Women Books

This book is an excellent resource for women leaders - very practical and easy to use. While I recommend it for women in new roles, it is helpful for men as well.

Liz's interviews with others who have been in your shoes will help you focus on the important things during your first 100 days. Not only that, but you'll be entertained and energized too!

This book is an extremely helpful guide to anyone beginning a new job. It is a step by step wealth of information for those wanting to make a good corporate impression. I enjoyed it immensely, and I plan to purchase it for my son!

This book is the best pratical guide to professional success and achievement I have ever read--bar none. Liz Cornish looks at the real challenges facing women in leadership positions and provides them specifics for step by step success. Every woman going into (or already in) a leadership position should read this book.

The byline does not do the book justice.....it is a book for women LEADERS not just women. It's easy-to -skim, easy-to-read and loaded with anecdotes, bullets, "quick hits" of wisdom and checklists. Any single page is worth the price of the book.

This book is very helpful along with good counseling. Anyone can benefit from this book. It's about all relationships, not just marriage. And any personality type will relate to it. It's worth the money.

Having problems with your marriage? Need to know why you act the way you act? This book is for you if you answered YES to any of the questions above. Buy This Book...YOU WON'T REGRET IT! How We Love is an excellent tool for learning about your life and why you are the way you are.

This is one of the most brilliant marriage books I've read. Rather than oversimplifying marriage problems as a lack of love or respect, Milan and Kay invite the reader to go deeper than surface issues and explore patterns of relating that can often be traced back as early as the first year of life. Drawing from Harville Hendrix's Imago Relationship theory, Milan & Kay frame How We Love within a Christian context and lay out practical interventions that couples can integrate into their relationships. I also highly recommend the workbook to help readers internatlize on a practical level what they are reading in the book. The caring, helpful tone of the book almost makes it feel as if you have your very own therapist walking with you every step of the way. Brilliant. A must-read not only for couples, but also marriage therapists and lay counselors.

Also recommend: Soul Healing Love by Tom and Beverly Rodgers (also based on Imago Theory)

I've probably spent hundreds of dollars on self-help books over the years looking for answers I couldn't seem to find. My husband and I have been together for over 18 years - many of which felt like banging our heads against the wall in frustration and three of which were spent separated. We were blessed to have survived the separation. I heard about this book on the radio (kkla) and knew it was the book we needed. By far, it is one of the BEST and most effective books I've ever come across. I admit, it was a bit daunting at first as the workbook made us dig pretty deep within ourselves, (I think the workbook is key!) but God really helped us to persevere! This book was a catalyst in helping us to undersand each other and ourselves in ways we never thought possible. Your book and workbook helped to promote real communication between us and helped to give us the best relationship we've ever had -- so much that my husband and I renewed our vows on December 31. We are recommending this book to all of our friends! Thank you, Milan and Kay!

I've read books before that "categorize" your personality type, etc, and I have never heard anyone describe me... until I read this book. They nailed my personality or "love style", based on how I was raised. It really gave me insight into WHY I do things the way I do. And not only that, but it showed me HOW to work on those areas that need work. Great book... I am buying a copy of the book and workbook for some friends who are getting married. What better way to start off marriage, than to understand yourself better, before trying to understand someone else?! This book has also helped me understand my husband better too and be more compassionate and understanding of him. :)

The book starts out with, "Don't read this book if you are pregnant" (or something like that). I was six months pregnant with my first child, yet steamed ahead anyway. I am glad that I did. The description of the insanity, temporary or otherwise, that can be brought on brought on by modern motherhood that Ingman paints is exactly what a parent-to-be like myself needed, because it prepared me for the worst, and let me off the hook from the overambitious expectations that I had (elaborate birth plan that did not go as planned? check. Dreams of cooking my own organic baby food now making way for Gerber jars? check). The writing had a way of taking me to the absolute depths of her experience while at the same time injecting humor and compassion that made me feel like everything was going to be all right. I didn't expect to laugh out loud, but I did many times while reading.

This book is WAY more complex than any review can possibly hope to convey. It's personal, and political; funny, and sad. While reading, you realize that a lot of the problems Ingman faces are not just parents' issues, but women's issues. Are the mothers crazy or is the world crazy? Read and decide for yourself.

I think pretty much everything that the author has to say can be (and is!) said in the first 30 pages or so. After that, it's bits and pieces, loosely strung together but without a goal in sight. Neither a great resource for those dealing with PPD nor a good comic relief.

