One plus one = heartwarming +feel-good. {One Plus One by Jojo Moyes}

One plus one = heartwarming +feel-good. 

About One Plus One by Jojo Moyes: Suppose your life sucks. A lot. Your husband has done a vanishing act, your teenage stepson is being bullied and your math whiz daughter has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that you can’t afford to pay for. That’s Jess’s life in a nutshell—until an unexpected knight-in-shining-armor offers to rescue them. Only Jess’s knight turns out to be Geeky Ed, the obnoxious tech millionaire whose vacation home she happens to clean. But Ed has big problems of his own, and driving the dysfunctional family to the Math Olympiad feels like his first unselfish act in ages... maybe ever.

My two cents

What a pleasant surprise. Was I expecting fluffy .. maybe. Was I expecting cheesy ... I think so. Was I expecting lots of tugging on the heart strings ... absolutely. This defies the genre of chick lit or women't lit. (What's in a genre anyway? Plus I was fresh off reading this, which I frankly wanted to throw out the window.)

Told from multiple perspectives, the story is about the life of a struggling single mom -- with a misunderstood teenage stepson and a math savant of a daughter -- just trying to grab opportunities and make things happen for her kids. But the challenges along the way are many and conspire against her.  Money is always tight and there is never enough despite working multiple jobs. The ex-hubby is equally elusive ... and useless on all fronts. Until her path crosses with a well-to-do techie slash not much of a businessman who she happens to clean house for. Unwittingly, both save each other from mundaneness and find some semblance of happiness.

Slyly reminiscent of Little Miss Sunshine's roadtrip, and alternately hilarious and poignant, I loved all the characters, felt deeply involved in their personal struggles, and read often with bated breath. I loved the feeling of falling in love with this book, and with Jojo Moyes's voice.

Verdict: Ahh ... I want to read it again to the power of ten.

P.S. Sometimes reviews don't need to be long to say "I loved it."

Book Depository

All Fall Down by Jennifer Weiner

Accidental addict. Non-accidental recovering addict.

Synopsis of All Fall Down by Jennifer Weiner: Allison Weiss got her happy ending—a handsome husband, an adorable little girl, a job she loves, and a big house in the suburbs. But when she’s in the pediatrician’s office with her daughter and a magazine flips open to a quiz about addiction, she starts to wonder whether her use of prescription pills is becoming a problem. On the one hand, it’s just prescription medication, the stuff her doctors give her. Is a Percocet at the end of a hard day really different than a glass of wine? Is it such a bad thing to pop a Vicodin after a brutal Jump & Pump class…or after your husband ignores you?

Back in the car, with her daughter safely buckled behind her, Allison opens the Altoid tin in her purse and slips a chalky white oval underneath her tongue. The pill unties her knotted muscles, erases the grime and ugliness of the city, soothes her as she frets about the truth of her looking-good life: that her husband’s becoming distant, that her daughter is acting out, that her father’s early Alzheimer’s is worsening and her mother’s barely managing to cope. She tells herself that the pills let her make it through her days…but what if her ever-increasing drug use, a habit that’s becoming expensive and hard to hide, is turning into her biggest problem of all?

All Fall Down is the story of a woman’s slide into addiction and struggle to find her way back up again. With a sparkling comedic touch and tender, true-to-life characterizations, this tale of empowerment and redemption is Jennifer Weiner’s most poignant, timely, and triumphant story yet.

My two cents

Allison Weiss seems to have it all. But having it all is stressful. So what's the matter with taking a prescription pill to take the edge off? Nothing, right? In this fast-paced and highly empathetic portrayal of an everywoman accidentally turning addict, we're brought into a highly realistic and even scary possibility that anyone can spiral out of control.

***

I'm not quite sure why Jennifer Weiner's books have been forgettable for me. I poked into the recesses of my Goodreads archives and the ratings of Good in Bed and Goodnight Nobody were lackluster and I have little commentary. Maybe when I read them years ago, it just wasn't time, I couldn't relate. But with her new book, an unexpected win on Goodreads First Reads, my opinion changed. I picked All Fall Down this last weekend and just couldn't put it down!

This novel shines a light on prescription drug abuse, an issue making the papers for years now because of its growing prevalence and the insidious way people get hooked.I have a feeling that this novel will hit close to home for a lot of readers because Allison's life seems so typical and is oh-so- relatable life with her precocious child and a loving husband, the demands of a home-based business, and a desire to be better off financially. Who doesn't get stressed? Who doesn't feel they deserve some relief?

Allison's justifying, denial, eventually coming-to-terms with her problem, and the struggle to normalcy provides readers with a realistic picture of prescription drug abuse. It made me hyper-aware that this could happen to anyone and how this hidden problem can slowly creep unawares into anyone's life. And it doesn't have to be you -- it could be anyone in the family or even a friend.

While becoming an addict is accidental, what isn't accidental is detection and recovery. Part of the curbing the issue is self-awareness, of other people noticing changes.

Reading this make me want to revisit Weiner's other books.

Verdict: A highly relatable personal account of how prescription drug use can become an addiction. Read. Relate. Be aware.

I received an ARC of this through Goodreads First Reads.

