Ain’t nobody got time for that!

~ Jennifer @ The Relentless Reader ~ 28 Comments

After an amazing January I’ve hit a bit of a bump here in the beginning of February. You know what burns my biscuits? Reading a book that I can’t manage to finish. Time suckers! Hmph.

Yes. Yes I did.

My Bookstore Edited by Ronald Rice
A book about bookstores. What could go wrong? To be honest, each essay was lovely. But by the time I got to the 6th piece I was yawning. It was basically the same story, over and over. Rats.
Pearl of China by Anchee Min
Historical fiction featuring a beloved writer as a young girl! That’s right up my alley! Nope. This happened,  and then that happened,  and then this happened. All tell and no show. Bummer. I made it almost to the half-way mark before I gave up.
The Promise of Stardust by Priscille Sibley
My nerves started jangling when a blurb compared this to a Nicholas Sparks book. Uh oh. Please don’t be cheesetastic, please! I’ve only read a chapter or two of this one and I haven’t given up. Yet. I think I need someone out there to tell me that this is worth my time. Does anyone have an encouraging word or two? 
I started something new tonight (The Midwife’s Tale) that I have high hopes for. Cross your fingers for me.

Marriage Confidential: The Post Romantic Age by Pamela Haag

~ Jennifer @ The Relentless Reader ~ 14 Comments
Marriage Confidential by Pamela Haag
Publisher: Harper 
Publication Date: May 2011
Categories: Nonfiction, Marriage
Source: Library
Description:

Marriage Confidential tackles this question with bracing candor, taking us inside a world where romantic ideas have given way to a “post-romantic” mood and a fair number of marriages end up “semi-happy.” It’s a world where the husbands of “workhorse wives” pursue the Having It All dream that married women have abandoned; where children have migrated from the children’s table to the centerpiece; and where technology, demography, and economy place unprecedented stresses on marital fidelity. Among other examples of marriage trailblazers, Haag even presents a case for how updated ideas of non-monogamy might be an option for the future.

Uniquely weaving together cultural commentary, memoir, storytelling, history, and research, Marriage Confidential gives us a riveting glimpse of what the future of marriage might look like.

My Thoughts:

Marriage Confidential reads as a long opinion piece. It was quite dry in spots and it wasn’t what I would call cohesive. Although I wasn’t a big fan of this book there were a lot of sections that made me think. And that, my friends, is one of my favorite things about reading.

Some of the things that made my mind start a’spinnin and a’thinkin:

The trend of voluntary austerity. 
I’ve often wanted to sell everything I own and move to the woods. No, I’m not outdoorsy. I am, however, sick of stuff.

The popularity of running, bigger bathrooms, and people who don’t mind long commutes. 
This all speaks to the fact that people are longing for ALONE TIME. I wouldn’t mind an hour commute myself. I’m a stay at home, homeschooling mom. My commute is from the coffee pot to the computer.

The way couples are redefining marriage to make it work for them.
Nonmonogomy is on the rise. Couples divorce but continue to live together. Polyamory is becoming more popular. Don’t ask, Don’t tell is more than an outdated military policy.

People find ways to make marriage more manageable in our modern times. They don’t all sound normal (whatever that is) but who are we to make sweeping judgments about how people decide to run their lives?

Vive la différence!