Dolls Behaving Badly

by Cinthia Ritchie

A hilarious and heartwarming debut novel about a single mom living in Alaska trying to make a life for herself and her young son.

Carla Richards is a lot of things. She's a waitress at Anchorage's premier dining establishment, Mexico in an Igloo; an artist who secretly makes erotic dolls for extra income; a divorcee who can't quite detach from her ex-husband; and a single mom trying to support her gifted eight-year-old son, her pregnant sister, and her babysitter-turned-resident-teenager.

She's one overdue bill away from completely losing control-when inspiration strikes in the form of a TV personality. Now she's scribbling away in a diary, flirting with an anthropologist, and making appointments with a credit counselor.

Still, getting her life and dreams back on track is difficult. Is perfection really within reach? Or will she wind up with something even better?

Genres: Fiction, Chick Lit, Family

352 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Alaska writer, trail runner and author of "Malnourished: A Memoir of Sisterhood and Hunger," releasing Jan. 21, 2020, from Raised Voice Press, and "Dolls Behaving Badly," from Hachette Book Group; lover of good books and hot baths or, better yet, reading good books while lounging in a hot bath. Secret wish: To hike up a mountain while holding Emily Dickinson's hand.

Reviews

[Aditi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Woody Allen has said,

The talent for being happy is appreciating and liking what you have, instead of what you don't have.

Carla Richards, who is in her late 30s, is one such woman, who had to learn this fact of happiness from a giant woman who was the guest in Oprah's talk show and by following the giant's advice to maintain a diary. Well wonder who Carla is? Carla is the main protagonist in Cinthia Ritchie's novel, Dolls Behaving Badly. The name is quirky and has a really interesting meaning to it name. Cinthia Ritchie has pen down this tale in the form of Carla's diary entry, hence the book's pace is quite good.

This is about Carlita, shortly known as Carla, is in her mid-30s, has a super-smart son, Jay, and is divorced to her ex-husband, Barry. Moreover she lives with Jay in a trailer, working as a waitress in a restaurant and loves to paint. She secretly wants to be successful as a painter. She even has a 'perfect' elder sister, Laurel who is married to some rich dude and also Laurel has a career of her own. Carla has started writing diary since one day she got inspired by one of Oprah Winfrey's guest in her talk show and also Carla follows her blog religiously. She wanted to thrive for happiness in her not so happy-content-and-successful-life. But from the beginning of the diary entry till the very end, we can see, Carla's life changing, her introspects and views changing towards herself and how in the beginning she lacked confidence in herself, but in the end, she became one strong woman.

This book is an epic one. It’s thoroughly humorous as well as inspiring at the same time. The book has got a loads of treats for us- for example, Carla's Gramma's secret Polish recipes, her Kitchen table top view etc, best part being it is set in the wild Alaska and the wilderness was quite evident in every pages of the book.

Tom Bodett, the American author has once said,

It’s not like Alaska isn't wilderness - it mostly is. But most Alaskans don't live in the wild. They live on the edge of the wild in towns with schools and cable TV and stores and dentists and roller rinks sometimes. It's just like anyplace else, only with mountains and moose.

Yeah beware, there are a lots of Moose!

Carla had a dream to become an artist, so she left her home at a very tender age to pursue it, instead she fell in love, got married and finally got pregnant with Jay, and thus putting her dream on a reverse gear. But her after her divorce, her life was falling apart, it was getting hard to pay the bills, (well, no doubt, she loved spending carelessly!), hence, to keep herself afloat, she started making dirty dolls for an adult website. You will be shocked to read about her unique talent!! I never knew so many things could be done with simple, plain, old Mattel Barbie Dolls! Eventually, no doubt her talent got recognized, also she learnt to move on from her husband, who was a chef and was quite chubbily handsome(no wonder, why Carla was still seeing her husband even after her divorce!), and fell in love completely with a weird anthropologist, who used to send bones of dead bodies to Carla on every occasion.

Cinthia Ritchie has a quite natural passion in writing down her tales and the way she has written it , will make you fall in love with her style of writing almost immediately. The book is very 'raw' and deep with emotions. But from the very first page, you'll find tears rolling down from your eyes from laughing because of the sarcastic one-liners or quotes of Carla and Jay will make you fall in love with him and Stephanie's poems will make you wonder that poems can touch your soul so deeply and Laurel's sophistication might make you hate her in a good and sympathetic way and Barry's wisdom will make you want a man like him in your life. These quirky and out-of-box characters definitely justify the book in a good way. The book has got a simple message, “Don't worry, and just follow your instincts”. But this simple message is embedded in the tale so brilliantly. Cinthia Ritchie has kept us hooked from the very first pages of the book with Carla's witty words and sarcasm.

