"Spooky Little Girl" by Laurie Notaro

Death is what happens while you're busy making other plans.

Coming home from a Hawaiian vacation with her best girlfriends, Lucy Fisher is stunned to find everything she owns tossed out on her front lawn, the locks changed, and her fiance's phone disconnected - plus she's just lost her job. With her world spinning wildly out of her control, Lucy decides to make a new start and moves upstate to live with her sister and nephew.

But then things take an even more dramatic turn: A fatal encounter with public transportation lands Lucy not in the hereafter but in the nearly hereafter. She's back in school, learning the parameters of spooking and how to become a successful spirit in order to complete a ghostly assignment. If Lucy succeeds, she's guaranteed a spot in the next level of the afterlife - but until then, she's stuck as a ghost in the last place she would ever want to be.

Trying to avoid being trapped on earth for all eternity, Lucy crosses the line between life and death and back again when she returns home. Navigating the perilous channels of the paranormal, she's determined to find out why her life crumbled and why, despite her ghastly death, no one seems to have noticed she's gone. But urgency on the spectral plane - in the departed person of her feisty grandmother, who is risking both their eternal lives - requires attention, and Lucy realizes that you get only one chance to be spectacular in death.

I've read a lot of Notaro's essay collections, and I always love them. I've also read her previous novel, which was pretty darn good, albeit obviously autobiographical to an extent. I had no qualms picking up this second novel, but I was a bit surprised.

Lucy is an obvious Notaro-type character. Everything is all about her: her job, her friends, her fiance. She's one of those people that's always talking about themselves and not often listening to what's going on with someone else. But she does have a good heart, which is what gets her into all this trouble to start with. While in Hawaii on her girls' vacation, Lucy insists on hanging out with one of her friends when said friend meets a guy in the bar. Unfortunately, said friend "forgets" something and leaves the hotel room briefly. Lucy has to run into the bathroom to become violently ill, and thus, her fate is sealed.

It was a bit heartbreaking watch this girl's life implode, especially as she had no idea why. And let's face it, whenever anything bad happens to us, isn't that our first question? Why, oh why, is this happening to ME? Once Lucy has shuffled off this mortal coil, she starts her investigation into where things went so incredibly wrong.

I was impressed with this second novel. Yes, it's still light and fun, but there's some definite insight here, too. I love Notaro's take on mediums, and whatever you do, do not let them drag you "into the light" (that was really neat, her vision of what happens if you follow the psychic's commands). I thought Lucy's friends were fairly well-developed, and I like seeing the transition of my opinion of Martin, her maybe-ex-fiance. The only thing that I wish I'd gotten a better feel for was Lucy's relationship with her sister. We see sis briefly when Lucy goes to live with her and the nephew (she's got nowhere else to go), and again near the end of the book. Being a sister myself, I wish Notaro hadn't killed Lucy quite so quickly, as I would have liked to read more about these two women (especially since the little interaction we do get reminded me a lot of me and my baby sister).

Overall, a big thumbs up. Cute, fun, quick read with something a little bit deeper hidden inside it.

"The Metamorphosis" by Franz Kafka

Thank goodness this is a short story because I don't think I could have suffered through a full-length novel by Kafka. I read this years ago in school (can't remember if it was high school or college, but either way, it was many, many years ago) and didn't like it then. The title is on that infamous classics list of mine, so I thought I'd give it another go. After all, when I re-read "Call of the Wild", I loved it; perhaps that magic would strike again.

No such luck.

To give you an idea of how much I did not like this story, it took me 3 nights to get through it (and it's not even 100 pages long, at least, not in the version I found). Kept falling asleep waiting for something to happen.

The story is very basic: Gregor Samsa, a travelling sales clerk, wakes one morning to find he's no longer human. He is now an immense insect. Which, of course, means he can no longer go to work, interact with his family, go out in public, etc. The story is pretty much him in his little insect head, observing his family and how they try to care for him, and his existence for a few months after his "metamorphosis".

The only thing I did get on this 2nd reading is that it doesn't seem so much Gregor that undergoes a change but his sister, Grete. She starts the story very shy, mousy, almost scared of her shadow. In caring for Gregor's insect self, she becomes a bit braver, until she is the one at the end of the story declaring that it can't go on the way it is, that something must be done with "it" (meaning Gregor). Indeed, the last scene is the family minus Gregor walking outside in the fresh air, and Grete's parents noticing how pretty she is, and how it's time to think of finding her a suitable husband.

Yawn.

