Barney's Book Blog

I am so sorry!

2012-01-27T10:58:00.000-08:00

I apologize for being M.I.A. book bloggers and readers! I have been taking classes and working towards a master's degree for the past year. I will try to stop in and say hello as well as pass on any book talk I overhear. I am taking a class in social media this semester, so I am hoping to keep up with both blogs at once! Wish me luck!

Friday Finds -- 7/8

2011-07-08T05:00:00.000-07:00

This meme is hosted by Should Be Reading.

Happy Friday! My Friday Find this week is So Much to Say by Nikki Van Noy. Here is the Barnes and Noble description:

DAVE MATTHEWS BAND has one of the largest and most loyal followings of any band today—after twenty years of constant touring and several acclaimed, multiplatinum albums, the members enjoy a connection with their fans that few other acts can match. Ask DMB devotees and they’ll happily tell you tales of amazing sold-out summer shows, the stunning venues they’ve seen the band play all around the world, classic live show recordings . . . and memories of good times with great friends, old and new. For hundreds of thousands of people, affection for DMB goes far beyond simple fan adulation—it’s a way of life. Journalist (and fan) Nikki Van Noy bridges the gap between the band and their followers, looking at the DMB phenomenon from all perspectives—including interviews with the band, Charlottesville insiders who knew them in the early days, and, of course, the DMB fans who witnessed it all.

Sounds great, right? What did you find this Friday?

Friday Finds -- 5/20

2011-05-20T05:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday! My find this week is Home to Woefield by Susan Juby. This book peaked my interest because I have always wanted to try living on a farm! Here is the Barnes and Noble description:

Prudence Burns, a well-intentioned New Yorker full of back-to-the-land ideals, just inherited Woefield Farm—thirty acres of scrubland, dilapidated buildings, and one half-sheared sheep. But the bank is about to foreclose, so Prudence must turn things around fast! Fortunately she'll have help from Earl, her banjo-playing foreman with a family secret; Seth, the neighbor who hasn't left the house since a high school scandal; and Sara Spratt, an eleven-year-old who's looking for a home for her prize-winning chickens. Home to Woefield is about learning how to take on a challenge, face your fears, and find friendship in the most unlikely of places.

What did you find this week?

3 W Wednesday -- 5/18

2011-05-18T05:00:00.000-07:00

This meme is hosted by Should Be Reading.

What are you currently reading? I am about halfway through A Clash of Kings, the second book in the Song of Ice and Fire series, by George R.R. Martin.

What did you recently finish reading? I just finished the wonderful Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin (the first book in the Song of Ice and Fire series). I need to write a review for this book and hopefully post it soon.

What are you reading next? I have People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks for book club and the new Sookie Stackhouse novel on deck.

How about you? What are you reading?

List of Reads -- A & B Edition

2011-05-17T07:07:00.000-07:00

Recently, I updated my list of books read since starting this blog. Here are the As and Bs (by title) and a bit of commentary -- enjoy!!

A Hopeless Romantic by Harriet Evans: Fun book, a bit long, and took me awhile to warm up to the main character.

A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick: Intense character read, terrible characters who make terrible decisions.

A Wife's Tale by Lori Lansens: Great read, interesting look at a obese woman's search for her husband and herself.

Agnes and the Hitman by Jennifer Crusie and Bob Meyers: My favorite guilty pleasure, fun and entertaining story about a chef, a hitman, and a wedding.

All Together Dead by Charlaine Harris: Sookie Stackhouse series. Fun paranormal.

Already Dead by Charlie Huston: Intense detective story that takes place in the future with lots of vampires.

American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld: Based on the life of Laura Bush, engaging read, but slow at times.

Anybody Out There by Marian Keyes: Good chick-lit, sad story.

Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein: Phenomenal read, highly recommended.

Ask Again Later by Jill A. Davis: Funny, interesting story about a woman who is having trouble becoming an adult.

Austenland by Shannon Hale: Fun read for those who love Austen spin-offs.

Beach Trip by Cathy Holton: Women's fiction that details the adult friendship between four women. Good book club pick.

Best Intentions by Emily Listfield: Character driven novel that looks at marriage in crisis with a bit of a mystery.

Breaking Point by Suzanne Brockmann: Is it bad that I don't remember what this book is about? My guess -- a special forces unit who saves someone.

Burn by Linda Howard: I think this is the book where the main character wins the lottery and is kidnapped on a cruise.

I would recommend Agnes and the Hitman (so much fun) and Art of Racing in the Rain (it will make you laugh and cry). Have you read any of these books? If so, what did you think?

Friday Finds -- 5/13

2011-05-13T05:00:00.000-07:00

This meme is hosted by Should Be Reading.

Happy Friday! My find for this week is Heads You Lose by Lisa Lutz and David Hayward. The premise is very interesting. The authors took turns writing chapters with no outline or ending in mind. Here is the Barnes and Noble description:

Meet Paul and Lacey Hansen: orphaned, pot-growing twentysomething siblings eking out a living in rural Northern California. When a headless corpse appears on their property, they can't exactly dial 911, so they move the body and wait for the police to find it. Instead, the corpse reappears, a few days riper . . . and an amateur sleuth is born. Make that two. When collaborators Lutz and Hayward (former romantic partners) start to disagree about how the story should unfold, the body count rises, victims and suspects alike develop surprising characteristics (meet Brandy Chester, the stripper with the Mensa IQ), and sibling rivalry reaches homicidal intensity. Think Adaptation crossed with Weeds. Will the authors solve the mystery without killing each other first?

I am really looking forward to reading this. What did you find?

Friday Finds -- 5/6

2011-05-06T05:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday! My find this week is My Jane Austen Summer by Cindy Jones. I absolutely love this kind of modern day take on Jane Austen and am looking forward to reading it. Here is the Barnes and Noble description:

Lily has squeezed herself into undersized relationships all her life, hoping one might grow as large as those found in the Jane Austen novels she loves. But lately her world is running out of places for her to fit. So when her bookish friend invites her to spend the summer at a Jane Austen literary festival in England, she jumps at the chance to reinvent herself. There, among the rich, promising world of Mansfield Park reenactments, Lily finds people whose longing to live in a novel equals her own. But real-life problems have a way of following you wherever you go, and Lily's accompany her to England. Unless she can change her ways, she could face the fate of so many of Miss Austen's characters, destined to repeat the same mistakes over and over again. My Jane Austen Summer explores how we fall in love, how we come to know ourselves better, and how it might be possible to change and be happier in the real world.

Sounds good, right? What did you find this week?

3 W Wednesdays -- 5/4

2011-05-03T12:12:00.001-07:00

This meme is hosted by Should Be Reading.

What are you currently reading? I just started Book 2 in the A Song of Fire and Ice series, A Clash of Kings, by George R.R. Martin.

What did you recently finish reading? I finished Book 1 in the A Song of Fire and Ice series, The Game of Thrones, by George R.R. Martin.

What are you reading next? I need to tackle House Rules by Jodi Picoult for book club on Monday night.

What are you reading?

Review -- A Hopeless Romantic by Harriet Evans

2011-05-03T05:00:00.000-07:00

A Hopeless Romantic
by Harriet Evans
Simon & Schuster, 2007
544 pages
* I bought a copy at the bookstore.

Summary (from Barnes and Noble): Laura Foster is a hopeless romantic. Her friends know it, her parents know it - even Laura acknowledges she lives either with her head in the clouds or buried in a romance novel. It's proved harmless enough, even if it hasn't delivered her a real-life dashing hero yet. But when her latest relationship ends in a disaster that costs her friendships, her job, and nearly her sanity, Laura swears off men and hopeless romantic fantasies for good. With her life in tatters around her, Laura agrees to go on vacation with her parents. After a few days of visiting craft shops and touring the stately homes of England, Laura is ready to tear her hair out. And then, while visiting grand Chartley Hall, she crosses paths with Nick, the sexy, rugged estate manager. She finds she shares more than a sense of humor with him - in fact, she starts to think she could fall for him. But is Nick all he seems? Or has Laura got it wrong again? Will she open her heart only to have it broken again?

Review: Laura Foster is annoying and yet I love her. In the beginning of the novel, Laura makes romantic mistake after mistake and her choices effect her family and friends. Once she realizes the terrible mistakes she has made and looks to put her life back together, that is when the tale really picks up speed. At 544 pages, it is a bit long, some sections drag while others race by. In the end I was happy to have read it. It was an enjoyable and entertaining read. Rating: *** out of 5.

It's Monday! What are you reading? -- 5/2

2011-05-02T07:38:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday everyone!! Today is my last day of class for the semester. My final paper is finished. The powerpoint is all prepared. Wish me luck!

Though I haven't been blogging, I have been reading! Currently, I am about 75 pages away from finishing Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin. The books are getting a lot of buzz due to the HBO series, so I needed to see what the fuss was about. This book is fantastic. If you like fantasy, heroes and heroines, but for an adult audience only, then definitely give this book a try.

Okay -- off the work and then class. Have a great day!!

Friday Finds -- 4/8

2011-04-08T05:00:00.000-07:00

This meme is hosted by Should Be Reading.

Happy Friday! This week my find is The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley. Here is the publisher's description from their website:

In the spring of 1708, an invading Jacobite fleet of French and Scottish soldiers nearly succeeded in landing the exiled James Stewart in Scotland to reclaim his crown.

Now, Carrie McClelland hopes to turn that story into her next bestselling novel. Settling herself in the shadow of Slains Castle, she creates a heroine named for one of her own ancestors and starts to write.

But when she discovers her novel is more fact than fiction, Carrie wonders if she might be dealing with ancestral memory, making her the only living person who knows the truth—the ultimate betrayal—that happened all those years ago, and that knowledge comes very close to destroying her...

What did you find this week?

Friday Finds -- 4/1

2011-04-01T05:00:00.000-07:00

This meme is hosted by Should Be Reading.

Happy Friday! My find this week is The Sherlockian by Graham Moore. Here is the Barnes and Noble description:

In December 1893, Sherlock Holmes-adoring Londoners eagerly opened their Strand magazines, anticipating the detective's next adventure, only to find the unthinkable: his creator, Arthur Conan Doyle, had killed their hero off. London spiraled into mourning — crowds sported black armbands in grief — and railed against Conan Doyle as his assassin. Then in 1901, just as abruptly as Conan Doyle had "murdered" Holmes in "The Final Problem," he resurrected him. Though the writer kept detailed diaries of his days and work, Conan Doyle never explained this sudden change of heart. After his death, one of his journals from the interim period was discovered to be missing, and in the decades since, has never been found. Or has it?

When literary researcher Harold White is inducted into the preeminent Sherlock Holmes enthusiast society, The Baker Street Irregulars, he never imagines he's about to be thrust onto the hunt for the holy grail of Holmes-ophiles: the missing diary. But when the world's leading Doylean scholar is found murdered in his hotel room, it is Harold - using wisdom and methods gleaned from countless detective stories - who takes up the search, both for the diary and for the killer.

