Easily Amused

Book Title: Easily Amused
Author: Karen McQuestion
3 out of 5 Stars

Plot Background:

Lola is about to turn 30, and when her younger, meaner sister announces that the wedding is going to be on Lola's birthday, she needs a plan to show everyone that she is not the pathetic older sibling. Having recently moved into a house on King Street, left to her by her late aunt, she is not only dealing with all of her family drama, but being immersed into the King Street lifestyle, which involves block parties, searches for lost dogs, and a group of neighbors who are in constant contact. Meanwhile, Lola's best friend Hubert moves in with her, following a messy breakup with his girlfriend. Lola finds herself torn between two men, and torn between keeping to herself or joining the King Street madness.

My Thoughts:

This book is the second novel by McQuestion that I have read, the first being A Scattered Life, which I loved, so I came into this with pretty high expectations. Expectations aside, this was a pretty good book, there were some things I wasn't a huge fan of, but for the most part, this was exactly the kind of book I needed to read right now.

The first thing I really liked about the book was that Lola is hilarious. I laughed out loud at her inner monologue at times, and I really felt I could relate to Lola's humorous view on life. McQuestion is a very witty writer, which is something I loved so much about A Scattered Life. I also felt that Lola was a good example of the modern woman, shes insecure and realistic and funny, but surprisingly strong at times when her sister is being mean. I really connected with her, which sometimes in 'romantic comedy' type books I have a hard time doing. So many times the romantic books make women look like silly swooners and it was nice to see a character so realistic.

I also felt that Lola's friends were relate-able. Her friend Piper has a small baby, and is constantly having to tell Lola that she cant talk or having to leave early because of the baby, which reminded me so much of my own friends with children. Piper's husband Mike also made me laugh a little because of how formal he is with Lola, much like my friend's husbands.These characters weren't over developed, and in a way that vagueness about them that made it easier for me to relate them to my own friends and family.

I also liked the huge contrast of Ryan and Hubert. Ryan, the suave guy with the fancy car, the money and the mysterious travels, who is going to be Lola's date is so transparent and typical. Then there is Hubert, the teacher who drives the VW Beetle, who likes to read Aunt May's diaries and cook chicken, is more mysterious to me than Ryan. Hubert has more depth, and Ryan is like a shallow puddle that looks deeper than it is. I loved how obvious their differences were.

This brings me to my next point, the obviousness of some things. The book was very predictable. I knew from the second chapter what would happen, who would end up together, and how it would go down. There were times that I was a little disappointed because the author went for the obvious, but then other times I found this a little comforting. You can always count on the rich, mystery man to say something a little jerky, and you can always count on the sweet male friend to make it all better. Personally, I felt that more depth to the story might have been added if Ryan really was perfect, Lola's choices might have been made a little harder and she might have had a little bit more personal transformation at the end than what actually happens in the book.

Overall the book wasn't bad, but when I finished it, I felt like I had just watched a cheesy romance movie. I did enjoy reading it, I needed something a little bit lighter to read, and it delivered the much needed comic relief. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a light quick read, great to read by the pool or while enjoying a cup of coffee.

Here is a link to the Kindle edition of the book, of you can use the Amazon search box for a paper copy:

http://www.amazon.com/Easily-Amused-ebook/dp/B003X28734/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1348343516&sr=1-1&keywords=easily+amused

Happy Reading!!!

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Deal of the Day!

Hello all!
I apologize that I haven't been able to post in the last few weeks as often as I would like, we have recently had a new addition to our family and she keeps everyone busy! :-) I will be back to posting at least two to three deals a week and at least one review a week starting this week, and this week I am going to be posting an a few additional deals to make up for lost time!

Today's deal is for a book titled "The Lotus Eaters" by Tatjana Soli. I am currently reading this book and you should expect a review on it by next Wednesday.

