An Open Letter to my Friends at eHarmony

Dear Dr. Neil Clark Warren and Miscellaneous eHarmony Employees,

I am just curious as to how you match up your clients. I realize you say it is computer-generated, but I would like to know how in the world it was necessary for me to close communication with over 425 undateables. I did not think I was nearly that picky.

How did I answer my original questions that I should be matched with the men you have "chosen" for me? I don't recall saying I was interested in dating men who post pictures of themselves in extra-large M&M costumes or posing obviously shirtless (head and shoulders, thank goodness) after just having showered. I also don't recall stating that I would be interested in dating unemployed men or relatively homeless men (see a previous post for a whole litany on that one). I also am not interested in any men who don't even try to spell correctly (or even use spell-check) or CAPITALIZE EVERYTHING AS IF THEY WERE YELLING ALL THE TIME. It makes for bad karma from the get-go.

I have seen my friends' profiles, as well as their matches. Some of the their matches are men who are highly attractive--and close to home! Apparently in my case, attractiveness and proximity are two qualities severely lacking in my so-called "pool of eligibles". If that's the pool in MY backyard, I choose not to swim, thank you very much.

When I posed this question to my friends, the answer was "well, you're a lot older than (insert friend's name here) and that is why she gets better matches." Thanks, girls, for that vote of confidence. Without the benefit of a time machine, this information is quite useless. While my friend only wants the best for me, she could ante-up some cool single men in my age group to make up for her ageist comment.

I have mulled this over in my head time and time again, and the math just doesn't make sense. If 50% of married people get divorced, then it stands to reason that there should be a relatively equal number of normal, eligible men and women. However, it seems that there are many many fabulous women out there and very few men. Either that, or the men that are available immediately become involved with women who have never been married, rendering the math irrelevant.

Anyway, Dr. Warren, if you are indeed a Doctor of Love, I am surprised you have not yet been sued for malpractice. I am quite certain the money you are recieving from the "Hope Springs Eternal for Love" monthly fees you charge could pay out quite nicely. And who among us couldn't use an extra hundy or so a month? Maybe we could put it toward "It's Just Lunch" with better results.

Yours Truly,
Frustrated

(or: Yours,
Truly Frustrated)

Response to "The Grand Tagging"

Okay, here it goes. I had to really rack my brain to think up interesting enough things to rival Jilly's post, since I realized I had not kissed any celebrities or won any cool prizes. Clearly I only came up with three in about a month's time, so I gave up!


Here it goes...


1. When I was in college, a friend of mine's parents had moved from KS to Upland, California which is outside L.A. For Spring Break, several girlfriends and I decided to take a whirlwind trip to the West coast. We stayed with her parents a few nights, went to San Diego, Tijuana, and Las Vegas, all in the span of a week. While we were there, we went to L.A. one evening. The traffic coming into the city was horrible, and we all had to go to the bathroom really badly by the time we got in. We stopped at a Jack in the Box to use the restroom, and while we were waiting, we quizzed the locals about where to eat. Obviously, the answer was not Jack in the Box. One guy suggested a little local pizza place where the celebrities were known to hang out. We were dressed in our "casual college" outfits, complete with the requisite torn up jeans of the 80's. When we walked in to "the little pizza place" it was obvious this was not a torn-up jeans kind of restaurant. The very L.A.-ish woman at the hostess stand looked us up and down, then asked, "Do you have a reservation?" My friend boldly explained that we were just in L.A. for a little while and we just wanted to eat some dinner. Luckily, the woman took pity on us and told us if we could be out by 8:30 we could have a table. We gratefully took it, and enjoyed a window table. Little did I know we were dining at one of the soon-to-be famed hotspots in Los Angeles--Spago!



2. Following our dinner at Spago, we enjoyed a night at The Comedy Store. Interestingly enough, it was emceed by the very same Pauly Shore that kissed Jilly Chittum in the elevator. He must not have been in the kissing mood that night, however, because none of us were so lucky. But..the special guest that night was none other than Eddie Murphy, who stood close enough for us to touch him. At the time it was a pretty cool experience for a small-town Kansas girl!



