Shopaholic and Baby - Sophie Kinsella

Becky Brandon (née Bloomwood) is pregnant!! She and Luke couldn't be more ecstatic. When Becky hears that a famous celebrity obstetrician named Venetia Carter has opened a practice in Becky's neighborhood, Becky does everything she can think of to get an appointment with Venetia. She drags Luke along to the appointment, only to find that Venetia is Luke's ex-girlfriend. And Venetia's beautiful and glamorous and smart, to boot!

As Luke and Venetia reconnect and start spending more time together, Becky's jealousy secretly rages out of control. She hires a private detective to follow Luke, and the information the PI gathers is shocking.

Not only is Becky's relationship with Luke getting worse, but Venetia admits to Becky's face that she's after Luke -- and that Luke is planning on leaving Becky after the baby is born. Becky is devastated. How could Luke do this to her?

Shopaholic and Baby is the best of the series! It's very, very funny, but it also deals with personal issues such as impending motherhood and spousal infidelity. I loved every minute spent reading it.

And now that it's done, I'm going through Becky withdrawal. Seriously. I finished the book last night, looked at Dave and said, "I don't know what I'm going to do with myself now that the Shopaholic series is done." I'll really miss reading about Becky, Luke, Suze, and all the rest. These books have been such great fun to read!

4.5/5

Shopaholic and Sister - Sophie Kinsella

After a 10-month dream honeymoon around the world, Luke and Becky Brandon are finally back in London. Becky thinks it will be wonderful to surprise everyone -- her honeymoon was supposed to last a full year -- and therefore doesn't tell anyone that she and Luke are coming home early. Imagine her own surprise when her parents act strangely upon her arrival, as does her best friend Suze. Seems Suze found a new best friend while Becky was traipsing around the world. And Becky's parents have recently discovered that Becky has a half sister no one knew about.

Since Suze is happy with her new friend Lulu, Becky decides to turn her newfound sister Jess into her new best friend. Only problem is, Jess hates everything Becky loves. Especially -- gasp! -- shopping. And the two of them aren't getting along very well, either. Not so for Luke and Jess, who have a discussion one evening (which Becky overhears) about how difficult Becky is to live with, what with her frivolous spending and all.

Even worse, Luke tells Becky that she should try to be more like Jess.

When Luke leaves on a business trip without even kissing Becky goodbye, Becky assumes her marriage is in tatters and shows up unannounced at Jess' house so that Jess can teach her how to be frugal. Jess, who'd had a major row with Becky while in London, slams the door in Becky's face. Becky doesn't know what to do. Her husband must not love her or miss her, and her sister hates her guts. Plus, Suze doesn't need her anymore now that she's got Lulu. What's a girl to do?

Things all work out in the end, of course, but the journey there is good fun to read about.

4/5

Shopaholic Ties the Knot - Sophie Kinsella

Oh my goodness, Becky Bloomwood's getting married!! And not only is Luke's mother, Elinor, planning a fairy-tale wedding at the Plaza Hotel in NYC, but Becky's mum is planning a backyard wedding in England -- both for the same day!

I'd had my own idea throughout the book of how Becky might pull everything off, which wedding she'd choose, etc., and I have to say that I was spot on! I guess it's not too difficult to guess, after reading about Becky for three books and knowing how her mind works. It was fun to read about the preparations for both weddings.

Luke was featured more prominently in Shopaholic Ties the Knot, which I liked. The way he proposed to Becky was so sweet. I can't say I really enjoyed the whole storyline with Luke's mother, though. Becky's right: she's a cow.

I'm growing to love Suze, Becky's best friend, more and more with every book. Suze got married and had a baby in this installment, which was great fun. Now Becky and Luke need to have a baby!

This was a cute read. Best of the series so far.

4/5

Shopaholic Takes Manhattan - Sophie Kinsella

Becky Bloomwood is back in this humorous sequel to Confessions of a Shopaholic. She's now host of a financial segment on a popular TV show. She's dating wealthy entrepreneur Luke Brandon. And she's running up her credit cards again, the same cards she'd previously paid off.

Luke decides to start a branch of Brandon Communications in New York City, and asks Becky to go with him. Of course, Becky's in heaven! There are so many trendy shops in the city! And even though Becky's set a budget for herself, it doesn't take much to convince her to buy the latest hot items.

Everything's going swimmingly, until a very unflattering article (with pictures!) about Becky surfaces in one of the newspapers. Becky's secret is out: she's awful at keeping within a budget and dreadfully in debt. What the heck is she doing dispensing financial advice when her own finances are such a disaster?

The article angers Luke; not only has Becky been lying to him about her spending habits, but the prospective financial backers for Brandon Communications' NYC division are getting cold feet. Becky and Luke have a major "row" (a big fight; I really"fancy" the words Brits use, by the way!) and Becky flies back to London, leaving Luke behind in New York.

Is this the end for Luke and Becky? Will Becky ever be able to curb her excessive shopping habits? Will her job still be waiting for her back home? There's only one way to find out -- read the book. Well, I guess two ways, since you could also ask someone who's read it.

Another amusing read from Sophie Kinsella! Don't overthink things too much; just laugh about the scrapes Becky gets into and enjoy the book for what it is.

3.25/5

Confessions of a Shopaholic - Sophie Kinsella

25-year-old Becky Bloomwood is a financial journalist for Successful Savings magazine. She lives in a beautiful flat in a trendy London neighborhood, wears designer clothes, and has successful friends. You'd think her life would be pretty fantastic, but she's flat broke and up to her ears in debt. And while she knows that her lifestyle must change, she just can't seem to give up her true passion . . . shopping.

Her path occasionally crosses with that of Luke Brandon, a gorgeous multimillionaire PR representative for a finance group that Successful Savings routinely features. Their meetings are awkward at best; Becky without fail finds a way to embarrass herself. But as Becky and Luke get to know each other better, Becky can't help but feel an attraction to the handsome Mr. Brandon.

I liked Becky; she was delightfully fun, and reading about her was very entertaining. While I couldn't really understand how she could do some of the things she did (like throw away credit card bills unopened because she couldn't bear to see the extent of her debt -- which, besides being just plain stupid, is a case of identity theft waiting to happen, if you ask me), she was just so likable that I had a hard time holding anything against her.

I enjoyed Confessions of a Shopaholic. Sophie Kinsella never fails to keep me entertained. Her books are surefire page-turners, very hard to put down. I've already placed library holds on the other 4 books in the series, and I'm anxious to see where Becky's relationship with dashing Luke Brandon goes (even though I pretty much already know from the titles of two other Shopaholic books, Shopaholic Ties the Knot and Shopaholic & Baby.) I liked Luke most of all, and I'm excited to read more about him in future books.

3.5/5

The Undomestic Goddess - Sophie Kinsella

I can't believe I only discovered Sophie Kinsella this year! It seems that whenever I want something light and fluffy to read, she's my go-to author. Her books are just so cute and fun. And while there are profanities scattered here and there throughout her books, I try not to dwell on them because the stories she tells are so entertaining.

Samantha Sweeting (love the name!) is an attorney for one of London's most prestigious law firms, Carter Spink. She's just been offered a partnership at Carter Spink when her world spins out of control. She finds a document on her disorganized desk and realizes that she is months past the filing deadline for said document, and has in effect cost the client 50 million quid. Not knowing what to do, and too terrified to tell anyone of her mistake, she dazedly walks out of the law firm and hops on a train. When the train comes to a stop, she finds herself in an unfamiliar country town. She knocks on the door of the nearest house, hoping to get a glass of water, and is mistaken for the new housekeeper. Samantha is so disoriented that she fails to correct the misconception. When she wakes up the next morning, she doesn't know how to get out of the predicament she's in, so she decides to go along with it, even though she has no clue how to cook or clean.

Nathaniel, the gardener, is on to Samantha. He offers Samantha help, in the form of his mother, Iris. Iris gives Samantha cooking and housekeeping lessons, and Samantha catches on quickly. She learns to love the easy-going, relaxed atmosphere in the countryside -- and the attentions of handsome Nathaniel. But when Samantha uncovers a secret about her former law firm, she has to decide whether to go back to the hectic life she's always known, or stay where she feels most at home.

