9 Books by Bloggers

Like many personal bloggers, I carry with me a secret dream.

Some day, somehow, someone will stumble upon my blog and be blown away by my writing and say “hey, lady, you should write a book.  Here’s thousands of dollars in advance.  Go to it!”

That sounds realistic, right?

OK, maybe not.  Maybe it requires a little more work and a hell of a lot of talent.

Oh, fine.

A lot more work and an extraordinary amount of talent.  Whatever.

Regardless, it’s inspiring to know that people have done it.  It says that it’s possible.

Looking for a great gift for an aspiring writer?  These books by bloggers are a great place to start.

9 Books Written by Bloggers

Rockabye: From Wild to Child

This is a book written by Girls Gone Child blogger Rebecca Woolf.  It’s the story of a young single woman living in LA who suddenly finds herself pregnant and trying to figure out what in the hell that means for her, her baby, and her dreams for herself.

Like a good blog, this book made me laugh, cry and nod my head a lot in understanding.

Moose: A Memoir of Fat Camp

Stephanie Klein was one of the first bloggers I heard about who had turned her blog into a book deal.

Moose is the story of what it feels like to be a fat child.  She pulls from entries from her childhood diary, sharing the battles she faced not only with her peers, but with her own parents.

Straight Up and Dirty: A Memoir

Stephanie Klein’s first book, Straight Up and Dirty, details her life when she finds out her husband is cheating, gets divorced, and attempts to start dating again.

The criticism of this book rivals the fan fare. There’s no doubt it’s raw and honest, but critics bemoan the lack of self revelation and poor dialogue.

Love it or hate it, you can’t mention books by bloggers without including Klein’s first book.

Such a Pretty Fat: One Narcissist’s Quest To Discover if Her Life Makes Her Ass LookBig, Or Why Pie is Not The Answer

Jen Lancaster, who blogs at Jennsylvania, may be one of the most prolific bloggers turned authors with four books published thus far!  (Four!  Four freaking books!  I bow to you, Miss Lancaster.)

I absolutely adore the description of this book from Jen’s own blog:

“Are you tired of books where the self-loathing heroine is teased to the point where she starves herself tiny in hopes of a fabulous new life?  Do you hate the message that we women can’t possibly be happy until we fit into our skinny jeans?

Yeah?  Well, Jen Lancaster is, too.

Jen doesn’t find stories like this uplifting; rather, they make her want to hug these women and take them out for fizzy champagne drinks and cheesecake and explain to them that until they figure out their insides, their outsides don’t matter.

Unfortunately, being overweight isn’t simply a societal issue that can be fixed with a dose of positive self-esteem.  It’s a health matter, so on the eve of Jen’s 40th birthday she decides to make changes so she doesn’t, you know, die. Because what good is finally being able to afford a pedicure if she loses a foot to adult onset diabetes?”

Jen is funny.  Period.

Bitter is the New Black : Confessions of a Condescending, Egomaniacal, Self-Centered Smartass,Or, Why You Should Never Carry A Prada Bag to the Unemployment Office

Jen’s not one for brevity when it comes to her book titles.

Bitter is the New Black just may be the new bible for self centered women who get away with it because they’re funny. I can appreciate that.

From one reviewer:

“Jen (NOT JENNY) is one of the most loveable, egocentric, witty characters I have ever read about. The fact that it’s a memoir is even better! She cusses a blue streak and comes up with awesome one-liners. When she called herself, “Carbohydrate Barbie” I cracked up and could totally relate. Jen loses her high paying corporate job and must (gasp) even sell her Kate Spade shoes on Ebay before all is said and done. Her man, Fletch, is a baby doll and true blue friend. The account of their wedding in Las Vegas (where, unfortunately a porn convention was being held at the same time) was my favorite part.

If you’re tired of the same old chick lit, get this refreshing book. Jen is an inspiring, creative survivor. I look forward to more books from her.”

Rage Against the Meshugenah: Why it Takes Balls to Go Nuts

Women bloggers don’t have the market cornered on book deals. Well, OK, so maybe they have a big chunk of it.

But Danny Evans (aka Dad Gone Mad) is doing his best to speak up for the men.

This book is available for pre-order now and therefore has only been read by those with top secret access. But if you’re familiar with Danny’s blog, you’ll want to get in line for the book now.

It’s a book about depression. From a man’s perspective. While more and more women are coming forward to talk about their battles with depression, it’s still much less common to hear men talking about how it’s effected their life – or even be able to recognize it in themselves. The male perspective is certainly unique and one worth learning about – especially if it’s done with wit and humor and the clever writing we’ve come to expect from Mr. Evans.

7 Ways You Screw Up Your Life: (and how to unscrew it)

Marti Lawrence, who blogs at Enter the Laughter, is about the sweetest damn woman you could ever meet.

7 Ways to Screw Up Your Life is best described as an unconventional self help book.

Consider it self help lite. It’s filled with common sense tips like “grow up” and “quit complaining”. The book could benefit from better organization and a stronger editing hand and less discussion of Harry Truman. But there is one thing that I read that I’ve noticed stuck with me.

Everyone pees. And that’s when you decide what kind of day you’re going to have.

Sleep Is for the Weak: The Best of the Mommybloggers Including Amalah, Finslippy, Fussy, Woulda Coulda Shoulda, Mom-101, and More! (Blogher Book)

You can’t very well mention bloggers without thinking about mommy bloggers. Love them or hate them, they are undoubtedly a force to be reckoned with in the blogosphere.

Sleep is for the Weak is a compilation from some of the most well known mommy bloggers. It includes entries designed to make you laugh, cry, and hug your children a little tighter.

Not a mommy blogger or a parent? You’ll probably want to skip this.

It Sucked and Then I Cried: How I Had a Baby, a Breakdown, and a Much Needed Margarita

Speaking of love or hate…

Heather Armstrong (or Dooce, as we all know her) is without a doubt the most well known personal blogger. And now she’s written a book.

And? It’s a New York Times Best Seller.

I haven’t read this yet so I can only go by the reviews – which are mixed. From what I can tell, it’s a compilation of her blog entries and if you’ve read her blog, you’ve already read the book.

Have you read any of these personally?  Do you want to?

Personally, I can’t wait to get my hands on Jen Lancaster’s entire collection.

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