Why My Third Husband Will Be a Dog by Lisa Scottoline

Rating: 5 Stars - Favorite

I am a fan of Lisa Scottoline's Legal Thrillers, where she writes her women protagonists to be strong, human and real or as she would say "extraordinary ordinary women." Since I am local to Philadelphia, the setting for these books hit close to home as well and it adds an extra special component for me. I have not read them all yet, but I have read several of them out of order and I enjoyed them enough to go back and start from the beginning of the series. Which I'm still in the process of going through and just realized that I will make this series by final series choice for my Finish the Series Challenge this year. But I am off track now... let me get back to why were are here! When I saw the title, "Why My Third Husband Will Be a Dog", and I saw that Lisa Scottoline wrote this book there was no way I was leaving without it. Besides the title being entirely fitting to my state of mind, I just knew it would be a worthwhile read.

I did not know that Lisa Scottoline wrote a "Chick Wit" column for The Philadelphia Inquirer. I feel like I missed out when I wasn't subscribing to the paper - had I known I may have subscribed. Which is what this book is composed of, the articles (I believe with additions) from her column. Anxious to dive into the book, I opened it right up and started to gobble down the pages. When I was about 1/3 of the way into the book I realized that I wasn't noting all the things I loved about this book. I felt like I was sitting down and eating the best prime rib I ever ate and I wasn't savoring the taste; I was like a starving animal gorging on the meal without even taking the time to really taste it. So, I started over and savored each article. I have so many pages marked that if I gave you samplings of each one you would have no need to buy the book yourself.. and you should!

I would however like to give you a little sampling of some of my favorite entries. Before I do that let me first say that this book touched me in so many ways. Lisa Scottoline is raw and honest and absolutely hilarious. There were parts when I thought that this woman was absolutely crazy; like when she talks about going out without a bra or the reasons to love hot flashes. However, there were many more times while reading this book when I felt like we were kindred spirits; Like when she talks about how her dog sleeps on her pillow (My baby does the same thing!), being suggestible to everything I see (especially food), UnResolution Number Two (Yes I kiss my dogs on the lips - what of it??), UnResolution Number Seven (Yes I do need all those books overflowing on my shelves) and so many others.. too many to list! I certainly don't feel alone in my craziness anymore - Thank you Lisa! I found myself laughing out loud from so many of her stories, being able to relate. And I also found myself tearing up with some of her more sad stories; like her my estrogen is overflowing and I cry at everything.

Getting Religion was my favorite of the columns but if I quoted from it, it would be the whole column, so that's just one that you'll have to read on your own - but trust me it's worth it. Lets just say when she starts the religion, Sign me up! I'll tithe all day for that one!

These are not anywhere near all the excellent quotes in the book but here are some of my favorites:

• From Everything is Nude Again: about Squeezing into Spanx, "From the front, I looked like a Tootsie Roll with Legs. From the back, instead of having a buttocks, I had buttock. In other words, my lower body had been transformed into a cylinder. I no longer had hips where hips are supposed to be, or saddlebags where God intended. I was a cardboard in the roll of toilet paper. And another detail. I couldn't breathe."
• From Have It My Way: "I used to think of myself as low maintenance. I used to believe I was easy to please. But now I know better. Starbucks taught me the truth."
• From Dream Job: "Its fun to do something dumb. Not something really dumb, like my second marriage. That was really really dumb."

I can't say enough about this book, it was refreshing and fun and I'm very glad I read it, I would recommend it to any woman.

This books fills the following Categories and Challenges for me:

• Truth is Stranger than Fiction Reading Challenge 2010
• PBT Feb Tag: Relationships
• Mostly Books Monthly Theme Challenge
• Monthly Mixer Mele Challenge