Blogger 2 Blogger Book Club: Ladies Night by Mary Kay Andrews

I know I say this pretty much every month, but every month I have the best intentions of getting this post done on time.  For June I was convinced it was going to be on time because by mid-month I had finished the book.  Then as usual work got in the way of blogging and I totally forgot to write the post. (*Note: I know this is August, but this post has sat almost finished for like 2 months now. I still have the July post as well as the August post to go... I am such a slacker!!)

So for the month of June, the Blogger 2 Blogger Book Club read Ladies Night by Mary Kay Andrews.  I had seen a lot of bloggers talking about Mary Kay Andrews so I was really looking forward to reading this book and seeing what she was all about.  Let me just say, this book did NOT disappoint... I think this might be my favorite book that we have read so far with the #Blog2BlogBC!!  Thanks to Kelly over at Love, Kelly Lorene for hosting such an amazing Blogger Book Club (and for putting up with delinquents like myself who are almost always late to the party).

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Ladies Night tells the story of Grace and how she turns her life around after finding her husband Ben cheating on her with her assistant.  When Grace first finds out that Ben is cheating she completely loses her mind and does some things that were very out of character for her.  In retaliation, Ben, who was not only her husband but also her business manager, locks Grace out of her former life.  Grace no longer has access to her blog GraceNotes, which was her livelihood.  She no longer has access to her home, her clothes, or anything related to her previous life.

While going through their divorce, Grace is required to see a divorce counselor, Paula, who doesn't seem to help Grace, but does introduce her to a great group of women... and a man.  The group bonds after Paula passes out during one of their sessions and they all decide to go to Grace's mom's bar in order to discuss their lives and to figure out what was going on with their counselor.  While getting together at the bar the group forms an unlikely band of friends determined to divorce (for the most part) and get their lives back.

Besides meeting with her divorce group, Grace finds a small house to restore to help get her own life back on track.  She uses the restoration of the house as the basis for her new blog TrueGrace.  While restoring the house Grace faces many ups and downs, but she doesn't let that get to her... she is determined to make something of her life without Ben.  While fixing up the house takes up a lot of her time, Grace also starts to "date" Wyatt, another member of her divorce group. Wyatt and Grace both seem to just want someone to love and support them and it is fantastic to see their relationship blossom throughout the book.

I really enjoyed reading this book because it shows the journey of a woman who believes she has hit rock bottom and what she does to try to pick herself up again. As I have said time and time again when I do these book reviews I love a strong female protagonist and I definitely think that the character of Grace can show women that no matter how bad life seems after divorce you can always pick yourself up, dust yourself off and find a way to move on... and sometimes even move on to something bigger and better!

Now for the #Blog2BlogBC Portion of this post.  This is where I answer a few questions (3-5 according to the book club rules) about Ladies Night.

one// Why do you think it was so important for Grace to renovate the little beach house? How did it parallel the renovation of Grace's life?

I think that Grace renovating the beach house was the first step for her getting her life back on track.  Her blog had always been a source of DIY and decorating projects, yet moving home with her mom didn't leave her the room to be able to do those things anymore.  By being able to start fresh with the little beach house it signified Grace getting her life back on track.  It also gave Grace an outlet for all of her frustrations... instead of being miserable and reflecting on all that Ben had done to her, she started out to create something new and beautiful for herself even if she did not know it at the time.

two// Why do you think the Stackpoles of the world can get away with so much?

Having worked in the world of the legal system this question to me is a no-brainer.  The Stakepoles of the world can get away with so much because people don't want to believe that they are doing anything wrong.  Judges are charged with the task of upholding the law, so it is almost unfathomable that they would be doing anything that could constitute breaking the law.  In today's world we know that this isn't the case as people in these positions are sometimes found to be doing things that are unconscionable, but we just don't ever want to believe that these things happen.  When people suspect that some wrongdoing is going on they tend to look the other way, again because someone like a judge should not be involved in any lawbreaking behavior.  Knowing this means that some judges can and will try to see what they can get away with because they know that they are "invincible" or at least they think they are.  Now this is not to say that all judges are like this because in my time I have met so many amazing judges who would never even dream of doing what Judge Stackpole did in Ladies Night, but I as much as I don't want to believe it, I am sure there are some judges who would.

three// If you could have four people (living or dead) at your weekly "Ladies Night" who would they be? What would you serve and what would you talk about?

Well the what would you serve and what would you talk about portion of this question is obvious... I would be serving wine... lots and lots of wine. As to what we would be talking about... that would be pretty much everything.  I actually used to have a "Girls Night" every Wednesday with the first group of girl friends I made when I moved to the Philly suburbs... we would get together with a few bottles of wine, usually make some sort of dinner together (or at least we had snacks... Chex mix in particular... right ladies?!) and then we would just talk about our lives.

Picking just five people to be at this "Ladies Night" is definitely difficult because there are so many ladies I would like to include.  But if distance were not a factor the five people I would definitely include would be
one// My Mom... though Mom and I may not always get along and may at times have differences of opinions I know that I can always count on her.  I know that she will always be there to offer me advice... even if it isn't the advice that I want to hear.  We would need someone a little oldeer and wiser at "Ladies Night" because we need someone to help guide us and teach us from her mistakes (though I know my mother is pretty much perfect and doesn't make mistakes like ever).  As the "youngins" we would be able to help give her a fresh perspective on things and maybe even return to her some of the advice that she has given all of us over the years.
two// AW... she has been my best friend since first grade and no matter how long we go without talking to or seeing each other we both know we can always count on each other for anything.  She is another person who will not hesitate to tell me how she is feeling and is someone that I trust with everything.  AW is also one to always listen and reserve judgment until the end.  That is something important that you need in a "Ladies Night" group because we are all sometimes quick to rush to judgment, but AW, she won't do that.
three// CW... this girl is the girl that besides the fact we talk about pretty much everything together... no topic is off limits... no matter how gross it might be...this is the girl you can always count on to give a logical explanation for something.  While she does also think with her emotions, she is definitely the one who uses logic more often to come to a rational decision.  She isn't afraid to tell me when I am being ridiculous and I don't think she is afraid to tell anyone else when they are being ridiculous either. Having someone who thinks logically almost all the time is definitely necessary for "Ladies Night"
four// AV... this is the one friend who I know will ALWAYS tell it how it is.  She won't sugarcoat anything and will say exactly what she is thinking... even if you really don't want to hear it.  Although she will always tell it how it is, AV is also always good for helping to offer up a solution and will move water and earth to help her closest friends.  Every "Ladies Night" needs that one person who isn't going to beat around the bush and is just going to tell it how it is.

four// How do you think a group of friends can help in tough times? How does a group sometimes offer support in a way that one close friend cannot?

A group of friends can definitely help in tough times because each friend brings something different to the group.  Each person offers their own unique perspective to whatever the situation is and having all those different perspectives can definitely help you get through tough times.  Also, sometimes having just one person to lean on for support can be emotionally draining to both people whereas having a group of people for a support system helps lessen the burden for everyone.

Have you read anything good recently? Care to share?