This is my third Kinsella book. It definitely won't be my last. As implausible as her stories can sometimes be, they're great fun to read.

4/5

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society - Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

This book has a funny title, but it is one of the most charming, endearing books I've ever read.

It is 1946 and WWII has recently ended. Juliet Ashton, author of a successful London newspaper column-turned-book, is on the search for material for a new novel when she receives a letter from a man living on Guernsey Island, in the English Channel. His name is Dawsey Adams. It seems that a book by Charles Lamb, that Juliet had previously owned, has somehow found it's way into Dawsey's hands, and he's written to ask Juliet if she will be so kind as to find another book by Mr. Lamb and send it to him. Thus begins a correspondence between Juliet and Dawsey. When Juliet discovers that Dawsey belongs to a literary group with a peculiar name, she writes to ask how the group and the name came to be. As the exchange of letters continues, not only with Dawsey but with other members of the group, Juliet learns that the "Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" was formed one night as an alibi when a group of people were found out after curfew during the German occupation. Eager to know more about these people, their tastes in books, and their struggles during the occupation, Juliet corresponds with the members of the society. Thinking their stories will make a great book, Juliet visits Guernsey and finds the society members to be kindred spirits.

Told entirely through letters, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society is a warm and funny novel, one that will touch your heart. By the time the book was done, I had fallen in love with all of the characters. The historical aspect of the novel was really interesting, too. Very well written, and definitely a book I'd recommend.

5/5

The Lace Reader - Brunonia Barry

Look into the lace . . . When the eyes begin to fill with tears and the patience is long exhausted, there will appear a glimpse of something not quite seen... In this moment, an image will begin to form . . . in the space between what is real and what is only imagined.

Can you read your future in a piece of lace? All of the Whitney women can. But the last time Towner read, it killed her sister and nearly robbed Towner of her own sanity.

Towner Whitney, a dazed young woman descended from a long line of mind readers and fortune tellers, has survived numerous traumas and returned to her hometown of Salem, Mass., to recover. Any tranquility in her life is short-lived when her beloved great-aunt Eva drowns under circumstances suggesting foul play. Towner's suspicions are taken with a grain of salt given her history of hallucinatory visions and self-harm. The mystery enmeshes local cop John Rafferty, who had left the pressures of big city police work for a quieter life in Salem and now finds himself falling for the enigmatic Towner as he mourns Eva and delves into the history of the eccentric Whitney clan.

The Lace Reader was definitely a strange book, with many different layers to it. Towner is the main voice of the book, but the reader can never be sure if what is happening is real or imagined, given Towner's history of hallucinations and time spent in a mental hospital. Amongst witches and religious fanatics, Towner and Rafferty are on quest to discover what happened to Eva, taking the reader on a bizarre ride, full of mysterious and peculiar goings-on.

I can't say I loved this book, but I enjoyed it to a certain extent. Once I got the hang of how the story was being told, I enjoyed it more. It took me some time to get into the story at first because it was all so confusing, trying to keep things straight. And even when I thought I had things figured out, I discovered I was wrong. The ending was so unexpected; I liked that. And I loved Rafferty. I wouldn't mind reading more about the characters in The Lace Reader. If Brunonia Barry ever decides to write a sequel, I just may read it.

Also, having just read The Heretic's Daughter, which was also set in Salem, albeit during the witch trials of the 1600s, I more fully understood the history of Salem and all the talk about witches in The Lace Reader. I couldn't have read the two books at a more opportune time, I guess.

3.5/5

The Heretic's Daughter - Kathleen Kent

In 1752 Sarah Carrier Chapman, confined to her home and weak with infirmity, writes a letter to her granddaughter, revealing the secret she has guarded closely for six decades. It is a haunting account of the horrors that enveloped a New England town called Salem, and compelled Sarah, then just a young girl, to make a decision that would change her life forever.

A little more than a year before the witch trials will begin, Sarah and her family arrive in nearby Andover to face a community gripped by superstition and fear. With the increase in Indian raids and the spread of the plague, the Puritans come to believe that heretics in their midst are responsible for their misfortune. Based on the accusations of a dozen young girls, neighbor is pitted against neighbor, friend against friend, and the hysteria escalates, sweeping more than two hundred men, women, and children into prison on charges of witchcraft--Sarah's mother, Martha Carrier, among them. Often at odds with each other, mother and daughter must now stand defiantly together in the face of imprisonment, torture, and even death. Out of love for her children, Martha asks Sarah to commit an act of heresy--a lie that will most surely condemn Martha even as it will save her daughter.

The Heretic's Daughter was a very captivating read. To think that a small number of teenage girls pointing their fingers at others and proclaiming them to be "witches" started the mass hysteria that came to be known as the Salem Witch Trials. Dozens of men and women were hanged, and hundreds more imprisoned based on the lies told by these girls. I hope the girls got what they deserved on the other side!

The events in Salem are a sad part of our history, but a fascinating part all the same. The author of The Heretic's Daughter, Kathleen Kent, is a tenth generation descendant of Martha Carrier, one of the women condemned as a witch and hanged. I read that she spent five years researching this time in her family's history before writing the novel. And she did a wonderful job. Martha Carrier was ofttimes described as a cold, hard woman, and the author did an amazing job of portraying not only that cold side of Martha, but the warm, loving side of her as well. I loved the way the relationship between Martha and Sarah grew to be what it was in the end. I felt so bad for Martha's husband and children, and can't imagine what they all must have gone through--especially Martha and the kids when they were in jail. Kathleen Kent wrote such vivid descriptions of everything, though, that I could somewhat imagine what it would have been like.

This is a lovely novel, and one I'd recommend if you want to read one family's account of what really happened in Salem during the witch trials.

4.25/5

Life of Pi - Yann Martel

Life of Pi is the book for my church book group this month, and listening to some of the other women talk about it made me a bit hesitant to pick it up and read it. Once I got into the story, though, I really liked it. Not only is it a fascinating read, it's also very well written.

Pi (short for Piscine, as in the French word for 'swimming pool') Patel is 16 years old when his father sells the family zoo in Pondicherry India to start a new life in Canada. The family boards a ship, the Tsimtsum, with some of their zoo animals, eager to begin their journey. A couple of days later, the ship sinks, taking with it every living thing that was onboard -- with the exception of Pi, Richard Parker the Bengal tiger, a hyena, an orangutan, and a zebra. This motley crew float away on a lifeboat with rations enough to last Pi about three months. Pi is understandably worried about being eaten by the hyena or Richard Parker, and doesn't know how he'll survive with the animals aboard. The hyena eats the zebra and the orangutan, and then Richard Parker eats the hyena, leaving himself and Pi as the sole occupants of the lifeboat. Pi says:

I was alone and orphaned, in the middle of the Pacific, hanging on to an oar, an adult tiger in front of me, sharks beneath me, a storm raging about me. Had I considered my prospects in the light of reason, I surely would have given up and let go of the oar, hoping that I might drown before being eaten. But I don't recall that I had a single thought during those first minutes of relative safety. I didn't even notice daybreak. I held on to the oar, I just held on, God only knows why. [p. 107]

Pi survives (I'm not giving anything away; the reader discovers this right away), with one whopper of a story to tell.

I survived 227 days. That's how long my trial lasted, over seven months. . . . I survived because I made a point of forgetting. My story started on a calendar day--July 2nd, 1977--and ended on a calendar day--February 14th, 1978--but in between there was no calendar. I did not count the days or the weeks or the months. Time is an illusion that only makes us pant. I survived because I forgot even the very notion of time. [p. 191-192]

The ending really surprised me, in a good way. Pi tells his story to two members of the Maritime Department in the Japanese Ministry of Transport. The men have been sent to question Pi, hoping to discover what happened to make the Tsimtsum sink. They never forget the story they heard.