"Inconsolable" is smart, funny, and heartbreaking. This book should be required reading for any woman considering motherhood--it rips off the layers of Hallmark sentimentality and reveals exactly how agonizing post-partum depression can be. Frankly, it made me want to send my mother a bouquet of three dozen long-stemmed red roses.

This is a brave book written by an astonishingly talented writer Whether or not you're considering having a child, this book will change the way you think about motherhood, pregnancy, and mental health long after you've put the book down. I will never play Nine Inch Nails without thinking of Marritt ever again, and man, I play a lot of NIN.

Thank you for this book, Marritt.

When I suffered from debilitating depression after the birth of my 2nd daughter, I searched everywhere for something to grasp onto. Anything to grasp onto. Somehow I found this book. All of a sudden, here was someone like me - someone else who wanted to drive off a bridge. I felt like I had finally made a connection and I wasn't alone in this anymore.
I can honestly say that this book was pivotal in my (LONG) recovery. It is what ultimately encouraged me to push through, connect with others and reclaim motherhood. Marrit's accounts of early motherhood are real, moving, poignant, and honest. I highly recommend this book to any new mother - if you aren't suffering from PPD yourself, you might be able to understand and reach out to someone who is.

If you are a mom and you think you are loosing your mind, read this book!! You'll find out that you are not alone. I think all moms feel this way at times but most are too worried about what people will think if they admit it. Props to Marrit for being brutally honest.

Cindy Guidry lives in Neverland. Living and working in Los Angeles is difficult enough; try dating there. Guidry is a smart, funny, sexy woman who is trying to get in touch with her own power as she approaches 40. She's knows it's in there, somewhere. But it's hard to feel powerful when you live in a town where everyone is judged by appearances, and most of those are plastic.

I really enjoyed Cindy's voice. This is a book written by a clever woman who realizes that most of the men she meets are bombarded with too many choices on a daily basis. They can no longer make a decision about anything, especially the most important one of all, the decision of commit to a mate.

Guidry takes her readers on an enjoyable ride through Hollywood as she starts to put the pieces of her life together (accompanied by a Dave Matthews soundtrack) all the while feeling like she's the Last Single Woman in America.

She may get stuck with the easy "chick-lit" label, but Cindy Guidry has written a book filled with enormous humor, wit and poignancy -- and a well-earned understanding of relationships between men and women. Her trenchant observations -- on her own life, the men in it, her career, her family -- take no prisoners, including herself. More importantly, I loved her voice: the one of that smart, way-funny girlfriend who always tells the truth, no matter how uncomfortable, and god bless her. Men will be pleasantly surprised by their un-chick-lit treatment here, if they ever read it (mine have, and responded overwhelmingly positively -- "She gets it!"). Definitely a worthy read.

I have never found a book in which the writer (and narrator in this instance) seemingly gave forth so many of my own thoughts. I always considered myself to be a little too jaded, cynical, or critical, and am now glad to see there is a whole generation of us. Cindy Guidry shows there is really nothing too depressing about not knowing what you want to be when you grow up and, guess what?, there are lots of us out there. To heck with Generation X, it's Generation Cindy Guidry all the way!!!

Having been a former lover and devout follower of the series "Sex in the City" and having had to settle for vacuous attempts to fill that time slot or reruns on TBS ever since, I am looking forward to seeing this book and the idea behind it coming to life on HBO.

You get it all here..answers to the dating Universe and some.. I laughed, i cried and i was shocked at the honesty..very refreshing indeed!
.. highly recommended from this Goddess (and not just a chick read guys).

If you're a guy and you cringe that this might be another MEN SUCK book written for only women to read and rally together around the flagpole of self inflicted injustice, this is the book for you. Although she has her complaints about men, this is a refreshingly fair-handed, often sympathetic book about both men and women and their attempts to find and understand each other in this isolating cyber-world. While there are bestsellers as well as entire television networks dedicated to the proposition that MEN SUCK, Guidry offers the possibility of individual empowerment and an unflagging belief in Love, all the while making you laugh out loud about waxing and nail polish and cats and other things men don't generally care about. Men really do want to know what women think, and Guidry tells us in a way both entertaining and enlightening.

