Someday Someday, Maybe by Lauren Graham
Ballantine Books, 2013

First Line: “Begin whenever you’re ready,” comes the voice from the back of the house.

Synopsis from Goodreads: Franny Banks is a struggling actress in New York City, with just six months left of the three year deadline she gave herself to succeed. But so far, all she has to show for her efforts is a single line in an ad for ugly Christmas sweaters and a degrading waitressing job. She lives in Brooklyn with two roommates-Jane, her best friend from college, and Dan, a sci-fi writer, who is very definitely not boyfriend material-and is struggling with her feelings for a suspiciously charming guy in her acting class, all while trying to find a hair-product cocktail that actually works. 


Meanwhile, she dreams of doing “important” work, but only ever seems to get auditions for dishwashing liquid and peanut butter commercials. It’s hard to tell if she’ll run out of time or money first, but either way, failure would mean facing the fact that she has absolutely no skills to make it in the real world. Her father wants her to come home and teach, her agent won’t call her back, and her classmate Penelope, who seems supportive, might just turn out to be her toughest competition yet. 


Someday, Someday, Maybe is a funny and charming debut about finding yourself, finding love, and, most difficult of all, finding an acting job.

I thoroughly enjoyed her first novel. I feel like it will be a big hit not only to her fans, but all fiction readers. I gave this book 4 1/2 stars out of 5 only because I only give books a 5 that were absolutely exceptional. I can’t wait for the second one, although I’m sure it will be a while before it comes out. I definitely recommend it to all you chick-lit/ fiction readers.


(I purchased this book)

Mobbed by Carol Higgins Clark
Pocket Books, 2011

First Line: “Get that phone call over with.”

From the back cover: Exactly what is going on in Edna Frawley’s beach house? When a total stranger offers Edna a hefty sum to sell the place, the incorrigible octogenarian jumps at the chance. Edna’s daughter, who lives in San Diego- hearing her mother is holding a garage sale featuring personal items left behind when the actress Cleo Paradise rented the house- asks her old friend Nora Reilly to check up on Edna. A short train ride later, Nora and Regan are trying to work out a pile of unanswered questions. Why did Cleo depart suddenly, leaving a large number of belongings behind? How does Regan’s friend Hayley’s two-timing boyfriend, Scott, fit into the picture? Scott’s new fiance, Jillian, is conducting the sale for Edna, but she disappears after catching sight of Regan. As the questions stack up and still nobody has heard from Cleo, her panicked parents beg Regan to find her. But is there time, or will Cleo’s next hours be her last?

My Thoughts: This is not my typical read, however, my grandmother lent it to me. We trade books from time to time when we read a good book. I guess I get my love of reading from her. This was my first time reading a Carol Higgins Clark book, and it was a pretty decent read. It is a mystery novel that definitely kept me guessing. I never could figure out who the bad guy/girl was. The chapters were laid out similar to James Patterson’s novels.

The only negative I have about Mobbed is that is introduced so many characters but never went into much detail about them. It lightly touched on each of them but I still had questions unanswered. For this reason, I gave the book 3 1/2 stars.

Big Cherry Holler by Adriana Trigiani
The Random House Publishing Group, 2001

First Line: The rain is coming down on this old stone house so hard, it seems there are a hundred tap dancers on the roof.

From the back cover: Eight years have passed since Ave Maria Mulligan married Jack Mack, moved up into the hills, and dug her roots in even deeper. Bust Ave Maria soon discovers that the mountains cannot shelter her from the painful lessons of the heart. As her life reaches a crossroads, almost everybody in town has advice to offer- including the Bookmobile’s self-appointed sexpert Iva Lou Wade, savvy pharmacy owner Pearl Grimes (“a very mature twenty-four”), crusty chain-smoking cashier Fleeta and of course, the always-wise band director Theodore Tipton, no unofficially “out” and about. But when Ave Maria takes her daughter to Italy for the summer, her passion for a seductive stranger will test her marriage- and push her to choose the man who is truly her destiny.

My Thoughts: I absolutely adored book #1 of the Big Stone Gap series, so I couldn’t wait to read book #2. Big Cherry Holler did not disappoint. It takes a wild twist that you don’t see coming which makes it exciting and devastating at the same time. This book introduces the reader to an older Ave Maria who has been married for over a decade and had 2 children, but after losing her youngest, her marriage starts to take a turn for the worst. This is a wonderful story about never giving up and working through pain and loss.