I can't say much more without giving something away, but I can say that I really liked this book. That Pi survived is incredible. And his story is pretty incredible, too.

4/5

The Lucky One - Nicholas Sparks

When U.S. Marine Logan Thibault finds a photograph of a smiling young woman half-buried in the sand during his third tour of duty in Iraq, his first instinct is to toss it aside. Instead, he brings it back to the base for someone to claim, but when no one does, he finds himself always carrying the photo in his pocket. Soon Thibault experiences a sudden streak of luck, winning poker games and even surviving deadly combat that kills two of his closest buddies. Only his best friend, Victor, seems to have an explanation for his good fortune: the photograph--his lucky charm.

Back home in Colorado, Thibault can't seem to get the photo--and the woman in it--out of his mind. Believing that she somehow holds the key to his destiny, he sets out on a journey across the country to find her, never expecting the strong but vulnerable woman he encounters in Hampton, North Carolina--Elizabeth, a divorced mother with a young son, Ben--to be the girl he's been waiting his whole life to meet.

I really liked this story. It's one of Sparks' better novels in recent memory, besides the one he published last year, The Choice, which I also really enjoyed. Thibault and Elizabeth were good people, and I liked how their relationship evolved into what it became. Elizabeth's ex-husband, Keith, was a total scumbag moron, but he made up for it in the end. The ending was good--just how I wanted things to end--but it was kind of abrupt. That's really my only complaint. Sure, there were a couple of slow parts in the book, and I really hated when Keith would call Thibault "Thigh-bolt" (Thibault is actually a French name and is pronounced "Tee-bow"), but I just tried to block it out. Actually, I disliked everything about Keith, but that's another story.

The Lucky One is a really good read, one I had a difficult time putting down.

4.25/5

The Princess Bride: S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure - William Goldman

Fencing. Fighting. Torture. Poison. True love. Hate. Revenge. Giants. Hunters. Bad men. Good men. Beautifulest ladies. Snakes. Spiders. Beasts of all natures and descriptions. Pain. Death. Brave men. Coward men. Strongest men. Chases. Escapes. Lies. Truths. Passion. Miracles. The Princess Bride has it all!

Yes, there is a movie of the same name, and yes, it is the same story--the story of Westley, the heroic "Farm Boy" turned pirate, and Buttercup, the dim-witted milkmaid turned princess. Westley and Buttercup fall madly in love. It's funny how it all comes about, really. Buttercup, having spent her entire life either yelling at or completely ignoring Westley, the farm boy who helped with the chores, all of a sudden realizes that she's head over heels for him (it took a beautiful Countess looking at him "that way" for her to even care). So Buttercup finds Westley in his "hovel" and declares her undying love for him. And Westley slams the door in her face. Hilarious. After letting her stew for the day, Westley tells Buttercup that he's leaving to make his fortune in America so that he can provide a good life for her. Buttercup doesn't understand. She asks him if her loves her. And he replies:

Do I love you? My God, if your love were a grain of sand, mine would be a universe of beaches. . . . I have stayed these years in my hovel because of you. I have taught myself languages because of you. I have made my body strong because I thought you might be pleased by a strong body. I have lived my life with only the prayer that some sudden dawn you might glance in my direction. I have not known a moment in years when the sight of you did not send my heart careening against my rib cage. I have not known a night when your visage did not accompany me to sleep. There has not been a morning when you did not flutter behind my waking eyelids. [p.57]

*swoon* I wish someone would talk to me like that!

Thus begin the adventures of Westley, Buttercup, and the rest of the gang: Prince Humperdink of Florin, the man who claims to love Buttercup, but who really wants power, and thus plots to have Buttercup murdered, placing the blame on the neighboring land of Guilder; the Sicilian criminal Vizzini, who will do anything for gold; the gentle giant Fezzik; Inigo Montoya, on the search for the six-fingered noble who killed his father; and the evil Count Rugen.

I'm sure most of you have seen the movie version of The Princess Bride. I saw it a couple of times when I was younger, but didn't much like it. I really don't remember why I didn't like it, but I definitely need to watch it again (I already have it on hold at the library) because I LOVED the book! I absolutely loved it, and didn't want it to end. It was funny and action-packed and wonderful.

What's truly amazing, though, are the layers to this story. William Goldman claims that this is just an abridgement of the "good parts" of The Princess Bride: A Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure, written by S. Morgenstern, which his father read to him as a boy. He told the whole backstory about this Florinese author S. Morgenstern, who wrote The Princess Bride about the history of his country. But none of it is true. Goldman made it all up. He's the actual author of The Princess Bride; there is no S. Morgenstern. I wouldn't have known that had I not read it elsewhere! Goldman is very good at convincing the reader that all he's doing, really, is abridging Morgenstern's original book. It's brilliant.

So, as I said above, I loved The Princess Bride. I think a big part of that has to do with the fact that I could only vaguely remember what happens in the movie; so reading the book was like experiencing everything for the very first time. Some friends have told me that the book is exactly like the movie, and they therefore didn't likethe book as much as they do the movie, so I'm glad that I (kind of) read the book "first"--or at least forgot enough about the movie so that it felt like I read the book first!

5/5

When Twilight Burns - Colleen Gleason

Not only has Lilith, queen of the vampires, returned to London, but she's brought along a vampire who walks around, undeterred, in the sunlight. As Victoria attempts to uncover the identity of the daytime vampire, she must also wage the battle going on inside herself. After feeding from Sebastian's great-grandfather Beauregard, Victoria's blood has now been tainted with vampire blood -- and the vampire blood is threatening to take her over, turning her into a selfish, vindictive woman.

Victoria must also choose between the two men who have captured her heart: Sebastian Vioget and Maximilian Pesaro.

I've been waiting 6 months to read this book, knowing that the Sebastian, Victoria, Max love triangle would be resolved.

When I read the title of Chapter 22, I knew who Victoria would choose.

I have been a Max girl since book 1. My initial reading of book 3, The Bleeding Dusk, opened my eyes to Sebastian as a very real possibility for Victoria. I ended up liking him so much more than I had in the previous books. This is what I had to say after reading The Bleeding Dusk (review from 2-12-08): The first two books left me wanting Victoria to end up with Max, her fellow Venator. But I really started to like Sebastian in this book. (Actually, I reread the second book before reading this one, and I found myself rooting for Sebastian much more than I remembered the first time I read it). I am completely torn now as to who I'd choose for Victoria. Okay, maybe not 'completely'. I think a part of me still wants Max to be The One.

While rereading The Bleeding Dusk last week, I found myself split right down the middle, 50% of me wanting Max to win, 50% wanting Sebastian to. I wasn't sure who I wanted Victoria to end up with. And honestly, I think I'd have been happy with either man (unlike with Stephenie Meyer's Twilight books, when the ONLY option that would have satisfied me was Bella ending up with Edward. There was no other choice!) I admittedly found myself becoming more and more hopeful that Victoria might choose Sebastian while reading When Twilight Burns, though. His character kept growing on me. It was quite evident that he's totally in love with Victoria. But I couldn't give up on Max, either. He's a bit rough around the edges, but he's been through a lot and Victoria could be just the one to break down his walls.

So... am I happy with Victoria's choice? Yes, definitely. Do I feel sad and heartbroken for the man left behind? Of course I do. Colleen Gleason is such a great writer that I get caught up in the lives of her characters. She writes one heck of a love triangle, too. I felt the pain of the man who lost. So, yes, while I am happy with Victoria's choice, I feel very sad for the one she didn't choose.

Now I have to wait 7 months for the final book, As Shadows Fade, to be released. I think I'm going to go crazy with anticipation the entire time.

Beth, I hope I didn't give anything away with this review! I tried really hard not to type anything that would spoil it for you!

While I really liked this latest installment, I thought it was a little slow at times. For that reason, I can't give the book a 5. The end fight scene was incredible, though. Colleen has always done an amazing job with the big fight scenes at the end of each of her books. Each book has left me wanting more. And it was great to read chapter 22, when Victoria finally picks her man. I loved the way the scene played out. I had a smile on my face the entire time.

