In the opening chapters of Cathy Alter’s memoir Up for Renewal: What Magazines Taught Me about Love, Sex, and Starting Over, the depiction of the state of her daily life is actually pretty bleak… as in I literally cringed at some of the self-destructive decisions she was making. When she decides to let the glossy pages of women’s magazines help her to find a healthier and happier path, she begins the year-long adventure that is chronicled in this memoir.
“For the ensuing twelve months, I resolved to turn my life over to a stack of today’s women’s magazines and follow their advice without question. The method would be pretty simple: to focus on one specific beauty, fashion, fitness, diet, spirit, relationship, or job-related task and then adhere to, for that entire month, the articles that best addressed my goal. Every month, a new challenge, another damage zone to assess and improve upon.“
With an ever self-deprecating tone, harsh honesty and a no holds barred vocabulary, Alter shares her fears and her failures, along with her hopes and aspirations, some of them simple, some of them significantly deeper. Sure, she’d like to eradicate those jiggly upper arms, but she’d also like to experience a dating relationship that is based on mutual respect, as well. While I initially worried that her pending transformation would involve purely shallow pursuits and events, I was very pleasantly surprised by her willingness to suffer a bit of introspection, and I respected her ability to really cast off in a new direction in many important aspects of her life. As she begins work on the external, the beginnings of meaningful change to the internal take shape, resulting in serious growth and development by year’s end.
Irreverently funny and full of earnest heart, Up for Renewal had me cheering by the final pages for Alter’s change in perspective, and especially for the rewards she reaped from her year’s efforts.
Want to witness the transformation yourself? We have one copy to give away– just leave a comment here. (US residents only, please.) The winner will be announced on 9/23.
Dawn adores reading memoirs, and she sometimes pretends that she’s writing her own life’s story on her blog, my thoughts exactly.
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It sounds incredible!
Sounds great – I love books that have the feel of a diary.
This novel sounds like a very interesting and eye-opening read.
Sounds like a worthwhile read, especially considering my addiction to magazines : )
Sounds like fun. Although I have never been all that impressed with the depth of magazine articles. Still, I’m intrigued
I would love to be entered. Memoirs are one of my favorite genres to read.
Thanks for the chance.
[email protected]
I just recently added this to my wish list – I would love to win a copy!
nnjmom at yahoo dot com
I would love to read Up for Renewal. Thanks for the opportunity.
bgcchs(at)yahoo(dot)com
I’m a memoir fan and would love to win a copy of this one.
Sounds pretty interesting!
Looks interesting. I’d love to try it out.
An excellent review…would love to read this one.
karen k
kmkuka(at)yahoo(dot)com
Sounds like a great read; please include my entry. 🙂
Sounds like a book I’d enjoy
Sounds like a fun read!
Sounds like an interesting book.
I really like this genre (makes a great read on the bus!)
What an interesting concept! I bet parts are quite humorous..
Please enter me for this one.
Amanda N.
fitz12383(at)hotmail(dot)com
Sounds like an interesting idea – I’d like to see how it turned out!
this looks utterly intriguing!
I’d love to read this 🙂 *Thanks* for the giveaway!
Sounds like a great book and something that I think most women have either done or thought about doing.
Love memoir! Would love to read this book! Thanks!
This was a great review…I’m totally sucked in! I’d love to read this.
Thanks!
Looks lke an interesting book.
Happy End of Summer!
Looks like a good read.
wow – what a great idea
enter me
Nice Reviews looks like a good read.
I’d love to win!
I’d love to read this!
Enter me please
Sounds great, I love magazines 🙂
This sounds like a very interesting read! Thanks for the chance from a magazine junkie!
I’m a magazine addict, this looks like it would be a really interesting book!
Sounds like a great read!!
this is on the top of my want to read list!
This sounds very interesting-please enter me to win! Thank you!
I’m up for renewal. Count me in.
Sounds like a good book
Well, sounds good to me…sign me up
Would love to read this!
janemaritz at yahoo dot com
Had not heard of this book but it sounds very interesting. Thanks for the chance to win!
Thank you for the AWESOME GIVEAWAY.. Please count me in 🙂
Great drawing!
Sounds like a great book. Memoirs are one of my favorites.
Sounds good.
This would be a nice read!