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Logan Can

A Lifestyle Blog about Marriage, Parenting, Fashion and Fitness

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Book Review: The One and Only by Emily Giffin

July 4, 2014

The One And Only by Emily Giffin
May 2014 by Ballantine Books

Pages: 432


Synopsis on Goodreads: Thirty-three-year-old Shea Rigsby has spent her entire life in Walker, Texas—a small college town that lives and dies by football, a passion she unabashedly shares. Raised alongside her best friend, Lucy, the daughter of Walker’s legendary head coach, Clive Carr, Shea was too devoted to her hometown team to leave. Instead she stayed in Walker for college, even taking a job in the university athletic department after graduation, where she has remained for more than a decade.

But when an unexpected tragedy strikes the tight-knit Walker community, Shea’s comfortable world is upended, and she begins to wonder if the life she’s chosen is really enough for her. As she finally gives up her safety net to set out on an unexpected path, Shea discovers unsettling truths about the people and things she has always trusted most—and is forced to confront her deepest desires, fears, and secrets.

Thoughtful, funny, and brilliantly observed, The One & Only is a luminous novel about finding your passion, following your heart, and, most of all, believing in something bigger than yourself . . . the one and only thing that truly makes life worth living.


My Thoughts: I love Emily Giffin. I have read all of her books. She is definitely one of my favorite authors. This was my most anticipated book of 2014. I have to warn you that it is different than her other books in some ways but it is just like them in other ways, too. It surprised me many times and it was nothing like I had pictured it would be. I did enjoy it, but I didn’t love the story as much as her other novels. If you love to read about football, you’ll like this one. I felt like she went a little overboard with the football talk considering most of her readers could probably care less about the sport (although, I do love football). I definitely would recommend this one. I gave it 4 stars.

Have you read it? What did you think?

For more reviews and recommendations, see my bookshelf.

Leave a Comment / Filed In: Books, Uncategorized
Tagged: 4 Star Books, Bookworm Reviews

2014 Summer Reading List

June 23, 2014

 

Summer Reading List



I’ve thought long and hard about the books I wanted to include in my summer reading list. I only included books that I have read before because I want to be able to recommend good books that won’t be a waste of your time. I love light reads while laying by the pool or on the beach baking in the sun, so if you’re looking for something with more depth, you may be better off reading Crime and Punishment rather than the following list. If you are in the market for a laid back easy “beach book,” this is for you! I don’t mean to imply that these books have no depth because some of them do, but they are easy and quick to read. Let’s get to it, shall we?


The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton

The One and Only by Emily Giffin

The Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriarty

The Girl You Left Behind by Jojo Moyes

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Meet Me At The Cupcake Cafe by Jenny Colgan

Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen

Then Came You by Jennifer Weiner

Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah

One Thousand White Women by Jim Fergus

For other book reviews and recommendations, check out my bookshelf!

8 Comments / Filed In: Books
Tagged: Summer, Summer Reading List

Book Review: Best Friends Forever by Jennifer Weiner

June 20, 2014

book review

Best Friends Forever by Jennifer Weiner
July 2009, Atria Books
Pages: 368

Synopsis from Goodreads: One of the nation’s most beloved and successful writers of women’s fiction, Jennifer Weiner has become a literary phenomenon with millions of copies of her books in print. Her latest work, Best Friends Forever will delight fans and critics alike, following the ups and downs of a long-time friendship between two young girls who grow up to be two very different women. Addie Downs and Valerie Adler were eight when they first met and decided to be best friends forever. But, in the wake of tragedy and betrayal during their teenage years, everything changed. Val went on to fame and fortune. Addie stayed behind in their small Midwestern town. Destiny, however, had more in store for these two. And when, twenty-five years later, Val shows up at Addie’s front door with blood on her coat and terror on her face, it is the beginning of a wild adventure for two women joined by love and history who find strength together that they could not find alone.




My Thoughts: I love the Jennifer Weiner novels I’ve read in the past, but this one fell a little short. I’m not sure why exactly, but the only word that comes to mind to describe this book would be “silly.” It started out so “silly” that I thought it was going to be a comedy. Maybe it was? It was just really hard to take seriously. It was an extremely light read – descent for a lazy beach or pool day. It made me laugh a lot, but it was also a bit ridiculous at times. Obviously not everything I read is deep, I enjoy light-hearted books, but this one was almost too ridiculous, even for me. I hate it because I really love Jennifer Weiner’s other novels, but this one just wasn’t good. I gave it 3 stars.


Be my friend on Goodreads!




5 Comments / Filed In: Books, Uncategorized
Tagged: Bookworm Reviews

Literary Junkies (June)

June 17, 2014

Book Club

1. What are you reading? Tell us about it!


I’m reading Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter for our Twitter chat tonight! 

2. Library or bookstore?



Bookstore. I don’t even own a library card anymore. I get impatient when it comes to the whole waiting list thing at libraries. I love to shop for books at discount stores, garage sales, and the clearance section at BAM.


