Chick-Lit Chick

Clockwork Angel

2010-09-11T15:33:00.000-07:00

Clockwork Angel
By Cassandra Clare
Author's Website

Synopsis:

Magic is dangerous—but love is more dangerous still.

When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.

Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What's more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.

Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by—and torn between—two best friends: Jem, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length...everyone, that is, but Tessa.

As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world...and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.

I was so excited about the release of this book. Having loved Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instrument series I was chomping at the bit to get my hands on the first book of her new prequel series, the Infernal Devices. As of right now there will be three books in this series and I'm very much looking forward to the next book.

When I first cracked Clockwork Angel open I was a little surprised, as it seemed to start a little slowly. It took me a while to get really wrapped up in it to the point where I couldn't put it down. However, once I did get caught in it's spell it kept me up all night last night until I finished it. Let me just say, this morning was painful.

The characters in this series are going to be fun to watch grow and change. I was a smidge disappointed that a few characters seemed to be carbon copies of characters in the Mortal Instrument series. Primarily Will, the cocky and sarcastic shadowhunter who doesn't let anyone truly know him. It felt like Ms. Clare was writing Jace all over again, only with black hair and blue eyes. I'm hoping to see a more marked difference between Will and Jace in the next two installments.

A lot of elements in Clockwork's story feel similar to the Mortal Instruments series, but that's a good thing. The two series flow well together so far. They feel like they are a cohesive unit, a fact that I very much enjoyed. It felt like slipping back into a familiar and comfortable world. A world that I had been wanting to return to since finishing City of Glass.

I was glad to see that our heroine, Tessa, was not like Clary. Instead of being headstrong and selfish, Tessa was bookish, and smart. She was vulnerable and charming, yet she had quite a few good one-liners. She seemed to be able to handle Will's sarcasm and general peevishness. She was one of the main characters that helped to pull in the feeling that we were in the Victorian era. Tessa was very aware of societal morés and reminds the reader what was acceptable behavior for that time period. She was a tad two dimensional, but I'm sure as the next two books are released we'll see her become a fully rounded character.

I really liked Jem. I can see that Clare is trying to create a love triangle between Will, Tessa and Jem; however, I don't see Tessa with Jem. He's a voice of reason and sanity in a world of such chaos. I thought he was a delightful character and am very excited to see where Clare will take him. He is certainly a very intriguing character and would be sad to loose him.

My favorite thing might just have to be the fact that we get to see Magnus Bane. He was one of my favorite characters in The Mortal Instruments series and I wish we had seen more of him in this book as well. In my opinion he was too minor of a character in this book and I hope to see more of him in the next two books. I'm not sure you can ever have too much Magnus.

A small trivial point that I noticed and found irritating was Clare's portrayal of London. She leads you to think that it's dirty and rainy all.the.time. Yes, London is a big city and therefore it has grit, grim and pollution. What big city doesn’t? However, London does not rain constantly. It's quite lovely and it leads me to wonder if Ms. Clare had ever visited England. Yes, I realize I'm being nit-picky, but it was something that bothered me while reading the book.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am very eager to read the next two. Cassandra Clare weaves a story that captures your imagination and takes you on an adventure you just don't want to see end. I can't wait to read the fourth book in the Mortal Instruments series coming out next March, City of Fallen Angels. I will definitely be downloading it to my Nook the first chance I get.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Currently Reading - 9.8.10

2010-09-08T21:31:00.000-07:00

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare. This is the prequel to the Mortal Instrument Series that was just released. This is the beginning of the Infernal Devices series. I'm so excited to read this, I just picked it up today!

The Two Lives of Miss Charlotte Merryweather

2010-08-20T22:02:00.000-07:00

The Two Lives of Miss Charlotte Merryweather

By Alexandra Potter

Author's Website

Synopsis:

At age thirty-one, American Charlotte Merryweather has spent ten years in London pursuing personal and professional perfection. Yet her present-day success- heading her own PR company, owning a gorgeous apartment, planning a future with her devoted boyfriend- only heightens the shock of a visit from the past.

