Half as Happy by Gregory Spatz
Engine Books, April 2013
188 pgs, 3 stars

ABOUT THE OUTFIT: BOUT THE BOOK: Half as Happy is a group of short stories by Gregory Spatz that encompasses a variety of situations including the loss of a child, eating disorders, marriage in later years, twins separated at birth, and a group of youths getting into trouble. The stories are written with a beautiful almost dreamlike quality. They jump from scene to scene and never end quite where you would expect them. Though they can be hard to follow for lack of spacing and the stream of consciousness quality in some of the stories, Spatz is a capable and promising writer.

ABOUT THE OUTFIT: My dear little invisible-cat lover. Slip on these loafers, which are the perfect tribute to your three cats that you swear exist, despite the fact that no one has ever seen them but you.

This Naked makeup will protect you from the sun on your days lazing by the pool au natural. Though your body is disappearing before your husband’s eyes, you think it looks better and better.

This polka dot dress is reminiscent of a past when you were completely innocent before the unthinkable happened. Top it off with this Drunk on Love sweater. Drink has come to surpass love for you, whether it’s beers all day by the pool or a whole bottle of scotch in the bathroom by yourself.

When you feel the world slipping away you listen to music. Classical mostly, but all kinds. This cassette tape iPhone case is the right fit for you even if your wife is not. Hide it away in your giant over the shoulder bag. There is so much empty space inside that the iPhone case looks lonely. And that’s exactly how you feel.

Hot Pink by Adam Levin
McSweeney’s, 2012
207 pages, 3 stars

ABOUT THE BOOK: Hot Pink is a collection of short stories that cover things like love, abuse, drug use, friendship, homosexuality, amputee-ism (is that a word?), in a fresh and fascinating voice. Adam Levin’s characters are rich and beautiful, even if a little sensationalist. I loved the story called “Scientific American,” which was about a man whose wall oozed gel. The mental deterioration of the man is incredible well done. I also really enjoyed “Frankenwittgenstein” and “The Extra Mile,” and I particularly liked the “Jane Tell” story, in which the girlfriend of the protagonist likes getting punched or otherwise hurt by random men. “Jane Tell” was an incredible story of how psychologically damaging it can be to be in love with a person who is mentally ill. Things I didn’t like about the collection included: killing animals for one reason or another (this happens like 3 times!) and the story about how to be a Jenny, Steve, Rick, and/or Geoff–I found myself skimming and ultimately skipping most of it. It seemed more like a way for the author to work out what those names meant to him, rather than a story.

ABOUT THE OUTFIT: My dear little Jenny, you are not only young and wild as this sweater proclaims, but you’re completely effed up. In order to really look the part of a Jenny, you have to wear these jeans that are so tight, they look painted on.

These sneakers will keep you grounded while you’re getting high from huffing with Franco and are great for running away when Franco’s dog gets the secret command “nasal spray.” The doll iPhone cover is a nod to your Dad, who spent his life going crazy over making a doll that eats/poops/and grows hair in weird places when she doesn’t eat, so that young girls know how horrible eating disorders really are.

This boxing glove necklace shows your love of getting Ricked. It’s a message to the world around you. Use this hot pink eyeshadow to cover up your discolored skin with the cheap glint of glitter. This hot pink nail polish is Love & Beauty branded, which is all you’re really looking for in life. It’s just so hard to find.

Have you read Hot Pink? I’d be interested to know what others thought about it!

The Silver Star by Jeanette Walls
Scribner, June 1, 2013
288 pages, 4 stars

ABOUT THE BOOK: I LOVE Jeannette Walls’ memoir The Glass Castle, so when I saw that she has a new book out, I had to get in on that! So, I downloaded it from Netgalley.com and was immediately engrossed. This book is very short and very simply written.With overt comparisons to To Kill a Mockingbird, the novel tackles race relations in 1970, sexual assault, and mental illness, all from a young girl’s perspective.

Bean (real name: Jean) and her older sister, Liz, are left alone in their California home and not for the first time. Their mother, Charlotte, has left them to find herself—that is to follow her dream of being a musician. After two weeks alone—longer than Charlotte’s usual disappearances—social workers start to show up. Liz makes the decision to go visit their Uncle Tinsley in Byler, VA. Byler is the small southern town where their mother grew up, and it’s a town that doesn’t forget past grievances. Tinsley takes them in and the girls start working for Maddox on the side to earn money for school clothes. When Maddox’s attentions become more than professional, some old grudges come to the surface that could start a war in this sleepy town.

ABOUT THE OUTFIT:  My dear little sister, you are a fighter in all aspects of life. Whether it’s yelling a the boy stealing peaches from your uncle’s orchard or slashing Maddox’s tires. These steel toed boots are chic and useful for when you’ve run out of rocks to throw.

Pair them with these book-cover-matching jeans, the unofficial uniform at your school. This blue jean shirt is perfect for your country lifestyle: picking berries in the forest and biking over to Aunt Al’s house for fried eggs. This yellow sweater is one you found in that old cedar chest at Tinsley’s house. It’ll keep you warm in the surprisingly cold Virginia winters.

This necklace isn’t your daddy’s silver star that he got in the war, but it reminds you of it and of him. These emu earrings you wear for Liz and her weird love of Eunice and Eugene the two emus she writes poems about. Finally, you aren’t into make up, but this Jelly Bean lip gloss is a must have—it’s named for you!