Here's a little plot (taken from Amazon.com): 

A unique and sweeping debut novel of an American female combat photographer in the Vietnam War, as she captures the wrenching chaos and finds herself torn between the love of two men. 

On a stifling day in 1975, the North Vietnamese army is poised to roll into Saigon. As the fall of the city begins, two lovers make their way through the streets to escape to a new life. Helen Adams, an American photojournalist, must take leave of a war she is addicted to and a devastated country she has come to love. Linh, the Vietnamese man who loves her, must grapple with his own conflicted loyalties of heart and homeland. As they race to leave, they play out a drama of devotion and betrayal that spins them back through twelve war-torn years, beginning in the splendor of Angkor Wat, with their mentor, larger-than-life war correspondent Sam Darrow, once Helen's infuriating love and fiercest competitor, and Linh's secret keeper, boss and truest friend.

This is an award winning book, so make sure you download this while its only $3.99!

Here is a link to the Kindle edition of the book, or you can use the Amazon search bar on the screen to locate a paper copy:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003DYGNU6/ref=rdr_kindle_ext_tmb

Happy Reading, and stay tuned for more deals this week and a review on this novel next week! 


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Girl Unmoored

Book Title: Girl Unmoored
Author: Jennifer Gooch Hummer
4 out of 5 Stars

Plot Background:

Apron Bramhall is a teenage girl who has seen stormy seas for a long time. Her mother has passed away and her father is now dating a very pregnant and very mean nurse, and her best friend Rennie has decided not to be friends with her anymore because the very popular Jenny Pratt has summoned her to be in the cool group. Apron is lost, until she meets Mike, the owner of a flower shop and actor who play Jesus in the play "Jesus Christ Superstar," and his boyfriend Chad whom also owns the flower shop, Scent Appeal. When she learns their secret, her world changes, and she suddenly finds that she knows more about love than she thought, and she knows more than the adults in her life. Apron finds that she must get herself to calmer waters, or be unmoored forever.

My Thoughts:

This was a book that was totally unexpected for me. When I read the plot on Amazon I thought this would be a light YA book, I thought it would be funny and short and an easy read. I was wrong in the best way. This book really gripped my heart, and I felt so attached to the people in it, especially Apron, and at the end of it I found that I felt like I wanted to reread it so it would never end.

Having said that, I will start on the first thing that caught my eye about this book: point of view. I love that this  is written from a thirteen year old's point of view, and not only is it first person (which is always my favorite) but it really felt like how I saw things when I was thirteen. Apron is a little bit detached at first, but I came to see that it only felt detached somewhat because thirteen year old's do not often get the full story from adults. For example, there were times that she would overhear a fight between her dad and "M", and as an adult you can infer a little bit of why they're fighting or what they're fighting about, but Apron doesn't know because she is a kid, so as the reader you're kept in the dark somewhat. The point of view really leads to the reader having to think critically to figure out what the adults are doing or saying sometimes, and it was fun to see if I was right at the end when the dad explains some things.

This leads me to my next point, which I mentioned previously: character development. I loved getting to know Apron, getting to see her change from the bitter, detached girl in the beginning, to the strong and smart young woman in the end. Her character changes so much, and since she is a child (even though child is a loose term), she is able to see things more purely. When adults are throwing bricks through the windows of Scent Appeal with homophobic slurs written on them, Apron knows those people are wrong, but her friends parents do not see anything wrong with that. The purity of a child really brings out a lot in the characters of this book. There was so much about Apron that I loved that I could go on for a while, but I will make one more point, which is that I loved that even though her mother is dead, her mother is so present through her. From painting a new lobster for the baby at the table to having a good attitude, you could feel the mother in the book even though she was never alive in the book. If that makes any sense.