What did you find this week?

Friday Finds -- 3/25

2011-03-25T05:40:00.000-07:00

This meme is hosted by Should Be Reading.

Happy Friday! My find this week is Tales from the Yoga Studio by Rain Mitchell. Here is the Barnes and Noble description:

The yoga studio is where daily cares are set aside, mats are unfurled, and physical exertion leads to well-being, renewal, and friendship. An aggressively expanding chain of Los Angeles yoga "experience centers," has Lee and her extraordinary teaching abilities in its sights. They woo her with a lucrative contract, a trademarked name for her classes, and a place for her handsome musician husband. But accepting the contract means abandoning the students at the homey studio Lee runs in L.A.'s Silver Lake district- and leaving behind four women whose friendships are suddenly more important to her than retirement benefits and a salary increase.

What did you find this week?

Friday Finds -- 3/18

2011-03-18T05:33:00.000-07:00

This meme is hosted by Should Be Reading.

Happy Friday! My find for this week is The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown. Here is the Barnes and Noble description:

The Andreas family is one of readers. Their father, a renowned Shakespeare professor who speaks almost entirely in verse, has named his three daughters after famous Shakespearean women. When the sisters return to their childhood home, ostensibly to care for their ailing mother, but really to lick their wounds and bury their secrets, they are horrified to find the others there. See, we love each other. We just don't happen to like each other very much. But the sisters soon discover that everything they've been running from-one another, their small hometown, and themselves-might offer more than they ever expected.

This sounds fantastic. What did you find this week?

Friday Finds -- 3/11

2011-03-11T05:11:00.000-08:00

This meme is hosted by Should Be Reading.

Happy Friday! My find for this week is Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levitan. Here is the Barnes and Noble description:

One cold night, in a most unlikely corner of Chicago, two teens—both named Will Grayson—are about to cross paths. As their worlds collide and intertwine, the Will Graysons find their lives going in new and unexpected directions, building toward romantic turns-of-heart and the epic production of history’s most fabulous high school musical. Hilarious, poignant, and deeply insightful, John Green and David Levithan’s collaborative novel is brimming with a double helping of the heart and humor that have won both them legions of faithful fans.

Doesn't this sound fantastic? What did you find this week?

Friday Finds -- 3/4

2011-03-04T06:21:00.000-08:00

This meme is hosted by Should Be Reading.

Happy Friday! My find this week is How to Bake a Perfect Life by Barbara O'Neal. Here is the Barnes and Noble description:

Professional baker Ramona Gallagher is a master of an art that has sustained her through the most turbulent times, including a baby at fifteen and an endless family feud. But now Ramona’s bakery threatens to crumble around her. Literally. She’s one water-heater disaster away from losing her grandmother’s rambling Victorian and everything she’s worked so hard to build. When Ramona’s soldier son-in-law is wounded in Afghanistan, her daughter, Sophia, races overseas to be at his side, leaving Ramona as the only suitable guardian for Sophia’s thirteen-year-old stepdaughter, Katie. Heartbroken, Katie feels that she’s being dumped again—this time on the doorstep of a woman out of practice with mothering. Ramona relies upon a special set of tools—patience, persistence, and the reliability of a good recipe—when rebellious Katie arrives. And as she relives her own history of difficult choices, Ramona shares her love of baking with the troubled girl. Slowly, Katie begins to find self-acceptance and a place to call home. And when a man from her past returns to offer a second chance at love, Ramona discovers that even the best recipe tastes better when you add time, care, and a few secret ingredients of your own.

Sounds good, right? What did you find this week?

Friday Finds -- 2/25

2011-02-25T06:07:00.000-08:00

This meme is hosted by Should Be Reading.

Happy Friday! My find this week is A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan. Here is the Barnes and Noble description:

Bennie Salazar, an aging punk rocker and record executive, and the beautiful Sasha, the troubled young woman he employs, never discover each other's pasts, but the reader does, in intimate detail, along with the secret lives of a host of other people whose paths intersect with theirs in the course of nearly fifty years. A Visit from the Goon Squad is about time, about survival, about our private terrors, and what happens when we fail to rebound.

What did you find this week?

Friday Finds -- 2/18

2011-02-18T10:29:00.000-08:00

This meme is hosted by Should Be Reading.

Happy Friday! My find this week is The Secret of Everything by Barbara O'Neal. Here is the Barnes and Noble description:

At thirty-seven, Tessa Harlow is still working her way down her list of goals to “fall in love and have a family.” A self-described rolling stone, Tessa leads hiking tours for adventurous vacationers–it’s a job that’s taken her around the world but never a step closer to home. Then a freak injury during a trip already marred by tragedy forces her to begin her greatest adventure of all. Located high in the New Mexico mountains, Las Ladronas has become a magnet for the very wealthy and very hip, but once upon a time it was the setting of a childhood trauma Tessa can only half remember. Now, as she rediscovers both her old hometown and her past, Tessa is drawn to search-and-rescue worker Vince Grasso. The handsome widower isn’t her type. No more inclined to settle down than Tessa, Vince is the father of three, including an eight-year-old girl as lost as Tessa herself. But Tessa and Vince are both drawn to the town’s most beloved eatery–100 Breakfasts–and to each other. For Tessa, the restaurant is not only the key to the mystery that has haunted her life but a chance to find the home and the family she’s never known.

I read The Lost Recipe of Happiness by Barbara O'Neal and really enjoyed it (click to read my review). Can't wait to read this one! What did you find this week?

Review -- Finny by Justin Kramon

2011-02-17T05:00:00.000-08:00

Finny
by Justin Kramon
Random House, 2010
384 pages
*I purchased this book.

Summary (from Barnes and Noble): We meet Finny Short as an observant, defiant fourteen-year-old who can’t make sense of her family’s unusual habits: Her mother offers guidance appropriate for a forty-year-old socialite; her father quotes Nietzsche over pancakes. Finny figures she’s stuck with this lonely lot until she meets Earl Henckel, a boy who comes from an even stranger place than she does. Unhappy with Finny’s budding romance with Earl, her parents ship her off to Thorndon boarding school. But mischief follows Finny as she befriends New York heiress Judith Turngate, a girl whose charm belies a disquieting reckless streak. Finny’s relationships with Earl and Judith open her up to dizzying possibilities of love and loss and propel her into a remarkable adventure spanning twenty years and two continents. Justin Kramon has given us a wickedly funny odyssey with a moving and original love story at its core. Finny introduces us to an unforgettable heroine, a charmingly intricate world, and an uncommonly entertaining and gifted young novelist.

Review: When the reader first meets Finny, she is a scrappy sarcastic teenager that feels out of place within her own family. Then she meets Earl and the love she feels begins to change her and as the story continues a variety of events change the course of her life. The book is a great character driven novel and a surprisingly lovely love story. Though, at the heart, it is really a story about growing up and the people and places who influence how a person sees the world and themselves. The author has a wonderful writing style that just flows and the reader gets caught up in Finny's world. A really beautiful story that I could envision as a wonderful movie. Really beautiful, entertaining, and a fantastic read. Rating:****1/2 out of 5

3 W Wednesdays -- 2/16

2011-02-16T05:00:00.000-08:00

This meme is hosted by Should Be Reading.

What are you currently reading? On Sunday night, I started My Life in France by Julia Child and Alex Prud'homme.

What have you recently finished reading? Last week I finished Secrets to Happiness by Sarah Dunn and am hoping to have a review posted soon.

What are you reading next? My mom gave me a copy of The Red Thread by Ann Hood and recommended it as well.

What are you reading?

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!

2011-02-15T05:00:00.000-08:00

I just received an email from the very lovely Julie over at Booking Mama. I was lucky enough to snag a copy of The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly in her latest giveaway. Thanks Julie! Here is the Barnes and Noble description:

Mickey Haller has spent all his professional life afraid that he wouldn't recognize innocence if it stood right in front of him. But what he should have been on the watch for was evil. Haller is a Lincoln Lawyer, a criminal defense pro who operates out of the backseat of his Lincoln Town Car, to defend the clients at the bottom of the legal food chain. It's no wonder that he is despised by cops, prosecutors, and even some of his own clients. From bikers to con artists to drunk drivers and drug dealers, they're all on Mickey Haller's client list. But when a Beverly Hills rich boy is arrested for brutally beating a woman, Haller has his first high-paying client in years. It's a franchise case and he's sure it will be a slam dunk in the courtroom. For once, he may be defending a client who is actually innocent. But an investigator is murdered for getting too close to the truth and Haller quickly discovers that his search for innocence has taken him face-to-face with a kind of evil as pure as a flame. To escape without being burned, Haller must use all of his skills to manipulate a system in which he no longer believes.

This sounds intense. Have you read it? If so, what did you think?

And if you haven't checked out Julie's blog, then you can click here for Booking Mama!

It's Monday! What are you reading? -- 2/14

2011-02-14T05:40:00.000-08:00

This meme is hosted by Book Journey.

Happy Valentine's Day! This Monday I am reading My Life in France by Julia Child and Alex Prud'homme. Last week was okay. I was able to finish Secrets to Happiness by Sarah Dunn but decided to return As Always, Julia to the library. I have a very busy day planned with work and then class and then a lovely dinner with my boyfriend and friends. I hope everyone has a lovely Valentine's Day and spends time with the people they love and eats lots of chocolates!

What are you reading?

Friday Finds -- 2/11

2011-02-11T05:00:00.000-08:00

This meme is hosted by Should Be Reading.

Happy Friday! My find this week is After You by Julie Buxbaum. Here is the Barnes and Noble description:

The complexities of a friendship. The unexplored doubts of a marriage. And the redemptive power of literature...Julie Buxbaum, the acclaimed author of The Opposite of Love, delivers a haunting, gloriously written novel about love, family, and the secrets we hide from each other-and ourselves. It happened on a tree-lined street in Notting Hill to a woman who seemed to have the perfect life. Ellie Lerner's best friend, Lucy, was murdered in front of her young daughter. And, as best friends do, Ellie dropped everything-her marriage, her job, her life in the Boston suburbs-to travel to London and pick up the pieces of Lucy's life. While Lucy's husband, Greg, copes with his grief by retreating into himself, eight-year-old Sophie has simply stopped speaking.

The book club I belong to read Julie Baxbaum's first novel The Opposite of Love (click to read my review), so I am looking forward to reading this. What did you find?

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!

2011-02-10T05:34:00.000-08:00

I am very lucky to have a won a copy of Mudbound by Hillary Jordan from Mary over at (the fabulous blog) Bookfan! Thank you Mary! Here is the Barnes and Noble description:

In Jordan's prize-winning debut, prejudice takes many forms, both subtle and brutal. It is 1946, and city-bred Laura McAllan is trying to raise her children on her husband's Mississippi Delta farm—a place she finds foreign and frightening. In the midst of the family's struggles, two young men return from the war to work the land. Jamie McAllan, Laura's brother-in-law, is everything her husband is not—charming, handsome, and haunted by his memories of combat. Ronsel Jackson, eldest son of the black sharecroppers who live on the McAllan farm, has come home with the shine of a war hero. But no matter his bravery in defense of his country, he is still considered less than a man in the Jim Crow South. It is the unlikely friendship of these brothers-in-arms that drives this powerful novel to its inexorable conclusion.

