Seeing Other People by Mike Gayle

So there's this English bloke who wakes up after what he thinks is a late night mugging. He wakes up in the bedroom of an intern he works with. Oh no! Thus ensuing an unraveling of conscience and trust and upon confession, his marriage. Joe Clarke has made a mistake and now he must deal with the consequences. But early on the reader is treated to a Christmas Carol type of story where the ghost of Joe's first girlfriend, a horrendous being who is haunting him and also showing that his life isn't what he thinks it is and how even though he may or may not have committed an act of betrayal his thinking of it, and letting his ego be stroked in a hurtful way could be just as bad. Joe has learned what it's like to make a sacrifice and how it affects not only him but his wife and two children. The story was good, I generally don't go for the surreal mixed in but I do love Mike Gayles 'chicky-lit' novels. This one wasn't as serious as it seems, with the content of the story, it was all Gayle all the way. I was glad to have gotten the book and if you're a fan this one is a keeper.

The Good Girl by Mary Kubica

This was a great story. Mysterious, captivating.. it was about a kidnapping. The story is told from three perspectives, from the kidnapper, the detective and the mother of the victim. It switches from before the girl is found to after the girl is found. It touches upon the dynamics of the rich family the kidnapping happened to and we find that not is all as it seems. It flows, it's a quick read, I was surprised at the ending although I had thought it might be something along those lines. Even if you suspect the ending it's still a very well written story.

Into the Darkest Corner by Elizabeth Haynes

This book. Wow. I mean, seriously. It was an intense ride from start to finish getting more and more f'd up by the chapter. It's about a woman named Catherine Bailey who at a young age is having fun meeting people partying sleeping around and stuff when she meets this guy Lee. Lee is hot and charming and takes charge and sweeps Cathy off her feet. Long story short, and the book opens up with the transcript of the court date, there is a charge of beating and Catherine isn't the one donning the boxing gloves. The story picks up three years later with Catherine having picked up the pieces (and a major case of OCD) and dealing with her life post trauma. She meets another man and the book goes along a parallel path alternating between three years before and the present time. i don't know what makes the story so compelling. It's practically a lifetime movie but the writing is fabulous and it flows. The story begs some questions about why she would stay why she would put up with abuse etc....but the story is so enveloping and you just have to keep reading to find out what the hell could happen next. And the end.... no spoilers on my end ever but omg SERIOUSLY?????? so good.

The Silent Wife by A.S.A. Harrison

Yup I loved it! glad i didn't listen to all the nay-sayers who would rather focus on it being or not being like G.G. who the FUCK cares?? this was a great book. yeah the ending was weird but that didnt' detract from the fact that i was riveted by the relationship from beginning to end. No it wasn't super wacky or psycho or anything. It was mundane and focused on the interior minds of two people who got together and played off each other. it was brilliant and it makes me sad that the author died so as not to graces us readers with more novels. so if you are into a story with no agenda or wanting something to follow another bestseller's footsteps read on.

Mean Streak by Sandra Brown

This was my first Sandra Brown book becaue I was a book snob and thought that writers who do 'suspenseful mysteries' one after another were a dime a dozen. The jury is still out on that one but this was a riveting tale even if it had a couple cliches in it. I am on a "missing person/fucked up relationships" kick. And this one had both. We have our doctor woman who is married but is in a fight with her husband when she goes to a mounntain to do a 20 mile as per her marathon training. She goes and all is well until she's found unconsious knocked upside the head with a rock. she wakes up in a cabin of some dude who is tall dark and handsome. It's vague if he's involvedd in her accident but she falls for him despite fearing him cuz this guys' been involved in some heavy shit. so in alternating chapters we find out more about hubby, how he could also be involved since the doctor woman, his wife is an heiress, she's fiflthy rich and they have separate accounts. he's also having an affair with......wait for it..... her best friend! i'm not giving much away cuz there's so much more to the story. it's so good, like soap opera good that yes i'm eating my own stuck up snotty words that books like these are crap. if they are, then i love crap!!!

Dolby by Laura Lane McNeal

A great historical fiction read. It's about a mother dropping her daughter off with her newly deceased husbands mother. We meet her maid and her maids daughter and get a little background of the south in the 1960's. Easy and even humorous at times. I enjoyed this book.

