Double Review: "Lost Lake" & "Promises to Keep"

Last time I was at the library, I checked out 3 adult books, as opposed to the massive amounts of young adult I usually get. I feel a little weird calling it "adult" sometimes, do you? Like it should be censored or something lol. Anyway, I picked up two old favorite authors and one new to me. I've read the first two so far and thought it'd be good to do a double review day for them. Mostly because I'm lazy, but also because they share a similar theme of over-coming hard times and having the strength to move on. Have you read any good/great adult books lately? I'd love to hear about them...sometimes I do feel like I read waaay too much YA.

Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen
3.5 out of 5 stars

I've read all four of SAA's previous books and adored them, so I was really looking forward to her first new book in four years. She was battling a big health crisis in that time (happily recovered now) and you can feel a tinge of that in this book, along with the magical hope that is a trademark of her books. I really want to go reread one of her other books now, maybe I will as a reward when I finish Jane Eyre (I'm having an awful time with that one, unfortunately.)

Lost Lake alternates between two main stories: that of Eby Pim, an elderly woman who is ready to close down the lakeside paradise she and her late husband built up so many years ago; and Kate Pheris, a young woman who is finally waking up after losing her husband a year before. When Kate's daughter, Devin, finds a postcard from Great-Aunt Eby, they decide to make a spontaneous road-trip to see her and the old lake. Eight year old Devin is an adorable and precocious child who likes to wear crazy mismatched clothes and sees things that others don't, such as the alligator at the lake who wants to help her save the camp.

There is an all-star cast of secondary characters, any of whom I'd love to read a full story about: Lisette, a small beautiful French woman who cannot speak but still has a way with words; Jack, the man who has loved her for 30 years but can't seem to tell her; Bulahdeen & Selma, best friends but complete opposites; and Wes, the boy who helped Kate have the best summer of her childhood. Oh, and the alligator...he's a big part of the story too.

I loved the flashbacks to Eby's honeymoon in Paris and Amsterdam and the glimpses we get of the older folks' lives too, especially Bulahdeen. "You can't change where you came from, but you can change where you go from here. Just like a book. If you don't like the ending, you make up a new one."


Promises to Keep by Jane Green
3 out of 5 stars

This is hard to review. I picked it up because of the Goodreads summary, which is blatantly wrong (and I plan on trying to get it fixed soon.) I was expecting a light-hearted typical Jane Green book and this was so not it. If you've read any of her earlier books: Jemima J, Mr Maybe, etc...you'll know what I'm talking about. Well, apparently Jane is sick of writing the fluffy, twenty-something, chick-lit books and wants to write serious books for "grown-ups" now. Kind of disappointing.

This book started out decent, two sisters, one 30 and one 39, living great lives in and around New York City. The 30 yr old, Steffi, is a perpetual dater of up & coming wannabe rock stars, a chef at a booming vegan restaurant, and is constantly ready for change. Callie is 39 and very happily married with 2 wonderful kids, a lovely home in the suburbs, and a booming photography career. Then there's Lila, the 42 yr old BFF, who gave up on having a happily ever after years ago because she's too fat, too Jewish, too blah blah blah. And of course, as soon as she gives up and becomes happy with just herself, she finds a man.

Sounds like a normal chick-lit book right? The first half really is, telling about the 3 women's lives and relationships with various men (for Steffi, at least) and it's decent. But you start to get this sense of foreboding, when Callie says, for the millionth time, how perfect her life is. Something is going to happen and it's going to be bad, right? This is about when I posted on FB that I needed to put my book in the freezer and read something lighter for a while lol.

I'm going to try to be really non-specific here, okay? The last half of the book gets serious and while it's still a good read and all, it wasn't what I was looking for. The 3 women and their loved ones have to deal with this serious thing and it's hard to read. Green does to try to have an uplifting message in the end, but it feels kind of flat to me. "[She] sees pain, and grief, sadness and loss. And yet...and yet...there is love, and laughter, and life." So, if you're looking to have a good cry, this is a perfect read. If not, maybe try one of her earlier books.

Review: "Commencement"

Commencement by J Courtney Sullivan
3 out of 5 stars

It's hard to decide where to start with this book. It was recommended to me by my favorite aunt who's not really related to me :) and I enjoyed it...but. I think it's like reading a newsletter or blog dedicated to a person's hometown. If you aren't from there, you might find it interesting at times but you don't really get it. That's kind of how I felt with this book. I didn't go to a small college or stay in a dorm and get a close knit group of girlfriends. If that was more your life, especially if you went to one of the Seven Sisters Colleges, I think you will enjoy this book a lot more.

The book starts off four years after college graduation and four close friends: Celia, Bree, Sally, & April are getting together for Sally's wedding. The story alternates between flashbacks of how they all met and their college life together and the present stress of getting to Sally's wedding and seeing each other again after a long time apart. They are gathering at Smith College, their alma mater, and all the memories keep rushing forward. Their beginnings as first years (not freshmen) and how different they all were. No way that Georgia peach Bree would be friends with radical feminist April. And lapsed-Catholic Celia wants to mother Sally after finding out her mother died, but is that really a friendship?