This sounds fantastic. Have you read it? If so, what did you think?

If you haven't visited Mary's blog, definitely go check it out here.

3 W Wednesdays -- 2/9

2011-02-09T05:32:00.000-08:00

This meme is hosted by Should Be Reading.

What are you currently reading? Right now, I am reading Secrets to Happiness by Sarah Dunn and am just a few pages into As Always, Julia edited by Joan Reardon.

What did you recently finish reading? The last book I finished was A Hopeless Romantic by Harriet Evans. I also recently reviewed The Book Club by Mary Alice Munroe.

What are you reading next? I am not sure. Maybe A Dog's Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron.

What are you reading?

Review -- The Book Club by Mary Alice Munroe

2011-02-08T05:00:00.000-08:00

The Book Club
by Mary Alice Monroe
Mira, 2008
368 pages
*I borrowed a copy from the library.

Summary (from Publisher's Weekly via Barnes and Noble): Monroe's (Girl in the Mirror) new novel opens as five friends, all members of a monthly book club, face turning points in their lives. Eve's husband dies suddenly, shattering her comfortable lifestyle, while Midge's mother makes an unannounced and unwelcomed reappearance. Annie finally feels ready to have a child, only to find her health and her marriage in jeopardy. Gabriella strains to make ends meet after her husband is laid off; Doris slides into depression as she tries to deny signs of her husband's infidelity. Sometimes close to and sometimes at odds with each other, the friends struggle to face harsh realities and, in the process, gain new independence.

Review: I had two big problems with this novel. First, I really don't think that I am the target demographic for this novel. Being in my thirties (without children) and reading about women and mothers in their late forties and fifties, I really had a hard time connecting with the characters. My other concern about this novel is the structure. The author spends a lot of time writing about certain members of the book club (such as Eve) and completely disregards others (such as Gabriella). Doris is a no show for many chapters as well. I would have enjoyed it more if there was more symmetry to the story lines and equal time given to the characters. Also, each chapter begins with a quote from the book that the club is reading at that time. Truthfully, I haven't read any of the books (except Pride and Prejudice) but most of the time I didn't understand how the quote and the book tied into the storyline. Other times, I felt the author beat me over the head with an explanation of how the book relates. I read this book for my book club and am looking forward to hearing what everyone has to say about this novel. For me, it just wasn't my cup of tea but I did read the entire book and found portions interesting (especially Doris's transformation). Rating: *1/2 out of 5.

It's Monday! What are you reading? -- 2/7

2011-02-07T05:29:00.001-08:00

This meme is hosted by Book Journey.

Happy Monday Everybody! I am about halfway through Secrets to Happiness by Sarah Dunn. Every spare second that I am not working or completing school work, my nose is in this book. Last week, I reviewed the wonderful Ines of My Soul by Isabel Allende (click on title to read my review). I am missing book club tonight because of class but you can read my review of The Book Club by Mary Alice Monroe tomorrow!

What are you reading?

Friday Finds -- 2/4

2011-02-04T05:00:00.000-08:00

This meme is hosted by Should Be Reading.

Happy Friday! My Friday Find for this week is The Silent Land by Graham Joyce. Here is the Barnes and Noble description:

In the French Pyrenees, a young married couple is buried under a flash avalanche while skiing. Miraculously, Jake and Zoe dig their way out from under the snow—only to discover the world they knew has been overtaken by an eerie and absolute silence. Their hotel is devoid of another living soul. Cell phones and land lines are cut off. An evacuation as sudden and thorough as this leaves Jake and Zoe to face a terrifying situation alone. They are trapped by the storm, completely isolated, with another catastrophic avalanche threatening to bury them alive . . . again. And as the couple begin to witness unsettling events neither one can ignore, they are forced to confront a frightening truth about the silent land they now inhabit.

Sounds creepy good! What did you find?

Currently Reading!

2011-02-03T05:00:00.000-08:00

Even though classes have started, I am trying to read for pleasure about 1/2 an hour to an hour every night. I realize quite quickly that I really needed a light and entertaining read at that time of day, so I picked up Secrets to Happiness by Sarah Dunn and am really enjoying it so far! Here is the Barnes and Noble description:

Holly Frick has just endured the worst kind of breakup: the kind where you're still in love with the person leaving you. While her wounds are still dangerously close to the surface, her happily married best friend confesses over a bottle of wine that she is this close to having an affair. And another woman comes to Holly for advice about her love life—with Holly's ex! Holly decides that if everyone around her can take pleasure wherever they find it, so will she. As any self-respecting 30ish New York woman would do, she brings two males into her life: a flawed but endearing dog, and a good natured, much younger lover. She's soon entangled in a web of emails, chance meetings, and misguided good intentions and must forge an entirely new path to Nirvana.

Have you read this? If so, what did you think?

3 W Wednesdays -- 2/2

2011-02-02T05:25:00.000-08:00

This meme is hosted by Should Be Reading.

What are you currently reading? Right now, I am reading Winter's Bone by Daniel Woodrell. It is good but I am thinking that I need something light to read before bed. Any suggestions? You know, a little chick-lit or a funny romance?

What have you recently finished reading? I recently finished A Hopeless Romantic by Harriet Evans, a very fun book. I am hoping to post a review next week.

What are you reading next? Like I said before, I am looking for something light. Or maybe an adventurous YA novel. Any suggestions?

What are you reading?

Review -- Ines of My Soul by Isabel Allende

2011-02-01T05:00:00.000-08:00

Ines of My Soul
by Isabel Allende
HarperCollins, 2006
336 pages
*I borrowed a copy from the library.

Summary (from Barnes and Noble): In the early years of the conquest of the Americas, Inés Suárez, a seamstress condemned to a life of toil, flees Spain to seek adventure in the New World. As Inés makes her way to Chile, she begins a fiery romance with Pedro de Valdivia, war hero and field marshal to the famed Francisco Pizarro. Together the lovers will build the new city of Santiago, and they will wage war against the indigenous Chileans—a bloody struggle that will change Inés and Valdivia forever, inexorably pulling each of them toward separate destinies.

Review: This novel is so richly descriptive and wonderfully written. The novel's heroine, Ines Suarez, is a strong woman living during a turbulent and tragic period of Spanish history. The great strength of this book is author's description of the lengths that the Spaniards went to in order to conquer Chile. The journey is impossibly difficult but Ines takes the reader through it one step at a time in her strong and proud point of view. However, there are breaks in her story that show the humble and wise old woman she becomes. A remarkable character driven novel that also educates the reader about a time period very rarely written about. Rating: **** out of 5.

It's Monday! What are you reading? -- 1/31

2011-01-31T05:00:00.000-08:00

This meme is hosted by Book Journey.

Hello everyone! Greetings from cold and snowy New England. I hope everybody had a great weekend. My first week of graduate school (second semester) went well and I am bogged down with homework, but when I take a break it is to read Winter's Bone by Daniel Woodrell. Last week, we had a snow day on Thursday so I was able to finish A Hopeless Romantic (YEA!) by Harriet Evans and post reviews of Girls in Trucks by Katie Crouch and Uglies by Scott Westerfeld (click on the title to read the review). I have scheduled for this week a review of Ines of My Soul by Isobel Allende, so stay tuned for that!

What are you reading?

Friday Finds -- 1/28

2011-01-28T06:41:00.000-08:00

This meme is hosted by Should Be Reading.

Happy Friday! My Friday Find for this week is Girl, Stolen by April Henry. Here is the Barnes and Noble description:

Sixteen year-old Cheyenne Wilder is sleeping in the back of a car while her mom fills her prescription at the pharmacy. Before Cheyenne realizes what's happening, their car is being stolen—with her inside! Griffin hadn’t meant to kidnap Cheyenne, all he needed to do was steal a car for the others. But once Griffin's dad finds out that Cheyenne’s father is the president of a powerful corporation, everything changes—now there’s a reason to keep her. What Griffin doesn’t know is that Cheyenne is not only sick with pneumonia, she is blind. How will Cheyenne survive this nightmare, and if she does, at what price?

Doesn't this sound intense? What was your Friday Find?

Review -- Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

2011-01-27T12:10:00.000-08:00

Uglies
by Scott Westerfeld
Simon & Schuster, 2005
448 pages
*I borrow a copy from the library

Summary (from Barnes and Noble): Tally is about to turn sixteen, and she can't wait. Not for her license -- for turning pretty. In Tally's world, your sixteenth birthday brings an operation that turns you from a repellent ugly into a stunningly attractive pretty and catapults you into a high-tech paradise where your only job is to have a really great time. In just a few weeks Tally will be there. But Tally's new friend Shay isn't sure she wants to be pretty. She'd rather risk life on the outside. When Shay runs away, Tally learns about a whole new side of the pretty world -- and it isn't very pretty. The authorities offer Tally the worst choice she can imagine: find her friend and turn her in, or never turn pretty at all. The choice Tally makes changes her world forever.

Review: An interesting young adult novel set in the future where all sixteen year old 'Uglies' undergo plastic surgery to become 'Pretty'. The plot starts off slow setting up the reader's understanding of this futuristic world and developing the main characters. Once Tally makes the decision to find Shay, the action picks up and the novel becomes very engrossing and enjoyable. Tally and Shay are both very likable characters being underdogs who are going against societal norms. The book also has a great overarching lesson of being happy with yourself and seeing the beauty within. Overall, a fast and enjoyable read. Rating: ***1/2 out of 5.

3 W Wednesday -- 1/26

2011-01-26T06:12:00.000-08:00

This meme is hosted by Should Be Reading.

What are you currently reading? I am slowly working on A Hopeless Romantic by Harriet Evans. I started taking classes this week and am working extra hours so my reading time has (unfortunately) decreased.

What have you recently finished reading? I recently finished The Book Club (for book club) by Mary Alice Monroe and Finny by Justin Kramon. I am hoping to get each review posted in the next week or two.

What are you reading next? Well, in my pursuit to be ready for every book club meeting, I will be reading Someone Knows My Name by Lawrence Hill.

What are you reading?

Review -- Girls in Trucks by Katie Crouch

2011-01-25T07:45:00.000-08:00

Girls in Trucks
by Katie Crouch
Little, Brown & Company, 2008
256 pages

Summary (from Barnes and Noble): Sarah Walters is a less-than-perfect debutante. She tries hard to follow the time-honored customs of the Charleston Camellia Society, as her mother and grandmother did, standing up straight in cotillion class and attending lectures about all the things that Camellias don't do. (Like ride with boys in pickup trucks.) But Sarah can't quite ignore the barbarism just beneath all that propriety, and as soon as she can she decamps South Carolina for a life in New York City. There, she and her fellow displaced Southern friends try to make sense of city sophistication, to understand how much of their training applies to real life, and how much to the strange and rarefied world they've left behind.
When life's complications become overwhelming, Sarah returns home to confront with matured eyes the motto "Once a Camellia, always a Camellia"- and to see how much fuller life can be, for good and for ill, among those who know you best.

