Georgia's Kitchen

Book Details:
Genre: Chicklit/women's fiction
Page Count: 336
Publication Date: August 3, 2010
Why I read it: received review copy
Grade: B+

Cover thoughts:
Too much red. I would so much rather the red shading be over just the silverware so we could see the beautiful scenery in the background.

About the author:
Jenny Nelson is a former web editor for sites like ivillage, vogue.com, and style.com. Georgia's Kitchen is her first novel.

The plot:
Georgia is the head chef at one of the top restaurants in Manhattan, but a bad review gets her fired. Then her fiance breaks up with her, so needless to say, things aren't going very well for her. So she heads to Italy to work for her former mentor who is opening up another restaurant. She loves it there, but when she is offered a wonderful restaurant job in Italy, she realizes her heart is longing for something more. The plot moves at a great pace until the end, where I feel like it just started to lose steam and drag a bit, which was sad because I otherwise adored the book.

Characters:
Georgia is a wonderful character. She is understandably a bit whiny and down, but I really liked her. She's someone I would be friends with in real life. There are a lot of secondary characters, and for the most part, they're great and likable, but this story mostly focuses on Georgia.

Setting:
We start off in New York, but it's when the story moves to Italy that it gets really enjoyable. The author paints a lively picture of the Italian countryside, and I would LOVE to go there. There's something about these stories where women head off to Europe that I just love. Maybe it's that I can't do it myself, and so have to live vicariously through them.

Notable quotes:
"I'm not telling you this to burden you, but so you can see that you're not the only one with--how do you Americans call it? Issues. You lost your job, your fiance, but here you have another chance. Stop looking for what you don't have, and start seeing what you do."

Read this if you're in the mood for: a story that includes Italy and food. I'll tell you, I don't like to cook at all, but for some reason I like reading about people who cook, especially in this type of story.

Continue or part ways? I will definitely read more by this author. Her writing style is easy to read and very entertaining.

The Bachelorette Party

Title: The Bachelorette Party
Author: Karen McCullah Lutz
Genre: Chick Lit
Page Count: 256
Why I read it: chick lit group on goodreads
Grade: D+

Synopsis:
After being left at the altar by her soap star fiancé, L.A. high school teacher Zadie Roberts wants nothing to do with love and romance. Still, with the help of her best buddy, Grey, she may somehow overcome the wedding that wasn’t. That is, until Grey gets engaged to Zadie’s prim and proper cousin Helen, and Zadie is dragged back into wedding festivity hell. The coup de grâce is Helen’s bachelorette party, thrown by her clique of prissy friends and certain to be a day of torture. But when the Pinor Grigio goes down and the sweater sets come off, things get out of control. Helen turns into a girl gone wild and manages to get herself into a sticky situation that just might sink the happy couple for good. And meanwhile, Zadie’s own love life takes a most unexpected turn. Karen Lutz throws one bachelorette party you won’t soon forget.

My review:
There were some interesting things about this book, but overall, I just didn't think the story was great. There wasn't a whole lot to it, and even though it kept my interest enough to keep me reading, it certainly wasn't memorable.

I had a hard time really caring about the characters. Some of the women were just silly, and I found their actions a bit unrealistic at times. The book was also extremely crude and had quite a bit of language, which isn't really my thing either. I don't think I'd recommend this one, as I've read a lot of better chick lit.

Play it Again, SAHM

Title: Play it Again, SAHM
Author: Meredith Efken
Genre: Christian Chicklit
Page Count: 388
Why I read it: third in a series
Grade: A

Synopsis:
After years of friendship, the women of the SAHM I Am e-mail loop are finally meeting in person. But with two new moms trying to blend in with Dulcie and the gang, there's bound to be trouble!
Earth-mother Iona and young mom Hannah are thrilled to join the weekend getaway sans hubbies and kids. But sparks fly when Hannah's know-it-all attitude clashes with the Queen of Ego, Rosalyn. When things go from bad to worse, one mom must step in to save the weekend from total disaster!


My review:
This book is told entirely in e-mails, IM's, and texts.  For that reason, you don't always get all the details or the full story.  It's hard to really know how anyone is feeling or what they are thinking, unless they write it in the e-mail.  That being said, it's a wonderful story.  It was fun, and sweet, and if you're a stay at home mom like me, you can definitely relate.

In fact, there was one e-mail in the book that I wanted to show my husband, because it was exactly how I'd been feeling, and what I had tried to tell him previously, but I don't think he understood.  It was nice to know it isn't just me who feels that way.  I know these are fictional characters, but obviously the author wrote from some level of experience.