I enjoyed the first half of this book immensely and if it had continued in that vein, I probably would have given it 4 stars. It read very much like a typical chicklit book and I liked hearing how these girls' relationships grew and matured. I was expecting a look at life after college for 4 BFF's and that is what I got...until it went into a kind of exposé, documentary on prostitution and abuse. The second half of the book was focused on April's work with her mentor Ronnie, an extreme feminazi almost, who is determined to get a good story no matter what the cost. And the cost is April. I felt like I was being lectured thru a lot of the second half and being told what I should believe in and fight for. Which, yes, prostitution is bad, abuse shouldn't happen, etc...but the way Sullivan told the story was just too much for me. 

So, Smithies or other similar college grads: yes, you will probably enjoy this much more than me! :) Everyone else, give it a shot if it sounds interesting! Also, a small note on the font type used in the book, which I will put in white so if you do decide to read it, it won't drive you crazy too lol: Any word with 'fi' in it, the 'i' wasn't dotted and that drove me absolutely bananas!! I'm not a font snob by any means, but that was so annoying! /end 

Review: "Definitely Not Mr. Darcy"

Definitely Not Mr. Darcy by Karen Doornebos
3 out of 5 stars

This was an impulse pick-up from the library the other day. It looked cute, so I thought why not? And I did enjoy it, even though it wasn't the best read ever. I think I'd like to read more Jane Austen soon, this kind of world and the fandom she produces is intriguing to me. Maybe November? October is going to be some scary Poe stories and December A Christmas Carol, I think. :)

Anyway, this book...I read it in 2 days, so it's a fast read. Chloe Parker is totally obsessed with Austen and all things Regency era. She's in her late 30s, divorced, has an 8 year old daughter (who seems either 4 or 14 at different times), and has a failing business in handmade paper products. When she hears about a Jane Austen documentary-type TV show in England, she decides to try out and of course, gets picked. So she packs up, sends her daughter to her parents, and jets off to sunny rainy England. Does it really rain that much there? We're in the middle of another drought here in Texas, so I can't really imagine soaking showers every afternoon.

When Chloe gets there, she is shocked and dismayed to realize that this isn't going to be a trivia-inspired documentary like she thought...instead, she's now competing with several other women in a Bachelor-esque dating competition. I hate The Bachelor/ette. After that Brad guy (or whatever his name is) decided not to choose either girl, I decided to boycott lol. Okay, so Chloe is pretty pissed, but she didn't exactly read the contract very closely, so I kind of didn't feel for her that much. She has to decide if she's going to stay and suffer thru this or go back home. The prize money is the deciding factor for her...$100,000. Oh and the hot guy and his equally hot younger brother. They help too.

Yeah, she decides to stay. I would too. Even though that now means she is completely immersed in the world of 1812 England: dress, mannerisms, dating, eating, everything. That means no cell phones, deodorant (lemon wedges), real underwear (!), indoor plumbing, showers, electricity. That also means lots of meat killed from the lands (she goes veggie real quick), chaperoned dates, no speaking to a man until "properly" introduced, etc...and then there are the competitions: how to mend a pen, make ink, ride a horse, trim a bonnet (whatever that means)...can she make it? Will she win the guy and the money?

Well, I'm not going to tell you. ;) If you like Austen or contemporary type romances, I would suggest this book. It does get a little dirty in a few parts, but I'm okay with that hah! There are far too many mentions of the "1995 adaptation of Pride & Prejudice" and Colin Firth with his wet shirt. I still haven't seen it yet, I know, shame on me. The ending is highly predictable, but that's okay. There's some misdirection and plenty of man candy in their tight "breeches" and a typical sassy, flippy-haired, smart-mouthed girl who excels at every competition and is here to win her a man and some land, by gosh!

Review: "The Help"

The Help by Kathryn Stockett
3.5 out of 5 stars

The Help was an interesting book. It was funny and heart-warming and sad. But it was also really uncomfortable, as a white person in her 30s, to read. I've never been through anything like that and I have no idea what it's like. I felt like I shouldn't be reading this at times. This is even kind of awkward to write, but I'm going to try and please, please feel free to call me out on something if you feel strongly one way or the other about what I'm saying.

The story opens in 1962 Jackson, Mississippi with Aibileen, a black woman in her late 40s who is a maid/caretaker for a white family, the Leefolts. She is basically the main caregiver for their 2 year old daughter, Mae Mobley. There's plenty of segregation still in Jackson, MS and being a maid is basically the only job for a black woman there. They are forced to raise these white babies, sometimes loving them more than their own mamas, but can't use the same bathrooms or dishes. It's embarrassing and degrading, but these women have no choice.

Aibileen is a smart woman, but she didn't really have much personality in my opinion, even though she is one of the main characters. Her best friend Minny, a loud, sassy woman in her mid-30s was a lot more dynamic and interesting to me. The third main character, Skeeter, is a white socialite in her early 20s who thinks maybe things should be changing in Jackson. Skeeter dreams of being a writer of Important Things but the best job she can get is a housekeeping advice column in the local paper, which she has to use Aibileen for, because Hello? She has never had to clean anything in her life.

The three women's lives intersect when they are each humiliated by Miss Hilly Holbrook, the "queen bee" of the town. Skeeter decides to start writing the maids' life stories down and she gets Aibileen and Minny to help her. This is extremely dangerous and honestly, a little stupid and misguided on Skeeter's side. She is doing this to help her get a position at a New York paper or publishing company. She has no idea how this could affect the women of Jackson, black or white. She doesn't consider the safety of these women helping her, besides meeting in the evening on the "black side of town" and changing the names in her book. It seems incredibly irresponsible to me that Skeeter doesn't consider the ramifications of what she is doing. She's a white woman in a prominent family, what could they possibly do to her? That just really bugged me.

