Love Walked In by Marisa de los Santos

Even though I read this out of order (I read Belong to Me, which features Cornelia later in life) I still super enjoyed this novel and it made some of Belong to Me make sense. But it stands alone in its own right.

Just a delightful love story!

Only Nuns Change Their Habits Overnight by Karen Scalf Linamen

Subtitled: 52 Amazing Way to Master the art of personal change.

I really enjoyed this humorous, yet practical look at the change process.
Most of the tips are good – although I think to get 52 the author stretched a little bit. The cover lead me to believe it would be in a different format, but instead the tips are sprinkled throughout the chapters. The author primarily uses humor to get her point across.  I also didn’t realize she’s a Christian humorist – although really the religious stuff wasn’t too heavy handed.
I’d recommend it to anyone who is trying to make a change in their life.

Belong to Me by Marisa de los Santos

A very satisfying intelligent, chick-lit book which I stayed up way too late to finish.
I loved the characters and thought their struggles were real and I didn’t see the twist ending. I didn’t realize until halfway through the book that this was the second book, and Cornelia is in Love Walked In, which I will be getting from the library and reading as well.

Just a very satisfying, very good read. Loved the turns of phrases and the descriptions.

Catsitter on a Hot Tin Roof by Blaize Clement

Another great addition to this series. Dixie Hemingway is a pet sitter in Florida – she used to be Deputy in the Sherriff’s Department until a tragic accident.

This book was almost too short – Dixie doesn’t find a body until page 90 and then it wraps up in less than 200 pages later.

You can see the progression of Dixie’s character in this novel, and I hope the next book provides some more about her healing/grieving process and moves along her relationship with some other characters. I’d like to see more character development in the next book.

Basic Black by Cathie Black

subtitled: the essential guide for getting ahead at work (and in Life)

This was immensely readable, and compelling. Cathie offers practical advice sprinkled with anecdotes from her career as a magazine executive. Her advice was spot on and I enjoyed how each chapter was a major topic (such as leadership, attitude, passion).

Cathie is the president of Hearst Magazines, which publishes such titles as O: the Oprah magazine and Cosmopolitan. She was also president of USA Today when it was first starting up and also worked for Ms. Magazine when it was starting up. She has fascinating anecdotes about the media world she has worked in, and also a little bit of what is like to be a businesswoman at a time when there weren’t that many.
This was a great, uplifting and inspiring read which I would recommend to any fresh college graduate, as well as any female professional looking for some inspiration and a fresh look at their workplace skills.

The Giant’s House by Elizabeth McCracken

I really enjoyed this. I loved Peggy Cort, the main character and librarian. She had some wonderful observations about libraries and books and I found myself laughing out loud. This is a tender story and there’s a surprise twist at the end. However, the ending left me sad.

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

I really enjoyed the protagonist in the book and was surprised with how much I enjoyed this book. Sorry I put off reading it for so long.

Loved the humor of old Jacob lamenting about his life in a nursing home, and loved the suspense and grittiness of riding the circus train in the 1930s. Just a really excellent novel.

Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer

The perfect resolution to the ending of the saga. Ties up all plot points. Much more interesting and gritter than Eclipse.

Really enjoyed it.

Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer

Well once you read Twilight and New Moon you pretty much have to follow through.

This bogged down a little for me, as how much can you really say about vampires?

New Moon by Stephenie Meyer

Saga gets a little more interesting.
Enjoyable and I was quick to devour it as well.

Also read while stuck on a plane. Really got hooked on the series so I had to buy the other two books.

It’s a really good romance, but chaste and also themes of being an outsider and not fitting in.