The characters feel real, with real life situations and problems that, even if us moms haven't been in the situation, we know someone who has.  I would highly recommend this to stay at home moms, especially Christian ones, as it is fairly heavy on the religion stuff.  But first I'd recommend going back and reading the first two books, SAHM I Am and @ Home for the Holidays.

I'm So Sure

Title: I'm So Sure
Author: Jenny B. Jones
Genre: YA Christian chicklit
Got it from: Library
Why I read it: Second in a series
Grade: A-

Synopsis:
Bella Kirkwood is finally situated in her new hometown, but she's not ready for the whirlwind of randomness that takes place next. When her stepdad enters a new wrestling reality show, Bella is pulled along for the ride as her life goes on display for all the world to see. When the cameras roll, Bella must solve a prom-queen mystery, deal with her returning ex-boyfriend, and keep her cool as she works alongside the hot but irritating newspaper editor Luke Sullivan.



My review:
I've been waiting for this one to come out for awhile, after really liking the first book in the series.  These books are perfect when you just want some nice, light, fun reading.  This one was a little predictable--okay, maybe a lot, but it was fun to read, and I love the writing.  I would recommend this to fans of YA or chicklit.

REVIEW - The Fruit of My Lipstick

Title: The Fruit of My Lipstick
Author: Shelley Adina
Genre: Christian YA
Got it from: Library
Why I read it: Second in a series
Grade: B

Synopsis:

New Yorker Gillian Chang starts her second term at posh Spencer Academy boarding school in San Francisco prepared to focus on her studies, her faith, and her friends. She plays a dozen musical instruments and can recite the periodic table of the elements backward. She's totally prepared for everything--except love! She's falling hard for Lucas Hayes, who isn't even a senior yet and is already aiming at a Ph.D. in physics from Stanford. The problem is, she never seems to be able to measure up and be the girlfriend he wants. He's under a lot of pressure from his parents to achieve--maybe that's why he's short-tempered sometimes. But even a thick-skinned girl like Gillian can only take so much. With her heart on the line, Gillian conceals more and more from her friends. So when she's accused of selling exam answer sheets, even her girlfriends, Lissa Mansfield and Carly Aragon, wonder if it can be true. Can Gillian hang onto her integrity--and her faith--when she loses her heart to Lucas?

My Review:

I'm still not liking the "it's all about us" premise, which is repeated throughout the book, using those exact words.  I get it--that's what the series is called.  Move on.  Now that I've got my obligatory complaining about YA novels out of the way (I don't know why I do it), I will say that I thought this was a well written book.

The main character was a little hard to like at times, and I kept wondering why these teens in these novels are always so stupid.  Why can't they see what everybody else sees?  Why do they keep making stupid mistakes?  And then I remembered the huge mistakes I made as a teen.  Looking back with an adult perspective, I can see how dumb I was, but during that time I sure didn't think that.  So I'm trying to have a little more grace when it comes to YA novels.  The characters are true to how teens act, for the most part.

The mystery of who is selling exam answer sheets adds to the story, although I figured out pretty early on who it was.  It was nice having a little extra in there, even though at the same time, the jumping to conclusions done by the characters was a bit too much.  Maybe even a bit unbelievable.  But the story was good, and I like the message that I'm starting to see in this series--that girls don't need to change who they are or go against their beliefs to get a boy.  At least, I hope that's the message teen girls get out of this series, because it's definitely there.  I would recommend this one.

REVIEW - Viva Vermont

Title: Viva Vermont
Author: Melody Carlson
Genre: Christian YA chicklit
Got it from: Library
Why I read it: It's the 4th book in a series
Grade: C

Synopsis:
Something about a bunch of teenage girls, they like boys, some like fashion way too much, some don't.  They fight, they do stupid things, they start getting along, they fight some more.  More stupid things.  Some teenage angst thrown in.  Breaking up with boyfriends, getting back together.  Lather, rinse, repeat.

My review:
I finished this one a couple of days ago, and haven't been able to bring myself to review it.  There's just nothing to review.  It's the same as the other books.  I'm going to finish the series for some inexplicable reason.  I honestly do think that young teenage girls would probably really enjoy these books, and since that's the target audience, I really can't complain about it.  It's my own fault for reading them and expecting something better.  Although, there are a lot of YA books that are entertaining for those who aren't teens.  Some that are really well written, so the fact that it's a YA book isn't an excuse.  This is just really light, easy reading that requires very little though, I guess.

