The Beach House

This is a great summer time beach read!

The story had depth, but easy to follow. I enjoy the multiple character and story that this book has. You learn about a lot of characters with important information, not just a bunch of fluff. I feel that Green was able to give all the readers someone that they can share their point of view with. I did not especially hate the plot twist, and I did find it a bit predictable. I would not fault the author for this, being that it is a light summer read. The description on Nantucket and the world that Nan lives in, is beautifully described. I could see all the scene's play out in my mind perfectly. The character of Nan is just perfectly written and someone who I wish would invite me for Tea or Martini's. I really would recommend this book for a light read. The reader comes away with a great out look on the future for these characters.

Read September 2009

Milk Glass Moon

What a fantastic book! This is truly the best of the series so far!

This book is spread over a number of years and shows the main characters developing and learning more about themselves and others. Ave Marie's daughter Etta is a main focus of this book. We learn so much about the mother daughter relationship. We see how important the role of each of her parents play. Adriana Trigiani takes the readers on another trip through Italy. We read about the family and their surroundings. Also the times have changed in Big Stone Gap. There is a lot going on in the lives of the characters in BSG. I really have loved this entire series and think it is beautifully written. There are many things in the series I have related to and can appreciate the details that Trigiani has give the reader in these stories. A must read!

Read August 2009

Welcome to Shirley...

Being that I lived very close (walking distance) to BNL, I found this book very relevant and well written.
McMasters explains a lot about the lab, what is done behind the thick walls and forest. I have family members who have worked there for over 20 years. Hearing her stories from her neighbors and family is very enlightening. McMasters does cut into BNL and their practices a lot. However being from the area- I believe it is more than justified or fair. Although the book is full of numbers, and scientific facts, I enjoyed the book. The author adds personal history of the founders of the town and also her own family. It was very interesting.
Anyone from the area would like the quirks of the small towns that surround the lab. I would recommend this book to someone who is looking for a story about a home town.
Read August 2009

I'm So Happy For You

So glad to be done reading this book.

It was a quick read, but not a GOOD read. It was melodramatic and just not the kind of "chick lit" that I have enjoyed in the past. The story was ok. I mean there are a lot of women out there with 'friend-enemies". However this plot was just too much. I found it to be predictable and boring. It is not something I would recommend. I read this for a light summer read for book club.

Read August 2009

Such A Pretty Fat

I feel like finally a book has been written that explains what it is like to LIKE yourself.. but maybe not the way people expect you to.
This book made me laugh out loud on multiple occasions. Jen's trials with her size an self worth are right on target for me. I think that it took a while for the book to hit on losing the weight, however when it did.. it was a quick page turner for me. I wasn't fond of the footnotes. I tend to read them first when I would turn the page. However they were funny in some instances. This is the first book I have read by Lancaster and I plan to read some more of her work.

Read August 2009

Chocolat

This was one of the strange times where I have seen the movie before I read the book. I liked the movie, yet I loved the book. I think the author, Harris, really caught me up in the 'voices' of each character.
This is the story about an outsider moving into a small town in France. The locals are curious however the town Priest is not happy about her arrival. The Priest seems to be trying (in vain) to get his parishioners to like him and come back to god. He views the woman and her child as sinners and possibly a witch. He believes that unless she is run out of town, the town will be come tarnished and indulge in immoral acts.
Vianne is a strong single mother. She is a business woman as well as a friend. The way that she is described and narrates her story through out the book you really get a sense of who she is as a person. In many ways she becomes a friend to the villagers and to the people passing through the town.
I think that the story is a quick read. I am glad I read the book after the movie. The movie is different from the book, yet both are a fun and fast story.
Read July 2009

Big Cherry Holler

We are back in the Mountains with Ave and Jack. This story takes place 8 years from the end of the last story (Big Stone Gap).

We learn even more about Ave, Jack, their families and how their marriage works and what is holding them back from happiness. This story really develops Ave into an adult woman who still has not completely 'found herself'. We learn about the dynamic of a family that is wounded and still struggling to be living in the present.

Once again the readers get to go on a journey with Ave to Italy. The way that the author, Adriana Trigiani, describes these different area's really take you deep into the countryside of Italy as well as the Mountains that Ave grew up in.

I love these books. I am a big fan of Adriana Trigiani and really appreciate her story telling abilities!

Read July 2009

Hunger Games

I found this story to be a quick read and very disturbing at the same time.

