Grade: B
Recommended for fans of chick-lit romance and those needing a good beach read.
If you pay attention to and follow the RITA Awards, no doubt you know about Kristan Higgins. If not, you're missing out on a ton of fun light reads.
Until There Was You is a cute story about a woman named Posey and the bad boy she lusts after Liam. Normally, Kristan Higgins writes from one POV, but this time we are treated to Liam's as well. He's a bad boy who's not really all that bad. He's actually quite the sweetums. The bad boy part comes from his love for motorcycles and that he builds custom bikes. Posey, our heroine, is a bit of a tomboy. She owns her own business, an architectural salvage company so she's usually in work clothes. Her family also owns a German restaurant. She also had her heart squashed and trampled on by Liam while they were in high school. Liam comes back to town and stirs up all these warm melty feeling in Posey, and you probably know how the rest plays out.
Part of why I like Kristan Higgins so much is she writes light fun chick lit romances without slapping some tanned up beefcake on the cover. Maybe someday I'll get up the nerve to read one of those books, but very likely in my Kindle Fire so no one can see the beefcake cover. So long as I don't run out of Kristan Higgins stories, the beefcake covers have to wait. Sometimes when there's just too much crap going on in life, books like this are fantastic escapism. Curling up on the couch in a pair of pajammy jams (pajamas for those who don't speak my borderline LOLcats language) with a Kristan Higgins book is just the ticket. Or perhaps taking her in the bathtub for a good soak if you don't mind laying in your own soup. Whichever you prefer, she's like a pint of Ben and Jerry's...pure comfort food. Some of the stuff I read is pretty heavy. Let's not forget the fact that if I read Joyce Carol Oates one after another, lots of antidepressants would be involved. I like to vary the books I read so that I don't get bored and to please my inner child who has a bit of ADD. There's also the part about it being summer and the weather lately has been hot. Hot like a freaking toaster hot. My poor lil brain cells either needed a fun fluff read or for my chubby butt to sit in one of the ice cream freezers at the grocery store. I chose the first for obvious reasons.
If you're in the mood for some light romance-ish reading, check out Kristan Higgins. You might just realize that you really like her and discover a new genre of fiction to enjoy.
Monday
It Looked Different on the Model by Laurie Notaro
Grade: B+
Recommended for fans of Jen Lancaster and David Sedaris.
This is one delicious collection of essays from Laurie Notaro. Riotously funny at times and just meh funny other times. The hilariously funny essays more than make up for the less funny. Notaro spares no one, mainly herself in these essays that run the gamut from trying on a super cute shirt in a boutique and getting stuck in it to Ambien induced highs and neighborhood Christmas parties. Throw in a neurotic Italian mother with a penchant for forwarding emails regardless of their validity. Oh and there's a Fart Chart.
Lessons I learned while reading this:
- I probably should have waited until I was rid of the UTI from hell.
- I should not have read this while the mister is sound asleep. It took every bit of restraint not to wake him up and say you have to read this part.
- Laurie Notaro, Jen Lancaster and I have the same potty mouth, snarky sense of humor, lack of a verbal firewall, and were likely related in a past life.
- Peeing your pants from laughing so hard is no where near as funny to you as it is to the above said husband.
- I hope the bouts of insomnia do not return. Ambien me is not someone I want to meet.
If you can't read an essay about Laurie's alter ego Ambien Laurie and not snort with laughter there must be something wrong with you. Because I'm a jerk, if I were friends with someone with an Ambien prescription, I would totally be the first one calling or emailing to find out if the Ambien friend could come out and play. If you can read a well thought out Fart Chart and not think it's funny, not only is there something wrong with you but you probably had no business reading this book in the first place.
Highly recommended for anyone with a sense of humor, especially if you have found yourself in one of the same predicaments as Notaro. Getting stuck in an article of clothing that has a size tag on it from the devil is a very real issue.
Recommended for fans of Jen Lancaster and David Sedaris.
This is one delicious collection of essays from Laurie Notaro. Riotously funny at times and just meh funny other times. The hilariously funny essays more than make up for the less funny. Notaro spares no one, mainly herself in these essays that run the gamut from trying on a super cute shirt in a boutique and getting stuck in it to Ambien induced highs and neighborhood Christmas parties. Throw in a neurotic Italian mother with a penchant for forwarding emails regardless of their validity. Oh and there's a Fart Chart.