Read this book and watch yourself go ROFL completely!

Thank you Cinthia Ritchie for providing me with a copy of your book, in return for an honest review.

[Carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Impossible not to get caught up in this single mother's world as she faces mounting debt, endless care taking of an eccentric bunch of friends and family, and the promise of new love. There is so much depth to these characters, you'll feel you know them, and all of them evolve and adapt as the story goes on. Throw in hilarious chapter-ending "letters" from the various businesses Carla owes money to and the mouth-watering recipes of a deceased-but-not absent Polish grandmother, and you have a book that'll make your lick you lips, laugh, and maybe even tear up. You won't want to put it down, and when you finish reading it, you'll feel sad it ended but entirely content with the journey it took you on. And the cherry on top? Its setting of Alaska which, along with its daring prose, gives the book an edgier vibe. What a wonderful debut novel.

[Carl R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

They don't write too many novels about the class of characters in Dolls Behaving Badly--
blue collar, paycheck-to-paycheck, up to here in credit card debt, lives either out of control or on the brink thereof. I don't know why. Maybe people who write novels don't come from that milieu. There's Updike's Rabbit, but that's a northeast brahmin blue-collar pretender thing and to my mind counts not at all. Janet Evanovich comes to mind, maybe Sara Paretsky. All that aside, meet Carla Richards.

She has a middle-school boy, an ex-husband with whom she still "gets together" regularly, a waitress job, and a nearly-vanished dream to be an artist. The only thing going well in her life is son Jay-Jay. In her struggle to get out of debt, she begins buying old broken dolls and spends her night recreating them to market on an erotic website. Dolls that are anatomically correct right down to vaginas, anuses, and pubic hair. Never before, I think, has this plot line appeared on the page or on big screen or small.The dolls all have cute names, like the policeman pull-me-over-and-pull-it-out. Meanwhile. . .

Her real-estate-sales-sister has an affair, gets pregnant, leaves her husband and moves in with Carla. The 17 year old baby-sitter from the druggie parents three trailers down gets thrown out and moves in as well. Her colleague at work develops a strange romance with no kisses, and Carla gets involved with an anthropologist who makes her gifts of bones. In between, Carla maintains a communion with her dead Polish "gramma" and gives us her recipes--touch of magical realism there, you see, as well as a taste-bud connection. And that's just the setup.

Obviously there is room for complications galore, and we get a flood of them. The best part of Dolls to my mind is Carla's voice. It's the voice of a woman whose dreams seem broken, whose life seems out of control, but who maintains a basic optimism throughout. She takes on burdens that don't really belong to her, helps solve problems that aren't hers, but she never loses her sense of humor and never gets bitter about those who exploit her. In the end, that pays off big time, but you'll have to read the book to find out how. I'm not going to spoil your fun by revealing it here.

And then there's Alaska, almost a character in itself with the weather, the moose, et al. It's a great setting. You ought to go to http://www.writerworking.net/want-wil... for Ritchie's trenchant comments on what it's like to live and write there. A terrific piece.

What drags the book down for me is that it is sometimes as out of control as Carla's life. There's so much going on it loses focus. We get deep into someone's moods at times when the action is what matters. For example, in the matter of the sister's aborted abortion when she then disappears from the scene for quite a while, just when she's in the worst spot and, in literary terms, needs our sympathy and attention.

All in all, though, Dolls is an absorbing and joyous read, with some deep exploration of moral issues such as abortion--not from a government-legalistic point of view, but from the personal female angle of the conflicts and consequences. It's a life-and-art-affirming read, and, believe me, memorable.

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ritchie has written a uniquely structured novel that uses a diary format, employing first-person narration, letters, and recipes. The structure adds considerable depth to what would otherwise be an ordinary story of a single mom trying desperately to support herself and her young son in an economically depressed small Alaskan town. Much of the novel reminded me of the TV show, Northern Exposure, except there is no outsider to pass judgment on the quirky, eccentric characters. Instead, the reader immediately feels the normality of the community: the bill collectors demanding payment often do so with dry humor; the crisscrossing of romantic relationships raises few eyebrows; and seeing and talking to ghosts seems a natural result of stress and loneliness.