The story also takes us back to Italy (which I am a total sucker for) and gives you a taste of that Italian tradition. Ave Maria takes her daughter Etta to meet the extended family and she falls in love with her Italian heritage, and a certain Italian boy as well.

I love how these books incorporate a lot of comic relief in the middle of a sad or tough moment so that the books never get too depressing. This series is about real life. You’ll find no fairy tale love stories here. This teaches you to work at it. Love is never simple and it is something you must always work for and fight for.

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While I’ve got you here, meet Andi from Just Another Smith!

Weekend in Paris by Robyn Sisman
Penguin Group, 2003

First Line: Eighty feet below Trafalgar Square the train rattled southward, steepening its angle as it prepared to plunge beneath the Thames.

From the back cover: Molly Clearwater had always wanted to escape the confines of her small-town upbringing to make a splash as a career woman in London. But somehow, working as a low-level assistant for the boorish Malcolm Figg wasn’t nearly as fulfilling as she had hoped-until Malcolm offered her a “perk”-a free weekend business trip to Paris. She’s ecstatic until she discovers that Malcolm’s idea of “business” isn’t exactly the same as hers. Horrified, Molly storms out of the office.  With nothing else to lose, she impulsively boards a train to Paris, intent on treating herself to a long weekend in the City of Light.

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkein
Mariner Books; Reprint edition 
September, 2012


First Line: In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.

Back Cover: Bilbo Baggins is a hobbit who enjoys a comfortable, unambitious life, rarely traveling any farther than his pantry or cellar. But his contentment is disturbed when the wizard Gandalf and a company of dwarves arrive on his doorstep one day to whisk him away on an adventure. They have launched a plot to raid the treasure hoard guarded by Smaug the Magnificent, a large and very dangerous dragon. Bilbo reluctantly joins their quest, unaware that on his journey to the Lonely Mountain he will encounter both a magic ring and a frightening creature known as Gollum.


My Thoughts: I am a big fan of The Lord of the Rings movies, but have never read the books. Ryan is the opposite. He read all the books but refuses to see the movies because he is scared they may ruin the story for him. Because of this, I know the books must be pretty good. I figured I would start by reading The Hobbit since the movie came out last month and I really wanted to see it. Did that happen? No. I will definitely see it when it comes out in Redbox. 


This story was very interesting to me. I loved reading about the times before The Lord of the Rings movies. I was able to get a better understanding of the background story. I do have to say that this book had a tendency to drag on at times, but even with the slowness, it was a pretty good read overall. It was full of adventure and you can’t help but fall in love with Bilbo. The climax of the book – when he fights the dragon, Smaug – is very exciting. After this battle, the book grew very slow through the end. 

Paige’s Giveaway
Diana’s Giveaway

The Distant Hours by Kate Morton
Washington Square Press
2010

Format: Paperback

First Line: Hush…Can you hear him?

From the back cover: It starts with a letter, lost for half a century and unexpectedly delivered to Edie’s mother on a Sunday afternoon. The letter leads Edie to Milderhurst Castle, where the eccentric Blythe spinsters live and where, she discovers, her mother was billeted during World War II. The elder Blythe sisters are twins and have spent most of their lives caring for their younger sister, Juniper, who hasn’t been the same since her fiancé jilted her in 1941. 


Inside the decaying castle, Edie searches for her mother’s past but soon learns there are other secrets hidden in its walls. The truth of what happened in “the distant hours” has been waiting a long time for someone to find it. In this enthralling romantic thriller, Morton pays homage to the classics of Gothic fiction, spinning a rich and intricate web of mystery, suspense, and lost love.


My Thoughts: If you love mysteries and castles, you will love this book. Kate Morton is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. I love her writing style and the Gothic mysteries she creates. These books have taken me back to my Nancy Drew days. Some mystery novels can be very predictable, but this was the opposite. It surprised me at every turn, and just when I thought I had it figured out, I didn’t. Nothing was ever what it seemed. This made the book very enjoyable.

