I Love Everybody (and Other Atrocious Lies)

I finished this novel, I Love Everybody (and Other Atrocious Lies) by Laurie Notaro, thanks to sheer will power alone. While Notaro's writing is humorous, I could not get hooked into her book. I Love Everybody is a collection of stories about Laurie's life. Notaro writes about employment, family life, children, drug smuggling, trips to Disneyland, etc. Laurie is quite relatable. I found myself wishing I could say the things she says or come up with witty banter at the drop of a hat. Even though life does not seem to cooperate with Laurie more often than not, she finds a way to inject humor. And if you can't laugh then what's the point right?

I have another of Notaro's novels to get through, but so far I'm not looking into purchasing another of her novels. I do believe that this is just due to my personal preference. I definitely like a plot versus a collection of short stories. However, if you are a sporadic reader and want a book that you can put down and come back to later, without having to remember a plot, then this humorous book may just be for you.

My Heartbeat

This love story makes for a quick read. My Heartbeat by Garret Freymann-Weyers centers around Ellen and her love for her brother Link and his best friend James. Ellen is content with her relationship with Link and James and even has a crush on James. Everything is fine until the idea that Link and James may be more than friends comes up. Ellen finds herself searching for answers that are not easy to come by.

Freymann-Weyer has a wonderful writing style that draws you right into the story. I found myself invested in the characters. The story is messy and I appreciate that. If you are looking for a cookie cutter story and ending then this novel may not be for you. This is one young adult novel that I believe can appeal across the board. It reminded me of how confusing and tragically beautiful adolescence can be. I would be interested in reading more from Freymann-Weyer in the future.

Lamb

So after a couple of years of trying to finish up this loverly novel (Lamb by Christopher Moore), I FINALLY did it! The delay had nothing to do with the novel itself. In fact, I found Moore's writing quite funny. The delay had more to do with the fact I simply had no time to indulge in pleasure reading.

Lamb is the retelling of Jesus' life from the perspective of his best friend Biff. Biff is a guy's guy and if you believe him, the creator of sarcasm. Biff enjoys indulging in life's pleasures which makes for a fun read since his best friend is none other than Josh aka Jesus. I enjoyed this fictional retelling because I found that it humanized the story for me. I believe that if you approach this novel with the understanding that the purpose is to make you laugh, you will enjoy it. Basically, if you liked the film Dogma, you might enjoy this.

If you have read this let me know what you thought of it. Also, are there other Christopher Moore novels I should check out?