3. When I was a kid, I used to enjoy fishing with my dad. He was a very outdoorsy type of guy, and he did like to fish on occasion. I prided myself on being a girl who wasn't afraid of getting my hands dirty, so the daddy/daughter fishing ventures were right up my alley. One day when I was about eleven or so, we went on one of these little fishing afternoons. We had only been out for about 15 minutes or so when there was a giant tug on my line. I pulled and pulled and couldn't reel it in, so dad took over and used his manpower. There, on the end of my line, was an 8 1/2 pound bass. We took a picture of it, which I still have. I can remember the men fishing around us being pretty amazed. They had apparently been out all day and hadn't had a bite!

First Date Awkwardness

I was never very good at the dating game, even when I was of dating age. Maybe it was due to my "all or nothing" dating philosophy. If the mutual attraction was not there, I just didn't see a need to go out at all. Therefore, I didn't weed through a lot of people between relationships. I either had a boyfriend or I avoided dating. Period. So during the times that I was available (which was more often than not in my college days) I just hung out with friends and avoided the dating scene. Yes, I had a couple of times I went out on pointless dates that didn't amount to anything, but for the most part I was able to avoid it completely.

In my "new" post-divorce life, I am once again thrown into the dating scene. I have just about as much experience now as I did then, and it's sad to say I'm not improving. Possibly the worst part is the "end of the first date". Here you are, with someone you aren't comfortable with anyway, and you are expected to know how to act. You don't really know what they think of you; did they have a good time? Do they think you are cute? Completely repulsive? What??!!

And then, the awkwardness begins. It starts out while he is walking you to your car. You attempt to make some type of lame conversation, but it comes out completely wrong, because your mind is on whether or not he will "Lean In". You laugh nervously as you say, "Hey, this was fun..." and then you wait. What happens next? One of several possibilities:

1. The Handshake: This says, "Hey, it was great to meet/see you, but I am not interested." Unless, of course, it is followed with a Hand Grasp with a Pull In. This move often is followed with a "Can I call you again?", which trumps the No-Interest Handshake and improves the possibility of a second date.

2. The "Front-Facing Away From Body" Hug: This can either mean, "I'm not interested" or "I am interested". There is really no way to tell on this one. Usually not that awkward, unless one of you leans your face in for the kiss and there is a Side Head Turn. This move is usually initiated by the guy, and often it is the girl with the Head Turn. Luckily for the guy, this could mean "I'm not that kind of girl" OR "I'm not interested. Therefore, it is unlikely to affect said guy in the post-date days to come. However, if the girl leans in for the kiss and the GUY does the Head Turn, it would most likely cause insane amounts of phone time (to your friends, saying, "I'm SUCH an idiot!") and immense amounts of chocolate being consumed. This is why girls usually avoid this move. Too much post-date stress involved.

3. The Highly Awkward Side Hug: This one is difficult to pin down. I find that it is completely and totally awkward. Maybe because this is how I hug the students in my room, and when I am out with a man I want to avoid thinking about the students in my room. When I am in this "Awkward Side Hug" position, I have been known to impulsively (for lack of a better idea) kiss the man on the cheek, thus making it Even. More. Awkward. If that is possible. Which it is. Because I have done it. Which also leads to the aforementioned phone time and chocolate consumption.

4. The Kiss: We can only hope that both parties have mutual feelings about this one. However, sometimes they are just testing the waters to see if there is a general deepening of attraction because of the kiss, a "maybe this requires more research" (which most times results in a second date), or an "I thought I was interested, but it turns out I'm not" (based on your kissing prowess or lack thereof). This also is a toughie, especially when paired with Other Awkward Moments. It can be particularly humiliating when the kissing doesn't lead to another date. (See Girl's Reaction, mentioned twice above)

So, I propose that all First Daters universally agree on the proper etiquette. Here it goes:

At end of date, this scripted conversation could occur:
Man: Hey, it's the end of the date now. I had a time.
Woman: Hey, it is the end of the date. I had a time, too.
Man: I might or might not call you again so that we may or may not do this again.
Woman: I might or might not answer the phone when you call, and I probably won't call you because men are supposed to call or not call.
Man (holds hand up, palm side out, at eye level in front of him): Give me a high five.
Woman (meets man's high five): Here it is!
Man: 'Bye.
Woman: 'Bye.

Now, this doesn't sound awkward at all, does it??

It's not just the costumes that are scary...

I have decided that there should be a mandatory age limit put in place for trick-or-treaters on Halloween. While handing out treats on the porch of my friends' house, we were accosted by a trick-or-treater, in full costume, that had to have been 16 or 17. When you are that old and going around the neighborhood BY YOURSELF in full Star Wars regalia, complete with a $200.00 light sabre, it's just plain scary. One must wonder where that poor kids' friends are. Probably down the street egging someone's car.