The stories about the women themselves were all interesting and I really enjoyed them for the most part. Minny's revenge on Miss Hilly was OMG hilarious. When she gets a new job with a new girl named Miss Celia Lightfoot, she ends up becoming almost friends with this white girl from the boondocks. Celia was an interesting character. I wanted her to be even more fleshed out than she was, I felt like she didn't get her story told appropriately. She did have one part that would be extremely triggering for some people. Spoiler, highlight to read: it was pretty obvious to me that she was having miscarriages but when she actually had one with Minny there, I was as grossed out as she was. /spoiler. I also had a big issue with the fact that Stockett chose to write the black women with an extreme Southern accent, but not the white women, especially Celia. Southern people, black or white or purple polka-dotted, they all say ain't and y'all every now and then. ;)

You done burned ever bridge there is. And you ain't never gone get another boyfriend in this town and everbody know it. So don't walk your white butt to New York, run it.

This review is kind of all over the place lol...I think it is a very good book and I would recommend it, but I would also say, read it as a "chicklit" book. Is it going to break ground like To Kill a Mockingbird? No way. But that doesn't mean it can't be important in its own ways. If someone picks up this book because it was so popular and gets a deeper message out if it, isn't that a good thing? I don't know what I'm trying to say here anymore :p so if you have any ideas, let me know!

Review: "Sisterhood Everlasting"

Sisterhood Everlasting by Ann Brashares
4 out of 5 stars

This is the 5th and final book in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series and boy, is it a cry-fest. If you've been living under a rock and never heard of these books, here's a brief synopsis thus far: four BFF's find a pair of magical jeans that happen to fit them all equally well. They share the pants over four summers together and apart, good and bad things happen, people are found and lost, and their friendship grows even more. Fast forward 10 years and the friends are nearly 30 and spread across the world. Are they still BFF's? Well, sort of.

Let's start with Carmen...she's living in New York with fiance Jones, who reminds me of Smith from Sex & The City, only Jones is a jerk. Carmen has finally made it to the big time and is an Actress, capital A. She's super busy, obsessed with keeping her weight down (and out of her big butt), and glued 24/7 to her iPhone. Not that there's anything wrong with that. ;) She'd love more Latina casting, but her agent forces her to lighten her hair and go for the "white" roles.

Lena lives in Rhode Island and is still drawing, painting, and pining over Kostos. Seriously, get over him already. She's incredibly awkward and anti-social, preferring to stay home and draw pictures of her feet.

Bee is still with Eric, in California, and he helps to ground her wild and jumbled ways and thoughts. She is still spontaneous, wanting the most sunlight in her life, loses her phone constantly and bicycles everywhere. She is terrified of settling down with Eric permanently, even though she is heart-achingly in love with him.

Tibby is the farthest (furthest?) away, physically and emotionally. She moved with Brian to Australia two years before and the rest of the girls hardly get to talk with her. She has purposely distanced herself and no one knows why. Until one day, she sends all 3 girls a letter and tickets to Santorini, Greece for a reunion of the Sisterhood and everything changes.

Even though the book is depressing as hell in some points, I think it would make a beautiful movie. Especially considering how much the actresses have grown up as well. America Ferrera has changed so much since the first movies and her Ugly Betty days, I think she epitomizes Carmen's transformation into this sleek, stunning "Americanized" actress. Plus, I love movies shot in Greece, it's such beautiful scenery. :)

If you read and enjoyed the first 4 books in this series, I would highly recommend the final book. If you need a good cry, this is the book for you. If your BFF has just moved across the country and you don't know how you'll live without her, well you may want to skip it hah!

Huge, gigantic spoilers in this part...if you have any intention or inclination to read this book, don't read anymore! I wasn't spoiled before I read it and I am so glad, because I don't think I would have been able to pick it up if I had.



I guess my first clue that something weird was going on should have been the cover...only 3 girls frolicking on the beach? That's odd. No chapters from Tibby's perspective? Hmm...Tibby's not at the airport? Well, she probably got held up. Wait, she's not at the house either? She doesn't come home all night? What's going oooonnnn?? Why did Tibby have to die?? I don't see how this benefited the story at all, honestly. She could have been sick, but gotten better. It just feels like a disservice to all the people who have read and loved these stories over the years.

Honestly, I didn't believe for a minute that she killed herself; Tibby was always one of my favorites and she was just too strong and angry to give up like that. I was happy to see that she finally let herself love Brian (although the fact that 3 of the 4 girls are with the same guys they loved in high school is a little (lot) hard to believe). When I found out she had a daughter and named her Bailey, I bawled. Seriously bawled. The chapters with Bee learning to grow up and take care of this mini-Tibby were some of the best parts for me.

There were some not so great parts too, of course. I got bored with the Lena/Kostos thing in the 2nd or 3rd book, so why would I want more of the same 10 years later? Yes, I know it's supposed to be the "big love" but come on. Also, Carmen meeting the man on the train with his children. I know it was meant to be a break from Jones and a way for her to go back to her "roots" and stuff, but I don't know. Bee running away, again, and finding herself back with Eric where she belongs, again. And the worst part, like the best, for me was Tibby. How could she keep this from her best friends, not to mention her family? Bailey? Being sick? All of it, for 2 long years? It's just making me want to cry all over again, thinking of it.

