Jane Erye (Book Memories)

Jane Eyre

By: Charlotte Bronte

Prior to me ever reading this book, I had heard nothing but good things about it. Still, I had not idea what I was in for. This book was an unforgettable read. It has everything- romance, drama, suspense. By the time I finished Jane Eyre I felt like I had been on an emotional journey with Jane herself.

From the beginning of Jane Eyre to the last page you are rooting for Jane. Your heart breaks for her when she's sent to the school only to later lose her best friend there. Hope and anticipation for the future flows from the book's pages to you as she takes on the governess position. It isn't just Jane's curiosity that peeks as one experience or encounter after another occurs with the unknown house guest. With every passing page I found myself unable to put the book down. I couldn't wait to see what was going to happen next. There were times I was gripping the book so hard my fingers hurt. I loved every second of it!

If you're looking for a book that will take you on an unforgettable journey, have you traveling all over the emotional map, and grab you with an iron grip Jane Eyre is a book you need to read. It is one of those books that I have to have on my bookshelf. I know I will re-read this book numerous times.

Reader Frustration!!!! (HELP!!)

What the heck?!?!?!? The last several books I've read have sucked! There's no way around it- they were awful! Most of them didn't even make it to my blog because there was no point. For the most part, I didn't even finish them. What in the world?!

The last book I loved was The Last Letter From Your Lover. I should have known that it would be hard to top, but I had hope. Every book since that one has been bad. And these are all review requests! A part of me is just about ready to take a break from the requests and hit my long missed bookshelves.

I hate when this happens. I know it's bound to happen and there's really no way around it. Sometimes these slumps are brief. Sometimes they are lengthy ruiners of a beloved past time. All I know is that when they happen to me, I am nothing short of miserable. I miss getting sucked into a storyline. I miss not being able to wait to see what will happen next. I miss being drawn to the characters and their world.

AARRGGHH!! Has this happened to you? How did you get through it? Was there one book or author that restored everything? Any advise?

A Catered Affair

A Catered Affair
By: Sue Margolis
374 Pages

Summary:
When Tallulah gets jilted at the altar, she gets very drunk and starts making passes at the male wedding guests. She even propositions the caterer. But in the next few weeks, reality comes crashing down around her. Her difficult mother becomes more impossible than ever. Her lesbian sister starts trying to have a baby. Nana Ida gets busy matchmaking. What Tallulah is about to discover is that happiness doesn't always come in the form of the perfect doctor- and that sometimes real love doesn't require a catered affair.  --bn.com

I went into this book with high hopes. Sadly, it didn't deliver. By the time I was nearing on 100 pages, there was no wedding in sight. I felt that Sue Margolis spent too much time describing things that could've been done so in several paragraphs- not several pages. While you're waiting for the plot to kick in, you aren't amused much by the secondary characters and their own plots.

I feel this book has the potential to be good, but more editing needs to be done. Trim the excess and pointless. Beef up the secondary characters. If your book is going to be slow going, then make sure you have enough to keep the reader interested while they wait. Unfortunately, A Catered Affair didn't. I got to the point where I was no longer curious to see what would happen and how everything would play out. I had no doubt the ending would be happy. But I didn't care.

Rating: Borrow From Library

Smokin' Seventeen

Smokin' Seventeen
By: Janet Evanovich
308 Pages

Summary:
Dead bodies are showing up in shallow graves on the empty construction lot of Vincent Plum Bail Bonds. No one is sure who the killer is, or why the victims have been offed, but what is clear is that Stephanie’s name is on the killer’s list.
Short on time to find evidence proving the killer’s identity, Stephanie faces further complications when her family and friends decide that it’s time for her to choose between her longtime off-again-on-again boyfriend, Trenton cop Joe Morelli, and the bad boy in her life, security expert Ranger. Stephanie’s mom is encouraging Stephanie to dump them both and choose a former high school football star who’s just returned to town. Stephanie’s sidekick, Lula, is encouraging Stephanie to have a red-hot boudoir “bake-off.” And Grandma Bella, Morelli’s old-world grandmother, is encouraging Stephanie to move to a new state when she puts “the eye” on Stephanie.
With a cold-blooded killer after her, a handful of hot men, and a capture list that includes a dancing bear and a senior citizen vampire, Stephanie’s life looks like it’s about to go up in smoke. --bn.com

I've been a long-time reader and fan of the Stephanie Plum series. Every time I read the books I know I'm going to be laughing at the hilarity that ensues in each book. While this book was no exception, I didn't seem to enjoy the plot as much as some of the previous books in the series. The book itself, isn't lacking for much, I just wasn't as grabbed by it as I have been before.

