What I'm Reading

Millie's Fling  
 

What a fun book! One of the things I have realized I like after reading many a Sophia Kinsella book is that I love England based characters. So right off the bat I was taken by the characters in this book and their witty banter. I also will always be hopelessly drawn to chicklit. Maybe I shouldn't mention that since it doesn't necessarily make me sound very intellectual, but it is the honest truth. Throw in a drama filled love story full of crazy mishaps that make me feel better about my own life, and I am hooked.

In this story, the main character Millie Brady is being made the heroine of romance author Orla Hart's next novel. Orla is constantly trying to match up Millie with someone to help spice up the story. But the guy she finds on her own proves to make for the spiciest story of all. One that she chooses to keep from Orla.

Chalked full of interesting characters and not to predictable twists and turns, this was a lighthearted read that was right up my alley!

What I'm Reading

Cage of Stars

This was my first read by author Jacquelyn Mitchard. This book is centered around a Mormon family whose two youngest daughters are brutally murdered. The oldest girl, Veronica, is there when it happens and the story follows her life over the next few years. The grief that covers the family even as they welcome a new baby two weeks later is heartbreaking. The journey continues as each member grudges through their grief with the parents eventually being able to find peace in forgiving the murder. Veronica however can not find such peace and later sets out to avenge her sisters' deaths.

I could really relate with this characters struggle in letting her faith ease the unimaginable pain she was feeling. Not that I have been through such pain but I have always wondered if my faith would hold up to it. I know that we are told to forgive, just as Jesus forgives us, but if faced with what seems the unforgivable I always wonder if I could do what I know is right. The author does an amazing job of portraying grief through the eyes of a young girl but also her parents grief as she experiences it.


I was pleasantly surprised that the book ended on such a positive feel good note since most of it focused on anger, sorrow, grief and revenge. It was like the rainbow at the end of a long storm. I thought this was a great read even while leading you places you would never want to go in real life.

What I'm Reading

Dear John

I have to start by saying that when I bought this book, I picked it up partly because it was on a discount shelf. I did not consciously remember ever hearing of Nicholas Sparks before and certainly did not know the long list of Best Seller's he had written.  I just recently saw a movie trailer that previewed this very title. I was surprised because I rarely ever chose a book to read that later becomes a movie. It was then that I took a closer look at the book, who it was by and what he had written prior to this. I decided to make this my next pick because I wanted to read it before the movie came out.

I have to say the first third of this book held my interest as it was this amazingly descriptive story of electric first love. I remember reading it and being able to put myself in those moments, reliving the moments when I too was truly in love for the first time. I actually enjoy the fact that Sparks made it romantically perfect and let you truly enjoy what these two characters shared. As I started the second third of the book I lost interest. Unlike the first section, he wrote about large periods of time with little detail and I found myself missing the slowness and intimacy that he wrote with in the beginning. But as the book wrapped up, it moved back into that more intimate writing and I realized it was meant to parallel what the main character was going through. Life stood still when he was with her. Every moment lingered. The time in between meant nothing and that is why the author chose not to dwell on it. 

As predictable as parts of this book are, it touches on several unexpected topics that kept me on my toes. There is more then one relationship to follow in this book and they are all touching in their own ways. This book has definitely peaked my interest in reading more of Nicholas Sparks' works. 

What I'm Reading

My Sister's Keeper
 

 

What I like about the way this book is written is that it comes from several different characters point of view. I sometimes wish that life was like that. That I could switch into someone's else head for awhile to see where they are coming from and what life looks like to them. Seems like it would make things so much simpler. This adds a depth to this story that makes it much more compelling than if it was based from one character's point of view. The other thing that stood out to me was that a big piece of the main characters was not revealed until the very end. You go through the book realizing you don't quite know everything but thinking you have a firm grasp on who these people are. It turns out that these missing pieces are key to fully understanding what is going on. This parallels real life to me. So many times you think you know people but until you find out that key piece of information, you may be completely off base.

One of the lines in the book that really spoke to me was this: "I realize then that we never have children, we receive them. And sometimes it's not for quite as long as we would have expected or hoped. But it is still far batter than never having had those children at all."  As a mother I like to think that these children belong to me and are completely under my control. But the truth is they were given to me as a gift and are just under my care for the time being. I don't know how long I will have them which is why I need to make each day count. Give them the tools they need to grow into their own people and love them unconditionally. I can only hope that I never have to know what it is like to give them back.

I have to say that I went into reading this thinking I knew what it was about. Not only did I see the movie previews but I  have been told about a dozen times how sad it was. But I found myself 10 pages away from finishing the book and thinking, sure it's sad but in a way that is totally predictable from the beginning. Then BAM, Jodi Picoult hits you with a major twist that changes everything. I was originally able to look past the sadness because the outcome seemed inevitable. It was in the surprise that I truly felt hit emotionally for the first time in the book. Overall I think this was a great read. Not only extremely thought provoking but it also touches on a topic that forces you to look at your own life and realize just how good you have it.