1. Man of the house : a novel by Hudler, Ad.
A book by a guy! Too bad it was unforgettable.
2. Lisa Maria takes off by Hubbard, Susan
3. English as a second language by Crane, Megan.
4. Life over easy by Candela, Margo.
5. What I really want to do is direct by Collins, Yvonne.
6. Speechless : [a novel] by Collins, Yvonne.
7. Date me, baby, one more time by Rowe, Stephanie.
8. Questions to ask before marrying by Senate, Melissa.
9. He loves me, he loves me hot by Rowe, Stephanie.
10. Sex & the immortal bad boy by Rowe, Stephanie.
11. Battle of the network zombies by Henry, Mark
So confused by this book. Very gory. Not my style at all.
12. And another thing-- : Douglas Adams's Hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy part six of three by Colfer, Eoin
RIP Douglas Adams. An attempt to write another book in the masterful Hitchhiker's Galaxy cannon. Not awful, but not Douglas Adams.
13. When good wishes go bad by Klasky, Mindy L.
I like Mindy Klasky. I've read 3 or 4 books by her. Pretty tame, there's a genie, hi-jinks ensue. Good novel to read sitting out by the pool or on the beach.
14. Getting married by Alan, Theresa.
15. Bite me : a love story by Moore, Christopher
The final (maybe?) book in a series about the vampires in San Francisco. Mostly the story of Abby Normal. Amusing at times, Abby can be grating. But overall, a fun read.
77 of 100 books read for the year
Monday, July 26, 2010
May 2010 Books Read
1. The secret of joy : a novel by Senate, Melissa.
2. Match game by Brandt, Beverly.
3. Wedding season by Fforde, Katie.
4. Deep Dish by Andrews, Mary Kay,
5. Enlightenment for idiots : a novel by Cushman, Anne.
6. The fixer upper by Andrews, Mary Kay,
7. The World according to Mimi Smartypants by Smartypants, Mimi.
8. My horizontal life : a collection of one-night stands by Handler, Chelsea
It's hard to not love Chelsea Handler, and even harder to not pee your pants with laughter while reading her books.
9. Committed : a skeptic makes peace with marriage by Gilbert, Elizabeth
The follow up to "Eat, Love, Pray" very meh. Liz has to get married in order to stay with the man she loves. So she needs to come to a definition of marriage that she's comfortable with. Seriously, get over yourself.
10. Reality TV bites by Bolks, Shane.
11. Tales from the crib by Coburn, Jennifer.
12. The Queen gene by Coburn, Jennifer
13. Stupid and contagious by Crane, Caprice.
14. Girls who gossip by Alan, Theresa.
15. Wedding belles by Smith, Haywood
Another Red Hat Society book. Yes, I'm about 20 years younger than her typical demographic. Unlike the first two Red Hat books, there's a missing main character that is JUST NEVER MENTIONED. So annoying.
16. Underneath it all by Candela, Margo.
2. Match game by Brandt, Beverly.
3. Wedding season by Fforde, Katie.
4. Deep Dish by Andrews, Mary Kay,
5. Enlightenment for idiots : a novel by Cushman, Anne.
6. The fixer upper by Andrews, Mary Kay,
7. The World according to Mimi Smartypants by Smartypants, Mimi.
8. My horizontal life : a collection of one-night stands by Handler, Chelsea
It's hard to not love Chelsea Handler, and even harder to not pee your pants with laughter while reading her books.
9. Committed : a skeptic makes peace with marriage by Gilbert, Elizabeth
The follow up to "Eat, Love, Pray" very meh. Liz has to get married in order to stay with the man she loves. So she needs to come to a definition of marriage that she's comfortable with. Seriously, get over yourself.
10. Reality TV bites by Bolks, Shane.
11. Tales from the crib by Coburn, Jennifer.
12. The Queen gene by Coburn, Jennifer
13. Stupid and contagious by Crane, Caprice.
14. Girls who gossip by Alan, Theresa.
15. Wedding belles by Smith, Haywood
Another Red Hat Society book. Yes, I'm about 20 years younger than her typical demographic. Unlike the first two Red Hat books, there's a missing main character that is JUST NEVER MENTIONED. So annoying.
16. Underneath it all by Candela, Margo.
April 2010 Books Read
1. Daughter of the bride by Segrè, Francesca.
2. Un-veiled by Rendahl, Eileen.
3. Balancing in high heels by Rendahl, Eileen.
4. Un-bridaled by Rendahl, Eileen.
5. Speed shrinking by Shapiro, Susan.
6. Bryant & May on the loose : a Peculiar Crimes Unit mystery by Fowler, Christopher.
7. Eat, pray, love : one woman's search for everything across Italy, India and Indonesia by Gilbert, Elizabeth,
I hated this book. I really did. But then again, unlike many people, I read it knowing that Liz Gilbert got a $200K advance before she took off for a year, presumably to "find herself" but with the understanding she was writing this book.