This book is about the country of Panem, which is the former United States of America. In the 12 districts that make up Panem, every year 2 children between 12-18 years old are sent to fight for their lives in the arena known as Hunger Games. Who ever makes it to the end.. after all the other 23 kids have been killed is the winner.

This 'game' is to remind the districts that the Government is in control and can take away anything they want to. The Game, which includes children murdering each other as well as other disturbing events is shown across Panem for the districts to view.

Katniss is the main character in the story and is the District 12 female tribute for the games. She is clever and rough around the edges. The stories that are shared about her childhood through the games really give you insight into the world to which she lives in.

I liked the book. I know there is a second book after this one revolving around the same story and I plan on reading that one too. This was a selection for one of my book clubs and I would not have read it other wise. I am glad that I did.

Read July 2009

Living Dead in Dallas

I think after reading the first book in this series, and HATING it, I am pleased that this one flew by!I read Dead Until Dark and then watched season 1 of True Blood. I really liked the show and the book wasn't to bad after that. In this book Sookie is loan out for use of her abilities. She gets out of her small town life and takes on Dallas, Texas. She is very naive compared to the characters that she meets.I found this book to be much more interesting then the first. I am still not a fan of the writing style. I feel that it jumps around a lot and things have to be re-read (as if I missed a paragraph).

Read July 2009

Memoirs of a Geisha

I was highly reluctant to read this book. This was chosen as a Book Club selection. I thought that I had no interest in the world of a Geisha or Japan, with in 50 pages I was hooked!

I was quickly entertained and interested in the life of these Geisha. I had no idea of what being a Geisha involved. Although this book is not 100% accurate to what a Geisha would do or go through, I have learned a lot from it.The details of their daily lives and the struggles during the war were very interesting. I was very happy with the style of writing and the way that the story was told. You learned about a girl through most of her life until adulthood. Sayuri is faced with many challenges from when she lived in her crooked house with her family, till she made her way to New York.

This book was great! I know I will recommend it to my family and friends. I read it with in a few days and was shocked on how much I really did enjoy it.

Read June 2009

The Time Traveler's Wife

This book was not like any of books I have read before. I was confused by the dates and ages through out the book. However it was a story that makes you wonder about love and what life means to you. I was undecided if the main character, Claire was smart or a fool. We learn so much about her and her life through out the story. I wanted her to act out more or change her path.

It set the question in my head of what would you do now, if you knew what your future would become. There is a span of years in this book that reached from the late 70's to present day.

Henry, the other main character is sometimes sweet and polite, then switches to some one who is mean and angry. We see a man who has trouble understanding himself and the world around him. His only constant is Claire.

Read June 2009

My Sister's Keeper

I can honestly say this book was heart breaking. Picoult seems to really understand how a family works and thrives off of each other. I did not know what to expect next. I love the view points from all the character's involved in the book. I was trying to read this before I saw the movie, and I have accomplished that. I wasn't expecting to use so many tissues reading this book. Although it is not a 'light read' because of the material, it is an interesting and dynamic book.

I can not say I was thrilled with the ending. However there are so many ways that you could end this book. I think that, that is what makes this book so interesting.

Read June 2009

Summer Books

I was strolling through Barnes & Nobles during my lunch break today. As I looked around there was a Summer Beach Reads table. I immediately wanted to pick them up and read them! The table was packed with books. The covers that caught my attention are above.

I took a few minutes to write down some of the books that they were recommending, those are listed below:

A Summer Affair - Elin Hilderbrand

The Beach Club - Elin Hilderbrand

The Scenic Route - Binnie Kirshenbaum

Summer Blowout - Claire Cook

The Beach House - Georgia Bockoven

Angels - Marian Keyes

Body Surfing - Anita Shreve

Jemima J

This book is a great light summer read. I found it to be a bit predictable, however there is a few surprises along the way. The character JJ is very self conscious and unsure of her place in not only her home and office, but in her skin too. She battles with her relationship with dieting and with food. I wasn't to please with the story line making the character change so much for a man she meets via the Internet. It was fun to see the idea of the beginning of the Internet and how people were getting used to the new 'fad'.

Read - summer 2006

Big Stone Gap

This book is much different and also very similar to the other books that I have read by Trigiani. There are many classic elements of an Italian up bringing which I personally LOVE in her work.

Ave Maria is the main character in this book that has developed into a series of books. Ave Maria is considered to be a town spinster as she is in her mid thirties and un-wed in a small Virginia town in the 70's.