If you are old enough to have a job that paid for your $200.00 costume accessory, you might want to re-think your Halloween activities. Surely you could have gone out and purchased, say, $200.00 worth of candy--thus eliminating the need to dress up and humiliatingly have to say "Trick or Treat" in your man-voice to complete strangers. Who, by the way, were just a little creeped out by you and couldn't wait for your landspeeder to zoom you to the next house.

There is a definite up side to this situation, however, for the tricky teen. Probably no one is going to argue with you about candy. They are just going to hand it over quickly and hope you'll move on.

I guess he could have been doing worse things with his time--maybe once he graduates from high school he will give up the candy poaching. Either that, or he will go dorm to dorm instead of door to door. Yikes!

Excuses, Excuses

When people are contemplating doing something they might consider to be risky, problematic, or immoral, often they will often have an excuse. For instance, if a person wants to leave their marriage, there are plenty of excuses they can come up with that will lead them in that direction. These all too mysterious signs just happen to appear when the person has most likely already decided, and hasn't found a good reason yet. Here are a few of the more popular excuses my friends and I have heard from various exes:

1. "You use bagged salad. I want fresh." (Seriously??)


2. "You are too emotional."


3. "I have to find myself". (This one usually means he is going off to find himself someone else, or find himself with the someone else he already found months earlier)


4. "I have to find my creativity". (This is also another overused one, along the same lines as finding himself, but it sounds more artsy.)


5. "You wouldn't go in a deer stand with me."


6. "You are like the brakes on my life".


7. "I have to find my soul mate". (He might as well follow this with..."and YOU are not IT!"


8. "I have to live my life without regrets".


9. "You have a way, when you walk into a room." (??)


10. " You only put five Pringles in my lunch."

I know you think I am joking about some of these, but to men in mid-life crisis mode (or women for that matter) I guess these make perfect sense.

The bottom line is that when people want an excuse, any excuse will do.

The dating world is full of excuses, too. Especially on websites like eHarmony. On that one, you can't just close someone with no reason, so they give you reasons. They are all very flowery and nice--things like "The physical distance between us is too great", or "I have too much going on in my life right now"...except one. That one is "other". "Other" is the close-out that makes your self-esteem plummet to the depths, allowing your brain to wildly imagine all the reasons it could be. You immediately start thinking of things: Was it because I wet my pants in fourth grade? Am I too wrinkly? My nose too big? What IS it??!!

It doesn't matter whether you wanted to communicate with that person or not, "other" is just a flat-out slam. I believe that when someone closes you out on the basis of "other", you should get to write a come-back. Something like: "I was looking for someone with better teeth'" or "I had hoped to find someone who could spell" or "It's important for me to find someone who isn't a total loser". Instead, your only recourse is the lame "Good luck on your search", and the groveling "If you had gotten to know me, I think you would change your mind". Like you would give them that opportunity.

Please feel free to send along other excuses to add to the list. Maybe I can forward them to Dr. Neil Clark Warren, of eHarmony.

KC: A Very Small Big Town

Here's a question: How can I manage to run into people I most hope not to see (i.e. miscellaneous exes), but NEVER run into old crushes I would like to see again--even though we all live in the same town.

Back when I was growing up in what anyone would consider to be a small town, I thought Kansas City was one of those places where someone could maintain a semblance of anonymity. Not so, it turns out. No one tells you Kansas City is the place where ex sightings can and will happen at random any day of the week.

Much like Murphy's Law, so is the Law of Ex. Wherever an ex is, that is where you will inadvertently be as well, looking your worst and being caught totally off guard. Wouldn't it be nice if there were a GPS simply made for exes? It would normally not track their whereabouts, (because we don't know or care what they are doing) but would alert you if you were within a five mile radius. Maybe it would start off beeping very slowly and quietly, and become gradually louder if you were unfortunate enough to come into closer range. If you still continued to tempt fate, the thing would start vibrating and yelling (in an Australian accent, just because it sounds so nice) "Warning, warning". Finally, the lights and sirens would go off, and the ever-so-helpful Australian man would blast out "For God's sake, RUN!" At which point you would attempt to escape the awkwardness and possible painful bouts of crying uncontrollably. If you happened to be out on a date with an attractive male, however, you would turn it off and of course inch ever closer to the target so he could see how you've moved on and are just fine, thank you very much.