The characters in this story are very eccentric. Edie was the most normal relatable character. I felt like she was someone I could have been friends with. Her passion is books. That passion mixed with a little family history takes her on a wild journey that leads her to the Blythe sisters. As she uncovers the sisters’ story and her mother’s history, she discovers deeply buried secrets that will shock you. The twins are very interesting. They were truly like two halves of a whole. Although twins, they shared opposite character traits. Juniper was mentally ill and was never given proper treatment because her sisters would not let her leave the castle. They didn’t want her taken away from them. They also suffered the consequences…

The story is captivating from the first page. I couldn’t get enough of the story and couldn’t put the book down. I highly recommend The Distant Hours and give it five stars.

(I purchased this book)

400 Follower Giveaway

The Bellwether by James W. Nelson
2011

Format: e-book

First Line: “Gaze out straight, Aaron Hodges,” Four Crows said, “Try to envision Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce people in their last days of freedom.”

Synopsis on Goodreads: Think of the 1800s, the wagontrains, and the people who crossed the prairie looking for a better life. Now fast-forward to the new millennium and the worldwide economy totally crashing, causing unbelievable chaos and violence. Through Native American prophecy, Aaron Hodges sees it coming and envisions building a hidden colony to ride out the likely decades-long crisis.
When the crash came nobody could point a finger and blame a specific thing. The United States and the world were locked in drought, stagnant economy, and rampant pollution. Too many people were wasting too much, demanding too much standard of living, and too much money created too much free time and entertainment, for, as one height was reached boredom prevailed, and more and greater thrills were demanded.
More wood, more metal, more food and drink, and more oil.
The oil flow stopped.
Then the flow of supplies stopped. The civilized world found itself trapped inside a steel, concrete, and plastic wasteland with no utilities, no food, no water.
And no gasoline.
Aaron Hodges is the bellwether. He sees the future through the prophecies of his Nez Perce friend, Four Crows. As Aaron sits on a log, Four Crows makes a symbolic painting on the back of his suede shirt, and speaks to him with a ghostly voice from the past, and future, a future that will see the unification of the Native American and the civilized world falter. Consequently, Aaron makes preparations early, but, unable to believe such a disaster could really occur, he gets sidetracked with a factory job, a Las Vegas gambling trip, buying a small farm, fighting environmental battles, but does stumble onto a beautiful location for a hidden self-sufficient colony. The people he attempts to recruit for colonists also cannot visualize such a bad thing happening, especially Caroline.
When the crash happens, martial law is declared. No taking a caravan down a hardtop road.
So some 60 people go cross-country in 16 covered wagons each pulled by a 4-horse team, over fields, prairie, and forest, about 40 days and 300 miles from southern Minnesota farming country into northern Minnesota wilderness.
Caroline Jentner is the love of Aaron’s life. She has a partly-crippled, seven-year-old daughter, Jennie. Little Jennie doesn’t have a big part, and doesn’t appear until chapter 12, but when she does appear she will capture your heart. You will come to love her, and she helps Aaron and her mom finally get together near the end of story. Caroline often has the viewpoint, and sees the world quite differently from Aaron.
George, a senior citizen hobo, is picked up by Aaron just outside a truck stop at Cheyenne, Wyoming; he has no last name and a peculiar body odor. Aaron and George will both get a job at the same factory where Caroline works, George will help Aaron and Caroline get together after an absence of 19 years. Later, George will become Aaron’s handyman at his small farm, and throughout their relationship George serves as Aaron’s living conscience.
Set in the near future, novel runs for two years. Background themes include the economy, environment, and a shadowy “master race” organization. This novel is character-driven, just normal people loving and finding love, surviving, and reacting to circumstances as best they can. You will like the characters, you will care what happens to them, and at the end you will cheer.

My Thoughts: The Bellwether is an exciting novel that takes us on a wild ride through the end of the worldwide economy and one man’s actions to get through it. If you like adventure with some romance thrown in, this book will capture your imagination. 


The book started out a bit slow for me, but it picked up towards the middle and grew very exciting. There are many characters to become acquainted with but the author includes a character reference at the end that is very helpful. Although it is fairly long, the author does a good job of keeping the story moving and preventing the reader from getting bored. Overall, this book was a good read. If you want something that will keep you entertained, check out The Bellwether. I gave this book four stars.

