This weekend’s read is a hip novel from Seattle author, Jane Porter.  I first picked up this book because I loved the fun cover, and was curious to read something from a local author.  I’m happy to report the story line did not disappoint; it was just as fun, if not more so, then the fabulous cover.

In Odd Mom Out we follow single mom Marta Zinsser who has recently returned home to the Seattle suburbs after a 10 year stint in New York.  With an elementary school daughter in tow (whom she conceived through IVF), she’s about to enter a world much different then her diverse, urban New York City.

I especially loved reading this book because the story takes place on Seattle’s eastside, which is where I live.  Any moms from here will appreciate the local references, and can relate to this area’s swarms of wealthy, suburban housewives.  Being on the outside of that world myself, I can empathize with Marta’s struggles to fit in, while at the same time I enjoyed glimpses into the elite lifestyle (much like my guilty-pleasure fascination with Real Housewives of Orange County).

Of course, there’s also the cliche love story and the common parenthood struggles, which for me, never get old.  The story moves along quickly with the author’s use of sensitivity and wit.   

If you’re looking for a fun weekend read (and it’s definitely a book you will breeze thru in a weekend), I highly recommend Odd Mom Out.

Have a book you would like to recommend for the next weekend read?  Leave us a comment below.

get 20% off Odd Mom Out at amazon.com

1. Michele Says:
   January 20th, 2008 at 3:23 pm

   Great recommendation….loved this book! Both Looking for Penguins moms are originally from the Seattle area and love reading books with local references…perhaps that’s why we like Debbie Macomber books, even though we normally don’t go in for romance-y stories. We can’t resist the Seattle-area settings! By the way, Debbie Macomber has her own blog and recently recommended Nora Ephron’s book, “I Feel Bad About My Neck,” a humorous look at how women try to stop the effects of aging. Looking forward to that!