Hmm...I may have just come up with my million dollar idea.

Toads and Princes

So...as a single girl of a certain age, I have been tossed once again, kicking and screaming, into the bottomless crevasse that is the world of dating men in the 35-45 age group. Note to all of you "currently marrieds" out there who might (God forbid) find yourself in this position or dream of it however briefly on occasion--dating is NOT any more fun now than it was when you were younger. The difference is that now most of the men out there have bellies that are slaves to gravity and much less hair on their heads than in the dear old mullet days. That having been said, I am certain I will meet the man of my dreams when I have gleaned all possible knowledge about dating in the year 2008. Here are five little tidbits I can impart to you:

1. If your date goes on and on about "the frat house", sports a tattoo of Greek symbols on his ankle and has been out of college for ten years or more, there is a problem.
2. If your date seems to have an unnatural obsession with ANYTHING, run fast and far away. This includes unnatural obsessions with you.
3. If your date resides with a family member and is over the age of 35, he should be considered potentially undateable. That is, of course, unless his house was recently hurricane-ized, flooded beyond recognition, or sucked up by a tornado. If you do decide to date Mr. Nuclear Family, resign yourself to the fact that he WILL be at your house all the time, and therefore most of your dates will consist of you cooking for him while he lounges on the couch watching a movie you either own or have paid for On Demand.
4. If your date is 40 or over and has never been married, THERE IS A REASON!! I can't speak to what that reason is, but you will know it within the first ten minutes spent with him.
5. If on the first date he seems nice but there is no spark, you can't hope for one to magically appear on the second date. Trust me, your interest will dwindle from there. At one point I decided I would just try to "go out" with people even if I didn't find them particularly interesting. In the course of two dates mildly uninteresting often becomes completely unbearable, especially after you find out he is over 40, never been married, obsessed with Star Trek, lives with his mother and sister, and needs to find a girl who shares his interests in online role-playing games and Ultimate Fighting.

The bright side of dating is that it is possible to sock away the little pieces of random information that might just help in future dating scenarios. Even if it's something as simple as "When I eat salsa, it usually finds its way down my front, so next time, don't wear white." Little by little you can become better at this infinite search, or at least more capable of separating the toads from the princes--or maybe just better at identifying the toads prior to accepting a dinner invitation from one of them.

Twelve Sharp by Janet Evanovich

I was fully prepared to sit down this morning and write a scathing review of this fluffy mystery that I disliked. That was before I read the bio of Janet Evanovich. I am inclined to say I like the book slightly better for having read about the author. She seems like someone that would be funny to hang out with, and the fact that she doesn't take herself seriously reminded me that she expects people not to take her writing too seriously either.



This is the first Stephanie Plum novel I have read. It belongs to a category of books that tend to reside in the smaller mid-aisle shelving at Borders. They are a generic sort-- all with glossy covers and overly large fonts bearing titles meant to catch a reader's eye. I normally skirt around them, making my way over to the contemporary literature section. Call me a book snob, but these are the types of books I generally avoid strictly on principle.



That having been said, though, I had high hopes for this one. Back in the day, I used to love a good mystery. Some of my favorite mystery authors were Ruth Rendell, Agatha Christie, Mary Higgins Clark, and Jonathan Kellerman. The thing I really enjoyed about reading them was the "twist" either at the end or toward the end that added the element of surprise. This, my friends, was sorely lacking in this book, and I missed it desperately.



I kept waiting for the plot to get thicker. For something out of the range of predictability to happen. For a shocking turn of events. It just plain didn't happen. About midway through the book, Stephanie figures out that the real Ranger is being impersonated by some Ranger wanna-be. And that is that. I kept thinking that Ranger himself was going to turn out to be bad; that he wouldn't have been the person she thought him to be. But for all of her physical involvement with Ranger, she seemed disturbingly devoid of any personal information about him. It would have been the perfect scenario for him to turn out to be a serial killer or something. But alas, no such luck. It must be that Ranger had to stay in character since he shows up in more than one book. This was information I was not privy to due to my lack of experience with Evanovich's other works.

As for the so-called humorous parts of the story, I have this to say: If you have to rely on Trannies and Grannies for laughs, you must have been struck by a serious case of writer's block. The parts of the story that were supposed to offer some comic relief simply made me roll my eyes and respond with a sarcastic "Seriously?!!" While I realize the ancillary characters' antics were intended to make the reader laugh, I found those parts of the story to be so embarrassingly ridiculous they made the hair stand up on the back of my neck. Maybe I enjoy a smarter funny than this book was prepared to give. Or maybe my expectations were just too high.