Honeymoon in Paris by JoJo Moyes

Loved it. Got sucked in to both relationships straight off and couldn't stop reading and glad i picked up The Girl you Left Behind cuz I am diving right into that.... Although the beginning is a little dry..what with the war stuff and all but I trust that JoJo will get juicy soon enough.

The Last Letter from Your Lover - JoJo Moyes

This book was a creeper... in that it started off well enough but it didn't really gain momentum for me until part two. Then I couldn't stop. I loved the writing, the story of Jennifer, how much like gone with the wind the lovers kept coming back and then losing each other. I loved how time went on and you still weren't quite sure what happened to Anthony but then Moyes throws in the Ellie story and how it all comes to together at the end...i should step back and then redo this review cuz it sucks; it doesn't justify the big old fashioned love story that it deserves but trust me, the last letter from your lover is worth the read even if you think it starts off kind of slow.

The Girl You Left Behind by JoJo Moyes

So. moyes has done it again. Sucked me into something I didn't think I would like. I am not a huge history person but I probably learned more about "war times" in fiction (gone with the wind, anyone?) then sitting in class in high school. But after reading Honeymoon in Paris and being dazzled by the two couples I had to take on this meaty tale. And am so glad I did. We have the Edouard and Sophie Lefevre who live in France and are doing their thing - eating drinking making love being jealous fighting loving...you know, the usual when war breaks out and he's taken away and Sophie goes to live with her sister. Edouard is an artist and is scraping his way in life but he's truly talented and paints his wife and the book centers seemingly around the painting entitled, The Girl You Left Behind---however we all know it's never about the painting. Then alternately a hundred years later we have Olivia "liv" Halston and her husband David who is a brilliant and work obsessed architect. He dies early on and Liv is grieving over him and loves the painting (TGYLB) because he bought it for her when they first got married. So we get invested in the war story, how sophie talks smack to the german soldiers who have taken over her hotel. And we pine for her lost husband hoping they will reunite and we also follow Liv and how she is slowly losing her shit because the house her husband designed and that she lives in is mortgaged to the tilt (or whatever that saying is) and she's of course still very sad 4 years on. Enter Michael Mccafferty who is assigned to find and restore the painting to it's "rightful owner" ---which is made complicated when Liv and michael get it on one drunken evening and well.... it's a pretty damned good story. go one.. if you have haven't read it yet DO IT!!! now for me, off to a rather depressing book about loss and suicide but is also rather good, 5 days left..but for comic relief (thank god for LM Montgomery---the Blue Castle is half way done...love that Valancy.)

The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery

Okay---this book. SO WONDERFULLY GOOD!!! and it's rated G good, which my reptilian brain doesn't seem to assume that the use of "d----d' instead of Damned would = a corny book. But once again i am proved oh so lovingly wrong. I have had Anne of Green Gables on my TBR list for a while now thinking oh when i'm in the mood for something light and childlike I will pick it up but for some reason while looking at another book i finished and seeing that The Blue Castle was associated with it I picked that up. And sucked in to the world of Valancy Stirling. Oh Valancy, to be born into a clan of people who are so belittling and hilariously ridiculous in their predilections and assumptions of what people should be doing and when. Valancy is 29 and living with her widowed mother who keeps an eye on Valancy's every move and keeps her busy lest she get evil ideas like...umm.. i don't know, get a life? There are a whole host of characters in her family that make one dimensional appearances but they are delightful and we learn of valancy's ill view of the world (because if anyone lived in that dreary house with that dreary mother they'd be depressed too) and on top of that she thinks she has a heart problem and has to sneak to the doctor who informs her that she is really sick and will die, most likely within the year!! and thus, this is the catalyst that launches Valancy to make some changes and live her life the way her most favorite author, John Foster writes in the beloved nature books, which is to not be driven by fear. Valancy ignores her mother's usual demands and starts speaking for herself. She is a SPARKPLUG!!! i laughed out loud (literally) at her sarcastic and witty comebacks and had to check the copyright of the book a few times to make sure I was seriously dealing wtih a book published in 1926? So Valancy gets a job and acts on her feelings for a dude she knows that is whispered about in the neighborhood as a guy who has a criminal history and 19 ex wives and all sorts of mental issues. And the name of this romantic interest??? wait for it........ BARNEY SNAITH!!! what??? I know, the worst name ever!!! Who names the hero Snaith? sounds so nasty off the tongue but whatever. They have an uncommon relationship and without spoiling the end.... ummm then i can't really say much else about the book except it was so well written and snappy and was one of those books that reminds me why I am obsessed with reading and what it's all about. Now even though I have a few library books due soon I am reading my old booksale bought copy of anne of green gables and am definitely falling in love with miss Anne Shirley. so glad i wasn't a kid reader who would have already been there done that with these classics.

