I alluded to it in my previous post, but I have decided to have some sort of personal reading challenge for 2010. I'm trying to decide what sort of challenge it should be. Should I have a set number of books I'm trying to read? Or should I have to work through a specific reading list? Decisions, decisions!
What do you suggest?
Also, I'm always looking for recommendations for what to read next, so leave me some recommendations of Books Everyone Must Read! Thank you!
Monday, December 28, 2009
Thursday, December 17, 2009
What I'm Reading Right Now: December 2009 Edition
Hi Friends!
I'm reading, albeit a little slowly right now. I don't want this Blog forgotten, so here's a little update on what I'm currently reading, with some pre-reading thoughts rather than reviews, haha.
The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
My boyfriend just finished this book, and I'm eager and excited to read it myself! I've loved all of Dan Brown's books so far -- although I will admit that The Da Vinci Code was my least favourite of the bunch, even though it's so damn famous. It was so much slower of a read than his other books for me -- but I do have to add that I still LIKED it, it just wasn't MY favourite of his novels. I actually really loved Digital Fortress and Deception Point, and if you have only read Dan Brown's Robert Langdon books, then you NEED to read his other stand-alone stories -- they are fantastic and fun. I'm hoping The Lost Symbol will engage me the way Angels & Demons did, and won't be slow to get into like The Da Vinci Code.
To The Nines & Ten Big Ones by Janet Evanovich
I finally have books 9 and 10 in the Stephanie Plum Series from my local library. I had to request them, and they both came in this week! I got book 10 first, so I was waiting for book 9, which I was able to pick up today! Hurrah! I have definitely blocked the person who read book 9 from getting their book 10, but OH WELL, I had to wait and now it's their turn (luckily for them I always return these books before the three week borrowing period anyway, I'm reading this series so quickly!). I may even read these before I read The Lost Symbol since they are from the library, and Martin owns the other (I requested these before I knew I'd be getting Dan Brown's book from Martin so soon). I am loving this series, LOVING IT. Do read and enjoy it if you haven't before.
So these are the three books I plan to read to cap off 2009. Maybe I'll think of some sort of Personal Reading Challenge for 2010. If I was to make a list of "Books I Must Read" what should I include? Tell me what your FAVOURITE books are -- regardless of genre, just whatever you couldn't put down. What books do you think EVERYONE needs to give a chance to?
I'm reading, albeit a little slowly right now. I don't want this Blog forgotten, so here's a little update on what I'm currently reading, with some pre-reading thoughts rather than reviews, haha.
The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
My boyfriend just finished this book, and I'm eager and excited to read it myself! I've loved all of Dan Brown's books so far -- although I will admit that The Da Vinci Code was my least favourite of the bunch, even though it's so damn famous. It was so much slower of a read than his other books for me -- but I do have to add that I still LIKED it, it just wasn't MY favourite of his novels. I actually really loved Digital Fortress and Deception Point, and if you have only read Dan Brown's Robert Langdon books, then you NEED to read his other stand-alone stories -- they are fantastic and fun. I'm hoping The Lost Symbol will engage me the way Angels & Demons did, and won't be slow to get into like The Da Vinci Code.
To The Nines & Ten Big Ones by Janet Evanovich
I finally have books 9 and 10 in the Stephanie Plum Series from my local library. I had to request them, and they both came in this week! I got book 10 first, so I was waiting for book 9, which I was able to pick up today! Hurrah! I have definitely blocked the person who read book 9 from getting their book 10, but OH WELL, I had to wait and now it's their turn (luckily for them I always return these books before the three week borrowing period anyway, I'm reading this series so quickly!). I may even read these before I read The Lost Symbol since they are from the library, and Martin owns the other (I requested these before I knew I'd be getting Dan Brown's book from Martin so soon). I am loving this series, LOVING IT. Do read and enjoy it if you haven't before.
So these are the three books I plan to read to cap off 2009. Maybe I'll think of some sort of Personal Reading Challenge for 2010. If I was to make a list of "Books I Must Read" what should I include? Tell me what your FAVOURITE books are -- regardless of genre, just whatever you couldn't put down. What books do you think EVERYONE needs to give a chance to?
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Goodnight Nobody by Jennifer Weiner
I had never read a Jennifer Weiner book before, but I was hearing her name come up on the Interwebz, so when I was at the library recently I decided to give her a try. The book I chose was called Goodnight Nobody, and I chose it because I liked the synopsis.
Without giving away major spoilers, the story is about a woman named Kate who moves to the suburbs with her husband after having been born and raised a New York City gal. She's a mother of three, and doesn't fit in with the upper-class neighbourhood Mommies. After one of these mothers is murdered, Kate dives in to solving the seemingly unsolveable mystery.
This book was really enjoyable to read. I liked the mystery, it wasn't predictable. The characters, Kate's best friend Janie in particular, are enjoyable and well-developed. It mixes Kate's earlier life in with her current predicament well too.
After reading this, I will definitely be giving Jennifer Weiner another shot. I recommend you check out Goodnight Nobody if you're looking for something to read next.
Without giving away major spoilers, the story is about a woman named Kate who moves to the suburbs with her husband after having been born and raised a New York City gal. She's a mother of three, and doesn't fit in with the upper-class neighbourhood Mommies. After one of these mothers is murdered, Kate dives in to solving the seemingly unsolveable mystery.