REVIEW - Homecoming Queen

Title: Homecoming Queen
Author: Melody Carlson
Genre: Christian YA chicklit
Grade: C

From the back cover:
The Carter House experiences a shake-up as one of its own returns home after an unnerving disappearing act.  Then, friction grows as a school homecoming queen race heats up, turning friends and housemates against one another.  DJ, Eliza, Taylor, Kriti, and Casey show they have plenty of lessons to learn as the votes roll in.  Some grow smarter and closer to God, while others seem to make the same mistakes over again. 

Despite all their differences and disagreements, the Carter House girls continue to grow together, forging a bond that strengthens through hardship.  Hearts can change, and friendship paves the way for at least one girl to move closer to God.


My review:
I feel like the back cover description is kind of deceiving.  Sure, there was the homecoming queen thing, but I think the real focus of the story isn't even mentioned on the back cover.  I also don't see the girls growing much closer, and I definitely don't remember anything paving the way for one girl to move closer to God.

I'm so annoyed with this series.  I don't really like it very much, I'm annoyed with the characters, annoyed with the writing, but I'm interested enough to want to see where it all goes.  Which makes me want to read more.  But I don't want to want to read more!  Why must authors torment me so?  I'm tired of all the manufactured drama, but somehow I find myself still caring about what happens.   

I do understand now how Melody Carlson can put out so many books so fast.  The books aren't long, and there's not a lot to them.  I'm not sure if I would recommend this series.  On the one hand, I think teens and pre-teens might like the writing a lot, and be able to relate more to the characters, but on the other hand, I just don't think it's great writing.  I'm torn!

REVIEW - Stealing Bradford

Title: Stealing Bradford
Author: Melody Carlson
Genre: Christian YA chicklit
Grade: C-

From the back cover:
The Carter House girls are just getting to know one another when the subject of boys comes up.  Rhiannon's dating Bradford, a fellow Christian and the most popular jock in school; Eliza's seeing Harry; and DJ was dating Conner, although now he acts as if he doesn't like her.
Boys aren't always easy to understand, but many girls in the house want a boyfriend--and will do just about anything to get one.  So when Taylor decides to put the moves on Bradford, Rhiannon is shocked and hurt.  Mistakes are made and feelings battered . . . there is forgiveness for some and bitterness for others . . . but at the end of the day, the girls learn a valuable lesson about what it means to be a family. 

My review:
I was really liking this YA christian stuff, but this one might have been too much for me.  It felt very young adult.  To the point where I feel like only a teenager might be able to relate to it.  The writing felt amateur, the storyline was kind of silly.  I just couldn't really get into it.  Also, there was too much talk of people being gay.  Not that any of the characters actually were gay, that we know of, anyway.  But too much of the girls speculating about teachers being gay or other girls being gay, and it felt over the top.

Maybe kids these days really do think about this all the time.  I don't remember thinking along these lines when I was in high school.  It didn't matter to me, and it was none of my business, but I feel like it's half the focus for this novel.  Granted, it's been over ten years since I was in high school, and I know things have changed, but that doesn't mean it's not annoying.  I don't really think I'd recommend this series.  The first one was okay, but this second novel wasn't great.  I'll try one more, and if it doesn't get better, that's it for this series for me.  Too many other excellent books out there.

REVIEW - Yada Yada Prayer Group Gets Down

Title: Yada Yada Prayer Group Gets Down
Author: Neta Jackson
Genre: Christian chicklit
Grade: C+

Synopsis:
This is the second book in the Yada Yada Prayer Group series.  In this book, the group deals with racial tensions all over the place, which has caused problems within the group.  They also get robbed in Jodi's (the main character) home during a prayer meeting by a woman with a knife, and that's hard for them to overcome as well.

My review:
If it sounds like I gave a lackluster synopsis of the book, it's probably because that's how I felt about this book.  I feel like the first person narrative REALLY hurts this book.  I want to know what the other women are thinking and feeling.  I want to follow their lives every once in awhile.  To be honest, I'm sick of Jodi.   She seems judgemental, she almost always jumps to the worst conclusion first, and I want to get out of her head!

Other problems I had were: the character Ruth talks like Yoda.  Says her sentences in the wrong order, she does.  Every time she says anything in the book I hear Yoda's voice for her.  I don't think that's what the author has in mind.  Also, Jodi's whole family shares an e-mail address.  That includes her, her husband, their 18 year old son, and 15 year old daughter.  Come on, you can't tell me those kids haven't gotten their own e-mail address by now.  These people aren't computer illiterate either.

