Queen Of The Big Time

From previous blog post you would know that I am a fan of Adriana Trigiani. This book I picked up almost 7 months ago and never read it. I read it and liked it. It is not a favorite by this author but it is a good read.

Like other books by Trigiani, Queen Of the Big Time follows a young Nella through out her life. We learn from early on Nella has big goals to finish High School and become a School Teacher. But life has other plans. Nella faces struggles with her family and friends, death and hardships and of course love. She has to work instead of going to High School, she falls in love twice in her life time and becomes a business owner and a mother. 

The book ends with Nella's death and all things resolved in her life. It is an open ended story for me that shows that life just continues on. The book is a beautifully written and flows nicely even though it skips over many years at a time. 

Read June 2011

L.A. Candy

I am going to come right out and call this a new guilty pleasure. I did not expect to like it. I was interested in what it was about and picked it up at a garage sale for $1. This book is listed as Young Adult reading was a fast read. I found the book to be a bit slow at the start and then it picked up.
Being that I watched the author original 'reality' show Laguna Beach and some of the spin off The Hills I wondered how much of what was written about instant stardom was real or not. I found the use of the word "sweetie" to be over used. I cringed reading it so many times. The book follows Jane and Scarlett, new to LA and picked to be on a reality series with 2 other girls. Jane is made to seem like a saint through out the book, and it makes me wonder is this how the author sees herself? Scarlett on the other hand seems to have a good head on her shoulders and was not in this book enough in my opinion. Right away there is back stabbing, plotting and romance. The book ends on a cliff hanger and  in my opinion it was a fun read. I plan on reading the next two books.
Read June 2011

Julie & Julia

This book was a disappointment for me. I found it to be repetitive and felt embarrassed for the writer. Who admits to maggots in their apartment?!? Or that they served food that fell in a New York Street?
The reason I read the book was because I liked the movie. I like cooking and cooking shows. The idea of making all of the 524 recipes in Mastering The Art Of French Cooking sounds interesting. Each recipe that was described was drawn out and full of anguish. To me it sounded like she rather not be doing to project. She wouldn't quit because of the blog readers who cheered her on.
Julie herself I found annoying. She stated how much she loathe her job and apartment. She was jealous of the lives of some of her friends and family. Julie wants a baby but doesn't know if she can have one, Eric does not want a baby. So, whats is a girl to do? Get a project and that is what the Julie & Julia Project is; an attempt to get Julies head off her job and biological clock that is ticking away. I was worried that the book was going to end in a divorce being that Julie and Eric (Powell's husband) seemed to have a really rocky - sex less marriage. But nope they made it thru - for now.
There is a second book by Powell called Cleaving. I was interested in that book but I am not so sure that I will be reading it any time soon. From what I read Cleaving is has focus on the affairs of both Eric and Julie after the J&J project and their attempt to save their marriage.
I thought I would be recommending this book to all "foodies", but it just did not do it for me.

Read June 2011