Lessons I learned while reading this:
- I probably should have waited until I was rid of the UTI from hell.
- I should not have read this while the mister is sound asleep. It took every bit of restraint not to wake him up and say you have to read this part.
- Laurie Notaro, Jen Lancaster and I have the same potty mouth, snarky sense of humor, lack of a verbal firewall, and were likely related in a past life.
- Peeing your pants from laughing so hard is no where near as funny to you as it is to the above said husband.
- I hope the bouts of insomnia do not return. Ambien me is not someone I want to meet.
If you can't read an essay about Laurie's alter ego Ambien Laurie and not snort with laughter there must be something wrong with you. Because I'm a jerk, if I were friends with someone with an Ambien prescription, I would totally be the first one calling or emailing to find out if the Ambien friend could come out and play. If you can read a well thought out Fart Chart and not think it's funny, not only is there something wrong with you but you probably had no business reading this book in the first place.
Highly recommended for anyone with a sense of humor, especially if you have found yourself in one of the same predicaments as Notaro. Getting stuck in an article of clothing that has a size tag on it from the devil is a very real issue.
Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King
Grade: A+
Recommended for John Green fans and fans of high quality YA lit.
Part love story but mostly coming of age. This is the story of Vera Dietz and her best friend Charlie, who redefine the term best friends. They feel more like soul mates who keep the deepest of secrets for each other, even when one betrays the other. Then Charlie dies. His death is very dark and Vera is determined to find out the truth about the night Charlie died.
This along with Looking for Alaska are some of the finest YA books I have ever read. The love story isn't over the top with romance. It's very subtle the way a kinda sorta romance between best friends can be. The coming of age part is so very real. Vera copes with Charlie's passing in a very real and believable manner. She grieves the way any teenager might except she doesn't drown her sorrows in tantrums of hysterical tears. While Vera grieves for Charlie, she also faces things about herself and her mother's past. The writing is stunning. For those who say they left YA books behind in junior high or high school because they are mostly fluff stories should read this book. This isn't a Sarah Dessen YA story. This is a story with heart and depth. Oh yeah and it won a Printz Honor last year. Believe my praise, this story is incredible. I still think that this should have won the top Printz award. The secrets that unfold will break your heart, maybe because you were lucky enough to have your own Charlie.
I dare you to read this and tell me it is anything less than amazing.
Recommended for John Green fans and fans of high quality YA lit.
Part love story but mostly coming of age. This is the story of Vera Dietz and her best friend Charlie, who redefine the term best friends. They feel more like soul mates who keep the deepest of secrets for each other, even when one betrays the other. Then Charlie dies. His death is very dark and Vera is determined to find out the truth about the night Charlie died.
This along with Looking for Alaska are some of the finest YA books I have ever read. The love story isn't over the top with romance. It's very subtle the way a kinda sorta romance between best friends can be. The coming of age part is so very real. Vera copes with Charlie's passing in a very real and believable manner. She grieves the way any teenager might except she doesn't drown her sorrows in tantrums of hysterical tears. While Vera grieves for Charlie, she also faces things about herself and her mother's past. The writing is stunning. For those who say they left YA books behind in junior high or high school because they are mostly fluff stories should read this book. This isn't a Sarah Dessen YA story. This is a story with heart and depth. Oh yeah and it won a Printz Honor last year. Believe my praise, this story is incredible. I still think that this should have won the top Printz award. The secrets that unfold will break your heart, maybe because you were lucky enough to have your own Charlie.
I dare you to read this and tell me it is anything less than amazing.
Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum
Grade: A
Recommended for fans of historical fiction.
This may very well be the hardest book I have ever read. Not because the book is boring or challenging, but because the subject matter is so unsettling. This is not a book for the faint of heart.
Those Who Save Us is a World War II story from the German civilian perspective. It is the story of Anna Schlemmer, a German woman who survived the war. Anna falls in love with a Jewish man while the war broke out and tried to keep him safe. We all know the horrible things that the Nazis did during the war, and those disturbing facts are not spared here. Anna finds herself pregnant and alone doing whatever she can to stay safe. A Nazi officer meets Anna and takes her for his mistress while providing Anna and her daughter with things that they otherwise could not have afforded or had access to.