8. Getting revenge on Lauren Wood by Cook, Eileen.
9. Perfect little ladies by Drake, Abby.
10. The physick book of Deliverance Dane : a novel by Howe, Katherine.
Great book. Set in the early 1990's and the 1690's, in Massachusetts. Talks about the Salem Witch Hysteria. The premise is that "what if one of the Salem Witches really WAS a witch?"
2. Un-veiled by Rendahl, Eileen.
3. Balancing in high heels by Rendahl, Eileen.
4. Un-bridaled by Rendahl, Eileen.
5. Speed shrinking by Shapiro, Susan.
6. Bryant & May on the loose : a Peculiar Crimes Unit mystery by Fowler, Christopher.
7. Eat, pray, love : one woman's search for everything across Italy, India and Indonesia by Gilbert, Elizabeth,
I hated this book. I really did. But then again, unlike many people, I read it knowing that Liz Gilbert got a $200K advance before she took off for a year, presumably to "find herself" but with the understanding she was writing this book.
8. Getting revenge on Lauren Wood by Cook, Eileen.
9. Perfect little ladies by Drake, Abby.
10. The physick book of Deliverance Dane : a novel by Howe, Katherine.
Great book. Set in the early 1990's and the 1690's, in Massachusetts. Talks about the Salem Witch Hysteria. The premise is that "what if one of the Salem Witches really WAS a witch?"
Friday, April 2, 2010
March 2010 Books
1. Life, Libby, and the Pursuit of Happiness- Hope Lyda 2.5 out of 5. Starts off good, gets preachy. Another Christian book that caught me by surprise. I really must start reading the synopsis of the books before I grab them off the shelves.
2. Diary of a Married Call Girl- Tracy Quan- 3.5 out of 5. Yep, followed a Christian Lit novel with a call girl novel. Some pretty hot sex scenes, S&M, Lesbian and other themes usually not found in mainstream lit.
3. Once Upon a Nervous Breakdown- Patrick Sanchez- 3.5 out of 5. A woman is left by her husband when he comes out. Her mother goes into declining health. A story of the sandwich generation. I cried.
4. Venus Envy- Shannon McKelden- Unrateable. I must confess that I barely skimmed this book. It was dreadful. The goddess Venus is stuck on Earth, and must atone to Zeus by becoming a Fairy Godmother to random, luckless women. Blergh.
5. Out of This World- Jill Shalvis- 2 out of 5. A paranormal that fails. Beings from another dimension vacation in Alaska. An unknowing woman inherits their vacation spot. Powers are transferred. Chaos ensues. And Pirates from another dimension show up to steal the powers. Lame story. Bad execution.
6. The Lightening Thief- Rick Riordan- 4.5 out of 5. The first book in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. Yes, it's kid lit. But it fills just a tiny piece of the Harry Potter sized hole in my heart. Good enough that I bought the entire series. Read it!
7. I'm Not Julia Roberts- Laura Ruby- 3 out of 5. A second wife figures out her relationship with her step-kids. Confusing chronology, at times the book goes back in time. Or maybe the whole book went back in time, and I didn't notice until the end.
8. The Ex-Factor- Andrea Semple- Unrateable. Undreadable. Andrea Semple, you are dead to me as an author, until the next time I forget that you write dreck and I mistakenly pick up another of your books because of the pretty cover.
March was a disappointing month. The books I choose were for the most part, horrible. The discovery of the Percy Jackson series was the high-point, literary wise.
Book Count- 36 of 100 read.
2. Diary of a Married Call Girl- Tracy Quan- 3.5 out of 5. Yep, followed a Christian Lit novel with a call girl novel. Some pretty hot sex scenes, S&M, Lesbian and other themes usually not found in mainstream lit.
3. Once Upon a Nervous Breakdown- Patrick Sanchez- 3.5 out of 5. A woman is left by her husband when he comes out. Her mother goes into declining health. A story of the sandwich generation. I cried.
4. Venus Envy- Shannon McKelden- Unrateable. I must confess that I barely skimmed this book. It was dreadful. The goddess Venus is stuck on Earth, and must atone to Zeus by becoming a Fairy Godmother to random, luckless women. Blergh.
5. Out of This World- Jill Shalvis- 2 out of 5. A paranormal that fails. Beings from another dimension vacation in Alaska. An unknowing woman inherits their vacation spot. Powers are transferred. Chaos ensues. And Pirates from another dimension show up to steal the powers. Lame story. Bad execution.
6. The Lightening Thief- Rick Riordan- 4.5 out of 5. The first book in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. Yes, it's kid lit. But it fills just a tiny piece of the Harry Potter sized hole in my heart. Good enough that I bought the entire series. Read it!
