Showing posts with label General Fiction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label General Fiction. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Touchable Love by Becky Due



Touchable Love, An Untraditional Love Story
Publication Date: February 15, 2008
Genre: General Fiction/Woman's Fiction/ Chick-lit
Reviewed For: Publisher/Author
Add to your Goodreads List HERE
My Rating: 3.5
1/2

Book Blurb: Love will always conquer fear and Christy has much to fear. When she enters the lives of two men, they teach her everything she needs to know about love. However, while dealing with her past issues and trying to treat her body like the temple it is, she teaches them a thing or two in return.

My Thoughts: This is a very different book from my every day reading. Christy is a woman who is struggling with herself as a person. She doesn't have a lot of self worth about herself and just kind of floats along in life. She really hasn't found her place yet. She puts a lot of her self worth into her body. After quitting a job as a nude model she finds herself wanting to be on the other side of the camera. She gets an offer from a man named Paul who happens to be dieing from aids. He wants her to photograph his life and after he is gone, finish his book and distribute the book for free. She won't make money off this deal, but her name will be known. She does this, but as she takes the time photographing Paul, she falls in love with him and doesn't understand how she will ever gets past losing him. Another man in Paul and Christy's life is Brian. Christy and Brian bond as the end of Paul's days come.

I was captivated by this book. The writing style is unique and different. The story itself is different from what the average reader is used too. It isn't every day we sit down and read a love story that involves aids and other diseases and how real these diseases really are. That there are people out there everyday dieing. This book leaves you with mixed emotions.

I really enjoyed this book and I would recommend this to a friend. I recommend this to readers who like a story that will leave them thinking and don't mind seeing the other side of life that might be ugly.


 

Friday, April 15, 2011

Catching Moondrops by Jennifer Erin Valent



Catching Moondrops
Publication Date: October 1, 2010
Genre: Christen Romance/ General Fiction
Series: Book 3
Reviewed for: Tyndale House Publishers
My Rating:



Book Blurb: Jessilyn Lassiter no longer has to convince people she’s not a child. Having just turned 19 in the summer of 1938, her love for Luke Talley has never been more real. And Luke is finally beginning to care for her in the way she’s always dreamed of. But their budding romance is interrupted when Tal Pritchett—a young, black doctor—comes to Calloway, stealing the heart of Jessilyn’s best friend, Gemma, and stirring up the racial prejudice that has been simmering just beneath the town’s surface. The tension starts to bubble over when Jessie’s elderly neighbor Miss Cleta becomes the first white townsperson to accept Tal’s treatment. And when a young black man is lynched, Calloway is brought to its knees once again as Jessilyn realizes that her anger can make her heart as full of hate as the klan members who have terrorized her town and her family.

My Thoughts: This is a book to get swept away in. Jessilyn is a character that appeals to the reader. When I received this book for review, I didn't realize that it was the third in the series. You will want to look for the first two books before reading this so you have a little more background to this story. You can however pick out the pieces and still enjoy the book if you decide to read this story alone.

This book touches a on a lot of subjects. Some may be harder for some readers to read as there is a lot of racial issues in this book. Putting that aside, this is a story you can fall in love with. The author really plays your emotions and knows what string to pull on your heart. I would recommend reading the first two however  Fireflies in December, and Cottonwood Whispers.


I recommend this book to anyone who loves taking a trip back in history. This book is set in the 1930's and really captures what people were going through at this time. This book does have a romance in it, so if your one of those who loves reading about two people falling in love, this book is also a great choice for you.


 

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Letters From Home by Kristina McMorris

Letters From Home
Publication Date: March 1, 2011
Genre: General Fiction/ Romance
Format I Read: Paperback/Tradeback
My Rating:


Book Blurb: Chicago, 1944. Liz Stephens has little interest in attending a USO club dance with her friends Betty and Julia. She doesn't need a flirtation with a lonely serviceman when she's set to marry her childhood sweetheart. Yet something happens the moment Liz glimpses Morgan McClain. They share only a brief exchange--cut short by the soldier's evident interest in Betty--but Liz can't forget him. Thus, when Betty asks her to ghostwrite a letter to Morgan, stationed overseas, Liz reluctantly agrees.
Thousands of miles away, Morgan struggles to adjust to the brutality of war. His letters from "Betty" are a comfort, their soul-baring correspondence a revelation to them both. While Liz is torn by her feelings for a man who doesn't know her true identity, Betty and Julia each become immersed in their own romantic entanglements. And as the war draws to a close, all three will face heart-wrenching choices, painful losses, and the bittersweet joy of new beginnings.



