I crave books

So Claire Danner Crispin, the main character in this book, should have read When Good People Have Affairs because it would’ve helped her end this book about 100 pages earlier.

All kidding aside, I really enjoy novels by Elin Hilderbrand. And this was no exception. The first part of the book was told from Claire’s point of view and the second part moved around from Claire, to her best friend, her high school boyfriend, and the secretary of the foundation. That made it move quickly and interestingly.

Claire lives on Nantucket with her four children and husband. She is a glassblower, although she stopped working after an accident when she was pregnant. She is asked by Lock Dixon to chair the Summer Gala for the Nantucket’s Children Foundation and unable to say no (to anything really - her best friend jokes her cells don’t have membranes) , she agrees. And for the next year she grows close to Lock as they plan the gala. Lock convinces her to create a magnificant piece of glass for the auction. All of this time spent away from home adds tension to Claire’s marriage and to her relationship with her best friend (also her sister-in-law).

This is a good, quick read and realistically portrayed. I liked Claire and wanted her to be happy. And I think in the end she was.

I love Sarah Strohmeyer books. I am a big fan of her Bubbles Yablonsky mystery series and I’ve enjoyed the light-hearted chick lit books she’s been writing recently.

Sweet Love focuses on Julia, a divorced single mother who has been working in the tv news business for 20 years. She’s about the get her big break (reporting on the presidential election) if she clears a background check. This check involves her childhood crush, Michael Slayton, who was the campaign manager for a senator that Julie busted for sexual harassment. On another front, Julia’s mom has arranged for Julia & Michael to both take a Friday night cooking class - hoping love will blossom, since she kept Michael (the neighborhood tough kid) away from Julia when they were younger and now she wants to make amends.

This was a quick read. I did enjoy it but not as much as the others. Although there was a plot twist at the end that I didn’t really see coming. I did enjoy the various Shakespeare quotes at the beginnings of the chapter which foreshadowed events.  And I totally wish I could eat the cupcake pictured on the cover - it looks delicious!

PS - with this and Comfort Food I’ve been reading a lot of novels involving food and cooking lately - wonder what’s up with that?

I recently listened to the second novel by this author (Sugar Queen) and really enjoyed it. So I decided to read her first novel, which was equally enchanting.

The Waverleys are a curious family with their mysterious garden in Bascom, North Carolina. Claire is a successful caterer who prepares dishes made with her mystical plants. Her elderly cousin, Evanelle is known for distributing unexpected gifts whose uses become uncannily clear. Then there’s Claire’s rebellious sister Sydney, who fled Bascom at 18. But she’s back, with her daughter Bay in tow, and turns Claire quiet life upside down.

I enjoyed this - it’s a quick read and features some of the same plot elements as The Sugar Queen (the magic, the star crossed lovers, the house that is almost a character itself, absent fathers).

Found this while browsing the library shelves and the title and premise appealed to me.

June Parker was in a car accident, where her passenger, Marissa, dies. June barely knew Marissa but when she finds Marissa list of “20 things to do before my 25th Birthday” June decides to complete the list for her. The tasks are varied (run a 5K, go braless, change someones life).

This was a fun read. There’s a great cast of quirky characters and I did laugh out loud at times. I enjoyed June’s character and was rooting for her. And the lesson in the end was quite poignant. I think I’m going to pick up the author’s first book, Flip-Flopped since I enjoyed this so much. Look for a review here soon!

I picked up this book because it’s set in Portland, Oregon, which is where I grew up. It focuses on Ellen Flanagan, who is getting divorced and in the process selling her beloved home. The home means everything to Ellen and she keeps trying to figure out ways to get it back. Plus she’s confused by the feelings she having for her ex-husband and the man who bought the house.

This is an okay read. The plot was a little thin for me, but I did enjoy the descriptions of Portland, which rang true to me. I’m curious since the jacket says the author lives in northern Virginia why the novel is set in Portland and what led her to that.

This is the second book by the author of the Friday Night Knitting Club (which I loved - see this post for proof).

This was a slow starter for me, but once it got going (around page 150) I really got into. I think my problem with the first part was too much setting up of back story - there’s a large cast of characters (sort of like FNKC - all different people thrown together). I did like how she finally told one character’s secret - instead of having the character tell it through flashbacks, she told it to another character who was not familiar with it). There were two good twists - one that I thought was believable and one that stretched credibility a little for me. And I did laugh out loud several times during the book - there are some great lines and I was a little weepy by the end. So what’s this book about?