This book was really enjoyable to read. I liked the mystery, it wasn't predictable. The characters, Kate's best friend Janie in particular, are enjoyable and well-developed. It mixes Kate's earlier life in with her current predicament well too.
After reading this, I will definitely be giving Jennifer Weiner another shot. I recommend you check out Goodnight Nobody if you're looking for something to read next.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Twilight Saga: New Moon Movie Review (non-spoilery)
On Friday night, my two best friends came to visit. We went out for dinner, and then caught at showing of The Twilight Saga: New Moon. I read the Twilight series in the fall of 2008, and re-read them a few times since. It's light and fluffy and I can't help but enjoy those stories. I wasn't so impressed with the first Twilight film, though (it prompted this post, in which I lament about book-to-movie adaptations). I decided I'd give New Moon a try anyway, because I did feel that the cast was right, and so maybe with a new director things would improve.
In general, I was much happier with this second film. The acting at times leaves something to be desired (especially Robert Pattinson (Edward) and Kristen Stewart (Bella), a.k.a The Leads! -- they can be so blah when they're together, and when they kiss it is AWK), but Taylor Lautner (Jacob) actually did a pretty good job, and I find Kristen to be more enjoyable/animated when she's acting alongside Taylor, so that made up for some of the other scenes. The Volturi were AMAZING. I want Breaking Dawn made into a movie JUST to see more of the Volturi -- they were entertaining, and they acted exactly how I pictured them when I was reading the novels.
As for the story, I was much more impressed with this screenplay based on how it followed the book. Were there some cuts and changes? Yes. However, they worked and the major scenes still played out how they should. I know the story is going to be changed, because Stephenie Meyer's novels are long, but this one did a much better job at putting the book onto the screen than Twilight did -- especially in the area of character development. Twilight very much relied on subtext, and I think it lost a lot in the way of character development. New Moon had actual dialogue between the characters and it was much better -- less "independent film"-like. Also, the wolves were great -- not nearly as corny/awful as they potentially could have been.
There were of course changes I would have made, and there were many "cheesy" parts that are a little painful to sit through, but overall I was much happier with New Moon than I was with the first film, and now I'm looking forward to Eclipse in June 2010. Especially to get a little more of the Cullen family, as I really like those actors and how they portray their characters.
In sum, New Moon: not the greatest film in the history of cinema (like, duh!), but an improvement on the first Twilight film, and more enjoyable to a fan of the books than what I was expecting. I took it for what it was, and I wasn't so disappointed this time around.
In general, I was much happier with this second film. The acting at times leaves something to be desired (especially Robert Pattinson (Edward) and Kristen Stewart (Bella), a.k.a The Leads! -- they can be so blah when they're together, and when they kiss it is AWK), but Taylor Lautner (Jacob) actually did a pretty good job, and I find Kristen to be more enjoyable/animated when she's acting alongside Taylor, so that made up for some of the other scenes. The Volturi were AMAZING. I want Breaking Dawn made into a movie JUST to see more of the Volturi -- they were entertaining, and they acted exactly how I pictured them when I was reading the novels.
As for the story, I was much more impressed with this screenplay based on how it followed the book. Were there some cuts and changes? Yes. However, they worked and the major scenes still played out how they should. I know the story is going to be changed, because Stephenie Meyer's novels are long, but this one did a much better job at putting the book onto the screen than Twilight did -- especially in the area of character development. Twilight very much relied on subtext, and I think it lost a lot in the way of character development. New Moon had actual dialogue between the characters and it was much better -- less "independent film"-like. Also, the wolves were great -- not nearly as corny/awful as they potentially could have been.
There were of course changes I would have made, and there were many "cheesy" parts that are a little painful to sit through, but overall I was much happier with New Moon than I was with the first film, and now I'm looking forward to Eclipse in June 2010. Especially to get a little more of the Cullen family, as I really like those actors and how they portray their characters.
In sum, New Moon: not the greatest film in the history of cinema (like, duh!), but an improvement on the first Twilight film, and more enjoyable to a fan of the books than what I was expecting. I took it for what it was, and I wasn't so disappointed this time around.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Christmas Gift Ideas Continued: Kid Books
Looking for some great stories for the young ones in your life? Here are some of my favourite children's book authors and a few recommended titles -- these are all well-loved by the kids I've taught and baby-sat for! (The pictures are nabbed off Amazon, my favourite site for ordering books online).
1) Melanie Watt (*Canadian Author):
My grade two practice teaching placement taught me all about Melanie Watt's characters Scaredy Squirrel and Chester. I recieved two Scaredy Squirrel books as a parting gift from the class, and I'm hoping to collect more of the set. These books are great because there are teaching points in them about types of text, there's also lots of humour, and kids are enthralled by these loveable, kooky characters.
2) Kevin Henkes:
My personal favourite is the classic, Chrysanthemum, about the little mouse with the BIG, UNIQUE name. Kevin Henkes writes as well as illustrates his books, and his books are beautiful and classic. They have a nice message, and they're enjoyable stories.
3) Jane O'Connor:
Fancy Nancy stories are so amusing to read ("amusing is a fancy word for fun"). Little girls LOVE the sparkley illustrations, and all of the "fancy" words that Nancy uses. These stories are also great for teaching children about Word Choice and being descriptive as Nancy uses many of those "million dollar words" that make the writing more descriptive and interesting.
