I just finished reading Jonathan Tropper’s latest book, This is Where I Leave You. It was a great book that I really enjoyed. I found myself laughing out loud through most of the book, and really identifying with the main character, Judd. The fast paced book paints a pretty picture of a family and neighborhood that could be any number families in any suburb across the country. Very relatable.

Judd’s wife has just left him for his boss, and his father has just died of stomach cancer. As a dying wish, his father asks that the family come together to sit shiva, the full seven days. Judd’s older brother Paul and his wife Alice, his sister Wendy and her husband Barry (and their two kids), and his youngest brother Paul and his new fiancee Tracy, all descend on the Foxman house. Through a parade of neighbors, flashbacks, and plenty of family feuds, Judd and his siblings embark on a week that will change the family forever.

My favorite parts of the book included Judd’s recount of how he found out his wife was cheating on him, his reflections to his relationship with Jen, and the family squabbles that occurred. The book covered heartache and relationships in depth, with themes of trust and betrayal, forgiveness and redemption. My only problem was that I didn’t want the book to end, and thought that everything wrapped up a little too neatly. But, overall I highly recommend it.

The book is currently being written for the screen, and I’m looking forward to seeing it. I can imagine some of the book may be hard to translate since much of it takes place inside of Judd’s thoughts, but the characters are real enough to picture. So real in fact, that I included my own picks for the cast of characters.

Judd Foxman - Mark Feuerstein. He’s funny and likeable.

Jen Foxman - Kate Hudson or Portia De Rossi. Need a hot blonde.

Wade - Julian McMahon. His character on Nip/Tuck makes him appropriately heinous.

Paul - Michael Rapaport. He can play angry or funny. I could also see him being a former baseball star. The red hair might be an issue with the other brown haired brothers though.

Alice - Renee Zellweger. She can be pleasant, normal and tragically sad at the same time.

Wendy - Joan Cusack or Jennifer Westfeldt. Joan always plays the perfect mom and “older sister knows best” character. If her age is an issue, then I pick Jennifer, who is fantastic and sweet.

Barry - Jon Favreau. All I could think of was his character in I Love You, Man. A distant jerk in the book, Jon could pull off the powerful, overworked father.

Phillip - Adam Brody. Appropriately young and likeable enough, he could really get into some trouble.

Tracy - Melora Hardin. A nice cougar who could definitely be a life coach.

Linda - Audrey Wasilewski - the neighbor that was more.

Horry - David Cross. Only because I saw him on an episode of Just Shoot Me where he pretended to be a bit slow. I thought he could capture Horry’s brain problems and also be seen as a little bit of a ladies man.

Penny - Natasha Lyonne. Kind of pretty, but mostly forgettable. A fun-loving who never quite got out of town. She must have great legs though.

Hillary Foxman (mom) - Jessica Walter or Amy Sedaris and Keri Russell. Thanks to Gayle for the suggestion of Jessica. Amy Sedaris could be another option (though she would need larger boobs).  For a younger version, I pick Kerri Russell.

Morty Foxman (dad) - Dennis Farina and Eli Roth. Seen mostly in flashbacks, I needed someone tough with a seldom seen soft side. For a younger version, I pick Eli Roth.

Charlie Grodner (Boner) - Josh Radnor. I love him in How I Met Your Mother, and he seems like he would make a great former sidekick-turned-rabbi to the Foxman boys.