Ritchie draws an Alaskan territory that is otherworldly beautiful and yet cruel at the edges. The cold darkness of winter seeped into my bones as I read, yet I wished I could be there as Carla comes across a moose while running. And I wished I could be there for the community as well. You definitely feel the draw of Alaska as a place where a person could be her- or himself, where everyone has a quirk or two and where no one, ultimately, is more normal than anyone else.

A lot happens in this novel as Carla tries to straighten out her finances as her life threatens to spin off into a melodramatic disaster of soap opera proportions. Her older sister, with whom she had always had an uneasy relationship, suddenly moves into Carla’s trailer, seemingly ignorant of Carla’s need for stability and money. An anthropologist pursues her romantically, her closest friend sets off on her own roller coaster of romance and fear, and a street-smart teenager becomes her son’s babysitter and, by extension, the daughter that Carla often imagined having. Her son Jay-Jay is gifted and has a preternatural wisdom that both his parents depend on. He’s their proof that they did at least one right thing together.

How Carla manages to earn some extra cash, get noticed as an artist, and weather the resulting publicity moves her story along at a steady pace. It was a good thing I read this book while on vacation because it was hard to put down. I always wanted to read “one more chapter” before turning off the lights.

This is a rich novel. I could write so much more but I don’t want to give it all away. Read it for yourself.

[Kristin Richey gaskill · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story was instantly close to my heart. I didn't want to like it, because of it's name, but as soon as I started reading it, my desire to distance myself from it immediately melted and gave way to endearment.


I felt like I had a direct bloodline to the characters in the book right from the get-go; when Carla's grandmother (my favorite character in the story) offers her intermittent advice, I felt like I was getting to know my own grandmother. I loved how the remedy for most of life's unsolvable problems was to cook a specific dish, and thought the recipes being included was clever. Although set in Alaska, the story is relatable to all women, anywhere. That it takes place in Alaska only makes it more interesting.


I was endeared by the relationship Carla develops with a man who gives her bones as tokens of his affection, and enjoyed watching how that relationship played out with regard to Carla's son and his relationships. Carla's son is adorable and the way he considers the feelings of others and takes a hit for the team made me cry affectionately. Although I didn't care much for the main character's sister, I did enjoy following her sub-story. The same was true for me regarding Carla's best friend/co-worker, not people I'd pick to keep close in my life, but interesting sub-stories regardless. Sometimes we get what we get, and Carla clearly makes the best of the situations and relationships in her world. I could easily identify with the connection that Carla and her son's babysitter shared: the family we pick as opposed to that which we're given at birth.


A great heartwarming tale of the triumphs and successes of a single mom in Alaska. These truly believable characters will stay in your heart long after you finish turning pages.

[Stacy Natal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't decide on a three or four star rating for this book about a woman "finding herself" through journal writing, but this book made me laugh, cry, and think so I opted for the four. Parts of it are a bit unrealistic, but the characters are rich. One of my favorite quotes from the book is "Happiness is like trying to catch the fog. You can walk and walk and never realize you've reached it until you look back."

[Julie Valerie · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Reasons I Gave this Book a 5-Star Review:

One: Best Cover
Of the 57 books I read in 2013, this was my #1 most favorite book cover. If it wasn’t my most favorite, it was definitely in the top three.

Loved the consistent use of the doll’s flesh tones as a background color, loved the control of light and soft edges. Loved the lowercase letters and rounded font used for the title. Loved the choice of pink and blue against the flesh tones to “pop” the text and make reference through color to the feminine and masculine – and I loved that the pink and blue were not your typical pink or blue. The pink is a contemporary shade that’s a bit edgy, hot, and ‘in your face’ like the erotic dolls the main character fashions at her kitchen table. The blue appears saturated by water and light, maybe from an ancient, mediterranean place – somewhere near sand – where Francisco, the anthropologist and love interest, might find bones. The book cover has a matte finish (my favorite type) and is soft and subtle to the touch – so comfortable in your hands it’s hard to resist the temptation to open the book and smell the pages. I liked carrying it around with me. It felt good in my hands and was enjoyable to hold as I read. And hey, that’s important. In this early age of ebooks, the tactile qualities of a physical book insure we’ll always have bookshelves filled with books.