But there were good things about the story.  I like how the women turn to God when things get hard, and there is a nice variety of different characters.  The author writes well, so that even when I'm rolling my eyes, at least it's not about bad dialogue or a boring plot.  I'm interested enough in some of the characters that I'll keep reading the series, but will probably push it back and read other series first.

REVIEW - Pièce de Résistance

Title: Pièce de Résistance
Author: Sandra Byrd
Genre: Christian chicklit
Grade: A+

Synopsis:
This is the third in the French Twist series.  In this one, Lexi is back in Seattle as assistant manager of the new Delacroix family bakery, Bijoux.  This one is a more high end bakery, for wedding cakes and business catering.  Lexi finds that she's having a hard time being the manager, as she just wants to bake.

The job is harder than she thought it would be, and she's the one that has to make sure Bijoux succeeds, so she's under a lot of pressure.  She comes up with a lot of great marketing ideas, but she doesn't know if any of it will pan out.

She's also got two men in her life.  Dan, who we met in Let Them Eat Cake, and Philippe (with his daughter Celine), from Bon Appetit.  Both of whom are in Seattle, and she feels torn between them.

My review:
Oh, how I LOVED this book!  I got it in the mail yesterday, and decided to finish the other book I was reading first, since I had less than 100 pages to go.  But then I picked this up, and didn't stop reading except to sleep and go out to dinner with friends (and I would have rather been reading!).  It also took every ounce of strength I had not to flip to the back of the book to see how it ended.  I don't know why I feel such a connection to these characters and this story, but I do.

This is an example of first person narrative done right.  I love Lexi, and don't remember a time in all three books where I found her whiny or annoying.  I loved all the secondary characters, even the ornery ones who grew on Lexi and the reader throughout the book.  And I just adore little Celine!

At the beginning of the book, I started feeling a little let down.  I could see the story wasn't going how I wanted it to go.  But Sandra Byrd knows what she's doing, and soon I was swept away in the story, and it ended perfectly, and I cried, and I want to read ten more books of this series, but it's over.  This is my favorite series ever, and I would highly recommend it!  Let Them Eat Cake remains my favorite book of the series, but Pièce de Résistance was a beautiful ending to the story.  Très bien!

REVIEW - It's All About Us

Title: It's All About Us
Author: Shelley Adina
Genre: Christian Young Adult
Grade: B-

From the back cover:
Lissa Mansfield is used to being in the "in crowd"--but being accepted by the popular girls at posh Spencer Academy boarding school in San Francisco is a lot harder than she thought.  And then there's her New York-loudmouth roommate, Gillian Chang, who's not happy just to b e a Christian herself--she's determined to out Lissa, too.  If Lissa can just keep her faith under wraps long enough to hook Callum McCloud, the hottest guy in school, she'll be golden.

But when Callum pressures her to go all the way with him, Lissa has to decide how far is too far.  How can she see that line when he's so gorgeous and popular and God seems so far away?  Between that and shopping for a knockout dress and booking the hottest celeb for the Benefactors' Day Ball . . . who knew finding a place at Spencer Academy would be so complicated.

My review:
This book was well written, but right off the bat I have to say I don't like the premise of the book.  The title is "it's all about us", and that seems to be the theme as well.  The characters even say "it's all about us, and God", as if God is an afterthought.  Maybe I'm being silly, but in my mind, it's all about God, not me, and that's the message I'd want my teen daughter to get.

Having got that out of the way, it was a well written book.  It kept my attention, for sure.  I found the main character highly unlikeable, but again, as mentioned in a previous review, it could be the first person narrative.  The other characters didn't really seem fleshed out, so it's hard to say much about them.  I will continue to read the series, and I'm hoping for a little bit of growth and change.  It looks like the following books are told from the point of view of different girls, so maybe that will help.  Honestly, I'm not sure if I would recommend this to young teens, but I guess I would recommend it to YA lovers.

REVIEW - Undead and Unwelcome

Title: Undead and Unwelcome
Author: MaryJanice Davidson
Genre: Paranormal Chicklit
Grade: C-

From the back cover:
Fifty thousand angry werewolves.  That's what Betsy is facing when she takes her werewolf friend Antonia's body to Cape Cod, where the Pack resides at Wyndham Manor.  Because Antonia died in her service, