Title: The Friend Who Got Away : Twenty Women’s True Life Tales of Friendships that Blew Up, Burned Out or Faded Away
Editors: Jenny Offill, Elissa Schappell
Genre: Non- Fiction
The Friend Who Got Away is a collection of essays on friendships lost. More than I’d like to admit I’m haunted by friendships that were once very important to me but now no longer exist. So I was obviously the target audience for this book. While I enjoyed some essays very much I didn’t enjoy the book as a whole. I think I have to blame at least part of my dislike on my sensitivity to the subject matter. My longing for friendships past made me judgmental to the authors in the book who acknowledged that the death of a friendship was caused by their own deliberate actions. “I miss friendships that ended through nothing I intentionally did so how dare you whine about how much you miss the friend you intentionally hurt.” I became bitter at authors who say they think they possibly could salvage friendships if they’d just make the first step and write or call. But I became more bitter still at myself because I know the same holds true for me. If I’d only make that first step there are a couple relationships that could be salvaged but I know they wouldn’t be good. I know that they would only be based on the other person’s terms. But I want to be optimistic for other people so in my head I condemn those authors. “You’re being so selfish. Why won’t you just call her. She probably misses you and needs you and yet you just refuse to call.” I know I won’t call and I don’t want to chastise myself for it, so I chastise them.
That the essays all mark the end of friendships and not a single one offers any glimpse or hope of reconciliations is probably what bothers me most. Clearly it shouldn’t since I knew full well what the book was about. But while reading the few essays that I really related to I kept hoping that the last page would be about how the author had called, or the friend had sent a letter and they were repairing and rebuilding the friendship. I wanted some hope that deep, deep friendships, particularly between women, don’t die so easily and that there is always hope for the relationship to grow and thrive again. None of these essays gave me that hope and I don’t have that hope in my heart.
I’ll never read this book again, not by any fault of its own but because reading it just reminded me far too much of pains and longing that I try not to think about so much.

Title: Goodnight Nobody
Author: Jennifer Weiner
Genre: Fiction
I suppose Jennifer Weiner’s books are classified as chic-lit thought I’ve yet to find a true definition of that term. I’ve read all of her books at this point and have enjoyed them. They are quick reads (I finished this one in one day), the heroines are interesting if a little too low self-esteem for my taste. The problem I have with Goodnight Nobody is that I couldn’t suspend disbelief for the two twist endings. Sometimes an author can convince me to ignore the impossible coincidences or late in the final act clues but I just couldn’t do it in this book. Maybe it’s because I’m not a huge mystery fan in general.
All in all not a bad read but I’d not be in a rush to read it again anytime soon and it won’t be at the top of the list of books I recommend to others.

Title: Diary of a Manhattan Call Girl : A Nancy Chan Novel
Author: Tracy Quan
Genre: Fiction
I first read this book when it was published in the summer of 2001 and enjoyed it very much. Salon.com pre-published a few chapters from it and I was hooked. I’ve been running a book club for almost a year now and at our last meeting a few members mentioned wanting to read something more “adventurous” and unexpected. This book came to mind. Everyone was pretty game for it. I remembered the basic plot but had forgotten just exactly how sexually explicit it was and what the writing was like. I can safely say though that I enjoyed it this time just as much. It’s fun, silly, and some plot points are highly implausible but I didn’t mind at all.
Highly recommended for readers who don’t mind explicit sexual talk in books and oh yeah, and who don’t mind the obvious topic of prostitution.
My book club meets on Tuesday and I can’t wait to see what the other members thought of it. I’ve heard from one who loved it (she was one who clamoring for something more adventurous) but there are a few slightly more modest members and I can’t wait to hear them talk about this book.

Title: Jarhead : A Marine’s Chronicle of the Gulf War and Other Battles
Author: Anthony Swofford
Genre: Non-Fiction
I enjoyed this book but I didn’t love it like I wanted to and it didn’t educate me or move me to think about war (and the wars American has fought over the last 15 years) any differently. I already thought war does horrible things to people, including those who fight, even those that aren’t physically injured or kill. I already thought the first Gulf War had lots to do with oil and appearances and controlling more of the middle east than we probably have a right to.
With the writing style and the specific subject matter the book probably could have shaved 50 pages off and I would have liked it much more.