I also loved Mike and Chad's characters. I loved seeing their love for each other, because even though the world told them it was wrong, it was the most pure form of love in the book. Apron's dad and "M" had such a complicated relationship, and you learn that her mom had a complicated relationship as well before she died, but the love between Mike and Chad was just easy and honest. ***************************SPOILER ALERT*************************
With Chad, you know from the first sentence you meet him that he is sick. AIDS is mentioned in earlier, so your mind can infer that this is what is happening to him. I have never been taught much about AIDS, as far as what it does, what symptoms it can cause etc, so reading this book was an eye opener for me. I found myself feeling heartbroken, not just for Chad, and not just for Mike for having to loose the love of his life, but for every other person out there in the world that has suffered with it. I found myself thinking of Freddie Mercury when he wrote Who Wants to Live Forever, and I found myself really feeling for all the people in the world, gay or straight who have had to suffer at the hands of this terrible disease, not only having to die from it, but having to LIVE with it. It really was heart breaking. So in that regard especially, the character development played a huge role and really the author did a fantastic job getting all of these emotions across.

A less important thing about the book, but still something that I wanted to mention because it really made the book fun, was the Latin phrases throughout, and the titles of each chapter. They were cute and added something extra. Also, way to go Jennifer Gooch Hummer for learning or finding all those phrases!

There were only a few downsides to this book that I can say. One is that it had to end. Silly, I know, but author, if you're reading this, a second book would be good, maybe a book about life with Daisy! :-)
The other negative I had was that when she went to Mike's going away party near the end, it felt like she was going to a party at "the Capitol" from The Hunger Games. Perhaps I am over thinking it, but it struck me as a little weird. I also would've liked to learn a little bit more about Toby, or even the relationship between M and the mother before she died. It is mentioned briefly in the end but I would've liked a little bit more on that.

This was a great book though. I would recommend it to everyone, not just YA readers.

As always, here is a link to the Kindle edition of the book, or you can use the search bar on the side of the screen for a paper copy:

http://www.amazon.com/Girl-Unmoored-ebook/dp/B0073HNMJY/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1346770244&sr=1-1&keywords=girl+unmoored


Happy Reading!!!

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Deal of the Day!

Hello all!

I apologize that I am posting a bit late this week, I have been attending events at the national convention being held in my city and have had limited time to log in. I may be a few days behind posting this weeks review (on Girl Unmoored), but in the meantime, here is a daily deal on a book called Angel by Mary E. Kingsley, and its only $1.99!

Here's a little plot (taken from Amazon):

Thirteen year old Angel Bishop is fed up with all the unanswered questions about her life, like why did her daddy run off when she was just a baby? And why has her Aunt Patsy, the only family member she feels she can talk to, been locked up in a place for crazy people all these years? It seems to Angel like her family fell apart right after she was born, which makes her wonder what her coming along had to do with it. 

Growing up with her mother, Ruth, who is often distant and preoccupied, and her bible thumping grandmother, Naomi, Angel is certain there's more to the story than she's been told. When her father, Calvin, telephones out of the blue one evening and says he's coming home for Thanksgiving, Angel thinks her dream of having a normal family is finally going to come true. Instead, she finds herself at the center of a dangerous scenario, threatened by secrets far beyond her understanding. 
Set in a small Appalachian town in the early 1970's, Angel is the compelling story of an innocent girl as the unwitting link between the two generations of her family's dark and unresolved past.

Here is a link to the Kindle edition of the book:

http://www.amazon.com/ANGEL-ebook/dp/B0067RFD6G/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1346269450&sr=8-3&keywords=angel


Happy Reading!!!

Author Q&A with Jane Carroll!

Hello All! 

I am extremely pleased to post a Q&A with the very talented Jane Carroll author of Bertha Size Your Life! To those of you who haven't had a chance to read it, I highly recommend that you do!
I will also be posting a short review later on today or early tomorrow morning as well.  
I would also like to take the time to thank Jane for taking the time to be a part of this interview and thank her for letting me pick her brain, so here it is!

Q: Bertha is quite a character, did anyone inspire you to write her, and how on earth did you come up with some of the funny scenarios she does (like dressing up like a clown, or telling off that gossip in the beauty parlor)? 