The book explores what it means to actually find yourself through pieces of your family that you never understood, or even knew about. It touches on the emotions of a woman and how she is perceived for expressing and doing as she pleases. The characters portrayed in the story from the Blue Ridge mountains in this small town are very interesting.

I really enjoyed this book. I am looking forward to finishing the series. There is a movie currently being adapted from this book.

Read May 2009

The Secret

I think that everyone has heard about this book. It was made into a TV special and has been published in many languages.
I have read this book at least 4 times and also have it on my Ipod. It is about positive thinking and also the idea of the universe connecting you to what you are looking for in your life. The book focuses on thinking and achieving. The Secret also believes in the Law of Attraction. It is about having images of what you want in your mind and putting it into the universe with positive thoughts as if you have already achieved it.
It is a great book. People either love or hate it and I love it. I have written notes all through mine and think that it is fantastic. It immediately makes me change my thinking and be more positive and brings me a lot of happiness.

19 Minutes

Read August 2008

I read this book rather quickly. It wasn't an easy read due to the content of the material. This was the first Jodi Picoult book that I have read. I loved the story line. Unfortunately it is very reminiscent of the story of what happen at Columbine High School.

The book revolves around a High School shooting in a small town. It gives you the point of view of many people in that town. From parents of a child who has died as a result of the shooting, to the Judge of the trial who's daughter survived the shooting. The parents of the shooter are very realistic and well written. They are heart broken for their family as well as their town.

I found the story to some what predictable, however I would have never guessed the ending. I think it is a great read.

Water For Elephants

Book Club selection for May 2009

I heard from a lot of people about how great this book was and I would love it. I took that with a grain of salt. I must say for being a book about a Circus, this really captivated my attention.
The idea of growing old in a Nursing Home and remembering your life really can hit home for almost anyone. Having my husbands grandfather currently in one, and my great grandmother who passed away years ago living in one of these homes, I was thinking about what goes (went) on in their minds. I loved the fact that the nurses in the home weren't perfect, but there is always one who really is a Gem.
It is rare to see such a prospective about a Circus. There are people that you love for their 'glamour' in being performers, and others that are just awful human beings. The animals are given characteristic qualities and become part of the book.
I really did like this book. I was impressed with the way the story was told. For a book with a lot of heart ache- It made me smile and appreciate the story more.

Dead Until Dark

I really did not like anything about this book. The writting is sloppy. The story feels like it is a few vampire books rolled into one. I am most likely going to give the next one in the series a shot. I heard that the show that is on HBO is really good.

I think reading Twilight first really spoiled it for me. To me those were so much better! I think maybe reading 5 vampire books in a row, could have made me not like this book.

Read December 2008

A December Wedding

I read this book back in May 2007. This is the kind of book that makes you think about the choices that you are making now, that you have made in the past and how it will all wrap up into your future. It also shows the importance or non importance the state of marriage is to different couples.
It is roughly about a wedding for a couple that were high school sweet hearts back in the late 70's. They were recently re-united and are dealing with an illness. They invite a group of their friends up for their wedding, which held in shortly after the events of 9/11.
The book focuses on each persons accounts of who they were back in high school versus now 27 years later, not that they are in their 40's. They also look back at events that changed their lives back in their Senior year of High School.
This book was complex and interesting.

Plain Truth

I was taken deep into this one.
I think it is because I can remember going to the Amish parts of Pennsylvania, and not understand as a kid, why these people were so different. This story explains why they believe what they do, and what is the family dynamic really like in an Amish Home.
It was sad to know that a young woman in this kind of town would go through so much to hide a baby. Also it was a contrast to see the "city slicker" lawyer who thought she knew it all, but was able to get to know and become part of the family. The book touched on the idea of forgiveness in their community versus in the courtroom. It showed also that the Elders of the community have a strong hand in every one's daily actions.
I enjoyed this book immensely. I didn't know what was the truth and who was "to blame" but it was a very interesting and well written and descriptive book.


Read - August 2008

The Pact

I feel like The Pact was similar to 19 Minutes, which I loved. It is hard to imagine living in a jail for 7 months as an 18 year old, with your life in someone elses hands.
However Emily and Chris, held each others lives in their hands. Is it possible to love someone so much that you become part of them and them part of you.. yes I think so. However, where do you draw the line? I find the idea of offering up the gun for someone else to take their life gut wrenching and sad. I do not think that I could have ever done that.
Picoult's writing is beautiful. The pages fly by, and the story is engrossing. There are so many things I liked about this book, the bond between two families, the relationship between Chris and Emily, from childhood to their late teens. I was surprised by the truth. I was expecting something different. I think that the events that lead to Emily wanting to take her own life could have been avoided. I don't know if I can agree with the role that Chris played in her life, as well as death.