4) The Classics
Just because I can't leave them off a list, don't forget these classic storytellers!
Robert Munsch -- my personal faves are The Paperbag Princess, Mortimer, Stephanie's Ponytail, and Pigs, but you can't go wrong with any Munsch story!
Paulette Bourgeois -- I personally want to collect the entire Franklin the turtle series, don't you?
Mercer Mayer -- I love the Little Critter series.
Stan & Jan Berenstain-- I grew up with The Berenstain Bears, and I hope kid's today are still reading and enjoying these stories; I know I cherish my large collection and will be reading them to my own kids one day!
1) Melanie Watt (*Canadian Author):
2) Kevin Henkes:
3) Jane O'Connor:
4) The Classics
Just because I can't leave them off a list, don't forget these classic storytellers!
Robert Munsch -- my personal faves are The Paperbag Princess, Mortimer, Stephanie's Ponytail, and Pigs, but you can't go wrong with any Munsch story!
Paulette Bourgeois -- I personally want to collect the entire Franklin the turtle series, don't you?
Mercer Mayer -- I love the Little Critter series.
Stan & Jan Berenstain-- I grew up with The Berenstain Bears, and I hope kid's today are still reading and enjoying these stories; I know I cherish my large collection and will be reading them to my own kids one day!
Monday, November 23, 2009
Don't Kiss The Frog: Princess Stories With Attitude
This will be the first in a string of "Christmas Gifts Ideas" posts. I also recommended these kid's books last Christmas, check them out too! I think books make fabulous Christmas gifts, don't you?
I'm currently baby-sitting a family of three, the oldest child is a five-year-old girl who is very GIRLY, but is also a leader type. I was looking to get her and her brothers each a little Christmas present, and I found THE MOST AWESOME BOOK at my local Chapters store. I've never heard of this one before.
It's called, "Don't Kiss The Frog: Princess Stories With Attitude" and it's an anthology of stories chosen by Fiona Waters. The inside of the book jacket describes it as follows:
I think this would make a really cute Christmas gift for that little Princess on your list, who you still want to assure can be the girl who tames the dragons, who chooses her own prince, and who can compete alongside knights and win.
Available Online Here:
Amazon (Canadian)
Amazon (American)
Chapters Indigo.ca
I'm currently baby-sitting a family of three, the oldest child is a five-year-old girl who is very GIRLY, but is also a leader type. I was looking to get her and her brothers each a little Christmas present, and I found THE MOST AWESOME BOOK at my local Chapters store. I've never heard of this one before.
It's called, "Don't Kiss The Frog: Princess Stories With Attitude" and it's an anthology of stories chosen by Fiona Waters. The inside of the book jacket describes it as follows:
This collection of six stories about princesses with attitude turns fairy-tale traditions upside down. Meet princesses who tame dragons, rescue princes, win prizes, and have hidden talents. Spells don't always work as expected, happy endings come with a twist, and life as a princess isn't always all it's cracked up to be. Full of humour, charm, and lots of sass, each enchanting story is enhanced by beautiful illustrations. This sparkling anthology is essential reading for modern little girls who love their tiaras but want something more than "happily ever after".I couldn't help but read through the book myself tonight. The illustrations grab you first, even within the text itself the words are written in various fancy fonts. It's very fun to look at, let alone read. The stories themselves are cute and funny. Mom's and Dad's alike would share a laugh with their daughters as they read about these Princesses with Attitude.
I think this would make a really cute Christmas gift for that little Princess on your list, who you still want to assure can be the girl who tames the dragons, who chooses her own prince, and who can compete alongside knights and win.
Available Online Here:
Amazon (Canadian)
Amazon (American)
Chapters Indigo.ca
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
The Stephanie Plum Series by Janet Evanovich
Stephanie Plum (who has a lovely first name, don't you think?) is a girl from New Jersey who loses her job and turns to her shady cousin Vinnie for help. In "One For the Money" (book one; the book titles have numbers in them which definitely helps you remember the order of the series!), Stephanie goes to Vinnie's office to ask about a filing job, but finds out the job has been filled. Instead she finds herself accepting a job as a Bounty Hunter to look for vice cop Joe Morelli, a guy she has a history with since childhood. The stories unfold from there, Stephanie ends up sticking to her job as a Bounty Hunter (or, Apprehension Agent for "FTA's" or "Failure to Appears"), but she's not particularly great at her job. She gets lucky a lot, and she has a whole slew of sidekicks from ho-turned-friend-and-coworker Lula, to her energetic and sassy Grandma Mazur. She has love affairs with hunky Joe Morelli, but also with Ranger -- the elusive, sexy, and actually-good-at-being-a-Bounty-Hunter Bounty Hunter who also works for Vinnie.
Each book finds Stephanie chasing after a new FTA, and she usually winds up in some pretty crazy situations. It has humour, a touch of romance, a touch of mystery and mostly it's just a good read.
I highly recommend checking out the Stephanie Plum series, I'm sure you'll enjoy them as much as I have been. I'm really looking forward to diving into Book Eight, which I just checked out of the library today!
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Summer Reading
Hello, friends. I began the following post in August, and never returned to finish it/post it! Oh Em Gee! Time has flown and I've just been so busy. I really do mean to keep up with this blog, and WILL be making a better effort going forward. For now, enjoy this post from August!