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

To capture the range of human thoughts and emotion that are, as I learn over and over again, universal and timeless is what makes a great book. I loved Anne Shirley and loved how full of life and wonder and how high and low she got, how people could know how she was feeling since her vibrancy was forever shown on her face. She is a strong self-aware person and I am both really mad that i never thought to read this as a kid and very happy to have read it at all, perhaps even being able to appreciate it differently with where I'm at in my life. "There's such a lot of different Annes in me. I sometimes think that is why I'm such a troublesome person. If I was just the one anne it would be ever so much more comfortable, but then it wouldn't be half so interesting." Anne to her bff Diane. I still can't wrap my head around the reading level being for 10 year olds. It is a simple story but there are times where I had to re-read a passage to make sure I got it right. Or maybe I'm on-par with 10 year olds. either way, Lucy Maud Montgomery has created a character, a string of them, that are ornery, sweet, real and funny and sad. I love the chapter headings and the different "scrapes" Anne gets into. I love how the story somewhat reminds me of a Jeeves story, with the incidents being so silly sometimes. I am on to Anne of Avonlea and although I prefer the age of Anne in the first book I will be sure to enjoy her maturing too. and i almost cried with Matthew died. 'Well, well......" sigh.

Walking on Trampolines by Frances Whiting

This was a good-read. Not the most excellent read but still very good. It starts off captivating the reader with our protagonist waking up hungover with the fiance of her best friend. So this caught my attention but it also put me in the frame of mind that I was reading "chick lit" but the book turns into something a little less "chicky" and more of an exploration of Lulu's life. She has a plumber father and depressive mother and she has her first boyfriend josh and best friend annabelle. Annabelle ends up with Josh --this happens early so no spoilers here- but what threw me off was the change of story to Lulu's relationship with her boss, a radio dj. It sort of comes back round to the beginning but to me the story wasn't written as well as it could have been. It was like it could have gone through another draft or so. But it was good enough to keep reading and I do recommend it to people looking for a straight up decent story.

The Fragile World by Paula Treick DeBoard

This got me from the first page, I liked Olivia's voice. It chronicled a family's unravelling after the accidental death of the elder child, a son of Kathleen and Curtis Kauffman. Told from the pov of Olivia and Curtis we see how truly fragile we are when something devastating happens. What i didn't expect that came not too far from the beginning was the intent of Curtis to get revenge on the killer, who didn't seem to be sorry for his truck hitting daniel as he walked across the street. Curtis never came to terms with it and after the separation of Curtis and kathleen, Curtis who has custody of Olivia take a road trip that unbeknownst to Olivia is for her father to find the recently paroled killer and kill him. The ending wasn't expected and i'm not sure how I feel about it yet, but it was well written and I enjoyed it immensely

The Rosie Effect by Graeme Samson

Received through Netgalley yay!! This one was okay. It was more Don Tillman and his unique way of socializing (think autistic or something along those lines) and he's still brilliant and still married to Rosie only now they have a baby on the way and Don isn't dealing with it properly. He is analytical about the pregnancy and Rosie isn't taking it well. She feels that he's uninterested in being a father and is thinking of divorce. Gene, Don's friend has moved in and that bodes none to well with the Mrs. It was an alright story but I just didn't buy into her thinking he's not interested. I slugged through it though because the story was just different and silly enough to keep going but I was disappointed in it compared to the first one. Worth reading but no rush to those Rosie Project fans.