4.5/5

Breaking Dawn - Stephenie Meyer

I think, for now, that I'll just stick with the same review I gave on my Goodreads account because I don't want to spoil the book for anyone...

Honestly, I'm still thinking about how to rate this book. I did enjoy Breaking Dawn, and I'm happy (enough) with how things ended -- there is an especially tender scene at the very end that I adored -- but the tone of the book is completely different than the others. I didn't hate this book, but I didn't love it like I did Twilight, New Moon, and Eclipse, either. I had such great hopes for Breaking Dawn, but ended up being a bit disappointed.

I need someone to finish this book soon so that I can discuss it with you!! I'm going crazy not being able to say anything about it!

Oh, I can't help myself!! If you haven't read the book yet, stop reading this review NOW because I'm going to reveal some SPOILERS!!

SPOILER ALERT!

SPOILER ALERT!

DO NOT READ BEYOND THIS POINT!

• From the very first page Breaking Dawn was different, and had a different tone to it. Having separate "books" -- one even from Jacob's point of view -- was unlike any of the other books.
• Bella and Edward's wedding was beautiful! I got teary-eyed as I read the wedding scene. It was a fairy tale wedding, for sure, and I'm so glad that Bella and Edward ended up together.
• Stephenie Meyer handled the sex scenes very tastefully, for which I was grateful. Honestly, though, I knew she would.
• Bella getting pregnant was a shocker! I admit that I thought it would be great if she could have Edward's baby, but having read things Stephenie has said about vampires not being able to have babies, I figured there was no way she'd ever be able to have Edward's child. Guess I was wrong!
• A lot of the time, Edward didn't act like the Edward I know and love. That bothered me. In fact, Bella didn't really act like herself either. They weren't the Bella and Edward that everyone got to know in the first three books. Bella seemed much older and much more mature than her 18 years.
• The scene where Bella gives birth is pretty exciting. Will she die? Will Edward have to turn her into a vampire to save her?
• Renesmee is the most awful name for a child I've ever come across! I understand that Bella wanted to honor Renee and Esme with the name, but it's just plain awful. (And "Edward Jacob" had the baby been a boy -- I think the middle name would have been a bit cruel to Edward. When she was pregnant, she depended on Jacob way too much and I hated that she lit up so much whenever he was around. Sure, sure, I get that he's her best friend, but their relationship was a bit too friendly. Edward was going crazy with worry over Bella -- would the baby kill her? -- and Bella is fantasizing about a little boy named Edward Jacob. Cruel, just cruel.)
• Jacob imprinting on Renesmee was crazy! Yes, I wanted Jacob to imprint on someone so that he could get over Bella, but I was not at all expecting him to imprint on Bella and Edward's child!! I'm not disgusted by it, just surprised.
• I'm so glad that Bella was able to still be around Charlie. It would have been so sad had she not been able to see him anymore. She took to being a "newborn" quite well!
• The 'big fight' against the Volturi at the end was totally anti-climatic. I was a bit disappointed on one hand, but happy that no one was hurt. That everyone got their 'happily ever after' was also unexpected, but I'm okay with it. I just wish something more had happened.
• The scene at the very end of the book, when Bella opens her mind and enables Edward to read her thoughts for the very first time, was one of my favorites! I love when Bella said "Now you know. No one's ever loved anyone as much as I love you." So sweet!

END OF SPOILERS!

END OF SPOILERS!

So, while Breaking Dawn definitely wasn't my favorite -- that honor still belongs to Twilight -- it was still good, if disappointing. I looked on Amazon, and people either really LOVE this book or really HATE it!! 208 people have given it a 5-star rating, and 206 have given it one star! Me, I liked it, but didn't love it. And who knows? Maybe I'll like it more the next time I read it.

3.5/5

Eclipse thoughts: Sorry Mr. Darcy, you've been replaced!

"Isabella Swan?" He looked up at me though his impossibly long lashes, his golden eyes soft but, somehow, still scorching. "I promise to love you forever -- every single day of forever. Will you marry me?"

There were many things I wanted to say, some of them not nice at all, and others more disgustingly gooey and romantic than he probably dreamed I was capable of. Rather than embarrass myself with either, I whispered, "Yes."

"Thank you," he said simply. He took my left hand and kissed each of my fingertips before he kissed the ring that was now mine. (p. 460)

It took me quite a few days to get through Eclipse this time around, but I can blame that on the visitors we've had (my parents!!) as well as errands and just being tired from too many late nights. I enjoyed Eclipse even more this time than I did the first time I read it (I liked New Moon more the second time as well, since I could better see how it "fit" into the series; Twilight is still my favorite, though), and since I still have plenty of time until Breaking Dawn is released, I think I may give Eclipse another read, so that the story is really fresh in my mind before I start Breaking Dawn.

Some thoughts on Eclipse:

* Bella was being extremely selfish when she gave Edward her ultimatum - 'either let me be there when you fight, or stay out of it and let your family and the wolves do all the fighting.' I can't believe how incredibly immature and selfish she was being! These others are fighting to keep her safe and alive, and they can use all the help they can get. To make Edward sit out because she "can't stand it if you leave me again" (p. 419) is incredibly self-centered. First, to hurt Edward so badly saying something like that, and then to make him either bring her along to the fight or skip it altogether is just showing her true colors. (I looked back at the title of that chapter, and it was very appropriately entitled "Selfish.")

* Bella having the epiphany that she's in love with Jacob still really annoys me. And it annoys me that she kisses him -- no, she begs him to kiss her. Here she has this perfect man vampire who would do anything for her and she's kissing another man werewolf. I understand that the time Bella and Jake had together when Edward was gone (in New Moon) led them to build a good friendship, so I guess I can understand that she'd have strong feelings for Jacob. But to be in love with him? I just don't like it.

* Edward's proposal to Bella is incredibly sweet. I loved it the first time I read it, and I love it still. He's so understanding and good. Even when Bella is crying on his shoulder after she tells Jacob that they can't be anything more than friends, Edward is considerate and understanding and kind to her. She's shedding tears over another man she loves, and Edward just holds her and asks if she really wants to be with him (Edward). "Bella . . . are you sure? Did you make the right choice? I've never seen you in so much pain. . . . If it hurts you so much, how can it be the right thing for you?" (p. 610). He's suuuuuch a good guy! But I do love Bella's response to him. She grabs her tattered copy of Wuthering Heights and searches for the perfect passage to describe her feelings for Edward: " 'If all else perished, and he remained, I should still continue to be; and if all else remained, and he were annihilated, the universe would turn to a mighty stranger.' . . . I know exactly what she [Cathy] means. And I know who I can't live without." (p. 611) I just reeeeaaaaallly hope Bella continues to put Edward first.

* I love the discussion between Bella and Jacob that leads to how the title of the book applies, on pages 599-600. Jacob tells Bella that he'd be better for her than Edward is; Edward is like a drug to her, and she therefore can't live without him. But he'd be like the air, the sun. Bella says: "I used to think of you that way, you know. Like the sun. My personal sun. You balanced out the clouds nicely for me." Then Jacob responds: "The clouds I can handle. But I can't fight with an eclipse." Such a powerful image! It really stood out to me. Edward overshadows Jacob in so many ways.

* I had totally forgotten that Jacob leaves at the end of Eclipse! I was reading some things about Breaking Dawn (I've been on Goodreads' Twilight group discussion page, and there are some really interesting theories being tossed around), and someone said that Stephenie Meyer has said that she won't be bringing Jacob back in Breaking Dawn. I scoff at that; how can she not bring him back? I don't like Jacob all that much, but he's been such an integral part of the story; Stephenie Meyer can't just leave him out of Breaking Dawn. And I don't think she will.