A:Originally, I wanted to write a book of self-discovery for women who were experiencing empty-nest syndrome. I started it, but it was pretty boring. In fact, I didn’t even like it. Then one day my life coach left me a message that her daughter had moved out and asked what she should do. She wasn’t at home when I returned her call so I shot her a flippant email, telling her to name her nest. I named mine Bertha and made up a little story about the benefits of doing that.
The next thing I knew…I was upset about something and I casually thought I should just let Bertha take care of it. And that’s exactly what I did. I wrote a story letting Bertha take charge of things. Later, when I reread the story I realized that it had some really great advice in it, but it was a little too revealing for my comfort level. So, I just changed the details of the situation until only I really knew what it was all about and the beauty parlor scene you mentioned was born.
And that, as that say, was that. One exercise at a time, Bertha took over the entire book I was writing and the energy changed. I guess you could say that Bertha replaced lectures with laughter. I took the wonderful self-help principles I’d learned over the years and turned them into outlandish antics and added in some nostalgia to make it more fun.

Q: I know this may sound a little random, but I've got to ask, will singing to a begonia really help it? 

A: I love this question. While I wish I could say that it did, I can only say that I have never had any luck growing begonias and the one that inspired the story didn’t fare any better than her predecessors. Of course…it could have been the choice of Bertha’s song!

Q: Do you feel like you relate more closely to the narrator or Bertha?

A:Honestly, I think most people would tell you that I closely resemble Bertha. I generally have a very upbeat attitude and have been known to be a little goofy. Of course, I don’t have her wardrobe and wouldn’t dare wear the heels she loves so you can definitely tell us apart.
But although I resemble Bertha, I identify with the narrator more. I believe the reason is that Bertha represents all the lessons I’ve learned in my life from a variety of sources. I’m still learning every day so I’m still that person.
A side note. Some people ask why the narrator doesn’t have a name. Honestly, I suppose it started because I was writing in my journal and in first person. But as the stories started to become a book I thought it was important to keep the details as blurred as possible so that any woman could identify with the narrator. It was my hope that the reader would feel as though she was actually in the room with Bertha. That’s also why the cat isn’t named. Almost everyone has known ‘a cat’ at some point and it was nice to let them identify with that cat rather than mine.

Q: I love how positive and uplifting this book was to read, and I loved how it really has no age limit. What do you hope is the biggest thing that people take away from your book?

A:I want people to come away knowing that they can be anything and everything that they want to be. There are no limits except those we impose on ourselves. And the more fun we have along the way - the easier it is to get there. That’s where Bertha comes in; she’s straight up fun!
One of my wildest dreams was to become a bestselling author. I have now a reached that status on not one but two continents. You can be anything you want to be; I’m living proof.

Q: Are you currently reading anything now? Who is your favorite author or genre?

A:Currently, I’m between reads. I’ve been so busy this summer that I’ve gotten behind. I will be remedying that shortly.
I enjoy reading non-fiction, self-help, motivational type books. Og Mandino was my all-time favorite author. I loved his ability to masterfully craft a story around the principles he was teaching. In many ways he is the inspiration for my writing style.
In fiction, I enjoy something that is mostly light. Sarah Addison Allen is one of my favorite authors. I love her mix of a hint of magic, intrigue, romance and delicious descriptions.

Q: I noticed it is part of "The Bertha Series", are you already working on the next book? Any idea on when the next book will be available (I know there are probably quite a few of us looking forward to another Bertha book!) 

A:Thank you. There is a Bertha sequel in the works. I had hoped to be finished by now, but Bertha is still teaching me some of the lessons that are in the book. I will say that there will be a twist or two in this one. Hopefully, it will be out in this winter.

Q: I think a lot of us are going to start looking through life in "Bertha-vision", I know I am, did writing this book change the way you see things in life?