Blogger 2 Blogger Book Club: Open House by Elizabeth Berg

Man, I really fell off the blogging band wagon this past month, but what better way to get back on track than with a book review for the Blogger 2 Blogger Book Club.   Reading has been the one thing that has kept me sane recently (this new promotion and training for work has been driving me insane and making me rethink a ton of things), so I wanted to make sure that I was able to finish this month's book AND link up on time (score 1...actually 2 for me since I accomplished both of these goals!!)!!

This month the Blogger 2 Blogger Book Club read Open House by Elizabeth Berg.  When I read the description of the book for this month I wasn't so sure about it, but decided to give it a go.  After all, I am no quitter! So once again, here I am linking up with Kelly over at Love, Kelly Lorene for May's edition of #Blog2BlogBC!!

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Open House tells the story of Samantha as she struggles to find herself again after her husband David suddenly tells her that he is leaving her.  Samantha and David got married after only knowing each other a short time and coming from different walks of life.  They create a lovely home and even have a son together before David begins to feel like life isn't what he wants it to be and he wants out.

Once David has left, Samantha first goes on a spending spree at Tiffany & Co. to drown her sorrows.  She knows that she doesn't really want or need any of the stuff, but she goes anyway just to spend David's money.  When David finds out and partially cuts her off financially, Samantha decides that in order to stay in the family home she is going to find roommates to rent out the basement and the den.  She also decides that she is going to have to find a job, but doesn't know where to start.

When she finally finds her first roommate, with the help of the cashier at the local grocery store, Samantha's life finally starts to turn around.  When her "older" roommate, Lydia, moves in, she has this gentleman named King helping her move.  King ends up befriending Samantha and really helps her get back on her feet.  He drags her out of the house, sets her up with an interview at a job agency and even babysits Travis so that Samantha can appease her mother and start dating again.

Though life continues to give Samantha a lot of ups and downs, she eventually finds her groove and is able to start over.  She learns to love herself and realizes that she has so much to give... so much so that when David wants her back, she has the courage and the strength to say no because she truly was better off without him.

This book was definitely not one of my favorites for the most part as everyone knows that I love books with strong female protagonists.  Samantha definitely did not fall into that category until the very end of the book, so it took me a very long time to warm up to her.  Part of me wonders if I had a problem with this book because it was truly nothing I could relate to.  I have never been through a divorce, none of my friends are divorced, and I honestly don't know that many people are divorced so I have zero perspective on what is going on in the relationships in this book.  Part of me wonders if this is normal? Part of me wonders if this is an over exaggeration of what happens when people get divorced? Who knows?  What I do know is that until the last few chapters I probably would have only given this book 1 star, but by the end I was willing to give it 2.

Now for the #Blog2BlogBC Review Portion of the post.  This is where I answer a few discussion questions (3-5 according to the book club rules) about Open House.

one// In the beginning of the book Samantha is unusually obsessed with Martha Stewart.  Why do you think this is? What do Martha Stewart and her products seem to offer Samantha? When they finally speak to each other over the phone, Samantha asks Martha Stewart if she fell apart after her divorce.  Martha responds, "I didn't fall apart.  I spent one evening with Bernstein's Kaddish and a bottle of 'eighty-six Montrachet. And then I got busy. Try it." What do you think of this advice? Did Samantha end up taking it? 

Martha Stewart for many seems to represent the perfect house-wife.  She has her life together (minus the whole going to jail thing), is super successful, knows how to cook, decorate, and basically do all things home related.  By aspiring to be like Martha Stewart, Samantha is attempting to create the perfect home in what I believed to be an effort to get her husband to come back.  Samantha seems to feel that if she can do everything perfectly David will realize what he is missing and he will want to come home.  When Samantha finally talks to Martha and Martha gives her some advice I think Samantha did listen to her.  Martha told her to "get busy" and in reality, sometimes getting busy is the only way to get over a heartache.  When you throw yourself into something completely new it helps you to discover just who you are and what you are capable of doing.  Samantha does take this advice taking on all sorts of odd jobs from the employment agency and finding out what exactly she is good at.

two// Samantha spends most of the novel wanting her husband back.  In the end, she is the one who chooses to remain separated.  Why do you think she changes her mind? At what point in the novel do you think she changes her mind?  Do you think she is making the right decision?

I think after spending so much time with Lydia, King, her mother and even Rita, Samantha realizes that she is worth more than how her husband was treating her.  She realized that she deserved someone who appreciates her for her and doesn't want to change her.  She really seems to turn this corner the more she hangs out with King because no matter what he always seemed happy to spend time with her... even if it was Thanksgiving and she was in her sweats shoving her face with food... he was happy to be with her and she could be herself around him.  I absolutely think that she made the right decision in not going back to David because the two of them probably would have fallen into the same trap that they did the first time.  I feel like Samantha is going to be much happier with King because for once she will be able to be 100% herself because King doesn't expect her to change for anyone, let alone him.

three// Samantha imagines Travis one day saying, "My Mother changed wonderfully when my Father left us.  Our circumstances actually improved." Do you think that Samantha changes in the novel? Do you think their circumstances actually improve? 

Samantha definitely changed throughout the novel.  In the beginning she was a mother and a wife and that seemed to be pretty much how she defined herself.  (Now don't get me wrong, there is absolutely NOTHING wrong with being a mother and a housewife... I have sooooo many friends who are stay at home parents and I give them all the respect in the world because it is not a walk in the park to be a full-time parent)  Outside of her husband and her child Samantha's world just didn't exist, so when her husband decided to leave her, she fell apart.  Samantha had nothing to fall back on... no real skills... no job to fall back on... nothing.   As the book went on, Samantha discovered that she did have talents and that she didn't need to rely solely on her husband for support, she could do it on her own.  I think it was important for Samantha to learn that she could be independent and could support herself and Travis, because it will only make her future relationships stronger because she will be able to be more of an equal with her partner.

Have you read any good books lately?  Care to share? 

Blogger 2 Blogger Book Club: A League of Her Own by Karen Rock

Guess what guys?! I am actually finished with the Blogger 2 Blogger Book Club book ON TIME this month and am actually linking up ON TIME this month.  See, miracles in blogging do happen!! With all that has been going on in life recently, the one thing I have been continuously trying to do is make sure that I have time for reading.  I read a bunch while we were in Mexico for the wedding and I know that getting lost in a good book really relaxes me... so that means I definitely have to try to make the time for it as my schedule gets ready to get crazy again.

This month the Blogger 2 Blogger Book Club read A League of Her Own by Karen Rock.  One of the cool things about this month's book was that our discussion questions were provided to us by the author herself AND she did an author Q & A session PLUS a giveaway!! How awesome is Karen Rock? So today I am linking up with Kelly at Love, Kelly Lorene for April's edition of the #Blog2BlogBC

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A League of Her Own tells the story of Heather Gadway and her struggle to find herself and her place in life.  Heather was the child of a drug addict mother and a father who is obsessed with the Falcons, the minor league baseball team that he owns.  Wounded by the scars from her past, Heather feels like nothing she does is ever good enough for her father and like she will never be able to make him proud of her.  So when her father suffers a heart attack and she comes home to Holly Springs she decides that she is going to take on the newly vacant position of team manager for the Falcons.  Heather is determined to prove to her father that she is worthy of praise and vows to help the Falcons have a winning season.