Book Depository

Almost True Confessions: Closet Sleuth Spills All by Jane O'Connor

Get ready for some edgy chick lit!

Synopsis of Almost True Confessions: Closet Sleuth Spills All by Jane O'Connor: This comic mystery set in the elite zip codes of Manhattan will leave you breathless . . . literally.    What could be more fun for a freelance copy editor than working on a juicy tell-all about one of Manhattan's most enigmatic society doyennes? But when Miranda "Rannie" Bookman arrives at Ret Sullivan's tony Upper East Side apartment, she finds more than the final draft of the reclusive author's manuscript waiting for her—there's also the half-naked body of Ret herself, tied to her bed and strangled with an Hermès scarf.    Was this merely a case, as the police believe, of rough sex that got a little too rough? Or was Ret murdered because someone wanted to make absolutely sure she didn't meet her deadline? Once again, Rannie must prove that her mind is just as sharp as her Col-Erase blue pencils—or risk getting rubbed out too.

My two cents

Miranda "Rannie" (pronounced like Annie) Bookman is a copyeditor (yes, sounds cheesy) who has a talent for sleuthing. She is now free-lancing after having been let go by Simon and Schuster after the horrible incident of a botched up cover of the collector's edition of the Nancy Drew classic The Secret of the Old Clock (hey, it was missing the "L" in Clock, someone's head had to roll!).    While hot on the trail of another free-lance job for a top secret biography of a very famous person, she again finds herself in the thick of another murder(s)-mystery. Set in the high-end Manhattan district, with lots of insider detail on the publishing industry, this murder mystery was just begging to be solved by Rannie!   ***

I didn't quite expect this chick lit be quite so adult and smart! It's a fun fast read which features a very feisty middle-aged heroine, someone hard not to like. I think Rannie is a wonderful character whose home life, romance life, and professional life will likely click with a lot of women readers out there.  There's a bit of family drama (ex-hubby, teenage son, and an annoying mother), some romance with an ex-alcoholic cop (with a few steamy scenes, and then some). All so nicely done -- just enough reality that makes Rannie oh-so-relatable.    You know how I love my mysteries to be ... well, a good mystery. I enjoyed all the dirt, including high profiles names, that slowly surfaced with the writing of the biography. I was intrigued by Ret Sullivan's backstory of a troubled past and her less-than-desired enemies because of her poison pen, and moreso the details of her unusual even macabre murder. When you add in the many references to art, saints, and religion ... how the mystery played out floored me!   If this seems like a bit much, it's not. O'Connor has a wonderful levity in her writing, and Rannie's constant grammar correcting provide comic relief.   While this is the second in the series, I had no trouble getting into this! Thoroughly enjoyable!   Verdict: Fun, funny, fluffy, naughty, suspenseful mystery solving with an edge by the inimitable, feisty Rannie Bookman, copy-editor extraordinaire. This is a nod to the publishing industry, so a sleuth who wields a copy-editing pen ... it's a whole new genre of grammar-loving mystery solving, with an edge! 

About Jane O’Connor

Jane O’Connor, an editor at a major New York publishing house, has written more than thirty books for children, including the New York Times bestselling Fancy Nancy books. She is also the author of the adult mystery, Dangerous Admissions.

Don't forget to check out the rest of the tour! 

I received an Uncorrected Proof of this book from the publisher via TLC Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.

Book Depository

Paperback: 336 pages 

Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Original edition (October 1, 2013)

The Bride Wore Size 12 by Meg Cabot

A delicious mystery served up with Heather Wells flair!

About The Bride Wore Size 12 by Meg Cabot*: Heather Wells is used to having her cake and eating it too, but this time her cake just might be cooked. Her wedding cake, that is.

With her upcoming nuptials to PI Cooper Cartwright only weeks away, Heather’s already stressed. And when a pretty junior turns up dead, Heather’s sure things can’t get worse—until every student in the dorm where she works is a possible suspect, and Heather’s long-lost mother shows up.

Heather has no time for a tearful mother and bride reunion. She has a wedding to pull off and a murder to solve. Instead of wedding bells, she might be hearing wedding bullets, but she’s determined to bring the bad guys to justice if it’s the last thing she does . . . and this time, it just might be.

My two cents

Heather Wells, former pop singer, works for a college dorm in New York. She keeps things in order ... yes, those students but also those clingy parents. But Fischer Hall has become the place to live because this year their dorm houses royalty, Prince Rashid of Qalif, who calls himself Shiraz (because he's best served chilled). He's rumoured to have gotten in because of a generous donation to the college president. Hmmm, it all sounds very, very fishy!

But school's not yet in and one of the resident assistants, a pretty junior, is discovered dead. Does Shiraz have anything to do with it? Does it have anything to do with these rumours about Shiraz's parties, these speculations about the questionable donations, and the juicy insider tidbits that are being leaked to the local student paper? So many questions begging answers ... now let's see how our kick-ass heroine, Heather, puts her detective skills to the test!

***

I am a bit of a Meg Cabot fan, let's just get that out in the open. But I am biased in my chick lit selections. Chick lit is a balm for me; it's my escape. So fun and fluffy is ok, but I never really liked duh chick lit; things still need to make sense to me, even if things are fairytale-ish or fantastical.