Review: "Lola & The Boy Next Door"

Lola & The Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins
4 out of 5 stars

Yay! Another Perkins book! I was so stinking excited to start reading this and it did not disappoint. Okay, just a teeny, tiny bit compared to Anna & The French Kiss, but only because nothing could have been better than that in my opinion. :)

Lola on the cover kind of reminds me of Tibby from the Traveling Pants books. No? Maybe it's just me. Okay, so obviously this is a story about Lola and that guy next door. (What's with the plaid shirt, cover guy?) Lola is a pretty awesome girl. She's way into fashion design and wears outfits that would rival Miss Claudia Kishi in kookyness.

I don't believe in fashion. I believe in costume. Life is too short to be the same person every day.


Lola is 17 years old and lives in San Francisco with her two gay dads. They are super over-protective, especially when it comes to her 22 year old boyfriend, Max. I get that they don't like the age difference, but they seem to be waaaaay on the extreme side of hating it. I liked Max as a character...he put up with her dads' questions/interrogations, he came over for brunch every Sunday, he obeyed her curfew, he was a good guy. There's really no reason for them to be so hard on her about him (as far as they know, spoiler: there was some teenage sex going on whoops!). I guess their only justification is that they don't want her to end up like her mom, who is a drug addict and abandoned Lola when she was little.

So, Lola is happy with her 2 dads (does anyone remember that TV show? My Two Dads? No? I'm dating myself again, aren't I? Darn.) and her rocker boyfriend Max and BFF Lindsey. Until her old neighbors, twins Cricket (male) and Calliope (female) Bell, move back in and everything goes up in flames. I just have to say, I found their names very distracting. I wish she had chosen different ones. Anyway, when the Bells move back, Lola is suddenly reminded of the not-so-distant past crush she had on Cricket and freaks.

As she tries to deal with that and the possibility that Cricket might like her back, we get an honest look into her life. Yes, Lola is selfish at times. She's prone to tantrums, doesn't know what she wants in life (except to be a designer), and she expects to get her way a lot of times. In short, she's a teenager. ;) Cricket is...really cool. I loved Cricket. Not as much as Etienne, but almost. Cricket is an inventor, a descendant of Alexander Graham Bell, a snazzy dresser, a lover, a poet, etc...he's the reason I draw stars on my hand randomly now. *Swoon* He has his flaws too, namely listening to his controlling sister too much.

While I loved the book on the whole, it did have its not so great moments. I feel like the denigration of Max was completely unnecessary. He starts out as this super-boyfriend and then suddenly he's a big ol' rhymes-with-pouche. I agree that Lola needed to figure out her feelings for Max & Cricket, but this was not the way. It kind of made it cheap, if you know what I mean.

I loved that Anna & Etienne were in this one as well. I actually didn't even know they were going to be, so I was completely surprised when I read that first scene with them. However, they were almost sickeningly lovey-dovey throughout most of the book. They didn't seem to have that spark from Anna.

I loved Lola's crazy outfits and the bit of her and Cricket working on her Marie Antoinette costume, although I think maybe her dads should sit down and have a talk with her about why she wants to hide her identity all the time lol. The parts with her mom made me super sad. The part where Cricket crawled into her window and held her hand when she was depressed made me cry. The ending made me sigh in happiness. And also made me really want to read Anna again. Like a lot. Mostly because (I'm ashamed to admit) I don't remember who Isla is and I want to be ready for her book next year. :)

Review: "Hard to Get"

Hard to Get by Emma Carlson Berne
2 out of 5 stars

I picked this book up on a whim from the YA section at the library one day. It was an okay read, probably better suited for younger girls (obviously). I mean, I know I read a ton of YA books and they're fine (and awesome usually), but sometimes they really do seem too young. Does that make sense? I don't know so I'm just going to go with it. :)

Val is in high school and has been dating continuously since she was first allowed. After she catches her current boyfriend cheating on her, she decides she needs to take a break from boys and just be by herself for a while. Which is all well and good, but her BFF's don't think she can do it. In fact, they bet each other that she won't even last a month. When Val finds out, she's (rightfully) pissed, but decides to go with it and bets against the one BFF that she CAN do it. The stakes are high (for them)...loser has to wear a hideous purple monstrosity to prom and winner gets to wear some diamond jewelry or something.

Everything is going hunky dory until the guys at school find out Val is newly single. They start bombarding her with gifts, letters, friend requests, etc...the scene where she opens her locker and all these stuffed toys fall out was pretty amusing. To distract herself from all the boys, Val decides to throw herself into her community project for school...where she meets Adam. Turns out Adam is, in fact, a boy. But it's okay, because he's kind of emo and arty and Val would totally never fall for anyone like him. See where this is going yet?