Heather begins her journey as manager and is immediately attracted to one of the players, pitcher Garrett Wolf. The only problem with Wolf is that he is a recovering alcoholic and Heather just doesn't believe that she can trust him.  While Garret works to have Heather gain his trust, Heather is working to be the best (and first) female manager the Minor Leagues has to offer, Mr. Gadway suffers another heart attack and dies.  After his death Heather's mother is back in the picture and not only does Heather have to deal with her trust issues involved Garrett, but now her mother is back and she needs to learn how to forgive her mother and move on with life.

This book is all about love, forgiveness and learning to move forward with your life despite circumstances that might try to hold you back.  This was definitely a very uplifting and feel good book that really makes you realize that being able to forgive people and move on with your life is something that is very important.  This book was also definitely a really and enjoyable read that I would recommend to anyone looking for something to read on the beach or during a relaxing weekend!

Now for the #Blog2BlogBC portion of this review.  This is where I answer a few discussion questions (3-5 according to the book club rules) about A League of Her Own.

one// Forgiveness plays a large role in this book.  Which characters in the book need to forgive themselves and/or others? Is this important? Why or why not?

So many of the characters in this book need to forgive both themselves and others, but that is part of what made this book so interesting to me.  First off you have Heather who needed to learn to forgive her parents... not just her mother, but both of her parents.  Heather needed to forgive her father for not telling her how proud he was of her and to forgive her mother for putting her through all the pain that comes with having an addict as a parent.  While Heather's mom may have gotten clean, I also think that she needed to find a way to forgive herself for all that happened in the past, which Heather did not make easy for her to do at any point in the novel.  It wasn't until Heather decided that she could forgive everyone for all that they had done, that others were also able to move forward to give their forgiveness.  Garrett also needed to learn how to forgive himself for what happened to his fellow foster kid, Manny.  Garrett carried the weight of Manny's death with him for so many years that I think it was hard for him to see past what happened to Manny and to see how he could use Manny's death as something to grow from and as something to use as a learning experience.  Without Garrett being able to forgive himself it also made it hard for Heather to trust him and to forgive him for the few transgressions he committed during their "relationship" together.  This book really hits on how forgiveness is important and how it is necessary for all of us to try to forgive in order to move on with our lives.  Harboring all those feelings and emotions and being unable to forgive can really weigh a person down, and that is something none of us want in our lives.

two// Heather and Garrett have a bumpy road to finding love together.  What holds them back from finding love and what finally brings them together?

Heather and Garrett are unable to find love with each other at first because they are both unwilling to trust in one another.  Heather can't trust Garrett because he is a recovering alcoholic and based on everything she went through with her mother as a child she is afraid to let Garrett in.  Garret can't trust himself enough to let Heather in as he is afraid that letting someone in will cause him to go back to drinking and send him down a bad path again.  After all is said and done, once both characters learned to forgive themselves and others they realized that they are better together and that if they both want it to work they will be able to make it happen.  They finally decided to trust one another and to put their faith in one another... two things that are essential to making any relationship work.

three// Heather loses someone important in this book.  How did that impact her growth as a character? What did she gain from this loss that she needed?

When Heather lost her father she was absolutely devastated.  She believed that she hadn't lived up to her father's expectations and that she was continuously failing him as a daughter and as a coach.  However, after Dave Gadway's death, Heather found a scrapbook in his bedroom that chronicled all of the milestones and accomplishments throughout her life.  She finally realized how proud her dad was of her and it helped her to realize that she could turn the Falcons' season around and turn them into a championship team.  In his death her father gave her the confidence that she needed to succeed in life.

four// Will Garrett and Heather's happily ever after continue long after the last page? Why or why not? 

I sincerely hope that Garrett and Heather's happily ever after continue long after the last page.  I would also like to see them adopt Levi at some point in time.  I think that if the two of them keep working at it, trust each other and have faith in each other that they could have a long relationship together.  Do I think it will be easy for them, no.  But I do think that they have the potential for something special.

Have you ever read A League of Her Own? If so, what did you think about it? 

Are you reading anything amazing now? Care to share any book recommendations?

Blogger 2 Blogger Book Club: The Longest Ride by Nicholas Sparks

Much like my post yesterday, I am going to start with apologizing for being late to the link up party for this, but I don't like to post Friday-Sunday, so when the link up falls on a Friday I am almost always going to be late to the party.  The sad thing is, this is the FIRST month since I started participating in this book club that I actually finished the book on time, so I could have actually linked up on time if I had written a post on a Friday.  

Anyways, for February the Blogger to Blogger Book Club book was The Longest Ride by Nicholas Sparks.  I hadn't read a Nicholas Sparks book in a while, so I was excited to give this book a try.  I used to be a sucker for anything by Sparks and the fact that I knew this book was being made into a movie made it a good choice for a book club book in my eyes! So today I am linking up with Kelly over at Kelly's Kinda Crazy for the #Blog2BlogBC linkup!! 

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The Longest Ride tells the love story of Ira Levinson along with the love story of Sophia and Luke.  Though their love stories span different time periods, they three of them become linked together in a way you wouldn't have imagined.

Ira is a 91-year old war veteran who is still mourning the loss of his wife Ruth when he gets into a horrible car accident which sends his car careening off the side of the road.  He finds himself stuck in his car for days with his only comfort being the memories of his wife.  Ira can sense Ruth in the car with him, and having her spirit there... reliving all their good memories together... helps him to stay alive until he can be rescued.

While Ira is reliving his life with Ruth, Sophia and Luke are in the process of falling in love despite their very different backgrounds.  Sophia is a senior at Wake Forest majoring in Art History... she is originally from New Jersey and is the daughter of hardworking immigrants.  Then you have Luke.  Luke is your stereotypical cowboy... from the fact that he lives and works on a ranch, to the fact that he rides bulls competitively to make some extra money.  The two meet at one of Luke's competitions and the rest is history.  After Luke protects Sophia from her crazy ex-boyfriend the two end up spending lots of time together and end up falling in love despite their many differences.  

One day as Luke and Sophia are returning from a trip to the cabin, Luke discovers Ira's car that has run off the road.  While Sophia calls 9-1-1 for backup, Luke tries to do what he can to make sure that Ira is ok.  Eventually help arrives and Ira makes it to the hospital where Luke and Sophia wait to make sure he is ok.  Although Ira does not make it, he will end up being entwined in Luke and Sophia's life for many years to come.  

When I first started reading this book I wasn't really sure how I felt about it or if I was even going to like it.  I knew that I had enjoyed Nicholas Sparks books in the past, but just wasn't getting the best vibe from this book at the very beginning.  THEN I discovered that one of the main characters, Sophia was a Chi Omega from New Jersey who was in the process of falling in love with a country boy and I was pretty much sold.  Now you may not think that those 3 things have much in common, but basically they describe my life... I am a Chi Omega... from New Jersey (not too far from where Sophia was from)... and I fell in love with (and married) a guy from the middle of nowhere.  The more I kept on reading, the more I could see some similarities between myself and Sophia and it made it really easy for me to relate to the characters in the book.  Plus, the more I read the more intrigued I was by Ira and Ruth's love story so I just didn't want to put the book down!!   This is definitely a book that I would recommend to others... especially if you are looking for a love story that you can relate to!

