Snake Hips by Anne Soffee This book has been on my to-read list for quite a while. I first looked into it when garrity was reading it, but as I was pregnant at the time and reading it had started labor for garrity, I put off reading until my due date, hoping it would do the same for me. Then Mr. Froggie Pants decided to come weeks early, and reading a book that would have to be (gasp!) purchased or inter-library loaned was put off again. Now, with tupelo doing tours for her next book, it seemed really past time to read her first one. But on to the book: Anne had what she thought was the perfect life with her (tattoo) artist boyfriend. Then he dumped her for not being cool enough. Heartbroken, she returned to Richmond. A friend suggests belly dancing as a means of recovery. The friend is joking, but Anne isn’t. Once she starts classes, she’s hooked. Soon she’s spending her evenings at multiple practices, her money on fabulously tacky costumes, and what little time is left over trying to find the perfect Arab sheik to marry and make little brown babies with. I might tell you to read this book anyway, just because I like tupelo and I know she’s reading this. But I was laughing out loud for most of the book. I had to force myself not to read most of it out loud to amnachaidh, because I knew he wanted to read it, too. My mother also really loved it. In general principal, memoirs by people you haven’t heard of are a dime a dozen, but this one is well worth reading. And I’ll ask our bio man to buy the new one for the library, so we can share the love.