Review: I have conflicting feelings about this novel. When I started reading it, I absolutely loved it. The plot was intermingled with short stories about Sarah's childhood, specifically growing up in the South and being a Camellia. As the novel continued on and she focused on her disastrous love life, I felt sad for Sarah. But when she continued to make unbelievably terrible choices and became bitter about her life, then I began to dislike Sarah and the novel. Overall, I would say it was an interesting character story that was well written. Would I read another novel by Katie Crouch? I would like to try Men and Dogs, because I did enjoy her writing style. It's just difficult to like a novel when you grow to dislike the main character so much. Rating: *** out of 5.

Have you read this novel? If so, leave your thoughts or a link to your review in the comments section!

It's Monday! What are you reading? -- 1/24

2011-01-24T05:22:00.000-08:00

This meme is hosted by Book Journey.

So the weather here is COLD, COLD, COLD, just like the rest of the country and I am trying my best to keep warm and get ready for a new semester because today is my first day of class! I have one class tonight (and every Monday for the next 13 weeks) and one class online, so I will be a very busy student for the next few months. However, I am determined to blog and read for pleasure this semester, so wish me luck!

I am currently reading A Hopeless Romantic by Harriet Evans. This weekend I finished The Book Club by Mary Alice Monroe (for book club) and unfortunately was not very impressed. It should be a very good discussion next month and I will have a review in a week or two. Last week, I finished Finny by Justin Kramon and really enjoyed it. This was also for book club's March meeting and we are going to talk with the author. Very exciting!

What are you reading?

Book Club Spotlight -- People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks

2011-01-22T07:27:00.000-08:00

The library book club will be reading People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks sometime in the next six months. Here is the Barnes and Noble description:

The “complex and moving”(The New Yorker) novel by Pulitzer Prize–winner Geraldine Brooks follows a rare manuscript through centuries of exile and warInspired by a true story, People of the Book is a novel of sweeping historical grandeur and intimate emotional intensity by an acclaimed and beloved author. Called “a tour de force”by the San Francisco Chronicle, this ambitious, electrifying work traces the harrowing journey of the famed Sarajevo Haggadah, a beautifully illuminated Hebrew manuscript created in fifteenth-century Spain. When it falls to Hanna Heath, an Australian rare-book expert, to conserve this priceless work, the series of tiny artifacts she discovers in its ancient binding—an insect wing fragment, wine stains, salt crystals, a white hair—only begin to unlock its deep mysteries and unexpectedly plunges Hanna into the intrigues of fine art forgers and ultra-nationalist fanatics.

This sounds great. Have you read it? If so, what did you think?

Friday Finds -- 1/21

2011-01-21T07:19:00.000-08:00

This meme is hosted by Should Be Reading.

Happy Friday!! My Friday Find this week is Deep Down True by Juliette Fay. My book club read Fay's Shelter Me and absolutely loved it, so I am really looking forward to reading this book. Here is the Barnes and Noble description:

Newly divorced Dana Stellgarten has always been unfailingly nice- even to telemarketers-but now her temper is wearing thin. Money is tight, her kids are reeling from their dad's departure, and her Goth teenage niece has just landed on her doorstep. As she enters the slipstream of post-divorce romance and is befriended by the town queen bee, Dana finds that the tension between being true to yourself and being liked doesn't end in middle school... and that sometimes it takes a real friend to help you embrace adulthood in all its flawed complexity.

What is your Friday Find?

Review -- Room by Emma Donoghue

2011-01-20T05:51:00.000-08:00

Room
by Emma Donoghue
Little, Brown & Company, 2010
321 pages

Summary (from Barnes and Noble): To five-year-old Jack, Room is the entire world. It is where he was born and grew up; it's where he lives with his Ma as they learn and read and eat and sleep and play. At night, his Ma shuts him safely in the wardrobe, where he is meant to be asleep when Old Nick visits. Room is home to Jack, but to Ma, it is the prison where Old Nick has held her captive for seven years. Through determination, ingenuity, and fierce motherly love, Ma has created a life for Jack. But she knows it's not enough…not for her or for him. She devises a bold escape plan, one that relies on her young son's bravery and a lot of luck. What she does not realize is just how unprepared she is for the plan to actually work.

Review: This novel's narrator is very unique and author Emma Donoghue does a fantastic job writing the story from a five year old boy's perspective. This novel is intense but you almost are shielded from the danger because at times Jack doesn't feel it. He trusts his Ma almost completely and does what she says. There is also the barrier of a five year old's vocabulary, so the reader needs to infer what is happening to Jack or what some of the objects he is talking about are. Overall, a fantastic, intense, and engrossing read. Many bloggers placed this book on there Top 10 lists for 2010 and deservedly so. Rating: ***** out of 5

3 W Wednesday -- 1/19

2011-01-19T06:32:00.000-08:00

This meme is hosted by Should Be Reading.

What are you currently reading? I am reading A Hopeless Romantic by Harriet Evans.

What did you recently finish reading? Over the weekend, I finished Soulless by Gail Carriger. I also posted reviews for Our Lady of Immaculate Deception by Nancy Martin and Love and Biology at the Center of the Universe by Jennie Shortridge. You can click on the titles to check out my reviews.

What are you reading next? Well, classes start on Monday. My main goals are to finish A Hopeless Romantic and The Book Club by Mary Alice Munroe, which is next month's book club selection by Sunday night. Wish me luck!

Review -- Our Lady of Immaculate Deception by Nancy Martin

2011-01-18T11:18:00.000-08:00

Our Lady of Immaculate Deception
by Nancy Martin
St. Martin's Press, 2010
310 pages
*I received this copy as a gift.

Summary (from Barnes and Noble): Roxy Abruzzo, bestseller Nancy Martin’s latest creation, is a loud-mouthed, sexy, independent-minded niece of a Pittsburgh Mafia boss trying to go (mostly) straight. She’d like to stay completely out of her uncle Carmine’s shady business dealings, though he's trying to reel her in. She'd like to concentrate on the architectural salvage business she runs mostly on the up and up for a tidy profit. She'd like to keep her rebellious teenage daughter on the straight and narrow. But Roxy knows where all the good intentions in the world usually lead, and when she can’t help herself from tucking away an ancient Greek statue that's not really hers, she pays for it by getting caught up in the chaos surrounding the sordid murder of the statue’s former owner, heir to a billion-dollar Pittsburgh steel fortune.

Review: I have a slight bias when it comes to Nancy Martin. I absolutely love her books! This one was no exception. Though I did have a tough time getting started (Roxy is very different from my beloved Blackbird Sisters) and some of the plot was predictable, I really enjoyed the book overall. Martin creates a lot of interesting secondary characters, especially Nooch, Roxy's right hand muscle man. I am looking forward to book number two! Rating:***1/2 out of 5

Review -- Love and Biology at the Center of the Universe by Jennie Shortridge

2011-01-16T11:22:00.000-08:00

Love and Biology at the Center of the Universe
by Jennie Shortridge
Penguin, 2008
400 pages
*I received a copy from the author.

Summary (from Barnes and Noble): When she learns that her college sweetheart husband has been seeing another woman, Mira Serafino's perfect world is shattered and she wants no one, least of all her big Italian family, to know. She heads north—with no destination and little money— stopping only when her car breaks down in Seattle. She takes a job at the offbeat Coffee Shop at the Center of the Universe, where she'll experience a terrifying but invigorating freedom, and meet someone she'll come to love: the new Mira.

Review: An intriguing novel about finding out who you are without the constraints of family and friends, Love and Biology at the Center of the Universe is an easy and entertaining read. Author Jennie Shortridge introduces the reader to the likable Mira, who through a variety of misunderstandings and misinterpretations, runs away from her small town life to became the manager of a coffee shop. She misses her old life but finds beauty in the new one she creates with the help of the coffee shop staff. The writing is wonderful but the story doesn't have a same magic as Shortridge's Eating Heaven. Many of the supporting characters are annoying and I had difficulty sympathizing with many of them. However, I did enjoy the ending and am looking forward to reading more by this author. Rating: *** out of 5

Currently Reading!

2011-01-15T05:15:00.000-08:00

Over the weekend, I am reading A Hopeless Romantic by Harriet Evans. Here is the Barnes and Noble description:

Laura Foster is a hopeless romantic. Her friends know it, her parents know it - even Laura acknowledges she lives either with her head in the clouds or buried in a romance novel. It's proved harmless enough, even if it hasn't delivered her a real-life dashing hero yet. But when her latest relationship ends in a disaster that costs her friendships, her job, and nearly her sanity, Laura swears off men and hopeless romantic fantasies for good. With her life in tatters around her, Laura agrees to go on vacation with her parents. After a few days of visiting craft shops and touring the stately homes of England, Laura is ready to tear her hair out. And then, while visiting grand Chartley Hall, she crosses paths with Nick, the sexy, rugged estate manager. She finds she shares more than a sense of humor with him - in fact, she starts to think she could fall for him. But is Nick all he seems? Or has Laura got it wrong again? Will she open her heart only to have it broken again?

Have you read this? If so, what did you think?

Friday Find -- 1/14

2011-01-14T05:09:00.000-08:00

This meme is hosted by Should Be Reading.

Happy Friday! My Friday Find for this week is Mathilda Savitch by Victor Lodato. Here is the Barnes and Noble description:

Fear doesn’t come naturally to Mathilda Savitch. She prefers to look right at the things nobody else can bring themselves to mention: for example, the fact that her beloved older sister is dead, pushed in front of a train by a man still on the loose. Her grief-stricken parents have basically been sleepwalking ever since, and it is Mathilda’s sworn mission to shock them back to life. Her strategy? Being bad. Mathilda decides she’s going to figure out what lies behind the catastrophe. She starts sleuthing through her sister’s most secret possessions—e-mails, clothes, notebooks, whatever her determination and craftiness can ferret out. More troubling, she begins to apply some of her older sister’s magical charisma and powers of seduction to the unraveling situations around her. In a storyline that thrums with hints of ancient myth, Mathilda has to risk a great deal—in fact, has to leave behind everything she loves—in order to discover the truth.

What is your Friday Find?

Review -- Star Island by Carl Hiaasen

2011-01-13T05:47:00.000-08:00

Star Island
by Carl Hiaasen
Knopf Doubleday, 2010
337 pages
*I borrowed this book from the library.