This is also the story of Trudy, Anna's daughter, born during the war and growing up with the Nazi presence around her. Anna and Trudy find their way to the states and settle in Minnesota. Anna does not speak of her time in Germany during the war and Trudy has only a photograph of her with her mother and the Nazi. Trudy is a German History professor working on a research project when the pieces of her mother's past begin to fall into place.
This book is extraordinarily well written and a most impressive debut from Jenna Blum. The book is emotionally heavy and at times warrants some separation to process what you just read. The story is also told in alternating viewpoints from present day Trudy to Anna during the war. Just when things start to get too heavy to bear another page, the viewpoint switches. It works perfectly. I highly recommend this book, but if you are going to read it, have a lighter book in mind to read afterwards.
Recommended for fans of historical fiction.
This may very well be the hardest book I have ever read. Not because the book is boring or challenging, but because the subject matter is so unsettling. This is not a book for the faint of heart.
Those Who Save Us is a World War II story from the German civilian perspective. It is the story of Anna Schlemmer, a German woman who survived the war. Anna falls in love with a Jewish man while the war broke out and tried to keep him safe. We all know the horrible things that the Nazis did during the war, and those disturbing facts are not spared here. Anna finds herself pregnant and alone doing whatever she can to stay safe. A Nazi officer meets Anna and takes her for his mistress while providing Anna and her daughter with things that they otherwise could not have afforded or had access to.
This is also the story of Trudy, Anna's daughter, born during the war and growing up with the Nazi presence around her. Anna and Trudy find their way to the states and settle in Minnesota. Anna does not speak of her time in Germany during the war and Trudy has only a photograph of her with her mother and the Nazi. Trudy is a German History professor working on a research project when the pieces of her mother's past begin to fall into place.
This book is extraordinarily well written and a most impressive debut from Jenna Blum. The book is emotionally heavy and at times warrants some separation to process what you just read. The story is also told in alternating viewpoints from present day Trudy to Anna during the war. Just when things start to get too heavy to bear another page, the viewpoint switches. It works perfectly. I highly recommend this book, but if you are going to read it, have a lighter book in mind to read afterwards.
The Dark Days of Hamburger Halpin by Josh Berk
Grade: A
Recommended for fans of the movie Angus, or anyone looking for a YA book with a strong male character who is handicapped. Carl Hiaasen fans too.
Huzzah! A YA book that I really liked.
Will Halpin is deaf and transitioning from a deaf school to a regular hearing school. He's also a fat kid. Two strikes right off the bat. He meets a fellow outcast Devon Smiley who could not be more opposite Will. Devon is the skinny dorky kid who jocks pick on. The two become oddball friends and find themselves trying to solve a murder mystery when a jock gets killed during a school field trip.
This book is what I had hoped Fat Kid Rules the World would have been. Will is a strong character who also happens to be fat and deaf. He isn't too fat to be of any use like Fat Kid Rules the World. Together with Devon, a dynamic duo is formed. I couldn't help but be reminded of the gem of a movie, Angus. Grossly underrated. This story is quickly paced and can easily be finished in a sitting or two. The pacing of the story is similar to a Carol Hiaasen YA title. This is an excellent book if you are looking for a character with a handicap who is a strong well written character. If you remember the movie Angus, you should definitely read this book too. Highly recommended!
Recommended for fans of the movie Angus, or anyone looking for a YA book with a strong male character who is handicapped. Carl Hiaasen fans too.
Huzzah! A YA book that I really liked.
Will Halpin is deaf and transitioning from a deaf school to a regular hearing school. He's also a fat kid. Two strikes right off the bat. He meets a fellow outcast Devon Smiley who could not be more opposite Will. Devon is the skinny dorky kid who jocks pick on. The two become oddball friends and find themselves trying to solve a murder mystery when a jock gets killed during a school field trip.