7. I'm Not Julia Roberts- Laura Ruby- 3 out of 5. A second wife figures out her relationship with her step-kids. Confusing chronology, at times the book goes back in time. Or maybe the whole book went back in time, and I didn't notice until the end.
8. The Ex-Factor- Andrea Semple- Unrateable. Undreadable. Andrea Semple, you are dead to me as an author, until the next time I forget that you write dreck and I mistakenly pick up another of your books because of the pretty cover.
March was a disappointing month. The books I choose were for the most part, horrible. The discovery of the Percy Jackson series was the high-point, literary wise.
Book Count- 36 of 100 read.
February 2010 Books
1. Your Big Break- Johanna Edwards- 3.5 out of 5. Decent. Funny. Set in Boston, which is a plus for me. A story about a girl who works for a company that specializes in break-ups.
2. The Make-Up Girl- Andrea Semple- 1.5 out of 5. Deadful. Depressing.
3. Lucky Girl- Fiona Gibson- 3 out of 5. An unwanted woman becomes wanted. Grows out from under her larger-than-life Father's Ego. Brit-Chick-Lit.
4. Babyface- Fiona Gibson- Unrateable. Could not finish. Just awful. Thank goodness it was a library book, and not something I spent money on.
5. The Secret of Everything- Barbara O'Neal- 4 out of 5. An amazing book. An injured tour guide is trying to figure out her own history by going back to the town where she grew up. An over-all good read. Some of the book is written from other points of view, which is a little distracting.
6. Hot Wheels and High Heels- Jane Graves- 3 out of 5. A fluffy read, modern romance. A trophy ex-wife learns how to be self-sufficient.
7. Tall Tales and Wedding Veils- Jane Graves- 3 out of 5. Another fluffy modern romance. Pretty much the movie "What Happens in Vegas" but with better dialog.
8 & 9. She's in a Better Place & Doesn't She Look Natural?- Angela Hunt- 3.5 out of 5. A divorced woman with two boys inherits a funeral home from a long-lost uncle. Christian Lit, but not as preachy or vapid as most. Actually a very good story.
10. The Thing About Jane Spring- Sharon Krum 3.5 out of 5. A woman who was raised by a military father decides to act like Doris Day. Cheesy premise, decent read.
11. M is for Magic- Neil Gaiman- 4 out of 5. Short stories by Gaiman. Categorized as Young Adult. Easy read, not a kid book for sure.
12. The Graveyard Book0 Neil Gaiman- 3 out of 5. A boy who's family is killed is taken in by the beings who reside in a graveyard. He spends his childhood as one of them, but as he grows up, he needs to take his place amongst the living. Young Adult novel.
Total for the year- 28 Books
2. The Make-Up Girl- Andrea Semple- 1.5 out of 5. Deadful. Depressing.
3. Lucky Girl- Fiona Gibson- 3 out of 5. An unwanted woman becomes wanted. Grows out from under her larger-than-life Father's Ego. Brit-Chick-Lit.
4. Babyface- Fiona Gibson- Unrateable. Could not finish. Just awful. Thank goodness it was a library book, and not something I spent money on.
5. The Secret of Everything- Barbara O'Neal- 4 out of 5. An amazing book. An injured tour guide is trying to figure out her own history by going back to the town where she grew up. An over-all good read. Some of the book is written from other points of view, which is a little distracting.
6. Hot Wheels and High Heels- Jane Graves- 3 out of 5. A fluffy read, modern romance. A trophy ex-wife learns how to be self-sufficient.
7. Tall Tales and Wedding Veils- Jane Graves- 3 out of 5. Another fluffy modern romance. Pretty much the movie "What Happens in Vegas" but with better dialog.
8 & 9. She's in a Better Place & Doesn't She Look Natural?- Angela Hunt- 3.5 out of 5. A divorced woman with two boys inherits a funeral home from a long-lost uncle. Christian Lit, but not as preachy or vapid as most. Actually a very good story.
10. The Thing About Jane Spring- Sharon Krum 3.5 out of 5. A woman who was raised by a military father decides to act like Doris Day. Cheesy premise, decent read.
11. M is for Magic- Neil Gaiman- 4 out of 5. Short stories by Gaiman. Categorized as Young Adult. Easy read, not a kid book for sure.
12. The Graveyard Book0 Neil Gaiman- 3 out of 5. A boy who's family is killed is taken in by the beings who reside in a graveyard. He spends his childhood as one of them, but as he grows up, he needs to take his place amongst the living. Young Adult novel.
