Review: "Beach Week" by Susan Coll

Jordan Adler has had a rough go of things since her family moved to the D.C. suburbs. Not only was she forced to make new friends and new connections in the middle of her formative high school years, but she was injured by a wayward soccer player and had to endure a year of migraines and MRI's. Her parents haven't had the best time of it, either. Charles Adler had moved to D.C. in order to run a project to revitalize the downtown area. The project has encountered opposition, though, and until it is completed he doesn't receive the sizable bonus that he's been promised. The medical bills resulting from Jordan's injury continue to pile up, and Leah Adler, his wife, hasn't been able to find work. Leah, meanwhile, finds that she doesn't quite fit in in her new hometown. The other mothers have made an effort to exclude her, all she and her husband seem to do is fight, and her daughter is growing more distant.

Insert beach week into the mix, and they have a disaster on their hands. Beach week is a right of passage in D.C., where a group of girls go away to the beach on their own to celebrate their impending adulthood. Jordan doesn't really want to go, especially since she's met a handsome college man named Khalid, but her parents are insistent that she attend. The parents of the girls who are going get together to assess what their liability will be if things end up going horribly wrong, but beach week doesn't turn out at all like anyone thought that it would.

Beach Week is filled with sharp wit and dry humour, and it addresses something that every parent fears: when their child reaches that terrifying time of being not quite a teenager, but not quite an adult. The funny thing about the book is that I didn't particularly love any of the characters, which is usually a benchmark for me of how much I will enjoy the book, yet I appreciated the story and enjoyed it. The parents of all of the girls were the kind of people that you just love to hate- judgmental and cliquey, yet they were really no better than any other parent around them. Despite the fact that Charles (Jordan's father) was not a character that I particularly loved, I did appreciate the fact that he is portrayed as being flawed and quite human, even though he tries to keep it all together for the sake of his wife and daughter. You get the sense that he is quite overwhelmed by both of them.

Beach Week is a must-read for any parent of a teenager. Susan Coll examines the relationship between teenagers and their parents with humour and sensitivity, making this book one not to miss, even if you do want to slap some of the spoiled teenagers and their indulgent parents along the way.

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5
Recommended to: Parents of teenagers, fans of Susan Coll's Acceptance
Challenges: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge, New Author Challenge 2010, RYOB Challenge 2010

I won a copy of this book.

Review: "Mixed Doubles" by Jill Mansell

I have the tendency to read review books through the week and to choose something off my own shelves to read on the weekend. It's not something that I plan, necessarily, although I do find that it's a good way for me to keep pace with the wonderful review books that I receive and keep up with Mt. TBR at the same time. Last weekend I was perusing my bookshelves and was seriously craving some British chick lit. It's been a while since I've read any of that, and if I had to pick an absolute favourite genre, it would be British chick lit all the way! My eyes fell on my unread copy of Mixed Doubles by Jill Mansell, and I thought how fitting it would be to feed my craving with a book by the author who started my addiction in the first place!

Mixed Doubles is one of Mansell's earlier works, originally published in 1998. It starts off just prior to the New Year. Three friends, Liza, Dulcie, and Pru are making New Years Resolutions, as has been their custom since they became friends. The three women couldn't be more different. Liza is a single, gorgeous food critic for a newspaper with a following. Everywhere that she goes, men fall in love with her, and despite the fact that she tries to have relationships with them, none of them last for more than a couple of weeks. She resolves to get married before the year's end. Dulcie is married to a handsome, devoted man but is bored with her life. Patrick works a ton, and has little time left over for Dulcie. She resolves to divorce her husband and get out there and have a little fun. Pru is married to the slimy Phil. He gambles, he cheats, and Pru overlooks everything in the name of love. Pru resolves to stay married.

The three friends have definite plans for the year ahead, but little do they know that the year ahead has some rather different plans for them.

Anyone who has read this blog before knows that I can get a little gushy when I start talking about Jill Mansell. I haven't met a book of hers yet that I didn't like, although I like some more than others. This one fell in the middle range for me, but not in a bad way. The friendship between the three women was interesting. I didn't get the impression that the three were joined at the hip, they all had different interests and ran in slightly different circles, yet you could tell that they really cared about one another. The characters and their various dilemmas were easy to relate to, and it was easy to root for their individual happy endings.

The various romantic relationships that form (and unform) in this book are part of what makes it so highly enjoyable. Mansell has a knack for creating characters and relationship pairings that you fall in love with within the first couple of chapters. Even when the characters themselves can't see how perfect their prospective mate is, I always have fun watching them figure it out for themselves.

Jill Mansell is my go-to author for when I need a fast, fun, and immensely satisfying read, and Mixed Doubles doesn't disappoint. If you're a fan of British chick lit, or chick lit in general, I recommend giving this one a try.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Recommended to: Fans of chick lit
Challenges: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge, 2010 Chick Lit Challenge, RYOB Challenge 2010

I personally purchased my copy of this book.

Review: "All I Ever Wanted" by Kristan Higgins

Callie Grey has been in love with her boss since, well, since well before he was her boss! Mark has to do nothing more than smile at her and her stomach automatically knots. He was her first kiss, in a closet of her youth, and he's continued to hold a special place in her heart despite the fact that she's well into adulthood. Then there's the matter of their five-week fling about a year ago. Callie found herself in Mark's bed, and hasn't been able to forget about it, despite the fact that Mark broke up with her because of "the timing".

Callie finds herself wanting to forget about Mark, fast, when Mark announces that he's dating the company's newest employee, who happens to be the spoiled daughter of the firm's largest client. Callie's friends urge her to find someone new, if for no other reason than making Mark realize what he's missing. She throws herself into online dating, but is taken aback when she finds herself falling for the town's newest, but rather aloof, vet.

Suddenly Callie finds herself thinking "Mark who?" but little does she know that the path with her new beau will be rough sailing ahead.

I have to admit that I shy away from reading romances. I'm a chick lit kind of girl, and there's so much of that out there that I haven't ventured into reading a lot of romance. That being said, I have to say that the cover and the description of Kristan Higgins' latest just called out to me. It called out so much that I read it shortly after receiving it, and I have to say that now I know why this one was calling my name. Higgins has written a book that is, yes, packaged as romance, but it kind of sits on the fence between romance and chick lit. It's not quite romance, not quite chick lit, but it is a delightful combination of the two.

I really, really enjoyed this book. Callie, our main character and all-around sweetheart, was someone that I loved from the beginning. She's the peacemaker that you can find in most families, the one slow to anger but quick to love, and you just can't help but root for her from the very beginning. She has this genuine desire for people to like her, but I never saw that as a bad thing (being a bit of a people pleaser myself). She lives with (and adores) her elderly grandfather who lost a leg after a stroke and an accident. She loves her father despite the fact that he cheated on her mother 22 years ago. She's a hard worker, a good sister, beloved by her nieces, yet she can't seem to get a break. Here she is, stuck working with and mooning after Mark, a man who so clearly does not deserve her. I was so glad when Ian, hunky vet with a reserved personality, broke onto the scene. Now there was someone that I could see Callie with! Handsome, mature, maybe a little wounded emotionally, but I could tell that there was a good person hiding under that gruff exterior.

Callie wasn't the only character that I loved. There was Ian, of course. Noah, the gruff grandpa with a heart of gold. Bowie, the beloved husky. Freddie, the slacker brother with a surprisingly good "listening ear". One of Higgins' strengths lies in creating quirky (imperfect) characters that you just can't help but love. While reading I wished that I could just drop in and have dinner with them all.

