(Image from Barnes & Noble)

Despite three positive test results, Molly Sullivan still can't believe she's pregnant.  It's not that the 30-year-old doesn't want to be a mother.  She does.  Just not now.  Especially when the baby's father, Scott Berkus, has only been a casual, on-again-off-again boyfriend.  Things get even more complicated when Scott sinks to one knee at a New Year's Eve party and—very publicly—asks Molly to marry him.  It's a perfect proposal that couldn't have come at a better time considering the secret Molly carries inside her.  She should be deliriously happy.  So, why is Scott's question making her feel unsure?  Shouldn't she be jumping at the chance to wed her gorgeous, wealthy boyfriend, despite her reservations about his slovenly ways and old-fashioned ideas about marriage and parenting?  She can't turn him down when it means facing an uncertain future as a struggling single mom.  Or can she?  With so many things hanging in the balance—her beautiful home, a job she loves, and the little person growing inside her—Molly has to make the right decision.  But which path is the best one for her and her unborn child?

All of us have probably found ourselves at a crossroads in life, pondering choices as befuddling as Molly's.  When we come to these junctions, how helpful would it be to be able to get a peek down each road, just to see what that path has in store for us?  All the Difference, a debut novel by Leah Ferguson, gives us that chance, if only in a fictional sense.  In alternating "Yes" and "No" chapters, the author describes what happens to Molly, based on her answer to Scott's question.  It's a fun device that gives a familiar story an interesting twist.  The back-and-forth does get a little confusing, but overall, I enjoyed the format.  The characters, on the other hand, drove me crazy.  Bottom line:  Both Molly and Scott are too selfish and immature for marriage and/or parenthood.  Scott's as cliché as they come.  With no redeeming qualities whatsoever, he's too flat to feel real.  Molly's not much more likable.  She's sympathetic in some ways, but also whiny and self-centered.  Maybe it's because I was the full-time mother of three children by the time I was 30, but a lot of her actions/reactions made me roll my eyes.  So, yeah, I wasn't too wild about either Molly or Scott.  So, while I liked this novel's unique format, I ended up not loving the characters or the story.  In the end, it was just an okay read for me.

(Readalikes:  Reminded me a little of Pivot Point by Kasie West)

Grade:

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

The other day as I scanned the stories in the online edition of my hometown newspaper, I gasped aloud. An announcement in the "Births" section indicated that a kid I vaguely remembered from way, way back when had just become a father. "I just can't believe he's old enough to have a baby," I told my husband. "And you're too old to have any more," came his less-than-sensitive reply. Indignant, I retorted, "I'm only 34!" C'mon, I spend my days chasing a 13 month old around - I may have one foot in the ground, but I'm not dead yet.

Still, as I read Does This Pregnancy Make Me Look Fat? by Claire Mysko and Magali Amadei, I began to think my husband may have a point. Perhaps I have been in the trenches too long. Eleven years of full-time mommyhood has turned me into a practical, no-frills kind of girl. So, reading about how to create a stylish maternity wardrobe, when to schedule preggo pictures, and how to deal with celebrities getting their pre-baby bodies back within 6 weeks of giving birth made me want to scream. I mean, seriously, who cares? Not me. I appreciate the authors' tell-it-like-it-is approach to the nitty gritties of pregnancy and childbirth, but I think I've been there enough times to know the drill. In fact, having birthed three babies and adopted one, I've got a whole lot more experience than either of the authors. I'm not saying I don't have more to learn - of course I do - but I'll take my advice from veterans not amateurs, thank you very much.

I don't mean to devalue the message Mysko and Amadei are trying to spread. They yearn to convince women with negative body images to come to terms with the problem before they become pregnant. They encourage potential mothers to toss out the scale, practice intuitive eating and seek professional help before their body misconceptions get dangerous (i.e. in pregnancy). This is where the book offers something unique - a look at the connection between negative body image, especially severe cases, and pregnancy. I've never seen this issue addressed in any kind of literature, so I found the sections dedicated to this topic to be fascinating. Since both Mysko and Amadei suffered from eating disorders, they have an insider's perspective. Here, they speak with authority. Here, they write with passion. I would have gladly skipped the chapters on accessorizing maternity tops and battling au pairs over a child's lunch to read more about how anorexic/bulemic women deal with pregnancy and childbirth.

Does This Pregnancy Make Me Look Fat? rubbed me the wrong way for several reasons. Some of the material just seemed beyond ridiculous for an old fuddy duddy like me; many of the comments from "real women" were so frank as to be almost offensive; and lots of the topics covered weren't relevant to a practical, no-frills gal like me. I do like the message the authors are sending. I think it's important, especially for women who have struggled with eating disorders, to seek the help they need without feeling unworthy or ashamed. I also agree that women need to stop beating themselves up and accept the fact that there is no perfect mother, no perfect body, and no perfect woman. Ignore the tabloids. Focus on your health, your kids, your real life. Amen.

Every woman has body issues - I'm no exception. Still, this book is not for me. It might be for you, though. If you need a little pick-me-up, some inspiration or a resource for help, check out the authors' websites, 5resolutions.blogspot.com and http://www.insidebeauty.org/ . You can find more opinions on Does This Pregnancy make Me Look Fat? by following the authors' virtual tour with TLC Book Tours. Click here for a schedule.

Grade: C

If this were a movie, it would be: PG-13 for language, graphic images and sexual content

To the FTC, with love: TLC Book Tours provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for a review.

The Joy of Pregnancy professes to be "The Complete, Candid, and Reassuring Companion for Parents-To-Be," and I think that's an apt description. The book is divided into 10 chapters, one for each month of a typical pregnancy plus one discussing postpartum issues. Each section contains information on how the baby is developing during the given month; the changes the mother's body is undergoing; and other subjects that commonly crop up at that point in pregnancy. Also included are Q & As, advice just for fathers-to-be and helpful illustrations. Kropp does write candidly, and offers plenty of reassurance in the form of statistics, research studies, and stories from her own experience as a nurse and a mother.

While The Joy of Pregnancy offers heaps of helpful information, most of it is geared toward first-time mothers. I did learn a few things I didn't know (even after 3 pregnancies), but most of Kropp's suggestions were ones I had heard before. Although this guide is very thorough, offering more and better information than other manuals, it also lacks the quick, conversational tone that makes books like The Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy and the What to Expect volumes so readable. Don't get me wrong - it's an excellent resource, just not my favorite pregnancy guide.

For me, the most engaging part of The Joy of Pregnancy was the introduction when Kropp explains how she decided to write the book. She talks about how often she helped pregnant women who had read so many guides and taken so many childbirth classes that "they were trusting a variety of writers and other 'experts' more than they trusted themselves" (xii). This made them so tense about the experience that Kropp feared women were forgetting to enjoy their pregnancies. Kropp decided to change things in her own practice, advising women to stop reading piles of pregnancy books, and giving them permission to "relax and enjoy pregnancy rather than dissect it and figure it all out" (xiii). I love this idea.

So, while I prefer the What to Expect books more than this one, I still recommend The Joy of Pregnancy as an excellent resource for first-time mothers. It's got tons of great information as well as a relaxed, reassuring focus. Although Tori Kropp likes to trash the experts, I have to say she is one I would suggest listening to.

Grade: B