"Lottie," Charlotte's twenty-one-year-old self, drives onto the scene at the wheel of a rusty, orange Volkswagen Beetle identical to Charlotte's first UK ride. Charlotte pursues a friendship aimed to bestow upon Lottie a decade of wisdom. Yet Charlotte's prosperous polish proves a pale substitute for Lottie's innate, youthful graces- openness, passion, and kindness. Will the student become the teacher in this witty turnabout?

The clever plotting and winning characterization that made Me and Mr. Darcy a bestseller are on full display in these pages.

I liked the premise. What if you could go back and stop your 21 year old self from making the mistakes that you regret? It's an intriguing idea indeed. I do wish that Ms. Potter had gone about it differently. While I enjoyed the book, I felt it was a little sluggish and bordering on annoying.

Charlotte Merryweather is a 31 year old workaholic. She has so many quirks and obsessions that she became a little tiresome for me. Once Charlotte realizes that she has a chance to set things right with her 21 year old self, she makes a list and sets to right everything she regretted in her past. The book was a fairly light read until you get to the end. I felt there was some heavy material there that didn't quite mesh with the rest of the story.

The book takes you through a journey of Charlotte realizing that it was the mistakes in the past that have shaped her into what she is today. Through this ride she also realizes that she has become too uptight and she longs for the carefree days of her youth. Ultimately, she calms herself down, and remembers to love herself and accept herself.

Good beach book, but don't expect too much.

Rating: 3/5 Stars

City of Glass

2010-08-19T21:50:00.000-07:00

City of Glass
By Cassandra Clare
Author's Website

Synopsis:
To save her mother's life, Clary must travel to the City of Glass, the ancestral home of the Shadowhunters -- never mind that entering the city without permission is against the Law, and breaking the Law could mean death. To make things worse, she learns that Jace does not want her there, and Simon has been thrown in prison by the Shadowhunters, who are deeply suspicious of a vampire who can withstand sunlight.

As Clary uncovers more about her family's past, she finds an ally in mysterious Shadow-hunter Sebastian. With Valentine mustering the full force of his power to destroy all Shadow-hunters forever, their only chance to defeat him is to fight alongside their eternal enemies. But can Downworlders and Shadowhunters put aside their hatred to work together? While Jace realizes exactly how much he's willing to risk for Clary, can she harness her new found powers to help save the Glass City -- whatever the cost?

Love is a mortal sin and the secrets of the past prove deadly as Clary and Jace face down Valentine in the final installment of the New York Times bestselling trilogy The Mortal Instruments.

When I first read this book it was with the idea that this was the last one, with a fourth a possibility. With that in mind I thought this booked wrapped the story lines up well and came to a nice conclusion. I just found out that Clare has now signed on to do three more books in the series rounding it out to six novel series. I'm very excited to see where she takes the characters. Especially, since everything appeared to wrap so nicely, what kind of twists is going to through into the next book.

This book was no exception from the other two, it was in a word, sublime. Clare has so wholly created a world that as a reader I want to live in. I wish I could walk through the pages and be with her characters and walk around a little in their world. At times it was verging on predictable, but it was still beyond enjoyable. Clare isn't just a writer, she's a creator of worlds.

There were some twists that had me dropping my jaw on the floor and the relationship between Clary and Jace is so intriguing to read. Love, love, loved this book. I think it was quite possibly the best of the series, but then again I loved them all so it's hard to say.

Go out and pick up this series. You won't regret it!

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Where does the time go?

2010-08-19T18:32:00.000-07:00

Life has been so crazy busy lately and I've been running here and there seemingly everyday that I haven't had much time for myself.

I'm apologize for being so late in my review, but I have City of Glass by Cassandra Clare sitting right next to me and I'm hoping to have the review finished and posted by tonight.

Thanks for your understanding!

Well, I'm a liar.

2010-07-19T22:20:00.001-07:00

This weekend completely got away from me. It was busier than normal and I actually wasn't home much, let alone on the computer. I'll be working on the reviews this week.

Promises . . .