My Thoughts: This is a wonderfully written book that will take you for a ride through the early 1940's. You go back to a simpler time where women were just starting to get comfortable with who they were. Women still needed husbands and approval from their family. Dating was very simple in this time. Little kisses were generally stolen and left a blush between the two. This made the story very sweet and a nice change. Kristina really weaves several stories all into one book. There is heartbreak and love all in this book. We get to know three women in this book as they are emerging into womanhood; Liz, Julia, and Betty. Betty I think would fit in wonderful with women now a days! She had that spunk about her and I would like to think if Betty was real she was one who led woman right acts. We also meet several men who are serving the country. This is where the letters play a part. Liz write to Morgan whom she met and feels a connection too, even though she is engaged to another gentleman. She however thinks he would rather have her room mate Betty, so she pretends the letters are from Betty. Betty has taken off to serve the country and has no idea about the exchanging of letters that is taking place. Julia's fiancee is also in the war, however she is feeling a connection with his brother.

You will genuinely enjoy this story. It will be one you will want on your bookshelf and to pass among friends until everyone you know has read it.




**This book was provided to me by the publishers in return for my honest review.**

Friday, February 18, 2011

Georgia Bottoms by Mark Childress

Georgia Bottoms: A Novel
Publication Date: February 23rd 2011
Genre: General Fiction
Format I Read: Paperback
My Rating: See my thoughts for rating.


Book Blurb: Georgia Bottoms is known in her small community of Six Points, Alabama, as a beautiful, well-to-do, and devoutly Baptist Southern belle.
Nobody realizes that the family fortune has long since disappeared, and a determinedly single woman like Georgia needs an alternative, and discreet, means of income. In Georgia's case it is six well-heeled lovers-one for each day of the week, with Mondays off-none of whom knows about the others.
But when the married preacher who has been coming to call (Saturdays) decides to confess their affair in front of the whole congregation, Georgia must take drastic measures to stop him.



My Thoughts: This is a book I have a hard time rating. I am hoping by the time I finish writing my thoughts about this book I have decided on a rating. In most aspects I liked this book. Georgia is a very intriguing character and keeps the reader entertained. She lives in her own little world. She takes care of her mother "Little Mama" who is losing her mind. For money Georgia lives a secret life. She wouldn't consider herself a prostitute since she doesn't ask for money,  its gifted to her. She has one night a week set to each gentleman and if they leave her a gift, then that's great. No one is off limits for Georgia. This in itself if fun to read about since she lives in such a small little city where cell phones don't even exist. Its very small town, very country area. The dialect in this book proves this to be from a small town.

So you may be wondering now, where I am I having such a hard time with rating this book. The answer is, the racial aspect of this book. I could have done without some of the words and the ignorance. I get that there are still people out there who don't like the other races, and this  book reminds you of it, but I think the story still would have been good without it. The black people in this book spoke with horrible dialect. I live in the south. I am actually in Georgia. I do hear this dialect so it isn't foreign to me. I just could have done without it. The "N" word is used through out this book since Georgia's mom is the main one against black people. I am sure  the author meant well and I enjoyed his story very much. This is my first book by him, I would be interested in reading another just to see what its like. He tells a great story. It was fun taking a trip down a southern road and here about the life's of those who still have it simple. Either way, if you can ignore the racial aspects if this is something that might offend you, then you will enjoy this story.

With that being said, I think I would give the story a 4 but the racial aspect has me put it at a 3. So this book is going to have 2 ratings I guess!




