Vikki Warner

Besides having the best title of 2018, this reportage of urban homeownership is a counterpoint to all the HGTV shows you've ever seen, and in a good way. Author Vikki Warner, an only child who grew up mostly in a trailer park, decides in her late 30s to buy a triple decker in Federal Hill, Providence, RI. The book’s plot can be measured in thirds, the first being Warner's quest to keep a tired romantic relationship afloat during the miserable and expensive rehab phase, while seeking to create a congenial atmosphere for her tenants. She also spends a great deal of time analyzing the neighborhood, a former Mafia stronghold, still home to many older Italian families who resist and resent the inevitable influx of hipsters. Warner ultimately reaches back into her own childhood, with mixed feelings about her parents' frugal habits, which she simultaneously revolts against and revels in. There's a delightfully pungent sense of humor throughout, making for a memorably cautionary "be careful what you wish for" tale.

Quotes: "Our culture's obsession is with busyness and the pervasive inkling that we are only worthwhile when we are producing something."

"When I clean something, I irrationally expect it to stay clean indefinitely. If I scrubbed the bathroom sink two weeks ago, I'll feel that a grave injustice has occurred upon noticing that a layer of toothpaste spittle has formed."… (lisätietoja)