3. What book(s) have you read and re-read several times?

Harry Potter, Hunger Games, Twilight SAGA, Nora Roberts Bride Quartet, Pride and Prejudice, Secret Garden, Fairy Tales

4. What is the first book that made you fall in love with reading?


The secret garden quotes

I’ve talked before about how my grandmother read fairy tales to me throughout my childhood. I fell in love with reading, then. I also grew up reading Nancy Drew, Boxcar Children, Hardy Boys, and The Babysitters Club. I loved all of those and had to read the new ones as soon as they came out. I also love The Secret Garden, again because of my grandmother. I grew up watching the movie but then read the book when I was a teenager and it instantly became a favorite of mine. Plus, it’s a classic! 😉

5. Who’s your favorite author? Tell us so we can binge-read!


Wow, I have several: Nora Roberts, Kate Morton, and Adriana Trigiani are the ones coming to my mind right now.

13 Comments / Filed In: Books, Uncategorized
Tagged: Literary Junkies

Book Review: The Girl You Left Behind by Jojo Moyes

June 6, 2014

The Girl You Left Behind by Jojo Moyes

Pamela Dorman Books, August 2013

Synopsis from Goodreads: In 1916, French artist Edouard Lefevre leaves his wife Sophie to fight at the Front. When her town falls into German hands, his portrait of Sophie stirs the heart of the local Kommandant and causes her to risk everything – her family, reputation and life – in the hope of seeing her true love one last time.

Nearly a century later and Sophie’s portrait is given to Liv by her young husband shortly before his sudden death. Its beauty speaks of their short life together, but when the painting’s dark and passion-torn history is revealed, Liv discovers that the first spark of love she has felt since she lost him is threatened…

In The Girl You Left Behind two young women, separated by a century, are united in their determination to fight for the thing they love most – whatever the cost.



My Thoughts: Amazing doesn’t begin to describe this book. I couldn’t put it down. It is the perfect mix of historical fiction and chick lit, which if you know me, you know that’s right up my alley. I think I have found a new favorite author and can’t wait to read more from her. The characters captivated me as well as their individual stories. I didn’t want it to end. I loved Mo’s eccentric and sarcastic personality. She made me laugh and was an excellent added character. I gave this book 5 stars.

Be sure to stop by and enter Karissa’s giveaway!

1 Comment / Filed In: Books, Uncategorized
Tagged: 5 star books, Bookworm Reviews

Book Review: Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen

May 22, 2014

Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen
January, 2014 St. Martin’s Press

Synopsis from Goodreads: Suley, Georgia, is home to Lost Lake Cottages and not much else. Which is why it’s the perfect place for newly-widowed Kate and her eccentric eight-year-old daughter Devin to heal. Kate spent one memorable childhood summer at Lost Lake, had her first almost-kiss at Lost Lake, and met a boy named Wes at Lost Lake. It was a place for dreaming. But Kate doesn’t believe in dreams anymore, and her Aunt Eby, Lost Lake’s owner, wants to sell the place and move on. Lost Lake’s magic is gone. As Kate discovers that time has a way of standing still at Lost Lake can she bring the cottages—and her heart—back to life? Because sometimes the things you love have a funny way of turning up again. And sometimes you never even know they were lost . . . until they are found


My Thoughts: This book is on my 2014 book list, so I was pretty excited to read it. It was pretty amazing. Sarah Addison Allen did an awesome job on this novel. It had the usual mystical style we have come to expect from her books, but I loved the characters in this one more than any of her other stories. It was the perfect balance of love/mystery/excitement. I would definitely recommend it. I gave this book 4/5 stars.

7 Comments / Filed In: Books, Uncategorized
Tagged: 4 Star Books, Bookworm Reviews

Literary Junkies (May) + Re-Branding

May 20, 2014

Pink Heels Pink Truck


1. What are you currently reading? Tell us about it!






-I just finished The Girl You Left Behind by Jojo Moyes. Ohh my, so good! I’ll get a review up soon. For now, here is the synopsis from Goodreads: 




In 1916, French artist Edouard Lefevre leaves his wife Sophie to fight at the Front. When her town falls into German hands, his portrait of Sophie stirs the heart of the local Kommandant and causes her to risk everything – her family, reputation and life – in the hope of seeing her true love one last time.





Nearly a century later and Sophie’s portrait is given to Liv by her young husband shortly before his sudden death. Its beauty speaks of their short life together, but when the painting’s dark and passion-torn history is revealed, Liv discovers that the first spark of love she has felt since she lost him is threatened…





In The Girl You Left Behind two young women, separated by a century, are united in their determination to fight for the thing they love most – whatever the cost.





2. Do you judge a book by its cover? What cover elements make you not want to pick up a book?





-Most of the time, yes unless I’ve heard really good things about it, then I’ll read it any way. I do look at the cover art because you can actually tell a lot about a book by it’s cover. Some of them do surprise you, though.





3. Do you participate in any other bookish link-ups? Tell us about them so we can join next time!





-I participated in Waiting on Wednesday last week where you share about anticipated releases. It was pretty neat. 





4. Have you ever watched a movie that was better than its book version? Explain yourself!





-Nope. Never. In fact, I am starting to dislike seeing a movie after reading the book because they are always a disappointment. The latest movie I saw was Divergent and if you remember from last month’s discussion, I was pretty disappointed in it.





