Ti | Book Chatter

The Boy has been out of school for a while but The Girl just finished this past Friday (thank goodness!) No more homework! No more speeches! At least, for a little while. I can’t tell you how happy I am about it. It’s like, summer has finally started. Sort of. Still cool here in So Cal but I love it.

Yesterday, I got to spend more time with bloggers. Fizzy Jill emailed me last-minute and asked if I wanted to meet-up with her at Vroman’s. Wallace was also joining us for the fun so I cleared my calendar and headed to Pasadena to see this lady:

Erica Bauermeister is most known for her first book, The School of Essential Ingredients, but she was there last night promoting her new book, Joy for Beginners. It was a very casual, laid back reading and I must say, I really liked her personality. I’ve not read anything by her but I know she has a pretty good following from her first novel. I’d like to read her first book as I am a total foodie. However, the bookstore did not have it on the shelf. Can you believe that?

After the reading and some browsing, we headed across the street to check out a Thai restaurant I had Googled. It was pretty good and I’m pretty picky about Thai food. If you are ever in the area, give Nine & Nine a try.

After our meal we just hung around and talked about blogging. It was great to just kick-back with friends and talk books.

What did I end up buying?

My obsession with Jo Nesbø continues.I like how Sandy tried to steal him from me when she visited Norway. TRIED being the operative word here. She couldn’t find him! I guess he’s saving himself for me.

Today I had to run a bunch of errands and I am just now able to sit down. The Hub is not feeling all that great so he is napping (I suppose the evening with the kids wiped him out). I’m about to plop down to finish The London Train (in between loads of laundry of course) and we’ve got nothing special planned for dinner. Maybe some roasted tomatoes, gluten-free pasta and shaved parmesan?

Hope you are enjoying a nice, lazy day. That’s what Sundays are supposed to be. Now if someone would explain that to The Family then I’d love you forever.

In Stitches
By Anthony Youn
(Gallery, Hardcover, 9781451608441, May 2011, 288pp.)

The Short of It:

Funny, entertaining and even touching at times, In Stitches is proof that you can still have a sense of humor while completing medical school.

The Rest of It:

Memoirs are not my thing, but I had aspirations when I was young and yes, those aspirations had to do with me becoming a doctor. Anyone who knows me in real life knows how obsessed I am with the medical field. I mean, when you have some strange, undiagnosed illness that everyone calls “Lupus” you tend to do a little reasearch on your own.

That said, I was fascinated with this book. Anthony, I’ll call him Tony, starts the book off with his very strict, Asian upbringing. I had close friends with parents like his and yes…they both became doctors (in case you were wondering). It’s obvious that Tony’s family is a very loving, caring family but his parents are very clear on what they want for their son and what they want is for him to be a doctor. Not only a doctor, but a surgeon because as his dad tells him, “surgeons make more dallah. ”

Tony’s adolescence is wrought with angst. He’s not a bad-looking guy, but he’s a little geeky and awkward around the girls. Much of the book is him lusting over pretty girls. This was my least favorite part of the book. Unfortunately, the lusting period carries over to college where there is more awkwardness and near-misses with girls. BUT, Tony’s ability to make fun of himself is admirable. Not everyone can do that and his willingness to do it, is what kept me reading.

Once he got to his rotations at the hospital I was hooked. Nurses with attitude, patients with hang-ups, and beeper humor. Lots of beeper humor. It’s been so long since I’ve even seen a beeper, that I completely forgot that they contained actual messages. His rotations and the process he went through to get his residency were my favorites parts of the book. It seemed as if he “came into his own” and really figured out who he was. He became the “Tony” that he always wanted to be, and I was glad for him.

As a writer, Tony is pretty funny. I had no trouble zipping through the pages and I really feel as if I got to know him. His writing is engaging and he has an open, honest way of speaking. I really enjoyed it.

If you’d like a chance to win a copy, and you have a Facebook account, check out the details below.

Source: Review and giveaway copy provided by the publisher.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION

This giveaway is now closed.

This giveaway is for one copy of In Stitches and is open to the US and Canada. A winner will be chosen randomly by me. The book will come directly from the publisher. Only one entry per person. Giveaway closes on June 17, 2011 (pacific). I will contact the winner for his/her mailing address.

Please note: To participate, you must complete the sign-up form AND “like” In Stitches on Facebook. This means that you must have a Facebook account to participate.

To enter the giveaway, please click here. (The giveaway is now closed)

To like In Stitches on Facebook, click here.

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