Lottie's real name is Charlotte, but noone calls her that..... until this 'horrible' new teacher Mrs Beckworth arrives, and doesn't let her sit next to Lisa (who Lottie has saved the best place for), but makes poor Lottie sit next to that swot Jamie. Lottie hates Mrs Beckworth, and sends around humorous poems about trains and teases about Jamie. Lottie's teenage mum, Jo, is having problems with work but suddenly Mrs Beckworth gives the class a project. it is about the victorians and Lottie writes a diary about it. she buys Jamie, who comes her friend in the end, some postcards and everything but then Jo gets a nerdy man called Mark as a boyfriend because she babysits his son, Robin, who is small and shy and has a little stuffed robin toy that his mum made for him before she died. lottie lets him use her felt pens but he just draws a house and his mum and dad and himself. when Jo and Mark go on a love ride on a picnic where Robin is sick, Lottie sees them kissing and bullies poor robin until he runs away from home and then there is a search party because everyone is worried and he gets found and put in hospital and lottie makes him a cake and draws him pictures of birds. lottie suddenly feels bad and crys in her bathroom because she doesn't feel old and hates herself. she even needs the comfort of her old barbies, which are packed away in her drawer and she and jo used to dress them and drive them to posh parties to make them dance, and jo enjoyed this more than lottie! you should read these other books too:
Best Friends, Diamond girls, the bed and breakfast kid, sleepovers, the suitcase kid, the lottie project, clean break, the worry website, girls in love, girls out late, the dare game, the story of tracy beaker, vicky angel, cliffhanger, the illustrated mum and girls in tears, the cat mummy.
I have 56 jaqcueline wilson books because i am a major bookworm and book collector. i have read over 8 billion books in my 10 years of living, and so has my best friend.
so girls, get readin'!

This is such a fantastic book! It's about Charlie who lives with her mum Jo in a flat. Her mean teacher, Miss Beckworth wants the class to do a school project on the Victorians.
"Boring!" she thinks at first, but gradually she likes it more
and more. She writes a project and wants to keep it private.
Her project is about Lottie and how she copes with her frustrating life. First she's an ordinary eleven year old girl
living with her family in a cottage but then she has to leave school and get a job as a nursery maid. The children she looks after are such naughty little monkeys and she doesn't lke this job.
Stupid snooty swotty boy Jamie Edwards is so annoying to Charlie. YOU'VE GOT TO READ IT IT'S SUCH A BRILL BOOK!!!!
Don't call this book stupid. Honestly, don't. If you think it's
stupid, read "Best Friends" or "Vicky Angel" or "Girls in tears". THEY'RE the stupid books. OK, so that's all I want to say.

charlies life is really changing. Her teacher is mean, makes her sit next to Jamie Edwards,and assigns a "dreary" projecton the "dreary" victorian period. So charlie decides to create a diary for her project, and creates Lottie, a Victorian nurserymaid, and history comes to life.

charlies mom is also causing trouble in her life. Charlie thinks she has a boyfriend, and that can't happen!!!!!

i loved this book and how Charlie brought Lottie to life.
i would recamend this book to anyone.

~tara~

I have read many books from Jacqueline Wilson, and have admired her ability to express how kids feel, what they want. This is all true. Being a kid, i have lots of friends that match those in the story. This book, Lottie Project, is one of my favourite books she wrote. I know how it feels to be forced to write a project, but i have never wrote a project, that like Charlotte's, matches my own daily life.
In school, i have just learnt about the Victorians, and told my teacher, Miss Battram, about the book. She too admitts that it is a good book and should be added into the Victorian learning program for year 5 next year.
Everyone can see that Jacqueline Wilson has shown us how an 11year old girl's life can be similar to a maid in the Victorian times, and how they coped with it.
This book is really great for everyone to read, maybe single parents should take a peek in this book too as it will tell single parents how their child feels when they start dating someone else. then, they can talk it through with their child, so mistakes like in Lottie Project, that Charlotte Enright had to cope with, will not happen.
Furthermore, this book is very good to be used in Victorian sessions in school, seeing as the book is very funny, and still useful in teaching about a 11 year old girl's life in the Victorian times.
Rita Teo Bangkok Patana school, Thailand

This is definitely one of my favorite books. I guess sixth graders will enjoy it most, but parents will also enjoy it too. Jacqueline Wilson really knows how to get into the world of 11-year-olds.

Charlie Enright has a lot of problems at school. Her new teacher is strict and mean. She assigns the sixth-graders a Victorian project right at the beginning of the year. Also, she makes Charlie sit next to Jamie Edwards, which Charlie isn't sure she likes or hates.

