Sunday, May 26, 2013

Hello Again....



I will be the first to admit I have been unmotivated to blog. That doesn’t mean that I haven’t been reading; I have been doing plenty of that. A couple of weekends back I finished one book and read a whole other one as well. I have been so busy with work/life changes that when it came to my “down time” all I wanted to do was curl up with a book. I felt like that was the only way to get out of my own head and dive into someone else’s story. So for this blog I decided to write short, little blogs on a variety of books I have read lately. I promise to be better at writing from now on!

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A Wedding in Great Neck
By: Yona Zeldis McDonough
Synopsis/My Thoughts: I recommend this book for an easy summer read. It is about a family getting together in Great Neck, Long Island for one of the daughter’s wedding, and it is filled with misunderstandings, second chances, fighting, heart ache and love. The book jumps back and forth each chapter so the reader is able to get a glimpse of the day through various characters. I enjoyed the fact that I knew what was going on with Gretchen and dealing with her marital problems, while her dad was coming up with the courage to be there for Angelica on her wedding day while also not breaking his sobriety. It is a book that reminds us that all families have their wild and crazy moments, even when everything is supposed to go right. At points I felt irritated with some of the characters and their decisions, but I think that it just shows how well the author created the characters because you feel invested in them. The grandmother, Lenore, was by far my favorite character. She was definitely a ball-buster who decided to make it her priority to get everyone in check.

Glaciers
By: Alexis M. Smith
Synopsis/My Thoughts: This is a very quick read. It is a short book that revolves around a young, twentysomething woman. Isabel works in a library working on damaged books and is in love with Spoke, a young man recently back from the war and working in technology at the library. This book is about Isabel’s love for Alaska, her childhood hobby of collecting postcards, and how to find a way to portray how she feels to Spoke.

To be honest, I just didn’t relate a lot to Isabel and her journey. I almost felt guilty about this, really. The author clearly was opening Isabel up and putting her out there in a vulnerable situation, but there was just no connect for me. The author did a good job with portraying Isabel, but I think that at the time of my reading this, maybe I just wanted something more exciting. The book revolves around one day in her life, and I wanted to speed things up.

The Passage
By: Justin Cronin
Synopsis/My Thoughts: This book was great! To be honest, I am not always into futuristic/post-apocalyptic books. I was captivated with this one though. It revolves around a project being done by the U.S. government and what happens when things do not go as planned. The U.S. is never the same and those who survive are left to figure out how to save the remaining few. I need to warn you that it is a long one. And it is one book in a three part series. So when you get to the end don’t wonder why so much is left unsaid with so many loose ends. The author did a great job with coming to a point to end the book, but also keep the reader wondering what was going to happen. He put in a great amount of detail and the book is broken down from many different viewpoints. Definitely a fun read for the summer. It is, for the most part, fast paced and will keep you on the edge of your seat!!

Me Before You
By: Jojo Meyers
Synopsis/My Thoughts: If anyone was to ask me which one of the books they should read, if they only could read one, this book would be it! I LOVED this book! It was so powerful, and impacted me on so many different levels! The protagonist, Louisa, is out of a job and finds herself applying for a job that will involve being a companion to a quadriplegic during the day. Will used to be a powerhouse, adventurist, and lived life completely. After an unfortunate accident he is bound to a wheelchair and has to depend on someone else for everything- eating, drinking, changing, MOVING! When Louisa comes to meet him and finds him moody, depressed, and rude she doesn’t know if she will last the week. Over time though the two of them become inseparable and share a bond that many people probably don’t experience.

I read this book in a day. I kid you not; I stayed up way past my bedtime because I just had to finish it. I fell in love with these characters and was almost upset with myself for reading this in one day. I wanted the book to keep going so I could stay with the characters. By the end of the book I was balling almost uncontrollably and knew that this was one of the best books I have ever read. The author found this way to subtly get the reader to be invested in the characters and make you able to relate to some of the struggles they were going through. I think one of the things that I appreciated the most about this book actually was reading about the struggles and difficulties Will goes through. Being quadriplegic makes someone so extremely vulnerable, and reading about how long it took them to dress him or take him to the races was so eye opening for me. I learned appreciation for having the use of my body and be able to do things that I have always taken for granted! This is a MUST READ! I will be telling everyone I know about this book.

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Top Ten Tuesday



Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and The Bookish. 

This is a weekly feature that is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. For this week, the topic was "Top ten favorite book covers of books I have read." Hope that you enjoy, and let me know some of your own choices!
 
The Lover's Dictionary
Love how a heart was created out of words used in the book!

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Harry Potter, #4) 
Really any cover in the Harry Potter series, but I chose this one because this was one of my favorites of the series!
 
The History of Love
The cover is simple, takes the but very powerful and eye-catching. It definitely drew me to pick the book up.

The Shoemaker's Wife 
This cover is beautiful!! Actually, even this picture of it doesn't do it justice. holding the book in your hands shows the beautiful vibrancy and details gone into the cover.
 
The Catcher in the Rye
I love, love, loved this book. And whenever I see orange and yellow on a cover, my mind immediately goes to this book.

The Language of Flowers 
This cover literally makes me want to call in sick on the next beautiful day and find a field to pick wildflowers from. 
 
The Night Circus
The magic of this cover caught my eye at BandN one day, and I didn't even need to read the back, I knew I wanted it. (PS. Amazing book!)

Are You There Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea 
This woman is hysterical! I started laughing out loud when I saw this cover with her and Chuey.
 
Okay, I think that is it for me this week. I only made it to 8, but it was so hard for me to pick them for some reason! Enjoy!

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Top Ten Tuesday



Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and The Bookish. 

This is a weekly feature that is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. For this week, the topic was "Top ten books when you need something light and fun." Hope that you enjoy, and let me know some of your own choices of light and fun reads!
 
Jemima J- This book brought me into the wonderful world of Jane Green. I have been disappointed with her recent stuff, but loved Bookends and Mr. Maybe as well!

Bossypants- Tina Fey is hysterical. I remember reading this on a plane coming back from California and was literally laughing out loud. I could have cared less if others thought I was the weird passenger laughing with herself.

Anything by Chelsea Handler- She is inappropriate, extremely witty, and a definite good read. Everyone of her books has made me laugh until I cried. I really can't believe she has done half the things she has. I live vicariously through her in the books!

Where'd you Go, Bernadette- I just finished reading this book (review below). It was nothing like I had read in awhile and was just so quirky. I found myself flying through the book pretending like I didn't have other things to do.

Harry Potter series- Come on.....magic, adventure, and danger? Count me in. Every book is a fast read, and although some of the books are sad or a little dark, I can't not put this on the list! I think everyone should read these books!

Ten Girls to Watch- This is another easy read. About a girl trying to make it in NYC and she gets to interview all these awesome women.

Anything by Rachel Gibson- The thing I love about her books is they are fast paced and always have romance in them. Actually, it's predominantly about romance. Yes, they can be cheesy at times, but sometimes you need a little cheesy in your life.

Seriously...I'm Kidding- Ellen....oh my word, how I idolize this women. She can make you laugh without having to be dirty or inappropriate. Her humor is just so addicting and it seems like it comes so easily to her. Love her book! And it is really quick. Works for a time when maybe you need a pick me up!

Stupid and Contagious- The protagonist in this book is quirky and ironic. She is definitely contradicting herself and confusing everyone around her. You think you have bad luck? Hers is probably worse. But that just means their is always something to laugh about.

Well, here are my picks for the week! What are some books that you like that are a light and fun read!?