Two: A Favorite Read
After 57 books, this book was also one of favorite reads in 2013. I enjoyed the writing and choice of words every bit as much as I enjoyed the character development and unfolding of events. There were lines in the book so “deep” and raw, I made my husband listen to them and one afternoon I read a bunch of marked pages aloud to my sister, a clinical psychologist, and the perfect reader for this book because the characters, especially Carla, are so messed-up but work hard trying to better their flawed set of circumstances. I know my sister would have a field day if all the character’s in Cinthia Ritchie’s book were called in for group therapy and I imagine the author “wrote deep” within the actual words and lines of her manuscript because many of the images, circumstances, and overarching questions posed in the book led you to think about the cultural and/or psychological underpinnings of the story. (e.g. Whether Carla views herself as sexually liberated in a world in which women model their behavior around the desires of men.)

Three: Favorite Setting
The story is set in Alaska and I’m crazy-obsessed with anything that has to do with Alaska. I watch all the shows about survival and homesteading in Alaska, and I hope to winter in Alaska at least once before I die. I have family that live in Alaska, but when we see each other it’s usually at a family gathering in the lower 48. Spending almost 350 pages in Alaska was wonderful.

I also really, really enjoyed having a single mother as a main character, a demographic I think is underrepresented in women’s fiction and I don’t know why. From this character I learned to always pursue my dreams and I think readers will enjoy the underlying message that you don’t have to be perfect to be loved.

Four: Authentically Flawed Characters
The characters are so utterly flawed and realistic you half expect them to walk off the page and take a bite of your sandwich. An eclectic ‘family’ is formed in the book with characters so unique and quirky, you’ll read because the character arcs are so interesting.

Carla is visited at odd times and in odd places by the ghost of her Polish grandmother, who typically leaves her with some advice and a recipe for Polish baked goods (the recipes are included in the book – love that – and whatever you do, don’t skip the instructions for baking). My three favorite recipes (you’ll know why): Gramma’s Communion Wafers from Chapter 12, Barry’s Peanut Butter Cookies from Chapter 14, and Gramma’s Chrusciki (Angel Wings) at the end of the book.

Francisco, an anthropologist, courts Carla by giving her ancient human bones. Bones. Hhmmm… What do they mean?

Carla, a painter, is haunted not only by her Gramma, but by a painting of a woman running with a box. What’s in the box? Why is she running? And why does Carla drill vaginas into dolls, turning them into erotic, often satirical art for an adult website? Is she making a statement about sex or using sex to make a statement?

Five, okay. There isn’t really a five. At least, if there was, it would probably contain spoilers so it’s best I not go there. Okay, okay, I changed my mind.

Five: Favorite Take-Away from the Book:
Gramma’s warning that “sins make you fat.” You’ll have to read the book to understand why this is so wise.

* * * * *

Disclaimer: As a book blogger, I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The expanded book review with links to the author and book on various websites can be found at www.julievalerie.com

[Nikki Jefford · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the best thing since Bridget Jones’s Diary.

Here’s why it’s even better:

1)It’s set in Alaska
2)Includes naughty dolls
3)Recipes for baked goods
4)Is hilariously and heartbreakingly true to life
5)Stephanie the babysitter

Dolls Behaving Badly is a story so brutally honest and personal that its diary-style format couldn’t be more fitting.

What amazed me most was how much I could relate to the main character, Carla Richards, which is funny considering I’m not divorced, in debt, a single mother, painter or waitress. Yet I found myself nodding along with her comments throughout the book. Carla speaks for any woman who’s ever wanted more out of life. I hear you, sister!

Best of all, I laughed my head off in many places, which earned several stares as I read inside my car on the ferry.

Books that can make me laugh out loud earn a special place in my heart for all eternity.


Stephanie the babysitter is one of my all-time favorite fictional characters. I could share a number of her witticisms, but I think her flier says it all:

GOT KIDS? HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR WITH THREE YEARS
EXPERIENCE WILL WATCH, FEED, AND AMUSE YOUR
KIDS WEEKNIGHTS AND WEEKENDS, UNLESS
OCCUPIED WITH A TOTALLY AWESOME DATE.

The moment I read that, I could NOT wait to meet Stephanie. I almost wish I had kids – just so I could hire this larger than life teen! Maybe she’d dog sit?

The baking recipes scattered throughout the book reflect the mood of the main character with instructions like “eat late at night after a good cry” or “eat the whole damned batch by yourself” or “share with good friends and family. Laugh. Always have seconds.”