There were a couple of really funny scenes in here (the scene with the turkey had me laughing out loud), as well as some touching moments. All I Ever Wanted was the perfect balance of romance, humour, fun, and of course, happy endings, and it left me wanting more. Fans of both chick lit and romance should find this one to be a worthwhile summer read.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Recommended to: Fans of both romance and chick lit
Challenges: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge, New Author Challenge 2010

I received a review copy of this book from FSB Associates in exchange for my honest review.

The Art of Reviewing Kindly

I was appalled, absolutely, utterly appalled the other day when Leah Stewart (author of Husband and Wife: A Novel, my favourite book of 2010 to date) mentioned on her Facebook page that one reviewer on Amazon wrote that "...the thought of trudging through the rest of this novel made me want to kill myself." Despite the fact that I have no intention of bringing attention to this particular person, this is their comment in its entirety:

"I read 100 pages of this novel and then had to drop it. This was the most insipidly depressing book I have encountered in some time. I didn't like the characters at all, and the thought of trudging through the rest of this novel made me want to kill myself. Stay away."

Now, I'm not in any way saying that this particular reviewer is not entitled to have a less than positive opinion of this book. I'm not saying that if you dislike a book, your review should be all sunshine and rainbows. It's a fact of life that we all have different opinions of different books, which is what makes blogging and reading others' book blogs so interesting to me. I can love a book, you can dislike it, and vice versa. That's part of what makes book blogging so interesting. If we all had the exact same opinion of the same book, that would get pretty boring.

What I am saying is that as reviewers, we have a responsibility. Whether we review books on Goodreads, Facebook, Amazon, or our blogs, these books are the product of a lot of hard work. From reading several authors' blogs, I've read that publishing a new book is a little like sending your child into the world and hoping that they will be loved and accepted by the masses. Writing a book takes a lot of time, energy, and frustration, and the tone of the above comment felt unnecessary.

I pride myself in the fact that my reviews are always honest. I may not love a book, but there is something that drew me to it in the first place, right? I can always find something positive to say, even if it's the fact that it ended, but I do try to link to other bloggers' more positive reviews if a book just didn't do it for me. Just because I didn't like the characters, or the setting, or the writing style doesn't mean that someone else out there didn't love the book, or that another reader felt that the author has written something beautiful and profound. The beauty of reviewing online is the vast variety of opinions out there and I enjoy reading them all, from the good to the bad, but I just don't need to see a book attacked. It's called constructive criticism people!

Thankfully, none of the wonderful bloggers whom I follow do this. I can honestly say that every one of you, even if you didn't love the book, has found something positive to say in your reviews, and I've never seen such a thoughtless comment as the one above in my blogging travels. Even your DNF posts are polite, and most of you will pass the book on to the library or a friend who will be able to enjoy it.

To the reviewer above? We book bloggers and reviewers are a community over here. You don't have to love it, you don't have to lie, you don't even need to find something positive about it, but the use of tact is appreciated. I think that the comment "This book just didn't do it for me" would have worked just as well.

Giveaway: "The Recessionistas" by Alexandra Lebenthal

A couple of days ago I notified the winners of one of my contests and then realized that *gasp* I had nothing imminently on tap to give away! I love to review books here, but I also love to share the book love, so I was thrilled when Brianne from The Hachette Book Group saved the day! Thanks to her I have 3 copies of The Recessionistas by Alexandra Lebenthal to give away!

From the publisher's website:

It's the day after Labor Day, 2008, and the bottom is about the drop out of the economy. Hedge fund owner John Cutter is in the process of an ugly divorce and nearly in financial ruin, except for the assets he is hiding from his wife Mimi in the Cayman Islands. When he concocts a scheme to redeem himself, he enlists Lehman Brothers investment banker Blake Somerset as an accomplice. Blake is ripe for recruitment given that he too is on the verge of being in dire financial straits given Lehman's decline and imminent bankruptcy. Blake's socialite wife Grigsby is barely aware of her changing world to begin with, and has no idea of the perilous situation her husband is about to enter into. As autumn unfolds, Grigsby's fairytale life starts to unwind. Meanwhile, John and Blake's scheme comes to light when street-smart Renee Parker begins her new position as John's executive assistant. Convinced something is amiss, she enlists her friend Sasha Silver, CEO of Silver Partners, to help her decipher what is happening. This story of expulsion from a modern-day Garden of Eden captures what happens when economic decline spells ruin for Manhattan's pampered elite.


To enter:
 
1. *Mandatory Entry* Just for fun, tell me where your favourite place to read (Mine? The bathtub or the beach!). Please leave me your e-mail address so that I can contact you if you win. No e-mail= no entry!
 
2. *Bonus Entry* Become a follower of this blog on Google Friend Connect and leave me a separate comment letting me know that you now follow. Current followers are eligible as well, just leave me a separate comment letting me know that you are already a follower!
 
3. *Bonus Entry* Spread the word about this contest in some way. Tweet about it, blog about it, add it to your sidebar, whatever! For spreading the word and leaving me a separate comment telling me how you did it, you will receive one bonus entry.
 
This contest runs until August 17, 2010 at midnight EST. Winners will be notified by e-mail after this date. This contest is open to US and Canadian residents only, no PO Boxes please! Good luck!

Review: "Diary of a Beverly Hills Matchmaker" by Marla Martenson

Marla Martenson is well- known for her dating self-help books Excuse Me, You Soul Mate is Waiting and Good Date, Bad Date but in Diary of a Beverly Hills Matchmaker she gives us a glimpse into the not-so-glamourous world of a professional matchmaker. Her memoir recalls some of the time that she spent working at a high-end matchmaking service that she affectionately calls "Double D", primarily because most of the men that she is matching up prefer women who have them.

Marla kept me in stitches throughout the book as she (anonymously) described some of the people that she was matchmaking for, and what they were looking for. One of my favourite parts of the book had to be the e-mails that she included, just to give us a taste of what she was dealing with on a daily basis. Here's one of the funniest ones:

"Hi Marla, Scott, here. I'm so glad I joined your dating agency; I can see this is going to be verrrrry interesting....Hey, the gal you lined me up with last evening was gorgeous, but I would really like my matches to be a 10, or ideally a 10+. And the gal needs to back up her beauty with an income of her own and her own living quarters. No roomate situations. I don't waste my time with someone who doesn't live up to my expectations- you know, long legs, firm butt, Double-D's, thin arms, blonde hair.

SCL" (from page 1)

Marla shares some stories and e-mails similar to the one above, which provided me with no end of entertainment. In fact, if she's ever looking to do a follow-up, I would love to see a whole book of these e-mails. The replies that she writes (but doesn't send) are hilarious as well.

She balances these e-mails with some sweet ones about her success stories. I loved reading about the couples who did end up living happily-ever-after, proving that, even in Hollywood, a happy ending is possible.

There's a Jen Lancaster-like feel to Diary of a Beverly Hills Matchmaker, as Marla includes portions of her day-to-day life in there as well. We meet her Latin husband, Adolfo, who feels that she isn't domestic enough (but is sweet nonetheless). We read about Marla's struggles to strike a balance between her full-time job, writing her self-help books, and her personal life with Adolfo. We read about her attempts to find the perfect home, and her internal struggles against Hollywood's perception of the aging woman. Especially fun was her description of her book tour, and how thrilling it was to show up at a bookstore and to be the guest of honour!

I thoroughly enjoyed this glimpse into the world of a real-life matchmaker. It was like spying on the lives of the rich and unscrupulous, but without the chance that the person that you're spying on will call the police and land you in jail. Fun and delicious, this is one memoir that I would recommend taking with you to the beach!

Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Recommended to: Fans of the light-hearted and fun memoir
Challenges: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge, New Author Challenge 2010

Thank-you to Marla Martenson for sending me this copy in exchange for my honest review.

Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Monday is currently hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page. Each week we share what books we got in our mailboxes last week, but be warned: Mailbox Monday can lead to some serious book envy and out-of-control wishlists!

This past week I received not one, but TWO books that were on my wishlist. It was a pretty exciting! I love receiving books that I've been lusting after. Funnily enough, all three of the books that I received last week arrived on the same day, Wednesday, although all three came courtesy of different couriers. One came in my actual mailbox, Fed Ex delivered one, and UPS delivered the other one.

The first book to arrive was All I Ever Wanted by Kristan Higgins, courtesy of Julie at FSB Associates. I've never actually read anything by her, but was pleasantly surprised by the multitude of positive reviews and comments on Goodreads. I'm looking forward to curling up with this one in the backyard- it looks like a great summer afternoon read.

Second to arrive was Holly's Inbox: Scandal in the City, courtesy of April at Sourcebooks. I have to admit that I've been lusting after this one ever since I finished reading Holly's Inbox and realized that a second one would be released. If you haven't had a chance to read one yet, you definitely should. It's all about an office worker named Holly Denham, but is written entirely through electronic communication (e-mail, instant messaging, etc.) and is a really fast and fun chick lit read.

The last to arrive was Love in Mid Air by Kim Wright, courtesy of the author. I tried to win this one several times when this book was on blog tour, but wasn't quite lucky enough. I added it to my wish list, and you can imagine how excited I was to get an e-mail from Kim Wright herself asking if I would be interested in reviewing it. Um, yeah!

This past week I also picked up two books from the library, one of which I have had on hold for a while (my library is getting much, much better at ordering women's fiction, which makes me very happy!). So, through the library I got Seven Year Switch by Claire Cook and The Bright Side of Disaster by Katherine Center.

That's it for me in books for last week! What was in your mailbox?

Review: "The Bright Side of Disaster" by Katherine Center

Jenny Harris is days away from giving birth to her first child when her fiance leaves to get cigarettes and doesn't come back. The next day she finds a note in the kitchen and discovers that she'll be facing motherhood alone. After spending the day ranting and raving and crying she goes into labour, and that night her daughter, Maxie, is born.

Suddenly Jenny is plunged into the world of sleep deprivation, sore boobs, spit up on her shirt and explosive baby bowel movements. Thank goodness she has her mother to help her, not to mention the friendship of her handsome new neighbor, Gardner, who has an amazing way with crying babies. Jenny navigates this strange new world with bravery, and she may even be falling in love, when her ex, Dean, makes a surprise appearance on her doorstep. She's left to make a decision: does she remain in her unhappy yet familiar relationship, or does she take the frightening steps towards true happiness?

I recently read Katherine Center's most recent release, Get Lucky, and enjoyed it so much that I decided to go back and read her debut book. Center has once again created a character that I was rooting for from the beginning. Jenny has been stuck in a relationship with a selfish man-child for so long that she doesn't realize the damage that he's doing to her self-esteem. She's just so happy to be headed towards the things that she wants in her adult life- marriage and children- that she's willing to settle for a man who is less than what she deserves. When Dean leaves her it's the best thing that could have happened- suddenly she's doing things alone, and hopefully she'll learn that she doesn't need him (or any man) to be truly happy. This new and improved Jenny shines through in the last part of the book, and I was happy for her personal revelations.

The Bright Side of Disaster doesn't glamorize new motherhood either. I always think that it's funny when books portray new motherhood as something easy and effortless. For some this may be the case, but for most of us new motherhood is filled with exhaustion, sleepless nights, babies who just won't stop crying and explosive diapers. That's not to say that there isn't extreme joy when it comes to having infants, but that there is a big learning curve.

I did have one small critism of the book, but it's minor. After Dean leaves, Dean's parents decide to support Jenny financially so that she doesn't have to work. After Dean's parents decide to stop supporting Jenny and the baby, her father steps in and hands her a large cheque. These gestures filled in the plot holes of how Jenny could afford to stay at home with the baby without having a job, but they weren't realistic. I was a single mom and I can assure you that nobody stepped in and handed me large amounts of money when my boyfriend at the time decided that he wasn't ready to be a father.

Overall, The Bright Side of Disaster was a fun book, filled with the realities of motherhood and laugh-out-loud moments. Jenny's journey towards discovering her own self-worth was a pleasure to read. If you haven't had the chance to read this one, it would make a great addition to your beach bag!

Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Recommended to: Fans of women's fiction
Challenges: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge, 2010 Support Your Local Library Challenge

I borrowed this book from the Norfolk County Public Library.

Review: "Two Years, No Rain" by Shawn Klomparens

Andy Dunne has always loved the complexity of predicting the weather, and he does a good job of doing it for the obscure satellite radio station that he works for. Then again, his job isn't that hard at the moment considering that it hasn't rained in almost two years in Southern California.

What is hard is the fact that his wife has left him, and has left their house almost empty. Further complicating things is that shortly after she leaves him, Andy loses his job. He's also involved in an intense flirtation with his very married co-worker, Hillary. Hillary convinces Andy to try out for a voice-over part on a children's television show, and the next thing he knows he lands himself the lead role. Suddenly he's gone from being a weather forecaster to the star of a kid's show, and hot moms everywhere are vying for his affection. As his small star rises, his relationship with Hillary intensifies, and he finds himself needing to make some major decisions. Will it be clear skies ahead for Andy, or is looking like thunderstorms?

What I enjoyed the most about Two Years, No Rain was the complicated relationships between the various characters. The relationship between Andy and his niece, Hannah, is especially heartwarming, particularly because I remember my own turbulent teenage years and wish that I could have had a cool uncle like that to hang out with. Despite his occasionally questionable decisions, you can tell throughout the book that Andy really loves his family, and would do absolutely anything to help them be happy. I can only describe the relationship between Andy and his "friend" Hillary as intense, perhaps even a little crazy. It was passionate, definitely, but I couldn't help but remember that Hillary had a husband throughout the book. That made me frown a little at their arrangement. Cheating isn't always about the sex, it can be about an emotional connection as well.

Despite my occasional reservations about Hillary and Andy, I couldn't stop thinking about one thing while reading Two Years, No Rain- "Man, Shawn Klomparens can write!". When his characters are feeling or experiencing something, I felt like I was right there alongside them. The family dynamics were complicated yet true-to-life, and his writing style engaging. I read this book as part of Catherine McKenzie's Make a Book a Bestseller initiative (full details can be found here), and I'm thankful that I've been introduced to a spectacular author whom I may not have been introduced to otherwise. I enjoyed his books so much that I will definitely be on the lookout for his next novel.

Now I'm going to do something that I don't normally do on this blog- I'm going to compare two books by the same author. While I enjoyed both books, and the writing style is similarly engaging in each, I would have to say that I preferred his book Jessica Z. It was raw, intense, and it even had a hint of mystery. I think the fact that Shawn Klomparens could write so convincingly from a female point of view makes Jessica Z. a book that will continue to stand out in my mind. I'm recommending both, but if you're on the fence as to which one to read first, it's the one that I would pick.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Recommended to: Fiction fans, anyone wanting to win a Kindle while introducing themselves to a fantastic author
Challenges: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. I read this book as part of the Make a Book a Bestseller initiative.

Review of "Seven Year Switch" by Claire Cook

Jill Murray feels like she finally has it all together, seven years after her husband Seth left her and their three-year-old daughter Anastasia in the middle of the night, leaving only a note behind. Sure, she's working three jobs to make ends meet, and sure, their house isn't as nice as the others in the neighborhood, but she's managing it, and all that really matters to her anyways is Anastasia.

