Tuesday, August 24, 2010

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I am racing through books. No wonder John suggested I request a Kindle from Santa this year. I really don’t want one though - part of the joy of reading for me is the book itself, physically turning the pages, seeing it on my bedside table. Anyway, I just finished This Is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper. It was a great read! Definitely a ‘go buy it immediately’ kind of book. With the right actors it will make a brilliant movie too. I did some googling and it turns out all of his books have been optioned.

I am racing through books. No wonder John suggested I request a Kindle from Santa this year. I really don’t want one though - part of the joy of reading for me is the book itself, physically turning the pages, seeing it on my bedside table.

Anyway, I just finished This Is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper. It was a great read! Definitely a ‘go buy it immediately’ kind of book.

With the right actors it will make a brilliant movie too. I did some googling and it turns out all of his books have been optioned.

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Monday, June 21, 2010

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Back in September 2008 I picked up this book and couldn’t put it down.  And when I did eventually put it down I did something I’ve never done before.  I tracked down an email address for the author and sent her fan mail.  The author sent a very sweet response the next day.  Seriously, you guys, do you want to read a good book?  Go and read All We Ever Wanted Was Everything by Janelle Brown. I guess I made it onto her mailing list because a couple of weeks ago I received an email announcing her new book.  I clicked through to Amazon and pre-ordered This Is Where We Live.  I spent this afternoon reading it.  I didn’t love it as much as her first book but I still raced through it.  It’s definitely worth a read. I realize my book reviews are crap because I don’t actually tell you what the books are about.  But just go read these ones, ok?

Back in September 2008 I picked up this book and couldn’t put it down.  And when I did eventually put it down I did something I’ve never done before.  I tracked down an email address for the author and sent her fan mail.  The author sent a very sweet response the next day.  Seriously, you guys, do you want to read a good book?  Go and read All We Ever Wanted Was Everything by Janelle Brown.

I guess I made it onto her mailing list because a couple of weeks ago I received an email announcing her new book.  I clicked through to Amazon and pre-ordered This Is Where We Live.  I spent this afternoon reading it.  I didn’t love it as much as her first book but I still raced through it.  It’s definitely worth a read.

I realize my book reviews are crap because I don’t actually tell you what the books are about.  But just go read these ones, ok?

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Wednesday, May 19, 2010

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I finished reading Look Again by Lisa Scottoline.  I really enjoyed it.  I loved the premise of the book.  Imagine you see a missing child photo that looks exactly like the son you adopted 2 years earlier.  What do you do?  Well, the main character cannot let it lie and she takes the reader on a journey of twists and turns.  I actually stayed up reading one night after feeding Charlotte even though it was 3am and I was desperately tired.  It’s a page turner.

I finished reading Look Again by Lisa Scottoline.  I really enjoyed it.  I loved the premise of the book.  Imagine you see a missing child photo that looks exactly like the son you adopted 2 years earlier.  What do you do?  Well, the main character cannot let it lie and she takes the reader on a journey of twists and turns.  I actually stayed up reading one night after feeding Charlotte even though it was 3am and I was desperately tired.  It’s a page turner.

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Saturday, April 24, 2010

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Just finished Little Bee by Chris Cleave.   As it says on the back cover of the book: Once you have read it, you’ll want to tell your friends about it.  When you do, please don’t tell them what happens.  The magic is in how the story unfolds. It’s true.  I picked up this book without a single clue about its contents and thoroughly enjoyed allowing the book to simply unfold.  Go ahead and read it.  It’s well worth it.  

Just finished Little Bee by Chris Cleave.  

As it says on the back cover of the book:

Once you have read it, you’ll want to tell your friends about it.  When you do, please don’t tell them what happens.  The magic is in how the story unfolds.

It’s true.  I picked up this book without a single clue about its contents and thoroughly enjoyed allowing the book to simply unfold.  Go ahead and read it.  It’s well worth it.  