Baker Towers by Jennifer Haigh

Oh thank you SO MUCH, Kelly!!!!! this was a great read. Seriously. Couldn't put it down. A sweeping story that spans the lives of the Novak family. I loved the writing and how fast paced it was and how real the characters were. OMG. can't wait to read Mrs. Kimble.

To Rise Again at a Decent Hour- Joshua Ferris

This is frustrating. Such a disappointment :( Honestly I got 3/4 of the way through. the character, Paul is f'ng awesome- he's ruminating and thought processes and down on life attitude, the sarcasm. BUT the stupid Uln thing and the blah blah blah religion god jewish stuff just went ON and ON and ON and for me that didn't work. It was like eating a giant steak.... that is RIDDLES WITH FAT AND GRISTLE. if you can be patient and slice away all the squishy slimy shit the meat is delicious. I got impatient. I am hungry and there were about 23 pieces of fried chicken waiting to be devoured waiting to be picked up and savored. i'm bummed though. The character was almost strong enough to pull me through but alas... too many trees and not enough pee (yeah i said it)(

Then and ALways by Dani Atkins

Had I known what a mystery this was I might not have applied for it from Netgalley. But so glad I did. Rachel Wiltshire is 18 and getting ready to go to college. She has a handsome boyfriend and a childhood best friend who is a boy and there's a little triangle going on but then an accident happens. Fast forward 5 years and things are different. Rachel has recovered but she's engaged now. Somethings not right. Her best friend is dead. 5 years ahead again and Rachel has lost the past. It might be amnesia but she remembers things that she shouldn't. And her best friend is alive. Don't want to give too much away but everything was done so well. It was so interesting and I usually don't like mysteries. I was kept turning the page wondering what the hell was going to happen until the end and even then I was a little confused but it was all good. This was a really really good book.

The Storied Life of AJ Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

Short...semi-sweet...a little tiny bit sad... but YUMMY. I love that writers usually throw in the subject of books in their literary pursuits. And for people who adore reading what better material than a bookstore...add to that the work of publishing and book reps etc. This is the story of A.J. Fikry who is a little jerky in the beginning, a little stuck in his ways but opens up quite quickly when he finds a baby in his store left for his caretaking. It's a little humorous shot through with book recommendations and love and overall a very quick delightful read. Maybe I didn't love the ending but not because it was a bad ending like the writer sucks at endings, just a personal opinion. Definitely recommend

Astonish Me by Maggie Shipstead

I don't like ballet. And if you don't either and also don't mind the technical jargon of ornate steps and the way the body moves as described even if you have no idea what it means it you probably will still like the book. Maggie Shipstead has written a book about the complications of love and relationships with the art of ballet as the background. It jumps from the 80's to the 70's back to the 80's and then back and then to the 90's. It's not confusing and bit by bit we see what happens to our characters as time goes by. Joan is a ballet dancer and her roommate Elaine is too. They are dancing in company where a famous Russian dude Arslan Rusakov is the star. He has defected from Russia and who helps him escape is Joan. She is in love with him but he moves from dancer to dancer muse to muse. So she goes to her childhood friend Jacob who is in love with her and starts a life with him. She gets pregnant and has a family teaching ballet and the son, Harry grows up into dancing as well. We see Harry and his childhood friend and fellow ballet dancer Chloe bounce back and forth and learn some other family secrets. It's an engaging book but admittedly I set it aside for others in the middle so I can't say I was glued to it or anything. This books asked me to see why we fall in love or think we do. Is it out of proximity, just because you're around the person a lot that we fall in love or is it just beauty or for something the other person does that you fall in love with him or her? is it their fame? I think Joan was mixed up. She was in love with Arslan and he was with her but they chose other lives..or maybe were called to live differently. It also points out how your choices effect other people. I enjoyed Seating Arrangements more but am glad I read this. Definitely have a little more appreciation for the dance and maybe will finally watch the Nutcracker (the ballet shows up a few times during the book)

Love and Other Foreign Words- by Erin McCahan.

