Home is Where the Wine Is - Laurie Perry

As some of you know, I have a good friend who owns a wine store. It's a most excellent wine store, that also carries exotic beer and imported cheeses. He even has a small library of wine-related movies that he loans out to his customers. Somewhere along the line, I had this bright idea that I would get my hands on some wine-related books that he could loan out as well, and started it off with a Christmas gift of Peter Mayle's new book "A Vintage Caper". So when I was offered an opportunity to read "Home is Where the Wine Is" for the TLC Blog Tour, I jumped! Maybe it would be a good candidate for my friend's current one-book wine library.

Turns out, this book really doesn't have much to do with wine, except that the author/main character of the books likes to drink it, especially during stressful moments. Instead, I think this would be the perfect book for my single, friend from high school Kim (through whom I live vicariously). I think she could relate well to the author's trials and tribulations.

This is the diary/memoir of a thirty-something writer, divorced with cats, lover of wine and beer, avid knitter, who is searching for her place in life. She has decided that enough time has passed since her divorce, and it is time to get her act together. She makes a list of New Year's resolutions, eight to be exact, then, with a chapter dedicated to each one, tells us how she fared. She takes a trip to Rome by herself, and grows some monster-sized zucchinis in her backyard. Success! She also crashed and burned at meditation, therapy, riding an elliptical machine, bikini waxing and online dating.

When you first meet Laurie, you automatically know her. She is your hapless but earnest best friend, who tells a great story, makes you laugh, and has a heart of gold. She is cards-on-the-table honest about her foibles, and truly wants to fix them. The journey to fix the foibles is what will make you laugh out loud. You will also appreciate her pearls of wisdom, whether it be about merits of people-watching at the gym or about not always having to please everyone else at the expense of yourself.


Laurie's first book "Drunk, Divorced and Covered in Cat Hair" was released in 2007, not long after her divorce. Based on an interview of Laurie on YouTube, she wrote this tell-all memoir to comfort other divorced women, and let them know that if they found themselves drunk-dialing friends, wearing the same clothes two days in a row, or running out of a grocery store to avoid talking to someone they knew, they weren't alone.

Laurie also has a blog (where she calls herself Crazy Aunt Purl) which is full of her bubbly, self-deprecating wit.

You don't have to be single or a wine-lover to enjoy this book, but it will hit closer to home if you are. You also don't have to be a knitter to enjoy this book, but Laurie includes a little bonus at the end of the book with some projects. For a fun, quick diversion from the serious stuff, pour yourself a glass of red and give this book a try.

Now here is the exciting part...Laurie's publisher has generously offered five copies of her book for giveaways (US/Canada only). Simply let me know you are interested, with your e-mail address, by Monday 2/15 at midnight, and I will choose five winners.

Stay tuned for a little chit-chat with Laurie this coming Thursday!

3.5 out of 5 stars