I will admit that I tried to read a second story in the collection I picked up, thinking that perhaps I just wasn't into "The Metamorphosis" itself. I read "The Judgment", and I have to say, my judgment is that I simply do not "get" Kafka.

"Thank You Notes" by Jimmy Fallon

At first I felt guilty for counting this "book" on my reading challenge (100 books = 2012 goal). I mean, really... it's not a "real" book, is it? It's just a bunch of little thank you notes, each getting its own page, and it took all of a half-hour tops to read. So why count it? And why count it "legally"?

Well, I'll tell ya. I thought about it after I got thru the guilt, and I realized that yes, this is a book. It's short, true, but it's funny. And believe it or not, it even made me think a time or two. It brought joy to my life, and isn't that what any book should do?

So thank you, Jimmy Fallon, for helping me inch ever closer to my 2012 reading goal.

"Our Red Hot Romance is Leaving Me Blue" by Dixie Cash

Full-time hairdressers and part-time private detectives, Debbie Sue Overstreet and Edwina Perkins-Martin - the Domestic Equalizers - have dealt with cheating spouses, shady business deals, Elvis-obsessed shoe thieves, even murder. But ghosts? That's a whole new rodeo!

Justin Sadler's just coming to terms with the absence of his dear departed Rache - but now he's not so sure she's departed! Every time he goes home he knows someone's been there - and if it's not Rachel trying to communicate from beyond, it's someone else who's trying to drive him stark raving bonkers. So the Equalizers are on the case, with the help of an El Paso psychic who's so dead-on, it's scary. It's enough to make any good ol' gal's big hair stand on end!

The investigation leads them toward one of their tiny West Texas Town's more unsavory characters - and, all things considered, Debbie Sue would much rather be cuddling in the arms of her hubby, the sexiest cop in the whole nation of Texas. But the Equalizers will never say die...even when dealing with the restless dead.

As always, a cute read featuring two of the nicest (and sometimes foul-mouthed) women this side of the Mississippi. I've read all of the Dixie Cash books featuring the Domestic Equalizers, and if you're looking for a "fluffy" yet fun read, these are for you.

The description pretty much says everything you need to know about the story. I did like that there was more interaction between our two hapless heroines this time around; the relationship between Debbie Sue and Edwina is what really makes these books. When only one of them is on the receiving end of the storyline, it tends to fall a bit flat. Together, these characters are unstoppable - and just lovable as well.

I thought the "love interest" characters were well-written this time, too. And no "cute meet" this time, which was wonderful! Sophia is legitimately contacted as the psychic, and so she's really Justin's employee (for a very brief moment in time). It was also nice to read about a character who truly loved his wife; his hope that maybe his dearly departed sweetie is trying to contact him from beyond the grave was quite moving.

As usual, I highly recommend this for a fun, quick read. And beach season is quickly approaching - this would be PERFECT for that!

Soooooo cool!

I'm not typically one to watch a trailer for a book. Oh sure, I've seen a few of them, and some have been sort of neat, but overall, I haven't been swayed to read something. Until now.

It's a book that's been on my radar since it was released. But now? Now I really want to read it. Take a look for yourself.

"The Dog Who Knew Too Much" by Spencer Quinn

The fourth entry in the irresistible New York Times bestselling mystery series featuring canine narrator Chet and his human companion Bernie Little - "the coolest human/pooch duo this side of Wallace and Gromit" (Kirkus Reviews)

Combining intrigue and humor with a perceptive take on the relationship between man and beast, The Dog Who Knew Too Much marks the return of the mystery world's most engaging and unlikely team of crime solvers.

Bernie Little has been invited to give the keynote speech at the Great Western Private Eye Convention, but it's his dog, Chet, that the big-shot P.I. in charge has secret plans for. Meanwhile, Chet and Bernie are hired to find a kid named Devin who has gone missing from a wilderness camp in the high country. Did Devin wander away from the group, as the hiking guide insists, or was he hounded by bullies and driven away from the campsite during the night? Devin's mother thinks that her ex-husband has snatched the boy, but Chet's always reliable nose leads to a sinister discovery, sending this missing-child case in a new and dangerous direction.

As if that weren't enough, matters get complicated at home when a stray puppy that looks suspiciously like Chet shows up in the neighborhood. Affairs of the heart collide with a job that's never been tougher, requiring our two intrepid sleuths to trust each other even when circumstances - and some small-town cops with motives of their own - conspire to keep them far apart.