Definitely loved this book. Josie is super smart but she's not smug about it, not too smug anyway. She sees things differently- she has nailed it when saying how when people talk to each other they are speaking a different language. Like the way you talk to you parents is different than when you are talking to your best friend or a teacher or someone you just met. I feel that way all the time.. and i share the same realization that sometimes you forget who you are or think maybe you don't even know. She doesn't understand love and thinks she loves her teacher. She also has two best friends who she grew up with across the street a brother and sister, people who know her better than anyone. She has two older sisters and one is getting married, the one she's closest to and she hates the fiance who is very similar to the way she is; quirky and smart and having to have things his way. We follow Josie over the course of about 8 months and fall in love with her voice as she finds out what love really is

The Stuff That Never Happened- Maddie Dawson

This book is fantastic!! if you liked The opposite of maybe then this one is even better. It's a drama (made for tv) type of book but if you're up for a beach read/vacation book this is for you. Relationships, drama, family, marriage, pasts that creep into the present, babies etc. GO read it!!

The Wife by Meg Wolitzer

What I knew about this book stemmed from people commenting on the writing. What that means to me is that the ways information is conveyed on the page is unique, thoughtful and not cliche. It means that no matter what the subject, a person will want to turn the page because the words are arranged just so that you the reader are being entrusted with something. There isn't any other fancy element to the story. You don't need a crazy plot or a mystery to see to the end or juicy gossipy chick literature. Good Writing can describe at length the art of typing and a reader will say, Hmmmm didn't realize typing could be so interesting. Anyway---- this book was like that. Yes it was about a marriage coming apart. yes it was about a writer, which perhaps is what drew me to open the cover but those are mundane topics, that like a comedian riffing on the perils of fatherhood, it never gets old as long as you know how to spin it. Wolitzer took an age old topic and told it her way and, despite it dragging (in my opinion) in certain places it was good. I enjoyed the assessment of the relationship told through the wife's eyes and the ending finding out that she was more involved then the reader was let on in the beginning. But the very end was, also in my opinion, a let down because it just seemed to tied up, neat and clean. But it was a good. I'm glad i read it even though i didn't enjoy The Ten Year Nap.

Kids These Days by Drew Perry

Smirk. That's what I did whilst reading this book. I LOVED IT!! Okay so I couldn't keep the main character, our protagonist Walter bring really being Geroge Clooney (like the Descendants) but whatever, it worked. I loved that it didn't need to be something sensational. It didn't involved zombies or vampires or something really outrageous. It was just about a guy who (okay so it had a shoot out and a parachute dude but still..) is scared of what's to become of his life since his wife got pregnant. They are human beings going through the emotions of dealing with life. And it was funny, but realistic and sweet and I may have wanted to know more about Alice but that's okay. So, how about a sequel mr. Perry?? hugs. this book rocked. the first one was good too but this one was even better.

Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen

True to form Sarah Addison Allen delivered a sweet story. I think why it was a 4 star instead of a 5 star is that her previous tales, specifically garden spells, were an entire notch above this one. Lost Lake had all the elements but something was missing. Not the magical element, just something I can't put my finger on. I enjoyed it and was so happy to have received the copy so quickly after it came out. I am stoked the author is cancer free and now back to writing full time. yay.

Mrs. Kimble by Jennifer Haigh

Wow. so sad and well written. we have ken kimble- he's our resident douchebag and he was married to a girl very young for him and had 2 kids. he runs off with a student who is even younger meets someone else, marries her and then well.. there's a third. The thing is, it's a highly believable premise and even if it weren't, the writing is so awesome and the characters so real..i would have followed the author anywhere she wanted to go. great read

The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough

Big epic sweeping saga mostly taking place in Australia but also in London and Rome and it's just soooo much. I mean completely readable, compulsively even. It's about the Cleary Family and it's 3 generations between 1905 till the late 60's and it has been called Australia's answer to Gone With The Wind. That's some big shoe to fill but I wouldn't dismiss it entirely. I loved it. Loved the inner thoughts of the characters loved the scandal and the conflict of life's big questions of loyalty to ones self, to god to other people. I am glad i read it and was glad for the big juicy read to be done... but only because there are so many more that need to be read.