**This book was provided to me by the publisher in return for my honest review.**

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

All That's True by Jackie Lee Miles

All That's True
Publication Date: January 1, 2011
Genre: General Fiction/ Young Adult
Add to your Goodreads TBR List
My Rating:


Book Blurb:  "My life was close to perfect-until my brother Alex got killed and my mother started drinking and my father starting having sex with Donna, my best friend's stepmother, who's not even thirty years old."
Thirteen-year-old Andi St. James' privileged life in Atlanta is interrupted one fall, to say the least. With an equal mix of joy and sorrow, All That's True follows Andi's poignant-and sometimes laugh-out-loud-journey to young adulthood, where she struggles with the elusive nature of truth and the devastating consequences of deception.

My Thoughts: This book was almost like sitting with the main character, Andi as she struggled with life. Andi starts out so innocent in this book, and while still innocent at the end, the layers are being pulled down as she discovers more and more of what life can bring. She starts out the book two months after her older brother Alex passed away. You watch through her eyes how her parents deal with this; her mother turning to alcohol and here father is having an affair. The book goes on as you learn more about the parents, but everything is through her perspective. Its refreshing to remember how young and innocent a thirteen year old is, but how much they actually understand. This book will also take you back to the early 1990's when in some ways things seemed much simpler. I enjoyed the era that the author wrote this book.

I think this is an excellent book for anyone to read. Its a story and it almost seems real. It isn't some made up crazy story that most of us love. Even though this book is fiction, it feels real. I think this book is also appropriate for a young adult reader.



**This book was provided to me by the publishers in return for my honest review.**

Thursday, January 6, 2011

This Side of Crazy by Kimmie Thomas

This Side of Crazy
Publication date: September 15, 2010
Pages: 220
Format: Tradeback (e-book available)
Genre: General Fiction
My Rating:



Book Summary: Maxine Payne s poor self-esteem leads her to marry the first man that showed any interest in her. After five years of marriage and misery she has nothing to show for it. Her sham of a marriage is falling apart and her dream of having a child is fading away each day. To make matters worst, she discovers that the people in her life are not there to love and help her as she has always believed. She struggles to come to terms with her failing marriage and her sick mother as she watches her chance at a happy home with children slip away. Her two childhood girlfriends offer help and support but they have their own personal struggles. The old saying, what s done in the dark will eventually comes to light has never been more true. When tragedy strikes, Maxine will have to make the most important decision of her life. But will the lies and secrets her husband and friends harbor bring Maxine s life crashing down around her?



My Thoughts:  Any reader will fall in love with Maxine Payne and want to see her get her life straight and build the confidence that a woman needs. Her husband Doug, well frankly anyone who reads about him will want to just smack him.  He is an egotistical jerk and the absolute last thing that Maxine needs, so when she does finally walk out the door on him, you feel the relief right along with her. Thank goodness she doesn't even look back at him. We then get to go on Max's journey towards independence, learning who she is, taking care of her sick mom, and trying to juggle a man who is deeply interested in her, however she isn't sure she is ready for the plunge. She has two best friends since school age, Cyan and Cilly. We get to know each of them better in this story and what is going on in their lives.

When the book starts out, we meet someone whom is called Mistress. This is an interwoven plot in the book as we try to figure out who Mistress is. You know that it has to either be Cilly and Cyan who is living a secret life as a Mistress with a dungeon where she performs dominatrix type stuff on men.

One thing I found the most shocking in this book was the amount of infidelity in this book. Everyone was cheating on everyone, and I was a little shocked by this. However, this did help make the story. The book was very interesting and kept me wanting to read more. This is an easy read in a day type of book as we get swept away with Maxine. I highly recommend this book. The sexual scenes are a bit strong in this book, so if this isn't your cup of tea, you can always skim over those parts, but don't let it turn you away from this great story of courage for any woman.



**This book was provided to me by the publisher/author in return for my honest review.**

Monday, November 29, 2010

Rescue by Anita Shreve

Rescue: A Novel
Publication Date: November 30, 2010
Pages: 291
Genre: General Fiction
My Rating:



Book Summary: Paramedic Pete Webster is worried sick about his daughter, Rowan, a high-school senior whom he has raised single-handedly ever since she was two. Rowan has adopted very untypical behavior, ignoring her studies and drinking heavily. It brings back bad memories of his ex-wife, Sheila. He pulled her from a car wreck while on the job and soon fell madly in love with her both for her beauty and her irreverent sense of humor. When she became pregnant, he married her though he was only 21. They were very happy until Sheila began drinking all day, every day. Now Pete is worried that their daughter believes she is doomed to repeat her mother’s mistakes; he decides to contact Sheila, whom he has not seen or heard from for 16 years. The prolific Shreve brings her customary care to this thoroughly absorbing, perfectly paced domestic drama. Alternating between the life-and-death scenarios Pete encounters on the job and the fraught family tension between father and daughter, Shreve pulls readers right into her story.

