Very Nice by Marcy Dermansky

Very Nice by Marcy Dermansky
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Zahid is a writer and a writing professor who sublets his Brooklyn apartment to Khloe (his friend Kristie's twin sister). Okay, that's normal. But PURELY BY COINCIDENCE, he's also sleeping with Khloe's boss's very young daughter Rachel. This really bothers me. But wait! Khloe has been in love with Jane her whole life. Now Jane becomes Zahid's editor at his publishing house PURELY BY COINCIDENCE. Okay, we're so we're just not even trying. Just so we're clear, Brooklyn has 2.5 million people. Manhattan has another 1.6 million.

The book was somewhat fun, but silly. The book markets itself as humor, but it wasn't particularly funny to me.

View all my reviews

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Mixed feelings. I was not impressed when I read this in high school. When I reread it over 20 years later I appreciated it much more. The writing is of the passionate Jane Austen style, Mr. Rochester is the ultimate in romantic bad boys, and the character of Jane Austen is simultaneously relatable and inspirational— no small trick.

But since I am familiar with Jane Austen now, Jane Eyre feels a little derivative of Pride and Prejudice, especially the awful cousin theme. Is there any meaningful difference in the cold soul of Mr. Collins and St. John Rivers? Also, I found the entire coincidence of Jane Eyre stumbling onto her cousin by coincidence nearly unforgivable.

Final decision: Mr. Rochester, liar though he is, is worth it. Jane and her character development are perhaps unequaled in classic literature.

View all my reviews

Chocolate Fever by Robert Kimmel Smith

Chocolate Fever by Robert Kimmel Smith
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Read this when I was a little kid and liked it a lot, but I think I'd be happy to have the fever and the spots if I could eat as much chocolate as I wanted without gaining weight like Henry.

Kind of takes a weird turn when Henry runs away from his medical team by hitchhiking with an adult! Luckily for Henry the adult happens to be awesome and coincidentally sells chocolate AND has an employer that can solve Henry's problem. Very deus ex machina.

Thought the book might discuss how delicious and nutritious fruits and vegetables are, but that definitely never happens!

View all my reviews