As I said before I had a blog a while back that I let fall to the wayside. When I decided to get back to blogging about books I wanted to start fresh. So I decided to post all my old reviews in one post.

First Posted: July 19th 2009

Julie and Julia by Julie Powell
Sunday, July 19, 2009

5 out of 5 Stars


When I start to write a review of a book I always start it in Microsoft Word. Even though I love to read and love to write my written word skills are awful. It seems like I never get my words out right and I never use the correct punctuation and grammar. This is why I use Microsoft word. To me it is like my hero. It fixes my mistakes so I don’t look like a complete moron. Even though sometimes I wish it would tell me what to say, lol. After I finished Julie and Julia I opened my Microsoft word expecting to fill the page with my thoughts about this book. I looked at the blinking cursor for what seemed like forever while the book went through my head. It seemed that even though I was trying nothing about this book was sticking out to me. How can I write a review when I have nothing to say? I had plenty to say while I was reading it but the one thing that stuck in my head the most seems almost cruel to write. Let alone say to anyone that may be reading my blog. But I feel the need to say what I was really thinking while reading this book.

Julie was crazy. I mean there is no way around it. The girl was nuts. She gave a new meaning to midlife crisis. Was it a bad crazy? No, actually it wasn’t. I found myself wishing I could do what she did. Not go through the cook book, but take on some really crazy project to find myself. She had a lot of guts. I found myself wishing I would have had the support she did if I was going to undertake such a project. I know for a fact I wouldn’t have. My family would have called the men in the white coats to take me away. This is probably while I am still trying to find me, lol.

Did I enjoy this book? Surprisingly no I really didn’t. This book is the kind of book you have to keep reading just to see what the crazy person does next. What I enjoyed was Julie. I enjoyed her guts, her tenaciousness, her wit and her humor. The book was almost like a medium that brought Julie into my life. Would I recommend this book to others? Yes, but not because the book is fabulous and a must read. Quite frankly it isn't. I know for a fact I wouldn't have finished it if Julie wasn't crazy and I wanted to see what she did next. I would recommend it because through it you get to know Julie. It is almost like the book does for you what the Julia Child project did for Julie. It helps you find her like she found herself. I walked away from this book with the understanding that you can change your life. You don’t have to be stuck in a rut and that chances are worth taking. In order to succeed you need to stick with what you are doing even if the entire world thinks you are crazy. Find your support somewhere. Dig deep inside yourself and find who you are. Do what Julie did!

The good thing is I learned that from reading this book which is a little less painful and a whole lot cheaper then Mastering the Art of French Cooking:)




How Do I Love Thee- Nancy Moser
Monday, July 13, 2009


4 out of 5 stars
I actually picked this up because my friend said I had to. I have never been a fan of Elizabeth Barrett or Robert Browning. I find their writings to much for me to decipher. However, my friend assured me this was a love story and a good one. I agree. I think what made it so awesome was that it was based on real events.

I will admit I spent the majority of the book trying to figure out what was actually wrong with Elizabeth then reading the story. I figured she was not in good health but I also wonder if a lot of what she was suffering from was panic attacks. Once I got passed that I really started to enjoy it.

I will admit I skipped some of the letters, poems and flowery stuff. I read the first couple but then I got bored by them. I think that is because I am not fond of either authors work. I think what really got me about this book was that it was a real happy ending. Which doesn't happen very often. Elizabeth left her fathers house, married Robert and had a baby. But like all real life happy endings it came with a price. She lost her father and her family. More so her father. Her brothers and sisters forgave her but her father remained unmoving.

When I think about what might have happened to Elizabeth if she hadn't met Robert it makes my heart ache. She would have wasted away to nothing in that room and no one would have done anything about it. Her brothers and sisters couldn't and her father wouldn't. While it is clear that even though Elizabeth paid a sincere price for doing what brought her much joy the price she paid would have been much greater if she hadn't. I sincerely think if she hadn't got away she would have been another sad ending like so many great authors before and after her. So I am thankful she found what she needed. I think we can all learn something from this book. I learned that sometimes even when life looks its bleakest there is always the possibility of some miracle waiting around the corner. I also learned that the one thing your heart least desires may be the one thing your life really needs. ( You will understand what I am saying if you read the book)

I would definitely recommend this book to people that like inspirational love stories. I also have Washington's Lady by Nancy Moser and I can't wait to read it. I have a couple more books ahead of it though:)



Things I Want My Daughters to Know- Elizabeth Noble
Sunday, July 12, 2009

3 out of 5 Stars

** I do not go over synopsis of books. That is why I put the book description links. I feel amazon does a lot better at explaining a book then I do.**

I had read so many mixed reviews about this book that when a copy at my local library became available I was almost tempted to not go get it. I hate to go into a book with expectations and especially mixed expectations. I had the feeling from reviews you either love this book or hate it. I loved it. Was it predictable? Yes! Was it what I expected? Yes! I finally decided to go into this book with the knowledge it was a predictable, heartwarming happily ever after book and I wasn't disappointed. I am 35 years old and am old enough to know real life does not have happy endings. That is why I read. I want to be transported somewhere far away from my reality where everything works out. This book delivered it.