My Thoughts: This is an amazing story. Sitting down with this book, you get swept away into a world of first love. Peter Webster works rescue and often gets to a scene before the EMT's. Upon meeting Sheila after her accident, Peter is immediately drawn to her and why she was where she was at that time. He gets swept away by her and finds her after the rescue. They soon find themselves with a baby on the way and decide to start their lives together. Sheila has a problem with alcohol and around the time that Rowan is two, Sheila makes a big mistake and leaves Webster to raise Rowan on his own. We then go forward in the book to when Rowan is 17 and Webster is now an EMT. Sheila has not been in Rowan's wife in all this time, however something happens and Webster needs to ask Sheila for help.

Webster's feelings for Sheila are well known through out this book.  Sheila's feeling for me were not always known.  I had a hard time reading her. I could never figure out if she was genuine. In the end of the book, I felt her feelings were genuine. She is one of those characters that you just wish you could get in her head and know her. This is definitely Shreve at her best! This is a good book and you will want to add this one to your collection.




**I received a copy of this book from the publishers in return for my honest review of this book.**

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Review: I'd Know You Anywhere by Laura Lippman

I'd Know You Anywhere: A Novel
Publication Date: September 1st 2010
Pages:
Genre: Thriller/ General Fiction
My Rating:




Book Summary:  Eliza Benedict cherishes her peaceful, ordinary suburban life with her successful husband and children, thirteen-year-old Iso and eight-year-old Albie. But her tranquillity is shattered when she receives a letter from the last person she ever expects—or wants—to hear from: Walter Bowman. There was your photo, in a magazine. Of course, you are older now. Still, I'd know you anywhere.In the summer of 1985, when she was fifteen, Eliza was kidnapped by Walter and held hostage for almost six weeks. He had killed at least one girl and Eliza always suspected he had other victims as well. Now on death row in Virginia for the rape and murder of his final victim, Walter seems to be making a heartfelt act of contrition as his execution nears. Though Eliza wants nothing to do with him, she's never forgotten that Walter was most unpredictable when ignored. Desperate to shelter her children from this undisclosed trauma in her past, she cautiously makes contact with Walter. She's always wondered why Walter let her live, and perhaps now he'll tell her—and share the truth about his other victims.Yet as Walter presses her for more and deeper contact, it becomes clear that he is after something greater than forgiveness. He wants Eliza to remember what really happened that long-ago summer. He wants her to save his life. And Eliza, who has worked hard for her comfortable, cocooned life, will do anything to protect it—even if it means finally facing the events of that horrifying summer and the terrible truth she's kept buried inside.An edgy, utterly gripping tale of psychological manipulation that will leave readers racing to the final page, I'd Know You Anywhere is a virtuoso performance from acclaimed, award-winning author Laura Lippman that is sure to be her biggest hit yet. 

My Thoughts: I was intrigued by this book after reading Still Missing by Chevy Stevens. I came across this book for review not long after reading Still Missing. This book is different however. I was captivated from page one. The author paints a story that is very well told.  Walter is a serial killer. She lets us meet him first and get to know him and give us some insight as to why he may have become who he was. We meet Eliza as an adult living her day to day life trying not to think about her past from when she was kidnapped. This is something she keeps secret from others however, she is very open and honest with her husband, which I liked in this book. Too often in book, spouses keep secrets from one another and it was nice to read about a good and solid marriage. This is something however that she has kept from her children. Which I can understand being a mother. That would be something very difficult to explain. You also meet in this story the mother of one of the murder victims. Actually this victim, Holly, it was her murder case that got Walter on death row. So, we get to meet her mother and see how she feels about the upcoming date that Walter is facing. He has been the longest inmate on death row, as he keeps avoiding it somehow. She is now worried that Eliza isn't really a victim of Walter's as she has portrayed and that Eliza might help Walter get off, since the two are in contact again.