5. Summer is here! Do you read more often during any particular season?





-I usually read more during the Summer and Christmas break, but since having Hampton, I haven’t been able to read quite as much. He’s worth it though. 🙂





6. What is the worst book you’ve read this year? Why?





-I can’t think of any I didn’t like. I’ve read some pretty good ones so far this year. I guess Eleanor and Park was a little bit of a disappointment, but I didn’t dislike it completely. It just wasn’t what I expected. I can’t wait to read everyone else’s answers to this so I can avoid the bad ones.





Let’s be friends on Goodreads!





You may notice that I have a new domain name! I’m in the process of redesigning my blog and I’m leaving Southern Sunflowers and Coffee Beans and becoming Logan Can over the next few days. I will explain and go into more detail later. Please excuse any errors as I make these changes. I am trying to make them with little to no inconvenience for my readers. Thank you for being patient with me. 🙂

19 Comments / Filed In: Books, Uncategorized
Tagged: Literary Junkies

Waiting on Wednesday

May 7, 2014

Waiting on Wednesday is an event hosted every, you guessed it – Wednesday to spotlight new releases that we are anxiously awaiting publication. I discovered this link-up last week through Alabama Women Bloggers network. I’m so excited to have found another Alabama blogger who loves to read.

I wanted to participate this week in particular because I have been so excited about Emily Giffin’s new novel releasing May 20th! I have read all of her books and I am so ready for this new one to come out. If you recall, it is also on my 2014 must read list!

The One and Only by Emily Giffin

Goodreads Synopsis: Thirty-three-year-old Shea Rigsby has spent her entire life in Walker, Texas—a small college town that lives and dies by football, a passion she unabashedly shares. Raised alongside her best friend, Lucy, the daughter of Walker’s legendary head coach, Clive Carr, Shea was too devoted to her hometown team to leave. Instead she stayed in Walker for college, even taking a job in the university athletic department after graduation, where she has remained for more than a decade.

But when an unexpected tragedy strikes the tight-knit Walker community, Shea’s comfortable world is upended, and she begins to wonder if the life she’s chosen is really enough for her. As she finally gives up her safety net to set out on an unexpected path, Shea discovers unsettling truths about the people and things she has always trusted most—and is forced to confront her deepest desires, fears, and secrets.

Thoughtful, funny, and brilliantly observed, The One & Only is a luminous novel about finding your passion, following your heart, and, most of all, believing in something bigger than yourself . . . the one and only thing that truly makes life worth living.


What books are you waiting on? What are you reading now?

Be sure to friend me on Goodreads!

6 Comments / Filed In: Books, Uncategorized
Tagged: Waiting on Wednesday

Book Review: Yankee Doodle Dixie by Lisa Patton

May 1, 2014

Yankee Doodle Dixie by Lisa Patton
September, 2011 by Thomas Dunne Books

Synopsis from Goodreads: Lisa Patton won the hearts of readers last year, her book Whistlin’ Dixie in a Nor’easter became a sleeper-success. Building on a smashing debut, Lisa’s poised to go to the next level—because whether in Vermont snow or in Memphis heat, Dixie heroine Leelee Satterfield is never too far from misadventure, calamity…and ultimately, love.

Having watched her life turn into a nor’easter, 34-year-old Leelee Satterfield is back home in the South, ready to pick back up where she left off. But that’s a task easier said then done…Leelee’s a single mom, still dreaming of the Vermonter who stole her heart, and accompanied by her three best friends who pepper her with advice, nudging and peach daiquiris, Leelee opens another restaurant and learns she has to prove herself yet again. Filled with heart and humor, women’s fiction fans will delight in this novel.


My Thoughts: I loved the first book in this series. I fell in love with the characters immediately. Being from the south, I could totally relate to them. This is the second novel in the series, and while it wasn’t a complete disappointment, it wasn’t that great either. It did have several of the same quirky characters, but I felt like it focused on LeeLee’s “relationship” with Liam for too much of the book. It kind of got old and was very predictable. With that being said, I loved the ending and I can’t wait to read the next book in the series. I gave it 3 1/2 stars overall.

Follow me on Goodreads!

9 Comments / Filed In: Books, Uncategorized
Tagged: Bookworm Reviews

Bookworm Review: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

April 24, 2014

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
January 2012, Dutton Books

Synopsis from Goodreads: Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten.


My Thoughts: We all know people suffering from cancer. I know people who have died from this disease and who have beat it and are thriving today. It is a terrible thing that seems to be growing and spreading more rapidly than ever. I loved this book because it gives you a glimpse into the mind of a person fighting cancer. 


The main characters – Hazel and Gus describe cancer and talk about it in a very different way than I’ve ever thought about it personally. I loved everything about this novel. I feel like everyone should read it because in some way or another, we are all affected by cancer. Whether it is because of a loved one suffering from it, or a friend. It is a remarkable story. What would you do if you were diagnosed and knew you didn’t have much longer to live? Where would you go for your last big hoorah? I gave this book 5 stars. 

7 Comments / Filed In: Books, Uncategorized
Tagged: 5 star books, Bookworm Reviews

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