Read April 2009

The Red Tent

I read this as the second choice for book club. I was highly skeptical at first about this book, then I was quickly wrapped up in the story. This story is taken from a quick blurb in bible, about the daughter of Jacob. It starts before Dinah's birth and takes you on the journey of her entire life.
The book talks about the relationships between families and what ties one person to another, and how connections are made. It had so many layers to it that it is hard to explain in a review. I was wrapped into the story of a girl growing among women.
There are graphic and sad accounts of peoples lives through out this book also. I cried a few times through out reading. It gives you insight into the roles of women and men in one period of time, but how they differ in different regions. I also enjoyed how it played into the relationship between women, and how they view each other.
At first I had trouble remember the intricate relationships of the characters and found myself looking at the family 'tree' in the front of the book. But with in the first 100 pages, I understood all their importance in Dinah's life.

Read April 2009

Re-visiting "The Virgin Blue"

After meeting and discussing "The Virgin Blue" with the women in the book club, there were elements of the story that really changed for me. Although I think my feelings on this book are still the same- I was able to gain some new insight to the story.
We discussed what happen to Isabelle- did she die, was she murdered, or did she just leave her husband a family? It seemed to me she was murdered. In the novel the last thing that is written from her point of view was that she discovered the new Hearth and then "everything went black".
Was Ella's affair acceptable being how she was treated and the lack of love from her husband. Also the similarities of the husbands and their role in Isabelle and Ella's lives. There was discussion of the view of the mid-wives and paganism.

I gained a lot more understanding of every ones roles in the story. I still feel that their was a lot of jumping around and it was hard to understand how much time past in the characters lives.

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn was a book that was chosen for an online book club that I have joined. This book was almost abandoned be me a few times. I wasn't getting sucked into the story about this poor family and their hardships. However when I mentioned to a few people that I was reading it, they all told me it was one of their all time favorites. I can not say that I feel the same. I was happy to done with the book and although I did find a couple of laughs and tears in the book, it is not something I would pick up and read again.
The women in the book are all very different and yet the same. They are doing all they can to help get their families by. I think that it is a good book, and written beautifully, however, it just wasn't something I could say was a favorite.

-Read March 2009

The Virgin Blue

This book I read for the first book club I have ever joined. We are meeting later this month to discuss the book.

I can not say I loved it. I would have never chosen it on my own. The book flips back and forth between present time and the 1500's. It takes place in Europe during the religious wars. There was a lot of French through out the book and to me, the story seemed to be all over the place. I found the story interesting. I think I like the historical parts of the book better than the more current parts of the story line.

Read February 2009-

Lucia, Lucia

I loved love loved this book! What a beautiful tale of Lucia a woman growing up in Greenwich Village in a big Italian Family in the 1950's. If there has ever been a book that made me want to be in another time period,, this one is it.
Adriana Trigiani had me laughing and crying through out this story. The main character Lucia is a smart and successful girl for her age. She believes in herself and is highly independent. I felt that I could relate to her character and to her views on life, love, children and marriage.
I read this book because when I ready Very Valentine, by the same author there is mention of a movie being made about Lucia. I am so glad that I did read it. I can't help but think about the characters in Mrs. Trigiani's books, they are so beautifully developed.
Read- March 2009

Wine and Reading...

This is my Friday night, and I love it. I am drinking wine, and reading. Roxy is sleeping on my lap. I have 3 books that I would like to read for March, so I am starting today. Those books are "Lucia, Lucia", "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" and "Virgin Blue". The last 2 are for the online and regular Book Clubs that I have joined.

Into The Wild

I picked this book up, because there was a movie adapted from the story and I wanted to see the film. I read this in October 2007.

This was an intresting Biography of a young man from the early 90's who wanted to abandon all the current ways of living of the times and go to be one and live on his own in the Alaskan wild. It is told though the eyes of people who met him while he made his way from Virgina to Alaska as well as members of his family. It also has entries from books he made notes in and journal entries from this young man.

One of the last entries that are documented in his writing is "Happiness is to Share".

Lipstick Jungle

Just wanted to leave a tid bit about Candace Bushnell's novel "Lipstick Jungle".
This is the same author that has fame from Sex in the City, Trading up and 4 Blondes.

This story takes you through the lives of 3 very successful women that live in NYC. They have been friends since before any of them found success. Their personal lives, goals, careers, and families is what connects them in so many ways. The novel is interesting, touches on what each women values, weather it be money, love, children, moving up in their career, or friendship to each other.

