I suppose everyone who reads Nora Ephron's books comes away wanting to be her friend, catching up over coffee and a nice slice of cake, and I'm no different. I was pleasantly surprised by this collection of essays. One of my favorites was "I Hate My Purse," which I indeed do; Ephron articulates exactly why I can get so annoyed by the accessory:
[A]ny purse that hangs stiffly on your arm ... immobilizes half your body. In a modern world, your arms have to be free. I don't want to get too serious here, but a purse (like a pair of high heels) actually impinges on your mobility. ... If one of your hands is stuck carrying your purse, it means it's not free for all sorts of exciting things you could be using it for, like shoving your way through crowds, throwing your arms around loved ones, climbing the greasy pole to success, and waving madly for taxis.