Do They Wear High Heels In Heaven?
5 journalers for this copy...
From the Publisher
I'm Lily, a New York newspaper columnist, mother of two, divorcee of one and partner in crime to Michael, English professor, novelist and best friend extraordinaire. We've been friends forever -- well, since I nearly burned down our apartment building while trying to cook. Michael and I have weathered disco, bad fashion, bad perms, bad boyfriends -- for both of us -- my failed marriage, parenthood and writer's block. Laughter has helped -- and so have the martinis.
But now we face our biggest challenge: the C word. And if I have my way, Michael will be giving up his freewheeling bachelor ways and settling down once and for all. Because I have some very specific wishes for who should take over parental duty when I'm gone. Of course, I refuse to take this lying down -- even when the doctors tell me to lie down and shut up. Because although I'm sick, I'm determined to wear my high heels and lipstick. I'm gonna look good or die trying, dammit.
I'm Lily, a New York newspaper columnist, mother of two, divorcee of one and partner in crime to Michael, English professor, novelist and best friend extraordinaire. We've been friends forever -- well, since I nearly burned down our apartment building while trying to cook. Michael and I have weathered disco, bad fashion, bad perms, bad boyfriends -- for both of us -- my failed marriage, parenthood and writer's block. Laughter has helped -- and so have the martinis.
But now we face our biggest challenge: the C word. And if I have my way, Michael will be giving up his freewheeling bachelor ways and settling down once and for all. Because I have some very specific wishes for who should take over parental duty when I'm gone. Of course, I refuse to take this lying down -- even when the doctors tell me to lie down and shut up. Because although I'm sick, I'm determined to wear my high heels and lipstick. I'm gonna look good or die trying, dammit.
I really enjoyed this book. I laughed and cried through the entire book. I can only hope that I live my life like Lily...with love and to the fullest!
12/26/06 Rec'd from Noumena12 in Book Relay Christmas 2006/Boxing Day gift exchange - 1/1/07 Happy New Year RABCK to HoserLauren - RSVD
1/1/07 12/06 Lily, a writer, mother of two, divorcee and best friend of Michael face the biggest challenge ever to their frienship - Lily's diagnosis of cancer.Author Erica Orloff's "Mafia Chic" is one of my fav reads of 2006 - this book was OK, but like "Spanish Disco", I found her main female character quite annoying. Good story, tho - keep the tissue handy!
Happy New Year RABCK to HoserLauren c/o Morsecode - RSVD
5/4/07 Mailing to HoserLauren c/o MorseCode - TRAVELING
This book arrived safe and sound in Buffalo, NY on Saturday - I received it right after I got back from our May meet-up.
I'm setting aside until the next Oakville meetup.
I'm setting aside until the next Oakville meetup.
I received this today from Morsecode who kindly brought it to our meetup in Waterloo!
Looks like a cute book, thanks so much ladiibbug!
Looks like a cute book, thanks so much ladiibbug!
Lily is a single mother of two, ex-wife to the "spawn of the devil" who, while she was in labour with her second child, cheated on her with someone on 10 years older than their daughter. However, Lily has Michael, her best friend of 20 years, and a gay man. Michael is close to Lily's children and does a lot of with the family. He's had his own struggles, coming out of the closet and having to give up a career in baseball because he was beaten close to death for being gay.
Lily writes a column in the paper and her boss tells her she should go get a mammogram and write a story about it to bring awareness to the community. When Lily finds a lump in her breast however, she starts to get worried. It turns out to be cancer and Lily must start to look at life in a new light for fear that she might not be around for much longer.
While the end of this book was touching, I wasn't overly impressed. I felt like Orloff was trying way too hard to gain sympathy for Michael - having him be beat up to a bloody pulp, having his father not talk to him, having him give up his career. Was all that really necessary? Michael is a likable character without having to feel sorry for him too. More than a couple of times I felt like saying "I get it! He's had a tough life! Move on!", and this detracted from the main story of Lily and her cancer.
Lily writes a column in the paper and her boss tells her she should go get a mammogram and write a story about it to bring awareness to the community. When Lily finds a lump in her breast however, she starts to get worried. It turns out to be cancer and Lily must start to look at life in a new light for fear that she might not be around for much longer.
While the end of this book was touching, I wasn't overly impressed. I felt like Orloff was trying way too hard to gain sympathy for Michael - having him be beat up to a bloody pulp, having his father not talk to him, having him give up his career. Was all that really necessary? Michael is a likable character without having to feel sorry for him too. More than a couple of times I felt like saying "I get it! He's had a tough life! Move on!", and this detracted from the main story of Lily and her cancer.
Journal Entry 9 by CrazyDutchwoman from Heemstede, Noord-Holland Netherlands on Friday, September 26, 2008
Thank you so much for this RABCK Lauren.
When it arrived I immediately brought it to Rowena upstairs cause I remembered it was on my wish list for her. Back downstairs looking the book up, I started to wonder, this is not a book for an 18 year old. lol
Guess I was the one who wanted to read it.
Thanks for this wish list book.
When it arrived I immediately brought it to Rowena upstairs cause I remembered it was on my wish list for her. Back downstairs looking the book up, I started to wonder, this is not a book for an 18 year old. lol
Guess I was the one who wanted to read it.
Thanks for this wish list book.
Journal Entry 10 by CrazyDutchwoman from Heemstede, Noord-Holland Netherlands on Friday, March 20, 2009
Finished it last night and it was a quick read.
** spoiler alert ** I enjoyed the book but I also thought it was weirdly written sometimes.
Like the main character founds out she has breast cancer. Well the part from finding out you have cancer and that you are going to die was totally not in the book. She discovers she has cancer and a few pages later she knows she will die.
Then you have the gay guy. his dad discovers he was beaten up because he was gay by his team and coach and tells his son he never wants to see him again. He never does, always hides in the basement when son visits home and suddenly his dad arrives at the funeral loving him so much. Only because Lilli wrote him letters? hmm. Not very believable.
Anyways even with those flaws I did enjoy the book.
Update April 04: Added in The European VBB
** spoiler alert ** I enjoyed the book but I also thought it was weirdly written sometimes.
Like the main character founds out she has breast cancer. Well the part from finding out you have cancer and that you are going to die was totally not in the book. She discovers she has cancer and a few pages later she knows she will die.
Then you have the gay guy. his dad discovers he was beaten up because he was gay by his team and coach and tells his son he never wants to see him again. He never does, always hides in the basement when son visits home and suddenly his dad arrives at the funeral loving him so much. Only because Lilli wrote him letters? hmm. Not very believable.
Anyways even with those flaws I did enjoy the book.
Update April 04: Added in The European VBB
