The Tudors

Do you love history? Doesn't matter because this series rocks either way! Jonathon Rhys Meyers is fantastic as Henry VIII. The series starts as Henry becomes increasing frustrated with his lack of a male heir and is turning away from Katherine of Aragon and being seduced by Anne Bolyen. But it is more than Henry's liasons; it is the manipulation by Henry by others, his  break from the Catholic Church and the formation of the Church of England. Obviously, there is some creative license used by the writers, but it is captivating and brilliant.

Jeremy Northam is Sir Thomas More, Sam Neill plays Cardinal Wolsey, and James Frain is amazing as Thomas Cromwell. Did I mention that Henry Cavill is incredibly sexy as Charles Brandon, the Duke of Suffolk.

I have seen up to Season 3 on DVD and am thinking of getting Showtime so I can watch Season 4. Even though I know a lot of what is going to happen, it is still riveting.

There are some complaints that Henry and Charles do not appear to be aging in the show; they would be much older in Season 3 than portrayed. However, this is fun television and I do not care. I don't want to see Meyers gain 60 lbs and lose his hair!

I think Season 4 is the final season, or at least the end of Henry VIII. I hope they continue with Mary and Elizabeth, though I have seen enough of Elizabeth I for awhile.

I highly recommend this unless you are a history purist. But if you like historical fiction, then I think you will love this series!

my rating 5/5

 

All Together Dead by Charlaine Harris (Southern Vampire Mysteries, Book 7)

 In this Sookie Stackhouse installment, Sookie has been requested to work for the Vampire Queen of Louisiana as they attend a very important vampire summit. The Queen needs Sookie to use her telepathic powers to "listen" to her enemies, as the Queen will be on trial for the murder of her Vampire husband, the King of Arkansas. The Queen's stature has weakened since Hurricane Katrina has effected her economic status.

Joining Sookie and the Queen, will be Vampire Eric, a sometimes romantic interest of Sookie's, her ex-boyfriend, Vampire Bill, and Sookie's current boyfriend, Quinn, a were-tiger.

But this trip is business for Sookie and she must uncover several plots; some to destroy the Queen and one to kill all the vampires. Sookie gets help from fellow telepath, Barry the Bellboy, who now works for the vampire King of Texas.

My review: I liked this one fairly well, but I do prefer the ones were Sookie is back home in Bon Temps. This had a whole other dimension of vampire politics, which Sookie manages quite well. She continues to get more confident in her abilities as a telepath but also as an intelligent, independent woman.

I am ready for Quinn to be gone, though he treats Sookie well, as I want some Sookie/Eric love happening. I hope there is a little more romance/sex in the next two books left in the series!

my rating 3.5/5

Product Details

• Pub. Date: May 2007
• Publisher: Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated
• Format: Hardcover, 336pp

What Are You Reading Monday

A book meme from J.Kaye  Book Blog


Well, I'm still off my reading game. I didn't do a lot of reading even though I had a long holiday weekend.
I decided to finish up some books that had been left unread on my Kindle.

All Together Dead by Charlaine Harris
Cleaving: A Story of Meat, Marriage, and Obsession by Julie Powell 
Greywalker by Kat Richardson.


I also continued reading
My Life in France by Julia Child


I started Death of Riley by Rhys Bowen- I'm excited that I have found a new series!
and have been re-reading Julie and Julia in bits and pieces.


This week
finish or abandon Songs for the Missing- it's not bad, I just haven't been in the mood and should return to library
same for Poison Study
finish Death of Riley

Cleaving: A Story of Marriage, Meat, and Obsession by Julie Powell

Julie Powell writes her second memoir after Julie and Julia, which I had really enjoyed. I almost didn't read this one as I had seen poor reviews. But the first one had bad reviews also, and I liked that one a lot.