Cabot does just that: she mixes up elements of the fantastical and ridiculous with college romance, boozy parties, a shot of dweebiness, and oh, throw in Heather's upcoming wedding, some family drama, and royalty too! It sounds ludicrous all jumbled together like that, but you'll just have to read the book to realize how well Cabot manages to pull off a mystery with these elements coming together. It's unexpected, fun, and it kept me guessing at every turn.

In this mystery-of-sorts, I was pleasantly surprised to see how it all played out. The answer/resolution to the mystery was never obvious to me so I enjoyed the gradual revelation of motivations.

I found the side stories an interesting part of the mystery as they added to the mess but didn't make the plot messy: Heather's estranged mother and the mysterious reason why she's back, the unlikely dorm romance (who? I won't tell), the dorm and school politics, and ... is there a more ominous side to the security surrounding Shiraz?

I also have to point out that I found the characters extremely likeable, well-rounded, and quite realistic. Foremost is Heather, a heroine with backbone, who undoubtedly kept this series going strong. As this is the fifth (and it seems the last) Heather Wells book, I feel compelled to look for the other four books in the series. Heather Wells is a lovely character. She sort of reminds me of Bridget Jones (without all the obsessing about weight) with her humour, her can-do attitude, and her adorable romance with her beloved Cooper.

***

Verdict: If you're a Heather Wells mystery fan, you don't want to miss this last installment. If you're a Meg Cabot fan, you already know you need to make an acquaintance with Heather Wells in the wildly popular series.

If you want some fluffy and fun yet coherent chick lit, pick this one up and give it a whirl! It'll satisfy your need for interesting characters, a dose of the fantastic, with a nice juicy mystery to boot!

About Meg Cabot

Meg Cabot was born in Bloomington, Indiana. In addition to her adult contemporary fiction she is the author of the bestselling young adult fiction series, The Princess Diaries. She lives in Key West, FL with her husband.

Find out more about Meg at her website, follow her blog, and connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.

Don't forget to check out the rest of the tour!

I received an uncorrected proof from the the publisher via TLC Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.

Book Depository*
Paperback: 400 pages

Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks (September 24, 2013)

Confessions of a Cake Addict by Emma Kaufmann

Cake, anyone?

The book in one sentence: Kate Pickles, cake addict, has not given up on love.

Serious synopsis of Confessions of a Cake Addict by Emma Kaufmann: Will falling in love be the icing on the cake for Kate? Or will it leave her with indigestion? Londoner Kate Pickles has a problem with cake. Every time she feels down she reaches for the nearest chocolate eclair, until soon she is piling on the pounds. But her life is turned upside down when, on a trip to Vienna with her glamorous pal, Eva, Kate falls for a sexy Austrian and gets sucked into making a Bollywood film. As her life gathers momentum Kate faces a crossroads. Will she continue to use cake as an emotional crutch or enter cake rehab and conquer her fears?


My two cents: I've been lapping up some serious fare lately, so a change of pace was in order. Confessions of a Cake Addict hit the spot and then some. This such a riot of a read! Grab this book and cozy up on the couch in the sunroom and just read! I found myself just laughing like silly. It's funny, improbable, but it's not exactly the fluff I was expecting. There is something very smartalecky about this that I really enjoyed.

Most women will be able to relate to Kate Pickles -- a mishmash of Bridget Jones (hey, knickers play a role in this story too!) gone Becky Bloomwood of Confessions of a Shopaholic fame, cakewise that is. Kate's obsession for cake is a main feature, so be prepared for very detailed mouthwatering descriptions of cake! Kate is a copywriter for an ad agency so that's also why she is so good with her words.
 
Recently single, Kate is still reeling from a relationship gone sour -- and she is still beating herself up about it. She hasn't given up on love though and her radar is up for her next man, though it sometimes malfunctions (gay-dar gone bad). You get some serious  relationship wake-up calls through Kate.

"Poor little you," says Sten, and leans over to give me a kiss. His aftershave smells divine. His stubble feels divine, brushing against my cheek. His hard thigh pressed upon my leg feels ... whoa, I pull myself short. You're doing well, I tell myself. You have a real knack for falling for the unobtainable. There's Sten, who's gay, there's Alex [...]. Now then, let's see, who else. The Weasel (mad), the Marquis (bad) and Ricky (sad). And what about Ben, a little voice says, aren't you still hung up on him, although you say it's all dead and buried?
- p. 186, Confessions of a Cake Addict

Kate, like Bridget Jones, also obsesses about her weight. Definitely in denial about her weight issues. She's been mistaken as pregnant. She needs just one more slice of cake. Typical. (I need an extra slice too, just don't tell! :))

***

The story is mainly told through correspondence between Kate and her sister Laurie (Kate's petname for her sister is "Egg" and Kate's nickname is "Gherkin") which accounts for the severely chatty tone of the book. It feels like a crazy girlfriend of mine is sitting on the couch with me just babbling about her crazy summer, and I am screaming, laughing and oohing and ahhing along with her. Chatty, engaging, snarky and in your face - that's how this is written.

