One of the perks of being a journalist is that I get review copies of new books. And yesterday, I got one that I couldn't put down. Bad Girls: 25 Writers Misbehave is an anthology--yes, I know, there are way too many anthologies, and this anthology, edited by Ellen Sussman and published by Norton, contains many of the familiar names: Susan Cheever, Roxanne Robinson, and Daphne Merkin.

But, they happen to be wonderful writers, and this anthology is a little different. For one, it's not about whining about how hard it is to be a mother and a woman (says the author of her own share of complaining essays in anthologies).

What made me stay up late to finish reading Bad Girls is the celebration of the outrageous screw ups and screws. There is something refreshing and liberating about reading stories of women who don't try to live up to some ideal--they're criticized and even reviled, but they don't scamper away in shame.

Joyce Maynard defends her memoir about Salinger (way to go Joyce; I'm looking to reading that book next); Laura Lippman proudly recounts how she turned the tables on her bosses, who tried to gaslight her; and Maggie Estep writes a fascinating story about being the best friend of a slut.

Some of the other essays I did not love. A few I forgot two seconds after reading. But overall, this book was an engrossing read, and I hope it, like all those anthologies out there, finds an audience. Stumble It!