A:First, I love the phrase “Bertha-vision” and you know that I am stealing it! Secondly, absolutely! Bertha has changed everything about my life. It’s like I can’t get away with anything anymore - she’s always there pointing out a more positive way of looking at things. I even read through the book from time to time when I need a bit of inspiration.

Q: Any shout-outs to anyone?

A:Cynthia Dendy is not only my illustrator but, my sister. I love that she was able to take my stories and give Bertha a face, although I do believe that Bertha favors her!
I would also like to thank Debra Shiveley Welch and Saga Books for republishing Bertha. They have been awesome to work with.
And last but by no means least, is Kim Mutch Emerson of MasterKoda.com. Winning her marketing package, “The Extreme Author Makeover” at the beginning of the year totally shifted my writing career into high gear. Kim has been a continued source of encouragement and support and I can’t thank her enough.
And…last…last…a huge thank you to all of the women and men who have honored me by reading Bertha. I appreciate you more than you will ever know!!

Thanks again for stopping by the blog Jane! 

Here is a link to the Kindle edition of her book if you haven't read it yet (so read it!!!):

http://www.amazon.com/Bertha-Size-Your-Series-ebook/dp/B008873ZRM/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1345734585&sr=8-2&keywords=bertha+size+your+life

HAPPY READING!!!

Deal of the Day!

Hello everyone!

I hope you are all having a great week. Today's deal of the day is a book that I recently finished and quickly fell in love with. It is called Bertha Size Your Life(The Bertha Series) by Jane Carroll. I am also extremely pleased to announce that I will be posting a Q&A with this fantastic author either later today or tomorrow morning (stay tuned!!!). In the mean time, I suggest you all read this! If thats not enough convincing, the price is great too! $2.99!

Here is a little plot:

Bertha is a hilarious red-head who loves her spandex, and she appears in the narrators life one day during a walk in the park. From there, she moves in with the narrator, with a recently empty nest and the fun begins! This book reads like a series of funny and enlightening stories. Bertha will help you realize things about your own life and yourself, as she gets onto her soap box and dispenses life lessons. With Bertha, spandex, and the cat, you've got yourself a hilarious book!

Here is a link to the Kindle edition of the book (you can also purchase a paper copy on Amazon):

http://www.amazon.com/Bertha-Size-Your-Series-ebook/dp/B008873ZRM/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1345668395&sr=1-1&keywords=bertha+size+your+life


Happy reading!!! And stay tuned!!!

Deal of the Day!

Hello and Happy weekend!!!

Todays deal is a book I found on Amazon's "The Big Deal" list that they currently have going on. It is called Girl Unmoored by Jennifer Gooch Hummer, and its only $1.99!

Here is a little plot taken from Amazon:

Apron Bramhall has come unmoored. Fortunately, she’s about to be saved by Jesus. Not that Jesus—the actor who plays him in Jesus Christ Superstar. Apron is desperate to avoid the look-alike Mike, who’s suddenly everywhere, until she’s stuck in church with him one day. Then something happens—Apron’s broken teenage heart blinks on for the first time since she’s been adrift.Mike and his boyfriend, Chad, offer her a summer job in their flower store, and Apron’s world seems to calm. But when she uncovers Chad’s secret, stormy seas return. Apron starts to see things the adults around her fail to—like what love really means, and who is paying too much for it.Apron has come unmoored, but now she’ll need to take the helm if she’s to get herself and those she loves to safe harbor.

 

Look for a review coming on this one soon!

 

Here is a link to the Kindle edition of the book, and while you're there check out some of the other books on their "Big Deal" or "500 Books for $3.99 or Less" lists! (remember, these books may not stay at these low prices, so get them while you can!):

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0073HNMJY/ref=s9_hps_bw_g351_t1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=right-8&pf_rd_r=1K204EY9R91G7BZQHFJS&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1389901282&pf_rd_i=1286228011#_

 

Happy Reading!!!