Another thing I enjoyed about this story was that Eliza did not get herself all wrapped up into Walter like you think a character would. You read a lot about her day to day life as a parent. Walter is not always on her mind as she is dealing with a rebellious teenage daughter and a son with nightmares.

I really liked this story. This was an all around good book and I really think this book is going to get popular fast. It is well written and definitely one that I recommend that you add to your TBR list if it isn't already added.



**I read this book through Crazy Book Tours.**

Thursday, October 28, 2010

The Love Goddess' Cooking School by Melissa Senate

The Love Goddess' Cooking SchoolPublication Date: Oct 26, 2010
Pages: 321
Genre: chic-lit
My Rating:


Summary: Holly Maguire’s grandmother Camilla was the Love Goddess of Blue Crab Island, Maine—a Milanese fortune-teller who could predict the right man for you, and whose Italian cooking was rumored to save marriages. Holly has been waiting years for her unlikely fortune: her true love will like sa cordula, an unappetizing old-world delicacy. But Holly can’t make a decent marinara sauce, let alone sa cordula. Maybe that’s why the man she hopes to marry breaks her heart. So when Holly inherits Camilla’s Cucinotta, she’s determined to forget about fortunes and love and become an Italian cooking teacher worthy of her grandmother’s legacy.
But Holly’s four students are seeking much more than how to make Camilla’s chicken alla Milanese. Simon, a single father, hopes to cook his way back into his daughter’s heart. Juliet, Holly’s childhood friend, hides a painful secret. Tamara, a serial dater, can’t find the love she longs for. And twelve-year-old Mia thinks learning to cook will stop her dad, Liam, from marrying his phony lasagna-queen girlfriend. As the class gathers each week, adding Camilla’s essential ingredients of wishes and memories in every pot and pan, unexpected friendships and romances are formed—andtested. Especially when Holly falls hard for Liam . . . and learns a thing or two about finding her own recipe for happiness.


My Thoughts: I love stories that deal with people from your past coming back, whether its an old friend or an old crush/flame; and this book had both. I had hoped the book would go into a little more depth with the friendships that were formed in this book, then again it may have made it like too many other books out there if that had been the case. Especially since this one dealt a little more on the romance side between Liam and Holly. When we first meet Holly in this book, she is leaving a romance that she had thought was the one. The man who seemed perfect, yet he wouldn't eat Sa Cordula which is her curse so to speak. Her grandmother told her she would find her great love when he would eat this dish. Sa Cordula just happens to be a pasta dish with goat guts. Yuck, I know! So, who she felt was this great love of coarse took one bite and he hated it. This is how she gets back to her hometown with her grandmother, who unfortunately passes away and leaves her cooking business to Holly. Holly takes over, trying to make it her own and still offers the cooking coarse.

Mia is Liam's daughter who wants to take the class so she can learn to cook for her dad and get rid of his current girlfriend. This is when Liam enters into the picture, who also just so happens to be someone she had always had a crush on when she was in high school. However, the book really doesn't dive into that. Its mentioned a few times, but there is never any dialect between Liam and Holly about this, so its easily forgotten.

This is a really good book. Its interesting and will hold your attention for the most part if your into just a classic story where you don't need a little suspense. When reading this book, make sure in you weekly menu you have something Italian on there. Your going to finish this book and crave something warm, cheesy and full of marinara sauce!




**This book was provided to me by the publisher's in return for an honest review.**

Thursday, September 23, 2010

The Tower, The Zoo, and The Tortoise by Julia Stuart

the tower, the zoo, and the tortoise
 
Publication Date: August 10, 2010
Pages: 320
My rating:
3 butterflies
Summary: We meet a variety of characters in this book. Balthazar Jones who is a beefeater and is married to Hebe Jones. This book mainly focus’s on these two and their marriage. They have lost their son Milo years back and they have lost themselves and their marriage as well. The two struggle to communicate. This is all set in a world where they live in a tower that no everyone believes exists. Tourists come daily to to tour the towers. Hebe works in the lost and found and that keeps you quite entertained with all her findings. Valerie Jennings is her good friend but also works in the lost and found with her. Two other characters you get to know a lot too are Ruby Dore and Rev. Septimus Drew.  This book is a charming little tale.