* Okay, I know I've bagged on Jacob a lot, but my experiences in rereading New Moon and Eclipse have made me more sympathetic of him. He really is a good guy, even though he's not Edward! And while I still wholeheartedly want Edward and Bella to be together, I guess I am slightly more willing to forgive Stephenie Meyer if she has decided to put Bella and Jacob together at the end. But only slightly (as in, maybe 2 percent! I'm still an Edward girl, after all, and I'm hoping Jacob will "imprint" on someone else!) I was discussing this with a friend the other day, and she said that she doesn't care who Bella ends up with. Unlike me, she won't have a heart attack if Bella doesn't end up with Edward. She can go either way. I understand her reasoning, and if I wasn't such an Edward fan I may say the same thing. There are pros and cons to both relationships, obviously. But I've become too caught up in everything Edward. He's just meant to be with Bella. He's certainly replaced Mr. Darcy as my #1 literary crush!

New Moon finished. On to Eclipse.

Well, I finished New Moon a short while ago. I read 401 pages of it yesterday (staying up until 1am to read!), and really enjoyed myself. It's still not as good as the other two books, but it's enjoyable enough. There's just not enough Edward. The first 100 pages were great, as were the last 100 pages (or so) -- but that's mostly because Edward was involved. Sure, I'm glad that Jacob was there for Bella after Edward left her, and I'm glad they became such good friends (even though Jacob really annoys me sometimes!), but I'm still 100% an Edward girl. I could read about him all day long.

I had forgotten how mean both Edward and Jacob were to Bella in this one. I got a bit teary when Edward left. I understand why he was being so mean to Bella, but it made me really sad for her. And as much as Bella loves Edward and is ecstatic to have him back at the end (heck, I'd feel the same way!), I find that her acceptance of his presence in her life again came a bit too easily. Maybe I'm just mean, but I think I would have made him work a bit harder to win me back -- especially after the way he left! But I would have forgiven him eventually, of course. He's Edward, after all.

Nah -- on second thought, I'd have acted the same way Bella did. I would have taken him back, arms wide open, in an instant. He's Edward, after all!

And now on to Eclipse. I don't remember a whole lot about this one, but I remember that I loved it. I'm so excited to start!

Twilight finished. On to New Moon.

About three things I was absolutely positive:

First, Edward was a vampire.

Second, there was a part of him–and I didn’t know how dominant that part might be–that thirsted for my blood.

And third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him.

Oh my goodness, I love Twilight! I lovelovelove Edward! I love the way he looks out for Bella and watches over her. I just love it.

And, of course, in New Moon he's not around as much as I (and countless other Edward fans) would like. I think Edward being away makes New Moon drag on a bit, but maybe this second reading will be better for me! Maybe I'll end up liking New Moon just as much as Twilight and Eclipse. . .but probably not! There's just TOO MUCH Jacob and NOT ENOUGH Edward in New Moon!

Can You Keep a Secret? - Sophie Kinsella

I began my second Sophie Kinsella book this morning, and ended up liking it so much that I finished it tonight. Dave teased me, saying that I stayed up so late reading because he had finished a book earlier this evening and I wanted to finish one, too, so that I could keep up with him. But that wasn't the case at all. I just genuinely enjoyed this book.

The main character in CYKaS is Emma Corrigan, a junior marketing executive at the Panther Cola Company. While on a turbulent return flight home from a business trip, Emma spills all of her secrets to the man seated next to her, thinking the plane is going to crash. When she walks into work Monday morning, she is shocked to discover that the man who sat next to her on the flight to London is there, in the Panther offices. And, even worse, he's the American CEO of Panther Cola, Jack Harper. Jack knows all of Emma's dirty little secrets, even the fact that she hates her job and plays pranks on her co-workers. Mortified beyond belief and worried that she may lose her job, Emma is relieved when Jack assures her that he doesn't want to fire her; in fact, he shows an interest in getting to know her better. But Emma already has the perfect boyfriend, Connor. Only, she may have admitted to Jack on that fateful flight that she doesn't really love Connor. What will happen when all of Emma's secrets are revealed?

I was kept quite entertained reading about Emma's antics. I laughed out loud many, many times. The big build-up to Jack's secret was kind of anti-climatic, though. I felt that his secret was kind of silly, and didn't really warrant his bad behavior toward Emma. The last couple of chapters were a bit slow, but the rest of the book was fast-paced and interesting. Much better than Remember Me? And the characters were much more likeable.

4/5

Katherine ~ Anya Seton

Katherine, first published in 1954, is considered one of the greatest love stories of all time. I can see why.

At sixteen years of age, Katherine de Roet, a peasant girl (whose sister was lady-in-waiting to King Edward III's queen, Philippa), married Sir Hugh Swynford, a knight in King Edward's court. She bore Hugh two children, Thomas and Blanche, before Hugh died several years into the marriage. The years she was married to Hugh, she also bore an intense love for John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster and the King's third son. With Katherine now a widow, she and John give in to their desire for each other and embark on a long-term love affair, which produced four children. And this is a love story with a happy ending; after years spent apart in the aftermath of a painful rift, John and Katherine reunite and are married.

With the backdrop of England in the 14th century, Katherine is a beautiful novel about an enduring love. At 500 pages long, the novel is filled with a plethora of medieval history. Katherine and John of Gaunt were real people, which makes this breathtaking tale of love all the more fascinating. Anya Seton did such an amazing job, not only in describing the horrors of the Plague and the peasant revolts, but also in conveying 14th century court life and the feelings of the characters. She wrote one heck of a love story!

As with all historical novels, the reader isn't sure exactly what is factually based and what isn't. But from the small bit of research I've done on Katherine and John since finishing the book, I've discovered that Katherine is indeed a well-researched, accurate novel.

And I loved it.

5/5

Remember Me? ~ Sophie Kinsella

After crashing her car, Lexi Smart wakes up in a London hospital and discovers that she's 28 years old (three years older than she is in her last memories) and has retrograde amnesia. Not only has she lost all memory of the last three years of her life, but she now has new friends, a new body, a new home, and a gorgeous multimillionaire husband, none of which she remembers. Her old friends hate her and call her "Cobra," a nickname she's earned as a highly ambitious--and mean--corporate boss.

As Lexi strives to regain her memory, she comes to realize that she doesn't like her new life, at all. Sure it seems like the perfect dream life on the surface, but the "new" Lexi just doesn't seem like her. She wants her old life back, the one she remembers. When her husband's partner at work offers Lexi some shocking information about her life, it may be just what Lexi needs to discover what went wrong.

This was my first foray into Sophie Kinsella. While I didn't love Remember Me?, I didn't dislike it. In fact, I thought it was pretty good. I read it quickly because it was interesting--Lexi having amnesia was fascinating and I wanted so badly to find out if her memory would come back, as well as what would happen in her personal life--but I was disappointed with the way the book ended. Okay, let me rephrase that. I was a bit disappointed with the way the book ended. I was happy for Lexi, of course, but frustrated that she didn't get the one thing she really wanted.

Oh, and about the book cover... I didn't really understand why a book about a woman with amnesia would have a sunflower on the front. But, yes, the sunflower is significant! Ahh, of course, it is, I thought to myself when I reached the point in the book where the sunflower was explained. It's nice to know that it actually has some meaning.

By the way, the f-word is used quite prevalently in this book, as are other profanities, so be warned. I'm not easily offended by things like that, but wanted to put it out there anyway.

3.25/5

Love the One You're With ~ Emily Giffin

This was a total just-for-fun read, and I loved it. Emily Giffin's books don't really apply to my life, per se, but they sure are fun to read.

Ellen Graham has been married to Andy for three months when her ex, Leo, comes back on the scene. The two run into each other in a busy NYC intersection, and old feelings come rushing back. Ellen keeps the run-in a secret from her husband and her best friend, Margot, who just happens to be her husband's sister. When Leo, a journalist, lands Ellen, a photographer, (how ironic, right?) a dream job taking pictures of a famous rock star, Ellen can't refuse. She flies to LA to do the shoot, only to discover that Leo is there - and he'll be writing the article that accompanies Ellen's photos. Ellen avoids Leo, but finds herself thinking about him constantly. She begins to have doubts about her marriage, about Andy, about everything. Did she make the right decision when she married Andy? Is he "the one" for her, or is Leo - the man she just can't get over?