Julie Powell is fresh from the success of her first book and also her first affair. She has been seeing "D" for almost two years. Her husband is aware of the affair but they do not split up, at least not permanently. The story picks up as the affair is breaking up. Julie has become fascinated with butchery and is looking for an apprenticeship, which she eventually finds in a small butcher shop two hours out of the city. This eventually leads to travel to Argentina, Ukraine, and Tanzania to discover butchery in other cultures.

my review: I really liked this book. However, I'm not really sure why. I don't approve of infidelity, but worse is the disrespect that Julie seems to show her husband, and he in return. She is obsessed with D, texting him constantly, though aware that he husband reads her texts. He then indulges in his own affair, though more to punish her. The fact that for the most part, they stay together during this and not discussing the affair seems insane. But having never been married, perhaps I just don't understand. Julie doesn't want to divorce Eric, her husband, as she loves him and considers him more than a soul mate. They have been together since college.

I also have little tolerance for women that are obsessed with men as Julie is with D. Even after the affair ends, she continues to text him all the time, waiting for a response.  I also get frustrated with people that seem to have such chaos in their lives.

I also am not a huge red meat person (though I did have more than one helping of prime rib at Christmas) and I love animals. The idea of reading about the butchering of these animals is not something that would hold appeal to me.

Yet, all that said, I liked the book. She is a great writer, maybe her honest portrayal of herself and her flaws won me over. And I guess I admired her commitment to such a difficult job as apprenticing as a butcher and her drive to really succeed. She also doesn't seem to rest on her laurels of her successful first book, barely even mentioning it.

The end was not as finished as I would have liked, but this is someone's real life, not a novel.

There are also some recipes interspersed throughout the book. Ultimately, it is the fact that she hides from nothing, whether it is her honesty with her husband about her affair, that she eats parts of meat most of us would balk at, even drinking goat's blood as part of a slaughter ritual in Tanzania, that makes me admire her or at least be able to appreciate her story.

This is not a book I would recommend to everyone, it does not have universal appeal, especially if you have a weak stomach or are a vegetarian. But it is frank, honest, and well-written. One of the great things about my Kindle is that I was able to download a free sample before committing to the purchase. I recommend doing that or getting from the library.

my rating 4/5

Product Details

• Pub. Date: December 2009
• Publisher: Little, Brown & Company
• Format: Hardcover, 307pp

The Ghost of Blog Past and Future

I started my blog in May of this year but did not start posting regularly until July. Not a long period of time, but I feel like I have learned so much and my blog has undergone a few transformations in the process as well as myself.

First of all, I am just in love with all the different blogger backgrounds and have changed mine frequently but am going to try to do this less often. I had my blog cluttered with lots of buttons and such but have tried to streamline it. I made a new blog for challenges which will make it easier for me to keep track and for anyone else to follow.

ARC's. They were so fun in the beginning but I have already cut way back on what I accept. I don't really like reading on a deadline so will only accept those I really want to read in the upcoming year. I want to read books that I want to read.

I have started reading genres I'd never read before. Blogging has opened my eyes to so many new books, that my tbr list is infinite. I have read a lot of YA in the past few months, along with some paranormal and will continue to do so in the next year. I think I will even try some of the fantasy type books that I have read rave after rave about: Graceling, Catching Fire, The Maze Runner to name a few.

I have participated in a few challenges which introduced me to Sookie Stackhouse and also have burned me out on Jane Austen inspired books. I only failed on My Friend Amy's Newsweek Challenge as I just have not been in a Philip Roth mood and so did not read American Pastoral. I'm joining a lot of challenges next year and will try my best for all of them.

J.Kaye's meme, What Are You Reading Monday has really helped me to stay on track with what I have been reading and to follow through with my planned books. I can be quite ADD and start and stop books like crazy.

I also like blogging to keep track of what I'm reading and was quite impressed with myself that I read 45 books in the fall for Fall Into Reading Challenge. Though I'm not in the league of some super-readers.

The Library- I used to loathe library books, preferring new books with their new book smell, the joy of coming home after a long day to a big box from Amazon. I still love that but with all that I have been reading, I can't afford to buy them all. Especially when I am trying out books I'm not sure I will like.