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*tap, tap, tap*
Hello?
Oh hai, Reading Blog. I'm so sorry you've been neglected. I've been reading, albeit not as much as I usually do (sad), but I took this pesky trip to Poland for the month of July and I just haven't been so diligent with the posting.
But I have returned!
So, what have I read this summer, and how do I feel about it? Let's see...
The Shack by W.M. Paul Young
This was a very inspiring book. While it starts off with a tragic event, what the main character experiences is beautiful and spiritual in a refreshing way. I'm not an overly religious person, but I am a spiritual person, and I found this story worked well with how I'd really like to believe God is. It was absolutely a beautiful book, and gives the reader something to think about.
The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd
A favourite book of mine is The Secret Life of Bees, so I have been wanting to read The Mermaid Chair for awhile - and it does not disappoint. Sue Monk Kidd is a lovely writer, and I highly recommend her stories.
Where Rainbows End (or: Love, Rosie) by Cecelia Ahern
This book is written completely in correspondence letters, emails, etc between two best friends who have to move away from each other as young teens. It is one of those "will they or won't they" end up together type of stories. It's a very good story, and I was gripped by the characters and what they were going through. I'm not sure I like the style of reading an entire story as emails, etc but it was a nice little reading experience change. My only complaint was that the book started to feel a bit long, and I was getting a little frustrated with the constant back-and-forth and drama between the main characters. Generally a good book, though.
Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella
Oh Sophie Kinsella, how I do love your books. Another hit right here. I will admit, this doesn't jump to "My Favourite Sophie Kinsella Novel Ever" (I found it a little slow to get into - my most favourite is Remember Me if you're wondering), but I loved and read it just as quickly as I have every other books of hers. Totally recommend this to chick-lit lovers everywhere, and Sophie fans of course!
Other Books I Read In Summer 2009 (but did not get a chance to expand on, and now it's been too many months so this is all you're getting):
A Wild Affair by Gemma Townley (this is a sequel to The Importance of Being Married, and there will also be a third book to this series)
The Chocolate Lover's Club by Carole Matthews and its sequel The Chocolate Lover's Diet by Carole Matthews
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Since August, I've read a ton more books, so be prepared for more updates soon! Sorry for this long hiatus, ai yi yi!!
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*tap, tap, tap*
Hello?
Oh hai, Reading Blog. I'm so sorry you've been neglected. I've been reading, albeit not as much as I usually do (sad), but I took this pesky trip to Poland for the month of July and I just haven't been so diligent with the posting.
But I have returned!
So, what have I read this summer, and how do I feel about it? Let's see...
The Shack by W.M. Paul Young
This was a very inspiring book. While it starts off with a tragic event, what the main character experiences is beautiful and spiritual in a refreshing way. I'm not an overly religious person, but I am a spiritual person, and I found this story worked well with how I'd really like to believe God is. It was absolutely a beautiful book, and gives the reader something to think about.
The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd
A favourite book of mine is The Secret Life of Bees, so I have been wanting to read The Mermaid Chair for awhile - and it does not disappoint. Sue Monk Kidd is a lovely writer, and I highly recommend her stories.
Where Rainbows End (or: Love, Rosie) by Cecelia Ahern
This book is written completely in correspondence letters, emails, etc between two best friends who have to move away from each other as young teens. It is one of those "will they or won't they" end up together type of stories. It's a very good story, and I was gripped by the characters and what they were going through. I'm not sure I like the style of reading an entire story as emails, etc but it was a nice little reading experience change. My only complaint was that the book started to feel a bit long, and I was getting a little frustrated with the constant back-and-forth and drama between the main characters. Generally a good book, though.
Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella
Oh Sophie Kinsella, how I do love your books. Another hit right here. I will admit, this doesn't jump to "My Favourite Sophie Kinsella Novel Ever" (I found it a little slow to get into - my most favourite is Remember Me if you're wondering), but I loved and read it just as quickly as I have every other books of hers. Totally recommend this to chick-lit lovers everywhere, and Sophie fans of course!
Acting Up (or: Pride, Prejudice & Jasmin Field) by Melissa Nathan
I'm a sucker for Pride & Prejudice remakes, so in that regard this book did not fail. However, I wasn't drawn into this story as much as I have been with Melissa Nathan's other books. It was almost like the Pride & Prejudice parallels were the entire thrust of the book, so unless you really enjoy P&P remakes, I'd stick to Melissa's other books, which are much better.
Other Books I Read In Summer 2009 (but did not get a chance to expand on, and now it's been too many months so this is all you're getting):
A Wild Affair by Gemma Townley (this is a sequel to The Importance of Being Married, and there will also be a third book to this series)
The Chocolate Lover's Club by Carole Matthews and its sequel The Chocolate Lover's Diet by Carole Matthews
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Since August, I've read a ton more books, so be prepared for more updates soon! Sorry for this long hiatus, ai yi yi!!
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Fifteen Books in Fifteen Minutes
Nabbed this from Brandie, and thought it looked like fun!
This can be a quick one. Don’t take too long to think about it. Fifteen books you’ve read that will always stick with you. First fifteen you can recall in no more than 15 minutes.
