I finished Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. I really enjoyed the book (even though it was not a required read). I would recommend it to most...not Jeanette...I don't think she would like it. This was the only book since the Nerd Herd's birth that I was not disappointed at the end. Maybe because it was not a really great book like the others that we have read so my expectation were lower. Anyway, I am going to begin She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb (Judy's personal recommendation for me) and we will see how that goes! I am also reading the book Dave Berry's from Mars and Venus, pretty funny so far. It is a collection of humorours essays written by the famous New York Times columnist Dave Berry. So I feel like such a dork...I am like totally into reading!

And, no thank you...I wouldn't want to live in Jensylvania!

I have been thinking long and hard about whether or not I liked the book. I really enjoyed the first 75% or it and then I found myself waiting for the "eviction from the ghetto apartment" to happen. As it never did actually happened, I find myself feeling deceived since her title page states that she does get evicted. I'm sorry but an eviction notice does not qualify as being evicted. Paying $1600.00 a month in rent does not qualify as "ghetto". She has no right to even use adjectives like ghetto in describing her apartment. It may not have been the upperscale neighborhood that she desired, but it sure didn't seem that bad.

I contemplated writing her an email or dropping a letter, but didn't feel like having another asshole ripped by an ugly bitch that's whole life is a lie to cover up her low self-esteem and embarrassment. Maybe I am just jealous, but seriously she didn't even touch upon her low self worth and that is clearly part of the problem here.

I did seriously like the book and would recommend it to friends, but I have a hard time feeling sympathetic for her and her situation. She doesn't know what real money struggles are, even though utilities were shut off for brief periods, her luxuries while "slumming it" far extend that of the majority working class that is supporting their families. Good thing she didn't have children...she probally would have tried to sell them on EBay too!

Maybe I am just bitter!

I'm finished! I loved loved loved loved loved the book! Great job with the choosing Sarah. I really liked Jen at the beginning, but as time went on and her values changed I liked her even more. I can't imagine going through the downfall that she had to. Not being able to buy designer labels anymore I could deal with (since I have very few things now), having your car repoed I'm sure sucks (again I don't really have to worry since Carry is from John's parents), having utilities shut off for not paying the bill is a huge inconvenience (living with your parents can be great, this is never a concern either), but not knowing if you're going to have somewhere to live must be awful. If money was as big of an issue as it apparently was for them, why were they spending $1600 on rent? I guarantee that she was not being "evicted from a ghetto apartment" if they were paying that much. I don't consider myself as living in the ghetto and my neighbors fire guns off on New Years. Anyways, I really loved the book.

Does anyone else find pearls to be very unflattering. I have never understood the attraction to pearls. Jen can't leave home without them and wears them with everything, yuck! This picture must have been taken at her wedding since she has the gardinas in her hair, black dress, sweaty and what looks like a palm tree background.

I am finding so many similarities in our lives - not to sound like the dork that relates to a book - but really...

* We are both Jen's - that was obvious I know...but it had to be mentioned.
* We both have two dogs...mine are much cutter of course and they don't eat expensive leather goods...okay, so I don't own expensive leather goods for my dogs to destroy.
* I am about to be jobless because I am over-qualified and under appreciated. Unemployment here I come! I will have to dig up the knock-off Prada bag that I bought in China.
* I am getting a new expensive couch...not $7000.00 expensive...but still.
* I am undertaking a painting project (much larger than her bathroom), although I was smart enough to buy the tinted primer...dumbass-asshat (fucktard for those of you that are not too sensitive for it).
* I have a pad with a view...so what that it is of trees and the neighbors banging...I enjoy it!
* I have a spending problem...my problem, however; is spending an extra $15 at Target to buy Donovan something.
* I have the diarrhea of the mouth problem, never know when to shut up and am always offending someone. Just because I am not allowed into certain establishments doesn't mean that I am a bad person.

It seemed like there were more connections while I was reading.

I really don't understand people who pick out their engagement rings, or give the exact details of what it needs to look like. Do people not understand that it basically is a gift? Maybe I don't know, because I don't have to worry about wearing an ugly ring on my finger (I don't need to worry about wearing any ring on my finger at this point). When Jen got a small ring that wasn't the cut that she wanted I was very surprised that she was happy about it.
I also can't get passed the fact that I now know that she is an ugly hepher. I didn't even look at the picture in the back until Jennie told me that it was back there, and she has no right to be as full of herself as she is. During the book she would mention that she was heavier than her friends, but I never really got it until she was dress shopping, and they had to send her away because she was too big to fit in the clothes. As entertaining as that was, I was surprised that she was going to get a wedding dress off the rack in the first place.