Now I use my library's website the way I used to peruse Amazon and pick up several books a week. This has helped with my reading because I have to finish them in a certain amount of time, unlike my own books which can sit ignored on my shelves for months. I know my library card number better than my SS number.

My reviews- I started out with rating my reads, then stopped and now rate them again. I think my reviews have been rather sloppy of late. In the future, I need to start the review while I am still reading the book, while it is fresh in my mind. I want to put more of myself in my writing of the reviews. I also plan on reviewing more than books next year. I love movies, especially indies and will blog about those. And anything great I watch from Netflix.

Awards- I was so floored to get my first blog award and they have really helped me get to know other bloggers and discover some fantastic blogs and even more fantastic bloggers. However, in 2010 I will be an award-free blog. I feel guilty when I don't get to them in a timely manner to pass them on and I'm never sure if I am then putting that same stress on someone else.

I am going to try to show my appreciation for blogs by commenting more. My awards are still in a slide show on my blog and I will keep that as I treasure all that I have received.

Most importantly is this great, wonderful community of bloggers that I have met and consider friends- too numerous to name, but you know who you are. People have been so friendly and helpful, patiently answering my blogging questions, giving me feedback and just being so supportive. I enjoyed participating in BBAW and look forward to next year and discovering even more blogs and bloggers.

I love that so many of you are as book-obsessed and addicted as I am. I am not alone!

Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to leave a thoughtful comment for me since I started blogging, I appreciate you more than you know!

I can't wait to see what the New Year brings! Happy New Year and best wishes to everyone and Happy Reading!

Await Your Reply by Dan Chaon

Three separate stories make up this incredible novel. Miles Cheshire has been looking for his twin brother, Hayden for about ten years. Lucy has left home with her former high school teacher, looking for a new life. Ryan walks away from his life after learning a startling truth, and is presumed dead by his family.

Chaon expertly weaves these stories together until they are connected. All the characters seem to be lost and are looking to remake themselves. Miles has spent so much time looking for his brother, he has forgotten to live his own life. Lucy doesn't quite end up with the adventure she was looking for. Ryan seems to be in over his head with his new life.

my review: I thought this novel was fantastic; suspenseful and well-written. I was hooked from the beginning. We learn bits and pieces of each character, yet we don't learn much at all. I liked the theme of stolen identities, both literally and figuratively. Ryan and his biological dad that he never knew, steal identities for credit card theft and moving money around. Miles' brother, creates several different identities, making it difficult for Miles to locate him.

I found this especially interesting as the idea of just changing your identity and starting anew has an appeal for me on some very stressful days, or when the bills pile up!

It's hard to say too much with out giving anything away, so let me just say I really enjoyed this and definitely recommend it.

my rating 5/5

Product Details

• Pub. Date: August 2009
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Format: Hardcover, 336pp

What Are You Reading Monday

A book meme from J.Kaye  Book Blog

I did not have a good reading week, I seem to be in a reading slump. I just could not focus on a lot of the books I tried to read. Hopefully, next week will be better!

Last week:

Await your Reply

A Blue and Grey Christmas

and  some of Greywalker

started but could not get into at this time-

A Poison Study

Ballad

Songs for the Missing

The Return

This Week:

finish Greywalker

???

Happy Reading!!

Fall Into Reading Challenge completed

This challenge was hosted by Katrina from Callapidder Days.

The challenge goes from , September 22nd, through December 20th.

Today I finished up the Fall Into Reading Challenge. I read a fair number of books (45) but only two from the list I started with. I read  a lot of really excellent books, some books from genres I hadn't been reading such as YA and paranormal, which I really enjoyed. I now feel confidant that I will have no problems completing J.Kaye's 100 books reading challenge in 2010. I liked seeing how many books I read in a certain time period.

books I especially enjoyed **

 
Here's the list I started with:
 
The Time Traveler's Wife  **
The Rossetti Letter  
The Rest of Her Life
Sarah's Key

The Yiddish Policeman's Union
Snowflower and the Secret Fan - I WILL get to this book next year!



