Post No. 200: I'm Sorry Your Feel that Way, The Astonishing but True Story of a Daughter, Sister, Slut, Wife, Mother, and Friend to Man and Dog

Two hundred posts in less than two years - I feel that's pretty good, especially when most all I write about is books and related topics. When I set out to write this blog in October 2007, I wasn't sure what would come from it. But, I enjoy having this outlet to write about the books I read. I find that I read more carefully now when I know I have to share my thoughts with you. Sure, I phone it in sometimes by pasting a summary here and there, but most often I do that with books I feel just OK about. Books I love or that make me think, well, I'm happy to have this venue in which to write about them. Unfortunately this milestone is being honored with a so-so review.

Diana Joseph's I'm Sorry You Feel that Way was just OK for me. In each chapter, Joseph talks about a different man in her life: her 14-year-old son (at different ages), her live-in boyfriend, her exes, her brothers, her dad, her boss, her dog (not a man, but male). Some chapters, or parts of chapters, were funny. I like the way she described the relationships with her brothers. Lots of siblings have special relationships and they're fun to learn about. One brother is hard to talk to because he just doesn't have that much to say, while the other brother can keep her on the phone for hours talking about his sexual exploits.

I also thought the chapters about her son were interesting. She raised him by herself mostly, and it's always interesting to learn about parenting styles: How do you handle it when he has opinions much different than yours? Why is he always in his room playing video games? Some of her observations about her son were pretty hilarious and the way she talked to him or embarrassed him were funny, too. But, the rest of the book lacked luster, I guess. In some chapters I just wasn't interested at all (her alcoholic boss, her pervert friend, her hump-happy dog) and through quite a few, I just skimmed to get to the next chapter.

It's hard to say you don't like reading about someone's life. It obviously seemed interesting enough for her to get a book published, and I do think she has good writing skills and good humor, but maybe it was the way she decided to write about her life? Granted, this was an unabridged, unpublished version we got free in the mail at work. Maybe it's improved since then?