New Release: The Dinner

Over the course of one meal, two families must struggle to make the hardest decision of their lives. It starts as a polite conversation while eating at a expensive restaurant. Two brothers, Paul and Serge, and their wives speak of trivial matters while having dinner. They discuss work, vacations, and the new Woody Allen movie, but the conversations become increasingly stressed when secrets start to come up. The book them transforms into a political thriller when the real reason for their meeting emerges. Each brother has a 15 year old son who were caught together committing an unspeakable act. They have not yet been identified, but the video is circulating T.V and YouTube and the brothers argue over what they will do to protect their sons. The book is full of twists and turns which reveal the depths of the characters and dark pasts they are hiding. Serge is a political figure and you see what he is willing to do to keep the privileged life he leads.

This is described as a chilling look at madness, class, and the ugliness of keeping up appearances. 

The Casual Vacancy by J.K Rowling

I finally completed The Casual Vacancy. It reminded me a bit of The Pilot's Wife in the sense that I found the book long and uneventful but with a good strong ending that brought all of the events together. It was one of those books that make you think once you have finished it. The ending was good but that doesn't mean that I liked the book as a whole. Reading is an experience to me, and if I don't enjoy every moment of the book and have a "I cant put it down" moments at least once, no matter how much it makes you reflect after its done, a good ending does not make up for my lack of interest while I was reading it.

This book just did not grab my attention from the beginning. I found that there were way to many characters all introduced at once. It took me almost the entire novel to figure out who was who and how they all seemed to be related. Most of the characters were unlikeable. The only characters that I liked were Krystal and Andrew. Both were kids who had hard childhoods but dealt with their troubles the best they could. All of the adults in the town were rude and gossiped about each other. They never had anything nice to say about their fellow neighbours and it made reading very negative. I want to read a book that makes me feel happy, excited, intrigued, scared even, but a book that makes me annoyed isn't something I want to waste my free time reading.

No matter how well written the book was I would not recommend it to anyone. I prefer to read a badly written book with a good story. (That comment was directed at those who did not enjoy The Night Circus and Fifty Shades of Grey)

New Release: The Winter Witch

Morgana is a mystery to the people who live in her small town in nineteenth century Welsh. She is smart and pretty enough to attract a good suitor, but she has not spoken since she was a small child. As odd as that is the real mystery lies in her magic. Things seem to move at will for Morgana and bad luck happens to people who do her wrong. When towns people start talking, her mother is anxious to have her married for her own safety. The perfect fit is Cai Jenkins, he is a widower from outside and has not heard the rumours that surround Morgana. After the wedding Morgana is nervous of her new husband and her new home, but she soon thrives on Cai's farm and the wilderness that surrounds it. Her magic improves and Cai tries hard to win her affections. But it is not long before the people of her new town notice her strangeness, and there is someone who will try anything to turn the town against her. Morgana must protect her home and her man from a dark force or she will loose everything.

New Release: The Painted Girls

I am still slowly getting through J.K Rowlings new book. I'm about half way now. Until then here is a new release (last month) that sounds good. It is based on the van Goethem sisters.

 In 1878 Paris three sisters lives are changed when their father dies and they are forced to live on their mother's meager wages. Fear full of being evicted the girls must find jobs, with little options they turn to the ballet. Antoniette, takes on the role of caregiver to her sisters. She is an extra in the Opera and gets both of her sisters auditions. Marie shows talent for dance and is paid 17 francs a week she is trained to enter the famous ballet. Marie throws herself into her work and is soon modeling for the mysterious Edgar Degas, and will forever be immortalized as Little Dancer Aged Fourteen.  Meanwhile, Antoinette begins a love affair with Émile Abadie and must choose between honest labor and the more profitable avenues. When Emile is arrested for murder, a wedge is drawn between the two sisters. This is the story of two sisters trying to survive the unglamourous reality of Paris in the late 19th century.

Enjoy :)

Shopaholic books 3 and 4 by Sophie Kinsella

This is my first post of the new year. I got busy around Christmas and didn't mention that I finished Shopaholic and Ties the Knot and Shopaholic and Sister. I think I made it clear in my last post that I didn't love the first two books. The characters annoyed me a little yet the story had me interested, and despite my annoyance with some of her choices I still felt bad for her in lots of instances and want to see where her life leads her.

One of the things that bugged me the most about Becky was her constant lying. She continued this trend in Shopaholic Ties the Knot, and it got her in a lot of trouble. That is one of the things I do like about these books, the fact that she does get herself in some difficult situations. As much as I dislike her attitude, I feel for her as well, and understand that she was only trying to do the right thing and keep everyone happy. She grows as a person as the series continues and she learns her lesson afterwards (for the most part). She does truly try to be a better person and that makes her someone that grows on you. I continue to hope that her life will turn out perfect and she will change for the better.

I have to say Sophie Kinsella is a great writer who keeps me glued to the pages.  I picked up Shopaholic and Sister almost instantly after I finished the previous book. In this book I liked Becky a lot better. She was a little naive to think that as her sister would be just like her, but she was also determined to get along with her and tried everything to forge a relationship. And she did learn and fixed her mistakes like she always does. She made good friends and saw life from the opposite point of view. Her sister was hard on her, but I think that was what she needed considering everyone else in her life seems to coddle her.