That last one was for Gramma’s Polish Apple Cakes, which I made this morning...and I did have seconds...and thirds. :)

Comedy, entertainment, life lessons, and recipes all rolled into one book. Dolls Behaving Badly goes onto my all-time favorite’s list.

[Danielle Robertson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was contacted by the author, Cinthia Ritchie, and was given a copy of Dolls Behaving Badly in exchange for a review.

This is the most fun that I've had reading a book in quite a while. Ritchie's characters jump off the page, and the main character (and narrator), Carla, felt like a friend at the end of the book. I adore the concept of a character keeping a journal; as a reader, I felt privy to so much more information about Carla as the novel progressed. Journal entries are also a great way to track change in a character on a personal level - I certainly saw that exhibited here. I loved the "Oprah Giant" character - a sort of Julia Cameron figure (a la The Artist's Way) pushing people to keep journals to help them on their emotional journey. A great incentive for Carla to keep a journal.

The cast of characters in Dolls Behaving Badly are quite a bunch: each man, woman, and child has a unique personality. No one here is perfect, or two-dimensional. These are real, quirky people with talents and flaws. It was a joy to get to know each and every one of them.

I also really enjoyed the inclusion of recipes within the text. You can learn so much about a person through their relationship with food. As Carla bakes foods from her childhood, she rekindles memories of her Gramma. These recipes were a lovely addition to the novel. One complaint: I was so hungry on the train ride home from work!

A little naughty, a lot of fun, and extremely heart-warming - Dolls Behaving Badly is a fun read for anyone looking to brighten their day.

[Lisa Bricker · Rating 2 out of 5]

It looked like fun, it was set in Anchorage. And I did finish it; there was enough of a compelling story for that. But...maybe it's just me, but I've never met a woman so interested in other women's breasts. Who listens to their sister tell a sad story and thinks, "This is what seeing her without a bra would be like"?! And there's no clear way that she moves from never having money to paying her bills on time--we see the notes/updates, but there's been no record of her actual changes until after we've seen the improvement. Also, the library notes/notices just pissed me off. If you don't know how library fines and communications work, please do just a tiny bit of research rather than saying we have a bulletin board of patron information posted somewhere!

[Sharry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I decided to buy Dolls Behaving Badly because it's set in Anchorage, Alaska and is written by an Alaskan. I'm sure glad I did. Irreverent, funny, thought provoking, and hard to put down - I'll never look at Barbie Dolls the same again. Having read several books recently because they were written by Alaskans, I'm glad I've decided to do my part in supporting Alaskan authors, including Cinthia. I haven't been disappointed yet.

I wrote a bit more about Dolls Behaving Badly on my blog at this post: Reading Alaskans

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read many books about Alaska, but this is the first one that made me laugh continuously. By its last page, I thought I must have gained at least 10 pounds during the two days it took me to read it. In addition to all the characters mentioned by previous reviewers, the ghost of Carla's Polish grandmother leaves recipes for sugar-covered pastries at the end of each chapter. Will there be a sequel?

[Deb Vanasse · Rating 5 out of 5]

This genre-busting debut grabs on and won't let go, with more truth and more heart and more compassion than you get in a lot of fiction these days. The characters will have you laughing and gasping and begging for more. Make sure you have a chunk of time blocked out, because once you start reading you won't want to stop. Looking forward to more great reads from Cinthia Ritchie!

[Bcoghill Coghill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am an Alaskan & former Anchorageite. I lived a block away form Carla or could have.
I can tell you that I've been to all of these places. I was also married to ADNM editor, an elementary spelling bee finalist, lived in a trailer and I have complex friends & relations
How could I help but not enjoy this book. I was very touched by the story and feel that I have known all the charcters.

[Liane Cooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been on a bit of a run with easy airplane reads (not that there's anything wrong with that), and was expecting this to be more of the same. What a pleasant surprise! Very real characters with real problems - and a lot of laughs.

[Rene Kirkpatrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this! Perfect book for reading in the new year. Woman having hard time, starts a journal, finds love and new friends, wins!