She also is having problems with her friends. They have abandoned the 'We Hate Boys Club' and are now very interested in boys and not paying much attention to her.

And her home lifes not that wonderful either. Her single mother has just lost her job, but she finds another one quickly. It turns out that she has fallen in love with her boss and Charlie has got to stop her. Somehow. Someway.

Will Charlie's problems ever end? Read this great book to find out!

This book is a little gem. It is one of a kind. There is no other book like this on the market, not that I know of, anyway. Although the author is a bit older than I am and some of the clothes are outdated, I could still relate to her. She related her life experiences by detailing what she wore during those experiences. We all can recall at least one event by remembering what we were wearing!! At times, she appears kind of catty, which just gives quite a human element to the book. I myself have so many clothes I cannot get rid of due to sentimental reasons. However, after reading this book, I may do the same thing she did and draw them or take a picture of them and then give them away. This is a GREAT book!!

Delightfully wacky little book deliciously decorated. Even though I'm a male I loved the book and its many drawing/paintings of clothing and other things. It is interesting to know how the book came about and how its author was writing about her life for her children and using her creative ability to show them how her life was growing up.

I learned of the book when reading Jane Smiley's book: "13 Ways of Looking at the Novel" and thought her comments interesting enough to buy the book and read it. And I enjoyed it very much. I recommend "Love, Loss and what I Wore" to everyone regardless of gender.

If I could, I would give this book more than 5 stars. What a clever idea to recall onel's life by remembering the outfits worn. Loved the delightful illustrations. Beckerman is a unqiue and talented writer/illustrator. Thanks for the memories!

I had picked this book up and put it back down several times when I saw it at the book store. I am glad I finally bought it! It is an interesting idea, and one that I am sure many of us can identify with: a memoir built on memories of certain beloved items of clothing. Ilene Beckerman had an interesting childhood and has had a varied life as an adult. Obviously, her talents lie more in writing than in drawing--the sketches of the clothing are rather simple,but she does manage to convey what she felt like wearing each outfit. It doesn't take very long to read, and if read in one sitting you get quite a sense of her life. Sometimes funny, sometimes quite bittersweet, but always entertaining.

I, like most of my women friends I've talked to, including my mother and my sisters, shape memories and moments based on the clothes we were wearing at the time.

I bought this book in 1995 when it was first published and have referred to it several times over the years for inspiration and support. I found it in the "Self-Help" section of the bookstore.

This little book does as good a job as anything I've read, at getting in a woman's head. Clothes are how we remember. Wearing our favorite clothes or shoes or carrying our favorite handbag gives us confidence and helps us cope.

For a while, I kept a diary of drawings of outfits whenever I'd want to remember an important event. Ask me what I was wearing when I held my niece for the first time (navy blue A-line Liz Claiborne dress) or when I went to my first job interview out of college (a polka-dot suit I called The Stewardess) or the night I was first kissed by the love of my life (a shirt that said "Keep On Truckin" in glitter... heh).

A good friend's mother passed away a few months ago, and I bought a copy for her, since Ms. Beckerman mentions the death of her own mother. She also mentions marriages, divorces, babies, and career successes, and most importantly, what she wore.

It makes a great gift for any woman. Or for yourself.

When I first opened this book I thought someone had been snooping on me. Robin Roffer's ideas about core values and authentic promotion of "you" are beautifully aligned with what many personal branding and professional coaches preach. And I am no exception. Yet, she did it in a way that was pure fun to experience! Her exercises are easy to follow and easy to implement. I have shared this book with many clients and would recommend it to anyone - woman OR man who wants a position in life that is noticed and that comes from real goals and real vision.

We ordered multiple copies and are using them as a business tool for a "Women's Council" withing our company. The book has received excellent reviews from the women who are attending, which has also prompted a "Career Session" attended by over 200 women! Not only is this book a great tool for any woman in a business setting, but the motivational content is indispensable for anyone who desires personal success as well. The reading is easy to understand, applicable to daily living and includes interesting insights.

I admit, this this the first personal branding book I got (the only one in the bookstore), but it's a great way to start learning about the philosophy.

I don't think men should be put off by what's written on the cover, since Roffer's methods are pretty much applicable to anyone. Her writing is very learned, practical and authoritative, but her style is friendly and not unnecessarily enthusiastic.