My thoughts: This book was stepping out of my norm of reading. I am a romance lover, so this was different. I did like the book, but it didn’t quite hold my attention as well as I had hoped it would. I found my mind wandering some. It took me longer to read then most books do. It just didn’t grab my attention. However, i did enjoy the story. I hoped as much as any reader for Hebe and Balthazar. I was very entertained by the tales of all these kooky characters.

With that, I am giving away two copies of this book from DoubleDay books. Go to HERE to enter. Good luck. Contest will end Oct. 8th.

Friday, August 20, 2010

Review---The Wednesday Sister's by Meg Waite Clayton

The Wednesday Sisters: A Novel

Summary:
A group of women start meeting at the park in the 1960's. Frankie, Ally, Linda, Kath, and Brett. Each one is different as the other, yet they have one common interest, and that is writing. They meet every Wednesday morning while the kids play in the park and they write. They critique each others work and support one another. Through this common interest, friendships are born and these five women are always there for one another in a way that every woman dreams to have in a friend.

What I Thought:
It was an amazing story. I enjoyed getting to know each woman individually. The story was told in Frankie's point of view. You mainly get to know the women through her, however she is a very non judgemental and quiet person, so it was easy seeing the other characters through her eyes.

I loved the aspect in the group  of the women having a writing group. It was very unique and each woman seemed to have a different topic they liked to write about. They were all supportive while trying to find agents. As with almost any book you read that deals with a group of women, one women does deal with an illness and the group really comes together for that.

With the book being set in the 1960's it was interesting seeing the different point of views. One issue that was dealt with was interracial marriages. Today its common, very few people are against it. No one judges anyone for it. Yet, you have these five women in a different time then now and you see how they feel about it. You also have the start of the women's movement in this book. These five women have dreams, but they  have been raised to be born home makers. It isn't common for women to work still in this time.

Without telling too much more of the  book, I want to say that I liked it. It was in some ways similar to The Friday Night Knitting Club. If you liked that book, they you will definitely like this in the aspect its similar.

My Rating:

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Book Tour---Bill Walker's "A Note From an Old Acquaintance"

A Note From An Old Acquaintance

 I am honored to be doing a book tour for Bill Walker's newest book A Note From and Old Acquaintance. This is my first book tour, so I hope I am doing this right! I was very excited to review this book! It was a great book.

Summary: Brian Weller is a haunted man.  It's been two years since the tragic accident that left his three-year-old son dead and his wife in an irreversible coma. A popular author of mega-selling thrillers, Brian’s life has reached a crossroads: his new book is stalled, his wife’s prognosis is dire, and he teeters on the brink of despair.
Everything changes the morning an e-mail arrives from Boston artist Joanna Richman. Her heartfelt note brings back all the poignant memories: the night their eyes met, the fiery passion of their short-lived affair, and the agonizing moment he was forced to leave Joanna forever. Now, fifteen years later, the guilt and anger threaten to overwhelm him. Vowing to make things right, Brian arranges a book-signing tour that will take him back to Boston. He is eager to see Joanna again, but remains unsure where their reunion will lead. One thing is certain: the forces that tore their love asunder will stop at nothing to keep them apart.
Filled with tender romance and taut suspense, A Note from an Old Acquaintance is an unforgettable story about fate, honor, and the power of true love.
What did I think:
It was a good story. I was drawn in from the beginning wondering who this man was behind a dieing wife and a son he lost at such a young age. In the beginning of the story, we learn who is Joanna is, but we don't really know her. We learn she was someone he hurt from his past. Upon his wife passing away he decided to take a trip to Boston to do a book tour and see Joanna. At this point the book takes us back from 2006 to 1991. We learn the story then of how Joanna and Brian meet. We learn who Erik Ruby is and just what an evil man that he really is. Upon the end of Joanna and Brian, we are then taken back to 2006.
The story then starts at what is present day for the characters and them being reunited. Only, not much has changed. The two are still drawn to one another however, there is still one person in the way.
This is a great love story. Its one of those stories that makes you believe that there really is just one person out there for everyone. You want these two characters to be together. You are rooting for them throughout the story.
One thing i would have liked for me, is to get to know a little more about the wife and child. They were discussed very briefly. I am sure they were left out for a reason, but i would have liked to know a little more into the story maybe of meeting his wife.
Overall, I liked the story, and I think anyone looking for a good romance that isn't the classic romance we all love to read, should definitely check this book out. Its worth it!
My Rating:

Friday, July 23, 2010

Review---Simon's Choice (Your gonna wanna read this one!)

