Women

The Girls of August

2014, Books in Bed, Chick Lit, Fiction, Women /

When I want something light and quick to read, it’s hard to say no to Anne Rivers Siddons. A book that feels like home but doesn’t get me riled up because she’s flopped streets and landmarks down in the wrong damn place.

The Girls of August was a nice easy read but… if you’re a hardcore ARS fan you’re not going to like this one very much. It was… lacking in character development and the ending, sheesh, the ending. I enjoyed it but don’t particularly feel like I can actually recommend it to anyone. Darn it.

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City of Jasmine

2014, Books in Bed, Chick Lit, Fiction, Women /

Look! I read an adult novel and it didn’t take me a month! City of Jasmine was cute. I mostly liked Evie and Gabriel and I very much liked Aunt Dove. I was a little frustrated by Evie because it was OBVIOUS that her husband who she thought was dead wasn’t simply an asshole — he was something else entirely (along with being an asshole, sort of.)

The story got a little convoluted there in the desert — too many people all of whom were not who they appeared to be etc. etc. etc. but it was a fast read and I enjoyed it quite a bit.

I’m wondering if I should read the one that came before this… I don’t think it’s really a series but the characters are connected. Might be fun. Maybe. I’ll think about it.

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Mambo In Chinatown

2014, Books in Bed, Favorites, Fiction, Women /

Please don’t let the fact that it took me six weeks to read Mambo In Chinatown scare you off from reading it. Jean Kwok is wonderful and this book was terrific — the slowness of my reading was related entirely to JMP’s visit + this stupid cold that won’t go away.

I really enjoyed the characters in this book and I found myself wanting to watch ballroom dancing videos.

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The Mark of the Midnight Manzanilla

2014, Books in Bed, Chick Lit, Favorites, Fiction, Women /

We waited a long time for The Mark of the Midnight Manzanilla and it was totally worth it. Best book since book one. Really. It was the vampires. Everything is better with vampires. Also, it was two excellent characters who had a lot of fun dialogue without too many other characters getting in the way and slowing things down.

Well done.

And I can’t wait for the next book. This is going to be GOOD, isn’t it?

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The Nesting Place

2014, Books in Bed, Favorites, Non-Fiction, Women /

Oh look, another book from another shelter/DIY blogger! I know, you’re shocked, lol. You might be shocked to hear that The Nesting Place is one of my favorite books in the genre. Even though the blog, nesting place, is not my favorite — I like it but I don’t love it.

The book is one of my favorites because she includes photos of people with their feet on the table, laundry strewn around and crap like that. They’re still staged, pretty photos of a staged, pretty house but she’s right about the idea that some imperfections make a person feel more comfortable. That’s what happened with the book — I felt comfortable.

I was also amused by all of her stump tables, the section on putting holes in walls (lol), and I was fascinated by the entire series of homes she’s lived in. (And I thought I’d moved a lot…) (I also love what she did to the outside of the not perfect for us house. Brilliantly done — my partner liked it before the changes. I did too but we shall ignore her opinion on the updated version because she’s dumb.)

I don’t think anyone will necessarily LEARN anything from this book — unless you just hate your (rental or non-rental) home and think it’s the house that’s making you unhappy. In which case you might learn something from this book. Or at least get a glimmer of hope?

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Hard Choices

2014, Books in Bed, Non-Fiction, Women /

Now that I’ve finally finished, I realize I should not have decided to read Hard Choices in July. That was a bad choice. I should read a book like that in September. October. November. When life is much calmer and I can process serious things.

Overall, I did like the book. It’s just high on fact and short on personal reflection, which means it’s not easy to read. My favorite chapters were of course about topics/issues that I feel most strongly about. The chapters covering issues that didn’t immediately push my personal buttons were often the most interesting though since I haven’t previously spent a lot of time thinking about them.

Overall, I liked the book. I didn’t love it but I didn’t hate it, either.

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All Fall Down

2014, Books in Bed, Chick Lit, Fiction, Women /

I haven’t read a book written by Jennifer Weiener in… years. Maybe 10 years. I’m not even sure what led me to reserve All Fall Down when I saw it on the New Orders library list. Or maybe I figured I’d reserve it and TW would probably like it. I certainly never thought I’d read it — too many books on my TBR list and I am way behind for the year.

But, for some reason, I picked this one up a couple of days ago (instead of the books I had planned to read) and I’m glad I did.

I always like her Philly/Cherry Hill setting. Having lived in Burlington County and having a child living in Philly right now means I have a little soft spot for the book right off the bat.

And then I realized it was about a mommyblogger. A mommyblogger addicted to pills.

I’ve read those blog posts! I know those women!

It was a very familiar story. The characters likeable enough for me to want to keep reading. Except Dave. I did not like Dave. Still do not like Dave. Would like Dave to disappear off the face of the earth with his work-wife or something.

If I was going to jump back on the Jennifer Weiner bandwagon, this was the book to get me back on. It’s still chicklit, whether Weiner wants to embrace the label or not — albeit chicklit tackling a serious subject.

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