Money sucks. First of all, I can't understand how someone could want to pay $7,000 for a couch. Especially one without a back. I further don't understand how she doesn't have the $7,000 for the couch. It seemed like Jen made a lot of money at her job, and I understand that she shops a lot, but can one really shop that much! It's not like she's making what we make and blowing it all away on Kate Spade (there are obvious financial reasons I don't own anything from them and only know of the name from Ashley). She seems to be making close to a 6-digit salary. If I had that much money what would I do? Totally not waste it on an apartment that's downtown and costs way more than what it is actually worth.
I do enjoy the book being set in Chicago. I love knowing some of the places that they're talking about. When she was trying to sell to the dumb girls who were a little hungover from Uncle Julio's Hacenda I was totally like, "Oh my God, I've been hungover from Uncle Julio's too!"

Yeah...I got the book and started reading yesterday. I read about 50 pages and couldn't put it down...well obviously I did since I only read 50 pages...but you know what I mean. I do find Jen's...if I can call her that...footnotes very funny...although slightly annoying (I feel like a fucktard because it slows my reading down)! Fucktard...can't tell you the last time I heard that term. I am very pleased that she refreshed my vocabulary with a profane saying that I have left out of my daily grind. Great book choice Sarah...I love it. Some of the things she says are identical to the things that I think...if only I had the cojohns 1 (spelling???) to say them outloud.

1. Synonyms: balls, nuts, junk, jewels, berries, beans, sack, eggs, tea bags, and many more!

Am I a good blogger? Will the blog bubble crash soon, maybe I should get out now!?!

These are the two questions that keep popping into my head as I read Bitter is the new Black. I thought I was a good blogger but she is soooo much funnier than I am and so many people read her blog. I am obviously lacking in this area. Maybe I should try funny footnotes! Unfortunatley I find those to be really annoying as I read so maybe not.

The other thought about the blogging bubble is dumb I know but I can't help it. Blogging is not only my art hehe, but it is also the only techno cool thing that I do. Downloading music is so yesterday and I can't even keep my ADobe Acrobat working so most other computer things are out of the question.

I really hope people start reading our onlone bookclub because I could really use the self esteem boost!

I've read the first chapter. I love it so far, and I think that I'm a dingier version of Jen Lancaster. If this started out as a blog for her though, how did she keep any friends? I talk a lot of trash, and that is why I don't give my blog address out to many people. She obviously didn't hold too much back, but she hasn't really held too much back from them in person either. If one of you could do something outrageous so that I could remind you of what a whore you are anytime something happened that would be great. I guess we already do that with some...does anyone else hear knocking under the table?

Where is my book??? Damn Amazon. I want to start reading soon, there is not that much time left until our meeting in May.

Yay! I'm officially a contributor up in here! It looks like there are some problems with the template. Andiclaus will fix that soon!

I've already read the selection for this month, which is sort of a bummer since I am on maternity leave and could use a good book recommendation, but the book is awesome and I can't wait to hear what you guys think of it.

The next book is Bitter Is The New Black - Sarah's choice! I can't wait to start reading...I am getting a little tired of Snow Flower and the Secret Fan!

I love our Book Club! Last night was so much fun. Tina is a great hostess. The stories from our book club meetings will last forever in my mind. When I am 75 years old and can't control my bladder anymore, I will pee my depends thinking about the dog in the shopping cart. I thought that we had a really good discussion going for a while about the actual book...then we got caught up talking about dirty things like always. I am so glad that I am part of the "in" clique for our group...at least I think I am...if I wasn't I think that I would go home and cry. I guess since I am one of the "mean girls" that I would never be the one to cry about it, but whatever...you all know what I am talking about or is this just confusing???

My initial plan was to match everyone in book club up to one of the characters in the book, but this is turning out to be harder than I thought. I think that I'm a little bit of all (well almost all) of the AHEBs. Who does everyone else think that they're like?

Alright ladies, I am putting my foot down!

No more books about cancer and people with it. I know it was just the last bit at the end but that doesn't matter. I actually enjoyed the book a lot but the end was soooo sad! I actually thought it got too sad and so the author tried to cheese it up by making it seem like maybe Slip was going to beat advanced cancer and see her children grow. yeah fuckin right! If your going to make a book sad at the end have the balls to make it truly sad and realistic. I read the end on the plane and I really hate crying in public places and in areas where my ears can pop!

A little angry, but I really did like the book!