Tomorrow There Will Be Apricots by Jessica Soffer
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, April 2013
4 stars, 336 pages

ABOUT THE BOOK: Jessica Soffer’s debut novel is a story of love, loss, betrayal, and finding happiness in yourself and others. We oscillate between Lorca and Victoria, two women very different in age but very similar in their love for food and cooking. Lorca is 15 and has moved to New York City with her mother. Lorca tries to win her mother’s love and appreciation through her cooking, but her mother is extremely self-absorbed and doesn’t notice Lorca’s efforts. So L fills this gap in her life with cutting and other forms of self-harm. When she overhears her mom talking about the masgouf (a fish dish) that she had years ago, Lorca is determined to make it for her.

Victoria, an immigrant from Baghdad, has recently lost her husband, who never forgave her for giving up their only child. In the wake of his death, Victoria becomes determined to find their daughter and make amends. Her neighbor, Dottie, cons her into hosting a cooking class, to which only one person shows up: Lorca. The two of them strike up a friendship and when Victoria learns that Lorca’s mother was adopted, she begins to hope that Lorca is her family.

Soffer’s ability to create two distinctly different voices, young and old, in the first person POV is incredible! Lorca and Victoria’s insecurities and desires come through distinctly. I loved the food analogies peppered throughout the book (see what I did there), which made it feel authentic. The book is rich with Iraqi-Jewish culture and FOOD. I just love books about food. I was hungry pretty much the entirety of Tomorrow There Will Be Apricots. The only thing I didn’t like were the two sections from Joseph. I thought they felt out of place and unnecessary, because he’s dead and we could learn what he had to tell us through like a journal entry or a conversation between (living) characters.

ABOUT THE OUTFIT: My dear little momma’s girl, don this school-appropriate skirt that’s color reminds you of the lemons marinating in Victoria’s kitchen. Pair it with this youthful blouse, which is flirty and fun for your trips to the book store to scope out the help. This jacket will keep the chill at bay, and cover up the scars on your arms.

These boots are the color of pistachio shells (the same as the cover) and hide the many scars on your feet and legs. This magenta bag holds all of your school work and recipes and such. These earrings give you hope that the masgouf you make for your mom will make her love you. And finally this Eu Du Perfume Let Them Eat Cake, is what you wear when you realize you don’t need her, because you have all the love you could want from Victoria.

Kafka in Love by Jacqueline Raoul-Duval
Other Press, 2012
288 pages, 2 stars

ABOUT THE BOOK: In the early part of the twentieth century, Franz Kafka was exploring what it means to be in love. He was living with his family in Prague and began a series of long distance relationships with four women. He proposed to all of them, but never once married. Kafka in Love is comprised of lengthy quotes from letters he wrote to his lovers and friends and a third person narrative of Kafka’s life during that time. Kafka is riddled by anxiety, idealism, and a compulsion to write, which all keep him from really loving the women in his life. I loved the story in as much as I love reading about writers’ lives, especially their romantic lives. However, perhaps it was the format I read this novel in (netgalley ebook), but a lot of it was hard to follow. The narrative was sort of schizophrenic. I think I would have rather read an entirely fictional narrative about Kafka’s life, or just his letters themselves. This book was in between and it often lost me. I was compelled to finish only because Kafka’s life was so interesting.

ABOUT THE OUTFIT: My dear little writer, you’re a bit of a dandy—very concerned with your appearance and up on the latest trends. This sleeveless shirt is the perfect attire to welcome the Spring weather and the burgeoning denim fad.

Pair the top with these classic white skinnies. No denim on denim for you! You take pride in the crisp, impeccably clean fabric. This scarf is a much needed feminine accent. The pattern is one close to your heart it is whimsical and romantic just like you!

These bright pink sneakers are an eye-catching accent to your outfit. They are way more comfortable than those high-heeled sneakers that are all the rage—there are some trends you won’t slip into.

This messenger bag holds your stashes of letters from your numerous lovers and your BFF, Max. And finally this this bracelet shows your love for women and your, both basic and transcendent, desire for human connection through writing.

Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
Harper Perennial, 2005
352 pages, 3 stars

ABOUT THE BOOK: Bel Canto is a story that begins with a terrorist attack. In a South American country, many people gather for Mr. Hosokawa’s, the CEO of a major Japanese tech company, birthday. The famous American soprano singer, Roxanne Coss, is performing some of Mr. Hosokawa’s favorite opera music when the lights go out and the terrorists descend from the air vents. Forced into a hostage situation for four plus months, the terrorists and the hostages almost forget their differences. The translator, Gen, falls in love with a female terrorist, another terrorist is taught to play chess, another is taught to sing by the famous opera singer. With no common language, except music, the hostages and terrorists form both romantic and brotherly bonds, brotherly love, and other various bonds form between characters who would otherwise have never met. I have zero problems with this book except that it was slow going. It didn’t grab my attention until the last 100 pages. And then I thought the ending was a little too Hollywood.

ABOUT THE OUTFIT: My dear little music lover, sling this Betsey Johnson piano purse over your shoulder on the big night. Your accompanist is completely in love with you, just like everyone else in the world. Though you don’t love him back, this purse shows your appreciation for his work.

This long black evening gown is perfect for Mr. Hosokawa’s black tie affair. The sheer skirt gives it a modern twist and will keep your legs cool in the South American heat. Pair the dress with this yellow dinner jacket (for the dinner party!), which is sharp and tailored. These teal high heeled sandals are beautiful, but quite uncomfortable. Wear them anyway, since you’ll just take them off when the terrorists swoop in.

This necklace reminds you of your imprisonment when you blur the line between hostage and friend to the terrorists. Add this love charm to the necklace. You know your heart will be broken but for now all you can feel is the wonder of being in love for the first time. This red lipstick is the color of your hair, it’s as bright, flamboyant and lovely as you.