Right now, thinking about it, "Make A Name For Yourself" can be more geared towards women if it had a section on "managing expectations and realities." There is still some discrimination towards women when it comes to their careers and the kinds of work they seek. So, if I were a woman, I'd like to get a few tips (or a whole chapter) on how to maximize my personal branding efforts so that employers will see my strengths and potential first, and my gender next.

Apart from that, a wonderful, wonderful book.

I bought this book a while ago, but still refer to it and the plan that I mapped out. It has you really look into the brands that you relate to that currently exist to see what the values are of that brand. Practical tips on everything from thinking about your real values or skills to presenting yourself professionally as a woman.

Tips are practical and can be used immediately and really help with mapping out a performance plan and development milestones without the preachy tone of the goal setting, quiz, and other leadership and development books that have you focus on one thing at a time. For a queen of multi-tasking, this was the way to go.

At the outset let me say that I read this book from the perspective that the reader was a professional such as an attorney or CPA. And that branding oneself would be basically branding their small business.

Are you responsible for the marketing function in a small business? Do you have a written business plan and a written marketing plan? Is your marketing plan working? Could your marketing plan be working better? Maybe your marketing efforts would improve by focusing those efforts so your small business can develop a brand?

This book is short sweet and simple. It explains how to "brand" your small business. It describes the 8-step process in a well-organized and easily understood way. In a nutshell, it says to set goals and devise a plan as to how to achieve them.

Maybe that message is obvious. And maybe someone might say there was no need to even write this book since the message is so simple and obvious. But some people might not have heard or thought of what this book has to say. And the author has done a wonderful job saying it. 5 stars!

This was a great read; wonderful story about African-American history that young children will understand and appreciate, and that adults may learn a great deal from. Good length, tone, and wonderful illustrations. I sent the author a note and she provided me with a great reading guide via email!

Martha Ann's Quilt for Queen Victoria was an inspiring story that reminds us to never give up on our dreams and also to dream BIG and leave the rest to God. As a freed slave, it seemed highly unlikely that Martha Ann would ever be in the company of Queen Victoria. But after 50 years of dreaming, PREPARATION and ridicule, Martha Ann got just want she wanted -an audience with the queen. Not only is the story true, it is inspirational to everyone not just children. Kudos to Kyra Hicks for bringing the story to light and inspiring us all to dream BIG!

Readers of all ages will find Martha Ann's Quilt for Queen Victoria a fascinating journey through history as told through the eyes of our heroine, Martha Ann, who both captivates and inspires her audience. Martha Ann's Quilt for Queen Victoria is a must read especially young people as it teaches the importance of setting goals and following through on the work necessary to achieve them. Bravo to Ms. Hicks who had the foresight and the passion to share this most remarkable story.

What a privilege it was to read Kyra's latest work to my 5 year old. She absolutely loved it, asking so many questions and commenting on the beauty of the book itself. This book was such a treat for both me and her! It's educational, uplifting and sweet. I encourage my daughter to always reach beyond the stars and this book reinforces that. We will read it again and again and share it with others! Thank you Kyra.

Martha Ann's story is not only an inspiration to all, it is also a true story. A story reminding us that with determination, hard work, and confidence even the most seemingly impossible dreams can come true.

Born about 1817 in eastern Tennessee, Martha Ann Ricks was a slave. Her father was a traveling preacher who learned about the American Colonization Society, an organization that assisted blacks in beginning again in a new place - Liberia.

When Martha Ann was 12, her family had finally saved enough money to buy their freedom and they moved to Liberia. Once there Martha Ann was able to go to school where she joyfully learned how to read. At home her mother taught her to sew. However, these happy times came to an end all too soon when African Fever took the lives of her mother, father, and sisters.

As an adult and a married woman, Martha Ann went to the market with her husband where she saw British naval ships patrolling the coast to stop slave catchers from kidnaping blacks. So impressed was Martha Ann by the ships and Queen Victoria for sending them that she determined to personally thank the Queen for protecting her people.

An impossible hope? Yes, but Martha Ann fulfilled her dream.

Highly recommended for young readers.

- Gail Cooke

My daughter (aged 4) and I enjoyed this book and plan to read more. We had just finished the Josefina American Girl series and really, really liked those books. While Kit is a fine story, for us, it was not as interesting as Josefina -- probably because Kit's life is so much more familiar and similar to our own. That being said, Kit is a likeable child and the book is well-written. It does teach good values. Kit learns a adjust in a positive way to change and to be a 'team player' under difficult circumstances. A positive aspect of this story is that it will give children the opportunity to ask grandparents and great-grandparents about their Depression memories.

I am a 3rd grade teacher and a "man teacher" as many kids say, and I loved sharing this book with my students. The boys enjoyed it as much as the girls, and we all spoke of Kit as though she were our friend. I found the book to be well-written and full of interesting tidbits perfectly in tune with what the kids would question or want to know about. There is so much these kids do not know, they are missing information somewhere. When I was a kid, I learned so much from wonderful TV programs like "Kukla, Fran and Ollie" and "The Waltons" and "Little House on the Prairie" and so I knew about other time periods. These kids only seem to know about the present day. This book helped them think beyond what they know. Interest in TV programs led me to look for books on similar themes when I was a kid. The best thing about this book was that it made me want to share it with my own grandmother, who lived during the Depression. She was a poor country girl, not a city girl like Kit, but she would enjoy the book if she wasn't suffering from memory loss in the nursing home. I think of her as I read the books. It is like I am sharing something of my grandparents with tomorrow.

It's like being a girl long ago. You'll love it! Kit's real name is Margaret Mildred Kittredge. She has to sleep in the attic because Stirling Howard comes to visit and get to sleep in her room. So she turns the attic into her own beautiful room.

By Kacie age 8

I read the book Kit An American Girl.
This book is great.
You can learn from this book. It tells you how a family works together & It teaches how hard it was to live back in 1934.

I learned some interesting facts.
I learned about the depression. I learned about what you would have to do to live & I learned it was 1934 when the great depression happened.

I would recommend this book for three reasons.
1. It is a fantastic book..
2. It was a true story.
3. This book has so many facts about Kit.

Kit An American Girl is a good book.

M.W.

We got this at a rummage sale, and he won't put it down. He's never been a really strong reader, but the main character, Kit, is believable. He likes reading about Cincinnati. He finds it amazing that someone wrote a book about the state he lives in. We have tried just about every book out there to get him to read independently. This is the one book he picks up on his own and reads over and over again.

In Odd Mom Out we got to know Marta Zinsser, a single mom battling the working world while trying to get along with her teenage daughter. One of the obstacles in that story was that one of the PTA mothers at her daughters' elementary school was often giving her a hard time. We finally get to hear Taylors side (the mom in question) in Mrs. Perfect the newest release by Jane Porter.

Taylor Young makes being a stay at home mom look like an Olympic event. She has perfected every task she has come up against, whether it be running the yearly PTA auction or figuring out the perfect anti-aging regimen; she has it covered.

This book starts a year after the last one ended and small cracks in Taylor's perfect life are starting to show. The big event, however, that really gets the storyline running is when she finds out that her husband has been lying to her. For the past seven months he has been jobless and searching. The trouble is, he has also been keeping from her that they are in massive amounts of debt. The good news is he has found a job; the catch is that it is in Omaha!

So, off he go's to acclimate to his no job and she is left with her head spinning. Not only does she have to prepare the house she and her husband built together to be sold, but she also has to figure out a way, all on her own, to get them out of debt without having to declare bankruptcy.

Mrs. Perfect was a great read! I enjoy how Jane can make a story more realistic and less fairy tale, but still make it that it is immensely enjoyable. It is heartwarming without being preachy and definitely shows that with hard work and some great friends to bring you through, life is not so impossible after all.

Jane Porter does it again! Her new novel, Mrs. Perfect, is a sequel--of sorts. In her latest book, Porter returns to Bellevue, the home to Seattle's software elite. This time, the story shifts to Taylor Young, a woman who has it all--handsome husband, three beautiful daughters, a dream home, and a bottomless bank account.

Yes, this is the same Taylor Young we met in Odd Mom Out, but this time Porter takes us behind the polished image of this Alpha female to reveal the complex motives behind that saccharin smile.

That's what I love about Porter, her ability to step into someone else's shoes and take us along with her. This rendition of Taylor Young is not the two dimensional sketch of a stereo-type, but the portrait of a vulnerable woman desperate to keep it all together:

"Standing at the bus stop with the other moms, I chat about everything and nothing and it's comforting. They're all as frazzled and frustrated as I am. At least, I think, I'm not alone in my mountain of worries. All women seem to worry about being good enough, doing enough, trying enough."