I couldn't put Love the One You're With down. The ending was cute and sappy, and I loved it. I admit that, along the way, I wasn't sure who I wanted Ellen to end up with. Not that I condone cheating on a spouse, because I don't - AT ALL. But Giffin has such a way of pulling me in with her writing that I have a difficult time seeing the black and white of things, just like her characters who are having the life-altering experiences. That said, I was truly glad that things ended the way they did. It was perfect.

4/5

The Host ~ Stephenie Meyer

The earth has been overtaken by aliens, called "Souls," who invade human bodies and gain control of their minds. Melanie Stryder, one of the few remaining humans on the run from the aliens, is captured and implanted with a Soul named Wanderer. Wanderer has previously lived in seven other host bodies, and is somewhat of a celebrity among her kind. She's been taught that invading a human body will be different than anything she's experienced before, but when she awakes in Melanie's body she immediately realizes that something is just not right. In fact, something is very wrong. Melanie is refusing to relinquish control of her mind to Wanderer. But Wanderer isn't giving up. She must somehow find a way to unlock Melanie's hidden secrets, while Melanie fights her every step of the way.

When Melanie begins reliving memories of time spent with her boyfriend Jared and brother Jamie - both still in hiding - Wanderer finds herself longing for them, too. Because Wanderer herself feels such an intense yearning to be with Jared and Jamie, it isn't difficult for Melanie to convince Wanderer to search for them in the Arizona desert, although Melanie isn't even sure if they're still alive. After days spent searching the desert, out of water and on the brink of death, Wanderer and Melanie are found by Melanie's uncle Jeb. He and about thirty other humans have been hiding in underground caves. And Jamie and Jared are two of the human survivors. Wanderer and Melanie become allies as they find themselves up against this group of humans, who won't believe that Melanie is still alive and aware inside her body.

The Host is a good story. I was surprised at how different it is from the Twilight books, when I really shouldn't have been, knowing that this was Meyer's attempt at Science Fiction. I grudgingly admit that I found myself disinterested in the story at times, and sometimes felt that there was just too much detail given. Personally, I didn't care about Wanderer's lives on other planets, but apparently Stephenie Meyer felt it important enough to include detailed descriptions of those past lives. As I worked my way through this 600+ page book, though, I got caught up in the story. The focus on the many different relationships was great, as well as Wanderer's journey to fit in - and her efforts to escape the "Seeker" (an alien who seeks out the remaining humans on earth) who is intent on discovering why Melanie won't disappear. Wanderer develops love and compassion for the humans in the caves, and the humans come to love and respect her as well. So much so that they'll do anything in their power to protect her and keep her with them.

I thought the ending was going to disappoint me, but it didn't. I thought I had it all figured out, and I did to a degree, but I was still surprised at how everything was resolved.

Not as good as Twilight or Eclipse, and maybe not even New Moon for that matter, but still a page-turner. Stephenie Meyer can't crank the books out fast enough, as far as I'm concerned. She has easily become one of my favorite authors.

4/5

The Queen's Fool by Philippa Gregory

It's 1553, and a teenaged girl with a dangerous secret is caught up in royal intrigue as she tries to serve a scheming lord, an unhappy queen, and the queen's ambitious sister. As Edward VI, only male heir of Henry VIII, lies dying, 14-year-old Hannah Green is helping her father in his London printing and bookshop. Because young girls are not supposed to set print or deliver books, she's dressed in boy's clothing, but that's not Hannah's only secret. She and her father are Spanish Jews who fled the Inquisition after her mother was burned as a heretic. Finding refuge in Protestant England, the Greens observe Christian rituals in public, but privately they still honor the old ways. One day Hannah attracts the attention of a shop customer, handsome Lord Dudley, by innocently revealing that she has the gift of second sight-a particularly useful gift in these uncertain times, when it seems that Protestant Edward will be succeeded by Catholic Mary. Hannah becomes an aide to Lord Dudley, who recommends her to the young king to be his Fool. While serving Edward, she follows Dudley's orders to attend and spy upon the king's older sister Mary, whom she grows to love. When Mary becomes Queen, Hannah attends her at court, but (again at Dudley's request) also makes contact with her sister Elizabeth. Hannah admires the young princess's courage as Elizabeth faces losing her life when Mary starts burning Protestants as heretics. Her loyalties divided, fearful that she and her father are vulnerable in Catholic England, Hannah relies on her wits to survive threats, intrigue, and danger. She must also decide whether she will marry Daniel, a family friend, to whom she is officially betrothed.

This is only the second Philippa Gregory book I have read, after The Other Boleyn Girl, and it doesn't come close to being as interesting as the first. It took me awhile to read this book; it didn't grab me and pull me in like The Other Boleyn Girl did. Still, The Queen's Fool was pretty good. Hannah was a great main character, but her constant divided loyalties between Mary and Elizabeth annoyed me. I wanted so badly for her to tell Robert Dudley, Dr. Dee and Elizabeth to shove it! I understand that she was trying to protect herself and her family from being exposed as Jews, but she could have done that by going away with Daniel and her father when they first asked her to. No need for her to stay at court and play into Robert's hands, like so many other women did, although she fancied herself in love with him. I admired her devotion to Queen Mary, though. She was a true friend to Mary when no one else would be. And I was pleased that she finally 'grew up' and realized that Robert Dudley was no good for her. What she really wanted was what she'd always had.

4/5

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

Offred is a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead (formerly the United States of America). The government has been overthrown, and Gilead is being led by far-right conservatives. Handmaids like Offred ("Of Fred") are good for only one thing - getting pregnant. Every month Offred is forced to have sex with the Commander of the home she is living in, while the Commander's Wife lies in the same bed. She is not allowed to read, work, make money, or look directly at another person.

Her memories often drift back in time to the days when she was happily married to Luke and raising their daughter; when she had a job, friends, and her own name. All of that is gone now, and all she can do is hope to get pregnant with the Commander's baby; a baby that will be ripped from her arms and given to the Commander and his barren wife to raise as their own. Once she has a baby, she'll be passed on to the next Commander and Wife, in hopes that she'll provide this new couple with a baby as well.

This book was disturbing, yet very interesting. It's frightening to think that our society could ever reach the level that it has in The Handmaid's Tale - a society of barren Wives, housekeeping Marthas, Handmaids, Commanders, and spying Eyes. A society where any wrongdoing will result in exile to 'the Colonies' (toxic nuclear waste dumping grounds) or even death by public hanging. Yet it could happen, scary as it is.

I liked Offred. I felt bad that her entire life was reduced to going to the market and sleeping with the Commander. I think she tried her hardest to make her life as good as she possibly could, given her circumstances.

My only real complaint, besides some profanity and disturbing scenes, was that the book ended rather abruptly. I was left with a feeling of uncertainty about what really happened to Offred.

3.75/5

The Book Thief ~ Markus Zusak

With Death as narrator, Markus Zusak's haunting novel follows Liesel Meminger, The Book Thief, through the fear-filled years of Nazi Germany. The story opens as the ten-year-old girl takes her first book shortly after her younger brother's death. Both children were en route to the foster home of Hans and Rosa Hubermann in a Munich suburb. Despite Rosa's sharp tongue and Hans's lack of work, their home is a loving refuge for the nightmare-ridden girl. It also becomes a hideout for Max, a young Jewish man whose father saved Hans's life. Liesel finds solace with her neighbor Rudy and her creative partnership with Max. Accompanied by Rudy, the girl copes by stealing food from farmers and books from the mayor's wife. There are also good moments as she learns to read and plays soccer, but Hans's ill-advised act of kindness to a Jewish prisoner forces Max to leave their safe house. The failing war effort and bombing by the Allies lead to more sacrifices, a local suicide and, eventually, to great losses. Reading books and writing down her experiences save Liesel, but this novel clearly depicts the devastating effects of war. With richly evocative imagery and compelling characters, Zusak explores behind-the-lines life in World War II Germany, showing the day-to-day heroism of ordinary people.

