OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS: A JOURNAL OF MY SON'S FIRST YEAR by

It might not be the kind of book someone planning to get pregnant should read. Some parts can really scare, trouble, or depress a mother-to-be. But, Annie Lamott writes so vividly, so poignantly about her experience. She just gives you a realistic, non-romanticized story of motherhood. And so, I say anyone planning to be a mom should read this. Colic, baby acne, financial issues, one realizes, are all part of the motherhood package. But so is falling in love with your baby that your heart feels it's about to burst. This book made me an Anne Lamott fan. I'll be in the lookout for her novels.