The Dog Who Knew Too Much takes this engaging series to new levels of accomplishment. Both man and dog are shown in all their imperfect, endearing, loyal, and complicated glory. And as Chet recounts his and Bernie's efforts to put the bad guys behind bars, his doggy world-view gently reminds us of what we love best about canines: the unconditional love they show their humans, and the boundless enthusiasm they feel for life, every single day.

There's really not much I can say about this book other than I loved it. I am still amazed at how Quinn perfectly captures what I imagine to be the canine thought-process; I always feel as if I'm truly in Chet's brain. And yes, there is always bacon in Chet's brain.

I do wish that some of the character development had been a little more, well, developed. But it makes sense that it's not - this is Chet's world, and he doesn't pay attention to what's going on all the time. Poor Chet, easily distracted by the things that distract dogs. However, this book had a very nice plot line going for it, and much more interaction between Chet and Bernie. Yes, at one point they are separated (they always seem to be separated at some point in every book) but Chet isn't alone for long, and luckily, he's reunited with Bernie rather quickly.

My wish for the next book is that we find out much, much more about the mysterious puppy that has appeared around Chet's area, the one that looks just like him. I'd love to see Bernie take in the young dog, see the interaction between it and Chet, maybe even see Chet show a fatherly side. After all, he's been watching Bernie with his son for a few years, and Bernie seems to be a pretty darn good dad; Chet could do worse for a role model. And since dogs don't live forever, maybe the puppy will eventually take Chet's place? Only time - and the next book - will tell.

"Agorafabulous! Dispatches from my Bedroom" by Sara Benincasa

"I subscribe to the notion that if you can laugh at the shittiest moments in your life, you can transcend them. And if other people can laugh at your awful shit as well, then I guess you can officially call yourself a comedian."

In Boston, a college student fears leaving her own room - even to use the toilet. In Pennsylvania, a meek personal assistant finally confronts a perpetually enraged gay spiritual guru. In Texas, a rookie high school teacher deals with her male student's unusually, er, hard personal problem. Sara Benincasa has been that terrified student, that embattled employee, that confused teacher - and so much more. Her hilarious memoir chronicles her attempts to forge a wonderfully weird adulthood in the midst of her lifelong struggle with agoraphobia, depression, and unruly hair.

Relatable, unpretentious, and unsentimental, Agorafabulous! celebrates eccentricity, resilience, and the power of humor to light up even the darkest corners of our lives. (There are also some sexy parts, but they're really awkward. Like really, really awkward.)

Full disclosure: I won a copy of this from Goodreads. In exchange for the free copy, I was strongly encouraged to write a review of it. It took me a while, but here it is!

I saw this book in one of our professional magazines at work, I'm sure. Or maybe I just read the original blurb on the giveaway - I can't remember now. What I do know is that the book sounded good, funny, and something I was interested in reading. Imagine my complete shock when I received the "You're a winner!" email from Goodreads; I'd entered several giveaways and hadn't won anything (and didn't appear to be in the running for anything, either). I got my email, did a "I-can't-believe-I-actually-won!" dance, and anxiously awaited the arrival of my book.

When it finally reached me, I have to admit, I didn't start it that night. Heck, I almost never start a book the day I check it out/buy it/bring it home; call it some sort of sado-masochistic delay of gratification. Once I did begin, I realized this book wasn't exactly what I had thought it would be. Yes, some of it was funny. Yes, there were little vignettes of agoraphobic behavior. But I had been under the impression that the author was more of an editor and that the stories were to be from different people's lives. I know - read the jacket again, silly girl! Sigh. Anyway, I kept going.

What I will tell you is this: I think Benincasa was incredibly brave to write this book. It is an extremely open and honest exploration of her battle with mental illness, one that at times is difficult to read in its honesty. I don't think I could have written about peeing in dinnerware. Her book is a testament to her spirit and determination, and it shows that one can conquer mental illness if you get the help you need (and if you ask for it, which I know was a bit of a problem for her).

What comes out most in the author's writing is her love for her family. I don't think she could have gotten through this period in her life without her parents, nor would she be where she is today without some very good friends. If I learned one thing from this memoir, it is that one should speak up for those that may not speak for themselves. Her college friends recognized just how bad things were and contacted her parents, even though they knew it could mean the end of a friendship. I think people don't reach out often enough due to fear (or maybe apathy, though I hate thinking that). If something doesn't look/feel right, talk to that person and don't give up.

Overall, I liked this work. The author has a nice style, the story was interesting, and in the end, I would definitely recommend it to others.