The Last Days of California by Mary Miller

A pretty good coming of age books. I love them. Have a desire to read them all. There is something about the teenager's voice, there transitional emotional time, how they see the world how they are torn between independence and childhood that is so attractive to me. I love that voice. I love that they are both wildly intelligent- more so than most "adults" and also innocent. There's so much you can do with that. Plus we've all been there. So we have the Metcalfs. They are traveling by car to California because the end of the world is near and being the Christians that they are, they're handing out pamphlets to do their bit and save some people along the way. But that's not the guts of the story. The guts are displayed through the eyes of 15 year old Jess. We see how she see's the world as second to her 17 year old beautiful sister Elise who, unbeknownst to parents, is pregnant. Told over 4 days of their trip we see how their parents are together, the father a diabetic who loves to gamble and quote the bible. The mother who might have been pretty back in the day but is just a 'mom' now. and how Elise will get the attention of most males around her. The observance of Jess that caught me and says a lot about the book is this: "When he left, I locked the door and set about cleaning myself with a washcloth. I peed, brushed my teeth, washed my face. When there was nothing left to clen, I sat on the toilet and listened to them talk and laugh knowing I would never be a part of it. I would always be separate, thinking about what expression on my face was making, what people thought of me. Observing peoples' weaknesses and flaws- their big thighs and crooked teeth and acne, their lack of confidence, their fear. I would always think the worst about people and it would keep me from them because i couldn't accept myself." I look forward to more Mary Miller novels.

The Absolutely True Story of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

I dismiss YA unfairly. Who am I to think that something isn't "deep" enough or "grown up" enough when I'm truly just a kid. A 34 year old kid (who incidentally has a kid but that's another story). Anyway, this book rocked. It was merely perfect. An interesting narrator, an intriguing backdrop, more interesting side characters, seriousness with levity woven throughout. it was all great and had some cool quotes. "Gay people could do anything. They were like Swiss Army knives!!" "When it comes to death, we know that laughter and tears are pretty much the same thing" and a lot more, so many that it's one of the rare few I think I'll reread.

Longbourn by Jo Baker

I loved it. I loved the feeling of being over in England and in the vicinity of Pride & Prejudice, but not really. I loved the book of course but didn't want to read some sad spin off. This was not the case. This was a juicy reimagining of an age old story (love, what else is there really) and told by ungainly servants. They have proved to be MUCH more interesting then the ladies of the house. I wouldn't call it a perfect book but damned near close. Maybe I drifted a little when we learned about James's involvement in the war blah blah blah but over all I was hooked and took the story in two long ass sittings. I suggest you do the same :-)

The Realm of Last Chances by Steve Yarbrough

4.5 stars. very good insights into a troubled marriage.. people's pasts, dealing with personal relations at work - the line between the professional and personal and friendship between men. Loved it.

Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King

I liked it. I loved Vera and felt for her and all her feelings about losing a best friend and enjoyed the mystery of what really happened to him. I liked how she was from a 'broken' home and how she drank and had bullies and delivered pizza and how she loved and was so annoyed by her dad who was a recovering alcoholic and had his own story. quick read. i will check out the author's other books too. i love me some coming of age stories, that's for sure.

What the Family Needed by Steven Amsterdam

I liked the concept but found only one of the chapters- the one about Ruth- to be engaging. It's the story of a family loosely related throughout about 30 plus years. We witness time periods from different characters viewpoints. Nothing crazy happens, except that each of them has a special power. You know, flying, invisibility, reading minds. It's cool but was missing something, or maybe it was just me.

The Obituary Writer by Ann Hood

Oh this was a good one. Two women's stories in different times in history, their story unfolding piece by juicy piece. Ann hood writes about marriage and life and women's roles and their desires to transcend them and it was just fantastic. Some reviewers said it was predictable, I didn't see it that way because it wasn't about the mystery of how these two women were related but by just how our lives happen and how we react to it and take part in shaping it, which is easier said than done because we're emotional and often have other lives to account for such as children. I am so happy I read this. Thanks Noelle for the heads up that I'd like it cuz U were right :)

The Mouse-Proof Kitchen by Saira Shah

Definitely not quite what I thought it would be. A couple has a baby with severe disabilities and then moves to France from England to begin their new life. What kept me rapt was the realistic display of how a couple might cope with such an awful thing. I can see some people scoffing "how dare they think that way" but really, no one is that much of a saint to think they're above saying, well this blows. The ending might have been done a little too tidy but I loved it. Glad to have read it.