Now for the #Blog2BlogBC portion of this post!! This is where I answer a few discussion questions (3-5 according to the book club rules) regarding The Longest Ride.

one// Sophia and Luke come from very different worlds.  What do you think draws them to each other? Do you think opposites attract?

I guess I kind of addressed this in the review portion of this post, but the fact that Luke and Sophia come from very different worlds really has no bearing on their relationship.  I think they are drawn to each other because of their differences, but also because they both have many of the same values.  They both value hard work.  They both value their family.  They both value where they came from.  They both have goals and dreams.  Just because they come from different backgrounds does not mean that they can't have a successful relationship.  Obviously I definitely think that opposites attract because in some ways I married a guy is my opposite... but I think that is why we work.  Sure Mark and I have many of the same values... family, education, honesty, etc.... but we also have many differences... I enjoy going to see shows on Broadway for fun and he enjoys Sprint Car racing at the dirt track.  Can we do these activities together? Absolutely.  Being with someone is all about compromise and just because you are opposites does not mean that you can't enjoy what the other person enjoys... when you are with someone who is opposite you in some respects it helps you to grow as a person.  Yes Mark is my opposite, but he is also my other half... he is what completes me.  Two opposites can come together to make a whole. 

two// Ira decides to enlist in the air force in WWII, and returns unable to have children.  Because of this, he decides to break off his engagement with Ruth.  How does this affect Ruth and Ira's relationship? Would you have made the same decision?

When Ira came back from WWII unable to have children, he felt like he was unworthy of Ruth because he knew that she wanted to have a family one day.  The problem with all of this was that Ira didn't tell Ruth what was going on at first, he just wanted to end their relationship.  When he finally told Ruth what had happened with him, she was understandably upset, though I am not sure if she was more upset about the fact that they wouldn't be able to have children or because Ira felt he couldn't tell her up front what had happened to him.  Deep down Ruth knew that Ira was the only one for her and after getting over some of the hurt, she and Ira begin to renew their relationship.  If anything ever happened where Mark and I were unable to have children there is no way that I would leave Mark because of that.  Yes I want to have a family one day, and yes I want to have that family with Mark.  But if it turned out that we couldn't have kids on our own, that doesn't mean that we can't have a family together, it just means that we would have to explore other options for how to make our dreams of having a family come true.  Sure if I were in Ruth's position I would have been hurt that Ira felt he couldn't tell me what was going on at first, but that wouldn't make me stop loving him any less and wouldn't make me want to leave him because of that. 

three// Luke claims he needs to keep competing to save the ranch, but Sophia thinks he has other reasons.  Can you understand both positions?

I can definitely understand both positions in this argument.  Luke feels he needs to keep competing to save the ranch because he feels that he is the person who put the ranch in jeopardy in the first place.  Luke's guilt definitely plays a HUGE part in why he is doing what he is doing.  I also felt like through reading the book that Luke felt like other than the ranch he didn't have much to live for, so competing to save the ranch was one way to make sure that he wasn't living his life in vain.  When he met Sophia that all changed and the thought that he could perhaps die while riding finally started to sink in for him.  I also think that until he rode Big Ugly Critter again he wasn't going to stop riding.  He needed to face the one thing that had made his life a living hell and until he proved to himself that he could face the beast, he wasn't going to be satisfied.  

four// Ira makes the auction of his art collection his final letter to Ruth.  What does his decision say about the importance of sentimental value and monetary value? Did this book make you feel differently about your own life and the things you value?

Ira's decision to give the collection to the person who bought the portrait of Ruth shows that he valued sentiments and feeling over money.  Ira wanted to make sure that the art collection went to someone who was deserving and who would value it the way that he did.  Ira knew that there were many people out there who wanted the collection purely to say that they had this famous painting or that famous painting... but for Ira the art collection was so much more.  For Ira the art collection showed the journey of his life with Ruth and that is something that you can't put a monetary value on.  Memories have no monetary value, but memories can make us whole and keep us going even when we think we have nothing left to live for.  This book definitely reminded me that money isn't everything.  What is important is the memories that we are making.  Whether it is cooking dinner together at home on a Saturday night... going to a hockey game... watching a movie together on the couch... exploring a state park... going out with friends... we need to make the most of every moment and make the memories count! 

Have you ever read The Longest Ride by Nicholas Sparks? If so, what did you think about it?

Are you reading anything good right now? I am always looking for book suggestions!!

Book Review... Magnolia Market by Judy Christie

While I was celebrating the holidays with the family I had a bunch of down time to do stuff that I wanted to do... so you know that means I did a TON of reading.  One of the books I read during my Christmas was Magnolia Market by Judy Christie.  I was intrigued by this book because the description talked about a strong willed, Southern woman who although life got her down, she is determined to not let it get the best of her.  For those of you who know me, you know that this book is right up my ally because a) I LOVE books with strong female protagonists and b) I am a huge fan of anything having to do with the South.

Magnolia Market is centered around the life of Avery Broussard, a recent widow who is trying to figure out what to do with her life after her husband's death.  Avery had been managing a shop for her mother-in-law and had made plans to buy it when her mother-in-law decided to sell it to someone else for more money.  After selling the shop out from under Avery, her in-laws also close her bank accounts, put her house up for sale and start doing everything in their power to get Avery to leave Samford to return to her hometown.

As her in-laws are trying to get her to leave, Avery manages to crash into the front of Magnolia Market changing her life as she knew it.  In order to pay her debts to market owners Bill and Martha, Avery start working at the market while Martha is in the hospital recovering.  During her time in the market Avery finds an unlikely friend in Kathleen, whose car she destroyed during the market crash, and the two of them set out to bring the market back to its former glory.  As they set out to do this, they are helped along by T.J. Aillet who is helping to rebuild the front of the store.  T.J. manages to save Avery from many situations and helps encourage her to fight against her in-laws and do what she wants to do.  With the help of T.J. and Kathleen, Avery is able to get out from under the thumbs of her controlling in-laws and is able to start her life anew as the owner of Magnolia Market.

This book was a very quick read and one that I thoroughly enjoyed.  I loved seeing how Avery overcame adversity and how she didn't let anyone keep her down. In the end she fought for what she wanted and she got what she wanted. She didn't let anyone, not even her crazy in-laws, stand in her way.  Avery's character is everything I love in a female protagonist of a book, but I also liked that as strong willed as she was, she was still willing to let love in and to let T.J. help her along the way.

I would definitely recommend this book to someone who is looking for a quick and inspiring read.  This book will definitely inspire you to go after your dreams and to not let anyone, not even family, stand in your way!

Do you have any good book recommendations for me?

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers <http://booklookbloggers.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Book Review... The Fault in Our Stars

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As many of you know, I participate in a variety of book clubs, both online and in person.  I am definitely what people would call a book worm as I pretty much read anything and everything that I can get my hands on.  No genre is off limits... I will try to read anything once.  Back in September I got together with the Beta Book Club of the Philadelphia Area Alumnae Chi Omega Chapter to discuss The Fault in Our Stars by John Green.  I was really excited that we had voted to read this book because I knew the movie was coming out and I am definitely one of those people who REFUSES to see the movie until they have read the book, so I knew if I wanted to see the movie ever I was going to have to get on this book reading thing.  I also had heard good things about it so I was looking forward to giving it a try.