Okay, so here are the things I didn't like about this book (consider these spoilers if you actually plan on reading this!):
1. I liked the premise of Val giving up boys and all, but she takes it to the extreme. This book seems to claim that girls and boys can't be friends at all unless they are "interested" in each other. That's just stupid.
2. Val's BFF that bet against her is kind of a bitch frenemy. She doesn't seem to care that Val is doing this for herself not just so she doesn't have to wear an ugly dress. She constantly throws these hot guys at Val in the hopes of messing her up.
3. The boys attacking/stalking/loving her was completely unbelievable. Like so unbelievable that halfway through the book I thought maybe it was really about a magic spell gone wrong. :/
4. The ending. Obviously, she falls for Adam etc...but she also doesn't want to lose the bet. She ends up turning him down and losing him temporarily. Idiot.
5. The characters were very flat. I liked Val okay, but she didn't have the "spirit" in the end that I would have expected. Her BFF's were just boring. Even Adam wasn't book boyfriend material for me. Meh.

Review: "The Carrie Diaries" 1-2

The Carrie Diaries 1 by Candace Bushnell
2 out of 5 stars

My sister checked these books out at the library and I was bored one day, so I picked up the first one. It was okay, nothing special really, unfortunately. We've seen most of Sex & The City TV show (in edited reruns) and we own both the movies, so it seemed like a logical choice that we would enjoy the books. We've never read any of the first SATC books though, so maybe that makes a difference?

Anyway, like I said it's an average book about young Carrie in high school. If you've watched the show, you'll notice several discrepancies, the most obvious being that Carrie has 2 sisters here and that she can cook quite well. In the show, I'm pretty sure she was an only child and I know she didn't cook (because she stored her sweaters in the oven lol). It's things like that that really bug me. I mean the author knows how the show went, I'm sure she helped write some of it or at least had some say on the details. Why would she go and change things in a prequel that she knows true fans are going to devour and dissect? Okay, done ranting.

Young Carrie is still very into fashion and writing, but doesn't have the charisma that old(er) Carrie does. She's insecure in her writing and becomes an "anonymous" on the school paper. She lets the cool older chick who dresses like Madonna run all over her and beat her down. And worst of all, she lets a boy make her feel inferior and unsure of herself. *shakes head*

Spoilers ahead for the very end of this book and then on to book 2, which is obviously a spoiler for book 1. :)

I kept wondering and wondering if we were going to meet any of the other SATC girls and it really irked me that she waited until the last page (I think it was the last page? Close enough.) to give us a glimpse of Samantha Jones. Turns out she's Donna LaDonna (Madonna girl)'s cousin (who is now sort of friends with Carrie) and has offered her assistance in big, bad New York City if Carrie ever makes it there. So we get this tiny glimmer of exciting in an otherwise dull book and that one little piece makes you want to read the sequel dang it!

The Carrie Diaries 2: Summer & The City by Candace Bushnell
3 out of 5 stars

Luckily, the 2nd book was much, much better than the first. To me anyway. Carrie is finally in the city where she belongs, she's friends with the wild Samantha Jones, and she's going to become Famous. This is the Carrie I was waiting for in the first book...she's more confident (although still gets taken in by the older man), she seeks out vintage and wild clothes to make an "ensemble", she parties with Samantha (a lot) and she's writing (a little).

Samantha is pretty much the same as in the TV show, except she's engaged...don't worry though, she's only in it for the money lol. Also, she might want kids someday? Carrie also meets Miranda, the young, extreme feminist. Miranda is a total man-hater who protests outside Saks and thinks falling in love, getting married and having children is the stupidest thing a woman can do. And Charlotte? Well, that's kind of a spoiler so you'll just have to read the book and find out, now won't you?

This book shows Carrie doing plenty of stupid things, but it also shows her growing into the strong girl we know in the show (and the other books? I don't know, I haven't read them. My sis is considering it, but I don't know if I ever will.) I'm glad I read this one, especially after the first, but will I read a 3rd if one comes out? Meh. Probably. :)

Review: "Anna & The French Kiss"

Anna & The French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
5 out of 5 stars (formally 4)

This is the last book (non-series) that I'm going to review from 2011. I read it at the end of November (on the Overdrive app on my phone) and I just fell in love with it. Seriously, I haven't felt this way about a new book in a long, long, long time. I mean, there are definitely books that I have liked a lot and really enjoyed and that I would call a favorite. But nothing has grabbed me or enchanted me the way this one did. Well, then why didn't I rate it 5 stars, you ask? Honestly, I don't know lol...maybe I didn't want to seem too needy. :) That's it, I'm changing it to 5 stars!

I'm kind of mad I read this on the app now though, because I want to go buy it and reread it over and over and hug it and squeeze it til it's eyes pop out. O.O But that's okay, I will get it eventually and I got her newest book, Lola & The Boy Next Door, last weekend. I started it last night and I was hooked by page 28. Like, I stopped to tweet that I was in love with this book already lol. I'm so excited to find a new author!! I hope she continues writing for a long time.

"Is it possible for home to be a person and not a place?"


Okay, I'll stop gushing and tell you about the dang book now. :) Anna is all set for her senior year in Atlanta, GA until her dad drops a bomb and ships her off to a boarding school in Paris. And not Paris, Tx lol...we're talking croissants, menus and movies all in French, the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame, French bookstores (omg I so wish!!), berets (okay not really). Anna is a bit peeved to say the least, but she quickly finds a new group of friends including a swoon-worthy young English American French (yep all 3) boy named Etienne St. Clair. He's got floppy hair, speaks French with a British accent, and shows Anna how to live and survive in Paris. There's just one catch: he already has a girlfriend. *le sigh*

You would think this is going to be a typical YA, romancey, pink book but it's not somehow. I mean yes, there's the teen angst and drama along with some hand-holding and longing looks. But Anna is also a smart, sarcastic girl who loves movies and plans to become a director or producer or something. And yet, she doesn't know France is like the movie capital of the world? That was the only thing I found hard to believe. St. Clair (as he likes to be called) is a witty, short guy afraid of heights and with some family problems.