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Taylor’s Giveaway

Tarole’s December Giveaway

Vote for Chelsea to be Chicnova’s “it” girl

Adulation by Elisa Lorello
Amazon Publishing
2012

Format: e-book

First Line: Of all the things Danny Masters was told he should be afraid of- terrorists and E. coli and Toyotas yet to be recalled and the so-called homosexual agenda- nothing frightened him as much as the blank screen.

Synopsis from Goodreads: Celebrity screenwriter Danny Masters has the world at his feet. He’s dating a movie-star bombshell and his latest screenplay is a shoe-in for an Oscar. But he’s empty.


With few accomplishments to her credit, longtime bookstore employee Sunny Smith celebrates her fortieth birthday by setting forty goals for herself. Sleeping with her writing idol, Danny Masters, makes the list.


At the premiere of Danny’s new film, the two have a brief but enchanting exchange outside the theater. And after Danny insults the audience during the post-screening Q&A session, he’s thrilled to see Sunny in his autograph line. But as he gently takes her hand, Sunny spits Danny’s insults back at him.


The next day, to her horror, Sunny discovers a video of her tirade has gone viral. Instead of being angry, Danny is more determined than ever to find Sunny — and apologize. And once their lives intersect again, there’ll be no turning back.


My Thoughts: This was my first time to read Elisa Lorello, and it will not be my last. I have fallen in love with the way she writes. I loved this story because it was about real people that anyone could relate to and real situations that more and more people are having to adapt to this day in time (divorce, children, having a hard time putting yourself back out there after divorce). 


Danny Masters is the “Master” of screenplays. He has won several Emmy’s and other awards. He is divorced, has a daughter named Ella and is dating the beautiful actress, Charlene. At his premiere of Exposed he runs into aspiring author and stockroom girl, Sunny. Sunny is divorced and has had a hard time getting back into the game of dating. For her fortieth birthday, her two best friends, Georgie and Theo, take her to the premiere after giving her a major makeover and creating the “40 in 40” list.  She is crazy about Danny but he wouldn’t ever notice a girl like her…or would he? Sunny has had a hard time overcoming her past as her ex humiliated her in front of all of Long Island. Danny can’t forgive himself for an accident no matter how long ago it happened or how much he does and gives as reconciliation – it will never be enough.


This book is about forgiveness, confidence in ones self and overcoming the past. If you enjoy romance novels, you will love this book. Adulation was anything but dull. It was fun, romantic and exciting. It made me laugh and made me cry, then gave me chills. I read through this book very quickly because I couldn’t put it down. I really hope there is a sequel to this book because Lorello left me wanting to read more.  I gave this book five stars.

Christmas Giveaway!!!!!

Big Stone Gap by Adriana Trigiani
The Ballantine Publishing Group
2001
Format: Paperback, 269 pages

First Line: This will be a good weekend for reading.

From the back cover: Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, the tiny town of Big Stone Gap is home to some of the most charming eccentrics in the state. Ave Maria Mulligan is the town’s self-proclaimed spinster, a thirty-five-year-old pharmacist with a “mountain girl’s body and a flat behind.” She lives an amiable life with good friends and lots of hobbies until the fateful day in 1978 when she suddenly discovers that she’s not who she always thought she was. Before she can blink, Ave’s fielding marriage proposals, fighting off greedy family members, organizing a celebration for visiting celebrities, and planning the trip of a lifetime- a trip that could change her view of the world and her own place in it forever. Brimming with humor and wise notions of small-town life, Big Stone Gap is a gem of a book with a giant heart.

My Thoughts: Big Stone Gap is the first book in the Big Stone Gap Series. I have come to love Trigiani’s books because they are so warm and inviting. This book was no exception. It was a bit slow at first, but towards the middle I found that I couldn’t put it down. I loved Ave Maria (the main character) with her stubborn, ‘independent woman’ mentality, and all of the quirky townsfolk. The characters really make this book.

Ave Maria takes us on her journey through the passing of her mother, finding love, and finding her long lost family. On this journey she learns more about herself and her Italian heritage while defining who she is as a person. She discovers that she is no longer alone and is worthy of love and a happy ending.

Overall, this book is a light and enjoyable read. I definitely look forward to reading the other books in the series. I gave this book 4 stars.