Total for the year- 28 Books
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
January 2010 Books
So these are the books that I've read in the month of January 2010. Actually, I should qualify, these are just the library books that I read in January 2010. Books that I already own, and re-read, I'm not including, because most of the time, it's just a re-fresh read where I skip around a lot.
1. The Matzo Ball Heiress by Laurie Gwen Shapiro- maybe 3.5 or 4 out of 5 Stars
2. Goddess for Hire by Sonia Singh- 3 out of 5 stars
3. Lavender Morning by Jude Deveraux- 4 out of 5 stars
4-6. Almost Perfect/Just Perfect/Too Perfect by Julie Ortolon- Did not finish.
7. Under the Dome by Stephen King- 4 out of 5 stars- good but not great. Very long and sometimes tedious, but the story itself is very interesting and makes up for the slow parts.
8. Dune Road: A Novel by Jane Green- 4 out of 5 stars
9. Ladies with Options by Cynthia Hartwick- 3.5 out of 5 stars
10. Ladies with Prospects by Cynthia Hartwick- 3 out of 5 stars
11. Whale Season: A Novel by N. M. Kelby- 4.5 out of 5 stars- very much in the tune of Christopher Moore. Great book.
12. The Village Bride of Beverly Hills by Kavita Daswani- 2 out of 5 stars- I possibly missed the nuances of this book because I'm not of Indian heritage
13. So 5 Minutes Ago: A Novel by Hilary DeVries- 3 out of 5 stars
14. The Gift Bag Chronicles by Hilary DeVries- 3 out of 5 stars (the follow up to So 5 Minutes Ago)
15. Nice Girls Do by Sarah Duncan- 3.5 out of 5 stars. I know I liked this book when I was reading it, but now that it's over, I can't remember it.
16. Unseen Academicals by Terry Pratchett- 5 out of 5 stars. Best book of the month! You can't beat Pterry when he's writing about Discworld. And, Rincewind has a nice cameo in it!
My goal for the year is to read 100 library books. It's looking like a very reachable goal! I'm always open to suggestions.
1. The Matzo Ball Heiress by Laurie Gwen Shapiro- maybe 3.5 or 4 out of 5 Stars
2. Goddess for Hire by Sonia Singh- 3 out of 5 stars
3. Lavender Morning by Jude Deveraux- 4 out of 5 stars
4-6. Almost Perfect/Just Perfect/Too Perfect by Julie Ortolon- Did not finish.
7. Under the Dome by Stephen King- 4 out of 5 stars- good but not great. Very long and sometimes tedious, but the story itself is very interesting and makes up for the slow parts.
8. Dune Road: A Novel by Jane Green- 4 out of 5 stars
9. Ladies with Options by Cynthia Hartwick- 3.5 out of 5 stars
10. Ladies with Prospects by Cynthia Hartwick- 3 out of 5 stars
11. Whale Season: A Novel by N. M. Kelby- 4.5 out of 5 stars- very much in the tune of Christopher Moore. Great book.
12. The Village Bride of Beverly Hills by Kavita Daswani- 2 out of 5 stars- I possibly missed the nuances of this book because I'm not of Indian heritage
13. So 5 Minutes Ago: A Novel by Hilary DeVries- 3 out of 5 stars
14. The Gift Bag Chronicles by Hilary DeVries- 3 out of 5 stars (the follow up to So 5 Minutes Ago)
15. Nice Girls Do by Sarah Duncan- 3.5 out of 5 stars. I know I liked this book when I was reading it, but now that it's over, I can't remember it.
16. Unseen Academicals by Terry Pratchett- 5 out of 5 stars. Best book of the month! You can't beat Pterry when he's writing about Discworld. And, Rincewind has a nice cameo in it!
My goal for the year is to read 100 library books. It's looking like a very reachable goal! I'm always open to suggestions.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
The Lost Recipe for Happiness
Rating- 5 out of 5 stars
This is the best book I've read this year. It's almost a "girl power" novel written for adults. Elena is a chef who overcame a tragic past, and is finally getting a chance to run her own kitchen. Julian Liswood is the restaurant owner who takes a chance on her. Elena's ghosts, literal and figurative, continue to haunt her while she comes to an acceptance in her life.
I was really drawn to the realistic depictions of life in a kitchen, and the interesting people that are drawn to that life (because working in a kitchen isn't just a job, it's a lifestyle). The author, Barbara O'Neal shows the flawed personalities that are drawn to the lifestyle.
The secondary characters, Ivan, Patrick, and Portia have their own interesting stories as well. Ivan and Portia in particular have demons of their own that need to be defeated in order for them to progress forward in life.
I loved this book. Elena is a strong woman in a man's world. She doesn't take crap from anyone, even when she's hurting. I think I was able to relate to this book a lot because I am married to a chef. It's a difficult life, and not at all glamorous. I recommend this book to everyone. It's really fantastic.
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