Taylor Young is driven by perfection, yet oblivious to the dangers that could unhinge her Bellevue lifestyle . . . and reputation. As her fairy tale begins to unravel, Taylor must learn to let go of her own preconceived notions and accept the help of her old nemesis, Marta Zinsser.

In Mrs. Perfect, Porter plucks at the taunt string of anxiety deep within the modern female psyche. This is not the first book I've read, in which the female lead struggles to maintain a pristine façade over her dark secrets. However, unlike other characters who snap beneath the weight of their own fictions, Taylor Young finds the strength to face her greatest fears. Of course, that's not to say Taylor doesn't pay a hefty price for the lessons she has to learn.

In this trip back to Bellevue, Porter reminds women that all actions have consequences, and ignorance is never a solid defense. She also cautions women to be aware and to be ready, because everything changes. Life is not a fairytale and things won't magically work themselves out. It takes hard work and sacrifice to correct the mistakes we make, and we all make them.

Porter's characters are real women struggling to discover who they "could" be within the social clamor of who they "should" be. These are women you know, women you despise, women you admire. We are all taking the same journey together, yet managing to isolate ourselves and each other from the shared experience. The true beauty of Mrs. Perfect is the way Porter takes a character you think you know, and alters your perception. Perhaps, there's someone in your life you should get to know better.

I enjoyed Odd Mom Out, but this book was much better. I read it last night in one sitting, staying up just past midnight. She did a great job of making a character who is not immediately loveable, very relatable and I was rooting for Taylor all the way through....loved how she grew and changed and developed a very different relationship with Marta.

I look forward to her next book...which I think is another character from Odd Mom Out as well.

This book reminded me a little of Emily Giffin's second novel, Something Blue. If you liked that, I suspect you may enjoy this as well.

If you are a suburban mom in America, chances are you have run into a Taylor Young! She's the perfectly manicured, beautiful mother who volunteers for everything and is envied and looked up to by her peers. She has the perfect husband and the perfect kids...but did you ever wonder what goes on behind closed doors? Is it really as idyllic as it seems?

Jane Porter masterfully crafts a story that examines women's role in America today. Taylor Young is the quintessential suburban mom; she is the woman that society leads us to believe we should all strive to be. But she has flaws and she has a hard time keeping her game face on. When she is faced with challenges, however, she prevails and she comes out stronger and healthier, less stressed and I think as she begins to really understand the journey of life, she is happier.

Ms. Porter forces readers to look at the tough choices women are forced to make in our society and with both "Odd Mom Out" and "Mrs. Perfect" she shows the pros and cons of that ideal. Hopefully, somewhere in the middle, we will all find some solace and comfort, some happiness, some sense that we are enough. But I am sure that in sharing these heroine's journeys, women will get a sense that they are not alone in their thoughts and their feelings and they will find a reason to celebrate that we are all in this journey together!

Taylor Young presents the perfect life. She has the perfect husband, the perfect children. She is the perfect room mom and the perfect hostess in her perfect home. If she can just keep from ripping her perfectly coiffed hair from her perfectly scheduled head, she might just survive the less-than-perfect circumstances this year brings.

From the very first page you will be absolutely certain of the frantic pace of Taylor's life. And unlike some of those braggy acquaintances we all have who are busy, busy, busy and love to talk about it so that we will be impressed, you really get the feeling that Taylor knows she's overextended and wants out. But she's far too responsible for that, not to mention far too efficient and good at all things organized-and, someone's got to do it.

After I read Odd Mom Out, also by Jane Porter, I wasn't sure I would enjoy a book about Taylor, Marta's nemesis. I identified too much with Marta. But I found that I also identify with Taylor. They are both more alike than either of them would believe. They care passionately about their children and their work (whether a paying job or volunteering at the school), and they are both kind of control freaks. I loved one passage in which she wrote, "I'm fine. We're fine...When what we're actually screaming is Help me, help me. Oh God, someone help me...Why can't we accept help?"

This book is positively riveting. So while my control freak self knew I should put it down and put my house in an immaculate state, I couldn't do it. And though there are a few things that were hard to swallow, like a SAHM (stay-at-home mom) with a nanny and Taylor scaling down to a "tiny" house the size of the one I live in (so I know it is possible), I totally got who Taylor was and could even understand why these things were problems for her. I absolutely, hands down, recommend this book.

Armchair Interviews agrees this is a fun read.