Book Reviews

When we made the decision to move onto IVF I got tunnel vision and suddenly felt as if I had to know everything there was about the process, about other women's experiences, and about infertility in general. In addition to seeking out information on the internet and joining forums, I also read as many books as I could get my hands on. I sought out books written in a style that wouldn't thrust me into a further pit of despair; I was looking for humor or stories written from the trenches and found some that really did help. I, like a lot of other infertile women, first read Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler. It… [more]

In my last post, How to Structure a Fertility Support Group, I mentioned that I selected the book Infertility: A Survival Guide for Couples and Those Who Love Them by Cindy Lewis Dake as the text for the support group I founded. Before continuing the support group discussion, I would like to review the book for you.

I considered several texts for the support group, but I settled upon this book because it covered all of the topics that I believed were important and then some. The book is well written, and it has a good combination of research and emotions. It is not always easy to find a fertility book with that kind of balance.

The book begins by… [more]

Lisa Safran has written a funny book called Laughin'fertility, which focuses on the humorous aspects of fertility procedures. (I referenced her book in my last post, Fertility versus Infertility.) Considering how depressing the whole process can be, I think it is a great idea to find a way to laugh through your tears. This is what Ms. Safran achieves in her book.

The book is divided up into short musings that focus on one aspect of fertility at a time, so you do not have to read the book straight through to enjoy it. You can flip through to the topic that interests you and read her observations and amusing anecdotes on the subject.

Some of Ms. Safran's observations made me laugh… [more]

Marley and Me I just finished listening to John Grogan's book Marley and Me. Most times, I don't enjoy having an author read their own book. Grogan's voice didn't match what I had in my head, so it took me awhile to come around. It is a true story of a dog's lifetime with his owners and all of the adventures that they go through, Marly and Me is a true story that will be familiar to dog owners past and present. My librarian warned me that he wasn't able to finish the book, due to the end that he knew was coming, but I made it through to the end. It made my errand running enjoyable and now I know the difference between which types… [more]

After I had my first miscarriage and the subsequent comedy of errors that went along with it, I couldn't find any solace. Until, through the kindness of a client and interim pastor, I found a novel that took me away from it all. Far, far away. Which is where I wanted to be. And where I wanted to stay. Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet was my ticket outa there and I seized it like Charlie with his golden ticket. At one point, I remember that Chris spoke to me from a couch length away and I was startled back into my reality. It had been forever since I had gotten so immersed in a book, the narrative and descriptions so captivating that… [more]

During my pregnancy with Ivy, my fear of miscarriage was huge. I went to our local bookstore and found the book, Prayers for the Mother To Be by Angela Thomas. I had nothing to read during this time because I was terrified of the "What to Expect" book that I had relied on heavily while trying to get pregnant. I wanted to really stay away from any thing negative in all forms of media. This book seemed to fit the bill. While at a coffeeshop one day, a woman came up to me and told me that she had loved the book while she was pregnant as well I took this book with me everywhere while I was still pregnant. The prayer that I read over… [more]

I have mentioned here before that I love nonfiction writing. True, personal stories stick with me and intrigue me more than any type of scientific article or journal. Maybe that is why I am so addicted to blog reading and blogging. While going through the "No Baby On Board" site, I found the link to this list. There are many other fertility related reading lists as well, but this one is totally about first hand infertility. Once again, for some reason, I'm having a problem linking today. So, to see the actual list that I'm talking about, head over to Amazon and do a search within their listmania. Type in infertility. Then a list of recommended reading lists will pop up. The list of today's… [more]

I have been reading Alternadad by Neal Pollack for the past couple of days and I've been loving it. I have laughed out loud and absolutely cannot put it down. His idea of parenting, and his reality are so far off of the mark, he reminds me of myself. Before I encountered infertility, I thought that I would be like these parents that Pollack describes here: In Rogers Park, it seemed impossible to be any kind of parent other than an eccentric one. One couple I got to know owned the No Exit Cafe, a place that had existed in several shades of brown since 1958 and practically screamed Leo Kottke Slept Here. They raised three kids in a world of folk music, bad poetry and… [more]

I found the following quote in the April 10-11 Self Improvement Newsletter put out by SelfGrowth It is excerpted from Magical Beginnings, Enchanted Lives: A Holistic Guide to Pregnancy and Childbirth by Deepak Chopra, M.D., David Siman, M.D. and Vicki Abrams, C.C.E., I.B.L.C. When does life begin? Some spiritual tradtions see the origin of life as the moment a soul intends to enter into human form. Others see the beginning as a sparkle in the eye of a potential parent who wants to have a child. While biologists and religious clergy may argue about whether or not life starts at the moment of conception, convention has it that the day a baby emerges from his mother's womb marks the beginning of life. However you define life's… [more]

Last night I began reading Inside My Heart written by Robin McGraw. Within the second chapter she wrote a statement that got me thinking. I have always felt that motherhood was my calling, and I have always known I am going to do everything I can for my children because I want to be able to say that I'm doing a good job, with no regrets. p.21 I wonder how many women can make a statement like this. I know that I am not one of them. I believe that after I decided to have my kids then I felt like being their mom was a "calling" for me. But this wasn't always so. There was a period of years that I… [more]