Added plus: takes place in Alaska. I'll write more later.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Velia · Rating 3 out of 5]

352 pgs

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found and grabbed this opportunity to finally get to read this book... wow! Definitely something different genre to what I normally read, but even though I was still going through my daily routine, I would get back to this 'life' of 'strange' normalcy … someone who through necessity was trying to make dreams come true not for excessive wealth but to get by paying off debt, putting food on the table and putting a loving, caring roof over her family's head. Life has had more downs than ups but to try to start afresh with new beginnings! We all crave some romantic erotica, but mostly the comforting love of companionship and caring … no regrets from an ex-spouse; sisterly comradery; adulation from a child; tenderness from a new love and the compassion from a Polish Gramma that we feel was taken too soon! … or are we trying to re-create an imaginary life we once dreamed of when playing with our Barbie Dolls what now seems like a long time ago!! ……. the story had to end, but what an interestingly strange read, that tickled my imagination ….

[Lukie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me a bit to get into this book that I would describe as ChickLit Plus. It's simultaneously ordinary and something a cut above, mainly because the characters are off-beat in a pleasant way: they're quirky but they have solidity and they care for each other. The main character's artistic frustration and realization adds some chewiness, the Alaskan setting is different, and it's well written. I silenced the literature snob within and enjoyed it quite a lot. However, I have to say the cover art is silly, and the quotation, "A novel for every woman who's earned a little fun"--huh? The author must have sanctioned that but it is cringe-worthy and doesn't make sense. Fortunately, I didn't even notice it till I'd finished reading the book.

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure if I liked it. I am so tired of reading about depressed middle-aged women who whine about missed opportunities (artists seem to be the trend). The sister was selfish and annoying; I'm not sure that I could have put up with her. The story redeemed itself in the end. I'm surprised that I finished it. I found the constant remarks about sex distracting. I kept wondering if some editor encouraged it to sell the book.
l did have fun traveling through the familiar Anchorage neighborhoods. I ignored the unrealistic diary structure and read it as the narrative it was. I will shamelessly copy some of the recipes.

[Betsie Bush · Rating 5 out of 5]

2017 Reading Challenge - Debut novel

I loved the quirkiness of the characters and their lives. The descriptions of art and art creation are perfect.

[L.]

DNF for now. Might pick it up another time.

[Kevin Brennan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dolls Behaving Badly is a charming novel about a single mom in Alaska who makes dolls with lifelike genitalia. What more do you need to know?

Cinthia Ritchie, who also lives in Alaska, has written a funny book that touches the heart. That’s not so easy to do, since what passes for comedy these days tends toward juvenile Judd Apatow-y shtick, a mode that Ritchie skillfully avoids. Instead, her protagonist, Carla (sometimes Carlita, sometimes Carly) Richards -- who, now that I think of it, also shares Ritchie’s initials -- is funny in that offhand, observational way that not only makes you laugh but also causes little twinges of empathy. In one moment, for example, she is helping her sister, Laurel, undress, and notes, “Her bra was yellow with tiny orange flowers printed across each breast. This made me incredibly sad.” Yep.

Carla is trying to hold body and soul together -- living in a trailer with a precocious son, Jay-Jay -- by working at a Mexican restaurant (in Alaska, don’t forget) and selling her naughty dolls to an erotic web site, while also pursuing her own artwork, a series of paintings called Woman Running with a Box, which are seemingly messages from her subconscious, or her dead Polish grammy, who appears to her now and then in places like bathrooms to help clarify things for her.

The plot of Dolls Behaving Badly is loose and unhurried. The entire text purports to be Carla’s diary, as a matter of fact, complete with lists of things that are on her kitchen table, for instance, or nasty letters from creditors, as well as several of Gramma’s recipes. (I want to try the peanut butter cookies, myself.) Through the diary, Carla describes her life as it evolves during a financial crisis. She helps her sister through relationship problems, her co-worker, Sandee through relationship problems, her ex-husband through… relationship problems, all while dancing around the possibility of a new relationship of her own with a handsome anthropologist named Francisco. There’s also a plucky young babysitter and at least one moose.

My only complaint with the diary narrative is that, by necessity, it drifts into description and dialogue that no actual diary reads like. This is a drawback that almost all novels-as-diaries (or diaries-as-novels) have, but in this case -- mainly because of the genial tone and Carla’s likability -- is easy to overlook.

Here are just a few of the terrific lines I had to highlight as I read:

“Jay-Jay ran up the steps, his ridiculous green knapsack bumping against his shoulder so that he resembled an oversized praying mantis.”