Plus, the plot is insane and ludicrous - so crazy that it seems even possible (if you know what I mean). There's travel to Vienna (love the descriptions of the architecture and the countryside). There's a Bollywood film (a hint of the exotic, the erotic, and think Bollywood hyperreal). There's also the weird and wild antics of the ad industry. There are mysterious men and a Count no less! Adventure. Travel. Romance. And cake anyone?

But I have to say: it works somehow. It doesn't feel cookie cutter plot-wise. The unpredictability just kept me reading.

As I don't want to put in an spoilers, let's just say that some very nice little twists and turns happen and Kate, who I so relate to, receives some very nice surprises in the end.

***

Uh-ohs: My gripes about this book are superficial but rather marred an otherwise great read.

One, where is Kate on the cover? That can't possibly be Kate!? Kate loves cake. Kate has curves. That is NOT Kate. I'd prefer a cover that doesn't have a weird disconnect with the contents.

Someone's copyeditor flubbed this one. I wish to heck that there weren't so many typos and weird line breaks. They were annoying and distracting. 

Verdict: A hilarious, improbable and snarky chick lit read that smart-alecky women will love and laugh about. Go on, take a bite. It's good for you! 

First line: Oh my dear, dear Egg, I've done it. I've finally done it.

Last line: Yours blissfully happy, Gherkin

Links you may want to check out:

• Read Book Beginnings & Friday 56! 
• Emma Kaufmann's blog Mommy Has a Headache 
• More info about Confessions of a Cake Addict, including a short video by the author   

I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.   

Confessions of a Cake Addict
by Emma Kauffman

Flipping by Mary A. Ellenton

Chick lit with a smart real estate twist.

The book in one sentence: Fay Famaghetti flips houses, and inevitably ... her life!

My thoughts: Flipping. So many meanings in that one word. And if you're familiar with real estate jargon, then you know what "flipping" means -  buying a property with the intent to sell it for a profit.

I have to say that this is an oddball of a book. It's a combination of chick lit and insider information on the business of flipping houses. I always enjoy odd combinations as they always end up to be interesting reads (say for example this economics textbook-novel, or this graphic novel - flipbook). So let's see how I found this combination ...


The story is about Farina "Fay" Famaghetti. She grew up in a loving, hardworking Italian family, who owns a restaurant. She is married and has a young son. She is also hardworking and ambitious, and feels that she is capable of so much more. Through a friend of a friend, she befriends a real estate broker. She finds herself selling real estate under her friend's licence, but being the driven woman she is, she jumps at an opportunity to make even more more money ...

Enter the charismatic, handsome and sexy Richie, a veteran at flipping houses and making a quick buck. Fay is slowly drawn into the allure of making wads of money quickly and unscrupulously.

Fay's professional life and personal life start to meld and go into hyperdrive. Just as quickly as she is able to make money, she throws a wrench into her already precarious marriage by acting on her attraction to a colleague. The lies and deceit pile up - both in her professional and personal life. Ah, the irony - she becomes more successful than she ever has in her life, making more money than she has ever dreamed of; she also becomes miserable as her marriage crumbles and her family relationships become strained and tenuous.

But something happens, and innocents are dragged into the mess - and Fay realizes too late that she has gotten into too deep. What ensues is Fay's attempts to get her life back on track, including patching up  broken relationships while being true to her own needs and desires.

♥♥♥

What I found fascinating about this book is that the story revolves around the ethical and moral dilemma of making money, and its personal impacts. It touches on sub-prime lending culture, business fraud, "creative" accounting, loopholes to maximize profits (think Enron) in the real estate business. It draws from the US real estate market boom and the stock market crash of 2008. I must admit some concepts took a little more brainpower from me (or quick Wikipedia visits) - I had to reread some sections to understand the chatter about sub-prime mortgages, refinancing, etc. 

And now the chick lit part. Fay is one tough cookie that I am sure many women can relate to her!
I am of two minds about Fay. She somehow seemed too perfect a character to begin with - err, who actually can whip up a gourmet meal in 30 minutes? And what's with all the references to how attractive she is and all the cream-coloured designer clothing? On the other hand, she is smart, driven, fully aware of her sexuality, and knows what she wants. The problem is that Fay reads like two different people - kindhearted Italian girl and smart, ruthless businesswoman. Maybe this just a function of her being a conflicted character. At any rate, just when I thought I was warming up to her, I find that I'm not. 

One dimension of Fay that I did enjoy was her relationship with her father. A traditional Italian father, he dotes on her being the only girl, is strict, but as she becomes an adult he has difficulty letting go. But the relationship comes full circle as this father-daughter bond is put to the test.

There is a lot of insight into traditional Italian family life and culture, particularly how closely knit families are and how these family relationships play out in one's personal life. (And of course, being the foodie I am, mentions of good Italian food!) I especially enjoyed the back story of how the Famaghetti family were new immigrants to the US and how, through hard work and perseverance, they established themselves and became successful.

There are a few titillating scenes in this one, just a warning. Some of it was a little strangely placed for my liking, but what the heck!

♥♥♥

As this is an Advance Review Copy, I also want to point out some little niggling things:

I hated the italicized English phrases which were direct translations of the Italian (e.g. "A cavallo con te." The hell with you He went back to his dinner.) Yes, that is verbatim. This is peppered all throughout the book! It really cuts up the flow of reading. And the fact these phrases are just hanging there, no punctuation whatsoever, wanted me to whip out my red pen and get into editing mode. (On a lesser extent, some of the text alignment was off but I  am sure that hope the editor becomes brutal and cleans all this up).