And give it a try I did.  Now don't get me wrong, I am not saying that I didn't like this book, because I did.  But I definitely didn't like it as much as I thought I would.  Perhaps it was because of all the hype surrounding it that I expected more, but it just wasn't all that I was expecting.  It ended up being a VERY quick read, I think I read it in 2 days over the course of maybe 6-8 hours?  In fact I actually finished it in the 2 hours before I had to go to book club because due to my crazy schedule and the fact that I like to read the books closer to when we are discussing them, I didn't start reading it until the couple of days before we were meeting.

The book just ended up making me angry.  I understand that it is a work of fiction... John Green makes that VERY clear at the beginning of the book and then again at the end... but it still made me angry.  Although many parts of the book seemed very realistic, there were so many other parts that seemed so unrealistic that it just made me angry.  Hazel and Augustus have a very "interesting" relationship.  The two of them meet at a cancer support group that it seems as though neither one of them have any interest in attending.  They end up becoming friends and eventually are more of a "couple" than just friends.

Augustus makes many grand gestures towards Hazel... planning a "Dutch" day so that she could dream about meeting her favorite author, Peter Van Houten.  He uses his one wish to actually take her to meet Mr. Van Houten, which turns out to be a disastrous trip, but the two of them managed to make the best of it.  They even had sex on their trip abroad which totally threw me for a loop because prior to them having sex it seemed as though they had barely touched each other, let alone even really kissed each other.  I guess this is part of the whole "I am dying of cancer" thing, but it just seemed so unrealistic to me.

One of the things I really did like about the book was the swing set. The swing set seemed to represent to me the childhood that Hazel and Augustus we both denied due to the fact that they had cancer.  To me it seemed as though the swing set represented their hopes and dreams and what they knew their lives could have been like had they not been diagnosed with cancer.  I love that Hazel ended up deciding to sell her swing set because to me that represented her acceptance of her fate, but that she wanted her hopes and dreams to live on through a child who would be able to enjoy the swing set. Despite the melancholy nature of the book at times, there really were some rays of sunshine to help you remember that although cancer is a horrible disease, it doesn't always get people down.

Sorry for the lame book review this time around, this book just didn't do it for me like I thought it would.  I think if you can get past the fact that there are a lot of unrealistic elements to the book you will enjoy it, but for me I got so focused on how unreal things were that I just couldn't get into it.  If you are looking for a quick read I would say definitely give this a go as John Green's writing style is really easy to read, and I am certain you will be able to read it quickly.

Have you read "The Fault in Our Stars"? What did you think about it?

Book Review... The Confession.... PLUS Literary Junkies time!!!!!

Today I am taking a break from my regularly scheduled Delicious Dish Tuesday to bring to you my 2nd ever Literary Junkies book post.  I have so enjoyed being a part of another book club, especially one that is full of bloggers like myself.  This month we read The Wife, the Maid, and the Mistress by Ariel Lawhon and I am super excited for the Twitter chat tomorrow as this month the author is actually joining us!

During my last Literary Junkies post I had mentioned that I had started reading The Confession by Robert Whitlow, so I figure that it is only fitting that I do a book review on it for my 2nd ever Literary Junkies post.

The Confession appealed to me because it was a book where the main character, Holt Douglas is an Assistant D.A. and during most of my legal education I clerked at the Attorney General's Office in Delaware working with the Deputy Attorney Generals prosecuting various adults and juveniles.  While I spent my time mostly prosecuting juveniles, Holt spends his days prosecuting all types of criminals.

One day Holt mysteriously finds an old file on his desk related to a case that had been closed many years ago regarding the "suicide" of Rex Meredith.  After looking at the bare bones file Holt begins to suspect that it was not a suicide after all and begins looking in to the case.  While investigating he engages the help of Trish, a deputy sheriff who has helped him with many cases involving parents who are behind on their child support.  With Trish's help the two begin to suspect that more really did happen as when wind of the investigation gets out Trish's boss and some others within the Sheriff's Department ask Trish to keep an eye on Holt and report back to them with developments on his case.

As Holt spends more time with Trish he eventually lets her in on the secret as to why he became an Assistant D.A.... that he had been following the dreams of his best friend who was killed in a car crash.  The worst part about the crash was that Holt was driving the car and he was drunk at the time... although he was more sober than Calico... but he was still drunk.  When questioned by the police, Holt tells them that Calico was the one driving and Holt is able to move on with his life.  While moving on Holt is saddled with the guilt of killing his best friend and wants to do everything in his power to make things right.

Trish can't look at Holt after she learns his secret as her father was killed in a car accident involving a drunk driver and her mother was left paralyzed after the same accident.  Trish and Holt both end up turning to God to deal with the pain that they are both going through.

I really enjoyed this book not only because of the legal aspect to it but because it really held my attention. I honestly did not see the end coming and love that the book threw me for a little bit of a loop.  I find a lot of mystery books to be pretty predictable, so the fact that this one left me shocked was pretty awesome.  I also love that it was a pretty quick and easy read... it was one of those books that I really didn't want to put down.

It warmed my heart that both Trish and eventually Holt had a great relationship with God and used church to help them both through a tough time.  I enjoyed getting to see the role that the church played in both of their lives and how they were able to gain strength to do the right thing.

Now on the the Literary Junkies part of the post....

1. What are you reading right now? Tell us about it.
Right now I am reading The Fault in Our Stars by John Green.  I know I am late getting on the train of reading this book and I am actually reading it for my Chi Omega book club that is meeting this upcoming weekend.  I have been really excited to read this as I really want to see the movie, but I am not one to see a movie before I read a book.  I have heard mixed reviews on this book and so far am not quite sure how I feel about it.  But I will be sure to let you all know how it turned out soon!

2. There are a ton of movies coming out soon that were based off of books.  Are there any that you're particularly excited to see?
As crazy as this sounds I am most excited about Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day coming out as a movie.  I used to LOVE that book as a kid and I really can't wait to see how they turned it into a movie!

3. With fall finally here for some of us, are there any books that you're particularly looking forward to reading in the season of big sweaters, blankets and hot chocolate?
Honestly there are so many books that I want to read right now and any of them are perfect for reading in the fall.  I love nothing more than enjoying a book with a cup of warm apple cider during the fall.  I still really want to read Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn and I would also like to read Outlander by Diana Gabalon as I have recently become obsessed with the TV series and think reading the book would be awesome!

4. We only have 3.5 months left of 2014.  Did you participate in any reading challenges? How are you doing?
Unfortunately I didn't get involved in any reading challenges this year as I didn't hear about a few of them until they were already part way over.  I am hoping to get more involved next year!

5. What has been the best book you have read so far this year?
I honestly think that The Book Theif was probably my favorite book that I have read this past year.  I had a really hard time getting into it, but once I did I couldn't put it down.  I still have yet to see the movie which is the reason why I wanted to read the book, BUT I will get there one of these days.