Read in addition

The Virgin's Daughters
Dead to the World

The Man Who Loved Books Too Much
Breaking the Bank
The Postmistress  **
Sense and Sensibility
A Poisoned Season
Travel Writing
Julie and Julia **
Nine Dragons
Moonlight In Odessa
Prophecy of the Sisters **
A Royal Pain
A Far Cry From Kensington **
Club Dead

Dead as a Doornail
Definitely Dead

Ruined
Shiver **
Lament
The Secret of Joy
Royal Flush **
A Courtesan's Scandal

The Hidden (didn't finish)
The Sugarless Plum
Children of Dust
Once a Witch **
Across This Endless River
Last Night at the Lobster
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie **

Her Fearful Symmetry
A Winter Haunting
Drood **
The Last Dickens
The Year of Fog **
Bitter is the New Black
The Promised World
Icebound
The Hollow
These Three Remain 
Await Your Reply **

A Highlander Christmas
A Blue and Grey Christmas

These Three Remain: A Novel of Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentlemen by Pamela Aidan

Synopsis from B&N:

The exciting conclusion to the Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman trilogy recounts the climactic events of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice from its enigmatic hero's point of view.

One of the most beloved romantic heroes in all of literature, Fitzwilliam Darcy remains an enigma even to Jane Austen's most devoted fans. No longer. With this concluding volume in the Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman trilogy, novelist and Austen aficionada Pamela Aidan at last gives readers the man in full.
These Three Remain follows a humbled Darcy on the journey of self-discovery, after Elizabeth Bennet's rejection of his marriage proposal, in which he endeavors to grow into the kind of gentleman he desires to become. Happily, a chance meeting with Elizabeth during a tour of his estate in Derbyshire offers Darcy a new opportunity to press his suit, but his newfound strengths are put to the test by an old nemesis, George Wickham.

Vividly capturing the colorful historical and political milieu of the Regency era, Aidan writes in a style evocative of her literary progenitor, but with a wit and humor very much her own. While staying faithful to the people and events in Austen's original, she adds her own fascinating cast of characters, weaving a rich tapestry out of Darcy's past and present that will beguile his admirers anew.

my review: This was an interesting perspective for me, to read things through Darcy's eyes. I didn't read the first two in the series as I really was just interested in the good parts between Darcy and Elizabeth. This third book was long enough with out sitting through the first two. The author delved into Darcy's perspective of the courtship, Darcy never dreaming Elizabeth could refuse him or be insulted by his proposal. I may just be burned out on Jane Austen knock-offs but I felt that the novel dragged at parts and the author threw things in just to plump up the book. I really only enjoyed the interaction between Darcy and Elizabeth, his sister Georgiana, and his cousin the Colonel. I did skim at parts to move the book along. Final conclusion after all the Jane Austen inspired books: Nothing replaces the original.

my rating 3/5

Product Details

• Pub. Date: January 2007
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group
• Format: Paperback, 464pp

Library Loot

This week from the Library:

A Highlander Christmas by Janet Chapman

Synopsis

Camry MacKeage has absolutely no intention of telling her parents that she left her job as a NASA physicist for the small-town life of a dog-sitter — which is why she's spending the holidays alone in coastal Maine with her furry friends Tigger and Max. Unfortunately, her irresistibly handsome rival, scientist Luke Pascal, accidentally spilled the beans. Now he's on a mission from her mother to tempt Camry home for the family's annual winter solstice celebration. But Luke is hiding his own secret, and he'll need a little bit of magic to earn Camry's trust...and a whole lot of mistletoe to seduce his way into her heart.

my review: I was disappointed when I read this book. I had high hopes as I'd read good reviews from other bloggers. Part of the problem may have been that I haven't read any of the others in the Highlander series. I also was not expecting any magical elements in the book; I like to be prepared for that. I felt that the plot was silly and the romance parts rather fake. I liked Luke, but I really did not like Cam very much, she seemed rather immature for a NASA physicist.

