Review: "The Liberation of Alice Love" by Abby McDonald

Alice Love lives a safe yet comfortable existence, so it is an incredible shock when she finds out that her bank account has been emptied and her identity stolen. Unhappy with the measures that the police are taking to find the thief, she hires a handsome private investigator to help her get some answers. However, as Alice uncovers more details about the identity thief, and finds out that the thief knew her better than she thought, Alice begins to wonder if she should be living a different kind of life. As Alice emerges from the safe cocoon that she has spent years building around herself, will she be bold and take new chances, or will she revert back to how she lived her life before?

The Liberation of Alice Love reminded me, in a good way, of an old Friends episode (remember when Monica's identity is stolen and in her attempts to track down the thief she tries a bunch of new things?). Alice is living a safe, but boring, existence and when her identity is stolen she ends up coming out of her bubble to try a whole wealth of new things, things that she would have previously been too scared or embarrassed to try.

What was most shocking about the plot was when the identity of the thief is revealed and the reader finds out that the thief was closer to Alice than Alice had initially imagined. Also interesting were the ways in which the thief chose to spend Alice's hard-earned money.

I really enjoyed this book- the plot felt fresh, it was hard not to like all of the vibrant characters, the writing was engaging, and the romance was smokin'. I highly recommend this to fans of women's fiction, especially to those who enjoy their books with a British setting. Thanks to Sourcebooks for this review copy.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Challenges: 2011 100+ Reading Challenge

Review: "A Girl Like You" by Gemma Burgess

Abigail has been with her boyfriend since, well, forever, so when the two of them split up Abigail has absolutely no idea how to date. The prospect of dating excites her, as she hasn't had the opportunity to do it yet in her adult life, but the fear of doing or saying the wrong thing scares her. She enlists the aid of her roommate Robert, who seems to have a different date every night and appears to be quite successful at what he's doing, given the number of women who end up in their apartment the following morning. When Abigail opens herself up enough to become involved with a new man is she setting herself up for success or for disaster? Is her knight in shining armour out there somewhere?

I have to start by saying that I adore chick lit, but that I really adore British chick lit. There is just something about those cheeky Brits! Combine the fact that A Girl Like You is Brit chick lit with a purple cover to boot, and let's just say that I was sold before I even opened the book. Luckily the inside was even better than the outside. I loved that our main character, Abigail, was looking for love but wasn't looking to become a doormat. She definitely had her standards and settling certainly wasn't one of them. I get annoyed when the heroines in chick lit seem eager to change themselves in order to get or keep a man because in reality, we shouldn't have to compromise. We shouldn't settle until we find a man who loves us for who we are, warts and all. If you love a heroine who isn't afraid to say what she's thinking, you'll love Abigail.

The other thing that I loved about this book was the romantic tension between two of the characters. No, I'm not telling you who they are, and yes, you'll be able to figure it out for yourself when you read it. There were sweet moments, laugh- out- loud situations, and an ending that left me all warm and fuzzy (the best kind!). Plum, the best friend who is single and shamelessly looking for a man, was a fun addition to the plot with her larger-than-life personality.

A Girl Like You was the first book that I've read by Gemma Burgess, but it won't be my last. I'm excited to pick up a copy of her debut novel, The Dating Detox, because I enjoyed this one so much. My thanks to HarperCollins Avon for sending me a review copy of this book.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Challenges: 2011 100+ Reading Challenge

Mailbox Monday

Welcome to Mailbox Monday! Each week we share which books we got in the mail the previous week, and anyone is welcome to join in. This month our host is I'm Booking It, but be warned: Mailbox Monday can lead to overflowing TBR piles and out-of-control wish lists!

There was only one book in my mailbox last week, but it's a good one. I'm quite excited to read it! I have to admit that I'm in a bit of a blogging slump at the moment, which I know happens to everyone from time to time, but I hope that I snap out of it soon! I've been reading piles of books, but actually sitting down and writing the reviews seems to take more time than I have. It just seems like there are so many other things taking up my time: I've started a new workout program, my kids are young and busy, and my general household duties always seem to need attention. I have confidence that this is just a phase, though, and since the kids and I are off for March Break this week hopefully I'll be able to start reviewing again.

The book that I received last week was:

The Boyfriend of the Month Club by Maria Geraci. It came along with a really cool fridge magnet and some other swag. I love author swag!!!!

That's it for me for last week- what was in your mailbox??

Blogoversary Giveaway Winner

A huge thank-you to all who entered my blogoversary giveaway, and a big thank-you to all who spread the word! There were a record number of entries, 171, and the winner is:

Anne! (GFC: Anne38)

Anne, I've e-mailed you with instructions on how to claim your prize, but if you don't see it in your inbox you can e-mail me your book choice and mailing address to jonitathebookchick(at)gmail(dot)com. Given the success of this giveaway and how much fun I had hosting it, you can bet that I will be hosting something similar in the future!

Review & Giveaway: "One Bird's Choice" by Iain Reid

Iain Reid left home at the age of 19 when he left for University, and he had no plans to return except for visits. However he finds himself underemployed in his late twenties and he moves from his apartment in Toronto back home to the family farm. He plans to stay only for a couple of months while he reviews books on a CBC radio station, but finds himself there for an entire year. One Bird's Choice is the story of the year that he spent living at home as an adult. He details his unsatisfying employment, his adventures on his parent's farm, and the bond that he forms with his elderly mom and dad while he lives under their roof for the second time around.

