I found Pink Slip to be a very enjoyable, engrossing read that was pretty well-written, interesting and had fairly well-developed characters. There's a lot of humor interspersed with some very perceptive exploration of the corporate climate, inter-office dating and family life.

The novel revolves Lisa, an Italian American whose mother has certain expectations of her, ones that she doesn't necessarily want to fill - that her sister seems to have done what her mother wants complicates the picture. And then there's her cousin, her dear friend, who doesn't really fit into the family either because he's gay. With Lisa at the center and Dodie playing a significant role, the book explores Lisa's experience as she leaves New York City for a suburban corporation where she gets involved with a co-worker who also happens to be her superior.

There's lots in the book that is funny, some that's sad and a lot that is touching. Lisa's relationship is far from perfect from the start yet the reader understands what draws her to this person, although on some levels I found her interactions with and relationship with her cousin more compelling. Many aspects of Lisa's life are explored in detail - sometimes a little overdone - there are others that are glossed over, which at times can be a little unsatisfying. On the whole, though, as light entertainment, I found Pink Slip to be a lot better than many books out there and would recommend it without hesitation to anyone looking for a fun, distracting read.

I'm female graduate student in a physics-related subject. Unfortunately I am pretty disillusioned by men (seen too many weirdos in my field!) and also by most fiction written for women (too wordy and/or banal). However, I was so riveted by this wonderful book that I played hooky from the lab for an entire day to stay home and read it. I could write a lot about the quirky heroine and her sweetly irreverent cousin Dodie, but the book is worth reading mainly because of the character of Eben Strauss. He's definitely on the endangered species list - gentle, moral, considerate, loving as well as professionally successful. I am not ashamed to say that I was touched to the point of tears. (for the record, "The Bridges of Madison County" didn't have the same effect on me.) Although the author has drawn upon several stereotypes, the clever dialog paints the characters as eminently REAL, 3-D people. Hope to see more books by the author.

I love this book - I gulped it down, staying up until 3 am to finish (and yes, I work), then started a closer re-read right away the next day.

I admit I picked the book up looking for a light, funny read - and it *is* very funny (laugh-out-loud at times), sharp, honest, and witty, with dialogue that zings - but it's something even better, a comedy with emotional punch, with moments that also made me cry.

I loved both of the main characters - which is not to say I liked everything about them - and found them very real, if very flawed. A large part of the appeal of the book is Lisa's voice - not to mention her smart mouth - but polite, cautious, decent Ebencomes across as equally appealing. The attraction - and conflict - betwen the two also feels very real and strong - at times sweet, at times wrenching.

The book also repays multiple readings. Seemingly throw-away lines (even something as innocuous as a discussion of Jane Eyre) take on new meaning in the light of subsequent events. As well the sheer quality of the writing stands out more.

Highly recommended.

Before I began reading this novel, I thought that the bulk of the book would be take place after the discovery of Gary's illness. It doesn't. Much of the book is about Gary and Rosa's meeting, and their relationships with their parents. In many ways, I thought this book was more about Rosa and her mother than I thought it was about Rosa and Gary. And that was a bit of a disappointment for me, since I was expecting something else.

Nonetheless, I did have much sympathy for Rosa and Gary, and really wanted them to work out their differences. But then Gary gets ill, and they simply run out of time. This makes the book very sad, but in the end, quite poignant.

I'll continue reading Rita Ciresi's work, particularly since I highly enjoyed Pink Slip. This too is recommended.

Gary and Rosa--what a marriage! At times I wanted to jump in the pages and break up the fist-fight and other times I laughed at their silly arguments. Ms. Ciresi paints a very vivid portrait of marriage and all it's swirls and brushstrokes. This novel was funny and smart with all of Rosa's hot-headed italianess and Gary's quirky Jewish personality, but also very touching for the same reasons. Throughout the whole novel, I had a hard time figuring out why these two were together, but after reading the Epilogue and finally closing the book, I realized why. Much better than Pink Slip, so read this one first!

Italian-American Rosa Salvatore is married to Jewish Gary Fisher, and it is a romance so touchingly real that you fall in love with them too. In the first chapter, Gary, at age 31, is told he has cancer. "I don't get to be anyone," he says to his wife.