2010-07-16T23:53:00.000-07:00

I promise to have the last book of the Mortal Instrument's series reviewed this weekend as well as a couple others. I've been busy enjoying the summer. Now, I'm trying to get back into blogging. Stay tuned! :)

City of Ashes

2010-06-06T15:09:00.000-07:00

City of Ashes

By Cassandra Clare

Author's Website

Another wonderful book by Ms. Clare. The continuing story of Clary finds her having rescued her mother and trying to find a way to undo her magically induced coma. Blindsided by the knowledge that the villain, Valentine, is her father and apparently Jace's father as well their romance is a bit destroyed. This turn of events really bothered me at first, but it made the story more interesting. The fact that they can't seem to stop the pull towards each other made it intriguing to watch how they cope and try to deny the feelings they have.

Clary gives Simon a chance at actually dating, since she and Jace are now related, all while trying to prevent Valentine from getting his hands on the next Mortal Instrument. Clary is pulled in all directions and you can feel the enormous amount of strain she's under. She seems to spend a lot of time underfoot. She's headstrong and independent and at times I wanted to shake her and tell her to listen to others. She's a great strong female character.

While reading this series I managed to take care of my kidlet and that's about it! Everything else went on hold. It's filled with delightful sarcastic wit and very intense dramatic scenes. A delightful balance between laughing and nearly crying.

Fantastic read and a wonderful story, very well written. It's a world that I truly love to live in and that I hate to leave.

Rating: 5/5 stars

City of Bones

2010-05-12T14:08:00.000-07:00

City of Bones

By Cassandra Clare

Author's Website

Wow, where do I start. I guess first of all, I've read all three books in this Mortal Instruments Series and I cannot wait for the next one to come out. I loved this series. In fact, I couldn't put it down. Cassandra Clare has woven a fantastic story and her characters are so richly developed that you feel like you really know them. I still miss Clary and Jace and I finished the books a while ago.

City of Bones in set in present day New York City. Our heroine, Clarissa "Clary" Fray, is not your average teenager. Clary's first indicator that she's a little different is when she realizes that she can see people that other people can't. She can see Shadowhunters - warriors who rid the earth of demons and deal with other unwieldy downworlders. She's abruptly thrown in the world of Shadowhunters, Jace's world, after her mother disappears and Clary is attacked by a demon.

We follow Clary as she discovers things she never knew about herself and travels through this richly detailed world with Jace by her side in an attempt to save her mother. She's torn between her new feelings for the bold and cocky Jace and her childhood friend Simon. Even though she's drawn to Jace there maybe something in their past that will keep them apart.

Fascinating story, characters you love. I didn't want to put it down simply fantastic! I found myself laughing and crying. I loved it, I can't wait to immerse myself back in Jace and Clary's world. If you enjoyed Twilight, there's a very good chance you'll enjoy this book too. Definitely give it a chance, it's a wonderful story, by a very skilled storyteller.

Rating: 5/5 stars

Currently Reading - 4.28.10

2010-04-28T16:34:00.000-07:00

Currently I'm reading Alexandra Potter's The Two Lives of Miss Charlotte Merryweather. So far . . . meh, it's alright. I enjoyed her other book Me and Mr. Darcy more. I'm over halfway through and I'm looking forward to reading something else.

Also, I'm working on my review of City of Bones.

Bed of Roses

2010-04-27T16:00:00.000-07:00

Bed of Roses

by Nora Roberts

Author's Website

Obviously I enjoyed the escape of the first book in the bride quartet novels enough to pick up the second in the series. Bed of Roses follows Emma Grant, the florist.

The reader is thrown back into the world of Vows (the girls wedding business) and the four friends. It's enjoyable to slip back into their familiar world and to pick up essentially right where you left off. Emma falls for a childhood friend, Jack Cooke. Jack doesn't like commitment and Emma is looking for a relationship, can they make it work?

Roberts again has done her research and extensively describes what Emma's life is like as a florist and what the wedding business is like. It at times gets a little monotonous . . . information overload, and I am a florist.

The story line follows the same pattern as her last book. Boy and girl reconnect; boy and girl fall in love and realize they want to be together; boy and girl have huge misunderstanding that they must overcome; happy ending.