Have you read anything good recently?

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers <http://booklookbloggers.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Book Review... Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult

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Last week I participated in my first EVER Literary Junkies post where I answered all the post questions and also did a quick review on what I had finished reading.  Well I figure that since the Literary Junkies is a book club and I did read a book for it, that well perhaps I should write a book review on the actual book we read for book club instead of the one that I read after it.

For the month of August we voted and decided to read Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult.  I haven't read a Jodi Picoult book in AGES, so I was kind of excited to read this one.  I was also excited because while we were at the beach and I was complaining that I had forgotten to go buy the book club book (I like reading books in actual book form while on the beach) one of my bff's happened to mention that she had just finished a book and that if I wanted to borrow it so I didn't have to read on my Kindle she would be happy to let me borrow it.  Imagine my surprise when she pulled out Lone Wolf ... the very book I was mad at myself for forgetting to buy before our trip!  Gotta love that my friends and I have similar book tastes so that things like this randomly happen.

While I was excited to read a book by Jodi Picoult, I was not really sure how I was going to feel about this book because honestly reading the description of it on Goodreads it didn't seem like it would be something that I would like.  Well... boy was I wrong!  This was one of those books that once I started reading it, I didn't want to put it down.  Lone Wolf chronicles a family as they deal with a horrible car accident that leaves Luke in a coma and his daughter Cara needing surgery.  Because Cara is a minor her long lost brother Edward has to make his return home after 7 years of being away in order to make the important medical decisions regarding Luke.  With much drama between the family, Cara and Edward do not see eye to eye with what to do with their father's health care and this disconnect causes so many more problems for the two.

Edward believes that Luke would want to have life support removed and his organs donated, while Cara believes that Luke would not want them to give up on him.  Part of Cara's belief for what Luke would want stems from the fact that Luke raises wolves and he NEVER was one to give up on them.  During Edward and Cara's childhood Luke actually went to Canada where he was able to insert himself into a wolf pack where the wolves actually accepted him as one of their own.  Through this he learned how to raise the packs that he kept on his property with the hopes of eventually being able to reinsert them into the wild even though they had been bred in captivity.

The book contains lots of twists and turns as you learn about Luke's life before, during and after living with the pack of wolves in Canada.  You learn a lot about his relationship with his children and even his ex-wife and how all of his decisions affected them as individuals and as a family unit.  It is amazing that the man that essentially tore the family apart is what will ultimately end up bringing them closer together.

One of the things I really liked about this book is how each chapter was written from a different character's perspective.  Even though some of the stories could be a bit repetitive, with a different perspective on the story you really felt like you were living it and that you knew exactly what was going on.  Definitely made it really hard to put this book down as I always wanted to keep reading so that I could get the entire story.

If you are looking for a quick and fun read I would definitely suggest this book to you!

Do you have any quick and fun reads that you would suggest to a book lover like me?

Book Review... The Last Call AND Literary Junkies Book Club

This week I am taking a break from "Delicious Dish Tuesday" as I am participating in my first Literary Junkies Book Club post!  I found the Literary Junkies Book Club through Kate who blogs over at Another Clean Slate and I was really excited to find another book club to join.

Before I get into the Literary Junkies Post I figure it is high time I do another book review as I feel like it has been AGES since I have done one.

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I recently read The Last Call by George Wier after I downloaded it for free from BookBub.  This book is the first in a series with Bill Travis as the main character.  Bill Travis is an "investment manager" who helps clients manage their money when they seem to be in tricky situations.  When I first started reading the book I wasn't quite sure if what Bill did was legal, but as the book went on it seemed as though everything he did was above book, but that one little mistake could make what he was doing illegal.

On what would be a normally uneventful day Bill decided to take on Julie Simmonds as a client after learning that she has managed to take a boatload of money from Archie Carpin, the last in a line of Texas criminals who have been suspected of dealing in moonshine and horseracing.  Julie is in trouble as Carpin has sent his goons after her to try and get his money  back.  They have made various attempts on Julie's life, but somehow she has managed to continuously escape them.  Bill enlists the help of one of his former clients in trying to best Carpin and save Julie's life.

While trying to save Julie's life they constantly put their own lives in danger and even manage to lose a friend along the way.  Carpin is a force to be reckoned with but Bill refuses to leave Julie in the dust and will not give up when it comes to keeping her safe.

This book is full of many twists and turns... you never quite know what is going to happen next.  I would definitely recommend reading this book if you are looking for a quick and interesting mystery novel.  My only complaint is that I was kind of disappointed at the ending of the book, but perhaps it ended how it did as this is book one in the series.

And now... for my first ever Literary Junkies post!!

1. What are you reading? Tell us about it!

Well I obviously just finished reading The Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult as that was this month's Literary Junkies book club pick (stay tuned for a book review on that one coming soon) and I am getting ready to read The Confession by Robert Whitlow.  Since I haven't actually started reading it there isn't much to tell, BUT here is the Goodreads summary:

"In Holt Douglas's line of work, there's nothing sweeter than a confession of guilt. Assistant D.A. Holt Douglas makes his living exposing lies and sending criminals to jail in Ashley County, Georgia. His job is always easier when defendants, instead of remaining silent, blame someone else or try to excuse their actions. With a confession in his hand, Holt knows a guilty plea will soon follow.

But lurking in Holt's past is a dark secret that could end his successful career and possibly his relationship with Angelina, his hoped for fiance.

When Holt reopens a cold case involving the death of the town's wealthiest businessman--allegedly killed by a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest--Holt doesn't believe it was suicide. Instead, he suspects murder.

As he investigates, Holt's own guilt threatens to destroy him and the cause of justice he's sworn to serve. While he knows his own confession could absolve him of his sin, it could cost him his future. Will he survive long enough to uncover the true crime that this small southern town has been hiding?"

2. Do you read one book at a time, or read multiple books at once?

I am the type of person who can only read one book at once... and I refuse to start another book until I finish the one I am currently reading.  I am also the type of person that even if I really don't like a book I will finish it.  There is something about not finish books that drives me crazy.

3. What is the first book that made you fall in love with reading?

I honestly am not sure what the first book that made me fall in love with reading was. As far back as I can remember I have loved to read.  My parents said when I was a very young child they would find me flipping through picture books.  My Grammy loves to tell the story of how she would give me a picture book and say "Find the apple." (or whatever fruit it was) and I would flip through the book to the page containing that picture.  I remember reading a lot of my mom's old Nancy Drew mysteries as a kid and I am also pretty sure I read every Baby Sitter's Club Book that was ever written.  My parents used to say that sending me to my room as punishment as a kid wasn't really punishment because I would just go to my room and read for hours.  Needless to say I have pretty much always been a book worm.

4. Do you prefer the physical copy of the book or an electronic one?

I hands down prefer the physical copy of the book to the electronic one, BUT that being said, the electronic ones are soooooo much cheaper that I must admit that I read most of my books electronically. I do however usually try to read my book club books in physical copies because it makes discussing them at meetings sooooo much easier.

5. What are 3 books on your currently To Be Read list?

3 books on my "to read" list are: The Fault in Our Stars by John Greene (thank goodness this is my sorority book club's next selection), The One and Only by Emily Giffin and The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger.

