September Book Pick

I know you all have been on the edge of your seats waiting for the sequel to The Hunger Games to come out, right? Well.....Erin and I have been. We both finally had to order it from Amazon since our library waiting list is a mile long and we couldn't handle it. I did go to Target yesterday when it came out but..... nope! Target would not be getting it in. I was sooo bummed.

I am dying to know if we find out if Katniss goes with Gale her hunting buddy or Peeta her "boyfriend" from the Hunger Games. I for one want to her to be with Peeta I loved that he was so sweet to her. It melted me that he took a beating from his Dad (or was it his Mom?) so that he could sneak Katniss some bread knowing that her family was starving. I guess I will have to wait since Amazon doesn't deliver my book until Thursday. I know I will read it in one day just like I did The Hunger Games.

June 1st pick

Erin and I have read a lot of Jodi Picoult books and have really enjoyed them. I did learn that her older books were not my favorite, she had a different style of writing then. Handle with Care is her newest novel to come out, Erin and I each had an easy time getting it at our library's without having to wait.

Here is a short synopsis:

When Charlotte and Sean O’Keefe’s daughter, Willow, is born with severe osteogenesis imperfecta, they are devastated – she will suffer hundreds of broken bones as she grows, a lifetime of pain. As the family struggles to make ends meet to cover Willow’s medical expenses, Charlotte thinks she has found an answer.

I guess we will have to read to find out what happens. Jodi Picoult's novels always have a story that gets you thinking about the tuff choices that some people have to make and make you wonder if you would have done the same. I can't wait to see what this book makes me feel. Anyone else with us?

May pick

So, another extended break. Hey, that's what a crazy holiday season and then both of us getting pregnant within a few months of each other will do to us! We're both now (mostly) over the first trimester exhaustion and are both ready to get in some good summer reading.

The book we're jointly picking for May (since we're halfway through the month already) is The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.



I read about the book first on my friend Erin's blog, and it sounded really good. Then reviews of it started popping up everywhere with people saying things like "better than Twilight??" and "an amazing book that kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time". When I went online to put a hold on it so I could pick it up at the library, I was shocked to see that I was #98 in line - in our library system that had over 50 copies of the book! Since that was 2 weeks ago and I've only moved up a few spaces in line, I finally broke down and just ordered online. Darci has already read it (in less than 24 hours) and said it was great - so I knew I would want it eventually.

I hope that you'll be able to find a copy and read it with us! It's the first book of a trilogy, with the next installment due to come out in September. From what I've heard most people that finish the first one are dying for the next one to be released! I can't wait to get it in the mail!

March 1st pick

My sister called me to tell me about this book, how she thought it was wonderful, and I HAD to read it. I decided to get it from the library but the waiting list was over a month long. Then I decided to go to the used bookstore close by and the owner told me that I would not find that book used, "Anyone who reads that book keeps it to read in another 6 months". Well. I guess I just better buy the darn book then.

This book sounds sad, but really inspiring.

On September 18, 2007, computer science professor Randy Pausch stepped in front of an audience of 400 people at Carnegie Mellon University to deliver a last lecture called “Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams.” With slides of his CT scans beaming out to the audience, Randy told his audience about the cancer that is devouring his pancreas and that will claim his life in a matter of months. On the stage that day, Randy was youthful, energetic, handsome, often cheerfully, darkly funny. He seemed invincible. But this was a brief moment, as he himself acknowledged.

What would you want to say as your last and final lecture???

February 1st Pick

A Thousand Splendid Suns is my pick and I know what you are all thinking, this is not a typical pick of Darci's! It is so true, but I have heard such great things about this book and many people talking about it being the best book they have ever read. It made me curious and willing to give it a try. So here we go.

It is a tale of two generations of characters brought jarringly together by the tragic sweep of war, where personal lives -- the struggle to survive, raise a family, find happiness -- are inextricable from the history playing out around them.