Well, Augusta “Gus” Simpson is turning 50, and isn’t that thrilled about it. She’s the successful host of a tv cooking show, and has raised two daughters. But then the executives at the Cooking Channel decide her show needs a ratings boost so they bring in Carmen Vega, former Miss Spain, to co-host with her. Gus re-formats her show as an on-air cooking class, bringing together her friends and family. And the fireworks fly. The cast includes her daughter Sabrina, just engaged for the third time; her over serious daughter Aimee; Troy, Sabrina’s ex-boyfriend; Hannah, Gus’s shy neighbor; and Oliver, the new culinary producer.

I had a soft spot for Troy, who grew up on an apple farm in Hood River, Oregon. As that’s near my old stomping grounds. Plus Troy was an ad-exec who quit to open his own business (love his business idea - read the book though).

Anyway this is a story about finding yourself (at any age - it’s a multiple generation cast), friendship, motherhood, and love.

In fact, one theme I noticed that was consistent between FNKC and Comfort Food, was absent fathers. Gus is a widower and how she and the girls handled the death (18 years ago) is a good plot point during an otherwise hilarious (description wise) teambuiliding retreat.

I enjoyed the author’s first book, The Dog Walker, and so when I saw this on the shelf at the library I pulled it off.

Jeannie Sterling is the host of a light night New York City talk show about ethical behavior. Then her long absent father shows up, the friend she’s loved for years finally wants to be with her, and her best friend is acting hinky. Then her radio station is bought by mogul Nicholas Moss and her career descends into chaos as well.

This was an interesting read due to the way it’s written. There are short chapters (with great titles) and transcripts from Jeannie’s radio show. The viewpoint switches a lot and sometimes it’s hard to tell where you are until the second paragraph. I didn’t feel completely vested in Jeannie (In fact in my head I referred to her as Jennie) and I kept waiting for the big plot moment. And when it came I was a tad disappointed. I didn’t believe it.

However, I didn’t hate this book. I guess I feel indifferent. It was ok. I’m sure some people really liked it. Sort of smart people’s chick lit with a little family drama and friendship thrown in.

edited to add: I forgot until I re-read the author’s comment that a part I did enjoy was the ethical dilemna of not returning library books. That was a great part. I should make a list of books that have great librarian/library sub-plots. And yes, I did return my library book!

I listened to this, instead of reading it. Audiobooks provide such a different experience than reading and I really enjoy the different perspective. This story was so good that I had to bring the CDs in and listen all afternoon as I cleaned house because I wanted to know how the story was going to end and what would happen next.

Josie, at 27, lives at home and caters to her mother. Then one day Della Lee Baker appears in her closet, determined to live there until she escapes the trouble she’s in. Della Lee starts offering Josie advice, and soon Josie once closed world opens up. This is a magical tale where the color red has magical properties, candy provides comfort and books magically appear.

I think this is a new favorite of mine. It’s not your typical romance. It’s about family secrets, finding your true self, love and friendship. Delicious as the candy that titles each chapter!

Another author I love. Must be the weekend for it.

Set in Nantucket, The Beach House, tells the interconnected stories of Nan, who at 65 is considered eccentric by the local residents; her son Michael, a jeweler who’s on the Island to escape his life; Daniel, who is struggling with his secrets; and Daff, a recent divorcee who wants to find her true self.

When they all come to Nan’s rambling house, Windermere, they form a family of friends and as each discovers their own true self.

I enjoyed the characters, the sense of place (now I’d love a summer vacation to Nantucket) and the epilogue, because I enjoy knowing what happens to my characters after the big event of the novel is resolved. I love a good epilogue.

This is a set of interconnected stories of the ex-wives and new wives of a set of men. Each vignette offers a glimpse at the life of a blended family. The title comes from Lu’s post, which got her banned from secondwivesspeakeasy.com, complaining that Stepmom is not a realistic portrait of a blended family.

This was humorous at times, but because the narratives shift in each chapter/short story, I was left feeling dissatisfied by the entire book, asking myself - what’s the point?