“[Gramma] didn’t like the taste of the communion wafers and once took it upon herself to improve the recipe, rolling out dough over the kitchen table and cutting small circles with the cap from Mother’s face cream.”

“...In a world where pigs can pass for babies, there is always room for possibilities.”

“Pregnancy is nine months of having the flu and instead of getting better, you give birth.”

One theme that gels near the end of the book is that we are all defined by the ones we love, taking the best parts of each. As quirky as they may be, they give life its richness and its rewards.

Read Dolls Behaving Badly. It’s quirky, and it’s rewarding.

[Luanne Castle · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I started reading Cinthia Ritchie’s novel Dolls Behaving Badly I immediately thought, “Oh, my son’s fiancée will love this book.” Then I thought, “Mom will want to read this book.”

It starts off like fun chick lit. A single mom of a genius 8-year-old son needs to figure out how to pay her bills on her waitress salary and find love and happiness from a trailer in Alaska.

Luckily for me, before I sent a link to them, the dolls entered the book. Just in time, I stayed my hand (I know the phrase doesn’t belong outside the Bible or historical romances, but this is where it gets a little “Biblical”). The protagonist, Carla Richards, is not just a server, but also an artist, and retired Barbie and Ken dolls serve her art. She hacks and appends to them, all for a very “upscale” erotic website.

Although I didn’t send out the link, I kept reading because the last thing this book is is porn. It’s a well-crafted story of how Carla and the “family” she builds around her grow and change with dignity.

Ritchie know how to tell a story that is both accessible and thought-provoking. Sometimes the book stuns me with a lyrical phrase or brilliant notion. She uses some contemporary stylistic experiments quite well. For instance, Carla is writing her diary in tandem with reading the philosophies of an inspirational speaker known as The Oprah Giant. She’s haunted by the ghost of her dead Polish grandmother and is still friends with her ex, a chef. The recipes of both these characters are translated by Carla and the recipes supplied for the reader.

If it were a movie, the book would be called a comedy, maybe even a romantic comedy, but as written word it is much more than that. The book probes and examines our hopes and fears without letting us know that’s what it’s doing. Dolls Behaving Badly is not lightweight or superficial. It accesses the hidden areas of the mind and of the heart.

I still think my mother and future daughter-in-law would love this book, but I can hear the comments (“My mom gave you a book with WHAT kind of dolls?”). Maybe I could send it to them anonymously?

I first gave it 4 stars because I wanted to give it 4.5 and then changed it to 5 because that seemed unfair. My rating is 4.5!!!

[Jodi · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Dolls Behaving Badly” is Cinthia Ritchie’s cheeky debut novel. From the suggestive title through to the last page, the book runs the gamut of a single mom’s struggles and triumphs. Each and every one of the characters is fun, quirky and slightly damaged endearing them to the reader.

To say I was sucked into the story is an understatement. From the first few pages I knew this was going to be a winner.

Set in Alaska we meet Carla Richards, a struggling single mother and artist with dreams of making it big. Working in a Mexican restaurant, living in a trailer that has seen better days, a pile of overdue bills and a growing number of dependents, Carla happens upon a way to exercise her artistic talents and bring in extra money; making dirty dolls.

Prompted to write a diary as a way to expunge her demons and move forward with her life Ritchie’s protagonist Carla, narrator of the story, is at once hilarious and often pensive. The cast of supporting characters are written with personalities that will no doubt bring at least one person to think of someone in their own lives.

When Cinthia Ritchie sets out describing the trailer down to the smallest detail including the sleeping arrangements of the odd little occupants you can “family,” one can actually envision themselves sitting on the couch.

One of the fun surprises in the book is the inclusion of Carla’s Grammas’ recipes. Each of the recipes ties into the preceding chapter as something Carla cooks as a way of therapy. I do believe I will have to try my hand at one or two of them.

My final thought is that this book is a charming, witty, naughty read that I wholeheartedly recommend. Buy a copy, maybe a couple as you will definitely want to share it with all the women in your life.


Disclaimer: An ARC of this book was given to me by the author in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

[Kate’s Book Spot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Firstly I’d like to thank the author for sending me this eBook to read and give an honest review. Pretty much everything about this book intrigued me – the cover, the title and the blurb so I was looking forward to reading it.