A word about the cover - oh no, please tell me that this is a draft! It looks so generic and absolutely screams of stereotype office romance! (I wonder if it is a stock photo - and that boring white background, really?) Flip over to the back cover and you have a repeating gray house icon, presumably to reference the whole real estate angle. Predictable much? I wish the cover gave the book's storyline a little more credit!

♥♥♥

Verdict: If you're in for a titillating chick lit read with more meat than fluff, this one is for you! Look for it when it hits the shelves on January 17, 2012.

First line: The gravel in Mrs. Goodfellow's driveway crunched under the tires of Fay's Jeep Cherokee.

Last line: "Good. He'll love my mother."

{I received an Advanced Review Copy in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated for this review, and all opinions are my own.}

Find out about Flipping and Mary A. Ellenton here:

• Flipping: The Book

A Place Called Here by Cecilia Ahern

Where do lost socks go?

The book in one sentence: An allegory of finding one's self.

Synopsis of A Place Called Here by Cecilia Ahern: A redemptive and captivating novel from the No. 1 bestselling author of PS, I Love You. Ever wondered where lost things go? Ever since the day her classmate vanished, Sandy Shortt has been haunted by what happens when something -- or someone -- disappears. Finding has become her goal. Jack Ruttle is desperate to find his younger brother who vanished into thin air a year ago. He spots an ad for Sandy's missing persons agency and is certain that she will answer his prayers and find his brother. But then Sandy disappears too, stumbling upon a place that is a world away from the only one she has ever known. Now all she wants, more than anything, is to find her way home.

My thoughts: 

I didn't like Cecilia Ahern's PS, I Love You very much, so I started reading this one tongue-in-cheek. And wow, I was blown away.

This is a dream-like story of Sandy Shortt, who in her youth, witnesses the disappearance of a classmate. She becomes obsessed with finding lost people and lost things. In her obsession, she loses herself, isolating herself from family, friends, and life.

On another of her wild goose chases for another missing person (which she has made a career), she discovers where all lost things and people go - "here." In a strange twist, the "missing person person" is missing! Sandy desperately tries to escape this strange world, and in the journey back home, re-finds herself.

Verdict:  A quick, engrossing read with dream-like sequences with a good moral to it. 

Book Depository

Goodreads

Chasing Harry Winston by Lauren Weisberger

A quick, funny read.

Synopsis of Chasing Harry Winston by Lauren Weisberger: Meet Emmy, Leigh, and Adriana. Best friends since college, each has seen her share of career foils and romantic foibles over the past decade. Now, as they approach thirty, they're looking toward their future...and they're not quite sure they like what they see.When they are each alone on Valentine's Day, the trio makes a pact. Within one year, each woman will change the thing that most challenges her.

For Emmy, it will be to find romance--or a fling--in every foreign country she visits. For Leigh, a book editor with a dream boyfriend and dream apartment, no change seems necessary--until she starts to notice a brilliant and brooding man named Jesse. And for commitment-phobic, drop-dead-gorgeous Adriana, her goal is to have an engagement ring and a house in Scarsdale. Each woman starts the year with the best of intentions--which is exactly why the pact goes immediately, and exceptionally, awry.

Filled with delicious insider details, Chasing Harry Winston whisks readers into the heart of an elite world, and showcases Weisberger's best storytelling efforts to date.

My (quick) two cents: 

This isn't The Devil Wears Prada, but it has the same astute insights into the woman's psyche. What is it about women wanting to tie the knot before a certain age? Ahh, the pressure!!!

Book Depository

Goodreads

Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella

Oh, to have amnesia and wake up with a wonderful life!

Synopsis of Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella:When twenty-eight-year-old Lexi Smart wakes up in a London hospital, she’s in for a big surprise. Her teeth are perfect. Her body is toned. Her handbag is Vuitton. Having survived a car accident—in a Mercedes no less—Lexi has lost a big chunk of her memory, three years to be exact, and she’s about to find out just how much things have changed, Somehow Lexi went from a twenty-five-year-old working girl to a corporate big shot with a sleek new loft, a personal assistant, a carb-free diet, and a set of glamorous new friends. And who is this gorgeous husband—who also happens to be a multimillionaire? With her mind still stuck three years in reverse, Lexi greets this brave new world determined to be the person she…well, seems to be. That is, until an adorably disheveled architect drops the biggest bombshell of all. Suddenly Lexi is scrambling to catch her balance. Her new life, it turns out, comes complete with secrets, schemes, and intrigue. How on earth did all this happen? Will she ever remember? And what will happen when she does?

My thoughts

I was bogged down in some pretty heavy non-fiction reading and really needed a break. So I reached for some ever-reliable chick lit by Sophie Kinsella, of Shopaholic-fame. And was that a break, or a break!?   

The book in one sentence: Lexi Smart wakes up from a car crash and magically discovers her life is perfect! 

