Stop Dressing Your Six-Year-Old Like a Skank

And Other Words of Delicate Southern Wisdom

This book was hilarious.

Rivenbark is a humorist from right here in North Carolina. When I finally admitted to my book club I was reading this, others admitted they have read her other books and found them just as funny as I found this one. We then spent quite a bit of time retelling her funny stories.

The book is a collection of essays, making this is a good book to have sitting in your car if you have a moment to read a few pages here and there while you wait for kids. Most moms will relate to her reflections on why you regret saying yes to helping out at school, how scary the department store is when your little girl gets to size 7, and the joys/pains of taking kids to theme parks.

Rivenbark is certainly a little irreverent. So just beware that her language can be a wee bit colorful at times. Courtney heard me laughing out loud and wanted to check out what I was reading. Needless to say, I felt a sheepish saying, "Don't worry about it--(while I kind of closed it and hid it under the covers) --Get back to your Magic Tree House book!"

Assassination Vacation

This is our November book club choice, and I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed it. Sarah Vowell (also the voice of Violet Parr) provides us with an interesting history-based travelogue of sites associated with the assassinations of Lincoln, Garfield, and McKinley. She is witty and funny and sometimes cuts quick to the core. If you are going to be offended by her slams on the current Bush administration, do beware.

Otherwise, enjoy the journey.