THE TOASTER BROKE, SO WE'RE GETTING MARRIED: A Memoir

This addition to the crowded memoir shelves offers an entertaining but unsurprising look behind the scenes as Holm plans her San Francisco wedding. Her second trip to the altar—16 years after her first "short, sweet blur" of a wedding—is complicated by the presence of her 15-year-old daughter and the usual family issues that arise when wedding bells ring, but otherwise, the territory is familiar. Chapters titled "The Dress" ("I've been seduced with frightening ease into the white wedding I didn't think I wanted") and "The Registry" ("I can't help it, it just feels creepy and greedy") cover with wit but little novelty the various hurdles every bride faces. Holm's reflections on a woman's transformation from autonomous individual to blushing bride are dead on, as when she realizes, "it's so much easier to think about whether or not to use rhinestone zippers for the bridesmaids' dresses and whether to serve sea bass or sole than it is to contemplate the leap of faith we are about to take, and the depth of the fall should we miss our mark." The author is at her best depicting the strong, healthy relationship with her kindhearted fiancé, which will assure readers that Holm has as good a chance as anyone can to make a marriage work, long after the wedding hoopla is over. Her charming style will amuse those who are immersed in the wedding planning process. (Aug. 26)

Forecast:Holm's book will serve as a comforting companion for brides-to-be, especially those planning nontraditional weddings.