Written in a diary style, I felt like Carla was talking to me personally as she described her life in a very blunt and honest way. Her honesty was something I really liked because it made the book feel more real, it also made me feel closer to the character as I could relate to parts of her life (not the dirty doll making though). Carla’s son Jay-Jay was one of my favourite characters, considering he was so young he added a voice of reason and had a strong, intelligent mind. I particularly enjoyed the spelling bee that he was involved in.

As well as the diary the author held my interest with a variety of extras – letters, lists of what was on her kitchen table, recipes, emails and answer machine messages, this all added to the unpredictable feel of the book – I never knew what was coming next!

Carla’s secret second job (making dirty dolls) was the thing that intrigued me the most about this book, I was fascinated by her descriptions of how they were made and what they looked like. The general randomness of her life regularly made me laugh or smile, she received bones as gifts and got surprise visitors on the toilet – these were just a couple of the random things that went on in her life.

There was some strong language of a sexual nature included in this book so if you are likely to be offended by this then it may not be a book for you.

This was a unique and gritty read that also held some important messages.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Carla Richards is a single mother who lives together with her son, sister and her babysitter in a trailer park in Anchorage, Alaska. She is struggling through life until she finds hope and inspiration in a blog post written by the “Opera Giant”. Will Carla finally be able to fulfill her dreams and find her well deserved happiness?

When I first came across this book I was completely intrigued by the title. I didn’t know what to think about it but after reading a couple of pages it all becomes clear.

The book is written from Carla’s point of view in form of a diary the “Opera Giant” encouraged her to write. I thought that this was a really clever way of letting the reader in on all of Carla’s day to day live and her emotions. I really enjoyed Cinthia’s witty and funny writing style. Whenever Carla feels emotionally challenged she will cook or bake something from her deceased Polish Grandma’s recipe book. The cookie recipe was by far my most favourite: “…serves four, or one premenstrual woman.” I loved that line :-).

I found it really easy to empathise with the characters, but because all of them are battling with so much emotional baggage that it sometimes felt slightly deflating reading the book.

In the end of the book there is a very detailed interview with the author in which she explains more about the setting and the character development. I really enjoyed reading that interview. I thought it was a great way to finish the book. It almost feels like an audio commentary on a DVD (which is always something I love watching!). Although I wasn’t drawn in from the start, the story grew on me. All in all it is an inspiring read which is excellently told.

[Miranda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was a bit hesitant about Dolls Behaving Badly when I first looked at it. Based on the summary, it seemed like one of those books that I would either love or end up hating. But I decided to give it a shot, largely because I just couldn't shake the curiosity I felt about it.

Now that I've finished it, I can gladly tell you that the novel falls into the "books I loved" category.

Dolls Behaving Badly isn't going to be a book that everyone enjoys. Erotica and sex are fairly big elements in the novel, and I know that not everyone is comfortable with those topics - which, actually, also plays a role in how the novel plays out.

If you aren't bothered by those topics, however, then this is a novel that I really think you should check out. It's funny, and the main character, Carla, is so real that it's difficult not to relate to her in some way. She's not a perfect person with a perfect life; she's unhappy, she has trouble with money, and she can't quite let go of her relationship with her ex-husband.

The author, Cinthia Ritchie, does a great job of getting Carla's feelings across to the reader. There are times when Carla herself doesn't quite know how she's feeling, and yet I found myself picking up on what she couldn't. And while in some novels this can get to be a bit annoying, it didn't bother me in this one. I can't exactly explain how I felt about it, but it was something closer to conversing with a friend who was figuring out where she was in a life as opposed to where she wanted to be.

**This review was originally posted on my blog.

[Kari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Told mostly through diary entries, this is an epistolary novel interspersed with recipes and letters and emails from creditors and clients (which are very funny, and I suspect meant to be embellished). Carla starts out seeming very much alone, a single mother struggling to pay the bills. Her ex-husband is around, but not fulfilling his role as partner. Instead, three other women round out this unconventional family.

A new love interest also emerges, and I appreciate that very little of the story concerns Carla thinking, "Does he like me or doesn't he?" Her happiness doesn't depend on whether he calls her back. Theirs is not a typical "meet cute, face obstacles, work things out" romance.

Most of all, I admire Ritchie's depiction of art. You know the expression, "dancing about architecture"? It's not easy to describe visual art using words only. And yet, the paintings and erotic dolls that Ritchie writes about are vivid in my mind. And while there is plenty of adult language and the erotic dolls are a key plot point, this is not a "dirty book." It's a story of a family, and I loved it.