When Seth reappears out of the blue, apparently finished with his stint in the Peace Corps and ready to be a father again, Jill is terrified that he will disappoint them, and especially their daughter, again. Anastasia is thrilled to have her dad back in her life, but Jill can't help but have her reservations.

Meanwhile, things are getting even more complicated on the man front. Jill is finding it next to impossible to resist her sweet and charming client, Billy, but is afraid to introduce yet another thing into her already chaotic life. Unable to figure out what to do, Jill takes a giant leap and takes a solo trip to Costa Rica, hoping that she'll be able to find out some answers while she's there.

Jill Murray is the protaganist that you're rooting for from the very beginning. She's sweet and lovable, yet closed off. She's been hurt before- big-time- and she's not keen to let anyone into her carefully constructed bubble. As a reader, I rooted for her all the way through. I hoped that she would come out of her shell, live a little, and realize that although she had been hurt before, not all men would be like her husband. Jill's neighbor, Cynthia, who likes to appear vapid but is anything but, was a welcome addition to the cast of characters. The fact that she was Jill's complete opposite made for an interesting comparison, and an even more entertaining friendship.

I loved the underlying theme about change and growth. The title comes from the concept that every seven years our skin completely regenerates itself, making us essentially a whole new person. Throughout the book we are presented with the concept that change, and especially personal growth, can be a good thing, if only we open ourselves up to it.

I really enjoyed Seven Year Switch and read it in less than a day! Claire Cook takes a situation that is serious and all too real (abandonment) and turns it into something fun, heartwarming, and empowering for the people involved. I highly recommend that you slip this one into your bag the next time you're headed for the beach- you won't be disappointed!

Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Recommended to: Women's fiction aficionados such as myself
Challenges: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge, New Author Challenge 2010, 2010 Support Your Local Library Challenge

I borrowed this book from The Norfolk County Public Library.

Guest Post by Christine Lemmon

Please join me in welcoming Christine Lemmon, author of the recently released Sand in my Eyes to The Book Chick! If you missed my review, you can read it here. Today Christine Lemmon blogs about what it is like to be a mother and a writer, and how her kids feel about it:

"Being a mother has definitely influenced my writing. When my son was two and my second three months old, I feared I might never find the time to write again. But then one morning, I set my alarm for five o’clock and tiptoeing to the stairs outside their bedroom, I turned my computer on and began writing Portion of the Sea. To me, going to those stairs early in the morning, with nothing but my laptop lighting the way, was like picking up the paddles and rowing, rowing, rowing, writing, writing, writing out to my very own Portion of the Sea to reclaim the treasure I thought I had lost for good. Had I not been a mother, experiencing the tension between motherhood and selfish pursuits/passions, I would not have been able to write Portion of the Sea.


In the prologue to Sand in My Eyes, I start with a mother writing a letter to her daughter who left for college, wanting desperately to tell her everything there is to know about life, and thinking of all the things she may have forgotten to teach her daughter along the way. When I write, I tap into my heart and soul and there is nothing in life more important to me than my children. They are like masterpieces in the works and as their mother I am here to help mold them into the adults they become. This comes out in my writing. My main characters are always daughters, mothers and grandmothers.

As the story of Sand in My Eyes switches back to when her children were small again and she was running around her messy house like a chicken with its head cut off, trying to keep up with it all, I used my own experiences: “No one told me it could be so hard, that motherhood would give me indescribable joy in exchange for who I was as an individual …” and “…I was an overwhelmed woman, wondering whether one too many crazy mornings mixed with lack of sleep might have a tragic cumulative effect, like one too many huffs and puffs and the house falls down.” I could not have written Sand in My Eyes if I were not myself in that phase where my greatest daily accomplishment was simply getting me and the kids dressed and out the door without losing my mind.

I get most of my bursts of inspiration for my novels while playing outdoors with my children, sitting with them at the park, watching sunsets, or wading in the water. But I have to keep it all inside me until we get home and they go to bed and I can write. Motherhood and creativity, I’ve found, are extremely compatible and because I’m with the kids throughout the day and can only write when they are sleeping, writing is like a secret affair that I can think about during the day and by evening, I can hardly wait to light my candle, put my classical music on and begin! I look at writing as my selfish time. It’s adult conversation and my characters do and say whatever it is I want them to.

Because I typically write from five to seven in the morning, or from nine until midnight at night, I haven’t sacrificed family time for writing. I have, however, gone without television for six months to a year at a time. Sex in the City? Gray’s Anatomy? American Idol? I’m embarrassed to admit I’ve never watched any! If I make the choice to write, it means disciplining my self to write every single morning or night at the same time and to do so, I have to give up certain things. During the writing of Portion of the Sea, I grew tired from writing early in the morning and so I joined a gym that had a nursery. Rather than working out, I’d sit with my laptop in the ladies lounge, writing. My husband noticed I wasn’t getting in better shape and when he found out what I was doing, he cancelled my membership.

Two hours a night doesn’t sound like a lot of time taken out of life to write, but when I have babies or children with me all day long, those two hours at night would have been the time for me to fold laundry, hang out with my husband, read novels, or watch a movie.

The kids never see me writing. They’re oblivious to it all. A few months ago, my nine-year old spotted a woman on the beach reading my book. He looked at me oddly, and said, “Mom, when did you write that book?” I laughed and told him, “When you were sleeping.”"

Thank-you so much for stopping by! I love the two quotes that you included from Sand in my Eyes- both are incredibly true. You can find out more about Christine by visiting http://www.christinelemmon.com/, or you can find her on Facebook and Twitter.

Review: "Seven Exes Are Eight Too Many" by Heather Wardell

Madeline-Cora Spencer (better known as MC) has had enough of the dating scene and is looking to settle down and meet someone special. Going against her fiercely private nature, she signs up one drunken night to be on the show Find Your Prince, a reality dating show similar to The Bachelorette. She's surprised and a little excited when she is actually chosen for the show, but is beyond horrified when she finds out that she's been tricked by the producers. Rather than appearing on a show where seven men vie for her affection, she will be appearing on a show that is a combination of Stranded! (Survivor) and Find Your Prince. Making MC's nightmare even more vivid is the fact that she knows the men that she'll be stranded with- each and every one is an ex-boyfriend from her past. With no way to back out without coughing up $250 thousand dollars in penalties, it's off to a remote island that will be home for the next 21 days in an attempt to win the $1 million dollar prize.

The producers of the show have more unpleasant surprises up their sleeves, and by the time the 21 days are up, MC may have had enough surprises for a lifetime!

Reading Seven Exes Are Eight Too Many was more fun than watching reality TV! MC, the main character, was closed-off emotionally in many ways, yet you couldn't help but root for her to find happiness all the way through. The exes were all so different, and that kept things interesting, but they weren't so different that I couldn't imagine MC dating all of them. They all had things about them that were attractive, and they all had drawbacks as well. The whole scenario had a very "real" feel to it, as in I could imagine this show and the cast of characters actually being in existence.

Another aspect that I loved about Seven was that it brought the filming of reality TV to life for me. I've watched Survivor a whole bunch of times, but can honestly say that I've never wondered where they go to the bathroom. Seven addresses a lot of these issues; where people go to the bathroom, for example, or the logistics of signing a contract before you know what you're really in for. It was all really interesting stuff, and added an additional aspect to the book.

My favourite part had to be the love stories unfolding throughout the book. None were overdone, but all were fun. Most of them are secondary to the plot, and appropriately in the background, but my favourite one is between MC and one of her exes (I won't tell you which one, because that would ruin the fun!).

Heather Wardell has written a book that is fast-paced, creative and fun, and it does the women's fiction genre proud. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and recommend it to anyone looking for a fun read that will keep you smiling.

