Book Review: The Cure for Modern Life

I'm midway through this book, even though I only started it a few days ago. (I had another book to review a couple of days ago, plus a different one last week--or was it the week before?)

Anyway, the book is Lisa Tucker's The Cure for Modern Life.

Here's what Publisher's Weekly says:

This is her best novel yet, with captivating characters, a progressively intricate plot and unexpected twists that grabbed me and did not let me go. The hip, funny and cynical protagonist, Matthew Connelly, who works for a pharmaceutical company and undergoes a transformation after meeting a homeless 10-year-old boy, is so fully realized that I wondered who Tucker had been talking to, to get such insight into the male mind. As Matthew's definition of happiness and success is upended, the reader confronts serious questions about what the good life is and how we decide what is right and wrong.

Now that we have all the appropriate links in their proper places, let me tell you how I feel about this book. I would rather read it than sleep. I have been reading it while eating my dinner. I considered reading it while working. (But resisted that urge.)

I began reading it with no preconceptions about the plot and no familiarity with Lisa Tucker at all. But from the first page, I was drawn into the story. What will happen next? What will happen to the homeless children and their drug addict mother? Will the protagonist self-destruct? Will the self-righteous heroine (heroine?) bring down the big evil corporation?

Even if I knew, I couldn't tell you, of course. But I will tell you that I am enjoying this book and even though my obligation to it ends with this blog post, I am going to read every single page.

Book Review: Road Map to Holland: How I Found My Way Through My Son's First Two Years With Down Syndrome

This book, Road Map to Holland: How I Found My Way Through My Son's First Two Years With Down Syndrome (Paperback), by Jennifer Graf Groneberg is the story of a mother's first two years with her son, Avery, who was born with Down syndrome. She describes the details from the early days of the shocking news and draws you into the story of how life with Avery changed her and her family.

Jennifer is a lovely, lyrical writer. She blogs here.

You can try not to cry after reading the story about the cover photo here.

Here's what other people say about her book.

If you are interested in mothering, children who have Down syndrome, love or any combination of the above, you'll want to check out this book.

While I read Jennifer's book, the old days of having twin babies in my house flooded back to me. The entire world revolved around nap-times and feedings and baths in the kitchen sink. You see, Jennifer's baby, Avery who was born with Down syndrome, was one-half of a set of twins. Raising twins is challenging enough, but Jennifer also had an older child and the unexpected news that one of the babies was born with Down syndrome.

She writes in present tense of journeying through the first two years of her twins' lives, so you do feel as if you are in the middle of her life, if only for a moment. And isn't that what reading is all about? Trying on someone else's life to see how it feels?