I do think Roberts wrote Vision in White more carefully as I found several mistakes in Bed of Roses and it just didn't seem to flow as smoothly as the first book. I will say again that Nora Roberts is very good at her character development. The characters are well rounded and seem to jump off the pages.

I still enjoyed the escape and I look forward to seeing what the other two girls have in store for them . . . although, I already know who they are going to end up with, it's easy to tell.

Rating: 3/5 Stars

Vision in White

2010-04-12T22:27:00.000-07:00

Vision in White
by Nora Roberts
Author's Website

This is the first book in Nora Roberts' Bride Quartet and also the first book I've read by Nora Roberts. I was at the book store wanting to read something light and grabbed it, the cover caught my attention.

The Bride Quartet books will follow four childhood friends who start a wedding business. There's a wedding planner, a photographer, a florist and a cake decorator. This first book is about the photographer, Mackenzie 'Mac' Elliot.

Through this story we watch Mac and her relationship with her friends, her toxic mother, bridezillas and the man who isn't her type, Carter Maguire.

Mac and Carter went to high school together and Carter had quite the crush on Mac. It was enjoyable to watch these two characters find their way from just a casual fling, which was what Mac originally wanted, to finding a lasting love.

Honestly, my favorite part of the book was the relationships between the friends and how they ran their business. Nora Roberts certainly did her research as the reader gets detailed information on the wedding business, especially the photography aspect of it. Which I enjoyed, for the most part. At times it did get a little tedious.

One thing I can certainly say for Ms. Roberts is that her character development is wonderful. Her main characters, as well as her supportive characters, are quite well rounded and believable.

It was a fun and light read. The dialogue was fun and witty between the main characters and I enjoyed reading it.

If you are looking for something that's easy to read and use to escape for a couple of hours consider picking up Vision in White.

Rating: 3.5/5

Checking in . . .

2010-04-07T21:38:00.000-07:00

I've been doing a lot of reading lately. Check back here soon for new reviews!

Upcoming Reviews:

Vision in White - Nora Roberts
Bed of Roses - Nora Roberts
City of Bone - Cassandra Clare
City of Ash - Cassandra Clare
City of Glass - Cassandra Clare

Currently, I'm reading Wickedly Lovely by Melissa Marr.

Something Borrowed

2010-03-18T14:45:00.000-07:00

Something Borrowed
By - Emily Giffin
Author's Website

When I read the back of this book I wasn't certain what to think. It sounded interesting, but I also wondered how I would like the heroine.

Rachel White is an attorney in Manhattan and has always been a good girl who never strayed off the right path. On the night of her thirtieth birthday her best friend Darcy throws her a birthday bash. She ends the night by sleeping with Darcy's fiance, Dex.
Try as they might Rachel is completely drawn to Dex.

I was expecting to dislike Rachel because anyone who would sleep with her best friend's fiance can't be a likable character. I was wrong. I enjoyed reading about her struggle and the conflict she feels. Rachel is a very relatable character and you find yourself siding with her, even though she is very in the wrong and she knows it.

I was even pleased with how the book ended. Everything wrapped up nicely and ended well. The book was well paced, keeping you interested and wanting to read more. I recommend picking this book up if you are looking for a fun read. I'm looking forward to reading more books by Emily Giffin.

Rating: 4/5 stars

Currently Reading - 3.14.10

2010-03-14T10:48:00.000-07:00

My mom's up here this weekend visiting and we ventured to a bookstore yesterday where I was able to pick up a couple new books.

Last night I started reading Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin. I bought it on a whim and so far I'm enjoying it. I've heard good things about the author so I thought I should give it a whirl.

Watch for my review.

The Dark Divine

2010-03-02T18:48:00.000-08:00

The Dark Divine

by Bree Despain

Author's Website

Synopsis:

Grace Divine, daughter of the local pastor, always knew something terrible happened the night Daniel Kalbi disappeared--the night she found her brother Jude collapsed on the porch, covered in his own blood--but she has no idea what a truly monstrous secret that night held.

The memories her family has tried to bury resurface when Daniel returns, three years later, and enrolls in Grace and Jude's high school. Despite promising Jude she'll stay away, Grace cannot deny her attraction to Daniel's shocking artistic abilities, his way of getting her to look at the world from new angles, and the strange, hungry glint in his eyes.

