crisis about the children - a look at how adorable and funny these little people are sort of humor. I still remember the scene where Magda and Jeremy had that blazing row outside of Bridget's flat, while her bathtub was overflowing and the car alarm was going off all over - it was screamingly funny. Nothing in this book really raises a genuine laugh.
There are a few nice moments in it - when she has the moment with Jeremy where they are both being extremely sad about Mark, and when - as part of that same scene - she thinks about how she has spent the last 20 years not wanting to hurt the feelings of a group of Cosmo's circle who are consistently rude to her. Those both felt very real and true, so much so that they almost seemed like part of a different story altogether.
The narrative structure of this book -which sticks to the standard diary form, but jumps through time from the opening scenes back in time to an earlier period, then catches up with the opening scenes time period about half way through, continues through linear time until the end, when it fast forwards to a Happy Ending coda. Aside from the part that day entries in the diary are so sprawling that they sometimes now go on for multiple chapters, the overall structure and time movement doesn't make much sense. Time as a whole seems a bit problematic for Fielding in this installment - with Bridget being 51, with her oldest child at age 7 - she must have had her first baby at 44. This is, at least, nine years after the end of the last book, when she and Mark were planning their lives together. Sure, maybe it took awhile for them to get it all together, but with all the previous mention of biological clocks, doesn't it seem like they would have tried for kids right away? Or if not, that there would be some mention of why? (It seems rather like the answer is so that Bridget's children can be Cute!Little!People!)
Bridget's friends are all more or less intact - although Tom is now a top psychologist (really?) and Jude has remained single after her divorce (10 months after the wedding) from Vile Richard. Shazzar has moved to America with her husband, which may or may not be a metaphor for the voice of feminism becoming more distant as Bridget ages. As opposed to the previous books, however, where the friends had actual subplots of their own (Tom's plastic surgery/disappearance, for example), they seem rather one note in this installment. Tom's obsession with Gwyneth Paltrow's lifestyle blog is horned in at every possible opportunity, but to no real end. It's not even that funny.
Roxster, who is the toy boy that Bridget takes up with, is a merry sex god who seems to have no personality of his own. He's also 30, although his character seems to live and act more like he just got out of university (lives with three other boys and obsessed with food). It's lovely that he is so nice to Bridget and helps her to get back on the horse of dating, but you don't really care about him very much. Also, her obsession with texting and twitter makes Bridget a worse version of herself - distracted, and actually rather rude. Also, their tweets go on for pages, and if you are not familiar with the way the @handles work, it is very difficult to tell who is talking, and to who.
The True Love Interest is easy enough to spot, as he is the one who takes on the role of swooping in every 50 pages or so, scowling or saying something a bit snide to Bridget, and then disappearing for a long bit of Roxster obsession. Argh. Part of my issue is that I didn't much like The True Love Interest in general (he's not just a bit rude to Bridget at first, he's actually insulting her in front of her son) and part I didn't like the way Bridget gushes about him toward the end "HE'S SUCH A MAN."
And what was up with the coda where they decide to get all the children christened at the end? It felt weird and tacked on and awkward.
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