I don't read a lot of romance novels but when I do, I think I prefer Victorian ones than contemporary. If you are interested in reading this, I suggest starting at the beginning of the series to get more background.

my rating 2/5

For a different perspective- check out Jill's review at Books, Books, Everywhere! 

 

Product Details

• Pub. Date: October 2009
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group
• Format: Mass Market Paperback, 352pp

A Winter Haunting by Dan Simmons

 

A Winter Haunting is a sequel to Summer of Night. I never read that one by A Winter Haunting seemed perfect for this time of year and I was loving Dan Simmons after reading Drood.

Dale Stewart returns to his childhood town in Illinois as his life in Montana has gone to hell. His job as a professor was in jeopardy, his young lover has left him, he has lost his wife and children due to the affair, then fails at a suicide attempt. He decides to take a sabbatical, and when he returns to Illinois, he rents the home of his childhood friend that died a violent death (the plot of the first novel).

Dale begins to see black dogs that no one else sees, plus he gets messages on his computer, but he's not hooked up to the internet. Dale begins to wonder about his sanity. Also, he is being harassed by some Neo-Nazi punks based on some articles that he wrote.

my review: This was a pretty good read, lots of paranormal and plot twists. Some I saw coming, some I didn't. I might have suspected more if I'd read the first book, but I don't think it matters.

It was a bit like watching a horror movie, when you are yelling at the person to not walk into the basement. I would have hightailed it out of that town the minute anything happened, but I guess that would not have made for a good story.

Sometimes the story dragged a bit, but I was still intrigued. Luckily this was not one of Simmon's doorstop books, or I may have felt differently. All in all, not too bad.

my rating 3.5/5

A Blue and Gray Christmas by Joan Medlicott -Pocket Book Blog Tour

From the inside flap:When a rusty old tin box is unearthed at the Covington Homestead, longtime housemates Grace, Amelia, and Hannah discover that it contains letters and diaries written by two Civil War soldiers, one Union and one Confederate.
The friends are captivated by the drama revealed. The soldiers were found dying on a nearby battlefield by an old woman. She nursed them back to health, hiding them from bounty hunters seeking deserters. At the end of the war the men chose to stay in Covington, caring for their rescuer as she grew frail. But while their lives were rich, they still felt homesick and guilty for never contacting the families they'd left behind.
Christmas is coming, and the letters inspire Amelia with a generous impulse. What if she and her friends were to fi nd the two soldiers' descendants and invite them to Covington to meet? What better holiday gift could there be than the truth about these two heroic men and their dramatic shared fate? With little time left, the ladies spring into action to track down the men's families in Connecticut and the Carolinas, and to make preparations in Covington for their most memorable, most historic Christmas yet.

my review:  Adorable is the best word to describe this book. Also, charming and sweet. Though this is the first book I've read in the extensive Covington series, I had no problems getting into the story. I liked the women in this novel and the way the author wrote about the civil war through the perspective of two men on opposite sides, coming together as best friends. The two men never return to their families and the women of Covington set out to track down their descendants to share this treasure and the story of these men.
It was a nice little Christmas story. The book itself is even adorable, about three-quarters the size of a normal hardcover, it fit perfectly in my small bag!

my rating 4/5

Product Details

• Pub. Date: November 2009
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group
• Format: Hardcover, 336pp

 

What Are You Reading Monday

A book meme from J.Kaye  Book Blog

Last Week: 
finished- Last Night at the Lobster, These Three Remain, The Year of Fog,A Highlander Christmas, and A Winter Haunting

This Week:
finish- Await Your Reply, A Blue and Gray Christmas and How Perfect is That


 Happy Reading!

The Last Dickens by Matthew Pearl

June 9, 1870. Charles Dickens has just died. He was in the process of writing his first mystery novel, The Mystery of Edwin Drood. His American publishers, Fields and Osgood are awaiting the latest installment of Drood. Daniel Sand, their office clerk has been sent to retrieve these installments coming from London. But he is killed on the docks and the pages are missing. Even though Osgood is able to get them sent again from London, Fields and Osgood fear that their publishing house could go under without the final installment. James Osgood also suspects foul play in Daniel's death. He leaves for London, with Rebecca, Daniel's sister, to see if he can find the ending to Dicken's last novel.