It was surprising how much I enjoyed this book considering the subject matter. Let's be honest- One Bird's Choice isn't about daring revelations, a once-in-a-lifetime vacation, or a pre-planned personal journey. Rather it is about the fact that life sometimes leads us to surprising places, and it's a book about the quiet pace of farm life. It's about the pleasure of a cold beer on a hot day and about rediscovering your parents when you are no longer a child. It's a book about a bird named Lucius who acts more like an adopted child then a pet. It's a quiet book, yet I felt as if I was there, on that farm in Ottawa. I loved Iain parent's- they were non-judgmental and loving towards Iain, but they were also not afraid to ask him to lend a hand.

I particularly enjoyed all of the Canadian aspects of the book. Iain mentions places like Toronto, Kingston, and of course, Ottawa, which are all places that I have had the pleasure of visiting. When he writes about rural Canada and its quirks I couldn't help but relate- I don't live in Ottawa but I do live in a rural part of Ontario and there are not that many differences between the two. Iain Reid incorporates this unique Canadian flare into most of this book.

If you're looking for a memoir filled with quiet reflections on life and its various twists and turns, or if you're looking for a book filled with observations of the things that make the everyday so great, then this book is for you. Iain Reid shows us that you can, indeed, go home again.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Challenges: 2011 100+ Reading Challenge

Thanks to the publicist I have one copy of One Bird's Choice by Iain Reid to give away. To enter:

1. *Mandatory Entry* Have you ever lived at home as an adult? Answer this question in the comments, or just tell me that you're interested in winning this book. Please leave me an e-mail address so that I can contact you if you win. No e-mail= no entry.

2. *Bonus Entry* Follow this blog through GFC and let me know in the comments that you follow. New and old followers are both eligible for this bonus entry.

3. *Bonus Entry* Spread the word about this contest in some way- Facebook it, Tweet about it, blog about it or add it to your sidebar. It doesn't matter what you choose to do but come back and leave a link to what you did!

This contest runs until March 18, 2011 at midnight EST and residents of both the US and Canada are eligible to enter. The winner will be contacted by e-mail. Good luck!

And the winner is...

Congratulations to the winner of a copy of Haunting Jasmine by Anjali Banerjee:

shanaelyse!

shanaelyse, check your e-mail for an e-mail from me. Thank-you to everyone who entered- I really enjoyed reading about the books that you`ve read that seemed to come along at the right time, and I`ve added a few of those to my wish list!

It`s not too late to enter my blogoversary giveaway! It ends on March 11, 2011 at midnight EST and is open to anywhere that The Book Depository ships to!

Review: "Walking With Elephants" by Karen S. Bell

Suze Hall is trying to juggle it all. She's a wife, a mother to three growing children, and she works full-time for a boss who hates her. In her "spare time" she's a chauffer to her kids, a shoulder to cry on, a cook, and a housekeeper. When her husband announces that he is going to Australia for the six months of his sabbatical leave everything starts to fall apart for her. Suddenly she's expected to do everything at home completely on her own, not to mention the fact that her boss truly has it in for her at work. When Suze coincidentally runs into a significant boyfriend from her past she starts to re-evaluate her choices in life and where they have taken her.

I enjoyed Walking With Elephants. Suze's voice felt authentic, although at times I found her internal dialogue a little distracting. The variety of characters were interesting and colourful and good for a few laughs as well.

What I enjoyed the most about this book was the interesting points that it brought up about women and their place in the world. As a working mother myself I could relate to how Suze viewed her world at times. The equality of the sexes still seems so unbalanced. So many women are expected to keep the house, raise the children, and bring in a necessary second income. If we work too hard we feel like we're neglecting our children, and if we dote on our children too much we feel like our jobs are being neglected. "Equality" still seems out of reach as we find ourselves overwhelmed with the amount of tasks that we are expected to undertake in our everyday lives, yet underwhelmed by the amount of help that we are offered along the way. Women who put their children in daycare are "leaving them to be raised by strangers", and women who choose to stay at home with their kids "aren't bringing anything monetary to their marriages". It just seems like such a collection of contradictions and Karen Bell examines these issues and more in Walking With Elephants.

I really loved this quote, which is found on page 68:

Enjoy everything, my children! Enjoy everything that you do and make vivid memories because life is a racehorse galloping in the wind and we can barely hold on for the ride.

I recommend Walking With Elephants to anyone interested in reflecting on the issues surrounding the modern-day women within a fictional novel.

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

Challenges: 2011 100+ Reading Challenge

Mailbox Monday

Welcome to Mailbox Monday, the place where we share what made it into our mailboxes the previous week. Anyone is welcome to participate, and this month our host is I'm Booking It, but be warned: Mailbox Monday can lead to towering TBR piles and out-of-control wish lists!!

Last week I didn't participate because my children were all under the weather, so this post covers the books that I got in the past two weeks. Unfortunately my husband and I have both succumbed to whatever it is that they have and now we're sick. I'm all drugged up on OTC cold medication, so hopefully I should be able to resume blogging this week.

Several books have made their way into my house in the past two weeks. My sole arrival last week was a copy of Family Meeting by Miles DeMott.

This week I received a copy of Little Princes: One Man's Promise to Bring Home the Children of Nepal by Conor Grennan. This one has been receiving a lot of buzz and I'm excited to get to it.

I also received a copy of Here, Home, Hope, author Kaira Rouda's debut novel. I just love the cover of this one, so peaceful!

I also received an eCopy of The Scent of Jade by Dee DeTarsio for review at a later time.

That's it for my mailbox and inbox last week- what was in yours?