Summary (from Barnes and Noble): Meet twenty-two-year-old Cherry Pye (née Cheryl Bunterman), a pop star since she was fourteen—and about to attempt a comeback from her latest drug-and-alcohol disaster. Now meet Cherry again: in the person of her “undercover stunt double,” Ann DeLusia. Ann portrays Cherry whenever the singer is too “indisposed”—meaning wasted—to go out in public. And it is Ann-mistaken-for-Cherry who is kidnapped from a South Beach hotel by obsessed paparazzo Bang Abbott. Now the challenge for Cherry’s handlers (über–stage mother; horndog record producer; nipped, tucked, and Botoxed twin publicists; weed whacker–wielding bodyguard) is to rescue Ann while keeping her existence a secret from Cherry’s public—and from Cherry herself.

Review: This book was a breath of fun, fresh air when I was in a reading slump. Author Carl Hiaasen writes a kooky story filled with eccentric characters and a nutty story line. For me, the book totally worked. I loved the crazy characters (even the obnoxious Cherry Pye) and the demented plot (seriously - Ann gets kidnapped by a crazy man living in a swamp and that is in the first 25 pages or so). The book flew by and left me laughing. It is also a great satire about celebrity culture and the lengths people will go to sculpt their public image. I will definitely read more by this author. Rating: **** out of 5.

3 W Wednesdays -- 1/12

2011-01-12T05:14:00.000-08:00

This meme is hosted by Should Be Reading.

What are you currently reading? I just started Finny by Justin Kramon and am enjoying it. Finny is such a fantastic character!

What did you recently finish reading? Over the weekend I finished Ines of My Soul by Isabel Allende and Uglies by Scott Westerfeld (reviews to come). They are such different books starting with genre (Ines is Historical Fiction and Uglies is YA), but they were both wonderful reads that I enjoyed.

What are you reading next? Well, I start my second semester of graduate school in a week and a half, so I really need to get as much book club reading done as possible before starting classes. My goal is to start The Book Club by Mary Alice Munroe (February's pick) and Someone Knows My Name by Lawrence Hill (April's pick).

Wanted: Blogs for my Google Reader

2011-01-11T06:48:00.000-08:00

I want your blog to be part of my Google Reader!!

Recently, I cleaned out my Google Reader. Mostly, I stopped subscribing or following blogs that haven't had a new post in more than three months. So now I want to fill my reader with all new blogs to check out. That's where you come in!

I am looking for blogs that:

(1) have new posts regularly
(2) have book reviews
(3) cover mostly contemporary and women's fiction (I don't mind a little chick-lit or YA too).

If your blog meets the above criteria, then I would love to follow your blog! Please leave the name of your blog as well as the URL in the comments section. Thanks so much for your help and HAPPY BLOGGING!!

It's Monday! What are you reading? -- 1/10

2011-01-10T05:00:00.000-08:00

This meme is hosted by Book Journey.

Happy Monday! I had a great weekend of reading. I was able to finish Uglies by Scott Westerfeld and Ines of My Soul by Isabel Allende (reviews to come). My plan is to start Finny by Justin Kramon later today. Last week, I posted my reviews of Maybe This Time by Jennifer Crusie and
Still Missing by Chevy Stevens (click on the title to read my review).

What are you reading?

Book Club Spotlight -- Someone Knows My Name by Lawrence Hill

2011-01-09T07:47:00.000-08:00

The last book being highlighted is Someone Knows My Name by Lawrence Hill. Here is the publisher's description:

Kidnapped as a child from Africa, Aminata Diallo is enslaved in South Carolina but escapes during the chaos of the Revolutionary War. In Manhattan she becomes a scribe for the British, recording the names of blacks who have served the King and earned freedom in Nova Scotia. But the hardship and prejudice there prompt her to follow her heart back to Africa, then on to London, where she bears witness to the injustices of slavery and its toll on her life and a whole people. It is a story that no listener, and no reader, will ever forget.

Sounds intense. Have you read it? If so, what did you think?

Book Club Spotlight -- The Book Club by Mary Alice Munroe

2011-01-08T07:36:00.000-08:00

Well, the title is very fitting -- isn't it? The Book Club by Mary Alice Monroe is just one of the books selected by the library book club to read over the next six months. Here is what Publisher's Weekly had to say:

Monroe's (Girl in the Mirror) new novel opens as five friends, all members of a monthly book club, face turning points in their lives. Eve's husband dies suddenly, shattering her comfortable lifestyle, while Midge's mother makes an unannounced and unwelcomed reappearance. Annie finally feels ready to have a child, only to find her health and her marriage in jeopardy. Gabriella strains to make ends meet after her husband is laid off; Doris slides into depression as she tries to deny signs of her husband's infidelity. Sometimes close to and sometimes at odds with each other, the friends struggle to face harsh realities and, in the process, gain new independence. The actual book club of the title plays an oddly small role in this celebration of friendship and growth--the books the club reads are mentioned only briefly and often seem irrelevant to the women's struggles. Still, Monroe offers up believable characters in a well-crafted story.

Have you read it? If so, what did you think?

Friday Finds -- 1/7

2011-01-07T05:00:00.000-08:00

This meme is hosted by Should Be Reading.

Happy Friday! My Friday Find this week is Our Lady of Immaculate Deception by Nancy Martin. I love Nancy Martin's series The Blackbird Sisters Mysteries and am looking forward to reading this new series! Here is the Barnes and Noble description:

Roxy Abruzzo, bestseller Nancy Martin’s latest creation, is a loud-mouthed, sexy, independent-minded niece of a Pittsburgh Mafia boss trying to go (mostly) straight. She’d like to stay completely out of her uncle Carmine’s shady business dealings, though he's trying to reel her in. She'd like to concentrate on the architectural salvage business she runs mostly on the up and up for a tidy profit. She'd like to keep her rebellious teenage daughter on the straight and narrow. But Roxy knows where all the good intentions in the world usually lead, and when she can’t help herself from tucking away an ancient Greek statue that's not really hers, she pays for it by getting caught up in the chaos surrounding the sordid murder of the statue’s former owner, heir to a billion-dollar Pittsburgh steel fortune.

Sound like a ton of fun! What is your Friday Find?

Review -- Maybe This Time by Jennifer Crusie

2011-01-06T05:39:00.000-08:00

Maybe This Time
by Jennifer Crusie
St. Martin's Press, 2010
352 pages

Summary (from Barnes and Noble): Andie Miller is ready to move on in life. She wants to marry her fiancé and leave behind everything in her past, especially her ex-husband, North Archer. But when Andie tries to gain closure with him, he asks one final favor of her before they go their separate ways forever. A very distant cousin of his has died and left North as the guardian of two orphans who have driven out three nannies already, and things are getting worse. He needs a very special person to take care of the situation and he knows Andie can handle anything.

Review: Annie is like a tough, non-singing Mary Poppins to two very smart, very spooky kids. Right from the beginning the reader knows that this is not your regular chick-lit or romance novel because there is a very large supernatural subplot that grows with each turning page. Maybe This Time is an entertaining and fun read but the reader must suspend belief because this is escapism at its best. The characters are eccentric and funny, the plot is non-stop, and the reader can easily get wrapped up in the story and lose track of time (at least that is what happened to this reader). My only criticism is that the romantic triangle was predicable and seemed almost an afterthought in comparison to the rest of the plot. Rating:***1/2 out of 5

Have you read this book? If so, leave your thoughts or a link to your review in the comments section!

Review -- Still Missing by Chevy Stevens

2011-01-05T07:17:00.000-08:00

Still Missing

by Chevy Stevens

St. Martin's Press, 2010

352 pages

*I borrowed a copy from the library.

Summary (from Barnes and Noble): On the day she was abducted, Annie O’Sullivan, a thirty-two year old realtor, had three goals—sell a house, forget about a recent argument with her mother, and be on time for dinner with her ever- patient boyfriend. The open house is slow, but when her last visitor pulls up in a van as she's about to leave, Annie thinks it just might be her lucky day after all. Interwoven with the story of the year Annie spent as the captive of psychopath in a remote mountain cabin, which unfolds through sessions with her psychiatrist, is a second narrative recounting events following her escape—her struggle to piece her shattered life back together and the ongoing police investigation into the identity of her captor.

Review: Still Missing is an intense and engrossing tale of one woman's struggle to deal with the aftermath of being kidnapped and abused. This book is not for everyone. It is a thriller that has many hard to read scenes. The main character, Annie, is understandably angry, abrasive, and unable to trust anyone -- even the psychiatrist who she narrators her tale to. Author Chevy Stevens gives the reader little pieces of Annie's story at a time, leaving the reader wanting to know more. Easily a one or two sitting book -- that good. Rating: ***** out of 5

3 W Wednesdays -- 1/5

2011-01-05T05:24:00.000-08:00

This meme is hosted by Should Be Reading.

What are you currently reading? I am almost finished with Ines of My Soul by Isabel Allende and I just started Uglies by Scott Westerfeld.

What have you recently finished reading? I just finished Girls in Trucks by Katie Crouch and Our Lady of Immaculate Conception by Nancy Martin (reviews to come). I also recently reviewed Last Night at Chateau Marmont by Lauren Weisberger and One Day by David Nicholls (click on title to read my review).

What are you reading next? I am hoping to get my hands on a copy of Finny by Justin Kramon this weekend at the bookstore and then devouring it over the weekend -- I am hearing fantastic things about this book!

Book Club Spotlight -- Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

2011-01-04T07:10:00.000-08:00

The library book club will be reading Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford. Here is the Barnes and Noble description:

"In the opening pages of Jamie Ford's debut novel, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, Henry Lee comes upon a crowd gathered outside the Panama Hotel. once the gateway to Seattle's Japantown. It has been boarded up for decades. but now the new owner has made an incredible discovery: the belongings of Japanese families, left when they were rounded up and sent to internment camps during World War II. As Henry looks on, the owner opens a Japanese parasol." "This simple act takes Henry back to the 1940s, when his world was a jumble of confusion and excitement, and to his father. who was obsessed with the war in China and having Henry grow up American. While "scholarshipping" at the exclusive Ranier Elementary. where the white kids ignore him, Henry meets Keiko Okabe, a young Japanese American student. Amid the chaos of blackouts, curfews, and FBI raids, Henry and Keiko forge a bond of friendship - and innocent love - that transcends the long-standing prejudices of their Old World ancestors. After Keiko and her family are swept up in the evacuations to the internment camps, she and Henry are left only with the hope that the war will end and that their promise to each other will be kept." Forty years later, Henry Lee, certain that the parasol belonged to Keiko, searches the hotel's dark. dusty basement for signs of the Okabe family's belongings and for a long-lost object whose value he cannot even begin to measure. Now a widower, Henry is still trying to find his voice: words that might explain the actions of his nationalistic father; words that might bridge the gap between him and his modern, Chinese American son; words that might help him confront the choices he made many years ago.

I remember this being a popular book when it was published. Have you read it? If so, what did you think?

Pictures from the Set -- Something Borrowed

2011-01-03T10:03:00.000-08:00

I found a website with pictures from the set of Something Borrowed by Emily Griffin. Enjoy!!

Something Borrowed Pictures from the Set

Anybody thinking about seeing the movie when it comes out?

It's Monday! What are you reading? -- 1/3

2011-01-03T06:34:00.000-08:00

This meme is hosted by Book Journey.

