Hi Friends,
When I picked up a copy of Does This Beach Make Me Look Fat? by Lisa Scottoline and Francesca Serritella (one of our July picks) I was not prepared for how wonderful it was. Seriously. This mother-daughter team has put together a collection of short-essays that are both entertaining and insightful.
Lisa had some AMAZING quotes. Here are a few of my favorites:
“I realized my gambling days were over. Before they had even begun. I work hard for my money, I’d rather invest my earnings. In shoes.” – We Have a Winner (p. 24)
“Overachiever has become one of my favorite words of all time. I like its honesty. It means, none of us thought you would amount to anything, but it turns out that you can walk and chew gum at the same time.” – We Knew You Wouldn’t Amount to Anything (p. 101)
“I hate it when an Italian-American does something bad, whether it’s a crime like bankruptcy fraud or a simple error in judgement, like not marrying me.” – The Good Wife or the Dumb Wife? (p. 200)
Francesca’s pieces were just as wonderful as Lisa’s. Her essay “Rite of Train Passage” was probably my favorite. It was about the LIRR and how it is “the great equalizer.” I read that essay while on my LIRR commute and wished I had copies to distribute.
After enjoying this book so much, I looked the authors up to see if they have written anything else together of this nature because Lisa hinted at past writings in her essays. Apparently I have been living under a rock. They have published three other collections of essays like Does This Beach Make Me Look Fat? (Have a Nice Guilt Trip, Meet Me At Emotional Baggage Claim, and Best Friends, Occasional Enemies) together and Francesca has contributed to two of Lisa’s other books (My Nest Isn’t Empty, It Just Has More Closet Space and Why My Third Husband Will Be a Dog).
Excuse me while I go spend the next month of my life consuming these books.
I cannot recommend Does This Beach Make Me Look Fat? highly enough.
What books are you reading from our July Bookshelf? Tweet us your thoughts @TheWriteTeach, using the #TWTBookshelf tag!
Live, Love, Learn,
Candice & The Write Teacher(s) Team