1. The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
2. The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
3. The Notebook - Nicholas Sparks
4. Confessions of a Shopaholic - Sophie Kinsella
5. Twilight Saga (all four) - Stephenie Meyer
6. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
7. Harry Potter (whole series) - J.K. Rowling
8. The Deep End of the Ocean - Jacquelyn Mitchard
9. Dead Until Dark (and the entire Sookie Stackhouse series!) - Charlaine Harris
10. Remember Me? - Sophie Kinsella
11. A Bend in the Road - Nicholas Sparks
12. Little White Lies - Gemma Townley
13. Everyone Worth Knowing - Lauren Weisberger
14. Something Borrowed / Something Blue - Emily Giffin
15. A Walk To Remember - Nicholas Sparks
Okay, there may not be many "classics" on the list or anything, but these are the books I came up with in under fifteen minutes - ones I've just really enjoyed, and have read more than once (or want to read again if I haven't yet!).
This can be a quick one. Don’t take too long to think about it. Fifteen books you’ve read that will always stick with you. First fifteen you can recall in no more than 15 minutes.
1. The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
2. The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
3. The Notebook - Nicholas Sparks
4. Confessions of a Shopaholic - Sophie Kinsella
5. Twilight Saga (all four) - Stephenie Meyer
6. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
7. Harry Potter (whole series) - J.K. Rowling
8. The Deep End of the Ocean - Jacquelyn Mitchard
9. Dead Until Dark (and the entire Sookie Stackhouse series!) - Charlaine Harris
10. Remember Me? - Sophie Kinsella
11. A Bend in the Road - Nicholas Sparks
12. Little White Lies - Gemma Townley
13. Everyone Worth Knowing - Lauren Weisberger
14. Something Borrowed / Something Blue - Emily Giffin
15. A Walk To Remember - Nicholas Sparks
Okay, there may not be many "classics" on the list or anything, but these are the books I came up with in under fifteen minutes - ones I've just really enjoyed, and have read more than once (or want to read again if I haven't yet!).
Saturday, May 30, 2009
With or Without You - Carole Matthews
Many years ago I read my first Carole Matthews book. It was called Let's Meet On Platform 8, and frankly, I didn't really enjoy it. I was bored by the characters and the storyline didn't grip me. Mind you, I was still in high school at the time so I think I might have been too young to understand the characters and their love affair. Over the years as I have been on my quest to read all the chick-lit there is out there (or so it seems!), I avoided Carole Matthews like the plague because I didn't want to waste my time again.
Then last year, I picked up The Sweetest Taboo from the cheap rack at Chapters, and decided to give her a go again because I thought the story sounded cute. AND I LOVED IT.
So, Carole Matthews has been added to my "want to read" book list, and I started with With or Without You.
Without any real spoilers, let me give a brief synopsis:
This story is about Lyssa, who wants nothing more than to have a baby with long-term boyfriend, Jake. But Jake has other plans for himself, which he quickly realises are the wrong plans. As Lyssa tries to cope in a life without Jake at her side, while he figures a few things out for himself, she heads off on an out-of-character adventure trek in Nepal. By the end of the story Jake and Lyssa have learned a lot about themselves and each other, and they see that in just a month people can really change.
This book was pretty good. I like the characters, they were pretty witty. Jake's best friend Pip and Lyssa's sister Edie provide good comic relief as well. It was a fast read for me, and was pretty enjoyable.
My next Carole Matthew's adventures will be reading The Chocolate Lover's Club and its sequel, The Chocolate Lover's Diet; I bought these books a little while back but I'm saving them for my big trip to Poland this July.
I'm quite glad I've given Carole Matthews another shot, and look forward to reading more.
Then last year, I picked up The Sweetest Taboo from the cheap rack at Chapters, and decided to give her a go again because I thought the story sounded cute. AND I LOVED IT.
So, Carole Matthews has been added to my "want to read" book list, and I started with With or Without You.
Without any real spoilers, let me give a brief synopsis:
This story is about Lyssa, who wants nothing more than to have a baby with long-term boyfriend, Jake. But Jake has other plans for himself, which he quickly realises are the wrong plans. As Lyssa tries to cope in a life without Jake at her side, while he figures a few things out for himself, she heads off on an out-of-character adventure trek in Nepal. By the end of the story Jake and Lyssa have learned a lot about themselves and each other, and they see that in just a month people can really change.
This book was pretty good. I like the characters, they were pretty witty. Jake's best friend Pip and Lyssa's sister Edie provide good comic relief as well. It was a fast read for me, and was pretty enjoyable.
My next Carole Matthew's adventures will be reading The Chocolate Lover's Club and its sequel, The Chocolate Lover's Diet; I bought these books a little while back but I'm saving them for my big trip to Poland this July.
I'm quite glad I've given Carole Matthews another shot, and look forward to reading more.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Murder Unleashed: A Dead-End Job Mystery - Elaine Viets
Thanks to GoodReads.com I am discovering so many book series' that I had never heard about before! Also thanks to GoodReads.com I've started up a "want to read" list that's nearly 100 books long.
It's a good thing I read at least two novels a week, three when I'm really in my prime.
A book series I wanted to check out was the "Dead-End Job Mystery" series by Elaine Viets. At my local library, where I've been trying to take out some books in an effort to conserve my precious few dollars, they did not have the first book in the series. I decided to go ahead and take out a later book, because I read on Elaine's website that you didn't necessarily need to read the books in order.