If you would like to find out more about Heather Wardell and her books you can visit her at www.heatherwardell.com. Her book Life, Love, and a Polar Bear Tattoo is always free for those who read e-books, and her other books Go Small or Go Home and Seven Exes Are Eight Too Many are both available for download for only $0.99 each. Seven is also now available in paperback format on Amazon. You can also enter to win a copy of Seven on Goodreads or on Heather's blog.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Recommended to: Fans of women's fiction, fans of Canadian authors
Challenges: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge, New Author Challenge 2010, The Canadian Book Challenge 4

Thank-you to Heather Wardell for sending this review copy to me in exchange for my honest opinion.

Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Monday is hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page. Each week we share which books we found in our mailboxes, but be warned: Mailbox Monday can lead to towering TBR piles and huge wish lists! Last week brought two new additions to my TBR pile:

Seven Exes Are Eight Too Many by Heather Wardell came to me courtesy of the author. I love Canadian authors, and I love chick-lit, so I've already started reading this one! Review and author interview to come...

The Debutante by Kathleen Tessaro arrived on Friday, courtesy of HarperCollins Canada (I was on vacation, but luckily my neighbor signs for my books when I'm gone!). I really enjoyed Tessaro's The Flirt, so I'm looking forward to reading this one as well.

What was in your mailbox last week?

Review: "Pieces of Happily Ever After" by Irene Zutell

Alice Hirsch is floored when her lawyer husband, Alex, leaves her for his celebrity client (and notorious diva), Rose Maris. Alice is left in their home, the brand-new home that they just finished building, caring for their 5 year-old daughter, Gabrielle, and trying to figure out what in the heck happened to her marriage.

Suddenly Alice, who was never a fan of the spotlight, is a paparazzi magnet. An almost-divorced paparazzi magnet. Having never felt at-home in California, Alice doesn't really have any friends to turn to, other than long-distance ones. Shortly after her world is turned upside-down, Gabby starts kindergarten, and Alice makes an effort to get to know the other children's moms, knowing that she needs women around her to help her through her own personal tabloid hell.

Luckily, the friends that she makes are unconventional but warm and welcoming. They include a soccer mom who wears Winnie the Pooh sweaters, a former porn star trying to turn over a new leaf, and a woman with mysterious and chronic headaches. As Alice navigates through her newly single life, she tries to determine what it is that she really wants. If Alex leaves Rose, does she want him back? What kind of parent does she want to be? Most importantly, who has she become, and what does this new Alice want out of life?

My description of Pieces of Happily Ever After just doesn't do it justice. There is just so much going on in this book! Alice, the main character, is dealing with so much. Her husband has undergone a complete transformation in both personality and appearance and has gone off with a movie star, of all people. Her daughter, Gabby, is adorable, yet a handful. She's a subject of fascination for the paparazzi, who want to know all about the abandoned wife of Rose Maris' new boyfriend. Her mother has Alzheimer's and is deteriorating quickly. Despite the fact that there is so much going on, it never feels like too much. It just feels like Alice is doing her best to cope, getting through things one day at a time.

I really appreciated the secondary characters in the book as well. Faye, a psychic who Alice's friend introduces her to, is funny and a calming presence. Ruth, a former porn star trying to erase her past, is so earnest and such a good friend to Alice that I couldn't help but love her. Trinity, her mother's caregiver was also a welcome addition to the book, bringing a whole new dimension to the friendships that blossom over the course of the story. John, the paparazzo with heart was my absolute favourite secondary character.

I also loved the underlying princess theme. Gabby, Alice's daughter, is obsessed with Disney princesses in all shape and form. She's convinced that every woman is a damsel in distress, every man a Prince Charming. Irene Zutell manages to weave this into the larger storyline, emphasizing how life is not all "happily ever afters", but rather what we choose to make it. I'm going to read this one again just to see if I missed any of these clever references the first time around.

I only have one small criticism. I didn't like that Alice called her mother "mommy". It infantilized her. I don't know many grown women who still call their mothers "mommy", and I cringed a little each time that word appeared. However, this was a very minor criticism, and definitely did not detract from the book overall.

Irene Zutell's Pieces of Happily Ever After was alternately hilarious, heartbreaking, and warm. A reflection on friendships, parenthood, and marriage, I thoroughly enjoyed her novel and will definitely keep my eyes open for her future releases.

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5
Recommended to: Fans of women's fiction
Challenges: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge, New Author Challenge 2010

Thank-you to Crystal at BookSparks PR for providing me with this review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

We Have Winners!

I'm leaving tomorrow for a 4-day vacation with my handsome hubby (Happy 2nd anniversary, babe!), sans kids, so I'm wrapping up a few loose ends before I go. We have winners!!!!

Congratulations to Domestic Diva who wins a $60 CSN Gift Certificate!

and

Congratulations to Debbie F who wins a copy of the engrossing The Opposite of Me by Sarah Pekkanen!

Winners, I will be e-mailing you shortly, but if you don't hear back from me right away, please give me until Tuesday at the latest!  I promise to get back to you on Monday or Tuesday if I don't catch you before then.

If you didn't win, make sure you've entered one of the other contests that I have going on at the moment:

Finding Marco by Kenneth C. Cancellara (2 copies, International, July 16)
Cold Rock River by Jackie Lee Miles (2 copies, US/Canada, July 23)

Review: "Sand in My Eyes" by Christine Lemmon

Anna Hott is in her 50's now, and her children have all flown the nest. Her twin sons and her daughter are all settled in college, and she finally has time to perfect the novel that she has been chipping away at since the kids were little.

In a story-within-a-story, we read the story that Anna has written. Anna's story reflects back on the time when her children were young; little whirlwinds depleting Anna's energy in their tiny Florida home. Anna has discovered that her husband had cheated on her, a one-time deal that Anna is unable to forgive. While he takes off for business trips, staying in nice hotels with room service and clean sheets, Anna is stuck at home caring for the children, bouncing checks for necessary grocery items. Anna is filled with a justifiable resentment towards her husband. One day her neighbor, the elderly Fedelina Aurelio, knocks on her door. Fedelina brings with her the wisdom of having raised seven children of her own, and using flowers as analogies, helps Anna to survive both her crumbling marriage and her busy children. The book that Anna has written is an ode to her.

I loved the character of Fedelina Aurelio. Her advice in Sand in My Eyes was spot- on and relevant, and she was full of words of wisdom for the mothers of young children. Fedelina reminds mothers to take time for themselves in order to be better mothers. She tells us to keep our husbands as a priority in our lives as well, instead of just treating them as afterthoughts once the children come along. She tells us to enjoy our children while they are little, because when they are grown we will miss this time and wish that we could go back. She is a spunky little old lady, and someone who I wish that I could have as a neighbor.

Anna, unfortunately, was a character with whom I was unable to connect with. I found her to be whiny, yet unwilling to do anything to change her situation. Anna struggles throughout the book with wanting to write, yet being unable to find the time to do so with a household in need of cleaning and children in need of raising. I can certainly relate to that, that need to be something beyond a mother, a maid, a cook, a wife, yet Anna seemed to be in a stagnant place. She whined about her circumstances, but resisted making any positive changes in her life. Sometimes, as mothers, we need to make choices in order to capture bits of happiness in our lives. We need to choose to leave the house a little messy so that we can spend the afternoon at the park with the kids. We need to choose to let the kids watch an hour of bad cartoons so that we can get a few moments to ourselves. Sometimes I felt a little like kicking Anna, telling her to either find happiness in her circumstances, or to make changes so that she can.

