Little Earthquakes (2004)

SPOILERS Parts were great. I even managed through all the birth scenes. Becky seemed the most like author and was strongest character, though Kelly's arc was also strong. Two main issues with it: ALL of the dads were clueless?? None of them truly contributed because the moms were breastfeeding and it all went from there?? I guess Becky's husband contributed some. If the characters had just communicated ... Second, Ayinde: not a good example of a black character written by a white writer. Did not ring true in many ways. And the clichés of the Black husband as from a sad background, an athlete, and a cheater? Nope. ( )

Total beach read ( )

Wow - could I relate to these women! ( )

I really like the way the author writes such likeable characters, even though each one is so very different. This story appealed to me because it was about women who all come together to support one another as new mothers. I also enjoy books set in Philadelphia, as this one is. This was a nice, leisurely read, although it was a little emotional at times. ( )

I read this for an online book group...who always seem to pick chick-lit. I stuffed down the last hundred or so pages, and I'll admit that a book like this is slightly easier to humour if you read it all in one go rather than stretching it out like I did the first part of it. It was a simple, predictable little story that didn't challenge any social norms or shock in any way. The characters were generic (business woman, TV presenter, mad mother-in-law, hunky husbands), as was the storyline (mad mother-in-law just needs to be loved, a guy who cheats didn't really mean to, happy endings all round), and there was nothing wonderful about the writing. The only other real chick-lit I've read in a good few years was 'Angels' by Marianne Keyes, and with her I felt her writing style could have gone further than candy floss fiction, but with Jennifer Weiner I think she's perfectly suited. That's not an insult as such, as I'm assuming that's something she's happy with. But her writing wasn't particularly insightful, poetic, emotionally touching or witty...it just told a story. Not a great read, but at the same time it wasn't excruciating...just not my thing. ( )