What do You think about Does This Beach Make Me Look Fat?: True Stories And Confessions (2015)?
I received this book as an ARC from GoodReads Giveaway. The review reflects my personal opinion.This book is a series of light reflections on everyday life and assorted topics, written by author Lisa Scottoline and her daughter, Francesca Serritella. Lisa, the mom, is writing from the perspective of a 59 yr old woman. Francesca, her daughter, is single, lives in NYC and is creeping towards age 30 years old.This is the 2nd or 3rd memoir style book that I have read by Lisa and Francesca. As with the previous books, the refections are light and humorous. It is a good book to read on vacation, on a Sunday afternoon, or any day that you would like to just sit back and relax. Reading these books, reminds me of spending the afternoon with girlfriends. I relate more closely to Lisa's stories, because I am closer in age to her. The stories by Francesca have their own merit. They give me an idea of what it is like to be a young single woman in 2015. I am not her contemporary, but I did live alone, in a city, as a single woman in my late 20's, many many years ago. I can relate. I am just not as familiar with the 2015 spin on the lifestyle. I am rating the book, 4 stars, as I rated the previous mother-daughter memoir books. If you are looking for serious literature or a thought-provoking book, choose a different book. This is a book to read for pleasure and entertainment.
—Janet
Copy received from NetGalley.This collection of blog riffs, anecdotes, and mini-essays was put together by the mother and daughter duo, Lisa Scottoline & Francesca Serritelli. It ranges over the entire spectrum of life, specifically female life, from the tribulations of dating for twenty-somethings to menopausal issues, including care for, and losing, a beloved matriarch. Most of the riffs are mildly humorous (and some of them try a little too hard to be funny) but the ones I responded to the strongest were the glimpses of their lives, written simply yet conveying a compassionate view of the quirks and quandaries of life, and especially of other people. Even the one about identity theft--when one of them discovered that a group of women con artists had stolen her social security number, real name, and address to open a host of credit cards before going on a spending spree--was not angrily bitter. Best of all was the short riff called “Love Without Rough Edges,” a beautifully poignant visit carried by gently evocative details. But there is such a range here that readers are sure to respond to some aspect of their adventures, whether it's being discovered by workmen staring through the window while one is relaxing at home without a bra to pets, dieting, food, friendship, and the warp and weft of everyday life.There is no plot. Halfway through reading this I thought, this is the perfect summer gift for people who say they don't read. The book can be dipped into on any page, the essays take at most ten minutes to read, usually less, and most of them leave one with a sense of the authors' generous view of the world, and their determination to live lives of good will.
—Sherwood Smith
I can relate to Lisa Scottoline. We are about the same age, have shared many of the same things in life, and see the world with similar eyes. I frequently laugh out loud when I read her pieces, and think to myself HELL YES!I cannot relate to Francesca Serritella. I don’t care about her breakup with her boyfriend, her dating woes nor her massive insecurities. All of that is so far behind me that I can barely remember any of it, and I am bored by most of her pieces.While I applaud Lisa for being an excellent mother and wanting to give her daughter a leg up in the publishing world, I cannot say that I think Francesca adds anything to this book other than fill. Unfortunately, there is just nothing there for me to grab hold of. NOTE: I actually think that Francesca would be quite successful on her own, and would benefit by getting out of her mother's shadow.4 stars for Lisa2 stars for Francesca
—Mo