Happy Monday! I am currently reading Girl in Trucks by Katie Crouch and am really enjoying it. I was having trouble putting the book at bedtime last night! I recently finished Our Lady of Immaculate Deception by Nancy Martin (love her!) and reviewed Last Night at Chateau Marmont by Lauren Weisberger (click on the title to read my review).

What are you reading?

Book Club Spotlight -- House Rules by Jodi Picoult

2011-01-02T06:07:00.000-08:00

This is one of the books that the library book club will be reading over the next six months. Here is the Barnes and Noble description:

Jacob Hunt is a teen with Asperger's Syndrome. He is hopeless at reading social cues or expressing himself well to others, though he is brillant in many ways. But he has a special focus on one subject -- forensic analysis. A police scanner in his room clues him in to crime scenes, and he is always showing up and telling the cops what to do. And he's usually right. But when Jacob's small town is rocked by a terrible murder, law enforcement comes to him. Jacob's behaviors are hallmark Asperger's, but they look a lot like guilt to the local police. Suddenly, the Hunt family, who only want to fit in, are directly in the spotlight.

This sounds like a tough subject. Have you read this? If so, what did you think?

Pictures from the Set -- One Day

2011-01-01T08:21:00.000-08:00

I recently read One Day by David Nicholls and am very excited to see the movie version. I came across a website with photos from the set and thought I would share.

Anne Hathaway Filming One Day

Have you read One Day? Will you go see the movie?

Friday Finds -- 12/31

2010-12-31T07:57:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday! My Friday Find is Riding with the Queen by Jennie Shortridge. Here is the Barnes and Noble description:

Full of big dreams of the fast life, Tallie Beck hit the road at the age of seventeen to become a rock 'n roll star-and vowed never to look back. Now, at thirty-four, she's little more than a down-and-out singer who smokes and drinks too much and knows better than to make promises she can't keep. Dumped by her latest band and low on cash, Tallie has no choice but to go back to Denver. Back to her crazy mother, and her resentful younger sister, Jane, who's never forgiven her for leaving. But seeing her family again after all these years stirs something unexpected in Tallie. And after so many miles on that long, exhilarating, scary-and often lonely-road, she's looking back to trace some wrong turns, and figure out the way to where she really wants to go...

What is your Friday Find?

Book Club Spotlight -- Ines of My Soul by Isabel Allende

2010-12-30T05:49:00.000-08:00

One of the books that the library book club will be reading over the next few months is Ines of My Soul by Isabel Allende. Here is the Barnes and Noble description:

Born into a poor family in Spain, Ines works hard to make ends meet. It is the sixteenth century, and when her shiftless husband disappears to the New World, Ines uses the opportunity to search for him as an excuse to flee her stifling homeland and seek adventure. After her treacherous journey takes her to Peru, she learns that her husband has died in battle. Soon, she begins a fiery love affair with a man who will change the course of her life.

I have started this book and am really enjoying it. Unbelievable description of how they lived makes it hard to put down. Have you read this? If so, what did you think?

Book Club Spotlight -- Finny by Justin Kramon

2010-12-29T08:00:00.000-08:00

One of the books the library book club will be reading over the next few months is Finny by Justin Kramon. Here is what Publisher's Weekly had to say:

In his impressive debut, Kramon takes on a number of familiar coming-of-age plots -- small town fish out of water adolescence, frustrated first love, boarding school friendships, big city escapes -- and pulls it off with flair and humor.

Sound good, right? Have you read this? If so, what did you think?

3 W Wednesdays -- 12/29

2010-12-29T05:23:00.000-08:00

This meme is hosted by Should Be Reading.

What are you currently reading? I just started When She Flew by Jennie Shortridge.

What have you recently finished reading? I just finished Love and Biology at the Center of the Universe by Jennie Shortridge (review to come), Last Night at Chateau Marmont by Lauren Weisberger, and One Day by David Nicholls (click on title to read my review).

What are you planning on reading next? Not sure. I have one more Jennie Shortridge book on the bookcase -- Riding with the Queen. I also have Nancy Martin's newest -- Our Lady of Immaculate Deception.

Review -- Last Night at Chateau Marmont by Lauren Weisberger

2010-12-28T12:07:00.000-08:00

Last Night at Chateau Marmont
by Lauren Weisberger
Simon and Schuster Adult, 2010
370 pages
*I borrowed this book from the library.

Summary: Brooke and Julian have been married for five years. She is a nutritionist who works two jobs, supporting her husband so he can work on his music career. When Julian's record comes out and an appearance on Jay Leno makes him a celebrity, Brooke is left alone in New York and hounded by the paparazzi. Will their marriage survive the roller coaster ride of being a celebrity?

Review: I have to say that out of all the Lauren Weisberger novels (Everyone Worth Knowing, The Devil Wears Prada, and Chasing Harry Winston) -- this is my favorite so far. I enjoyed the character of Brooke and could sympathize with her as she struggles to make her marriage work. I thought she was a great character -- down to earth and interesting. Overall, the book was a bit disappointing. The plot was a bit predictable and the supporting characters were kind of dull. However, it was a quick easy read that was entertaining. Rating: *** out of 5.

Have you read this book? If so, leave a link to your review in the comments section!

Review -- One Day by David Nicholls

2010-12-27T12:26:00.000-08:00

One Day

by David Nicholls

Knopf Doubleday, 2010

437 pages

*I won a copy of this book from the publisher.

Summary: Dexter and Emma are connected by the one day they spent together after graduating from college. As they go their separate ways and become different people, they continue to stay connected through letters and eventually become best friends.

Review: Through 'snapshots' of one day (July 15) over the course of twenty years, author David Nicholls describes the relationship between two people as they journey to find themselves and their way through life. The novel is entertaining, the characters are interesting and real, and the novel is (at times) heartbreaking. Emma and Dexter are wonderful characters, who are perfect for one another, but the reader is allowed the time to see them grow and mature both in and out of their relationship. A wonderful read. Rating: **** out of 5

Book Club Selections

2010-12-16T07:15:00.002-08:00

The local book club that I belong to chose these books to discuss over the next six months:

Finny by Justin Kramon

Ines of My Soul by Isabel Allende

House Rules by Jodi Picoult

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks

The Book Club by Mary Alice Munroe

Someone Knows My Name by Lawrence Hill

I will be highlighting each of these books in future posts. I have already started Ines of My Soul and am really enjoying it.

Have you read any of these books? If so, did you like / dislike any of them?

Friday Finds -- 10/1

2010-10-01T11:46:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday! My Friday Find for this week is Star Island by Carl Hiaasen. Here is the Barnes and Noble description:

Twenty-two-year-old pop star Cherry Pye is attempting a comeback from her latest drug and alcohol disaster. Ann DeLusia is Cherry's "undercover stunt double," portraying Cherry whenever the singer is too wasted to go out in public. But, one night, Ann-as-Cherry is mistakenly kidnapped from a South Beach hotel by an obsessed paparazzo named Bang Abbott. Now the challenge for Cherry's handlers (über--stage mother; horndog record producer; nipped-and-tucked twin publicists; weed-whacker-wielding bodyguard) is to rescue Ann while keeping her existence secret from the public--and from Cherry herself.

This sounds like a really funny read. What did you find this week?

It's Monday! What are you reading? -- 9/13

2010-09-13T06:33:00.000-07:00

This meme is hosted by Book Journey.

Sorry I have been MIA lately. I started grad school last week and between work, homework, and spending time with my boyfriend and family, I have been swamped. However, I did devour the fantastic Still Missing by Chevy Stevens this weekend and am hoping to post a review of the lovely One Day by David Nicholls by the end of the week. After that -- it is back to homework and if I have a free minute or two, I will be reading Alice I Have Been by Melanie Benjamin and The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry.

What are you reading?

August 2010 Wrap Up

2010-09-02T05:27:00.001-07:00

Reviewed:

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

Starting From Scratch by Susan Gilbert - Collins

Look Again by Lisa Scottoline

The Wife's Tale by Lori Lansens

Read, But Not Yet Reviewed:

One Day by David Nicholls

*On a side note: Next week I am starting graduate school, so I may be a bit M.I.A for the first month while I get use to the pace of two classes. Thanks to everyone who subscribes, follows, and comments on Barney's Book Blog!

Review -- Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

2010-08-24T11:45:00.000-07:00

Eat, Pray, Love

by Elizabeth Gilbert

Penguin, 2007

352 pages

*My mom let me borrow her copy.

Summary: After a terrible divorce, Liz spends a year traveling in order to heal herself from within. She spends 4 months each in Italy (eat), India (pray), and Bali (love).

Review: Wow, at times this novel can be really powerful... and sad... and interesting... and funny. Author Elizabeth Gilbert takes the reader on a journey to find a balance between pleasure and enlightenment. The prose is wonderful. The author is able to express herself and explain the change within in such a personable way. I found myself feeling as though the author was a close friend. A friend who was opening up about all her anxieties and difficulties as she learned how to be a better version of herself. However, there were sections of the novel where I wanted to yell at her -- Who cares if you are having trouble mediating? YOU ARE IN INDIA!!! On a side note, I am also EXTREMELY JEALOUS, because who wouldn't want to get paid to travel to these great place and just work on relaxing, finding themselves, and being happy? I think she has one of the best jobs in the world. Overall, highly recommended especially for those interested in traveling, spiritual journeys, memoirs, and Italian food. Rating: **** out of 5

It's Monday! What are you reading? -- 8/23

2010-08-23T05:46:00.000-07:00

This meme is hosted by Book Journey.

I can't believe the weekend is over already! Over the weekend I was able to almost finish the fantastic One Day by David Nicholls. Last week I finished Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert (review to come) and reviewed Starting From Scratch by Susan Gilbert-Collins (click on the title to read my review).

This week I am hoping to start one, if not all of the following: The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry, The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery, and Alice I Have Been by Melanie Benjamin.

What are you reading this week?

Friday Finds -- 8/20

2010-08-20T05:31:00.000-07:00

This meme is hosted by Should Be Reading.

I just finished a fantastic novel with recipes and then came across Lunch in Paris, A Love Story With Recipes by Elizabeth Bard. This book sounds great. Here is the Barnes and Noble description:

Was it love at first sight? Or was it the way her knife slid effortlessly through her pavé au poivre, the steak'spink juices puddling into the buttery pepper sauce? LUNCH IN PARIS is a memoir about a young American woman caught up in two passionate love affairs--one with her new beau, Gwendal, the other with French cuisine. Packing her bags for a new life in the world's most romantic city, Elizabeth is plunged into a world of bustling open-air markets, hipster bistros, and size 2 femmes fatales. She learns to gut her first fish (with a little help from Jane Austen), soothe pangs of homesickness (with the rise of a chocolate soufflé) and develops a crush on her local butcher (who bears a striking resemblance to Matt Dillon). Elizabeth finds that the deeper she immerses herself in the world of French cuisine, the more Paris itself begins to translate. French culture, she discovers, is not unlike a well-ripened cheese-there may be a crusty exterior, until you cut through to the melting, piquant heart.

