It's Almost Time!

If you've been watching our little counter over there on the sidebar ... you'll see that there is a little over 3 days until the release of Breaking Dawn, the last installment of the Bella and Edward story in the Twilight books. I am so excited for this book to come out!

I remember back when I was reading the first three books, and I finished Eclipse, I thought that August 2nd would take FOREVER to get here. But now it is almost here! I can't wait!

I haven't read the preview chapter that was in some of the editions of Eclipse - so I have no idea what is coming for the fourth book. Have any of you read that preview chapter or any of the snippets that have been on the internet?

How is everyone getting their copies of the book? I almost bought it last week from Amazon.com because they had a really good price, and I've heard that with books sometimes you get them a day or two before the release date, because they are guaranteed to get to you ON the release day, but they play it safe and send it a little early. But I chickened out because it would be just my luck to have it go missing and then I'd have to go buy a copy anyways.

I am planning on going early Saturday morning to pick up my copy. I hope the hoards of women in Utah won't be too crazy and I can get a copy easily. That day we have an all day family reunion and I don't know how I'm going to manage going all day knowing that the book is sitting in the car! I think I may need to sneak in a few chapters here and there between talking to relatives and playing silly (I mean incredibly! fun! and! hilarious!) games with the family.

August 1st Pick

Midwives was recommended to me by my sister in law who has raved about it, which hopefully means that I will like it too. I would never use a midwife myself because I need drugs and a hospital to deliver a baby, but that doesn't mean that I can't see if from the view of someone who does. From what I have read on the back of the book it says that a midwife is accused of killing the mother while trying to save the baby, thinking that the mother was already dead. There is a trial involved and I always have loved a good court case, Jodi Picoult sure loves to write them. This book has garnered really great reviews and is even on Oprah's book club. It sounds interesting and sad. I think this will really get your emotions involved especially if you are a mom or want to be one. Are you ready for a tear jerker that this is claimed to be???

July 15th pick

I had heard a lot about Libba Bray's "A Great and Terrible Beauty" but made it my pick for July without really knowing anything about it. Come to find out, it's another Young Adult genre book (like Twilight) about a young girl who, after an unconventional upbringing in India, is sent back to England to attend an all-girls boarding school. There she falls into the usual petty squabbles of popularity and independence, before realizing that there is more to the school than she first realized. In a madcap tale of gypsies, magical powers, and deep dark soul-sucking evil Gemma has to face up to her own personal demons as well as the very real spirits that wish her, and her friends, harm.

I was happy to find out that this book is the first in a Trilogy, with Rebel Angels and The Sweet Far Thing rounding out the three. I can't wait until my library finally gets it in and I can start it. I know a lot of you have already read it - so I hope you'll come join us in talking about it once more people finish it!

The Last Time They Met - review

This book took a little getting into, I was confused for the first 15 pages or so, but then it gets really interesting. When Linda and Thomas meet at a book conference and you learn about their past. It is sad to learn that they met in high school and were involved in a bad car accident and that, also family, pulls them apart. Years later they meet again in Africa, of all places, and though both of them were married at that time, they have an affair and realize that they still love each other and have since they met in high school. I really liked reading about their thoughts and how their encounters go. I thought the ending was the BEST part of the book ,even though I always want a happy ending. It was such a dark twist to the story that it totally took me, and I bet you, by surprise. You find out that Linda actually died in the car crash back when they were teenagers and Thomas has been so upset about it that he has been imagining all that you have read, his life with Linda in it. I think that losing the love of his life at a young age and then having his young daughter drown was just to much for him. He tried moving on with his life after Linda and married and had a daughter, but then he loses the daughter in a tragic boating incident and she drowns, it is just to much to handle.

I did like this book, though it was not what I was hoping for, a good romance with a happy ending. Maybe next time. What did you think???

Screwtape what?

I belong to a great book club in my neighborhood and this was the book picked for this month. I had heard of C.S. Lewis before (Chronicles of Narnia and The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe) but I hadn't heard of the book The Screwtape Letters. It was funny right after I found out that this was the book for this month I saw the book sitting on my brother in law's shelf and so I was able to borrow it from him.

So I TRIED to read it. I don't know, maybe just that it's summer and I'm in the mood for something a little lighter and less dramatic. But I could just NOT get into it.I was a little worried when I went to Annie's house for the book club meeting, since I hadn't finished the book - but I was so glad to find out that only ONE girl out of about 8 had read it until the end! It was so funny, we all just kept saying "nope, me either".

I can't even say that it's a book that I'll try to pick up and read again in the future. It just doesn't even interest me. Sorry, I don't even want to research to put a little bit of info about it on here. If you want, you can read what my book clubs website wrote about it here. I'd just recommend to stay away. Unless you like that kind of stuff. What kind of stuff that is, I really can't say I read far enough to find out!

On The Side

This was the first book that I have read from James Patterson, and I really enjoyed reading it. It is an easy read and the characters are well developed and likable. It is about a little girl who has an imaginary friend that has to leave her when she turns 9 years old. Micheal, the imaginary friend, tells her that she will forget about him it is just how it works, but she doesn't. They met again and she finds out that he wasn't imaginary, he is real. It is a cute little love story that has a happy ending. I would totally recommend this book if you need a good little love story.


This is a book for all of those out there that LOVE Pride and Prejudice. Janet Aylmer does a really good job of showing the side of Mr. Darcy that we all wanted to read about. It has everything that you love about Jane Austen with bits added so that we can get to know Mr. Darcy. What was he thinking and doing??? I really enjoyed reading this book, it brought home all the things that I loved about Pride and Prejudice. For those that love Pride and Prejudice this is a book for you.

I know, another Jodi Picoult book?!? I needed to read another one to get the disaster that was "Perfect Match" out of my system and I am happy to say that this one is a keeper. It is a great story about kidnapping and all the dynamics that happens in the family. If you want a good book to read that approaches an interesting topic, this is the one.

Mad River Road - review

My June 15th book pick was the mystery Mad River Road by Joy Fielding. In a word - "eh". For me, this book was neither intriguing or believable, two things I think a good mystery should be. I could never really get into the characters and thought that their choices in the book were not things that a normal, intelligent person would do! I mean, jumping into a car and going on a road trip with a guy you met YESTERDAY? And that's just one example.

I know Darci didn't like this book, either, and it's a shame, because I've read other Joy Fielding books and they're not all like this. Maybe this one was just a fluke. Did anyone else read it (I know you have it, Mom!), and what did you think?

I really like the mystery genre and I'd like to choose another mystery book at some point. Whatever it is I hope it's not as much of a smeller that this one was!