My review: This book was perfect timing for me as I had just finished Drood by Dan Simmons. The Last Dickens seemed to pick up where that left off. It was very fast paced and engaging. Osgood searches Dicken's home and office for any notes about how the famous author had intended to end the mystery in his novel. Everyone has an opinion as to how it was meant to end. As Dickens based most of his characters on people he knew in real life, Osgood searches for his inspiration.

There is lots of intrigue, mystery, dark characters, and a smidgen of romance in this work. Pearl tells a great tale based on historical facts and takes us around London and Boston on this quest. I quite enjoyed this, though I would have to say I liked Drood better. But I would still definitely recommend this.

my rating 4 or 4.5/5

The Year of Fog by Michelle Richmond

Abby Mason is walking on a beach in San Francisco with her fiance's six year-old daughter, Emma.  She stops to take a picture and when she looks up, Emma is gone. She feels devastated and guilty. Abby and her fiance Jake spend there days separately looking for Emma, drifting apart. Jake eventually comes to believe that Emma is dead and tries to move on. Abby can not and tries everything to remember every detail about that day, looking for any clue fueled by guilt. She becomes obsessed about learning all she can about how memories are stored and retrieved.

The one thing I know is this: there is a girl, her name is Emma, we were walking on the beach. She was there, and then she wasn't. There is no way to retrieve that moment, no way to rewrite the script; I looked away. It cannot be undone.

my review:  This novel was beautifully written, moving, and touching.  Though the plot is not fast paced, it was a page turner of a book that I read over two nights. It mostly follows Abby as she moves around the city with posters of Emma, tracing and re-tracing her steps throughout the city. Richmond is such a talented writer, that despite the subject matter, the book is not maudlin. It is amazing and really seems to capture the emotions one would feel in this situation; the hopelessness, the imagining the variety of scenarios, the inability to move on as the world passes you by. This is a must read and I also  recommend her third novel, No One You Know.

my rating 5/5

Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Bantam Discovery (February 26, 2008)
• Language: English

Last Night at the Lobster by Stewart O'Nan- mini review

Synopsis by B&N:

Perched in the far corner of a run-down New England mall, the Red Lobster hasn't been making its numbers and headquarters has pulled the plug. But manager Manny DeLeon still needs to navigate a tricky last shift. With four shopping days left until Christmas, Manny must convince his near-mutinous staff to hunker down and serve the final onslaught of hungry retirees, lunatics, and holiday office parties. All the while, he's wondering how to handle the waitress he's still in love with, his pregnant girlfriend at home, and where to find the present that will make everything better.

 

My review: This is the second O'Nan book I have read, after Snow Angels. Even though Lobster does not have a dramatic plot, it was a beautifully written novella. It is  a simple story, the last night of Manny managing a Red Lobster before it closes and he is transferred to work at an Olive Garden. Lots of thing go wrong; staff that doesn't show up, a blizzard, and the loss of an old love, but he is determined to stay open and be responsible. Manny is really the only character that is delved into but the rest of the characters add some flavor. It is difficult to describe but I think this exemplifies what a good writer can do with the most simple of stories. And O'Nan is a great writer. I enjoyed this one and have Songs of the Missing on my tbr list.

my rating 4.5/5

Product Details

• Pub. Date: October 2008
• Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)
• Format: Paperback, 160pp

Giveaway winner! The Secret of Joy by Melissa Senate

Random.org picked a winner. And the winner is Stacie! Stacie blogs here and here. 

I'll be emailing the Stacie to let her know she has won. Thanks to everyone that entered. Stay tuned as I plan to do more giveaways next year!

