3 out of 4 stars
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I give Life: It Is What It Is by Lisa Sugarman 3 out of 4 stars. The book is the author’s collection of opinion pieces written over a four year time span for a local newspaper in Massachusetts. They chronicle the author’s life in her small town on a weekly basis. Sometimes the articles are intimate about her family life, sometimes they’re on a broader scale about her town. This book might appeal to readers who are looking for short snippets to read instead of a long novel that requires investment or for people who want to read about a relatable, everyday life.
The author has a normal life with her husband and two teenage daughters. She is busy moving about town and conducting her small town life. Her energy and attitude comes through the pages. The writing style is simple and easy to read, not pretentious or laborious.
In my opinion, the articles written to address her town about local business, such as scandals in the school district, maybe should have been left out. Those details don’t seem relevant to the outside audience and seemed boring. The articles that are written about her revelations about her children growing up, life evolving, or her optimism when things don’t go well are more interesting and relatable, though. Some of her inspiration could be common across the board regardless of where a person lives or what their life looks like.
I do not give this book a full 4 out of 4 rating, though, because some of the articles I believe did not need to be included, such as about local town business. Other articles also seemed to be written because they needed to be done on a deadline for the newspaper publishing rather than because she had these thoughts worth communicating. Some were just mundane. Others however were a nice insight into somebody else’s way of life or a different way of thinking.
The author is incredibly optimistic. It could be energizing to read a few of the short upbeat sections. But it’s worth keeping in mind that she is only another ordinary person who happens to have an opinion piece in her newspaper as an outlet. She is not an expert psychologist by any means. Some of her opinions I disagree with and some I thought didn’t always seem entirely thought out. Overall, I recommend this book for readers who are looking for light reading and something not to take too seriously.
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LIFE: It Is What It Is
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