(I found it too difficult to write my own summary of this book, so I use the one above, courtesy of Barbara Wysocki of the School Library Journal.)

What can I say about this book? It was amazing, beautiful, haunting. I've never read anything like it. Seriously, I am at a loss for words. I honestly don't know how to review this book. I highly recommend that you read it yourself; then you'll understand why I'm having such a difficult time putting my thoughts down in writing. I finished the book last night, and am still thinking about it.

I admit that the first two-thirds of the book left me wondering just what was going to happen. As I was reading, I couldn't decide if I liked the book or not. But the last third of the book, when all my questions were answered, decided it for me. I ended up loving it.

The characters all wormed their way into my heart. Liesel, Rudy, Hans, Max, even Rosa (although Liesel, Rudy, and Hans were my absolute favorites.) The ending was sad, and I cried and cried. I didn't want the book to end. I wanted to spend more time with these characters that I had grown to love.

5/5

Helen of Troy ~ Margaret George

This epic novel tells the story of Helen of Sparta, later known as Helen of Troy. From her time as a young girl, denied access to the outside world because of her beauty, to her life after the fall of Troy and beyond, this book tells it all.

When Helen was a young girl of nine or ten, a Sybil pronounced a prophesy upon her: that she would be "the ruin of Asia, the ruin of Europe, and because of her a great war [would] be fought, and many Greeks [would] die." Not wanting the prophecy to come true, her parents forbid Helen to leave the confines of the palace. She was a beautiful child, and grew to be a beautiful young woman. Her face was hidden from everyone, and whispers that she was the most beautiful woman in the world were commonplace.

When Helen was fifteen, her father and mother, the king and queen of Sparta, announced that it was time for Helen to marry. Helen chose Menelaus, younger brother of the Mycenaean king, Agamemnon, who himself had married Helen's older sister Clytemnestra. Menelaus was a gentle, good man, and had accomplished a great feat to win Helen's hand. Helen fancied herself in love with Menelaus, but sadly felt no passion for him. After the birth of their daughter, Hermione, Helen pleaded with the goddess Aphrodite, asking the goddess to help her feel desire for Menelaus.

Aphrodite granted Helen's wish, or so Helen thought. Upon her return to the palace, however, Helen caught a glimpse of Paris, Prince of Troy, and fell madly and passionately in love with him. Helen says,"I could not keep my eyes from Paris. For the first time in perhaps my entire life, I felt desire course through me. I wanted to possess him, devour him, take him away in a chain and have him always at my command. At the same time I wanted to give him anything he desired; anything. And I wanted to be with him every instant. And so far we had not spoken a single private word." (p. 149)

Paris' young age worried Helen, for he was only sixteen years old to her twenty-five, but after a few short days with him, Helen left Menelaus and Hermione to flee to Troy with Paris. Her decision would eventually bring about the ruin of Troy.

I love that George chose to write the book in Helen's voice, from her point of view. That made the story really come alive for me. I love the movie "Troy" (the one with Brad Pitt as Achilles, Eric Bana as Hector, and Orlando Bloom as Paris), so I knew I'd love this book. It was truly fascinating, and I enjoyed the span of the book. I liked becoming better "acquainted" with Greek mythology, and the different characters that took part in the Trojan War.

I also adore the book cover. Isn't it gorgeous?

I definitely want to read more from Margaret George.

4.25/5
Thanks to my sister, Beth, for recommending this book!

At First Sight ~ Nicholas Sparks

At First Sight is the sequel to True Believer (which I wasn't all that impressed with), and it's been sitting on my nightstand, unread, for years. I grabbed it a couple of nights ago because I forgot to bring my Chronicles of Narnia book to bed with me and didn't feel like getting out of bed to retrieve it. So a spur-of-the-moment decision led me to finally begin reading this book.

In True Believer, we were introduced to Lexie Darnell, a small town librarian, and Jeremy Marsh, a science magazine columnist. Jeremy had left NYC for Lexie's hometown of Boone Creek, North Carolina to investigate mysterious lights seen in the town cemetery. He never anticipated falling in love with Lexie just a few short weeks after meeting her. He'd been married before, and gotten divorced because (among other things) his wife had wanted children, which Jeremy had been physically unable to provide her.

At First Sight begins where True Believer left off. Jeremy and Lexie have just discovered that, by some miracle, they are expecting a baby. Lexie's grandmother, Doris, somewhat of a psychic, swears the baby is a girl--and she has yet to be wrong in her predictions. Jeremy, realizing that he doesn't want to ever be away from Lexie, proposes. They begin making preparations for spending their lives together; they plan the wedding, buy a new car, and buy and renovate a house.

Life is crazy enough at the moment, but Jeremy begins receiving anonymous e-mails warning him that Lexie may be hiding things from him. Even his best friend questions the quickness with which everything has happened, concerned that Jeremy is rushing into marriage with a woman he hardly knows. When, during a routine ultrasound, it's discovered that there may be complications with the baby, Jeremy and Lexie rely on their love for each other to carry on.

I had my likes and dislikes with this book. It wasn't one of my favorite Nicholas Sparks books by any means, but it wasn't my least favorite, either. I liked the simpleness of both Jeremy and Lexie. They were ordinary people, but the love they felt for each other was tangible. Also, I was completely surprised by the ending; Sparks is great at writing endings with an unexpected twist. Overall, a pretty good story.

3.75/5

In other news, I saw on TV tonight that a Prince Caspian movie will be coming to theaters on May 16. Prince Caspian was my favorite of the Chronicles of Narnia books (as well as my favorite character from the books), so I'm actually pretty excited to see the movie. I remember that I wasn't all that impressed with "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" when I saw it on DVD, but having read the books now, I want to give it another try. Maybe I'll enjoy it more, knowing the story.

The Last Battle ~ C.S. Lewis

In the last days of Narnia, King Tirian has heard rumors that the lion Aslan is back, and commanding the Narnian creatures to commit terrible acts. Tirian discovers that the Aslan in question is actually a false Aslan, a donkey wearing a lion skin. As a final great battle between good and evil threatens to change everything as they know it, the inhabitants of Narnia find themselves confused and unable to determine who to follow.

When the last battle is raging, Tirian finds himself in an old stable. When he looks around, he is astonished to see that the inside of the stable is nothing like he thought it would be. Inside he finds a beautiful green meadow, blue skies, and seven of Narnia's previous kings and queens, among them Lucy, Edmund, and Peter Pevensie, as well as Jill and Eustace, and Polly and Digory (who witnessed the creation of Narnia in The Magician's Nephew, and are now on hand to witness it's destruction). In one of my favorite sections from the book, Tirian says:

"It seems then, that the Stable seen from within and the Stable seen from without are two different places."

"Yes," said the Lord Digory. "Its inside is bigger than its outside."

"Yes," said Queen Lucy. "In our world too, a Stable once had something inside it that was bigger than our whole world."

Beautiful.

It took some time for me to decide how to rate The Last Battle. I didn't particularly like it, until the very end. But the ending was so beautiful, so allegorical, that my opinion of the book changed completely. The last 30 pages alone make the book worth reading.

4/5

The Silver Chair ~ C.S. Lewis

Eustace and Jill are hiding from bullies at their school, when Eustace tells the story of his time spent in the land of Narnia. Thinking they'd rather be in Narnia, they call upon Aslan and ask to be transported to the magical land. Jill comes face-to-face with the lion, and he gives her four signs that will help her and Eustace on their journey. They have an important mission to accomplish in Narnia--finding the missing son of King Caspian, who is growing old and wants to find his son before he dies. Prince Rilian has been missing for a decade. Many brave Narnians have tried to find him, and all have failed. With help from the Marsh-wiggle named Puddleglum, Jill and Eustace leave on a dangerous journey to discover the whereabouts of Prince Rilian, in hopes that they can reunite him with Caspian before it's too late.