The closer Grace gets to Daniel, the more she jeopardizes her life, as her actions stir resentment in Jude and drive him to embrace the ancient evil Daniel unleashed that horrific night. Grace must discover the truth behind the boy's dark secret...and the cure that can save the ones she loves. But she may have to lay down the ultimate sacrifice to do it--her soul.

I finished this book yesterday. It was a super easy quick read, didn't even take me a full day to finish it.

I'm a little conflicted on this book. While it was entertaining to read I can't say that I loved it. It's completely set up for a sequel and I'm guessing the author is working on it right now. However, on the whole It was quite well written and easy to follow.

I do have to say that the font in the book is awful, it's irritating and distracting. The cover however is quite eye-catching, but I never saw anyway that it related to the book. Which certainly isn't necessary, but is a nice touch.

I thought the flow of the story was nice, if a bit slow. It took the author way too long, in my opinion, to get the meat of the story. It wasn't too difficult to guess what was going on though. There was quite a lot of religion woven into the story and at times it felt a little bit Da Vinci Code for teens, but I didn't mind it. It added a nice element to the story.

I think my main irritation with this book would have to be how it ends. ***This is a slight spoiler so skip this paragraph if you don't want to know.*** The heroine, Grace Divine, (what a name), becomes what the hero is striving not to be and searching to cure. After the hero finally is relinquished from his "curse" he tries to tell Grace that she'll be fine and it isn't that bad. I found it hypocritical. I'm hoping that the author makes me more comfortable with Grace's fate in additional installments.

I did like the twist with Grace's brother Jude. It's what I suspected early on, but I still enjoyed it none the less.

It does say something that I want to read the next book and see what happens to Grace and Daniel. I do think I can wait for it to come out on paperback. I won't be sitting on pins and needles waiting to see what happens next.

Rating: 3/5 stars

Still reading . . .

2010-02-20T00:02:00.000-08:00

Life has gotten in the way and I haven't had any time to devote to reading. The Dark Divine is awaiting me on my nightstand; hoping I pick it up again soon.

Currently Reading - 1.21.10

2010-01-21T10:24:00.000-08:00

The Dark Divine by Bree Despain.

The Little Lady Agency and the Prince

2010-01-20T15:26:00.000-08:00

The Little Lady Agency and the Prince
by Hester Browne
Author's Website

This review is going to be hard to write. I don't want to spoil the ending for anyone so I'm going to attempt to not give anything away.

This is the final chapter in Melissa Romney-Jones' story (thus far) and I was so pleased with how it ended. Melissa is back in London beginning to plan her wedding to Jonathan and her move to join him in Paris. Jonathan has been transferred to Paris to start a new office there and has left New York behind. The plan is for Melissa to close her agency and move to Paris where Jonathan will also resign from his job and they will embark on a new business venture that he's developed for them.

As a favor to her beloved grandma, Melissa agrees to tackle a playboy prince and teach him about proper princely behavior and etiquette. Prince Nicolas of Hollenberg, Nicky, keeps her on her toes. He's as handsome as the day is long as is eager to flirt with anything in a skirt. It was fun to watch her keep her own with his witty repartee. She's quite the saucy lady who knows how to handle men.

With her dealing with Nicky and holding her end of a long distance relationship Melissa discovers what she wants and needs is just as important as anyone else's desires. She discovers that Honey is indeed a part of her and that she can be just as empowered as Melissa without the wig and the clothes. She finds that she's not willing to give up her agency as easily as Jonathan expects her to. This is definitely a source of contention for the couple, that gets compounded when she realizes that Jonathan hasn't made definite plans to resign from his work either.

Melissa manages to turn Nicky into a prefect prince charming and discovers that she can be more herself with Nicky than she can with Jonathan. I absolutely loved how Ms. Browne has wrapped up this trilogy. You can see hints at what the best course for Melissa is through all three books and I am so pleased with how well it was written. I was loathe to put the book down as I will miss all these characters. I do hope that another book is written, I would love to see what happens to Melissa now that things are starting to fall into place for her.