The series follows a woman named Helen Hawthorne who is on the run from her ex-husband and St. Louis police. She's forced to take dead-end jobs that pay her cash under the table so that she can pay her living expenses. Each book follows Helen working in a different dead-end job, and includes some sort of mystery that she gets wrapped up in. The book I took out was called Murder Unleashed, in which Helen was working at a dog grooming/pampered pet boutique, and gets involved in a murder investigation.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story. Helen is a great character. I agree, judging by this book (which is the fifth book in the dead-end job series, I believe) I don't think they have to necessarily be read in order. I do hope to go back though and read the first four in order, just to get the full effect of Helen's backstory... but each novel has it's unique case in it, and I didn't truly feel "lost" while reading this book having not read the others.
This was a fun change to my typical chick-lit romance fare (although Helen does have a love interest, so it's still there), and I definitely can't wait to read the others. Now if only my local library would have the whole set!
It's a good thing I read at least two novels a week, three when I'm really in my prime.
A book series I wanted to check out was the "Dead-End Job Mystery" series by Elaine Viets. At my local library, where I've been trying to take out some books in an effort to conserve my precious few dollars, they did not have the first book in the series. I decided to go ahead and take out a later book, because I read on Elaine's website that you didn't necessarily need to read the books in order.
The series follows a woman named Helen Hawthorne who is on the run from her ex-husband and St. Louis police. She's forced to take dead-end jobs that pay her cash under the table so that she can pay her living expenses. Each book follows Helen working in a different dead-end job, and includes some sort of mystery that she gets wrapped up in. The book I took out was called Murder Unleashed, in which Helen was working at a dog grooming/pampered pet boutique, and gets involved in a murder investigation.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story. Helen is a great character. I agree, judging by this book (which is the fifth book in the dead-end job series, I believe) I don't think they have to necessarily be read in order. I do hope to go back though and read the first four in order, just to get the full effect of Helen's backstory... but each novel has it's unique case in it, and I didn't truly feel "lost" while reading this book having not read the others.
This was a fun change to my typical chick-lit romance fare (although Helen does have a love interest, so it's still there), and I definitely can't wait to read the others. Now if only my local library would have the whole set!
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Glamour - Louise Bagshawe
Apologies for the hiatus in posting; I have been reading, but I've started a new job and have been quite busy tutoring in the evenings, so my blogging had fallen to the wayside for a little while. However, I am back!
I took a copy of Glamour by Louise Bagshawe out from my local library a few weeks ago, as it was one of the Books of the Month on Goodreads.com, and I'd read another Louise Bagshawe book last summer and quite enjoyed it.
With Glamour, however, I had quite the experience.
I must have had an original copy of this book, because it was RIPE with ERRORS! There were characters with different last names on different pages (or sometimes, a character had a different last name in two spots on the SAME PAGE of the book). There were missing capitals, poor punctuation, and overall confusion with the names of characters. It was really difficult to read around the mistakes.
The story itself was pretty good, but by the end of the book I had grown pretty tired of the characters and started to get bored. At one point I told my boyfriend that I just wanted to finish the damn book; I had lost a lot of interest. I did not feel like this when I was reading Sparkles, but I think that's because Sparkles had a mystery element to it, and when you reached the end you were itching for the exciting conclusion. This story felt like it went on for a bit too long, with much of the same conversations happening over and over.
I know that in updated versions of the book, the errors were fixed, as other readers on Goodreads.com did not encounter what I did with this story.
The most surreal thing that happened when I was reading this book? I had twittered about all the errors in the story... and then the next day, Louise Bagshawe herself started "following" me on Twitter.
How much do you want to bet she's the type who Googles her own name too?
I'm torn about recommending this one. I'll just recommend Sparkles, the other Louise Bagshawe book I've read, and then I'll say you might enjoy this one (I did for a good majority of the book), but just be prepared that the ending sort of drags in my very humble opinion. I'll file this one under "library it".
I took a copy of Glamour by Louise Bagshawe out from my local library a few weeks ago, as it was one of the Books of the Month on Goodreads.com, and I'd read another Louise Bagshawe book last summer and quite enjoyed it.
With Glamour, however, I had quite the experience.
I must have had an original copy of this book, because it was RIPE with ERRORS! There were characters with different last names on different pages (or sometimes, a character had a different last name in two spots on the SAME PAGE of the book). There were missing capitals, poor punctuation, and overall confusion with the names of characters. It was really difficult to read around the mistakes.
The story itself was pretty good, but by the end of the book I had grown pretty tired of the characters and started to get bored. At one point I told my boyfriend that I just wanted to finish the damn book; I had lost a lot of interest. I did not feel like this when I was reading Sparkles, but I think that's because Sparkles had a mystery element to it, and when you reached the end you were itching for the exciting conclusion. This story felt like it went on for a bit too long, with much of the same conversations happening over and over.
I know that in updated versions of the book, the errors were fixed, as other readers on Goodreads.com did not encounter what I did with this story.
The most surreal thing that happened when I was reading this book? I had twittered about all the errors in the story... and then the next day, Louise Bagshawe herself started "following" me on Twitter.
How much do you want to bet she's the type who Googles her own name too?
