Book #12: Baby Proof

I've always admired Emily Giffin. She's smart, accomplished (she worked as a lawyer before becoming an author), a mom of two and the bestselling author of three novels, all of which were launched within the last five years. And she's only 35.

However, since I've just recovered from five summers-full of weddings, I never read her first two novels -- Something Borrowed and Something Blue -- since I needed a bit of a wedding break.

Then Baby Proof came out. I'd seen it everywhere for months, but never picked it up because I figured it was the third in the series and since I hadn't read the first two, I'd be lost reading the third.

On Friday I stopped into Book City on my way home from work. I was looking for a new book and I picked up Baby Proof, just to see what it was all about. I should've realized that from the title it was about not having a baby, but for some reason, I just figured that the couple in books 1 &2 were now having a baby. I was totally wrong.

The premise: Claudia is thirtysomething. She has always known she doesn't want kids and in most of her relationships, it's been the dealbreaker. Then she meets Ben, and he feels the same way. Now, they've been happily married and child-free for years. Until Ben decides he does want kids after all.

I couldn't put this book down. I read it on the subway, walking down the street and even waiting on the street to meet a friend. Unlike most chicklit, where you know exactly where the story's going and just hope for some laughs along the way, I never had any idea what would happen on the next page. Emily's writing is fresh, witty and smart and the story is funny, sad and totally engaging. And now I can't wait to read her first two books.