Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin REVIEW #6

As the weather is getting hotter and hotter (after all, I live in FL), I craved chic lit.  I purchased Something Borrowed at our local grocery store (which as a fabulous book section).   I was unsure, but happily surprised.  

Buy the book from Amazon: 

From Amazon.

The smash-hit debut novel for every woman who has ever had a complicated love-hate friendship.

 

Rachel White is the consummate good girl. A hard-working attorney at a large Manhattan law firm and a diligent maid of honor to her charmed best friend Darcy, Rachel has always played by all the rules. Since grade school, she has watched Darcy shine, quietly accepting the sidekick role in their lopsided friendship. But that suddenly changes the night of her thirtieth birthday when Rachel finally confesses her feelings to Darcy’s fiance, and is both horrified and thrilled to discover that he feels the same way. As the wedding date draws near, events spiral out of control, and Rachel knows she must make a choice between her heart and conscience. In so doing, she discovers that the lines between right and wrong can be blurry, endings aren’t always neat, and sometimes you have to risk everything to be true to yourself.

 

This new tie-in edition will coincide with the release of the film, starring Kate Hudson, Ginnifer Goodwin and John Krasinski.

 

I am so glad I read this.  After reading the book cover, I wasn’t so sure.  Afterall, who wants to read about someone cheating on someone else?  evidentially, I do.  the main character, Rachel, is so likeable and her best friend, “the engaged before 30 ” Darcy is so…. unlikable.  Before long, I was hoping Rachel would end up with the love of her life.  There were many laugh out loud moments.  I can’t wait to see the movie (but PLEASE read the book first.  The book is ALWAYS better!!!  If you haven’t yet read Something Borrowed, read it now.

 

 

 

 

 

The Lincoln Lawyer REVIEW #5

I picked up this paperback at the grocery store.  I really enjoy reading the book, before I see the movie.  When I saw the huge Lincoln Towncar on the cover, I knew I would want to see the movie.  I love the old style Lincoln’s.  My Lincoln was my favorite car – EVER. 

Buy the book from Amazon: 

From Amazon.

This #1 bestselling legal thriller from Michael Connelly is a stunning display of novelistic mastery – as human, as gripping, and as whiplash-surprising as any novel yet from the writer Publishers Weekly has called “today’s Dostoevsky of crime literature.”

Mickey Haller is a Lincoln Lawyer, a criminal defense attorney who operates out of the backseat of his Lincoln Town Car, traveling between the far-flung courthouses of Los Angeles to defend clients of every kind. Bikers, con artists, drunk drivers, drug dealers – they’re all on Mickey Haller’s client list. For him, the law is rarely about guilt or innocence, it’s about negotiation and manipulation. Sometimes it’s even about justice.

A Beverly Hills playboy arrested for attacking a woman he picked up in a bar chooses Haller to defend him, and Mickey has his first high-paying client in years. It is a defense attorney’s dream, what they call a franchise case. And as the evidence stacks up, Haller comes to believe this may be the easiest case of his career. Then someone close to him is murdered and Haller discovers that his search for innocence has brought him face-to-face with evil as pure as a flame. To escape without being burned, he must deploy every tactic, feint, and instinct in his arsenal – this time to save his own life.

I have to admit, I really got into the book.  I was interested from the first page.  The main character, Michael Haller, is very likeable (I think casting nailed it when they cast Matthew McConaughey).  I couldn’t put it down.  if you haven’t seen the movie yet, grab a copy.  You will not be disappointed (especially with the surprise ending).

Holly’s Inbox: Scandal in the City by Holly Denham REVIEW #4

Title:  Holly’s Inbox:  Scandal in the City

Author:  Holly Denham (Bill Hutton-Surie)

Author Information:  Website 

544 pages, Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca

Buy the book @ Amazon. 

Product Description:

Dear Holly, isn’t it shocking…?

Things are finally going Holly Denham’s way: she’s in love, she’s getting the recognition she deserves at work, and her friends and family have graciously opted to avoid disaster for the moment.

Just when Holly is starting to settle into her new life, scandal erupts and Holly finds herself-and her in box-at the center of a gossip whirlwind that threatens everything she’s worked so hard for.

Written entirely in emails, this follow-up to the UK smash hit Holly’s Inbox will keep you glued to its pages as the scandal running rampant in the city threatens to ruin Holly’s hard-earned and long-awaited happiness.

