Showing posts with label Other Book Stuff. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Other Book Stuff. Show all posts
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Several months ago I finished a wonderful booked called "The Husband's Secret"  by Liane Moriarty as part of the Mom's Reading group on Facebook. This is a great little online book club for those of you like me who are dying to be part of a real life book club but don't know of any (hint anyone in my real life who reads this....if you do book club feel free to invite me).  I read this book and was instantly sucked in.  Mainly because I wanted to find out what the hell was going on.  The book begins by telling several characters stories.  Each person's story is one chapter and each chapter switches narrators.  With the switching not only did you get to know each character from their own perspective, you very quickly want to figure out how the hell everyone is connected.  The leading ladies range from a housewife who sells tupperwear and is living the dream, a woman who just found out that her husband wants to leave her for her childhood best friend, and an older woman who is still recovering from her daughters death many years earlier.  Sadly, I can't tell too much about the plot line of the of the book because it would give away major aspects of the story.  I think the figuring out how all these woman are connected is one of the better aspects of the book and I don't want to take that from anyone reading the book.

My only complaint of the book is small, is it the epilogue.  Oddly, it gives a commentary on the ending of the book and how things may have been different or why they happened.  I felt like it was unnecessary and almost like the stories lines the author didn't go with.  It didn't ruin anything, I just felt it wasn't needed.  I would highly recommend this book, especially with the summer months coming up.  This is a great little read.  I would go 4 out of 5 star rating.

Also if anyone is interested go check out the Mom's Reading Group on Facebook, the have book talks both in June and July.  I won't be participating in the June one but I am off to by the July one right now!
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I have to be honest I think I was just a little too excited when the folks over at Hyperion asked me if I wanted to review a book by Alison Sweeney (you know that super cute chic from Biggest Loser and Days).  I get lots of great books to review but not always by bigger name people or authors.  I was more than willing to review the book.  Now be it my own personal bias, I honestly did not think that an "actor" would be a good writer...but I was pleasantly surprised.  This books was SO GOOD!!! I read it in less that a week which for me is huge because I only have to time to read at night which means most books regardless of how good they are often take me a month or two to read.  I couldn't put the book down.  Not only did it have really good character development the story was literally addicting.

Now this is your classic chic lit book, but I loved it.  No trashy romance parts but just enough romance and love stories to keep you fully interested in the book.  I think what I liked most is that look that it gave into the entertainment industry.  The general plot of the books follows the life of the main character Sophie who is a PR person.  She is living her very face paced LA life and the stories follows her ups and downs.  You sort instantly get connected to Sophie and her work and personal life.  As things start to go south for the main character you find yourself rooting for her and wanting her to succeed both in business and in life.  One night I stayed up to 1am reading before I had to put the book in the kitchen so I would stop reading it...it was that good.  Now normally I am not the most moved by these kids of books, I think chic lit is fun but not my usual choice...but this was a super fun summer read.  If anyone is thinking of checking it out...do so!  

Ok so now for my slightly geeky moment....I tweeted Alison Sweeney about how much I loved the book and she tweeted me back!!! It was a moment for me (I know I know I am geek!)

So overall I give the book 5 stars, it was really just that good!  

So what have you all been reading this summer....anything I need to add to my ever growing pile of books??
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As the school year is coming to close I always have visions of grandeur about my summer vacation.  The amazing summer projects I will complete, the 100 pounds I will loose, and how I will somehow have a clean house.  Well this year as been a particularly rough one at school so my goal is to spend a lot of my vacation recharging my batteries, spending time with my kids, and getting myself grounded and ready to start what will be a crazy next school year as we go to block scheduling and new teacher evaluations.  Yet, no more talk of the negative, lets talk about what awaits me for the next 8 weeks!  So here are my summer to do lists.  I can't wait to begin! 


Reading List
-The Star Attraction-Alison Sweeney (review book)
-Prime time Princess-Lindy Dekoven (review book)
-Change your life in 7 days-Paul McKenna (review book)
-Joy Worthy-Julie McGrath (review book)
-Budget Diva's Guide to Slashing grocery bill by 50% or more-Sara Lundberg (review book)
-Love Anthony-Lisa Genova
-Cold Light-Traci Slatton
-The Queen's Fool-Philippa Gregory
-The Kingmaker's Daughter-Philippa Gregory
-Reading Lolita in Tehran-Azar Nafisi
Image taken from http://hamptonroads.com/2010/11/your-stack-books-helps-portsmouth-public-library



Non-reading To Do
-Vacation with the Hubby
-See the BFF Twice
-Complete 5 graduate classes (if this becomes too stressful I may get rid of it)
-Complete at two official 5k's
-Get my time to under 40min on a 5k
-Work on my self help books
-Blog three times a week
-Enjoy my down time with my family
-Scan kids artwork and make books about their year
-Make a photo album online of this year
-Work on at least three months of Josie's first year scrapbook (once I am done with her first year I am moving to all digital)
-Take one nap a week
-Go outside at least once everyday day (weather permitting)
-Average at least 9000 steps a day
-Go on one "trip" each week with the kids to a museum, park, zoo, etc
Momma Hunt

Teaser Tuesdays



Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly book meme hosted by Should Be Reading.
Instructions: Grab your current read. Open to a random page, and share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page, but be sure not to include any spoilers! Make sure you also include your book's title and author.
They all had this constant theme...he had always been there for her, always taking her side, always defending her.. always loving her, she realized-From Dancing With Anna