She seemed to be trying a lot harder to fix her money problems and although she was a little misguided in her methods she did succeed.

Last Minute Gilft Ideas

If you still have that one person to buy for and they are a book lover, here are some ideas to finally get your shopping done.


Books:  How about get them one of the best sellers of this year. Here are a few suggestions.

    

Assessories:  Does the person on your list have an e-reader? Maybe they would like some of these cool

assesories to go with it.



Charges your e-reader





Reading Blanket




An E-reader Case



Screen Protectors




A Stand



Shopaholic takes Manhattan

I'm taking a little break with the Outlander series right now and reading another popular series that I missed out on when they were new releases.

I was never really interested in reading the Shopaholic series when I saw it is stores, but out of curiosity I did see them movie when it came out. I did enjoy the movie for the most part so when I was offered the entire series from a friend I figured, why not?

I skipped ahead to the second book Shopaholic Takes Manhattan. I knew the plot line of Confessions of a Shopaholic already from the movie, so didn't want to read the book.

I'm really torn trying to decide if I liked the book or not. On the good side the book was well written. I was attached to the story and was interested to find out how Becky got out of her mess. The fact that I've already started the next book proves that the story is addicting and and interesting.

I often felt bad for Becky during the book, she was constantly getting herself into trouble and the people around her treat her bad. Especially at the neighbours wedding. I think in that case I would have handled that situation the same way she did. I also felt bad for her because in a lot of ways she is seriously trying to be better when it comes to her "problem". She just does a very bad job at it and is very weak willed. She always talking herself out of doing the right thing, and justifying her addition.

The one thing that really annoys me while reading is how much Becky lies. She lies about everything! It's not just to cover up her shopping addiction either. Sometimes she does do it cause she is trying not to hurt peoples feelings, but really sometimes there IS a nice way to say no. I just really hate it, all I can think when I'm reading is "if you just told the truth in the beginning you wouldn't be in this situation."

Anyways, I don't think I'd ever be friends with Becky if she was real, but I think I will finish the series, even if I spend the whole time complaining about her.

Coming Soon: December 11

I love a good page-turning mystery. I like it when I can't stop reading because I want answers so bad. This book that I noticed the other day will hopefully fit that description.

Growing up, sisters Dana and Julie were very close. Julie, the oldest, was calm and nurturing while Dana the youngest was impulsive. As kids they were inseparable but a devastating secret causes Dana to flee her home and not speak to her sister for 16 years.

When she hears that her sister is ill she returns home to Black Bear, Minnesota, but she is too late.  Her sister has left behind a teenage daughter named Peyton. The already shattered girl can not forgive her aunt for being away all these years. Meanwhile Dana feels that something has changed in the town since she left. The people are even different and Dana thinks that what ever killed her sister might be hurting others too, but no one wants to talk about it. Dana struggles to uncover the truth with no help from Payton or the town. What ever is going on has the potential to tear apart Dana's family and the whole town. She left Black Bear to keep a secret, but it looks like the town has a secret of its own.

These are not new releases, but if you have an e-reader and are a fan of Nora Roberts, I've noticed that a lot of her old books are being released for Nook. I counted at least 7 this week.

Gabriel's Angel, Holiday Wishes, The Heart's Victory, Rules of the Game, The Right Path, Time Was, and Times Change.

Voyager by Diana Gabaldon

I finished Voyager on Friday, and I of course liked it. I understand why some people were not as impressed with it as the previous books. It was a good story that flowed well, and I didn't get bored of the story at any point. The difference I think was that there was nothing pulling you towards the end of the story. In the last book there were questions that drove the reader to continue on, this time Claire and Jamie are together and there is really no fear of them getting split up. 

The search for someone who gets taken, is what drives the story forward. Jamie and Claire travel across the ocean after a ship, and this seems to be where the majority of the story took place. Personally I got a little tired of them being on a boat so much. And as much as I like Jamie he really has to stop chasing after Claire every time she leaves his eye sight. You think he would know by now that she can take care of herself pretty well. The return of an old character is the most interesting thing that happens in the book. It opens some new questions about their family that I hope are addressed in the next book. If it wasn't for this one piece of information I may not be as inclined to continue with the series. I could see the story easily ending at the end of this book.

If I gave Dragonfly in Amber a 5 star rating then this book would get a slightly less rating of 4 stars. A good story but not nearly as exciting as the previous two.

Coming Soon: Nov 26

The Forgotten is about Agent John Puller and his discovery of a conspiracy among the palm trees and beaches of Paradise, Florida.

His job for the Army is to work on the toughest crimes facing the nation. This time the crime he is investigating is personal; his aunt was found dead. She lived it the town of Paradise, which thrived on tourists and retirees. The local police have insisted that her death was an accident. Puller thinks something is wrong in Paradise, because just before she died, his aunt sent a letter saying that everything in Paradise is not what is seems. 

When there he finds something that convinces him that she was right. Something is going on that some people will do anything to keep a secret, and do anything to make sure the truth is never revealed.