Even during the more climactic portions of the tale I found myself almost rooting for the deaths of all the main characters so that Evanovich would have to start over in a new series with completely fresh ideas. I don't think she is a poor author, maybe she is just a sellout. After all, she has made enough money to set everyone up in her family with jobs centered around her books, so obviously she knows how to procure the almighty dollar.

The good news about this book is that it is totally and completely mindless. You can read it on the beach, at the post office, while drying your hair, or during your professor's lecture (just kidding, of course) and you never even have to think. It is a quick read, and for me it was even quicker since I read it with fervor, eternally hopeful that it would get better as I went along. To say that I hated it is a bit harsh, but I probably won't be inclined to read any other Stephanie Plum mysteries as long as there are other books on the planet.

The Secret Life of Bees

Although this was the second read for me, I did enjoy The Secret Life of Bees just as much as the first time I read it. It is chock full of life lessons, which I didn't really understand the first time around. It is a story of resiliency and self-love, crafted in such a way that the characters are the focus. The endearing interactions between the characters in the story make it a worthwhile and entertaining read.

Lily is the heroine of the story, a tortured soul burdened with past mistakes and pain. Through her journey from pre-teen child to maturity she learns many difficult lessons. Probably the most significant one is that self-love and forgiveness go hand-in-hand, and you cannot have one without the other. She spends a much of the time throughout the story dealing with her guilt and rejection issues. However, the resolution she finds with sisters and Rosaleen help her to realize her full potential as a loveable person.

When someone rejects you, your sense of self can be absolutely shattered. Especially when that person is someone who is important to you. Often, though, we unknowingly put our self-worth in the hands of others. Unable to obtain appropriate validation for ourselves, we hope that their approval will make us happy. However, this occurrence can act in the opposite way, actually pushing the very people we hope to attract farther away. Lily and T. Ray both needed approval from each other, but T. Ray didn't know how to give it and Lily didn't know how to ask for it. Thus they were stuck at a crossroads, and Lily was forced to make the decision to leave.

In the pink house, she found solace in the sisterhood of women. She was able to live calmly and peacefully, learning the life lessons and gaining knowledge of her mother's life. When the time finally arrived for her to have her climactic discussion with August, she was mature enough to deal with it, grieve as necessary, have an emotional release, and be able to move on with her own life.

When people are unable to deal with their guilt, regret, and emotion, they become like T. Ray-angry, resentful, and just plain mean. He clearly had been a somewhat sensitive man when he married Deborah, but was so shattered by her rejection that it affected every aspect of his life. He became mean and uncaring simply because he had internal hurts that needed attention.

In a way, Lily's struggle represents the human experience. We all have regrets, guilt, anger, and actions we wish we could go back and change. In the real world, it takes a combination of much self-reflection and support in the way of friends or family to get through tough situations.

I am interested to see what the movie version of this book will bring. It certainly has the potential to be a great chick-flick, and I hope it doesn't disappoint.

The Lovely Bones (Final Post)

It struck me as I was finishing this book why, exactly, I had not gotten that much out of it the first time I read it. I realized that at that time, it had been less a character study and more a murder mystery to me. The first time around, I kept expecting some big, climactic scene with Mr. Harvey and the family and it just didn't happen. This time around, I saw the irony in his death. He had killed in such torturous and brutal ways, but his death by fallen icicle was quite mundane. We can assume, however, that Sebold's version of heaven would be directly in line with her version of hell, and it is implied that he will perhaps be haunted by the women he killed for all eternity.

While the family came back together at the end, it leaves the reader hoping for a complete and total reconciliation. Maybe enough time had passed for that to occur. But I did find that Abigail's return to her family added the necessary closure for the end of the book. I don't know if I believe that was a very realistic action for her character, but it makes for a much better story than if she had spent the rest of her life at the vineyard job.

For Susie to inhabit Ruth's body to be with Ray was a weird twist. I understood it that Ruth had done this for Susie, but I was confused as to why. Again, it made for some much needed closure on the part of the reader, but it seemed farther "out there" than the rest of the book. For Ray to realize he was with Ruth but not with her body seemed very strange, considering that he had only known Susie as a classmate in jr. high.