This was for me a fun kick off to summer reading in 2007 for me. I liked this book and thought it was creative of having the view of each character through her best friends eyes. It does show that not everything is as it seems in a person's life. I know that it is now a TV show, but i have not seen any episodes.

Very Valentine

I think that I have found another favorite author! Adriana Trigiani's Very Valentine is a very intresting and descriptive book.
I had very heard of Trigiani till her appearance on The Today show, where she was talking about the book. I found her funny and really engaging. I then saw that she was going to be at my local Barnes & Nobles in March so I picked it up right away.
I found myself relating to the main characters desire to create something beautiful and seeing the beauty in all things. I think some of it was over board with the amout of adjectives that were used at first and then I really came to appreciate the style of writting.
This book solidified my desire to go out and explore other countries! I felt like I was in Italy with the characters and could see and hear what they felt.
Excellent book!!!
This book was read in February 2009.

Summer Sisters

In August 2008 I read Summer Sisters by Judy Blum. It was reccomended on the LIW boards so I figured I would read it for some summer fun. I thought it would be more light summer reading, than a story about how fun yet hard and complicated friendship can be.
It was not a bad book. It was not what I was thinking it was going to be. It was brought together nicely as a story. I felt like through the entire thing I was picking favorites for which character I liked the best. Still I am not sure which friend was right or wrong. It made me think a lot too on who is ready or willing to be a parent also. It also made me think about, does your past really affect your future, or can you change that, for better or worse?

Twilight Saga

These books were read in between Thanksgiving and Christmas 2008.

I liked book 1- Twilight I don't think that it is the best book that I have ever read. I think that because it is geared to a crowd in their late teens, some of it was a bit bland. Where as if the set was geared to an older crowd it might have been a bit more 'interesting'. The author was able to make me want to know more about these characters and their lives as vampires and possible wolves.

The second book in the series titled New Moon is better than Twilight, in my opinion.
I think as a whole it is a great source of entertainment. I think Twilight did a good job of setting up the series. However New Moon was excellent. I couldn't decide who I liked better, Jacob or Edward. The character development was great. There was so much action and twist in this book, that it really kept my attention much more than Twilight did.

Eclipse is book 3. I can't believe how wrapped up I am in this series. I couldn't wait to finish it! It was a page turner like the 2 before this one.. but it seriously captures you into the story. There are so many more characters and developements in this book. I found that so far in as the books progress the writing is better.

Breaking Dawn is the final book (for now) in this series. I never thought I would be able to get through all 750 pages of this book so quickly! I loved how it was told through different characters in the story. I was surprised by some of the twist, but I was disappointed by some of the peices of the story I felt were missing. However I think they were omitted because of the age group the story is geared to. Then again that is what your imagination is for.

The whole series is great! I would reccomend it to someone looking for a fun series to read.

Books that I would like to read-

I was discussing with some ladies about starting a book club. When doing so I came up with a group of books that I would like to read. Here are those books:


The Time Travelers Wife- Audrey Niffenegger
My Sister's Keeper - Jodi Picoult
The Shack - William P. Young
Pride & Prejudice - Jane Austin
Running With Scissors - Augusten Burroughs
Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea - Chelsea Handler
Little Earthquakes - Jennifer Weiner
Memory Keepers Daughter - Kim Edwards
The Glass Castle-Jeannette Walls
Remember Me? - Sophie Kinsella
The Guardian - Nicholas Sparks
The Thirteenth Tale - Diane Setterfeild
Three Cups of Tea - Greg Mortenson
Last Chance Saloon - Marian Keyes
The Reader - Bernhard Schlink

The Last Lecture

All I can say is thank you, to my friend for reccomending this book to me. I read it pretty quickly and it made me laugh and cry. There must be a calming yet uncertainty knowing you are dying and that you can only do so much. But with out limiting your life you can live your dreams and leave a beautiful legacy.

This book really made me relax and come to the realization that people do die, young and old. However what they leave behind are memories that are a gift. I also learned that the more I document my life the more it could be helpful to my family, friends, sisters, parents and my husband.

I decided after seeing some other people's book list, that I too, should have one. There is a lot of books that I have read over the years. Lately I have been reading more. However when asked what I have read, occassionaly I do forget. I want to chronical what I do like and do not. I can name some reccomendations that I receive from other readers on this blog.
Soon I will update books I have read in the past with what information I have on them.