The Scandalous Summer of Sissy LeBlanc by Loraine Despres

Really good book. Definitely not what I thought it would be (which was a light and fluffy classic chick lit- southern style) and although it was southern through and through and started off as a slightly edgy story turned dark about the second third of the way in and I was hooked. Some of it was a little strange, like I thought hmmm I wouldn't act that way if that happened, but with all stories there has to be a slight suspension of disbelief (even in the straight up non-surreal fiction) and I was riveted and happy with the ending even though I didn't see it coming. I enjoyed it and was sad to think the author didn't go on to write a bunch of books. so boo on that.

Glitter and Glue, a memoir by Kelly Corrigan

I lost my mom last year. And I tend to avoid things I can't relate to but with this book I think it's a first step to Step Up To The Plate, as they say. And then, just when I thought it was going to be all lovey dovey me and my mom and this great relationship and everything's perfect--- SMACK wake up!!! It wasn't. It was a story completely different from what I had thought. (I should be used to being wrong by now). It is about mother -daughter relationships, but it's filtered though Corrigan's early adulthood when she went on a trip with her friend and ended up being a nanny for a family that had recently lost the mother to cancer. We don't know a whole lot about the mother but we see in short vignette chapters Corrigans realizations about life and parents and what it means to be a parent. We aren't force fed information about that stuff but rather led gently with a lot of lightheartedness as well as sweet emotional tugging. I didn't cry like I read a lot of reviewers did but then again I kind of have numbed myself to that. It was a quick read, definitely worthwhile whether you are focused on mom-daughter relationships or not.

The Theory of Opposites by Allison Winn Scotch

I don't know what made me respond to a facebook post about her e-book being 1.99 because I had tried her other books and they didn't take. This one caught me and took me right away to a non-chicky-lit place but was still somewhat a romance. What I liked the most was the philosophy of life in terms of fate and free will and how you think you're life is going. I liked the balance of the theories and the pace of what was going on. What if your spouse wanted to take a break and what if you rekindle something with an old boyfriend that you should have never said no to? Throw in the aspect of possible motherhood and facing your parents ideas of life and choice and you got a great read. I highly recommend this book to people who aren't into straight up girly reads but also appreciate something somewhat light but thoughtful.

Man and Boy by Tony Parsons

Of the Jonathan Tropper, Nick Hornby sort.. It's not often I am able to browse a bookstore for the sheer purpose of finding a book. I go through all these rituals of checking reviews and reading sample chapters so i don't feel like i am wasting time or money on a book. To just walk and look at titles and pick something and look at it just as it is is a huge gamble of the literary sorts. But that's how I came across Tony Parsons book Man and Boy and I'm so happy I did. A plain looking book with just shoes, a mans and boys shoes and a couple of blurbs were enough to make me want to risk using the rest of my gift card and hope for the best. 2 days later and I'm in love in the same way I loved Nick Hornby's British style of writing in the domestic issues from a man's POV. I love these books - life like stories with hints of humour throughout. I liked Harry Silver. He's flawed (of course) but the story goes and is edited in just the write places not droning on too much and not skipping too much either. It's about making a crappy stupid mistake and then moving on but also dealing with the aftermath. It's a chick lit/dick lit read that I am happily moving on to the 2nd in the series (yay!! so happy there was a follow up) carry on, readers, carry on.

Shotgun Lovesongs by Nickolas Butler

I have been disappointed in books lately. Or it could be my skittish mind refusing to get hooked but this one was a sight for sore eyes. It is part scenic description of what it would feel like to be from a Midwestern town but not overboard (Steinbeck, anyone?) and it's also part family and friendship. In fact, I'd go as far as to say it could have been written about 4 women as instead of the 4 leading men, Henry, Lee, Kip and Ronny. I don't need to summarize the story but it's just good to know that it's from different points of view, all adding the necessary ingredient to bring the richness to the story, how each of the men's lives mix in and effect each other. We get to see lines blurred and crossed and the aftermath. I have read that some people questioned the ending. It's sort of open ended/abrupt but I didn't think it detracted anything. I loved the writing and seeing what led the characters to where they stood. Do know that it jumps back and forth a bit but it's no confusing if you're a close reader.