I'm torn about recommending this one. I'll just recommend Sparkles, the other Louise Bagshawe book I've read, and then I'll say you might enjoy this one (I did for a good majority of the book), but just be prepared that the ending sort of drags in my very humble opinion. I'll file this one under "library it".
Monday, April 13, 2009
Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella
Yesterday afternoon I had a nice, long bubble bath. When I have my bubbles baths, I have to spend a chunk of that time enjoying a good book. Rather than starting a new book, I picked up Sophie Kinsella's Remember Me? which I had read when it first came out, and was wanting to read for a second time.
I ended up finishing it by the time I went to bed last night.
And I just wanted to say, as I've said before, I love Sophie Kinsella stories.
So, just recommending Remember Me? and everything else Sophie Kinsella once more.
I think I might re-read The Undomestic Goddess next...
I ended up finishing it by the time I went to bed last night.
And I just wanted to say, as I've said before, I love Sophie Kinsella stories.
So, just recommending Remember Me? and everything else Sophie Kinsella once more.
I think I might re-read The Undomestic Goddess next...
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Chasing Harry Winston
I recently finished reading Chasing Harry Winston by Lauren Weisberger.
I very muched enjoyed The Devil Wears Prada and Everyone Worth Knowing so I was excited to read this next book and I took it out from the library a week or two ago, eager to dive in.
The story is of three best friends, all of very different personalities, who live in New York and make a pact to change their love lives in a year. The slutty/sexy friend vows to look for a husband, the serial-monogomist friend vows to start having a few more flings and one-night stands, and the third friend doesn't know what her resolution will be (as her life seems near-perfect to everyone but her), but it's the third friend who discovers that more will change for her in the year than she necessarily expected.
And the verdict? I liked it, I really did.
But I didn't love it. It was a good chick-lit read, and the characters were enjoyable, but it wasn't an amazing-omgz(!!!) story that I'd necessarily rush to recommend to people.
I say, if you're looking for a new chick-lit book to read, then go for it. Her writing style is definitely better than some authors out there, and it is a good enough story. But, I wouldn't necessarily rush to read this one, as it's nothing out of the ordinary, in my very humble opinion of course. I prefered her other two books to this one.
I'm filing this review under a new tag called "library it", because I say, give it a read... but maybe don't waste money buying it. The tag "recommendation" will be for something I'm sure of, and "avoid" is pretty self-explanatory.
Currently Reading:
One for the Money: A Stephanie Plum Novel by Janet Evanovich
I very muched enjoyed The Devil Wears Prada and Everyone Worth Knowing so I was excited to read this next book and I took it out from the library a week or two ago, eager to dive in.
The story is of three best friends, all of very different personalities, who live in New York and make a pact to change their love lives in a year. The slutty/sexy friend vows to look for a husband, the serial-monogomist friend vows to start having a few more flings and one-night stands, and the third friend doesn't know what her resolution will be (as her life seems near-perfect to everyone but her), but it's the third friend who discovers that more will change for her in the year than she necessarily expected.
And the verdict? I liked it, I really did.
But I didn't love it. It was a good chick-lit read, and the characters were enjoyable, but it wasn't an amazing-omgz(!!!) story that I'd necessarily rush to recommend to people.
I say, if you're looking for a new chick-lit book to read, then go for it. Her writing style is definitely better than some authors out there, and it is a good enough story. But, I wouldn't necessarily rush to read this one, as it's nothing out of the ordinary, in my very humble opinion of course. I prefered her other two books to this one.
I'm filing this review under a new tag called "library it", because I say, give it a read... but maybe don't waste money buying it. The tag "recommendation" will be for something I'm sure of, and "avoid" is pretty self-explanatory.
Currently Reading:
One for the Money: A Stephanie Plum Novel by Janet Evanovich
Monday, March 16, 2009
Full of It - Wendy French
This book was okay for a very light read... but not great.
We're constantly told that the main character has this flaw where she "blurts" what she's thinking... and she keeps getting in trouble for it... but I don't really see actual evidence of HUGE! AMOUNTS! OF! BLURTING! that cause the getting into trouble. It's very contrived.
Also, the main characters friends are so whiney. Her best friend is constantly ticked at the main character for being "selfish"... but really? The best friend just comes off as selfish and rude. I don't think that's what the author meant to do, but I just didn't get why the friend was being such a biatch... there wasn't enough evidence provided of the main character really having issues for the best friend to get like that.
So... meh. Not that impressed, but if you need a light read, it's alright I suppose.
Same review as posted at GoodReads.com
We're constantly told that the main character has this flaw where she "blurts" what she's thinking... and she keeps getting in trouble for it... but I don't really see actual evidence of HUGE! AMOUNTS! OF! BLURTING! that cause the getting into trouble. It's very contrived.
Also, the main characters friends are so whiney. Her best friend is constantly ticked at the main character for being "selfish"... but really? The best friend just comes off as selfish and rude. I don't think that's what the author meant to do, but I just didn't get why the friend was being such a biatch... there wasn't enough evidence provided of the main character really having issues for the best friend to get like that.
So... meh. Not that impressed, but if you need a light read, it's alright I suppose.
Same review as posted at GoodReads.com
Sunday, February 22, 2009
PS, I Love You
At GoodReads.com (awesome, awesome website), a group I've joined of Chick-Lit fans had chosen to read PS, I Love You by Cecelia Ahern as our February Valentine's Book.