The story is then told from Rosa's perspective, starting with how they met through their courtship and wedding, up to the news of the cancer and beyond. The story is told within the greater context of both Rosa and Gary's families (Rosa's overly critical mother, Gary's loving -- nearly smothering -- mother, who calls Rosa "the other woman in Gary's life", their proud but distant fathers.) It is chaotic, noisy, touching and will make you cry.

This is like Love Story with realism -- Gary and Rosa are so real, they alert each other when there is something on their faces in public, they annoy each other, they fight, they care about each other. You feel like you are watching your best girlfriend go through multiple tragedies without any real way to help her.

It is good to read something to stir up emotion after the glut of chick-lit out there -- Rita Ciresi's work will do that every time.

This novel, about unsure married partners and parents of a young child, seemed to have that grain of reality throughout. I liked the way the author went into their minds and, for better or worse, laid out their feelings. I am going to backtrack and read what I've missed by Ciresi as this was my first book by her I've ever come across.

Ciresi's latest novel is just as good as the last. The novel has snappy and laugh-out-loud dialogue, that keeps the story moving. "Remind Me Again Why I Married You" also alternates narrators; switching easily between two totally opposite characters. It is interesting to see their different takes on the current situation. This book, however, is not for people who cannot laugh at bodily-function jokes!

What is original about Rita Ciresi is she's not only funny and honest, but she's masterful at her craft. Her latest book is more literature than a beach read, so if you want something candy-coated, this is not the book for you. However, I believe Ciresi's writing continues to be thoughtful and provoking, and stops to make you think about life and the woman's place in it.

This book *is* different than Pink Slip, although I think in a good way. The main character has grown up and now faces new challenges, including discovering her niche in the world and what marriage is really about. Remind Me Again is intelligent, funny, a good read. You'll enjoy it.

I really didn't enjoy this book. I am half Italian-American, and I've read a few books about growing up in an Italian-American family in an effort to learn about my roots. I have also read several books about 2nd generation Americans struggling to find their identities while caught between what is "normal" and their immigrant parents. I normally enjoy such books, but not this one. I know that life wasn't always a bowl of cherries for these familes, but this book makes it seem as if it was absolutely horrible. Yet, I couldn't find anything about the daughters' lives that are really that bad or even different from many people's lives in this country. Where is all the anger coming from? I really don't know. This book is dark and depressing. Some say it is funny at times, but I didn't think so. I couldn't even bring myself to finish it.

This is the second novel that I've read and enjoyed by Rita Ciresi. She takes an in-depth and humorous look into the lives of Angel and Lina Lupo and their dysfunctional family. Their parents are Italian immigrants who have come to America with old-world ideals while their daughters want to become true Americans and live fairy tale lives. As we see in the second half of the book, their dreams have gone awry. Angel is single, bitter, jealous of her sister's life and anxious to settle down. Lina is married to a man she doesn't love but pretends to get along with, has two children and is involved in an extramarital affair. Her life is in a downward spiral.

Despite their depressing situations, Ciresi manges to blend in laughter. Angel's personal ad for example is hilarious. Her descriptions of her parents, her life and her humble beginnings all resonate with humour and realism. This book is very well written and is completely entertaining, whether you're Italian or not.

Another novel to read by Ciresi is Pink Slip.

Rita Ciresi just gets better every time I read her. I started with Pink Slip, which did not impress me very well. Then on to Blue Italian, which blew me away. And now with Sometimes I Dream in Italian, a book of connected short stories about the Italian Lupo family, I believe Ms. Ciresi has reached her pinnacle. Definitely a book not to be missed.

Told through the eyes of the youngest Lupo daughter, Angel, the first half of the book documents her childhood with her beautiful, better sister, Lina, and their two strange and boring parents. Growing up in New Haven, Connecticut, life couldn't be more stagnant. Angel and Lina both long to rid themselves of their Italian heritage and be buxom and blonde Hollywood movie stars dripping with diamonds. Instead they are stuck in an old-fashioned time-warp with a mother who quite possibly could be the World's Most Prepared and a father who is nothing more than a measly soda delivery man with stinky feet. The second half of the book flash-forwards to Angel's and Lina's adulthood. It is interesting to see how the two girls grew up and branched out in different directions. Although, behind the normalcy, there is pain and heartache.

Sometimes I Dream in Italian explores the intricate relationship between the two sisters, their family, and their dreams. At times hilarious, yet heartwrenching and poignant, these stories will draw emotions out of you as only good writing can do. Nice flow and beautifully written. Looking forward to reading more Ciresi -- she has now become a favorite.