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Monday, April 5, 2010

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My latest read was The Last Child by John Hart.  This book pulls you in from the very first page.  I defy you not to race through it.  It never lets up with constant twists and turns along with a fantastic cast of characters.  From Amazon: A year after 12-year-old Alyssa Merrimon disappeared on her way home from the library in an unnamed rural North Carolina town, her twin brother, Johnny, continues to search the town, street by street, even visiting the homes of known sex offenders. Det. Clyde Hunt, the lead cop on Alyssa’s case, keeps a watchful eye on Johnny and his mother, who has deteriorated since Alyssa’s abduction and her husband’s departure soon afterward. When a second girl is snatched, Johnny is even more determined to find his sister, convinced that the perpetrator is the same person who took Alyssa. But what he unearths is more sinister than anyone imagined, sending shock waves through the community and putting Johnny’s own life in danger. This book gets two thumbs up from me.  

My latest read was The Last Child by John Hart.  This book pulls you in from the very first page.  I defy you not to race through it.  It never lets up with constant twists and turns along with a fantastic cast of characters.  From Amazon:

A year after 12-year-old Alyssa Merrimon disappeared on her way home from the library in an unnamed rural North Carolina town, her twin brother, Johnny, continues to search the town, street by street, even visiting the homes of known sex offenders. Det. Clyde Hunt, the lead cop on Alyssa’s case, keeps a watchful eye on Johnny and his mother, who has deteriorated since Alyssa’s abduction and her husband’s departure soon afterward. When a second girl is snatched, Johnny is even more determined to find his sister, convinced that the perpetrator is the same person who took Alyssa. But what he unearths is more sinister than anyone imagined, sending shock waves through the community and putting Johnny’s own life in danger.

This book gets two thumbs up from me.  

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Wednesday, March 31, 2010

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I finished this book in about 3 hours this afternoon. If You Have to Cry, Go Outside: And Other Things Your Mother Never Told You by Kelly Cutrone, Meredith Bryan I have seen about 5 minutes of Kelly Cutrone’s show on TV so I only vaguely knew who she was - a very successful fashion PR woman who is generally thought of as being a bit of a bitch. I mistakenly thought this book was a memoir.  It does describe her life but it’s mostly full of advice from a woman who has ‘made it’ to young women just stepping out of college.  In other words, it was not really aimed at someone like me who is a fair way up the corporate ladder already.  But if you are aged 20 - 24 and intent on a successful career then there is no harm in giving this book a whirl.  I give it one thumb up. I really do enjoy a good memoir so if you have any good recommendations, please send them my way.

I finished this book in about 3 hours this afternoon.

If You Have to Cry, Go Outside: And Other Things Your Mother Never Told You by Kelly Cutrone, Meredith Bryan

I have seen about 5 minutes of Kelly Cutrone’s show on TV so I only vaguely knew who she was - a very successful fashion PR woman who is generally thought of as being a bit of a bitch.

I mistakenly thought this book was a memoir.  It does describe her life but it’s mostly full of advice from a woman who has ‘made it’ to young women just stepping out of college.  In other words, it was not really aimed at someone like me who is a fair way up the corporate ladder already.  But if you are aged 20 - 24 and intent on a successful career then there is no harm in giving this book a whirl. 

I give it one thumb up.

I really do enjoy a good memoir so if you have any good recommendations, please send them my way.

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Wednesday, March 31, 2010

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I finished reading Holly’s Inbox by Holly Denham this morning. As you can probably guess from the front cover, this book is a bit of chick lit trash.  I used to devour trashy books like this but now that I am so mature (ha!) I don’t read them very often. This book is written entirely in emails.  I thought that might be annoying but it was surprisingly enjoyable.  It was a very typical and predictable plot-line but the writing made me chuckle throughout.  I can sum this book up in two words - Bridget Jones. I give it one thumb up.  Purely for entertainment purposes, nothing more. If Baby Girl doesn’t come soon I am going to go broke from buying books to keep myself entertained.

I finished reading Holly’s Inbox by Holly Denham this morning.

As you can probably guess from the front cover, this book is a bit of chick lit trash.  I used to devour trashy books like this but now that I am so mature (ha!) I don’t read them very often.

This book is written entirely in emails.  I thought that might be annoying but it was surprisingly enjoyable.  It was a very typical and predictable plot-line but the writing made me chuckle throughout.  I can sum this book up in two words - Bridget Jones.