***

This is a hilarious book! A great story about the rather-ho-hum Lexi who wakes up and realizes she has lost the memory of 3 years of her life -- from a crap job, a snaggle tooth, being dumped by her boyfriend, and no money to being the head of her department, a drop-dead husband, a toned body, great teeth ... and wait, is that a Louis Vuitton handbag? How did all this come to be?

Lexi tries to make sense of what happened. For a while, she revels in the perfectness. But slowly the veneer rubs off and she finds out the reasons for her drastic change, and how "perfect" is not necessarily equated to happiness. In the process, she also makes sense of who she is and what type of person she wants to be.

There are tons of funny lines! For example, when Lexi is incredulous when she wakes up and is told that Brad and Jennifer have broken up and that Brad is now and item with Angelina Jolie. Or:

Lexi asks after learning that a sofa costs 10,000 pounds: “How can a sofa cost that much? What’s it stuffed with, caviar?”

If you wake up one day with a perfect life falling in your lap ... what would your life be like? I think this book goes beyond mere entertaining chick lit because the crux of the story is such an interesting proposition. That Lexi is your everyday kind of girl makes her so accessible and relatable, that you can't help but empathize with her throughout her crazy journey to (re)discovering herself.

Hear it straight from Sophie Kinsella:


First line: Of all the crap, crap, crappy nights I’ve ever had in the whole of my crap life.

Verdict: A quick, fun read for those chick-lit fans. I would love to have this made into a movie!

Book Depository

Goodreads

The Dewey Decimal System of Love by Josephine Carr

Of a love-crazed librarian, stink bombs, sexy conductors, and everything else in the kitchen sink. 

About The Dewey Decimal System of Love by Josephine Carr: Behind a french twist and sensible clothes, forty-year-old librarian Alison Sheffield hides an extravagant nature. But after last night, even her most proper attire can't disguise the signs-the pink cheeks, the extra-poufy hair, the bounce in her step. Alison Sheffield is in love. The heart-palpitating, nausea-inducing, silly, inexplicable, absurd and pointless kind of love found in a romance novel. And for once in her life, what Alison needs to know she can't find in any reference book-she can only live it...

My thoughts 

I swear that the librarian chuckled when she saw that I checked The Dewey Decimal System of Love out. An omen of things to come?

The book in one sentence: Librarian Ally Sheffield, celibate for 15 years, suddenly falls head over heels for a married orchestra conductor and stops at nothing to catch him.

I borrowed this because I saw one of my Bookmooch friends have it up for mooching. Strike one. Then that memory of the chuckling librarian. Strike two.

This is a horrible book (I don't even know why I bothered to finish it (though I sort of flipped through it in a few hours). I hated it because:

1. The story is nonsense. There are, among other things, stink bombs, homeless men, a mystery, a romance, a handsome and mysterious man, a wife who wants to kill her husband, a best friend who is a stay-at-home mom, a miraculous transformation from ugly duckling to princess. Oh, and did I mention this involves a librarian? To boot, a librarian who "looks half her age of forty" (oh, goody for her!)
2. The librarian character is a total stereotype. Ally has been celibate for 15 years. She wears high-necked non-revealing clothing. She wears her hair up. Yes, she wears glasses. Ho-hum.
3. The use of the Dewey Decimal System has little to contribute to the story. So what if Ally has memorized the system? Gah, she's a librarian! I actually was expecting some delightful twist to the use of this device but nada.

Verdict: Thank goodness this book is over. Thank goodness it's out of the house.

Book Depository

Goodreads

Queen of Babble by Meg Cabot

Of wagging tongues, wedding gowns, and dreams of prince charming.

My thoughts

If you cringe at chick lit, beware!

Meg Cabot has a special place in my heart because I absolutely loved The Princess Diaries (yes, the movie with Anne Hathaway and Julie Andrews. I have yet to read all the books). The Princess Diaries simply captures the angst of teenagers perfectly while putting a fairy-tale spin to things ... after all, don't we all have that secret childhood dream of being a princess?

Aside: Chick lit is a recently discovered guilty pleasure. About two years ago, I never even knew of the chick lit genre.  I admit that I probably had that chick lit gene when I got hooked on Sweet Dreams novels way back in high school. Gah, all that borrowing and furtive reading in class! It was also the first time I came across someone who lent her books on the condition that you read the book half open only, lest the spine get creased (God forbid!). Anyway, chick lit is my drug of choice after reading heavy and challenging literature. Along with the book, I usually have a chocolate bar or ice cream on the side, and is best sped-read. Bam, a book in a night. Moving on.

The Queen of Babble series consists of three books: Queen of Babble, Queen of Babble in the Big City and Queen of Babble Gets Hitched. The Queen is our cute and quirky Lizzie Nichols, a new fashion history graduate and a lover of vintage fashion whose taste in fashion is traditional as her love for romance.

The books in one sentence each:

• Queen of Babble: Lizzie's planned vacation with her British boyfriend goes awry and she escapes to France to help out with a wedding, unwittingly finding someone much much more interesting.
• Queen of Babble in the Big City: Lizzie moves to New York to fulfill her dream of becoming a wedding gown restorer, and eventually her heart is torn between her Prince Charming and her best male friend.
• Queen of Babble Gets Hitched: Lizzie finally marries the man she loves after much second-guessing herself. 