Doesn't this sound wonderful and delicious? What did you find this week?

Review -- Starting From Scratch by Susan Gilbert-Collins

2010-08-19T06:41:00.001-07:00

Starting from Scratch

by Susan Gilbert-Collins

Simon & Schuster Adult, 2010

322 pages

*I received this from the publisher for review.

Summary: On the day she defends her dissertation, Olivia is devastated by the news that her mother (Vivian) has died. Olivia moves home and uncovers secrets about her mother and three siblings while learning to move forward from the terrible loss.

Review: Let me explain why my summary is just okay -- I forgot to mention the cooking! The novel is centered around Vivian's love of cooking and even includes recipes. Olivia uses cooking as a way of feeling close to her mom. I thought this was lovely little novel filled with wonderful characters and some unexpected surprises. Each sibling (including Olivia) has a secret that they are keeping from the family. The author does such a great job of having the secrets come out in both funny and sad ways that make you feel like part of the family. Olivia was a great main character, very interesting and relatable. Overall, a fun and light read that was very entertaining and made my mouth water the entire time! Rating: **** out of 5

**** Corrections (8/20/10): Thanks to Ruth who caught my mistakes! In the original post I wrote that Annie was the main character, but have since fixed it to read Olivia. Sorry everyone!

Have you read and reviewed this book? Then leave a link to your review in the comments section!

3 W Wednesdays -- 8/18

2010-08-18T05:42:00.000-07:00

This meme is hosted by Should Be Reading.

What are you reading? Currently, I am about 20 pages away from finishing Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert and 20 pages into One Day by David Nicholls.

What have you recently finished reading? Over the weekend I finished Starting from Scratch by Susan Gilbert-Collins (review to come) and last week I reviewed Look Again by Lisa Scottoline (click on title to read my review).

What are you reading next? Most likely I will try to read The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry or if the library has a copy, then I will read The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson.

What are you reading?

It's Monday! What are you reading? -- 8/16

2010-08-16T05:21:00.000-07:00

This meme is hosted by Book Journey.

Happy Monday! This week I am trying to finish Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert so I can go see the movie with my mom. I also need to pick up One Day by David Nicholls again and if all goes according to plan (which it never does) then I will finish the week off by reading The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry. Last week, I read Starting from Scratch (which I loved, review to come) and reviewed Look Again by Lisa Scottoline (click on the title to read my review, not my favorite but had some good qualities).

What are you reading this week?

Friday Finds -- 8/13

2010-08-13T05:45:00.000-07:00

This meme is hosted by Should Be Reading.

My Friday Find this week is a book that I am in the middle of and can't seem to put down. It's the lovely Starting From Stratch by Susan Gilbert-Collins. Here is the Barnes and Noble description:

In this heartwarming debut novel with recipes, a grief-stricken daughter cooks herself and her family back to life.

Okay, if that was not enough information for you then here is what I found at the publisher's website:

Why is someone who just defended her doctoral dissertation still wasting her time at her childhood home, two months after her mother's funeral, making coq au vin and osso buco? Olivia Tschetter, the youngest of four high-achieving South Dakotan siblings, is not returning to "normal"—or to graduate school— quickly enough to suit her family. She wants only to bury herself in her mother's kitchen, finding solace in their shared passion for cooking. Threatened with grief counseling, Olivia accepts a temporary position at the local Meals on Wheels, where she stumbles upon some unfinished business from her mother's past—and a dark family secret. Startling announcements from two siblings also challenge the family's status quo. The last thing she needs is a deepening romantic interest in a close but platonic (she thought) friend. But while Olivia's mother is gone, her memory and spirit continue to engage Olivia, who finds herself daring to speak when she would never have spoken before. Told with humor and compassion, Starting from Scratch explores the shifting of family dynamics in the wake of shattering loss and the healing power of cooking.

Food is a constant in the book, so I am always hungry while reading it and I am seriously considering buying a cast iron skillet just so I can try the chocolate cake recipe. Seriously.

What did you find this week?

Review -- Look Again by Lisa Scottoline

2010-08-12T05:23:00.001-07:00

Look Again
by Lisa Scottoline
St. Martin's Press, 2009
352 pages

*I borrowed this book from the library.

Summary: When Ellen suspects that her adoptive son may be the kidnapped son of another couple, she sets out to find the truth and puts herself and her son in danger.

Review: In the beginning of the book, Ellen struggles to decide if she should look into her adoptive son's biological family to determine if he is a kidnapping victim. And she struggles. And she struggles. And her kid is whiny. And her kid has a temper tantrum. And she feels like a terrible mom. And she struggles. So I was really bored in the beginning, but about half way through the novel, the action picks up. All of a sudden, Ellen is tailing people and getting DNA samples all spy-like. And I can't put the novel down, it's so good. The ending was a little predictable but still a good conclusion to the story. Overall, the characters were okay, the plot was good, the writing was fine, but I most likely won't read another by this author anytime soon. Rating: ** out of 5.

Have you read and reviewed this book? If so, leave a link to your review in the comments section!

3 W Wednesdays -- 8/11

2010-08-11T05:00:00.000-07:00

This meme is hosted by Should Be Reading.

What are you currently reading? Right now I am in the third part of Eat, Pray, Love (the love part) by Elizabeth Gilbert and only a handful of pages into One Day by David Nicholls and Starting from Scratch by Susan Gilbert - Collins.

What have you recently finished reading? I just finished Look Again by Lisa Scottoline (review to come) and The Wife's Tale by Lori Lansens (click on the title to read my review).

What are you reading next? No idea. I need to finish the three that I am working on before starting something new.

It's Monday! What are you reading? -- 8/9

2010-08-09T05:58:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday! I have today off of work so this will be a quick post and then I am off to yoga class. I am currently reading Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert (I just finished the Italy portion and am yearning to go there on my next vacation) and One Day by David Nicholls (not much to report I have only read a few pages since last week). Last week, I finished Look Again by Lisa Scottoline (review to come) and reviewed The Wife's Tale by Lori Lansens (click on the title to read my review). I have book club tomorrow night and we are discussing The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows (click on the title for my review). Have a great week of reading!!!

What are you reading?

Book Club Spotlight -- 8/8

2010-08-08T05:00:00.000-07:00

In October, the library book club will be reading The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry. Here is the Barnes and Noble description:

Can you read your future in a piece of lace? All of the Whitney women can. But the last time Towner read, it killed her sister and nearly robbed Towner of her own sanity. Vowing never to read lace again, her resolve is tested when faced with the mysterious, unsolvable disappearance of her beloved Great Aunt Eva, Salem's original Lace Reader. Told from opposing and often unreliable perspectives, the story engages the reader's own beliefs. Should we listen to Towner, who may be losing her mind for the second time? Or should we believe John Rafferty, a no nonsense New York detective, who ran away from the city to a simpler place only to find himself inextricably involved in a psychic tug of war with all three generations of Whitney women? Does either have the whole story? Or does the truth lie somewhere in the swirling pattern of the lace?

Have you read this book? If so, give it some love (or dislike) in the comments section -- just no spoilers please!

Do you use Google Analytics?

2010-08-07T06:14:00.000-07:00

I feel very behind the times. A few weeks ago, I (finally) installed Google Analytics on my blog. It only took me three times to figure it out (and I strangely consider myself tech savvy). So now the results come in everyday and I wonder how to use the information that it gathers.

How do you use the information from Google Analytics? Have you set goals based on the data? If so, what are they?

Right now the only thing I really understand is how many visitors I receive on a daily basis and the average amount of time a visitor stays. That's pretty much it. Oh, and I like the feature that shows which content is viewed the most.

As a reviewer do you use this information to receive review copies? Do you report this information to anyone -- publishers, publicists, or your own readers?

Let me know in the comments section or send me an email at jedziedz(at)hotmail(dot)com.

Friday Finds -- 8/6

2010-08-06T05:57:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday! My Friday find for this week is Maybe This Time by Jennifer Crusie (available 8/31/10). One of my all time guilty pleasures is Agnes and the Hitman also written by Crusie (and Bob Mayer). Here is the Barnes and Noble description:

Andie Miller is ready to move on in life. She wants to marry her fiance and leave behind everything in her past, especially her ex-husband, North Archer. But when Andie tries to gain closure with him, he asks one final favor of her before they go their separate ways forever. A very distant cousin of his has died and left North as the guardian of two orphans who have driven out three nannies already, and things are getting worse. He needs a very special person to take care of the situation and he knows Andie can handle anything…When Andie meets the two children she quickly realizes things are much worse than she feared. The place is a mess, the children, Carter and Alice, aren’t your average delinquents, and the creepy old house where they live is being run by the worst housekeeper since Mrs. Danvers. What’s worse, Andie’s fiance thinks this is all a plan by North to get Andie back, and he may be right. Andie’s dreams have been haunted by North since she arrived at the old house. And that’s not the only haunting…What follows is a hilarious adventure in exorcism, including a self-doubting parapsychologist, an annoyed medium, her Tarot-card reading mother, an avenging ex-mother-in-law, and, of course, her jealous fiance. And just when she thinks things couldn’t get more complicated, North shows up on the doorstep making her wonder if maybe this time things could be different between them. If Andie can just get rid of all the guests and ghosts, she’s pretty sure she can save the kids, and herself, from the past. But fate might just have another thing in mind…

It sounds like the perfect summer read -- I can't wait! What did you find?

WWW Wednesdays -- 8/4

2010-08-04T05:00:00.000-07:00

This meme is hosted by Should Be Reading.

What are you currently reading? Right now I am in the middle of Look Again by Lisa Scottoline (I started skimming -- I don't know if it's my mood, the characters, or the topic that is turning me off) and One Day by David Nicholls (less than 20 pages in -- very interesting characters so far).

What have you recently finished? Last week I finished The Wife's Tale by Lori Lansens (click on the title to read my review). Yesterday I searched the internet for word that there is a sequel in the works to this book, but came up with nothing. Very disappointing.

What are you reading next? Maybe I will try to finish The Host by Stephenie Meyer (a re-read) or The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry (for book club in October).

What are you reading?

Review -- The Wife's Tale by Lori Lansens

2010-08-03T05:00:00.000-07:00

The Wife's Tale

by Lori Lansens

Little Brown, 2010

353 pages

*I borrowed this book from the library.

Summary: Mary's life is filled by her hunger for food and her love for her husband, Gooch. Overwhelmed by grief and depression, Mary is morbidly obese. When Mary's husband disappears, she faces her fears and leaves her small town in Canada for California. With the help of strangers, she begins to learn who she is without Gooch.

