Sucky Moms

 

If you have looked at my profile page, under favorite books, you'll see I've only mentioned three, although I read. I read a lot. I've been "reading" ever since I stole my older sister's Dick and Jane. I was absolutely fascinated and curious about those strange scratchings and what they might mean. Once the code was broken I read everything. I read my mother's romance and mystery novels. I read encyclopedias, cereal boxes, street signs... I was in my Shangri-La when the Scholastic book list came out. I'd steal cigarette money from my mother's purse to buy a book.  

Ok, you get it. My face was in a book, always. I've read some really great stuff, some written by people who were not good people, some quite despicable. I read Margaret Mitchell's, 'Gone With the Wind' and found it laughable. I was ten when I read it. I tried again, later in life. Nope, still stupid.

I've even written my own books and published under Amazon- books no one bought. (They are no longer available) 

I'll try most things, except romance crap. Memoirs, travel, fiction, horror, political, history....from classic to trashy, yes, yes, yes. 

A few years ago an actress was touting her recent memoir, 'I'm Glad My Mom Died.' Catchy title, I thought. It got me curious.

Well, well, I certainly won't bother you with details such as her mother would take showers with her and feel her up. Or, like how mom controlled her food intake and called her fat if she gained a pound, or, could not leave her in peace, or, how she terrorized the rest of the family. No, I won't tell you.

The author and I have a few things in common regarding lousy parents, although my mother wasn't clingy or insane. She was an alcoholic. My father ignored the boozy elephant in the room as long as he had his meals ready and clean clothes. When mom wasn't drinking herself into a stupor she was banging pots and pans in the kitchen to let everyone know she was angry about something.

So, I understand the love/hate relationship. I was relieved to read when after years of her feeling guilty for having bad thoughts about her mom she realized her mother was the problem. She could allow herself to be honest and guilt free about her feelings.

I try to see my parents as human who made giant mistakes, and never should have had children together. But, there are times when something comes across the tv screen or I've read a sentence in a book where the memories of my childhood crash in. In those moments, I'm glad they are no longer here.

McCurdy isn't a great writer and never confessed to be, yet her story is unforgettable.

***********

Here are some other books I have enjoyed. 

'The Liar's Club,' Mary Karr

'Change Me Into Zeus's Daughter,' Barbara Robinette Moss

'A Heartbreaking Work of a Staggering Genius,' Dave Eggers

'Left for Dead,' Beck Weathers

'In the Land of White Death,' Valerian Albanov

'The Diary of a Young Girl,' Ann Frank

'The Girls of Room 28,' Hannelore Brenner

Authors I like...

Michael Connelly 

Jonathan Kellerman

Paul Theroux

Redmond O'Hanlon

Joan Didion

Pearl S. Buck

Stephen King