I found The Silver Chair kind of boring from the start. I don't know if it's because I've read so many Narnia books in such a short time, or if I just wasn't interested in it. Eustace and Jill were dull (I'm sad that Eustace was so boring in this installment because I found his character very interesting in the previous book), and I found them both annoying at times. I even found Puddleglum to be a boring sort of character until almost the end of the story, when he saves the children and Rilian from the Queen of the Underworld, who was attempting to place an enchantment upon them.

Definitely my least favorite of the Narnia books so far. I did enjoy the underlying message about following Aslan's (God's) instructions, though. Jill and Eustace were slow to remember what Aslan had told them, and as a result they were faced with unexpected troubles.

I hope The Last Battle is better! I'm looking forward to seeing how the series ends.

3/5

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader ~ C.S. Lewis

Lucy and Edmund Pevensie, along with their bratty cousin Eustace, are transported through a painting into the land of Narnia. They find themselves onboard the Dawn Treader, King Caspian's boat. Caspian and his crew are on a voyage to discover what happened to the seven men sent to sea by Caspian's evil Uncle Miraz. The friends want to explore as much of the East as they can, and hope to sail as far as Aslan's country at the End of the World.

This book takes the reader on quite an adventure. I found myself totally immersed in what was happening to Caspian, Lucy, Edmund, and Eustace. I think my favorite part in the book was when Eustace woke up to find that he had turned into a dragon. I loved the transformation he went through, not only physically, but spiritually and emotionally.

I also loved the very end of the book, when Edmund and Lucy are talking with the lion, Aslan. Aslan has just informed the two children that they will never be in Narnia again, and they are understandably upset. But what upsets them most of all is that they will never get to see Aslan again, or meet him in their own world. Aslan says "But you shall meet me, dear one. . . . There I have another name. You must learn to know me by that name. This was the very reason why you were brought to Narnia, that by knowing me here for a little, you may know me better there."

As much as I enjoyed this book, though, I think it's time to take a break from the Chronicles of Narnia series. I'm all Narnia'd-out. So, I'm planning on reading One Tuesday Morning for my church book club, and then resuming the CoN books. A break will do me good.

4/5

Prince Caspian ~ C.S. Lewis

On their way back to boarding school, one year after returning from Narnia, Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy Pevensie are summoned back to the magical land; only things in Narnia are much different than they were when the four siblings ruled.

Hundreds of years have actually passed in Narnian time, and the Pevensies are shocked to behold the ruin that has come to their beloved land. Miraz, the wicked King who now rules over Narnia, has forced the magical creatures of Old Narnia into hiding.

Caspian, the nephew of King Miraz, takes a great interest in the Old Narnian ways. When his tutor informs Caspian that he (Caspian) is the true heir of Narnia, and that Miraz is plotting to kill him, Caspian flees to the forest, where he comes across Dwarfs, Giants, and other creatures of Old Narnia. When Miraz's army attacks, Caspian blows Queen Susan's horn, which transports the Pevensies back to Narnia. Together, they defeat Miraz and restore Old Narnia to power.

This was my favorite book of the series so far. I was hooked from the first sentence because I knew that Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy would be featured more prominently in this book. Caspian was a great character, as well, and it was interesting to read about his family and about how he was the true heir to the Narnian throne.

4 down, 3 to go. I sure am glad that these books are all only about 100 (or a little bit more) pages long, since we're reading all 7 of them for my family book club this month!

4.5/5

The Horse and His Boy ~ C.S. Lewis

Shasta is the son of a poor fisherman who treats him like a slave. When he meets a talking horse named Breehy-hinny-brinny-hoohy-hah (aka Bree), the two decide to run away together. Along the way they come across Aravis and her horse Hwin, who are also fleeing to safer lands. The four decide to travel to Narnia together, but face many difficult challenges.

When they arrive in the city of Tashbaan, Shasta is mistaken for a prince and "rescued" from the streets. He is taken to the palace of the Tisroc, who wants to marry Queen Susan of Narnia (who is visiting the palace with her brother), whether she wants to marry him or not. Thinking Shasta is really the prince of Archenland, Queen Susan and King Edmund have no qualms about discussing their plan to escape to Narnia in front of Shasta, who becomes privy to some very important information that will help him on his own journey.

This book started out strongly, and I was hoping that my interest would be held throughout. Alas, it wasn't. My interest started to wane in the middle, and while the book did get a tiny bit more interesting toward the end, it wasn't enough to make me really like The Horse and His Boy. I seem to be on a rollercoaster ride of sorts when it comes to the books in The Chronicles of Narnia series. Here's hoping that Prince Caspian is more to my liking...

3.5/5

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe ~ C.S. Lewis

Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy have moved to the country to escape the air raids in London. One day while playing hide-and-seek with her siblings, Lucy decides to hide inside of an old wardrobe. When she realizes that the wardrobe has no back panel, Lucy walks through it and finds herself in the land of Narnia.

Lucy becomes friends with a Faun named Mr. Tumnus, who tells her about the evil White Witch, the self-proclaimed "queen" of Narnia. When Lucy returns to her siblings and shares the story of her adventure in Narnia, no one believes her. Soon, though, Edmund ventures through the wardrobe and into Narnia, where he meets the evil witch herself. She mesmerizes him with her beauty and bribes him with sweets, and when she asks him to return to Narnia with his siblings in tow, he promises her that he will.

When all four of the siblings find themselves in the magical land, they aren't sure who to trust. Edmund escapes from the group to tell the White Witch that his brother and sisters have come to Narnia, while Peter, Susan, and Lucy meet with the powerful lion, Aslan, who helps them fulfill their destiny to become rulers of Narnia.

I enjoyed The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe much more than I did The Magician's Nephew. The story was entertaining, and the characters were interesting. A good, fun read.

4.25/5

The Magician's Nephew ~ C.S. Lewis

This is the first book in The Chronicles of Narnia series, which my family has decided to read this month. It's the story of Digory and Polly, and their magical journeys to other lands, thanks to some rings that were given to them by Digory's Uncle Andrew (the magician referred to in the title of the book).

After following Polly into an unknown land, which they named the 'Wood between the Worlds', Digory sees numerous ponds of water. Using the rings to travel between worlds, Polly and Digory jump into one of the ponds and end up in Charn, a dying world, where Digory frees an evil witch. The witch follows Polly and Digory back to their world, and the two children plot to return the witch to her own land. Thinking they've once again found the pond that leads to Charn, they jump in, only to find themselves in a different world. They hear a lion singing, and trees, animals, and all manner of things begin to grow out of the ground. The "birth" of Narnia has occurred.

There were times when I really liked this book, and times when I got bored, but overall it had a good message and was fairly interesting. There were definitely allusions to the Creation, as well as Adam and Eve being tempted to eat the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. I liked the Christian overtones.

Books 2 through 7 continue the Narnia story. I'll blog about them as I finish them.

3.5/5

Little Women ~ Louisa May Alcott

I know there are many people out there who adore this story of the four March sisters. I'm not one of them.

"I think books shouldn't be one word longer than they need to be (a judgement, I realize, that is horrifically subjective in execution). I like nice, tight stories." - Shannon Hale (from her blog)

I think Shannon Hale is right on the money. Books should only be as long as they need to be to tell the story. Little Women is 472 pages long; if it had been cut in half it would have been a much better story! The book was too long, too wordy, too boring, with much too much detail. Entire chapters could have been removed, and the resulting book would have been so much better. Yes, that's how I feel...

Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy are the sisters in the book. Honestly, I don't think I had a favorite of the four. They all annoyed me at times. My favorite character was actually Laurie. I'm sad that Jo didn't love him as more than a friend. I'm glad he found his happily ever after, even though it wasn't with Jo.

After days and days spent reading this book (I even took a break from reading Little Women to read Change of Heart because LW bored me too much), when I finally finished it, the first words out of my mouth were "Hallelujah, it's over!" I couldn't wait for the book to end. Sure, there were some good parts that actually held my interest, but they were very few and far between. Sorry to all you Little Women lovers. I cannot count myself among your number.

2.5/5 (and the 18th crossed off the list of the 100 Greatest Novels)