I read the first novel almost as soon as it came out, and loved it.  When I saw the sequel, I snatched it up.  Well…. it’s not as good as the first one (Did i expect it to be? No.).  Should you read it?  Maybe.  Did you read the first one?  If so, read the sequel.  If not, skip it.  Don’t expect to be blown away.  But, if you are laying on the beach and sipping a girly drink….

Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella REVIEW #3

I enjoyed the last Sophie Kinsella novel, Can you Keep a Secret?, so I was anxious to read another.  I picked up Remember Me? at our local book store.

I read it this past week while we were on vacation.  I highly recommend this for light (think car or beach) reading.  The story is cute.  Sure, it’s unrealistic – but it’s a fun read. 

Lexi Smart had a terrible day, no bonus, her boyfriend stood her up, it’s raining.  She falls while running for a cab.  She awakens 3 years later to learn she’s been in  a car accident a few days before and she has amnesia.  She can’t remember any of her life for the past three years.

She awakens to a new body (nicely toned), new teeth (capped), a new job (the Boss!!), no friends (what happened??!)  and a rich husband (selling “Loft-style Living). 

As she unravels her life (like learning about the Mont Blanc)  to try to find out how she got where she is (and she is in a pickle), the story is endearing.  Can she find true love with her husband (who she JUST MET)?

I would like to read another Sophie Kinsella novel, but I need to work on my reading list.

Can you keep a secret? by Sophie Kinsella REVIEW #2

Driving home from Blissdom, I needed some help staying awake, so I stopped at a bookstore in Birmingham and selected a book on CD.  I selected Can you keep a secret? by Sophia Kinsella.  I’ve never listened to a book on tape, but I was desperate.

Within minutes, I was involved in the story.  The book begins with a bumpy, very  turbulent airplane ride where Emma tells all her secrets to the stranger sitting next to her.  Lo and behold, the next day her new boss appears at her office…. and it’s the stranger from the plane. 

I very much enjoyed this book on cd and I have no doubt I would have enjoyed it in print.  In fact, I enjoyed it so much, I am sure I will read all of Sophia Kinsella’s novels. 

I have a long car ride this weekend.  Our family is headed to Gatlinburg.  I am wishing I had another book on tape.

Sam’s Letters to Jennifer by James Patterson REVIEW #1

I’m off to a good start with my once a book reading resolution for 2011.  I started one book, but gave myself permission to not read it any longer.  I hated the dialog and the story line was giving me nightmares.  (Eight Days to Live by Iris Johansen – she lost me when the bad guy said to the beautiful nake blonde, “Shut your mouth and open your legs.”).

Desperate for something to read, I rumamged around in my nightstand and found Sam’s Letters to Jennifer.  My MIL passed along this book to me after she read it.  In the back, she wrote (very good).  I agree, Gloria, very good.

http://www.amazon.com/Sams-Letters-Jennifer-James-Patterson/dp/0446613347/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1295624847&sr=8-1

I love books writen in diary and letter form, called epistolary novels.  (think Bridget Jones’s Diary (loved it and recently re-released with illustrations!!!), Diet Girl (loved it), Holly’s Inbox (loved it))  This short novel is two love stories intertwined.  While Jennifer reads the letters from her grandmother, while her grandmother is in the hospital with a coma.  As Jennifer waits for her grandmother to awaken, she develops a relationship with her neighbor and old childhood friend, who has a devestating secret.  As their love blosssoms, he finally confides.  But, it is too late to back away and protect her heart. Jennifer is hoplessly in love with Brenden, and she is there for him in sickness and in health. 

This novel is a quick read.  I read in three nights, just before bed (I needed a break from my Suduku obsession!).  I highly recommend this book for a quick, light read.

Book Review – Fearless by Max Lucado

Fear is something I know about.  I’m afraid of crossing bridges in my car (but only if my kids are with me – otherwise I am good), muggers, spiders, carjackers, huge Florida roaches, home invaders, snakes, the economy and clowns.  So, I was very interested in how to be Fearless.

I wasn’t very familiar with Max Lucado before reading this book.  I had heard his name, reviewed a cartoon DVD by him, but I really didn’t know much about Max.  He is a prolific and accomplished Christian writer from Texas.  You can learn more about him here. 

In this book, the author tackles a major source of fear in the american lifestyle.  Several chapters spoke directly to me, such as:

• God’s Ticked off at me – nuff said
• I’m sinking fast - see above
• My child is in danger – a big source of anxiety in my life
• Make-believe money – economy, job, nuff said

I enjoyed this read.  It helped me to battle my fears, even overcome my fears.  If you suffer anxiety and fearful thoughts, you will benefit from reading this book.