Because I was unable to relate to Anna, I found that Sand in My Eyes didn't quite gel for me. There were some redeeming portions in the last quarter of the book, sections when I found that I was able to cheer Anna on towards her personal happiness, but overall I found that it just didn't work. I was disappointed with parts of the ending as well. I felt that we, as readers, were led in a certain direction only to find out that it was all false. My opinion is in the minority, though, so please check out A Novel Source or Sharon's Garden of Book Reviews for a different perspective. You can find out more about Christine Lemmon and her books at http://www.christinelemmon.com/, and you can find her on Facebook or Twitter.

Rating: 2.5 stars out of 5
Recommended to: Mothers and fans of inspirational books
Challenges: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge, New Author Challenge 2010

I received a review copy of this book from Book Sparks PR and Penmark Publishing, LLC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Review: "My Fair Lazy" by Jen Lancaster

Jen Lancaster, where have you been all my life? She is one Funny woman- funny with a capital F!

My Fair Lazy chronicles Jen Lancaster's attempts to incorporate more culture into her life. When she was laid off, she started spending more time in front of the TV and as a result became hooked on reality television. Suddenly her conversations revolved around who was kicked off Survivor, and who that hottie from American Idol was. Even after Jen finds work again, as an author (duh!), her reality television addiction remains. When Jen realizes that she's having a hard time conversing in public about anything that is not related to television, she decides to expose herself to more: more culture, more music, more plays, more food. Her journey towards culture is told in My Fair Lazy.

I've heard of Jen Lancaster, of course, but I've never had a chance to read any of her books. Now I'm wondering what took me so long. She is really, really funny. As in, laughing- out- loud- while- people- are- looking- at- you- strangely- funny. I started reading this book on the beach while my kids played, and the next thing I knew I was halfway through! I had a really hard time putting it down. Her writing is more than just funny- it is engaging and insightful as well. She entered into this project with an open mind, and I found myself cheering for her when she really enjoyed a play that she was initially doubtful about. I was happy that she tried many different foods, even when she didn't enjoy all of them. I especially loved that she found herself reading classic literature. I tried that myself not that long ago, and even though I didn't really enjoy the book that I read, at least I made an attempt to open myself up culturally!

Her novel culminates when she attends a big author event and finds herself able to carry on intelligent and insightful conversations, with a little reality television thrown in for good measure. Jen never knocks reality television completely, which I loved, but rather finds a way to expand her personal and conversational horizons. She also never tries to disguise the fact that she's a writer, and throws interesting tidbits about her writing schedule in there for good measure. Have you ever realized that so many people who write memoirs don't write about the writing process at all, even when it's relevant? I found this refreshing.

I enjoy memoirs, and I enjoy laugh-out-loud humor, so there was no reason for me not to love Jen Lancaster and My Fair Lazy. I'm planning to read more of her books, and am especially drawn to Bright Lights, Big Ass and Such a Pretty Fat. If they're all as funny as this one (and I've heard that they are), then I'm in for a treat!

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5
Recommended to: Fans of funny memoirs
Challenges: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge, New Author Challenge 2010

I received a copy of this book from Penguin Canada in exchange for my honest review.

Mailbox Monday

Welcome to Mailbox Monday! Mailbox Monday is hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page and each week we share which books we found in our mailboxes! Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to towering TBR piles and out-of-control wish lists! But hey, we have fun!

This week I found one new book in my mailbox (and not a moment too soon. I have a review scheduled for this week!). I received a copy of Sand in My Eyes by Christine Lemmon.

While I was in Toronto this week to meet Emily Giffin, I was drawn to the bargain book table. I have a hard time going into the bookstore without buying something, so this is what I bought:

Queen Mum by Kate Long
Two of a Kind by Mina Ford
Another Man's Life by Greg Williams
Six Weeks to Toxic by Louisa McCormack

That's what was in my mailbox last week. What was in yours?

Mandy and Jonita's Excellent Adventure!

I have to admit something before I begin- when Emily Giffin Facebooked the fact that her book signing in Toronto, Ontario has to be postponed from June 16th until July 7th, I cheered a little. I felt bad that she was sick, and I felt bad for those planning to go to the June 16th show, but suddenly, there was a chance that I would be able to meet Emily Giffin and have her sign my copy of Heart of the Matter! I've never been to an author signing before, but Emily is one of my all-time favourite authors. I've been reading her books since Something Borrowed first came out, and Something Blue is still one of my all-time favourite books. I would be off of work on July 7th, and I was sure that I could convince my husband to take an afternoon off work to watch our boys. I immediately e-mailed my book-loving sister-in-law Mandy and asked if she would be interested in coming along (she's off work on Wednesdays) and she said that yes, she would come along- especially because the event was being held in a multi-level bookstore in Toronto. Have I mentioned lately how much Mandy and I love books?

So, it was settled. We were going! We made all of the necessary arrangements, and on July 7th I went to pick Mandy up at her house in Brantford. Now, July 7th happened to be the third day of a heatwave in Ontario and it was, to put it mildly, freaking hot. We set out on the highway towards the GO station (I am not driving in Toronto, people!), and no sooner had I said "Mandy, what is that noise?", our tire blew. And by blew, I mean shredded. All over the highway. So now we were stuck at the side of the highway with a van with a blown tire. Have you ever been stuck at the side of a highway in the over 30 degree weather? It's hot. And scary. Luckily Mandy had her cell phone, and she called a towing company to come and change our tire (thank goodness for full-sized spares!), and the guy who arrived was someone that my husband and I knew from the days when he was a tow-truck driver. He had us on our way within 30 or so minutes of the tire blowing (thank-you John!). Mandy and I decided that we weren't taking any more chances with the van, so we drove back to her house and got her car. 15 minutes later, we really were on our way to the GO station. For the second time.

We arrived at the GO station and got our tickets. Then we got onto a bus, which would take us to Burlington. In Burlington we got onto the GO train that would take us to Toronto's Union Station. Once we got to Union Station, we grabbed an iced coffee (for me) and a white hot chocolate (for Mandy) and Mandy attempted to explain to me how the TTC works. Really, I just did what she told me to. Thank goodness Mandy knows the system from living in Toronto a few years back, or else I would still be on there trying to figure out where I was going. And then? We were finally there. The Indigo on Bloor Street!! We had arrived!

We went into the Indigo store, and ignoring the siren call of all the books, found our way downstairs to where Emily Giffin would be speaking and signing books. Due to the delay from blowing the tire we weren't able to get seats, and had to settle for the standing-room only section (which we would later compare to a cattle pen). It wasn't the greatest spot, but who cares? We were getting to see Emily Giffin! While waiting for Emily to come out we got to eat the cutest little cupcakes with purple icing (which were absolutely delicious!). I was going to get a picture of one, but then I ate it. Oops!

A few minutes after 7 pm, it was time! Emily came out looking gorgeous (and cool!), in a beautiful white dress. She took her place at the podium and then told us a little about Heart of the Matter. She told us about her inspiration for the book (a woman she met who was the mother of a child with a craniofacial defect), as well as her creative role in the upcoming Something Borrowed movie. What I found really interesting was that she started the book on Tessa's side, but as she wrote she found that she was feeling empathy for Valerie as well! That was one of the things that I loved about Heart of the Matter, the fact that it showed that there is no black and white when it comes to these situations. Emily also took questions from the audience and we found out what the favourite book that she's written is (Something Blue, just like me!), about how involved she is with the movie (a considerable amount), and about her next book (it will feature characters that we already know and love!). I even got to ask her a question of my own (I asked what her favourite part of the writing process is. Her answer in short? The beginning and the end- the middle portion sucks!).