Simon's Choice

Simon's Choice by Charlotte Castle. Seriously....your gonna wanna read this one. Wow, what an awesome book! Due out August 2010

Quick Summary:
Simon is the father to a beautiful little girl named Sarah. He is married to Melissa. The family has been through so much. Sarah had been diagnosed at 5 with cancer. She did treatment for two years and was well on her way to her normal life again. She was healthier and Simon and Melissa thought they had finally beaten the cancer. Unfortunately, the cancer has come back. Poor Sarah doesn't have a chance of making it. At a time when two parents should be together and joined to support with one another, these two parents are falling apart from one another.  It all starts when Simon tells his daughter he will go to Heaven with her. Simon then has to make a choice after making this promise with his daughter. Will he take his life to be with his daughter on her journey to Heaven or will he stay here and continue his life.

What I thought:
Amazing! Absolutely amazing. This book is going to make it to a top sellers chart in no time. What an emotional story. You cried from almost the beginning to the end. The ending was amazing and left you wanting an epilogue to know what might have happened after. Make sure your alone if you don't want you kids asking you why in the world are you crying! A book like this makes you open your eyes a little wider and look around at what you have and appreciate it. Many characters that were friends in this book to Simon and Melissa literally abandoned them in their time that they needed them the most. I was heartbroken by this. I only hope that if i ever know anyone in this situation, that i am not like that. I of coarse pray that i am never in the situation, just like many of the characters. I definitely think you should read this. It was an amazing journey with Simon as he made his choice in the end.

My rating:

Clicking the picture above of book will take you to amazon to purchase
This book was provided to me by Charlotte for my honest opinion. I have given you my honest opinion and i hope its one that makes you want to run out and buy this book!

Friday, July 9, 2010

Jackie Collins---Poor Little B***** Girl Review

Poor Little Bitch Girl  This was my first Jackie Collins book and yes, it mainly interested me because of the cover and the name. Who couldn't wonder what it was about. Denver is the main character you meet and most everyone spins around her. Annebelle i do believe is the one being classified with the B word. Then there is Carolyn. Oh wait....there are a string of hot men too. There is a murder to be solved and a kidnapping all in one book!

Fast paced for sure. This was so hard to put down. I had to know what was going to happen. There were so many interesting story lines. I don't know if I would consider this a romance novel. There was a short romance in it.

This book was just highly entertaining!

This is a perfect book to forget the day and read. Chapters are fairly short. The story draws you in from the beginning. So, if your looking for a day to forget all your problems and tasks, check this one out. Hey, you can even click the picture above and it will take you right to Amazon!

Thanks for visiting Becks Book Picks!

Sunday, July 4, 2010

A Reliable Wife--Review

A Reliable Wife A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick. This book takes you back to 1907. A man, Ralph Truitt has lost much in his life. He puts an ad out to find a reliable wife. In return, he gets Catherine Land.  She comes with the intention to poison him and kill him. He wants a wife to help him find his long lost son. The story has many twists and turns and of coarse the two end up in love with one another.

So what did I think? I was so excited about this book. I had read its description and kept putting it in monthly for out book club pick. It never got chosen though. I think i put a lot of hype into it. The book was good, but it was also a bit of a let down. I guess i had expected some of the twists in the book not to have been so predictable. I think the author did a good job helping you feel the way each character felt with this being 3rd person. The author write a ton about sex and the way it goes through these guys mind. Which in the beginning, you read as the main character is imagining people in their own houses in the act. Some of that was a little strange.

I give the book 3 stars.

It was a good weekend read. It wasn't the best love story, but it was different. That's really all i can say. So if you looking to get lost in a different kind of story, this is your book. So I do recommend it, just not if your wanting a sappy love story.