Time Off for Good Behavior

This was a really entertaining story. My only complaint is that I was able to finish it in a few hours. The dialogue is natural and funny, and Wanda is lovable in spite of her obvious flaws. I can't wait for Ms. Rich's next effort.

As a survivor of some of the same troubles that haunt the protagonist, I can say with authority that Rich's portrayal of Wanda's emotional journey is eerily accurate. I laughed, I cried, I sobbed out loud. Rich is especially deft at black humor, a personal favorite of mine. If you're looking for something a little edgier and deeper than the average chick lit read, this is it.

What I liked most about Time Off For Good Behavior was how it was decidedly NOT a cliche, and that's not always true of "chick lit" books. Wanda swears like a sailor throughout, and while she grows in the novel, she doesn't really change her core personality. Instead, she finds herself again (or, rather, remembers who she is deep down, before she so disappointed her parents and herself by making some bad choices and acquiring the baggage that resulted.) I so enjoyed how she forbid herself from seeing Walter before she'd worked through some difficult issues. She knew he'd accept her as she was, but she had to make some hard changes first. She may have thought of herself as weak, but I found her to be a strong character throughout. Overall, a very fun read. I should have counted the number of times I laughed out loud. I know for sure I read with a grin on my face because my husband kept asking, "What is so funny?" as I read it. The hot pink cover caught my eye in the bookstore, and I'm glad it did!

The mouthy, flawed heroine of Time Off for Good Behavior captured my interest immediately. By the end of the book, she had captured my heart as well. Wanda has spent her life so afraid of failure that she chose to sabatage herself on every level. At the beginning of the book, she's inches from rock bottom, but she's just met the guy that may make it worth her while to pull herself up by her bootstraps. Underneath Wanda's protective crust, there's a a tough, funny, edgy woman with a heart big enough to match her mouth. Watching this person emerge as Wanda decides to put herself through a crash course in growing up (via post-it note therapy!) was a trip I plan to take again. A definite keeper and re-reader. If you like your Chicklit smart and double funny, then I highly recommend this book.

I can't remember the last time I've gobbled up a book in one sitting like this. Both hilarious and touching, Lani Diane Rich knows how to mine the human experience for true gems of humor and poignancy. Wanda, the main character, is flawed and wonderfully human. She has a feisty spirit and a side-splitting sense of humor that had me rooting for her from page one. Rich has done a terrific job in creating a character whose humor is an integral part of her self-preservation skills, rather than just someone who's handy with a quick comeback. After a series of bad luck and missteps, Wanda's held-together-with-duct-tape reality cracks wide open and we quickly see just how well her sense of humor serves her as she tries to start her life over. Wanda's journey of self-discovery rings refreshingly true and genuine and illuminates the teeth-gnashing frustrations that life hands us, as well as the moments of grace we somehow manage to stumble into. Definitely an exciting new voice in women's fiction!