THE DIVORCE PAPERS by Susan Rieger

April 9, 2014

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The publisher calls this a “debut romantic comedy” but I would call it more a “debut end of romance comedy.” As the title points out, this is a book about a divorce, which inherently means a lack of romance. Quibbling aside, it is a very charming, humorous look at a necessary evil of society.

Anne Sophie Diehl (Sophie) is our unlikely heroine, a young criminal attorney working for a small but prestigious law firm. Maria Meiklejohn Durkheim (Mia) is a potential divorce client.

Mia’s father is one of the firm’s oldest and most important clients, so because their divorce attorneys are not available when she wants to come in, they push Sophie into doing the intake interview. She has no interest or desire or worse yet, experience, in handling a divorce, but her boss David, doesn’t give her a choice. He gives her a form to fill out and off she goes. Mia and Sophie hit it off, and Mia insists on using Sophie as her lawyer despite her protestations of incompetence. David forces her into it and oversees the case, and Mia is happy with the double billing for using both lawyers.

Sophie not only doesn’t want to do it, she has her own issues with divorce. Her mother is a famous mystery writer from France, and her father is a Marxist history professor at Columbia, and Sophie felt their divorce in the usual, negative, life changing, devastating way. As a child of divorce myself, I totally bought it.

The Durkheims are comfortable. Dr. Durkheim runs a pediatric oncology unit at the local hospital, and Mia comes from a very wealthy family. It is Dr. Durkheim who wants the divorce, and Mia and their daughter Jane are devastated. Durkheim hires the local divorce attorney with the worst reputation, and the game begins.

By now you must be wondering, where is the comedy? Well, I’ll tell you. The characters, particularly Sophie and Mia, are wonderfully warm, smart and funny. And a lot of the comedy comes from the format of the book.

This is an epistolary novel. If you are not familiar, Encyclopedia Britannica defines it as “a novel told through the medium of letters written by one or more of the characters.” In this case, there are emails, letters (some hand written,) legal documents, the occasional newspaper clipping and so on. It is an unusual format but one which I really enjoy. For one thing, the book moves really fast. For another, it makes everything that happens, and all the characters, seem very intimate and familiar.

To be fair, there is a bit of romance; Sophie has a history of bad relationships but ends up on a promising note. So while I still wouldn’t call it a romance, I would call it a fast, fun read.

4/14 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE DIVORCE PAPERS by Susan Rieger. Crown (March 18, 2014). ISBN 978-0804137447. 480p.

2 Comments | Book Reviews, Fiction, Women's Fiction | Tagged: | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi

HOW ABOUT NEVER–IS NEVER GOOD FOR YOU? by Bob Mankoff

March 26, 2014

“My Life in Cartoons”

This is a memoir of sorts, from the cartoon editor of the New Yorker. If you’re not familiar, the New Yorker has long been home to some of the most intelligent and cutting edge cartoons and is often the first thing long time readers look at, including this one. Bob Mankoff explains how he got there and why he loves his jobs – not only is he editor, he is also a cartoonist.

If you love smart, witty and often political cartoons, then this is the book for you. If you are looking for tips on how to win the caption contests, this is also the book for you. And if you ever wondered how a cartoonist becomes a cartoonist and makes a career out of it, then this is definitely the book for you.

I must admit that I’m a long time New Yorker cartoon fan so I happily delved into this and was not disappointed. In fact, I raced through it in one night, laughing like a fool. Luckily, I was home alone and didn’t have to explain myself to anyone.

how-about-neverOften laugh out loud funny and always interesting, I really enjoyed this and highly recommend it to New Yorker fans and those who’ve even never picked up the magazine as well. When you need a break from heart pounding thrillers, thought provoking literary books or dystopian nightmares, this light, fast, funny read is the perfect respite.

 

 

 

3/14 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

HOW ABOUT NEVER–IS NEVER GOOD FOR YOU? by Bob Mankoff . Henry Holt and Co. (March 25, 2014). ISBN  978-0805095906. 304p.

1 Comment | Book Reviews, Memoir, Nonfiction | Tagged: | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi

SONG OF SPIDER-MAN by Glen Berger

February 4, 2014


The Inside Story of the Most Controversial Musical in Broadway History

I got to see this show on Broadway last summer. I knew some of the history, but I certainly didn’t know the future – the show closed on Jan. 4, 2014.

Last July, we had dinner plans that were cancelled at the last minute, so we hopped on the subway and decided to take a chance on getting in to see a show. The first theater we came to was the Foxwoods Theater so we ducked out of the rain to find they had great seats, 10th row center. The theater was about half full, there were lots of families with young children who probably enjoyed it the most. The music was okay, the story was too long and to be honest, both my husband and I dozed off at least once. Spiderman, or rather the several gymnasts that portrayed him, flew about the theater, often over our heads, landing in the balcony or mezzanine before flying back. We were close enough to see the platforms hidden behind the curtains, reminiscent of the circus trapeze acts. It truly was a spectacle.

This book is a fascinating look at the making of a Broadway show, but really much more than that. This was the most expensive show ever mounted, and was fraught with problems almost from the get go. Director Julie Taymor put together the team of Berger co-writing the book, with Bono and U2 writing the music, and history was in the making. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the kind of history they had in mind.

First, producer Tony Adams died, which was an awful blow. The budget, $25 million, apparently wasn’t enough and started spiraling out of control, topping out at $65 million. Producers started bailing, actors were getting hurt, and worst of all the word on the street was not good.

This is really a heartbreaking story of art gone awry, but it is written with great humor. Anyone who’s ever seen a Broadway show will find something to like here.

2/14 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

SONG OF SPIDER-MAN: The Inside Story of the Most Controversial Musical in Broadway History by Glen Berger. Simon & Schuster; First Edition edition (November 5, 2013). ISBN 978-1451684568. 384p.

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TAKEDOWN TWENTY by Janet Evanovich

January 19, 2014


Twenty books into the Stephanie Plum series, and the word that most springs to mind is formulaic. If you’ve read one, you’ve read them all – yet millions of readers keep on reading, including this one.

I think it all comes down to the characters. I am invested in Stephanie and Ranger and Joe, not to mention Lula, Stephanie’s parents and Grandma Mazur. Picking up any book in this series means Grandma’s going to a funeral, Lula is wearing some crazy spandex outfit and there will be a surefire stop at Cluck in a Bucket, and guaranteed Stephanie’s car of the moment will go up in flames. And of course Stephanie is torn between Joe, the love of her life, and Ranger, the lust in her life.

This time out, the world’s most inept bond enforcement agent is after Uncle Sunny, a beloved local Mafia don who also happens to be Joe’s Godfather. She’s also helping Ranger look into the death of one of Grandma Mazur’s bingo playing contemporaries. And just to make things interesting, there’s a giraffe on the loose in Trenton, New Jersey.

I can’t help but enjoy these books even though I know everything that’s coming. If you’re an Evanvich fan, then you know what to expect and no fair complaining when you get exactly that. If you’re new to the series, do yourself a favor and start at the beginning with One for the Money.  All the books are still in print and I think the first five or six were the best – but I’m still reading, and laughing.

1/14 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

TAKEDOWN TWENTY by Janet Evanovich. Bantam (November 19, 2013). ISBN 978-0345542885. 320p.

Comments Off on TAKEDOWN TWENTY by Janet Evanovich | Book Reviews, Crime Fiction, Fiction | Tagged: , | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi

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