I loved this book. It was probably my favorite in the trilogy, I stayed up way too late finishing it.

Rating: 5/5 stars

Little Lady, Big Apple

2010-01-18T14:54:00.000-08:00

Little Lady, Big Apple
by Hester Browne
Author's Website

After finishing The Little Lady Agency I couldn't wait to get my hands on the second book. I ran out and picked up up, along with the third book, and delved right in.

Little Lady, Big Apple follows Melissa Romney-Jones to New York after Jonathan takes a new position in his company. Her flat mate, Nelson, is having the apartment fixed up while he's away and she needs to find a new place to live for a month. She ends up living with Jonathan and splitting her time between New York and quick trips home for family emergencies (which she seems to be the only one level-headed enough to resolve.) and to check on her agency which she is forced to leave in the hands of her friend Gabi and her sister Allegra.

I really enjoyed this book, but while I was reading it I found myself getting irritated with Jonathan. He insists on tell her how she should run her business and what she can and cannot do. At the same he clearly doesn't think what she does is as important as his job. In fact, Jonathan would be perfectly happy if she gave up the agency entirely. While Melissa's in New York Jonathan has difficulty finding the time to get away from work and spend any time with her. She's spends her trip meeting all his friends, who are also friends with his irritating ex-wife and his neglected dog.

Melissa goes against Jonathan's wishes and takes on a client in New York, who happens to be an old friend of hers. Jonathan gets very angry. It seems like he's expecting her to do what his ex-wife did and is trying to protect himself by controlling everything. It is certainly a test on their relationship and it was interesting to see how they tried to work through it, or not in some cases. We got more character development on Jonathan, but it wasn't the sort of development that made me like him more. He won me over in the first book when he stood up to Melissa's father, but this one he had me torn between his romantic overtures and how selfish he was.

I think this book really dug into Melissa and how she's not sure who she is or what she really wants. These books are a voyage for Melissa to find out that what we want and needs sometimes isn't what we always expect.

I enjoyed this book immensely. I liked the first one better, but this was still very entertaining and fun to read.

Rating: 5/5 Stars

The Little Lady Agency

2010-01-16T14:32:00.000-08:00

The Little Lady Agency
by Hester Browne
Author's Website

I was at Borders and wanting something light and fun to read and I stumbled upon The Little Lady Agency. I noticed that it was a three book series so I decided to try the first one and then possibly come back for the other two if I enjoyed it.

We follow the life of Melissa Romney-Jones, proper well-bred English girl, daughter of a prominent politician, struggling to find where she belongs and who she is. After getting fired from yet another job she stumbles upon the idea of starting her own business. A business helping girlfriend-less men. She helps them plan parties, acts as their girlfriend to thwart meddling mothers, gives wardrobe advice and helps spruce up their homes. She's a life style expert for men. The only hitch is that, due to her father's political status, she can't use her own name. Melissa comes up with an alter-ego, Honey Blennerhesket. Honey is everything Melissa's not. Honey's not afraid to show off her feminine curves, she's strong and will say what she thinks. People don't walk over Honey the way they do Melissa. Honey comes with a sexy fitted wardrobe and a blonde wig.

Melissa takes on the job of pretending to be the girlfriend of an American, Jonathan, who's going through a divorce and wanting to avoid all the matchmaking of his London social set. Jonathan is a very different client than Melissa/Honey normally takes on. Honey finds herself falling for Jonathan and him her. Her trouble is she doesn't know if it's Honey he's falling for or the Melissa underneath all the sexy clothes and blonde wig.

This is a delightfully fun and easy read. We get to see all of Melissa's relationships from her over-bearing father, her dysfunctional family, her easy-going and lovable flat mate - Nelson, and her best friend Gabi. I had trouble putting this book down, I couldn't wait to see what happened the Melissa/Honey next.

The writing is good and the characters are well-developed, strong and believable. I thoroughly enjoyed The Little Lady Agency and couldn't wait to go grab the second and third books in the series. I highly recommend this book and I look forward to reading more from Hester Browne.