A Thousand Splendid Suns is at once a remarkable chronicle of three decades of Afghan history and a deeply moving account of family and friendship. It is a striking, heart-wrenching novel of an unforgiving time, an unlikely friendship, and an indestructible love -- a stunning accomplishment.

It sounds very interesting and very moving to. I just hope there isn't alot to do with the war in it, that is my one draw back, but I have heard it is mainly about 3 girls and there lives and loves.

Someone to Love - review

This book did not live up to my hype. It was a fine and easy read, but it lacked the sexual tension. The main characters just did not have any and I was not rooting for them. I was sad that it did not grip me like A Knight in Shinning Armor did. So sad, that was such an awesome book, defiantly lots of sexual tension.

December 1st pick

I thought it was time that we read one of MY books. I love the romance novels, what can I say I am a total romantic. Jude Deveraux wrote one of my all time favorite books, A Knight in Shinning Armor, don't let the title dissuade you it is such a great book. I have not read one of Jude's books in a long time so I thought it was time.

Jace Montgomery is sad over is fiance's death and finds a picture of a house in her things with an inscription on the back, "Ours again. Together forever. See you there." It makes him want to find out where this house is to find out more about his fiance. The house is haunted by a headstrong and feisty ghost, Ann Stuart, whom he must tangle with if he's ever to solve the mystery.

Sounds so good! Who is ready for an all out romance, hopefully with some spicy scenes??? I know I am.

The Secret Life of Bee's - review

This book was really cute and sweet. An easy read. This was about Lily who ran away from her Dad with her housekeeper a black women in 1964. Lily was only 14 and wanted to find out all that she could about her mother that died when Lily was 4 years old. It was interesting to be taken back to the 60's when blacks were being persecuted, so when Lily went to live with a house full of black women people did not know what to think about it. I loved that Lily found the "Women of Mary" women and learned all that she could about being a bee keeper. She found her first love, which was really sweet, as a first love should be. At the end of the book I really wanted to know more. I wanted to know what she is doing now that she is all grown up. Does she still live with the women? Is she a bee keeper or did she take up writing? I guess we will never know. Atleast I can go and see the movie now and see how that turned out. What did you think?

November 1st pick

I choose The Secret Life Of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd book because it sounded like a good story. I have always thought the 1960's were an interesting time in our history. "The search for a mother, and the need to mother oneself, are crucial elements in this well-written coming-of-age story set in the early 1960s against a background of racial violence and unrest."






After I choose it and put it up on the blog I saw previews for the movie. I had heard nothing about it. Hopefully alot of you will read the book along with us before you go and see the movie.



I am still reading the Gargoyle, it is a "heavy" book so hopefully I will finish it soon so that I can start this book.

One Shot - review

I thought this was a good mystery and enjoyed reading it. I got a little caught up in the abrupt sentences and all the details. Lee Child just went on and on in the details, things that we really didn't need to know and I ended up skimming through alot of pages because of it. I think it would have been a better book if it had been shorter. I could not make up my mind on Jack Reacher, he doesn't seem to be the typical hero. Most of the time I was deciding if I liked him as a person. A point in his favor is that he is very thorough. What did you think?

October 1st Pick

I thought it was time to read a mystery. It also helps that it is the month for scariness, Halloween is here. I wanted a change of pace, to read a book that is not usually on a book club list. I had no idea what writer to choose from and wanted to try someone new, so I asked around at the used book store that I go to and this was the majority choice. One Shot is a Jack Reacher novel and I was told that you do not need to read them in order, they all stand alone. I chose this one and from the synopsis it sounds really good:

One heartland city thrown into a state of terror. But within hours the cops have it solved: a slam-dunk case. Except for one thing. The accused man says: You got the wrong guy. Then he says: Get Reacher for me.

Sounds good. Anyone else want to read this mystery with us??