When the movie version of PS, I Love You came out, I didn't see it in theatres, but later lovingly forced martin to rent it with me (isn't he a sweetheart for giving in?). Needless to say, he really hated the film. And frankly, I didn't enjoy it either. I felt disconnected from the story, the movie was really missing something.
So, when this book was chosen for one of our Book of the Month, I was willing to give it a go (because of a favourite mantra - don't judge a book by its movie!), but I was feeling unsure as to whether or not I'd enjoy it.
Well, it was true again in this case. Do not judge a book by its movie version. I really enjoyed this story. The reason the movie felt like it was lacking something? Was because it was lacking the actual story it was based off of. The movie was missing characters, had new characters not from the book, was not completely set in Ireland as the book is, and generally lacked the overall feeling of the book because of these changes. (I've complained about book to movie adaptations before, this is yet another shining example).
For Chick-Lit lovers, I definitely recommend you give this one a go. Whether you enjoyed the film version, or not.
Find PS, I Love You online here...
Amazon.ca
Amazon.com
When the movie version of PS, I Love You came out, I didn't see it in theatres, but later lovingly forced martin to rent it with me (isn't he a sweetheart for giving in?). Needless to say, he really hated the film. And frankly, I didn't enjoy it either. I felt disconnected from the story, the movie was really missing something.
So, when this book was chosen for one of our Book of the Month, I was willing to give it a go (because of a favourite mantra - don't judge a book by its movie!), but I was feeling unsure as to whether or not I'd enjoy it.
Well, it was true again in this case. Do not judge a book by its movie version. I really enjoyed this story. The reason the movie felt like it was lacking something? Was because it was lacking the actual story it was based off of. The movie was missing characters, had new characters not from the book, was not completely set in Ireland as the book is, and generally lacked the overall feeling of the book because of these changes. (I've complained about book to movie adaptations before, this is yet another shining example).
For Chick-Lit lovers, I definitely recommend you give this one a go. Whether you enjoyed the film version, or not.
Find PS, I Love You online here...
Amazon.ca
Amazon.com
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Chasing Fireflies: A Novel of Discovery
Last week I finished reading Chasing Fireflies by Charles Martin. This was a book that my aunt gave my grandma for Christmas, and having read the back cover, I decided to borrow it.
It was fabulous!!! It was a 2008 Christy Award winner as well, if anyone who reads this cares to know that. :-) This was the first time I've ever read a Chris Martin novel, but I really enjoyed it and his style reminds me of Nicholas Sparks (and I've made it pretty well known on here that I love Nicholas Sparks).
It wasn't a chick-lit romance like my usual books are, it was a story of family and the search for identity and connection. It was really well-written, with a twist ending that I wasn't expecting at all.
Very good book, highly recommended!
Find it online here:
Amazon.ca
Amazon.com
It was fabulous!!! It was a 2008 Christy Award winner as well, if anyone who reads this cares to know that. :-) This was the first time I've ever read a Chris Martin novel, but I really enjoyed it and his style reminds me of Nicholas Sparks (and I've made it pretty well known on here that I love Nicholas Sparks).
It wasn't a chick-lit romance like my usual books are, it was a story of family and the search for identity and connection. It was really well-written, with a twist ending that I wasn't expecting at all.
Very good book, highly recommended!
Find it online here:
Amazon.ca
Amazon.com
Monday, January 19, 2009
January Reading Update
I need to post more here, so I'm just going to restructure my posts to less elaborate info about the books I've read... in order to entice me to keep posting.
Books Read In December/January:
By Nicholas Sparks
The Choice
The Lucky One
Both highly recommended (The Lucky One especially). More fantastic books by Mr. Sparks. LOVE HIM.
By Charlaine Harris
Dead Until Dark (book 1, Sookie Stackhouse series)
Living Dead In Dallas (book 2, Sookie Stackhouse series)
Club Dead (book 3, Sookie Stackhouse series)
Dead to the World (book 4, Sookie Stackhouse series)
I am absolutely in love with this book series, and am going through them like CANDY. Read them. READ THEM NOW. (Here's a link to the box set that I purchased on Amazon)
Currently Reading:
Dead as a Doornail (book 5, Sookie Stackhouse Series) by Charlaine Harris
Chasing Fireflies by Charles Martin
I just joined GoodReads.com and I am addicted to this website now. You can find a link on my sidebar for my profile!
Books Read In December/January:
By Nicholas Sparks
The Choice
The Lucky One
Both highly recommended (The Lucky One especially). More fantastic books by Mr. Sparks. LOVE HIM.
By Charlaine Harris
Dead Until Dark (book 1, Sookie Stackhouse series)
Living Dead In Dallas (book 2, Sookie Stackhouse series)
Club Dead (book 3, Sookie Stackhouse series)
Dead to the World (book 4, Sookie Stackhouse series)
I am absolutely in love with this book series, and am going through them like CANDY. Read them. READ THEM NOW. (Here's a link to the box set that I purchased on Amazon)
Currently Reading:
Dead as a Doornail (book 5, Sookie Stackhouse Series) by Charlaine Harris
Chasing Fireflies by Charles Martin
I just joined GoodReads.com and I am addicted to this website now. You can find a link on my sidebar for my profile!
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