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Currently Reading - 1.13.10

2010-01-13T21:56:00.000-08:00

Just finished Little Lady, Big Apple by Hester Browne and am starting Little Lady Agency and the Prince By Hester Browne. Really cute and fun series so far.

Confessions of a Shopaholic

2010-01-07T14:48:00.000-08:00

Confessions of a Shopaholic

by Sophie Kinsella

Authors Website

I saw this book at the grocery store and had heard so much about it from friends that I decided to pick it up. I was excited to read it, the back sounded cute and it was set in London, which I already mentioned that I'm a bit enamored with. I figured that it would be a light fun read and a good escape, so I started it on Tuesday while Sprout was in preschool and I was out sitting in the car.

The writing is pretty good and I wouldn't mind reading additional books by Sophie Kinsella, however the heroine in this book is almost painful to read about. I didn't relate to her at all. I guess the title should have given me a hint to her personality, but I have never read such a shallow character who's life was so thoroughly devoted to shopping. I love to shop, don't get me wrong, but this was extreme.

The premise of the book is that we have an attractive 25-year-old woman, Rebecca Bloomwood, who is working as a financial journalist, but would prefer to be a journalist in the fashion industry. She's in debt and has creditors banging down her door and we get to watch her as she attempts to find ways to cut back or make more money, which are often times hard to read about.

The part that was so hard to relate to was how she knew she was in debt and couldn't afford things, yet she continued to spend as if she thought she could. Her justifications and rationalizations for spending money were bordering on ridiculous and some were well over the border. Everything in her life made her think about shopping . . . if she had a boyfriend - just think of all the lingerie she could buy! Cooking at home - all those lovely kitchen gadgets she'd need! New job - new wardrobe! Feeling sad - Retail therapy! It got tiring watching her spend money and whip out her credit card for everything.

I was beginning to wonder if our heroine had any redeeming qualities or if she was just a shallow, delusional waste of space. She finally finds a passion for something other than shopping over half-way through the book and this is when my impression of this book changed. Seeing her care about something besides designer labels, sales, and shopping was refreshing. She proved that she was articulate and actually does possess a brain in her head, and that she cares about someone other than herself.

The author leads you to think that Rebecca Bloomwood would make a change and be more responsible, only to put her back to her immature ways with the last sentence of the book, which was disappointing. At least she got her finances more figured out at the end, but I only wonder how long it will be before she's in troubled waters again. I guess that's why there are several sequels. I haven't decided if I want to read them yet seeing as I didn't really enjoy or even relate to this character. We'll have to see if I feel the urge to see what Rebecca is up to after I get over my initial irritations with this book.

Rating: 3/5 stars

Currently Reading - 1.5.10

2010-01-05T22:23:00.000-08:00

Currently I'm almost half-way through "Confessions of a Shopaholic" by Sophie Kinsella. So far this has the markings of a book that I would completely enjoy. Set in London, me love me some Brits! I'm having trouble connecting with the heroine thus far, but I will reserve my judgement until finished. Check back soon!

A smidge about me . . .

2010-01-05T21:45:00.000-08:00

First off, I love to read. Aside from being with my family, I am most happy curled up and thoroughly ensconced in a good book (wish I could say I loved exercise nearly as much). I enjoy finding new authors that make me fall in love with their characters and regret leaving their world once the book is finished.

Predominately, I enjoy what's known as "chick-lit". For me, I need something that's upbeat and happy. Life is so full of fears and worries that I need something light and that provides an escape. Granted all chick-lit books do not end happily, however, I find that there's a better chance that they will.

So, what's the purpose of this blog? I intend to review the books that I read on here. I am not going to limit what I read solely to the chick lit genre, that would be a little overkill. Generally, other than chick lit, I tend to gravitate towards classics (I adore Jane Austen), young adult (yes, I enjoyed Twilight), some romance novels, sci-fi/paranomal (think Diana Gabaldon and Charlaine Harris; which they could be grouped in chick-lit, I suppose),and historical fiction.

Genres you probably won't find here, horror and mystery; not very keen on those.

I will post reviews as I read and probably keep it updated on what I am currently reading as I go along.