bookworm...

With the weather taking a turn for the cold, once again I have gotten into a big ol' reading fix. I had a few comments about my last book review post, so I thought I would update on what's been peaking my interest lately.

I will start with the fiction

The Best of Me by Nicholas Sparks: I love Nicholas Sparks books and have read every single one. The Notebook, The Wedding and The Rescue are among my all time favorite books, EVER. This book was good; not great. Very typical tragic romance that kept me interested but I had the tragedy portion figured out halfway through. Still would recommend it to Sparks fans but would for those reading him for the first time it would not be my highest recommendation (for whatever that's worth).

Girls in White Dresses by Jennifer Close: I found this book through my recommended reads link on Amazon. Apparently I have a type :) It was a good, quick, easy read. The ending was a little sudden and I felt could have used a little more closure on the whole story. Overall, I liked the story and think it would be a good fun read for an all female book club. Parts of the characters reminded me of different females in my own life so the whole story was very much relatable.

One Day by David Nicholls: There was a lot of advertisements and hype about this recently since it was made into a movie starring Anne Hathaway. I have not seen the movie and the concept of the book really intrigued me, but I don't think it followed through very well. The whole book follows 2 characters throughout their adult life and every chapter basically checks in on where the characters on on the same day each year. Like I said in theory it sounds pretty interesting; but something I cannot quite pinpoint was lacking. It was a very slow read for me. The whole thing builds and builds (and builds) but then the climax and ending seemed rushed. Even though the movie did not fare so well in the theaters I still wanna check it out and see if its any better.

Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult: Another one of my favorite authors. I think I have read if not all pretty damn close to all of her books. My favorite is 19 Minutes followed closely by My Sisters Keeper (the book is 10x better than the movie)! Like Sparks, her books follow the same kinda of pattern: well developed characters, highly researched and detailed hot topics, followed by a surprising twist. She is not every ones cup of tea but I love the topics she covers, and this book was no exception. Highly recommended.

Last Night at Chateau Marmont by Lauren Wesiberger: A good, fun, quick, easy read! Perfect for a cold, snowy day when you just want some mindless entertainment. Curl up and enjoy!

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein: Pretty sure this book is a couple years old but had heard a lot about it recently and decided to check it out. Another one with an interesting premise. The whole story is voiced by the main characters dog. If you are a dog lover you will like it. I laughed, I cried, and then I went home and loved and hugged my dogs.

Room by Emma Donohue: Lots of word of mouth recommendations on this one. This book is very good but very hard to read. I say hard simply because of the subject matter. The book is written in the voice of a 5 yr old boy who has lived his entire life in one room. His mother was abducted in her teens and has been forced to live and raise her captives child in the room. Amazing-but like I said hard. This was not something I could read in one sitting, simply because it was pretty haunting. That being said, I still highly recommend it.


Now on to the non-fiction. I am not sure why but I have been on a bit of a Non-fiction kick lately. Maybe it the gossip lover in me but I find it fascinating to read about other people's lives.

I already wrote about Thunderdog here but it bears repeating. Its a great read and I think everyone should check it out.

In the President's Secret Service by Ronald Kessler: I loved this book so much I bought it twice. I was halfway thru when I accidentally left the hard copy on a plane, so I went to my handy dandy kindle and downloaded it as soon I discovered I lost it. This book is right up my alley. All about gossip and criminal justice. What could be better! :)

596 Switch by Ryan Leaf: A must read for Coug Fans! Especially Coug fans still agonizing over the last 2 seconds of the '97 Rose Bowl. Leaf may not be the best writer known to man but he does a good job of describing what went on behind the scenes of the '97 season and make you feel like you are there all over again. By writing this Ryan also helps redeem his once shaky character and popularity.  I am once again proud to call Ryan Leaf a coug after this book.

Bossypants by Tina Fey: Hilarious. I love her. I love this book.  :)

Lies That Chelsea Handler Told Me by Chelsea's Family, Friends and other victims: Hilarious. Easy. Fun. If you like her other books, you will LOVE this book.

I am currently reading Rob Lowe's book Stories I Only Tell My Friends. I am about 4 chapters in and totally into it. Lowe is a fantastic writer and story teller. Again this feeds my love of gossip, and boy does he have some. He has lived a fascinating life and his take on it is quite enjoyable.

Also waiting on my kindle are A Stolen Life by Jaycee Dugard  and Ashley Judd's All That is Bitter and Sweet.  I am not sure either one will be an easy read, and I may have to take some time before tackling either. I am sure Dugard's will be very difficult at times; but after seeing some interviews and a few excerpts of it I think it will, in the end, be a message of hope.

Well that's all from me, for now. If you have ready anything good lately let me know. I am always looking for new recommendations. Happy Reading!