Have you read any good books recently?

Book Review... Prison

Prison by Toni V. Lee tells the story of two undercover narcotics detectives as they try to stop a drug dealer from dealing out of a church.  Detective Sonja Grey and Max Trent are assigned to and undercover operation taking place at none other than Sonja's church, the Prayer Tabernacle.  Sonja and Max have always had an undying affection for each other, though neither had ever acted on it and Max felt as though this undercover operation would be the best time to let Sonja know that one day he planned on marrying her.  Sonja and Max are supposed to be undercover as boyfriend and girlfriend, but when Max first goes to church with Sonja he decides to go one step further and introduce himself as her fiance!

Sonja refuses to believe that Max is really interested in her and tries to rebuff his advances, but nevertheless finds herself falling more in love with him as their operation goes on.  For this operation, the couple is supposed to bust "Rock" a well-known cocaine dealer who the police have been trying to make a rock solid case against for quite some time.  Rock has become increasingly cocky in his dealings as he believes that there is no way that the police would look for him at a church.  He is so cocky that he begins to murder those who have wronged him in his dealings because he thinks that people are so afraid of him that they would never talk to the police.  Well, let's just say that Rock was wrong and that gets more than he can handle dealing out of the Prayer Tabernacle.  As Sonja and Max prepare to nail Rock, some unexpected complications occur and things take a turn for the worse.....

This book was a really quick read that kept me on my toes until the very end.  I enjoyed the budding relationship between Sonja and Max, although I got annoyed with it at times because it seemed like they were both playing games with each other.  I know that in real life people do play games when it comes to dating, but I just felt as though these two were too old to be playing those games and that they should have just been honest with their feelings from the start... but I guess that wouldn't make for a very interesting plot if they did that.  I also enjoyed the fact that the book didn't just end with Sonja and Max trying to bust Rock, that the author wrapped up all of the story lines within the book.  I would definitely recommend this book if you are looking for something quick to read... I read it in the car ride from Philly to Morgantown, WV... or it would make a great beach read!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers <http://booklookbloggers.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Book Review... Murder Simply Brewed

Murder Simply Brewed by Vannetta Chapman is a murder, mystery novel set in the Indiana where the Amish meet the English.  Amber, an "Englischer", is the manager of a cute little "resort" in the county called, the Amish Artisan Village.  The Village has a few Amish shops as well as a hotel, restaurant and conference center.  The Village seems like the perfect, peaceful retreat until Ethan Gray, one of the shop owners, is found dead in his coffee shop.  The police feel that his death was from a heart attack, but Amber feels differently.  Amber has one of the Amish girls who works in the quilt shop, Hannah, take over the coffee shop after Ethan's death, and both women begin to think that Ethan's death was not of natural causes, but rather that he was murdered.

After Ethan's death, other strange things start happening around the Village... and each strange occurrence seems to have a verse from Daniel left at the scene.  Amber and Hannah start trying to put together the clues to figure out who had it out for Ethan, even if the police don't believe them.  Amber has her suspicions about Ethan's wife, but eventually dismisses them after new, more promising suspects come out.  Using their resources in the English and the Amish community, Amber and Hannah manage to solve the mystery of how Ethan died and they bring a killer to justice.

I hadn't read a book like this in a long time and wasn't sure how I was going to feel about it.  I ended up really enjoying the book and it was a very quick read.  It was one of those books that once I started reading it I didn't want to put it down.  I really liked the way that Chapman combined the English and the Amish way of life to give her readers a good look into how I would imagine life works when the Amish and English try to mix.  Although this book was set in Indiana, I found myself imaging that this is how life is like in Lancaster, PA (near where I live) and it has given me a new appreciation for the Amish lifestyle.  I do wish that I had saved this book to read on our beach weekend getaway because I do think that it is a perfect beach read!  I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a quick read that involves murder, mystery and intrigue with a little bit of religion mixed in.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers <http://booklookbloggers.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Book Review... Winter's Tale

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For those of you who know me, you know I love, Love, LOVE to read and that I pretty much go through books like you would not believe.  It is rare that I find a book that I have trouble finishing and I can usually find some redeeming quality in every book I read.  That being said, I had the HARDEST. TIME. EVER. reading Winter's Tale by Mark Helprin.  I don't know what it was about this book but I just could NOT get into it (which might explain why it took me almost 2 months to read all 748 pages of it).

Winter's Tale chronicles the life of Peter Lake and his journey from thief, turned lover, turned whatever it was that he turned into by the end.  It is set in NYC starting in the 1900s and ends in NYC at the millennium... during which time Peter Lake pretty much never ages.  Peter's life changes when he meets a gorgeous (I am not sure the horse is gorgeous, but in my mind he is gorgeous) white horse Athansor who he uses to escape from the Short Tails gang who is out to kill him.  During his travels on Athansor and after an attempt to rob a wealthy family, Peter falls in love with the owner of the house's daughter Beverly Penn.  Beverly had always been a strange and sickly girl and upon her death Peter disappeared never to be seen again.

Except he is seen again... nearly 80 (I think it was 80... or 80ish) years later not having aged a day.  This time he emerges in NYC at the turn of the millennium with no clue as to who he is.  He starts working for The Sun newspaper as a mechanic, not knowing that it is the paper that Beverly's father had owned and that her younger brother Harry now runs.  Peter knows he must have been a mechanic at some point in his life, but that is about all he can remember.  As he slowly gains memories back, the Short Tails reemerge and are on his tail once again, determined to kill him.

During all of this Jackson Meade is lurking around with his two cohorts, Cecil and the Reverend getting ready to try to build some sort of fantastical bridge.  Jackson was also around in the beginning of the book... back in the 1900s and was building bridges even then.  Jackson seems to be a visionary who has helped to make the US what it was throughout the century leading up to 2000.

And who could forget the love story of Virginia and Hardesty or their trip to the Lake of Coheeries where their daughter gets really sick.  Or how Hardesty basically goes insane trying to save the life of his daughter.

As you can see, the book contains a lot of stories within the story.  Each section of the book seems to focus on different characters, but in the end everything ties together and ties back to the main character, Peter Lake.  It had a love story, drama, stories of pain and suffering, and action among other things all packed into one.  It was the past meeting the future.... in a very strange way.

I think people suggested this book to me/thought I would really enjoy it because I LOVE Ayn Rand... The Fountainhead hands down one of my favorite books of all time.  To me this book does not even hold a candle to The Fountainhead or even Atlas Shrugged for that matter.  Not that I am saying that this was a bad book, it just wasn't the book for me and it is something that I will probably never pick up to read again.  That being said, I am still a bit intrigued by the movie because I feel like it had to be super difficult to pack all of this into a movie and I am not sure how a movie would flow from this book as there is a lot of back and forth.  I may have to think about redboxing the movie if I ever see it in there!

Have you ever read "A Winter's Tale"?  What were your thoughts on the book? Has anyone seen the movie? Is it worth seeing?

PS, Sorry for probably the shortest and worst book review I have ever written on here.  I just can't even explain how much I really didn't like this book and don't even know how to describe it to people because to me it was just that strange of a book. I promise I will do better on my next book review... promise!