I've probably made this book sound totally cheesy now and you're sitting there thinking, "geez Jenn, why would I try that when you've hyped it up so much? It's probably going to totally suck." And maybe it will for you. But what if it doesn't suck and it's totally awesome and you fall in love with it and Perkins just as much as I did? :)

And my (2nd) favorite quote from the book...I so wish this was true. I try to hold my sister's hand (at home) sometimes but she won't let me.

“I wish friends held hands more often, like the children I see on the streets sometimes. I'm not sure why we have to grow up and get embarrassed about it.”

Review: "English as a Second Language"

English as a Second Language by Megan Crane
3 out of 5 stars

This book was kind of meh, but I enjoyed it still. That's a great way to start a review, huh? Lol...okay, it was actually on my to-buy list for a long time, I think maybe from a Goodreads rec? Anyway, I finally saw it one day at HPB so I picked it up. If you're a chicklit/pink book fan, you might want to try it. If you can find it cheap. Yep, I highly, kinda recommend this one.

Alex(andra) lives in New York (I have a mini rant/tangent here: why do all pink books take place in either New York or England?? This one does both...what's wrong with other cities, like Dallas for instance? Annoyingpants.) and is sick of her job, her boyfriend and her life. When said (ex)boyfriend laughs at her sort-of plans to go to graduate school at Oxford, she decides to prove him wrong. Well, sort of. She ends up at some small town college in a jail cell dorm room wondering what the heck she's gotten herself into.

Alex spends most of her days getting drunk and smoking lots of cigarettes with her housemates Cristina & Melanie and fellow students Jason & Toby. She does some readin'&writin' but not much for an English major. Actually she does more drooling & stalking over her professor, Sean, than any learnin'. Oh, and did I mention a lot of drinking? Yeah, a whole lot. There's also a crazy chick, Suzanne, who thinks she's competing with Alex for everything from grades to boys.

So that's basically the whole story. Good right? It actually kind of is lol...especially for a lazing around the house weekend when you really just want to stay curled up in your bed with the covers and your snuggly kitty (or puppy or piglet or whatever) and not do anything except indulge the frivolous fluffy part of your brain. :)

PS: I took this book picture with my cellphone because I forgot to use the camera, is it really horrible? I think it turned out okay.

Review: "Burn"

Burn by Linda Howard
4 out of 5 stars

I picked this up at my mom's house one night we were over there hanging out because I was bored and then I ended up getting interested in it so I took it home to finish. I don't think my mom has even read it yet lol. This is definitely a "romance" book, so if you're not interested in that sort of thing, I wouldn't bother. And the cover totally annoyed me...it had nothing to do with the actual book and besides, everyone knows romance books are supposed to have half-naked super-buff men on the cover. :)

Jenner Redwine is a hard-working, lower-middle class woman with a dead-beat boyfriend and a leaching loser of a dad. She buys a lottery ticket one night on a whim and...can you guess where this is going? Yep, she wins the mega-jackpot. My sis and I like to play "what if" when we're bored. We've got lots of plans if (when) we ever win the lotto, including what we would buy first, what kind of house and cars we would have, who we would give money to and who we would never speak to again lol. Please tell me we aren't the only ones who do this!

Anyway, Jenner wins the lotto and after getting rid of the trash in her life, she moves down to Florida to become a "socialite". Seven years later, she is finally happy and has become good friends with Sydney Hazlett, who was born into her money and has a kind heart. Syd talks Jenner into going on a charity cruise, but they never get to enjoy the incredible buffets or excursions, because they are both kidnapped and held hostage the entire time by a group of "bad guys". Or so we are led to think at first.

Jenner (I almost wrote Jennifer out of habit lol) makes it onto the cruise ship, but is being held hostage by a huge hunk of menacing man named Cael. They butt heads repeatedly but somewhere along the way start falling for each other. There's plenty of sarcastic one-liners traded but also some steamy love scenes and lots of action.

Review: "Sweet Valley Confidential"

Sweet Valley Confidential: Ten Years Later by Francine Pascal
3 out of 5 stars

Oh the drama in these books! How I've missed you! The twins are back with their "long, golden hair, blue-green eyes, a tan, and a dimple in their left cheek." Only they're 10 years older and not the BFF's we remember. 


As a teenager of the 90s, I of course devoured these books. I mostly stuck with SVH and the specials, my sister loved the SVKids and Twins. I don't know that I read them all or even in order like the BSC books, but it didn't seem to matter. They were such wonderfully trashy books lol. I do still have a handful of the books, mainly the Margo "evil-twin" arc (books 95-100 I think), the family history books and the secret diaries. 


Reading this so makes me want to go back and reread them all but I think I'll wait a while lol...plus it is super hard to find these at Half Price! I got nearly all of my BSC books I was missing from them, but I've only ever seen a handful of the Sweet Valley ones. It's weird, are people just keeping them more or is someone snatching them up right away? Hmm....there's a closeted SVH fan out there in the DFW area hoarding books!! Hah!