Me and Miss M by Jemma Forte

A cute british lit book about a personal assistant who truly wants to be an actress so takes a job as a PA to get as close as possible to hollywood (her boss is a famous american star). She is also a world class bitch, real diva type. There's love and drama and all the qualities you'd expect from a classic chick lit book. I don't do too many of these but this was delicious! Libraries around here don't have it so hit me up if you wanna borrow my copy.

The One Plus One by Jojo Moyes

OMG. Seriously ... 10 stars. It blew me away. 500pages Phhhhhhht done. And most of it took place in a car! I don't know what to say, the summary doesn't do it justice. I didn't even like Me before You but this, not THIS has got to be one of the best novels I have read in a long time. It's inspiring realistic just fantastically written. It's humorous but not funny. Just great. Some love, some triumph some defeat, ALL GOOD. WOW.

With or Without You by Helen Warner

hmmmm. wow. I don't know what to say about this one. It was like a juicy soap opera but it also rang true. I guess the best of both worlds when you're looking to slip right in to a story and not feel like it's cheesy or too riddled with subtle meaning to pick through. Just a good old fashioned story that hit a few nerves but in a good way. What happens when your spouse cheats? Do you forgive? Do you walk away immediately? Does it matter if there are children involved? These are a few of the questions taken into consideration in this well crafted tale. It kept me guessing until the very last page. Bravo, Ms. Warner, Bravo.

Paint me a Monster by Janie Baskin

Read this on my kindle which I only do if I can't get it from the library and it's cheaper than a paperback. And I can't wait. This one was okay. It a come of age story, very short chapters about a girl who is growing up with a mom who's basically in her own world. It's borderline abuse I think and painful to read but very good.

The Headmaster's Wife by Thomas Christopher Green

Pretty good. I was a little bored with the first half. Not that it wasn't written well, it was just humdrum affair blah blah jealousy blah blah blah. But then as expected from the other reviews BAM!!! and you're like Whaaaaaat the F.......? then you get to know the other character and then it comes together and it's a worthwhile read. I liked it a lot. Nothing fantastical about the end but not all stories require such flash. I liked it. Quick travel read is my recommendation.

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

OMG GET THiS GET THIS!! Check it OUT RIGHT NOW!!! or put it on hold!! Short...semi-sweet...a little tiny bit sad... but YUMMY. I love that writers usually throw in the subject of books in their literary pursuits. And for people who adore reading what better material than a bookstore...add to that the work of publishing and book reps etc. This is the story of A.J. Fikry who is a little jerky in the beginning, a little stuck in his ways but opens up quite quickly when he finds a baby in his store left for his caretaking. It's a little humorous shot through with book recommendations and love and overall a very quick delightful read. Maybe I didn't love the ending but not because it was a bad ending like the writer sucks at endings, just a personal opinion. Definitely recommend.

Tempting Fate by Jane Green

Haven't been able to finish a Jane Green book. Often I can't get into it and writing is kind of cheap or cliched and I want to like it since the summary is interesting but this was the first one I finished. I liked it and it was almost painful to read because of the material at hand but a good ending, perhaps not entirely believable but hopeful. About an affair. About a woman who, yes she has it all, but does she really when she's swept off her feet so easily?

Then and Always by Dani Atkins

Had I known what a mystery this was I might not have applied for it from Netgalley. But so glad I did. Rachel Wiltshire is 18 and getting ready to go to college. She has a handsome boyfriend and a childhood best friend who is a boy and there's a little triangle going on but then an accident happens. Fast forward 5 years and things are different. Rachel has recovered but she's engaged now. Somethings not right. Her best friend is dead. 5 years ahead again and Rachel has lost the past. It might be amnesia but she remembers things that she shouldn't. And her best friend is alive. Don't want to give too much away but everything was done so well. It was so interesting and I usually don't like mysteries. I was kept turning the page wondering what the hell was going to happen until the end and even then I was a little confused but it was all good. This was a really really good book.