*THE ALMOST MOON* by Alice Sebold

When all is said and done, killing my mother came easily."
So begins The Almost Moon, Alice Sebold's astonishing, brilliant, and daring new novel. A woman steps over the line into the unthinkable in this unforgettable work by the author of The Lovely Bones and Lucky.
For years Helen Knightly has given her life to others: to her haunted mother, to her enigmatic father, to her husband and now grown children. When she finally crosses a terrible boundary, her life comes rushing in at her in a way she never could have imagined.
Unfolding over the next twenty-four hours, this searing, fast-paced novel explores the complex ties between mothers and daughters, wives and lovers; the meaning of devotion; and the line between love and hate. It is a challenging, moving, gripping story, written with the fluidity and strength of voice that only Alice Sebold can bring to the page.

There was so much criticism of this book because of the dark subject, a daughter killing her mother that I could not wait to read it. I like to form my own opinions about a book. I have read many books that others praised and I could not finish 100 pages! I rate this book a 4.5/5 because the author aptly described a woman's decline into madness and she did it very well. Helen, the main character, was doomed from birth by both of her highly dysfunctional parents. She attempted to form a more intact, healthy family, but in the end, she became what her dysfuntional parents created. A great book.

*EAT, LOVE & PRAY* by Elizabeth Gilbert

Oddly but aptly titled, Eat, Pray, Love is an experience to be savored: This spiritual memoir brims with humor, grace, and scorching honesty. After a messy divorce and other personal missteps, Elizabeth Gilbert confronts the "twin goons" of depression and loneliness by traveling to three countries that she intuited had something she was seeking. First, in Italy, she seeks to master the art of pleasure by indulging her senses. Then, in an Indian ashram, she learns the rigors and liberation of mind-exalting hours of meditation. Her final destination is Bali, where she achieves a precarious, yet precious equilibrium. Gilbert's original voice and unforced wit lend an unpretentious air to her expansive spiritual journey.

When I began this book, and probably after I read 80% or more, I could not put it down and loved it. Ms. Gilbert emphasized over and over in the beginning how she was much too dependent on a man's opinion of her, she was nothing without a man's approval. She then goes on to describe how she frees her soul, her mind and her body in Italy (eating) India (praying) and finally Bali (love). She wound up in Bali seeking the truth and had promised to adhere to the lessons of an ancient guru. This began well, but then she reverted to a man she met and spent most of her last part of the journey having a raging, hot affair! She lost all of her authenticity with me at that point. She talked the talk very well, but in the end, she could not walk the walk. I would rate this book 2/5.