The story was well thought out and delivered well. I loved how the switch in characters was clearly labeled. I would recommend this book to anyone that wants a cozy evening read. There are characters to love, characters to hate ( I didn't like Amanda at all. I wanted to smack her a couple of times) and characters to relate to ( I have been cheated on before and I could feel Andy's pain. The funny thing is I said exactly what he said to the person that cheated on me" If you really love me then how could you do that to me" My relationship never mended itself) Barbara, the mother that died, was at the forfront of the story however it was more of a background. She had good advice but when it came down to it I took more away from the alive characters then I did her.




A Year on Ladybug Farm
Tuesday, June 30, 2009

2 out of 5 Stars


I am not really sure how I feel about this book. I think over all it was an enjoyable read however, I think it could have been a lot better if it would have been more realistic. I feel the author really went out of her way to make this town seem like it was from the 50's but kept the time period modern. I am positive it was set in this time period because there was internet, TV, and blackberries. The three women buy a very run down house in a small town and decide they are going to renovate it. They leave their friends, family and modern lives behind. In the course of the year they are hit with more catastrophes then is necessary. They have no money, no jobs but are able to secure a loan with the town bank on a wink and promise. Did I mention this book is set in our time period. I don't care if you live in a town of 100 people no bank is going to just loan you money like that. Especially not 11,000. Then they find out another person is living in the house. The author goes to great lengths to remind us every other page that this women are smart, intelligent and savvy. Okay how can you be that smart and not know someone was living there? Sure it is a big house but it isn't that big. Did they not have the house inspected before they bought it? These are smart, intelligent, and savvy women. Surely they would have known to have the house inspected. Inspectors go over every inch of a house. They would have found someone living there. Also, did they not have homeowners insurance? It was questions like this that kept me from really enjoying the book. It is to unrealistic to be good.
The book is good if you just want a mindless read. However if you are looking for depth and stimulation this is not a good book for that. It is extremely unrealistic, boring in some parts and predictible.



The Guernsey Literary and The Potato Peel Society
Saturday, March 14, 2009



5 out 5 Stars
There will be no spoilers in this review. This is a book you have to discover yourself:)

I was number 117 in line when I requested this book from our neighborhood library. When I received the news it was finally my turn I actually waited a couple of days before going to pick it up. You see in the last week I had picked up 4 novels I have been waiting over a month for. All 4 were not what I expected and I did not read 3 of them the whole way through. ( I did read the knitting one and reviewed it in the post before this one). It is so disappointing to wait for books only to have them not be what you expected. So I was not in any rush to pick this one up. Oh how foolish I was! This book was delightful!

The whole book is written in letter form. It does take a bit to get used to but once you get to know the characters it flows really well. The book revolves around a literary society that was made up in an effort to provide an alibi to protect it's "members" from being arrested by German soldiers. In the letters you begin to learn what life was like when Germans took occupation of Guernsey, Channel Islands. I really don't want to spoil this book by divulging to much information because I believe that if you like history, romance and unique characters this is the book to read.

I can tell you that it is well written. There is much sadness with a healthy dose of love mixed in. I did not want this book to end. I really loved the characters and could go one reading about them for some time to come. I did cry a couple of times. There are some things that happen in the book that can really tear your heart if you picture them in your head but it did not keep me from finishing the book. In fact it made me love it more. These were strong people. I hate to admit if I had been in their shoes I don't think I would have fared so well.


The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs
Wednesday, March 11, 2009



2 out of 5 stars

I could not wait for my turn to come up at the library to get this book. Boy was I disappointed. I really, really thought I was going to enjoy it. Single mom raises her daughter, has a growing business, good lady friends and knitting. It seemed to be something I would love. Again, boy was I disappointed.

I really had to force myself to read it. Why force myself you may ask? Because my friend told me I had to get to the end. This was not a page turner at all. The characters were not well developed nor did they really tug at your heart strings. I have read a lot of books and 99% of the time there is a main character. A main character was missing in this book. It was supposed to be Grace Walker but it seemed like it was everyone. It was just weird. I could go into depth but I don't want to spoil the book for anyone that is determined to read it.