I give it one thumb up.  Purely for entertainment purposes, nothing more.

If Baby Girl doesn’t come soon I am going to go broke from buying books to keep myself entertained.

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Tuesday, March 23, 2010

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I finished reading House Rules by Jodi Picoult this morning.  I have read every single Jodi Picoult book - she is the only author that I will buy hard covers for because I can’t wait for the paperback version to be released. Jodi Picoult novels all deal with some unusual ethical-type issue centering around a court case. Having read all of her books, I figured out too quickly what the ending would be when I read her last two releases but this one actually had me guessing for a while.  House Rules is about an autistic boy accused of murder.  I think she does a great job of getting inside the mind of a person with Asperger’s, as well as describing the impact it has on an entire family. Conclusion: Two thumbs up.

I finished reading House Rules by Jodi Picoult this morning.  I have read every single Jodi Picoult book - she is the only author that I will buy hard covers for because I can’t wait for the paperback version to be released.

Jodi Picoult novels all deal with some unusual ethical-type issue centering around a court case. Having read all of her books, I figured out too quickly what the ending would be when I read her last two releases but this one actually had me guessing for a while.  House Rules is about an autistic boy accused of murder.  I think she does a great job of getting inside the mind of a person with Asperger’s, as well as describing the impact it has on an entire family.

Conclusion: Two thumbs up.

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Tuesday, March 16, 2010

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Buying Books For a short time I attempted borrowing books from the library.  Unfortunately it’s inconvenient for me to get to the library so I was always bringing them back late. I’ve gone back to buying my books and I generally use Amazon. Today I went into Borders and wandered around.  I love seeing the books they are promoting, picking them up, reading the back, maybe even reading the first couple of pages to get a feel for the writing.   I found a whole bunch of books that I would like to read so I pulled up my Amazon iPhone application, added them to my wishlist, went home and purchased them on Amazon for far less than the Borders retail price.  Sneaky, but fiscally responsible :-)

Buying Books

For a short time I attempted borrowing books from the library.  Unfortunately it’s inconvenient for me to get to the library so I was always bringing them back late.

I’ve gone back to buying my books and I generally use Amazon.

Today I went into Borders and wandered around.  I love seeing the books they are promoting, picking them up, reading the back, maybe even reading the first couple of pages to get a feel for the writing.  

I found a whole bunch of books that I would like to read so I pulled up my Amazon iPhone application, added them to my wishlist, went home and purchased them on Amazon for far less than the Borders retail price.  Sneaky, but fiscally responsible :-)

Shout Outs + Add Yours
Monday, March 15, 2010

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I finished reading The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes by Diane Chamberlain this morning.  I can’t remember how I came across this book but I’m guessing I spotted it on another blog or one of my readers recommended it.  From the back cover: In 1977, pregnant Genevieve Russell disappeared. Twenty years later, her remains are discovered and Timothy Gleason is charged with murder. But there is no sign of the unborn child. CeeCee Wilkes knows how Genevieve Russell died, because she was there. And she also knows what happened to the missing infant, because two decades ago she made the devastating choice to raise the baby as her own. The story is a little far-fetched but if you can put that aside, the book is very enjoyable.  It’s not a Book Club type of book but would make a great relaxing-on-a-Sunday-afternoon book.   In the words of Siskel and Ebert I give this book two thumbs up.

I finished reading The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes by Diane Chamberlain this morning.  I can’t remember how I came across this book but I’m guessing I spotted it on another blog or one of my readers recommended it.  From the back cover:

In 1977, pregnant Genevieve Russell disappeared. Twenty years later, her remains are discovered and Timothy Gleason is charged with murder. But there is no sign of the unborn child.

CeeCee Wilkes knows how Genevieve Russell died, because she was there. And she also knows what happened to the missing infant, because two decades ago she made the devastating choice to raise the baby as her own.

The story is a little far-fetched but if you can put that aside, the book is very enjoyable.  It’s not a Book Club type of book but would make a great relaxing-on-a-Sunday-afternoon book.  

In the words of Siskel and Ebert I give this book two thumbs up.

Shout Outs + Add Yours
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