***

This is chick lit so there is nothing earth-shatteringly new about the plot: it has the fairytale-ish ugly duckling girl who falls in love with Prince Charming formula. In this case it is Lizzie who is our ugly duckling, who in the first book, sheds her baby fat and blossoms into someone pretty cool.

Her hobby figures throughout the novels, an obsession for vintage clothing and a sewing prowess which makes for her unique wardrobe. In fact, the series is interspersed with vintage fashion nuggets (first book) and wedding dress sketches and advice (books 2-3) which I found a tad distracting and interfered with the flow of the story. If you like vintage clothing then the name drops of Susie Perette, Givenchy and the descriptions of the clothes Lizzie wore and restored will probably reel you in. And the subplot of  restoring vintage gowns and running a vintage gown restoration shop will probably do you in.

All books revolve around romance, albeit different guys in each. In the first book, she has a thing for a British Andy and then Prince Charming Jean-Luc (Luke). In the second, she has eyes only for Luke, or so she thinks, until her best friend's boyfriend Chaz lets on that he loves her. In the third, it's a toss up again between Luke and Chaz. The guys in the book are pretty stereotypical - the hip Andy who turns out to be a disaster, the better-than-life prince charming Luke (with French chateau to boot), and the guy you never noticed until he kisses you, your eyes are opened and you kick yourself realizing that he's really, really the only cool guy who knows you and with whom you can be yourself.

I was really rooting for Luke because despite his one-dimensionality in book 2 (Queen of Babble in the Big City), he seemed like a nice guy when he was first appeared in the series. He just never really evolved though, so he fell flat in the third book. Now Chaz came out of the blue. He was so into Lizzie's best friend, Shari, in the first and most of the second book that I did not see it coming! I kept asking in books 2 and 3: what the heck happened to Lizzie and Luke's special connection in the train to Mirac?

The premise of the series is that Lizzie lands herself in some trouble because of her tendency to babble. So the plots deal a lot with the aftermath of these foot-in-the-mouth incidents, some which turn out for the better. I found myself chuckling, at least in the first book, where it was pretty obvious. Only Lizzie would be able to dump someone and end up saying yes, I'll loan you money. Or end up spilling her soul to some stranger on the train. Queen of Babble doesn't really babble much in the next two books, not really.

One thing that is quite surprising in these books is the rather graphic description of sexual acts. So if you're expecting Princess Diaries, don't. And keep these away from your teenager or tweenager! Seriously, the sex didn't sit quite right in the books. Early on in the first book, Lizzie rues that she would like her blow*** back. Other sex scenes seem taken out of Mills and Boons.

First lines:

Queen of Babble
I can't believe this.

Queen of Babble in the Big City
I open my eyes to see the morning sunlight slanting across the Renoir hanging above my bed, and for a few seconds, I don't know where I am.

Queen of Babble Gets Hitched

"Chaz," I say, poking the man in the tuxedo who lay sprawled across my bed.

Verdict: A light, quick read that will keep you laughing, sighing, and flipping those pages. Borrow from the library, kick back and enjoy!

My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult

Ethical and moral dilemma 

My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult

This is a great read. How do parents face the horrible quandary of acting in the best interest of their children, when there is conflict of interest within the family? The parents want to save their child with cancer whose only hope of survival is the kidney donation from a perfectly matched donor. The other child, expressly conceived to become that sole organ (blood, or tissues, etc.) donor for her sister ... yet wants "medical emancipation" or the right to choose to donate if she so wishes.

The whole book is heavy reading and a tearjerker. The ending takes a surprising turn.

Dedication by Nicola Kraus & Emma McLaughlin

Logical illogical rational irrational 

After all the hype of being independent, being one's own person, blah-blah .... the heroine Kate just dumps everything to be with her childhood sweetheart after over a decade. But then, isn't that how we are? Logical, illogical in many things of the heart? *Sigh*

Le Divorce by Diane Johnson

Summary of Le Divorce by Diane Johnson: When Roxanne Walker de Persand's husband leaves her pregnant and alone, she turns for help to her sister, Isabel, but the de Persand family subtly governs her choice for divorce, especially since she has a painting worth millions in her possession.

Quick take: Yes this is chick lit, but it's not fluff. A social commentary of a young woman, family relations, love relations, etc. in France. A good read, realistic.

But if you don't know French, you may struggle a bit when French phrases and sentences find their way into the text.

Goodnight Nobody by Jennifer Weiner

About Goodnight Nobody by Jennifer Weiner (from Goodreads): Kate Klein is a feisty, charmingly insecure Connecticut housewife who trades in a life of late-night karaoke sing-a-longs and West Village brunches with her best friend Janie for a world of mini-vans and Mommy and Me pilates classes. Life in Upchurch, Connecticut, heats up when Kate discovers picture-perfect wife and mother Kitty Cavanaugh dead on the pickled maple hardwood floor of her recently remodeled kitchen. A former chronicler of celebrity gossip, Kate takes it upon herself to solve the mystery of Kitty's murder and the disappearance of Lexi Hagen-Holdt, another Upchurch supermom. Along the way, the mysteries and disappointments in Kate's personal life begin to unravel, including her marriage to the kind-yet-uptight Ben, and her unresolved crush on Evan McKenna, a former neighbor with whom a one-night tryst ended in disaster. Thrown in for comic relief, and perhaps to show the depth of Weiner's talents as a writer, are Kate's twin boys and adorably sophisticated 5-year old daughter Sophie ("Sophie was sitting on the toilet, applying lipstick and waiting her turn..."). 