Book Review... The Book Thief

As you all know, I absolutely LOVE to read.  So much so that I am a part of not one, but two book clubs (and thinking of joining a third, but shhhhh don't tell).  My love of reading also makes me refuse to see movies until I have read the book because well the book is pretty much always better, so as long as I know there is a book out there I won't see the movie until that book is finished. I had really wanted to see the movie The Book Thief, but of course I knew it was based on a book and I couldn't justify seeing it until I had read the book.  Thankfully one of my co-workers was just about finished reading it, so when I told her that I was thinking of buying the book she offered to let me borrow it when she was finished... obviously I took her up on that offer.

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When I first started reading The Book Thief by Markus Zusak I wasn't really sure what to expect.  I knew that the book was written kind of from the perspective of death, but I wasn't really sure how that was going to work.  Not going to lie, in the beginning I did find it kind of confusing getting used to listening to death talk, but then also seeing the story from the perspective of the various characters.

The story follows a young German girl, Liesel Meminger who is living with foster parents in Germany during World War II. Liesel goes to live with the Hubermann family for the duration of the war during which time she earns her nickname of "the book thief" as she survives the war by "stealing" books from wherever she can.  Liesel's book stealing days start at the very beginning of the book where she steals The Gravedigger's Handbook at her brother's funeral.  At this point in time Liesel does not know how to read, so why she stole the book was a mystery to all... but in the end she does learn how to read and reading ends up being what saves her life.

Liesel gets teased a lot because she really had no formal education so her foster "Papa" spends a lot of time teaching her to read by reading The Gravedigger's Handbook and eventually Liesel really learns how to read on her own.  She continues to steal books throughout the novel... from a book burning done by the Nazis, from the mayor's wife's library... from wherever she can get them.  She does have a few books of her own that were given to her as gifts... from her foster parents and one special book from Max, the Jewish man the Hubermanns hid in their basement.

I really enjoyed this book because it gives you a look at Nazi Germany from the perspective of a little German girl who doesn't completely know what is going on.  She has an idea of what is going on, but doesn't seem like she fully grasps it.  By the end of the book it is evident that Liesel is very wise for her age and lived through a lot.  She ended up basically losing everyone who was important to her in her life, but somehow she manages to survive with the help of all of her books.  It is amazing how she found comfort in the books... I don't think she would have survived the war like she did without them.

Overall I really enjoyed this book.  Despite having a hard time getting into it the first few chapters, once I was engrossed in it, it was hard to stop reading. I also liked that the book was set up in a sort of grouping of short stories so it made it easier to put down because I would just read a section at a time.  I would definitely recommend reading this if you haven't already done so!  Now to finally see the movie!

As always, today I am thankful the time that I have to be able to read like this.  Reading has always been one of my favorite hobbies and I am so grateful that I am able to carve out a little time every day for reading.  Sure it may not be much time, but even if it is only 20 minutes I am grateful to have those 20 minutes where I can just lose myself in a book and forget what is going on in the world. 

Book Review... The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency (Books 1 & 2)

I am trying to start 2014 right with a push into getting back into my blog.  I make no promises, but I am going to try to keep writing blogs and see what happens.  I make no promises as to how this is going to go... but hey, who knows....

When I first started this blog I did so because blogging always intrigued me and I had wanted to review books on it.  That being said... I don't think I have reviewed a book on here in probably oh 2 years.  It is no secret.. I love to read.  If I wrote a blog post on every book I read I would probably be posting at least once a week... sometimes more.  Since I don't want to bore people with just writing book reviews on here, I think I am going to try to post reviews maybe once or twice a month... maybe more if I read a particularly good book.

Today I want to talk about the series The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith.  I had asked for books in this series a couple of years ago for Christmas because I wanted to find some paperback books to read since I pretty much read everything on my Kindle now and I wanted to make sure that I was still reading a few things in book form.  This seemed like a good series to read because well I knew it was an HBO series and I was pretty sure that there were at least a dozen books in the series so it could keep me occupied for a bit.  So I asked for these books for Christmas 2012 and didn't actually pick one up to read until a plane ride this past weekend until Florida and once I started let me say I am hooked!  I read Book 1 on the plane ride to Florida and Book 2 on my way home.

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Book 1, The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency got off to a slow start.  I am not going to lie, for a minute when I first started reading it I wasn't sure that I was actually going to continue to read it or even ever finish it.  But I had an entire plane ride to go, so I figured I would give it a shot and see what happened.  The more I read the more I was hooked.  The book starts off with a background about Mma Ramotswe and her family and how exactly she was able to start the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency.

Mma Ramotswe is from Botswana and after the death of her father used money from the sale of his cattle to start her own detective business.  She strives to live up to her name of the number 1 lady detective in all of Botswana and is able to do just that.  In a country where there are no female detectives she maintains that she can do what any male detective does, and can even perhaps do it better, because women are naturally more observant.

The book is set up as almost a sort of series of short stories regarding all of Mma Ramotswe's cases ranging from finding a missing husband to following the daughter of an Indian man to find out if the daughter has a secret boyfriend. Though some of the cases prove more difficult than others, Mma Ramotswe has manged to solve them all.

One of the nice things about this book is that although there are short stories regarding the various cases, the stories all seem to tie together to make for a fluid transition between chapters.  Even though the history of Mma Ramotswe and her family may have been long and tedious to read I am so glad that I stuck it out to get to her adventures as a detective because they were well worth the wait.  My advice to anyone reading this book is to give it a shot because once you get a glimpse into the life of the number 1 lady detective in Botswana each chapter will leave you wanting more and you will have a hard time putting the book down!

Book 2, Tears of the Giraffe, was much easier to get into reading than the first book.  Probably because I was already obsessed with Mma Ramotswe and her methods to solving cases for her clients.  Tears of the Giraffe, follows Mma Ramotswe through solving more cases as well as her path to marriage with Mr. J L B Matekoni.  While solving cases Mma Ramotswe and Mr. J L B Matekoni need to figure out where they will live once married, how they will raise the children that Mr. J L B Matekoni agreed to foster from the orphanage.  My favorite story in this book probably had to be how Mma Ramotswe tracked down what happened to an American boy who had been missing for almost 10 years.  It seems that there is no case that Mma Ramotswe can't solve... although some have proved to be more difficult than others, she always seems to manage to find a way to solve them.  She does receive help along the way... at times from her husband to be Mr. J L B Matekoni or at times from her newly promoted assistant detective (her former secretary) Mma Makutsi.

I am looking forward to see what unfolds for Mma Ramotswe in the next book and am especially looking forward to seeing how her business changes (maybe grows?) from marriage, the addition of two children and new assistant detective!!

Please note: all the opinions expressed in this review are my own.  I was not compensated in any way for this post... I truly did enjoy every moment of reading each of these books.

And now for another edition of what I am thankful for.  Today I am thankful for the fact that I have an amazing support system in my family and friends.  2013 was both an amazing and a terrifying year for me but through my family and friends I have managed to survive it all and definitely came out realizing who my true friends were and who they weren't.  So today I am thankful for everyone who made 2013 the terrific year that it was and I am looking forward to seeing what 2014 has to bring my way!