Book Review Thursday

The book is Stupid and Contagious by Caprice Crane (daughter of Tina Louise - Ginger on Gilligan's Island - if you care). This book was recommended to me by my cousin and her husband. Apparently, she would laugh out loud while reading this book and read passages out loud to her husband (who normally doesn't like doing that). She ended up reading the entire book to him on a long drive down to Southern CA a few weeks ago. I must admit, this book has been designated as a "chick lit" type of novel. I don't normally like to use that terminology because I feel it degrades women novelists who write "romantic comedies" (for lack of a better description). This book, however, is your typical romantic comedy. Two people meet, drive each other mad, end up spending time together and falling in love but won't admit it, have a falling out, and eventually end up together at the end. Trust me, I didn't just ruin it for you; we all know the formula. What made this book unique and wonderful was the characters. I literally laughed out loud on several occasions, mostly because the characters were describing or experiencing something in life I have experienced. Although much funnier, obviously. The story is told from two points of view, a guy and a girl, Brady and Heaven (I kid you not). They start off as somewhat annoying characters, her being a little too whiny and him being a little too boring. But soon, things start to happen and the characters become a little larger than life, getting involved in antics that make you giggle. Although the author's observations about Los Angeles were way off base, in my opinion (and perhaps her observations about NYC are too, I just don't live there), it was a very enjoyable read. The book feels like an old pair of jeans, put on after a long day of wearing heels and pantyhose. It's always great to put on an old pair of jeans that fit you just right...