Okay, on to the review. :) As much as I love the drama-rama, the book was not very well written. I know she had ghost writers for the majority of the series and maybe that had something to do with it. Although I don't think the series' were very well written either lol. There were some pretty big inconsistencies though, which was annoying. (As was Jessica's Valley Girl accent she apparently grew in 10 years.) Overall though, if you were a fan of the original, you'll love this one!


The twins are 26 years old now and still as beautiful as ever (jerks) but living completely different lives. Elizabeth is in New York trying to become a writer, but barely making it as a reviewer for off Broadway plays. She's alone and miserable and says it's all Jessica's fault. Jessica is still in Sweet Valley, working for a cosmetics company called MyFaceIsGreen, and is hugely successful for once. But baby did a bad, bad thing.(probably NSFW lol)

Jessica slept with Todd Wilkins. More than once. They fell in love and broke Elizabeth's heart. And Liz will never forgive her. Or so she says. From what I remember of the books, I don't think Todd deserved either girl, but that's just my opinion. I was more of a Bruce Patman and Winston Egbert fan myself. Speaking of, they've both changed a LOT. Bruce for the better: he's redeemed himself from the egotistical rich guy and is now best friends with Liz!! And also, secretly in love with her. I really enjoyed their story and where it went in the end. Winston not so much. I don't care how much money he got, I don't think he would have changed that much.


Steven turning out to be gay was an interesting turn. Kind of shocking, but I didn't hate it. When Liz finally figures out that Jess & Todd are together (after way too long), she runs off to New York and won't speak to either of them. For like 8 months, until their grandmother's birthday and she is guilt-tripped into coming back. She decides to get some revenge on the two and brings along this hot actor she met in NY to seduce Jess. It almost works, but surprisingly Jessica resists. 


Of course, there's an epiphany at the end, with both girls realizing they did awful things and judged each other, etc...and they finally hug and make-up in the end. I don't know if I would have been as forgiving as Liz, even if she didn't love Todd anymore. I mean come on.

3 in 1! "Hex Hall", "Kneebone Boy", "Mini Shopaholic"

Time for another 3 in 1 mini-review!


Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins
3 out of 5 stars

This was a cute and fast read. Sophie is a teenage witch (hello, Sabrina?) who is sent to a sort of reform school, Hex Hall, after a prom-night spell goes wrong and she attracts too much attention. Hex Hall is full of mystical creatures (witches, vampires, fairies, werewolves) and there's tons of mystery and suspense: like who's killing girls, who/what her father really is, why this hot guy is attracted to her when he has a girlfriend, etc...but there's also some humor and lots of sarcasm. But this room looked like it had been decorated by the unholy lovechild of Barbie and Strawberry Shortcake. I loved the bit where they are learning to make their fancy dresses. I did buy this book at Half Price, but I think I sold it back later on lol...I'll definitely pick up the sequel at the library next time I'm there though.



The Kneebone Boy by Ellen Potter
3 out of 5 stars

I would have given this one 4 stars, but I just did not like the ending. I did enjoy it though and it's actually on my Christmas Wishlist since I just checked it out from the library. This is the story of the 3 Hardscrabble children: Otto, Lucia and Max. They have had a hard life so far what with their mother disappearing several years before and their father being gone for long periods of time painting pictures of eccentric rich people. The oldest boy, Otto, is somehow blamed for his mother's disappearance by the townspeople and no longer speaks at all. He communicates only with Lucia through a special sign language they came up with. This is a mysterious, twisting, convoluted story that will leave you scratching your head and wanting more.



Mini Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella
4 out of 5 stars

If you are a fan of the Shopaholic books, the 6th (I so didn't realize there were 6!!) novel will not disappoint. Becky Bloomwood (Brandon) is still a crazy, scatter-brained, shopping oriented woman. But she now has a 2 year old daughter, Minnie, to shop for too. And boy, does she. Minnie is just as spoiled and shopping-addicted as her mother and her favorite word is "Mine".  :) Like all the other Shopaholic books, this will make you seriously reconsider your own spending habits and hope that you aren't going out of control crazy like Becky. (I really needed this lesson this past weekend when I had to pay $725 to get my car fixed!) The party that Becky is planning for Luke is obviously going to be totally over the top, but the ending manages to surprise and delight you (and Luke).

3 Reviews in 1!

I'm still trying to play catch-up for the months I wasn't blogging, so to get there faster, I'm going to start doing a few books in 1 post every now and then. And probably more than 1 a day if I can get that far ahead. :) So here's the first 3...

Watermelon: Walsh Family #1 by Marian Keyes

2 out of 5 stars

I have the whole Walsh Family series (along with most of her other books) and haven't read them in years, so I thought I'd pick it up again. Well, I don't know if it was just because this was the first one or what, but I really didn't enjoy it that much this time around. I might try the others later on again. I went through a huge England/Europe based pink book faze and this was right in the middle of it.

Claire has just had a baby and suddenly finds out her husband is leaving her for another woman. She is totally freaked, understandably, and decides to go back home to Dublin with the baby for a while and make her mum and dad take care of her. She wallows in self-pity for a very, very, very long time until she meets a younger guy and falls for him. I won't say much more in case you do want to read it. And really, for a pink book, it's pretty decent! Just don't except some depth and you'll be okay!