I can tell you that this book was poorly written, underdeveloped and grossly exaggerated. I will never know how it ended up on any best seller list. I will not be reading the sequel and I really don't think I will pick up any Kate Jacobs novel in the future.



Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Rigler
Tuesday, March 10, 2009



4 out of 5 Stars

This book was just fun! Just a little recap. Courtney goes to sleep and wakes as Jane Mansfield in the Jane Austen era. I don't know about you but I have always wondered what it would be like to live in another era, so it was a lot of fun seeing Courtney aka Jane adapt to the rules and customs of this period in time.

The funniest part of the story is when "Jane" actually gets to see her hero Jane Austen. Without getting to much into detail and spoiling the book I will say that her hero thinks she is entirely nuts. It was so interesting to see "Jane" react to London, Bath and customs of that time period. Another funny part was when "Jane" got her "monthly courses". It was hilarious to hear about what they had to do in that time for that event every month.

Of course their is a love story. Courtney caught her fiance cheating and also lost her best male friend Wes in the process. That is why she was drinking Vodka and reading Pride and Prejudice before she went to bed. When she becomes Jane Mansfield she is faced with Mr. Charles Edgeworth. The whole way through the book you do begin to wonder if he is ever going to win the heart of Jane. If her marriage obsessed mother had her way she would have married him yesterday. Also, another good twist is Mary, his scorned sister. It was very interesting to see how timid women were in that time period. Made me glad I live in this time period, lol.

This book flowed well. It was a very interesting read and a lot of fun. I will definitely be picking up Rude Awakings of A Jane Austen Addict when it comes out June 25th. I want to see how the real Jane Mansfield fares as Courtney:)


The House at Riverton Kate Morton
Saturday, March 7, 2009


*** WARNING POSSIBLE SPOILERS BELOW***
5 out of 5 Stars
This is the most delicious book I have read in a long time. It took me a bit to get into it but once I did I was swept away by the characters. It is not a new story. Love, betrayal, trust, friendship, tragedy, etc are all rolled into this book. That is not new, read a Danielle Steel book and you will see. However, the way it was delivered was phenomenal.

You see the past and the present through the eyes of Grace. A frail old woman that decides to tell the truth about the past. I was riveted to the story. You figure out secrets before even Grace does and then you get to watch her find them out. The characters are so rich and so real that you can't help but feel they are a part of your life.

I don't want to spoil anything but I just want to say that the last 20 pages was worth the whole book. I cried over the tragedy, the loss and of course over what I knew was coming. Trust me it takes a lot to make me cry. and then I turned the last page and was shocked. I felt like I should have been prepared. So I re-read the last 20 pages again and realized no, I wasn't supposed to be prepared. Kate Morton delivered a shocking ending as she intended. Most of the time when I put down a book, that is it. I forget about it when I move on to the next. This was not the case with The House at Riverton. I finished it just before bed and then as I laid in bed it was still rolling around in my head. A truly exceptional book.

I would recommend this book to anyone. It does not matter what you usual genre is. This book reaches out to everyone. Don't pass up the chance to read it.




Promises In Death by JD Robb
Thursday, March 5, 2009



4 out of 5 stars

I really liked this book. Now I did figure out who the murderer was early on but it did not spoil the book for me. The bridal shower scene was a hoot and it was so nice to see Eve back to her old self. After reading Salvation In Death, which I really disliked, it was so nice to see JD Robb take the characters back to their old selves:)

I was as heartbroken as Eve when she had to go tell Morris his beloved was dead. I could almost feel her pain and it is at moments like that you realize that under that stuff exterior lies the heart of vulnerable woman. Did anyone else cry when Morris showed up at the house? Also, did anyone almost fall of their reading perch when Summerset said what he did to Eve?

I really feel that the characters evolved in this book. The only thing I would really like to see is Peabody step up and take on a case. I think it would be a lot of fun to see how she handled it. I would highly recommend this book whether you are a die hard In Death fan or someone that has never read the series. You should not pass it up:)





Til We Read Again,
Bobbie

Welcome to my Blog! I sincerely hope you will enjoy your stay here. I had a book blog about a year ago and let it fall by the wayside when life got a little to hectic. I missed it though and I missed the book blogging community more. So I decided to start a whole new blog and just move all my old reviews over.

My tastes run as eclectic as me. I love everything from thrillers down to historical romances. I read what I fancy and sometimes my reading material depends on my mood. So you really never know what you are going to find when you come here. I have more books then I care to admit and have a reading list that takes up way more space then it should. I really don't have a lot of time to read but I am going to change that. You only live once and it is time I spend a little more time doing things I truly love.



Til We Read Again,
Bobbie