Overall, I feel like I got much more out of this book the second time around. It was media and newsworthy when I read it the first time and I failed to identify with the hype. However, this second read provided me with more insight and prepared me to want to see the movie version.

The Lovely Bones (First-Half Post)

Disturbing. That is the first word that comes to mind when thinking of this book. I read it when it first came out, and felt the same way. However, I was in quite a different point in my life then, and I am actually seeing it in a new light now.

I would really like to think that Heaven is like Susie describes; full of all the things you loved here on earth, with the possibility of running into those who have passed before you. I found it interesting how Alice Sebold was able to come up with a version of this place, where the dead are actually real live characters who interact with an emotional response to the actions of the living. I am only halfway through the book at this point, and can only vaguely recall what happens later on. But it is interesting how Susie seems have so much insight into the lives of those she loves. She looks upon them in an almost parental way, with protective instincts and emotional intelligence way beyond that of her earthly age in years.

Grief is a very personal journey, as anyone who has been through it can tell you. While it would be nice to believe that in real life families are able to cope as a group in a neat little grieving process, that is not the case. Often the pain one family member sees in another becomes like a mirror, and the reflection looking back is too much to bear. Instead of relying on each other, each person retreats into his or her own pain, thus eliminating the vision staring them in the face. Then, as a result, often they look outside (in this case, the marriage) for solace. The person outside the situation offers a sympathetic shoulder, often seeming like they truly understand. However, what the outsider is actually offering is an escape from the pain that lies inside the household. It is very easy to want to medicate that pain as fast and furiously as possible, and that is when the relationships in the family/marriage become strained. In the case of Abigail and Jack, Abigail looks outside her marriage to medicate her own pain. Her attraction to Len is clearly just a "macaroon" for her soul. The fact that she likes a quick fix to emotional upheaval is alluded to earlier in the book, when alcohol and chocolate are mentioned as past vices. Jack, however, has allowed his obsession with Mr. Harvey become his own form of self-medication. He is trying to fill a void by trying to find answers, even though he knows it will not bring his daughter back. He is seeking revenge, as any parent would, and he thinks if he can just get it, he will be relieved of some level of internal pain.

Jemima J by Jane Green

I have to say this is one of the best books I have read in a long time. I usually use the "How easily can I put it down" school of thought to gauge how well I like a book, and this one was in my hands for two days straight. It was the perfect poolside read, and it went so quickly that it seemed much shorter than its 373 pages.


I'm pretty sure Jemima and I would be fast friends. She was so easy to relate to. Her character was complex, and she had many of the same insecurities that each of us face every day. The dating dilemmas she faces are quite common. I found it particularly funny that The Rules was mentioned in the story. My single friends and I have an ongoing debate as to whether or not The Rules actually proves itself to be a valid dating strategy. BTW, we are reserving judgement at this time, more research is needed!



It also was pretty funny to see the internet as something so new. Online dating doesn't seem to have changed much, except people are much smarter about it and don't allow personal information to be so freely available. As was the case with Brad, it is true that many people can look fabulous on paper and be complete and total duds in real life.


I loved the character of Ben for being so understated; good looking without the usual man-slut tendencies. While he had his one-night stands here and there, throughout the book he came to realize they were largely unfulfilling and mostly cumbersome. This, of course, is what women hope for all men! He yearned for someone with real substance; it's only unfortunate that he didn't see those qualities in Jemima until she was thin and beautiful. However, we ladies know that it would be unrealistic for him to find her attractive until she was able to love herself, and she loved herself thin.


I found Jane Green's style to be really interesting. While some people found the switch from first person to third person to be confusing, I thought it added to the story. It made it seem more like a fairytale. I likened it to Burl Ives' Snowman character in the "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" movie. I could really picture how the book could easily be made into a movie, with those parts being voiced-over by Dame Judi Dench or someone similar.


This book did remind me of Bridget Jones' Diary, and I wondered (and haven't checked yet) which came out first. There were many similarities, except when I started reading Bridget Jones I was immediately turned off by the use of a certain swear word that would have led to a mouth full of soap during my childhood. In Jemima J, the content seemed less raw; more innocently raunchy, if there is indeed such a thing.


Apparently this book is very popular, but I hadn't ever heard of it until this class. (Where have I been?) As I carried it with me various places, others would notice and rave about it. Definitely Jane Green could be a new favorite author, as I plan to read some of her other books. Anyone read more of her books? Feel free to post "to read" suggestions and alert me if there are any I should avoid like the plague.