Goodnight Nobody is chock full of plot twists and turns which can be overwhelming and superfluous. However, Weiner's charm and grace are usually enough to rescue readers from these moments of confusion, and reaffirm our commitment to this endearing contemporary voice. 

Supershort thoughts

Weiner is obviously a talented writer. But the storyline is like Stepford Wives meets heavy dose of reality. I didn't quite get it.

Don't bother.

Family Trust by Amanda Brown

Synopis of Family Trust by Amanda Brown: Firmly planted on the Wall Street fast track to success, Becca Reinhart has no desire to marry and raise a family. Ditto Edward Kirkland, a charming playboy who has never known what it means to work for a living, and hopes never to find out. Enter Emily, who becomes Becca and Edward's common denominator when a quirk of fate gives them joint custody of the precocious little girl. Suddenly, two people who have never met find themselves sharing the trials and tribulations of domestic life as they navigate the rocky shoals of parenthood, from naptime to play dates to pre-school admissions. And amid the daily demands of raising a young child, Becca and Edward discover something else: They're made for each other.

My two cents

Funny quick-paced chick lit ... I actually think I should read Legally Blonde for the heck of it! Though I do find the idea unbelievable - that of a single career-driven woman so easily making the shift to full-time-mother so easily, and without losing her temper either! And the child seems too good to be true. Ahh well, escapism at its best! :)

The Tenko Club by Elizabeth Noble

Not-so-fluffy check lit

Synopsis of The Tenko Club by Elizabeth Noble: Club Rules Men, children, work, shopping, wine and chocolate. Important, but not AS important. When they need you, you are there. No giving up. Members Freddie, Tamsin, Reagan and Sarah They meet at university in the heady days of the 80s: four women with little in common but an eagerness to live life to the full. And over romantic crises, long gossipy nights and too many bottles of wine, they form the Tenko club and swear they'll always be there for each other. Life Membership. Twenty years later, that promise is put to the test.

My two cents: I was expecting another non-thinking book (which is why I actually LIKE chick lit) but was surprised that this Yaya sisterhood-like book would go so deeply into problems of marriage and children.

More reality than expected, but not at all bad.

Got a little lost with the names, and the story seemed to revolve on one of the four girls (in fact, what happened in her life was quite definitive for the others) - but hey, ok, ok, whatever.

Read this if you want a more sobering Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.

Shopgirl by Steve Martin

Shopgirl by Steve Martin

The book in one sentence: Twenty-something Mirabelle, disenchanted salesgirl and aspiring artist, must make a choice between wealthy (and much older) divorcee Ray Porter or struggling musician Jeremy ... in a journey about making your life choices and living with them.

Who would you recommend it to: Those who like chick lit, but don't want the sappy stuff.

OK bits: Very interesting perspectives (male, female) on relationships.

Boring bits: I didn't find anything especially boring. Steve Martin has a tendency to get all clinical in some of his psychoanalyzing (granted its less sappy and mushy). I don't know how some feminists would react to the stereotype of this May-December romance.

Verdict: Read it! It's a short but packed read!

Random ramblings: I don't know why I have been reading a lot of chick lit lately. Though I never thought to classify this Steve Martin book as chick lit (because it's written by a man?). And yes, Steve Martin, that Steve Martin - the comedian - wrote it.

Read also: http://januarymagazine.com/fiction/shopgirl.html

N.B. Languished as a post for months now.

{Originally here.}

PS, I Love You by Cecilia Ahern

This is my first book review attempting to use Nylusmilk's KISS format. My reviews have been suffering because I like to write long-winded essays. I'm pulling all my half-finished drafts out now ... :)

The book in one sentence: Young widow Holly relearns to love life and heal after the devastating death of husband Gerry, through a year's worth of monthly directives from her dead husband.

Who would you recommend it to: Those who like chick lit, though if you're married or have a significant other, this is really quite depressing.

OK bits: The anticipation of finding out what's in the letters. Though this got old after a few month's worth of letters. There's a lot of fun mindless stuff like Bridget Jones (hey, even Holly's bestfriend's name is Sharon) but Bridget still gets my vote.

Boring bits: Ahern has a roundabout way of saying things, and pays so much attention to detail ... Holly's lower lip trembled, Holly held her head in her hands and groaned, Holly this Holly that. It got onto my nerves after a while so I skipped whole paragraphs just to get to the end.

Verdict: Sappy, trite. The concept held promise but reading it felt like stumbling through an embarrassing high school essay. I doubt I'll ever pick up another Ahern book. Ever.

That this will become a movie (with Hilary Swank no less - wait I thought Holly was blonde?) doesn't exactly have me jumping up and down.

N.B. I actually mooched this for a friend who adores Cecilia Ahern and read this before giving to her! Unfortunately we don't share the same taste for books.

{Originally here.}