Book Review - "The Arsonist" by Sue Miller

The Arsonist by Sue Miller

I had high hopes with this one, however was supremely disappointed.  Reading this was like walking through mud, it was work.  It's the story of a small New Hampshire town one Summer in the late 1990's where fires are destroying homes of the residents who summer there.  There is an arsonist on the loose and everyone is scared.  Focusing on Sylvia and Alfie who have retired there and their daughter Frankie who has returned to town after fifteen years in Africa doing aid work.  And that's about it.  It's touted as "suspenseful" with "emotional insight", it is neither.  The only suspense was if I was going to actually finish the darn thing.  I would skip this one.

Book Review - "Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?" by Mindy Kaling

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling

I picked this one up on a whim, I liked her on The Office and I enjoyed Tina Fey's Bossypants so I thought it might be a fun read.  It was a big bowl of okay.  Nothing life changing, nothing laugh out loud hilarious, just stuff about her childhood and career.  She's likable but I just was underwhelmed.  I just didn't "click" with her much.  If you like Mindy then you will like the book.  I wanted to like this book, I really did, but I came away feeling like I never got to know the "real" Mindy.  

Book Review - "The Last Original Wife" by Dorothea Benton Frank

The Last Original Wife by Dorothea Benton Frank

One of my favorites I've ever read from Ms. Frank.  The story is about Les the middle aged wife of Wes.  The issue is that in Wes's posh circle of friends, Les is the last of the "original" wives.  His friends are all on their second marriages to young, gorgeous girls, with whom she has nothing in common.  She's had enough of Wes's controlling ways and feeling like Wes is doing her a "favor" by not dumping her for a newer model.  After an incident in Scotland while on vacation and a discovery about their finances, Les decides she's had enough and up and leaves to stay with her brother in Charleston.  What follows is a lesson in self-discovery, identity, what happiness really is and what you are willing to put up with in the last part of your life to truly live.  I adored the story!

Book Review - "One Plus One" by Jojo Moyes

One Plus One by Jojo Moyes

Yeah, it's a bit rom-com formulaic, yet the story has so much heart you can't put it down.  It's the story of Jess, a single mom in a gritty town outside of London.  She works multiple jobs to keep the family fed and housed since her husband went AWOL and left their young daughter and teenage son (Jess' stepson) behind.  The daughter is a math prodigy and the stepson is being bullied.  Jess is trying to keep her head above water when help arrives in the form of software guru Ed (who's got major problems of his own).  What follows is a story that has so much heart and soul, that redefines what family means, gives you hope that good things happen to good people and that you can succeed against all odds.  Pick this one up!

Book Review - "Elements of Style" by Erin Gates

Elements of Style by Erin Gates

Erin's Elements of Style blog was one of the first interior design blogs I stumbled across when I first discovered the blogosphere, and have been following her ever since.  She's got a great eye, fabulous style and feels like a friend with her candid writing.  So when she announced she was writing a book, I couldn't wait, in fact I pre-ordered the book way back in March.  It was worth the wait.  I devoured the book in a day.  It's a great mix of stories from her life and gorgeous photos from her projects.  It's chock full of inspiration, laughs, honesty and beauty.  Plus it looks gorgeous on display (with that stunning striped spine).  If you are an Erin fan or just love looking at gorgeous spaces, then this is the book for you!

Book Review - "Eleanor & Park" by Rainbow Rowell

I liked Fangirl so much I immediately checked out this one:

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Another great book, again classified as "young adult" but this was was a bit darker and more serious than Fangirl.  The story is told in a back an forth switching between Eleanor and Park's point of view.  Eleanor is sixteen and comes from a very difficult home situation.  Park is also sixteen with a more stable home life and an established reputation in their school.  When Eleanor has to sit next to him on the bus on her first day at their school, they slowly start to form a relationship that evolves into first love.  The story is funny at times, heartbreaking at other times.  The ending is tough, you really want her to write a sequel at some point.  Ms. Rowell's characters are so wonderfully well developed that you feel their pain, joy and hope.  A movie is in the works as well.  If you loved books like The Fault In Our Stars and The Age of Miracles then pick this one up!  

Book Review - "Fangirl" by Rainbow Rowell

I'm switching things up a bit around here.  If you are a regular around here you know I keep a running list of books I've read (and my thoughts on them) on the "Books I've Read" page.  But the list is getting out of control and I want to be able to search my book list more easily.  Plus, let's face facts, I'm not posting as much on the blog as I have been and I feel the blog is evolving a bit.  I mean, I love sharing my reviews of products why not add my thoughts on books as posts too?  So along with the usual posts I'll be posting my book thoughts as well.  Starting today!  I went on a bit of a "putting books on hold" binge at the library over the past few weeks and they have started pouring in. So let's get started.

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Oh my, I LOVED this book so much.  It's technically classified as a "young adult" book but I found it totally relatable.  The story centers on Cath and her first year of college.  She has a twin but her twin decided that they shouldn't room together, she wanted to be her own person and thinks that Cath should want that as well.  Cath is a popular (albeit anonymous) fan fiction writer for a Harry Potter-type series of books.  It's her escape, her passion and part of her identity.  Her home life is complicated with an absentee mother and a father who has mental health issues.  I totally related to Cath, the story brought back those "first year of college, coming of age" issues.  Just finding your way into adulthood, crossing that bridge.  I highly recommend this book, it's a light, easy read that satisfies!