Joe's Grandma gives Stephanie Vordo- a sex spell. So, there's a lot more sex in this book than there usually is. Stephanie and Lula endure one calamity after another in the name of chasing down bail jumpers. One has an enormous problem, that is usually front and center. Stephanie's mom wants her to settle down and finds her the "perfect" man in David, a guy Stephanie went to high school with. While he's an amazing cook, there's more to his frying pan than meets the eye. A not so blast from her past is looking to get revenge on Stephanie.

This book will have you laughing pretty much non-stop. It was a fun read.

Rating: Borrow From The Library/Buy It

The Last Letter From Your Lover

The Last Letter From Your Lover
By: Jojo Moyes
398 Pages (my review copy)

Summary:
It is 1960. When Jennifer Stirling wakes up in the hospital, she can remember nothing-not the tragic car accident that put her there, not her husband, not even who she is. She feels like a stranger in her own life until she stumbles upon an impassioned letter, signed simply "B", asking her to leave her husband.
Years later, in 2003, a journalist named Ellie discovers the same enigmatic letter in a forgotten file in her newspaper's archives. She becomes obsessed by the story and hopeful that it can resurrect her faltering career. Perhaps if these lovers had a happy ending she will find one to her own complicated love life, too. Ellie's search will rewrite history and help her see the truth about her own modern romance. --- bn.com 

This book is such an amazing read! I was glued to it the entire time. I couldn't wait to see what was going to happen and where the story was going to lead me. Absolutely beautiful. It was like I was there when Jennifer woke up and there when she finds the first letter. I was given the privilege of watching two characters fall in love and maneuver the hurdles thrown in their path. Like Jennifer, I was shocked to learn the lengths her husband went to. Through Jojo Moyes' writing style, I felt like a fly on the wall for all the highs and lows. I didn't want the book to end, but couldn't wait to see what was going to happen next.

The story begins with Jennifer waking up in the hospital after being the lone survivor of a car crash. She has no clue who the other passenger was or how the accident happened. The only thing she does know is that something doesn't feel right once she gets to her house and resumes her life. while cleaning her closets, she discovers a letter. Things start to come together after she discovers several more. Once she has these letters in her life again, nothing is the same again. Is the writer of the letters the fellow passenger in the car accident?

I don't want to give anything away, so I won't say too much more. I will say this: once you start reading The Last Letter From Your Lover, you will want to curl up and never stop reading it. Jojo Moyes has a bright and successful future ahead of her. She wrote a beautiful, telling story you don't want to put down. If you enjoyed The Notebook,  you will love The Last Letter From Your Lover. I fully intend for it to have a welcome place on my bookshelf.

Rating: BUY IT!

New Mystery Series!!!

Attention all mystery lovers!! There is a new series to get lost in! Famed mystery writer Jenn McKinlay has released book 1 in her new A Library Lover's Mystery series! Read and enjoy!

Lindsey is getting into her groove as the director of the Briar Creek Public Library when a New York editor visits town, creating quite a buzz. Lindsey's friend Beth wants to sell the editor her children's book, but Beth's boyfriend, a famous author, gets in the way. When they go to confront him, he's found murdered-and Beth is the prime suspect. Lindsey has to act fast before they throw the book at the wrong person.  --bn.com

I'm getting my copy today and can't wait to get started! I hope you enjoy it!

Growing Up Amish

Growing Up Amish
By: Ira Wagler

Summary:
"...in this heartwarming memoir, Ira paints a vivid portrait of Amish life—from his childhood days on the family farm, his Rumspringa rite of passage at age 16, to his ultimate decision to leave the Amish Church for good at age 26." bn.com

Prior to reading this book, I knew very little about what it's like to be Amish. I didn't know there were different types of Amish, let alone the rules for their church. To say the very least, reading Growing Up Amish gave me knowledge I wouldn't have otherwise.

Ira really does take you into the life of the Amish. You learn the courting ways, the church ways. You find out what it's like to attend a regular church service and a baptism. By the time I had finished the book, I felt like I had been living next door to the Amish. And while I may not be able to live the life they do, I have a respect for their choice I didn't have before.

Growing Up Amish not only takes you among the people, but it also takes you on the emotional journey Ira Wagler went on. Through the course of the book, you will read how he leaves the church numerous times only to come back. However, every time he returns he isn't able to find the peace he was hoping would be there. By the fourth time, he finally has a firm understanding on his life direction. My heart broke for him every time he left and every time he came back.

Rating: Borrow From The Library