Recent Reads

Class Mom by Laurie Gelman (2018)

After having two daughters in her early twenties, 40-something Jen is now married with a son in kindergarten.  While acting as his class mom, Jen navigates classroom politics and issues with other parents, all with a sense of humor.  I thought this was a fun book (and audiobook, narrated by the author herself!).  I relate to being somewhat of an older parent, so it was interesting to see the issues that Jen was facing.  While I found her humor to be a bit over the top or trying too hard at times, I appreciated the light tone of the book; while there were some unbelievable moments, it did feel quite realistic, like Jen really could be just another mom at the pick-up line.  4 stars

Southern by Design by Grace Helena Walz (2025)

Mack is navigating a divorce while also trying out for a reality tv show with her design firm, when her college boyfriend moves in next door.  There were a few things that appealed to me about this book - I love a story set in the south and Mack works in renovating historic homes.  But unfortunately, there was too much going on here to really make an impact, too many storylines and characters, so that everything just felt kind of glossed over.  I didn't really get Mack's desire to make the reality show - the opportunity was presented and she didn't even hesitate, but I never got the impression that it was a dream of hers.  Her mother was a total enigma - she comes across as an elegant Southern lady, but she had a baby out of wedlock and despite working on the board of the historical preservation society, seems to have no regard for historic homes.  There was also this overarching theme of parents trying to control their children's lives, in often disastrous ways.  I think there were some good ideas here and it could have been helped by editing and digging deeper into some areas.  3 stars

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