Review: I am going to start at the end instead of the beginning. For me, the ending was abrupt and disappointing because the book was so good. I turned the last page and was upset because I absolutely loved Mary and was so proud of the transition she begun to make within. Okay, so back to the beginning. When you meet Mary, you recognize the sadness and depression in her life and her inability to sedate the hunger she feels inside. Author Lori Lansens does a great job describing Mary's fight with food and endearing her to the reader. The strongest part of the novel for me was Mary's quest to find Gooch. I just loved all of the characters who helped her with her journey and how accepting they were of her. They were able to see beyond the weight to the person she was inside and I think that helped Mary to begin the process of healing herself. Rating: **** out of 5 (Dear Lori Lansen, I will make it 5 out of 5 stars if you tell me there is a sequel in the works. Thank you, Jess)

Have you read and reviewed this novel? Then leave a link to your review in the comments section!

It's Monday! What are you reading? -- 8/2

2010-08-02T05:20:00.000-07:00

This meme is hosted by Book Journey.

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. The weather here (in Massachusetts) is really beautiful -- cool, sunny, and breezy. The perfect weather to sit outside with a book and something fruity to drink. I digress! This week, I am reading One Day by David Nicholls (interesting so far) and Look Again by Lisa Scottline (kind of terrible -- maybe I am just not in the mood?). Last week I finished the wonderful A Wife's Tale by Lori Lansens (review to come) but if you want to discuss the ending then shoot me an email (jedziedzAThotmailDOTcom) because I have a lot of confusion and disappointment brewing (and I absolutely loved this novel). I also reviewed the fantastic This Must Be The Place by Kate Racculia (click on the title for my review).

What are you reading this week?

July 2010 Wrap Up

2010-07-31T05:00:00.000-07:00

I had a tough month! For the first few weeks I was stuck on some real chunksters and had to bring them back to the library unfinished, but I am finally back in the reading groove!

My reviews:

1. The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters

2. The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

3. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

4. This Must Be the Place by Kate Racculia

I actually enjoyed all four of these books, but Guernsey and This Must Be the Place were absolutely fantastic. I gave both books 5 stars!

How was your month?

Thank you for the award!

2010-07-30T06:13:00.000-07:00

I was one of 50 wonderful book blogs that was recognized by Awarding the Web and Online PhD Programs. I want to thank everyone who voted for my blog and the wonderful people over at Awarding the Web for their dedication and support of book blogs (especially little ones like me).

To see the entire list of winners, please go to http://www.onlinephdprograms.com/top_general_book/#Barneys_Book_Blog.

Friday Finds -- 7/30

2010-07-30T05:54:00.000-07:00

This meme is hosted by Should Be Reading.

My Friday find this week is The Embers by Hyatt Bass. Here is the Barnes and Noble description:

A novel about a once-ascendant Upper East Side family that has crumbled in the aftermath of a tragedy for which the father has been held responsible, and how they put the pieces of their lives back together.

I know it is a short summary, but doesn't it sound interesting? For more information, go to the Macmillian website. What did you find this week?

My Favorite Reads -- 7/29

2010-07-28T08:20:00.000-07:00

This meme is hosted by At Home With Books.

My favorite read this week is The Divorce Party by Laura Dave. This was a wonderful novel about a woman who throws a divorce party and how it affects her family. It is an engrossing read filled with interesting characters. (Divorce parties are unbelievably real, just google 'divorce party' and you get tons of sites devoted to the planning and preparation of divorce parties. One site even had 'divorce party games'.)

Check out the rest of my review: The Divorce Party Review

What is your favorite read?

3 W Wednesdays -- 7/28

2010-07-28T05:00:00.000-07:00

This meme is hosted by Should Be Reading.

What are you currently reading? I am about 50 pages into A Wife's Tale by Lori Lansens (very sad so far) and 50 pages into Look Again by Lisa Scottoline (kind of dragging -- hope it picks up).

What have you recently finished? Last week I finished The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows and This Must Be The Place by Kate Racculia (both 5 stars -- click on the title to read my review).

What are you reading next? I think it's going to be One Day by David Nicholls or maybe Undress Me in the Temple of Heaven by Susan Jane Gilman.

Review -- This Must Be The Place by Kate Racculia

2010-07-27T05:54:00.000-07:00

This Must Be The Place

by Kate Racculia

Henry Holt, 2010

368 pages

*I received a review copy from the publisher.

Summary: When his wife unexpectedly dies, Arthur finds a mysterious postcard amongst her things and ends up in Ruby Falls. There he meets his wife's childhood friend, Mona and her daughter Oneida and he begins to learn who his wife was before she met him.

Review: How can I explain how much I loved this novel? The four main characters (Arthur, Mona, Oneida, and Eugene) are so wonderfully quirky that I couldn't help but love them. Author Kate Racculia really nailed the teenage angst and confusion as well as the intensity of a first relationship. The story is predictable but I think the author lets the reader in on the secret early so that we are able to bond with Mona and Arthur and dread the moment when the secret is revealed (this is just a theory). The story is engrossing and the writing is wonderful. I especially loved when the narrative progressed into the future to give the reader an understanding of how important the events of the story are and how they change the course of the character's life. Rating: ***** out of 5. (I had to, I LOVED IT.)

The Little Stranger Giveway Winner!

2010-07-26T11:53:00.000-07:00

THE WINNER OF THE LITTLE STRANGER BY

SARAH WATERS IS...

ALYCE!

CONGRATS! AND THANKS TO ALL WHO SIGNED UP FOR THE GIVEAWAY.

It's Monday! What are you reading? -- 7/26

2010-07-26T05:21:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday! I am in such a good mood because even though my weekend was very busy I was still able to get a decent amount of reading done. Currently, I am reading Look Again by Lisa Scottoline (for book club) and A Wife's Tale by Lori Lansens (just started it last night). I finished the fantastic This Must Be The Place by Kate Racculia (review to come) and the outstanding The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows (click on the title to read my review).

What are you reading?

Book Club Spotlight -- 7/25

2010-07-25T05:00:00.000-07:00

Our book club will be reading Look Again by Lisa Scottoline for our September meeting. Here is the Barnes and Noble description:

The blockbuster New York Times bestselling author joins St. Martin's Press with a knock-out novel about a woman who comes to suspect that her adopted child is actually another couple's kidnapped child.

Sounds like an intriguing plot. Have you read this? If so, give it some love (or some dislike -- just no spoilers!) in the comments.

What is your all time favorite book?

2010-07-24T05:00:00.000-07:00

I know, I know -- It's like asking a mom to pick a favorite kid. It's really hard. Yet, once I sat and thought for a minute or two, it easily came to me. I guess you could break it down by genre. What is your favorite classic? Favorite historical romance or literary fiction? But that would take a long time and I am quite sure I wouldn't have a book for every genre.

So my pick? It is definitely Persuasion by Jane Austen. I could read Persuasion time and time again (in fact I have) and never get bored with it. I absolutely love Anne. She is the perfect heroine (okay, okay maybe not perfect -- she can be a bit of a doormat) who picks the perfect gentleman in Captain Wentworth (okay, okay he is not perfect either -- but very close). I love the family running away from the collectors, the hypochondriac sister and her sweet country in-laws. I love all the talk about the Navy and their trip to Lyme. I love the scandal in Bath and (of course) the perfect ending.

All right! Enough gushing! What is your all time favorite book?

The Little Stranger Giveaway

2010-07-23T09:00:00.000-07:00

I am giving away one gently used copy of The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters. Here is the Barnes and Noble description:

Set in rural Warwickshire just after the Second World War, The Little Stranger is her fifth novel, the first with a male narrator, Dr. Faraday. We meet the doctor at Hundreds Hall, a former grand structure now wasting away, and home to the Ayreses for close to two centuries. Members of the landed gentry now fallen to ruin, the Ayreses -- Mrs. Ayres and her two grown children, Caroline and Roderick -- seem steeped in a bygone, gentler age. Called upon to examine the housemaid, Dr Faraday finds himself strangely drawn to the dilapidated house, where his own mother used to work as a maid 30 years ago. What begins as mild fascination with the house and its residents will transform itself into something more pronounced as Dr. Faraday scrambles to make sense of the strange happenings that begin to haunt Hundreds. Unexplained marks appear on the walls, fires start on their own accord, and footsteps break the silence of unoccupied rooms. Acting both as doctor and confidant, Dr. Faraday's life becomes closely entwined with the Ayreses, even as a string of greater tragedies descend on the Hundreds. This is quintessential Waters territory -- involving madness, suicide, and an arguable murder -- perfected over the rather steep arc of her work. Dripping with psychological suspense, The Little Stranger keeps the reader guessing on whether it is an atmospheric horror story or a macabre murder mystery right to the end.

And here is my review: The Little Stranger Review

If you would like to enter the giveaway, then leave your name and email address in the comments section. The giveaway will close on Sunday, July 25th at midnight EST. Only US residents please. Good luck!

Friday Finds -- 7/23

2010-07-23T05:00:00.000-07:00

This meme is hosted by Should Be Reading.

Happy Friday! My Friday Find is Bird In Hand by Christina Baker Kline. Here is the Barnes and Noble description:

The accident was just that -- an accident. It was dark, it was raining, ALISON had two drinks in her, and the other car ran the stop sign. She just didn't get out of the way fast enough. But now a little boy -- not her own -- is dead, and Alison finds herself trapped under the twin burdens of grief and guilt, and feeling increasingly estranged from her husband . . . CHARLIE, who has his own burdens. He's in a job he doesn't love so that Alison can stay home with the kids (and why isn't she more grateful for that?); he has a house in the suburbs and a long commute to and from the city each day. And the only thing can focus on these days is his secret, sudden affair with . . . CLAIRE, Alison's best friend. Bold where Alison is reserved; vibrant where Alison is demure, Claire has just had her first novel published, a thinly-veiled retelling of her childhood in South Carolina (which is also Alison's, in a sense). But even in the whirlwind of publication, Claire can't stop wondering if she should leave her husband . . . BEN, an architect who is thoughtful, kind, and patient. And who wants nothing more than a baby, or two -- in fact, exactly the kind of life that Charlie and Alison have . . . Four people, two marriages, one lifelong friendship: everything is about to change.

Sounds very interesting! What did you find this week?

Review -- The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

2010-07-22T05:30:00.000-07:00

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

Random House, 2008

288 pages

*I borrowed this book from the library.

Summary: Shortly after WWII, writer Juliet Ashton befriends the members of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society.

Review: I absolutely loved this novel. It is a wonderful light, easy read that just transports you to another time and place. Told completely through letters, the characters (especially Juliet) shine through the page and give the novel a light and breezy tone. The story of a community living through the Occupation is an upbeat survivors tale with a little history mixed in. All of the society members are wonderfully unique individuals that the reader can easily love. I definitely recommend this novel. Rating: ***** out of 5.

3 W Wednesday -- 7/22

2010-07-21T06:14:00.000-07:00

This meme is hosted by Should Be Reading.

What are you currently reading? I am currently reading This Must Be the Place by Kate Racculia. So far it's a wonderfully funny read with really interesting characters.

What have you recently finished reading? The fantastic Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows (review coming soon!).

What are you reading next? I am thinking either A Wife's Tale by Lori Lansens or The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson.