Review by Ruth Fuller -- There's a Rooster in My Bathroom!

[Kathryn Collins]

[Following is a volunteer review of "There's a Rooster in My Bathroom!" by Trish Ostroski.]

---

3 out of 4 stars

---

Share This Review

---

There’s a Rooster in My Bathroom! The Quest for Meaning in the Bathroom, the Boardroom, and Beyond by Trish Ostroski, is an enjoyably interesting collection of stories covering many varied and unique experiences over the course of the author’s life. Trish served in the Peace Corps in Moldova and also worked in numerous capacities of the entertainment industry in Hollywood. She experienced and survived the Northridge earthquake in 1994. There was even a strange and unexplainable event that happened to her which appeared to directly correlate with another event she was anticipating.

Reading the introduction to the book modeled to me that Trish is a positive person who intentionally chooses to see the proverbial glass as half full no matter what life’s challenges toss in her direction. She uses her experiences to aid in learning, growth, and encouragement to others while keeping a strong and well-needed sense of humor intact in the process. She finds ways to actively delight in life rather than simply exist, and she uses her time wisely rather than to let it simply pass her by. At the end of each chapter, she places a relevant and encouraging quote that brings that chapter to a satisfying and full-circle close.

This book gives specific stories of Trish’s life which was a life lived out of pure positivity. She tells of opportunities she previously only dreamed of, which were gained due to her own perseverance and determination. These rewarded her with exciting life experiences. She was always quick to point out the positive results she found even through adverse situations in her life. I especially appreciated hearing the encouraging results that ensued after she attended an event which she simply did not feel like attending and went anyway. I enjoyed her wisdom in not finding one’s identity through the work that we do since jobs can come and go and be filled with sudden and unexpected change. She encouraged cultivating outside interests apart from one’s job in order to facilitate the goal of defining who we are.

Trish included a large section about the Peace Corps. I have always been intrigued by the organization and so I found this part particularly interesting.

The book has a large and interesting spread of photos near the middle which make her stories come to life.

This book is a collection of stand-alone stories from the author’s life. I did not sense any overall continuity of who she was as a person beforehand and how the events in this book may have changed her, which I would have enjoyed. I did not find all of her recollections as interesting as I had hoped that I would. I felt that parts of them were a bit too wordy for my particular needs which is probably only because they held less interest to me personally. Trish’s definition of the meaning of life was not in keeping with my definition but I did understand and respect her view.

Anyone who enjoys concrete examples of positivity and a life lived to the fullest will enjoy this collection of memoirs from the author’s life. Anyone who would like to incorporate more positivity into their life would likely find that reading this book is one way to help in that regard. I find it difficult, if not impossible to think of an audience that would not only enjoy reading this book but also take with it a memory or bit of wisdom to profit from in their own life as well. However, it can be a bit wordy in parts and so some could find that to be a bit tiresome.

I gave this book 3 out of 4 stars. It held my interest for the most part but was not as deep or profound as I would have liked it to be for me. There were some minor typos and grammar mistakes but they did not detract from her stories.

******
There's a Rooster in My Bathroom!
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

[MsH2k]

This book sounds like a great collection of stories with a positive outlook on life. Thank you for your thorough review.