This book is what I had hoped Fat Kid Rules the World would have been. Will is a strong character who also happens to be fat and deaf. He isn't too fat to be of any use like Fat Kid Rules the World. Together with Devon, a dynamic duo is formed. I couldn't help but be reminded of the gem of a movie, Angus. Grossly underrated. This story is quickly paced and can easily be finished in a sitting or two. The pacing of the story is similar to a Carol Hiaasen YA title. This is an excellent book if you are looking for a character with a handicap who is a strong well written character. If you remember the movie Angus, you should definitely read this book too. Highly recommended!
Thursday
Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
Grade: D+
Not recommended.
Another book that I had really high hopes for. The buzz about Before I Fall is generally good and it's been on my radar for some time. YA books are still some of my favorites and I'll get to the good ones in a wee bit.
Before I Fall is the story of Sam Kingston, a high school girl who dies in a car accident. She gets to relive her last day over and over again, each time playing out a little differently . Sam and her group of friends are the popular girls, and very much like the characters in the Mean Girls movie. Sam and her bitch posse make Mean Girls look like saints and that is no exaggeration. The book is a little bit Mean Girls and Groundhog Day combined.
One beef with the book is that it's long. There were parts that could have easily been omitted seeing as they didn't add much to the story. Another beef is that the girls are truly hideous characters. They are realistic and just beyond horrible. Those girls stirred up some previously dormant emotions in me from my high school years. They were the girls who were truly awful at my school. Sam relives her last day to see if she can get it right. I never quite believed any of her actions to be genuine. The only time she seemed genuine was when she was being a snotty, conniving brat.
Lauren Oliver is a good enough writer. She hit the nail on the head with the bitch posse, perfectly capturing the awfulness that popular teenage girls embody. I think the book could have been much better with some better editing. I will still in all likelihood read another Lauren Oliver title. Delirium is another one that's been on my obscenely large to read list.
Not recommended.
Another book that I had really high hopes for. The buzz about Before I Fall is generally good and it's been on my radar for some time. YA books are still some of my favorites and I'll get to the good ones in a wee bit.
Before I Fall is the story of Sam Kingston, a high school girl who dies in a car accident. She gets to relive her last day over and over again, each time playing out a little differently . Sam and her group of friends are the popular girls, and very much like the characters in the Mean Girls movie. Sam and her bitch posse make Mean Girls look like saints and that is no exaggeration. The book is a little bit Mean Girls and Groundhog Day combined.
One beef with the book is that it's long. There were parts that could have easily been omitted seeing as they didn't add much to the story. Another beef is that the girls are truly hideous characters. They are realistic and just beyond horrible. Those girls stirred up some previously dormant emotions in me from my high school years. They were the girls who were truly awful at my school. Sam relives her last day to see if she can get it right. I never quite believed any of her actions to be genuine. The only time she seemed genuine was when she was being a snotty, conniving brat.
Lauren Oliver is a good enough writer. She hit the nail on the head with the bitch posse, perfectly capturing the awfulness that popular teenage girls embody. I think the book could have been much better with some better editing. I will still in all likelihood read another Lauren Oliver title. Delirium is another one that's been on my obscenely large to read list.
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
Grade: D-
Not recommended.
Apparently I'm one of the last people to read The Lovely Bones and I'm okay with that. The universe was trying to tell me not to bother. This is the rare case where the movie is better than the book. And the movie is not all that great either.
Susie Salmon is murdered by a neighborhood skeeve or Creepy Creeperton, whichever you prefer. This book is her story from what she sees in heaven. Susie watches her family grieve and the police look for her killer and body. The grisly stuff happens at the beginning and the rest of the book is full of cotton candy and glitter. Or so it feels. The ending is beyond weird.
The idea of the book and jacket summary caught my interest. That's where it ended though. The book is fluff plus glitter and sparkles and plays out like a tampon commercial.
Spoiler alert! The only redeeming part of the book was Susie's reunion with her dog Holiday. That had me in tears.
If you haven't read the book, do yourself a favor and watch the movie. Stanley Tucci is superb as George Harvey. He plays the neighborhood creep perfectly. Susan Sarandon is also stellar as the grandmother forever in makeup and with a drink in hand.
To those of you who liked the book, please let me know what you liked about it. I'm super curious what worked for you that clearly did not for me.
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