A Month of Summer by Lisa Wingate, is the story of Rebecca, who leaves her law practice and husband to take care of her aging father and despised stepmother. She comes with a huge chip on her shoulder, but when she arrives and begins slowly unraveling the years of neglect that have occurred, she stays longer than expected, finds that she enjoys her stepbrother, and tries to make peace with her family.
This book was good, and I loved it until about the last 30 pages. Then, it wrapped up too neatly for me. I didn’t like the ending at all (well, I liked it, but I thought it was impractical). I felt so bad for the brother and the dad and when the truth about her family comes out, I felt so bad for Rebecca because she had missed out on so much.
I give this book a 6/10. I think I would have rated it higher if the last part of the book had been written better, but if it felt rushed and smashed together. I wish there was more information about the end and what happens to the characters.
Showing posts with label fiction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fiction. Show all posts
Saturday, July 2, 2011
33: Good Enough to Eat
Good Enough to Eat, by Stacey Ballis, is a very feel-good story. Melanie Hoffman has been married to her husband, Andrew, for ten years. They are both lawyers and both happy, but Melanie is extremely overweight. Through exercise and diet she manages to lose over 145 pounds, but then her husband announces he is leaving her… for someone equally as heavy as she used to be! So, Melanie does what any typical lawyer would do (ha!)… she quits law and opens up a bakery of healthy foods.
32: Rescue
Rescue, by Anita Shreve, tells the story of Peter Webster, who after helping at the scene of a drunken crash, falls madly in love with the woman, Sheila, who caused the accident. Their affair is brief and intense and they end up having a child together.
The story goes back and forth between present-day and the previous 18 years. Sheila is not involved anymore with Rowan, their daughter, and as the story progresses, you find out the reasons that have kept Sheila away.
I liked this book. I thought it was well written and it kept my attention. I cried in parts, and got mad in parts. I didn’t love the ending, as it wrapped up a little too neatly for me. But overall, I enjoyed the book. I give it a 7/10 and hope that you want to read it too!
The story goes back and forth between present-day and the previous 18 years. Sheila is not involved anymore with Rowan, their daughter, and as the story progresses, you find out the reasons that have kept Sheila away.
I liked this book. I thought it was well written and it kept my attention. I cried in parts, and got mad in parts. I didn’t love the ending, as it wrapped up a little too neatly for me. But overall, I enjoyed the book. I give it a 7/10 and hope that you want to read it too!
Monday, May 9, 2011
31: The Weight of Silence
The Weight of Silence, by Heather Gudenkauf, is every parent’s worst nightmare. Calli, rent mute by a traumatic event, goes missing in the middle of the night with her best friend, and her voice in the world, Petra. Calli leaves at the arm of her angry, drunk father, and Petra leaves because, the reader assumes, she is following Calli. However, this is not all true.
The storyline weaves through past and present and through flashbacks, and everyone has a voice in the book. I thought the different voices were interesting, and how each character was handling the tragedy, but the whole book just didn’t work for me.
I think this is too close to a nightmare of mine to really read the book and enjoy it. All I wanted to know was make sure that Calli and Petra were okay. I felt like there were parts of the story that should have been expounded on, and that parts were missing entirely (like the whole, “how did Petra get out of the house?”) thing.
I give this one a 6/10. I just did not love it, but again, maybe because it’s such a fear of mine.
The storyline weaves through past and present and through flashbacks, and everyone has a voice in the book. I thought the different voices were interesting, and how each character was handling the tragedy, but the whole book just didn’t work for me.
I think this is too close to a nightmare of mine to really read the book and enjoy it. All I wanted to know was make sure that Calli and Petra were okay. I felt like there were parts of the story that should have been expounded on, and that parts were missing entirely (like the whole, “how did Petra get out of the house?”) thing.
I give this one a 6/10. I just did not love it, but again, maybe because it’s such a fear of mine.
28: Stay With Me
Stay With Me, by Sandra Rodriquez Barron, tells the story of five children found abandoned in a boat in Puerto Rico after a hurricane. They are dressed well, and all have a starfish drawn on their hands. The story jumps forward thirty years to when the children are adults – and have decided that they are siblings. The five adults gather at the home of one of the sibling’s girlfriends off the coast of Maine, after discovering that David, the eldest, has brain cancer.
The five reconnect and have formed a family of sorts. Through a series of unfortunate and fortunate events, they discover the mystery behind their shared history and travel to Puerto Rico, to the Dominican Republic and back, all with their green starfish on their hands (now a permanent tattoo).
I didn’t expect to like this book this much. I expected it to be poorly written and it was not. I didn’t expect to cry so much and to finish and just sigh contentedly. I really enjoyed this book. I really felt for all the characters, and it brings the whole, “your family can be people you choose as much as those you are related to” into play.
The five reconnect and have formed a family of sorts. Through a series of unfortunate and fortunate events, they discover the mystery behind their shared history and travel to Puerto Rico, to the Dominican Republic and back, all with their green starfish on their hands (now a permanent tattoo).