After her introduction and her Q&A session, it was time for the book signing! Those of us in the standing-room only section did have to wait to get our books signed until after those who were seated, but thankfully Mandy and I were close to the front of that line. Emily was both gracious and efficient. She spent a minute or two with each person, generously agreed to take pictures with everyone who wanted one, and kept the line moving while making each of us glad that we had come out. I had heard that Emily Giffin was one of the best authors to come and see because of these reasons, and that night really proved it. Not only is she gorgeous, but she was funny and interesting and personable! I will definitely go to see her again if she comes back to Toronto!

After we had my book signed, Mandy and I headed upstairs to explore the bookstore. There were a ton of books, and only an hour before the store closed, but we managed to explore a little, recommend our favourites to one another, and we even managed to do a little bargain-hunting! We walked out with a combined total of 7 books and we paid less than $25 in total for them! At that point we were tired (it was 10 pm and we had a long trip home), so we started making our way back to the GO station. It was all thankfully uneventful, except for the part when we stopped to pick up some "street meat" for the ride home and as a result we missed our train by literally 30 seconds. We reached the platform just in time to see the train pull away. Missing the train meant that we had an hour-long wait for the next one, but we made the best of it and actually managed to have a lot of fun while waiting.

Mandy got home at about 1:30 AM, and I got home at about 2:20 AM, but you know what? I had a fabulous time with Mandy, and I had a wonderful experience with my first author signing, and I would do it again (for one of my favourite authors) in a heartbeat.

Review: "Get Lucky" by Katherine Center

Sarah Harper has just been fired from her job in New York after she makes a questionable decision by sending out an e-mail filled with breasts to every single person on her work e-mail list- including the interns and the bosses. Thankfully, it's Thanksgiving and she's headed home to Texas to spend time with her sister and her husband, as well as her father, who hasn't been the same since their mother died. When she gets to Texas, her sister Mackie tells her that she and her husband, Clive, have given up on being able to have a child. Their fertility doctor explained that Mackie's uterus is just not able to sustain a pregnancy. Combine a heartbreakingly decorated nursery at Mackie's house with Sarah's deep love for her sister, and you have a dangerous combination. Sarah insists in carrying Mackie's child- a child who will be a product of Mackie and Clive's genetics, but who Sarah will give birth to. It will give Sarah a chance to so something good for once, plus it will give her time to regroup from her New York mistake.

What the sisters weren't considering was how weird it can be to carry your sister's child. Or how Sarah will feel when an ex-boyfriend shows up and Sarah starts to have feelings for him. Or what will happen when someone from New York calls Sarah up asking for a huge favour. All she needs to do is get through the next nine months and she'll be home free- or so she thinks.

I'll admit that I was a little worried about how Katherine Center would handle the issue of surrogacy in Get Lucky. Having done some research on it in University, I know that it is a sensitive and deeply emotional topic. I needn't of worried. Center handles it with grace- both addressing it and not making it a focus at the same time. We don't get the sense that Sarah really connects with the babies growing in her belly throughout the pregnancy, and the focus is not on how many times they kick or the various doctor's appointments. Instead the focus is on Sarah, handling new emotions, coming to terms with her time in New York, and looking for love and a lasting relationship even while carrying her sister's babies.

The characters were quirky and lovable- Mackie, determined to make Sarah's pregnancy a healthy one, Howard, her new boss who hates everyone, and Everett, the old highschool flame. I especially loved Dixie, Sarah's father's fiancee, with her quirky personality and her ability to continue being true to herself despite the opposition from everyone around her. The characters and their various personalities are part of what made this book so enjoyable.

In short, Get Lucky is a fun summer read, which manages to deal with a major topic in a respectful and serious way without turning the book into an epic debate on the subject. I enjoyed it, I loved the ending, and I'm definitely going to read Center's other books now that I've read this one.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Recommended to: Fans of women's fiction
Challenges: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge, New Author Challenge 2010, 2010 Support Your Local Library Challenge

I took this book out of the Norfolk Public Library.

Review: "Girl Crazy" by Russell Smith

Justin, an unhappy teacher at a community college in Toronto, has just gotten out of a relationship with the reserved Genevieve. They're carrying on an awkward pretense at being friends when he meets Jenna, a girl in her early twenties who is having a miscarriage when he overhears her conversion on a payphone and decides to help. Justin gets her to a hospital where she will be looked after by a friend of his, a medical resident, and slips her his number before he leaves. Jenna calls a few days later and they get together for coffee. Justin is attracted to her toughness, her vulnerability, and her blatant sexuality. Justin loves women, women of all shapes and sizes. He loves their breasts, their hair, their shape, their smell. Much of the novel is devoted to Justin's descriptions of the beautiful women that he encounters.

Justin and Jenna start having a relationship- one that it sexual and raw and tumultuous. Her erratic behaviour draws him in again and again, and he can't seem to let her go. When Justin finds out one of the secrets that Jenna has been hiding, will they be able to make it work, or will that be the end of the road for them?

If I had to describe Girl Crazy in one word, it would be "intense". The whole ride is intense, and exhausting, but only in the way that something can be exhausting if it is so new to you. Jenna's world, a world of ripe sexuality and drugs and guns, is so different from the life that Justin led before he met her, yet he is inexplicably drawn to it. If I got to describe this novel in another word, it would be "dark". At times reading the book is like being exposed to the dark underbelly of humanity. Everything that your parents warned you against is in here, from the drugs to the underground poker games to the dimly lit insides of a strip club.

Reading Girl Crazy was a little like being a voyeur. We are privy to many of the thoughts that Justin has, and he has a fixation with women. We read about how he feels about women and their various parts, and we read about how the tiniest sliver of silk or a brightly coloured headband can turn him on. It was fascinating, and wasn't pornographic but rather psychological. It was like studying the inside of the stereotypical male brain.

I'm going to caution those who don't appreciate sex in their books to stay away from this one; there is lots in here. However, if you can handle that stuff, Girl Crazy is the fascinating portrait of what makes a man tick, while offering insights into the lives of those who tend to make bad decisions.

Thank-you to HarperCollins Canada for this review copy!

Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Recommended to: Anyone wanting to know more about the male psyche
Challenges: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge, New Author Challenge 2010

Review: "A Thread of Sky" by Deanna Fei

When Irene Shen's husband of thirty years is killed in a sudden accident, coincidentally as he's leaving her to start a new life, her whole family falls apart. Her three daughters, all blaming Irene for their father's death, scatter across the globe. Nora, the eldest, lives in New York and is involved in a tumultuous relationship. Kay, the middle child, is living in China, learning the heritage and language of her ancestors. Sophie, the youngest, is prepared to escape to college as soon as she receives her high school diploma.

Irene, desperate to reconnect with her daughters, plans a last-minute trip to China and invites her distant mother and sister along. These three generations of women reluctantly set off on their trip, but don't realize that instead of finding their heritage, they will end up finding themselves.

I enjoyed the complexity of A Thread of Sky- the six women begin their journey distanced from one another and holding on to their carefully guarded secrets, but it isn't until those secrets begin to tumble out, one after another, that they really open themselves up to the possibility of connection. It's like at the beginning of the book each woman is surrounded by safe layers, and as their trip continues on they start stripping those layers off. At the end of the book we are presented with a new version of each woman, the authentic version.

My only complaint would be that the story meandered at times. I felt as if the same things could have been accomplished in less time just by removing a few unnecessary scenes. The beginning was especially slow for me, as we meet all six female characters and get a feel for their back story. Deanna Fei was taking a risk by focusing on six central characters, but handled it well and it ended up paying off.

A Thread of Sky was filled with beautiful scenery, detailed history, closely guarded secrets, and an emotional journey. It was an ultimately uplifting story about the bonds between mothers and daughters, sisters and siblings. Thank-you to Penguin Canada for this review copy!

Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Recommended to: Armchair travellers, those who enjoy stories about the complexity of female relationships
Challenges: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge, New Author Challenge 2010

Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Monday is hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page. Each week we share what books made their way onto our bookshelves, but be warned: Mailbox Monday can lead to towering TBR piles, huge wish lists, and a little book-related envy!

Three new books made their way into my mailbox last week. The first to arrive was A Place to Call Home by Gabiele Wills. I loved her book The Summer Before the Storm and am excited to read this one as well!

The second book to arrive was Diary of a Beverly Hills Matchmaker by Marla Martenson. I have a thing for celebrities, and since Marla has worked with them, I'm looking forward to reading this memoir. Plus, I sneaked a peek at the first page and I'm sure that it will be entertaining!

The final book to arrive was Tuesday Tells It Slant by Holly Christine. It's chick lit-y and looks like it will make a great beach read! I'm reading this for an upcoming blog tour.

That's what arrived in my mailbox last week- what was in yours?

Review: "The Season of Second Chances" by Diane Meier

Joy Harkness is surprised when she's offered a prestigious position at Amherst College, working with the respected Bernadette Lowell. At the time she's working for Columbia University and feels a little burnt out with both New York and with her job, so she's excited to relocate, although she's not quite sure why Amherst wants her so badly. She moves to Massachusetts with her few belongings not quite knowing what to expect.

When she arrives she decides to buy a house. In all of her years in New York she had never really put down roots- her apartment was rented and she had kept a safe distance between herself and her colleagues. However she's decided that it's time for things to change, and Joy starts looking at real estate. She finds a run down old house, neglected at best, and surprises even herself when she decides to buy it and restore it.

The purchase of her house leads to her meeting Teddy, the local handyman with a gift for restoration. She and Teddy begin having a strange and oddly dependant relationship with one another, and as her house is restored to its former glory, Joy feels that something inside her has changed as well.

As its title suggests, The Season of Second Chances is all about getting a new lease on life. Joy's house was a metaphor for the change happening in her life. As her house changes and becomes brighter and newer, Joy becomes brighter and newer herself. When she initially takes the position with Amherst College she is rather reclusive, protecting herself from the people around her. She doesn't go to a lot of social gatherings with her colleagues, and her closest friends in New York are elderly sisters who still live together after many years. Her new office mates change all of that, forcing her through their kindness to open herself up to the friendships that are being offered to her. I would hesistate to call this a coming- of- age story, since Joy is middle-aged, but that's exactly what this is- a journey where at the end Joy finds that she has developed into someone new.

I didn't enjoy the relationship between Joy and Teddy, the handyman. Teddy struck me as odd (which he is supposed to) with his strange dress sense and his complete dependance on his mother. However I believe that this relationship was supposed to serve as a launching pad for Joy's future romantic life- she needs to be in this relationship in order to know how to handle adult relationships in the future.

What I really enjoyed was Joy's transformation. At the beginning of the book she seems to be contained in a private bubble, one where she can't be reached by any human, but by the end of the book she becomes someone entirely different- someone who feels emotions and lets people into her life, even if there is the possibility that she could get hurt in the process.

I really enjoyed this book, and the underlying message- it is never too late to grow emotionally and to make changes for the better. Thank-you to Henry Holt and Company for this review copy! You can read an excerpt from the book or check out the reading group guide here.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Recommended to: Fans of women's fiction and coming-of-age novels
Challenges: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge, New Author Challenge 2010

Giveaway and Guest Post by Jackie Lee Miles

Please join me in welcoming Jackie Lee Miles, the author of Cold Rock River and Roseflower Creek to The Book Chick today! If you missed my review of Cold Rock River, you can read it here. Today Jackie Lee Miles tells us about her favourite part of the publishing process:

"Definitely the favorite part of the publishing process for me is the writing. I never know what I’ll discover when I’m placing words on the page. And I’m always surprised by what the characters tell me. Case in point: my novel Cold Rock River. Initially it was to be the story of Adie Jenkins, seventeen, pregnant, and unmarried during the early 1960’s. I know today if you’re in that condition they throw you a shower, but in those days, they threw you out.


As Adie’s story begins I decided she would do some chicken farming to feed them when it became apparent Buck, her new husband, wasn’t going to be one she could count on. I went to the library to research Georgia chicken farming and stumbled onto the Slave Narratives. The complete collection—which contains more than two thousand first-person accounts—is housed at the Library of Congress in Washington, DC. They were commissioned by President Roosevelt during the depression years, in order to record the journey of those freed slaves still alive. Writers were sent across the nation to search for them. Their accounts are as fascinating as they are poignant. Over the years, there’s been a good deal of controversy as to their accuracy, based on the fact that some of the freed slaves were fearful or perhaps suspicious of the government—brings to mind “forty acres and a mule”—and hesitant to speak candidly regarding the treatment they may or may not have received at the hands of their sometimes still powerful former masters. The collective consensus is that somewhere amidst the vast amount of material lies the truth.

After months of reading, reviewing, and re-examining all of the narratives I could locate, Tempe’s portion of Cold Rock River emerged. It is woven into the narrative once Adie discovers her diary. Tempe’s story, based on what I found, is remarkable. Everything that Tempe experiences was lifted from the lives of actual people who wore the chains and bore the scars of slavery. I won’t ever forget her, nor am I able to forget those I “met” through the narratives, who bravely shared their life stories so that Tempe could tell me hers.

There is a very tender moment in the book when Adie writes a letter to Murphy Spencer, the land owner who owns the cabin she and Buck are living in. By now Adie is very much aware that she is in love with Murphy and he with her. Adie settled too soon on the direction her life would take by getting pregnant and marrying Buck before she even knew who she was. When she meets Murphy she realizes too late that she’ll never have the love of her life. But, Adie does not take her wedding vows lightly and perseveres in her marriage. I love the part in her goodbye letter to Murphy where she writes, “I will miss you all my life, but I want my children to grow up knowing the promises we make are meant to be kept. Murphy, we met too late.”

Not knowing what she would have to say, I actually wept as I typed the letter. After I wrote the words down, I wondered had I been in her shoes, could I have been so honorable?

So writing is the process about publishing that I love most. I hope you’ll check out my efforts and pick up a copy of Cold Rock River or Roseflower Creek—both being reissued by Sourcebooks Landmark and in stores this summer!

All great best,

Jackie Lee Miles"

About the Author

Jackie Lee Miles lives in Georgia with her husband, where she is a featured speaker at book clubs, schools, and writer’s workshops. The author of three novels, Roseflower Creek was her first, published to critical acclaim. When not writing, Ms. Miles tours with the Dixie Divas, four nationally published book-writing belles. Her next novel, All That’s True, will be published by Sourcebooks Landmark in early 2011. For more information, please visit http://jlmiles.brinkster.net/.

Courtesy of Sourcebooks I have 2 copies of Cold Rock River to give away! To enter:

1. Leave me a comment and tell me why you want to win! Please leave me an e-mail address so that I can contact you if you're one of the winners. No e-mail= no entry!

2. *Bonus Entry* Become a follower of this blog through Google Friend Connect and leave me a separate comment letting me know that you now follow. Already a follower? Awesome! Please leave me a comment letting me know that you already follow.

3. *Bonus Entry* Spread the word about this contest in a way of your choice. Tweet about it, Facebook it, blog about it, or add it to your sidebar, just make sure that you leave me a separate comment letting me know how you spread the word!

This contest runs until July 23, 2010 at midnight, EST. It's open to both Canadian and US residents, no PO boxes please! Winners will be notified by e-mail. Good luck!