Flowers in the Attic by VC Andrews

3 out of 5 stars

Oh man, this book freaks me out so much!! This was another reread and I am still deeply disturbed, after all this time. (Plus it's been about 5 months since I read it!) VC Andrews is the queen of dark, twisty, disturbed, tangled, disturbing family drama. And I devoured them as a teenager. My mom actually got me started on VC Andrews with this series and I highly recommend anyone start with them as well, just in case you've never read any before! I don't know if I'll read the others again, just because they're sooo creepy.

In case you've been living under a rock and don't know what these books are about, here's the gist: The Dollanganger's are a beautiful family of six, all blonde-haired and blue-eyed, all with names starting with C. Something horrible happens and they have to go live with the mother's evil parents. The evil grandmother and mother make the children stay in the attic for like 2 years. There's a whole list of things they aren't allowed to do or think like: no inappropriate thoughts, no boy & girl in the bathroom together, etc...so you know, obviously, that bad things are going to happen. And oh boy, do they!

Sisters, Strangers & Starting Over by Belinda Acosta

3 out of 5 stars

I picked this up at the library one visit and honestly, I don't remember much about it. :/ I did like it, but it just wasn't that memorable for me. I do remember that it had a lot of Spanish words mixed in, which I enjoyed. It made it seem more "real" if you know what I mean.

Beatriz is part of a large Hispanic family that has one dark secret in their past: her sister ran away from the family a long time ago and they don't hear anything else about her until her daughter suddenly turns up on Beatriz's doorstep needing answers and a place to live. This is a good book about family values and taking care of each other.

Review: "Phi Beta Bimbo"

Phi Beta Bimbo by Trish Jensen

3 out of 5 stars

This was a fluffy re-read for me one weekend...pink book all the way! :) I mean the first line is "Am I sexpot, or what?" So it starts out with brother and sister, Steve and Leah, shopping for a "Pump You Up" bra for Leah. She's apparently going undercover as a busty blond bimbo to test out some theory, but really she was tired of being a nerd and wanted to live it up for once. Can't say I blame her. Oh and brother Steve is dressed in drag as Stephanie, to save his company somehow. Cosmetics company. Yeah. Sounds awesome right? But seriously, for a fluffy book it's pretty darn good. All right, let's make this easy with a cast line-up k? Here we go...

Leah: nerdy science girl, 28 years old,

wants to have a little fun, Steve's little sister

Candi: Leah's alter-ego, mega bimbo, goes to work for Steve's company

Steve: Leah's older brother, dressing in drag to save his company from a spy

Stephanie: Steve's "Twin", posing as the owner of Just Peachy because apparently business-men are so stupid they think a cosmetic company should be run by a woman. For 5 years. Yeah.

Mark: hot security guy hired by Steve/Stephanie to get the spy. Thinks it's Leah/Candi. Is hot for both.

Kate: hot chick who runs Apple Blossom Cosmetics, Just Peachy's main competition and possible spy. Hates Stephanie, hot for Steve.

Shelley: Mark's blind sister who knows right away that Stephanie is a dude and thinks it's hilarious.

Gramps: Leah & Steve's grandpa, whom they live with, and who is exasperated with both his grandkids, for good reason.

Okay, that's the run-down...lots of crazy, misled hijinks ensue. Everyone falls in love that should, Leah realizes she doesn't have to be a bimbo to have fun, Steve realizes he doesn't have to wear pantyhose to run a company, Shelley & Gramps start a great friendship, they catch the spy and everyone lives happily ever after.

Review: "Best Friends Forever"

Best Friends Forever by Jennifer Weiner

2 out of 5 stars

Nope, this isn't a BSC book...sounds like one, kind of wish it was. :/ I originally gave this book 3 stars, but after thinking about it some more and reading some of the other reviews on GR, I had to knock it down a star. I've read lots of Jennifer Weiner's books and I think there's a reason I always end up selling them back. I labeled this a "Pink Book", meaning it's a fluffy, chicklit read that usually has a pretty, pink cover...this book is trying to be in that category, but it falls short.

This is about a pair of childhood BFF's, Addie and Valerie, who go their separate ways in high school and come back together in adulthood due to an almost accident. Addie is the outsider fat girl with the weird family: way obese mom who eerily reminds me of the mom in "What's Eating Gilbert Grape", the dad who's gone wackadoodle from the war and now makes puppets, and the used-to-be popular brother who got in a bad accident and suffered brain damage. Valerie is the new girl turned super popular cheerleader with the deadbeat dad who doesn't want her and the neglectful, wild mom with the string of boyfriends.

The 2 girls become friends when Valerie moves in across the street as kids, but by the time high school rolls around, they are barely speaking. Something major happens to Valerie and they stop speaking completely, until she shows up on Addie's doorstep as an adult saying she's done something horrible. The story goes on with their journey of how to fix this "something horrible" and their friendship at the same time.

It all ends happily of course, but it doesn't feel like it. One of the major themes is Addie's weight and how she can't/won't be in a relationship or have a real life until she's skinny and once she is, she'll of course be happy! Only she's not. I'm okay with those kind of books usually, being a fluffy girl myself, but this one was depressing. Like really. If you have some of Weiner's books on your shelf already, I'd say go ahead and check it out from the library...if not, don't bother!