I didn’t expect to like this book this much. I expected it to be poorly written and it was not. I didn’t expect to cry so much and to finish and just sigh contentedly. I really enjoyed this book. I really felt for all the characters, and it brings the whole, “your family can be people you choose as much as those you are related to” into play.
I give this book a solid 8/10. A wonderful story overall.
27: Pictures of You
Pictures of You by Caroline Leavitt plays the “what-if” game. What if you got in a car wreck and accidentally killed someone? What if you were leaving your husband? What if your child knew and saw all of this?
The story weaves through the aftermath of such a disaster, where the mother of a young child dies, but he sees it all, and then the woman who hit the car (accidentally) starts a relationship with the boy’s father and weaves her way into their life.
I don’t think this book had a climax. I have really liked Caroline Leavitt’s other books, but this one was lacking. I found the main characters annoying and while this event was certainly traumatic, I don’t think it would define and change your life forever. Maybe I’m wrong – I hope I never have to find out – but I don’t think it would. I had a really hard time finishing this book and believe I ended it with, “OHMYGOD JUST MOVE ON ALREADY” mentality and found that the ending was thrown together without much thought.
I give this one a 6/10. I expected more, and was disappointed.
The story weaves through the aftermath of such a disaster, where the mother of a young child dies, but he sees it all, and then the woman who hit the car (accidentally) starts a relationship with the boy’s father and weaves her way into their life.
I don’t think this book had a climax. I have really liked Caroline Leavitt’s other books, but this one was lacking. I found the main characters annoying and while this event was certainly traumatic, I don’t think it would define and change your life forever. Maybe I’m wrong – I hope I never have to find out – but I don’t think it would. I had a really hard time finishing this book and believe I ended it with, “OHMYGOD JUST MOVE ON ALREADY” mentality and found that the ending was thrown together without much thought.
I give this one a 6/10. I expected more, and was disappointed.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
25: The Art of Racing in the Rain
The Art of Racing in the Rain, by Garth Stein, tells the story of life through the eyes of a dog who is living his last days on earth. Enzo has been a faithful companion for many years, through thick and thin, to his owner Denny. Named after a racing car company, Enzo and Denny watch hours of racing footage on TV, as Denny tries to get his big break in racing, and when Denny marries Eve, Enzo steps aside, but knows he is still valued in the family. Denny and Eve have a baby, Zoe, and the family is so happy. Then Enzo smells something bad happening in Eve, but he has no way to warn his family. The something bad tears the family apart, and causes Denny and Zoe great pain for a long time. And, with the clarity of Budda, Enzo continues to tell the story of their life together.
I cried from chapter one in this book. But, I absolutely loved it. The analogies to life are astounding, and I think you could make a case that this book should be required reading for college students around the globe. I am most certainly a dog-lover, but not necessarily a race-car lover and I still loved this book. I give this book a solid 9/10, because everyone should read this book.
One of my favorite quotes from the book is, “Racing is about discipline and intelligence, not about who has the heavier foot. The one who drives smart will always win in the end.” Such truer words have never been spoken.
24: Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen
Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen, by Susan Gregg Gilmore, was an Amazon recommended book after I read Saving CeeCee Honeycutt. I reserved it at the library and when it came in, I could not wait to dive in based off the cover alone!
It was a very sweet book. Catherine Grace has always wanted to escape from her small town, where the only source of entertainment is the Dairy Queen. Her mother mysteriously disappeared long ago, and she has been raised by her Southern Baptist preaching daddy and lives in the family house with her sister. She learns the art of being a woman from her eccentric next door neighbor, Gloria Jean, who has taken over in the mothering department since Catherine Grace’s mother left. She saves up, and at the age of 18, she finally escapes to Atlanta. A terrible family tragedy, and some malicious gossip about her family (which may turn out to be true), bring her back home and to the family she left behind.
I liked this book. I think it could be read as chick-lit, as deep fiction and as such an analogy for what the Dairy Queen represents. I craved a chocolate dipped cone the whole time I was reading it, and the ending did not disappoint.
I give this book an 8/10. There were a few things that made it far-fetched, but I laughed and I cried and I enjoyed meeting Catherine Grace.
It was a very sweet book. Catherine Grace has always wanted to escape from her small town, where the only source of entertainment is the Dairy Queen. Her mother mysteriously disappeared long ago, and she has been raised by her Southern Baptist preaching daddy and lives in the family house with her sister. She learns the art of being a woman from her eccentric next door neighbor, Gloria Jean, who has taken over in the mothering department since Catherine Grace’s mother left. She saves up, and at the age of 18, she finally escapes to Atlanta. A terrible family tragedy, and some malicious gossip about her family (which may turn out to be true), bring her back home and to the family she left behind.
I liked this book. I think it could be read as chick-lit, as deep fiction and as such an analogy for what the Dairy Queen represents. I craved a chocolate dipped cone the whole time I was reading it, and the ending did not disappoint.
I give this book an 8/10. There were a few things that made it far-fetched, but I laughed and I cried and I enjoyed meeting Catherine Grace.
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