Tag Archives: Parenthood

Pushed: The Painful Truth about Childbirth and Modern Maternity Care by Jennifer Block

American Literature 10 Comments

Synopsis: A muck-raking expose of what happens in labor and delivery wards across America. Review: Pushed upset me–so much so, that I considered not finishing the book. I have an innate mistrust of doctors and hospitals after some rough treatment I received during a miscarriage last year. where I was not informed of all my options and wound up in the ER with an infection. My quest to find a new care provider ultimately led me to choose home birth with a midwife for my…

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3 New Parenting Books

American Literature 4 Comments

Touchpoints: Birth to 3 : Your Child’s Emotional and Behavioral Development by T. Berry Brazelton A good resource for understanding infant and baby behavior and milestones. It’s a bit mainstream for my taste, in that Brazelton never wants you to forget that he is a pediatrician and he knows your baby best. I much prefer the Sears Baby Book, with its emphasis on developing a cue-based bond with your baby. For that reason, I took some issue with his recommendation to put a baby on…

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Non Fiction Meme

On Reading 1 Comment

I’m late getting to Gautami’s Non Fiction Meme. * a) What issues/topic interests you most in non-fiction, i.e, cooking, knitting, stitching, there are infinite topics that have nothing to do with novels? Books about food, books that explain scientific topics for general readers, biography, memoir, history, travelogues. I love reading books about my hobbies, particularly knitting and cooking. My library is filled with books of film history, criticism, and theory. I like some books on Christianity by authors like CS Lewis and Dan Allender. Lately…

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Memoirs of an Ex-Prom Queen by Alix Shulman

American Literature 3 Comments

Synopsis: Despite being both beautiful and smart, former teen beauty Sasha’s love life is a shambles, and–even worse–she’s approaching 30 with rapid speed. Review: I usually don’t say blank is the new blank, but I’ve never been more glad that 30 is the new 20 than after reading this depressing book. When I was in my 20s, I was looking forward to 30, because I had a sense from the women around me that 30 meant a break from a lot of the angst and…

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I Don’t Know How She Does It by Allison Pearson

British Literature 4 Comments

Synopsis: A working mother of two finds her life teetering out of balance as she struggles to succeed in finance without feeling guilty that the nanny is raising her kids. Review: I sometimes have anxiety dreams where I’m working. I’m either behind the counter at the video store I clerked at in grad school, or posting things in Moveable Type for my work blog, or reenacting a specific job (like an event I’ve planned) in what feels like real time. While the dream is going…

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