On The Side

I had an interesting experience reading this book and wanted to share it with you. The Red Tent is a fictional version of the story of Jacob and his family, more specifically his only daughter Dinah,from Genisis in the Bible. I know the Bible story well and thought this might be an interesting book to read. As it turned out it was a very emotional and disturbing book for me to read. It was very hard for me to remember that is was a fictional version. I have strong feelings and views of the Bible story and so it was hard for me to read about this version of the story. I felt that the author took to many liberties with the story. I realize that this book IS fiction, but for some reason I could not take it as so. I have too strong of feelings for the Bible and this hindered my regard for the story. I think if this book had been about anything other than a story taken from the Bible then I would have easily been able to enjoy it. It evoked so many strange and weird feelings in me. I can not remember feeling all of those emotions from any other book. Some people might find that to be enough to read a book just so they can get all of those emotions, but I did not like it. Has anyone else read this book? I would love to know what you thought about it and see if you were able to enjoy it for itself and not based off of the Bible version as I did.

I really don't want you to think this is not a good book because it is. It is a good read and the author writes really well. If you can think of it as fiction then you will really like it. I just could not remember that she was writing it from a fictional stand point and that is why I had issues about it.

September 1st Pick + From Page to Screen

I picked the Time Travelers Wife because I had heard about it for a long time now and it always sounded like my kind of book, but I never read it. It is about a Chicago librarian with "Chrono Displacement" disorder. He disappears without warning and finds himself in the past or future, usually at a time or place of importance in his life. Apparently this causes problems with his marriage, what wife wouldn't be upset if her husband kept disappearing? It is a love story that I am really excited to read. I really hope that it doesn't have a sad ending like the last love story that we read, we will have to wait and see.

From Page to Screen:

I found out that it is being made into a movie and it is supposed to be released this December! It stars Eric Bana & Rachel McAdams. I am so excited to see it, I should probably wait until I read it to say that though. I always try to read a book before I see the movie, so this is perfect timing for this months pick.

Midwives - review

Ok. So I TRIED this book. I thought I would like it since my SIL, Kami recommended it, but I didn't take into consideration the amount of description there would be about the birthing process. I am deathly afraid of medical things, especially birth. I have given birth and I really don't want to repeat it, but I will because I love kids, but......this book was WAY to descriptive. I really didn't make it far because I cringed after almost every sentence. I know, I have issues, I am not denying it. This will have to be a time where one of you has read it and can review it for me.

Erin and I both are a little slow this month because we have been on vacation and have been super busy, so please forgive us. August is always a crazy month.

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???

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???

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.

July 1st pick

I have enjoyed reading Anita Shreve before so I thought that Erin and I should read one of her books together. Plus, you know me, I love a good love story. It is about two people who keep meeting at odd points in their lives and how those encounters go and what they do when they meet again. It sounds like a long lost love story, but you never know with Anita Shreve.Is anyone else interested in reading along with us??

Water for Elephants - review

This was a VERY different book for me. It was the first time that I can remember ever reading a book that was from a man's side. It is about how Jacob lost everything and didn't know what to do and how he ended up working in the circus. The circus is a harsh and crude world and I expected alot of that to come out in the book and it did. I did like that it was written when Jacob was in his 90's and how he was remembering the years he was in the circus and all the things that happened there that he has never told anyone about.

I felt really bad for Jacob because here he is in a nursing home and his children did not come and see him and they didn't seem like that even cared too. He hated being there and wished that he could be somewhere else. He would fall asleep and go back to the years he was in the circus and how he met his wife and all the obstacles that they had to overcome to be together. She was married when they met and had a CRAZY husband who eventually hit her and she said that was it and she was leaving him. I have to really admire that because so many women do not leave when their husbands hit them, I sure would!!!

I really liked the ending, I thought that it was just the perfect thing that he met up with the owner of the circus that was going on next to his nursing home and that man let him stay on and sell tickets. Jacob was meant to be at the circus and to get out of the nursing home and spend his last days somewhere where he wants.

This isn't a book that I would read again, but it was different and interesting all the same. What did you think of it??

June 1st pick

Darci was recommended this book by her sister in law, and I had been wanting to read it for awhile, too. It's a story about circus life and the people that are involved in it. I've heard good things about this book so I can't wait to read it.