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

If there is a thing I truly despise, it is being addressed as "dearie". When I write my magnum opus, A Treatise Upon All Poisons, and come to "Cyanide", I am going to put under "Uses" the phrase "Particularly efficacious in the cure of those who call one 'Dearie.' "

                             - Flavia de Luce


Flavia, eleven and the youngest of three sisters, discovers a body in the cucumber patch at her family's estate, Buckshaw in the town of Bishop's Lacey. Just before he dies he utter the word "Vale".  Precocious and wise beyond her years, Flavia does not tell all to the police and is determined to solve the murder herself.

That was the truth: I didn't know his name. But I did know, and knew it all too well, that the body in the garden-the body with the red hair, the body in the gray suit- was that of the man I'd spied through the sturdy keyhole. The man Father had-  But I could hardly tell them that.

my review: I LOVED this book. Flavia is a brilliant character. Living in the English countryside in 1950, she spends her time in her chemistry lab that belonged to her now deceased mother, chemistry being her true love, and finding ways to keep up with her older sisters Ophelia and Daphne. She also has a fascination with poisons.


It is charming and delightful, fun and engaging. The novel is full of interesting and colorful characters. The writing is excellent and the plot; revenge, boyhood secrets, and rare stamps, kept me hooked throughout. Flavia was really the best part and I am glad to learn that Bradley has written another Flavia mystery, due in March of 2010. I highly recommend this book!


my rating 5/5

Product Details

• Pub. Date: April 2009
• Publisher: Dell Publishing
• Format: Hardcover, 384pp

What Are You Reading Monday?

      A book meme from J.Kaye  Book Blog

Last Week:

finished-
The Last Dickens 

Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie
gave up on- Meridian
started- These Three Remain and Last Night at the Lobster



This Week:
finish-These Three Remain and Last Night at the Lobster


start- The Year of Fog and Ballad



Happy Reading!!

Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Monday, a meme from Marcia at The Printed Page

Bitter is the New Black by Jen Lancaster

Bitter is the New Black: Confessions of a Condescending, Egomaniacal, Self-Centered Smartass,Or, Why You Should Never Carry A Prada Bag to the Unemployment Office

Jen is a vice-president at a major finance firm in Chicago. She is very high-maintenance, spoiled, and self-involved. But when her world comes crashing down in the post 9/11 recession, she is forced to re-evaluate her life. But she fights it all the way. And she does it with humor, sarcasm, and bluntness.

my review: I decided to read this memoir after reading a review of it by Rebecca from  Lost in Books.

This book was incredibly funny with its biting humor. Reading about Jen's search for a job, from those equal to what she was doing and eventually down to a barrista at Starbucks, while scary in this economic climate, was hilarious. Jen and her fiance', Fletch, who also has job problems of his own,  struggle to maintain their lifestyle, but deal with eviction, repossesion, and almost get to the point of moving in with her parents. She is not particularly PC and even though she is a Republican :), I couldn't help but like this strong-willed woman and enjoyed her antics. She eventually begins blogging about her adventures and gains a following, which led to the writing of this book. 

This was the perfect antidote for what ailed me. I will definitely be checking out more of her work.

my rating: 4/5

Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: NAL Trade (March 7, 2006)
• Language: English

 

The Promised World by Lisa Tucker

 

Lila Cole breaks down when her twin brother Billy kills himself after his wife throws him out and he can't see his kids. Lila and Billy have always been extremely close but as she tries to deal with his death and answer questions about her childhood, Lila realizes she can't tell the difference between her memories and Billy's stories. Lisa's therapist, husband and her sister-in-law all try to help give Lisa the answers to her questions. Lisa needs to solve the mystery of her childhood if she hopes to help her brother's children- before it is too late.

my review:

I really wanted to like this book; I greatly enjoyed Once Upon a Day by this author. But I felt that Tucker tried to pack too much drama into this novel. Despite some of the horrifying events, I also felt that she wrapped things up way too neatly and too easily. While there was still interesting plot twists, I think I would have liked it to either be pared down for size of book or made a little longer to make it more in depth.

my rating 3/5

Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Atria (September 1, 2009)
• Language: English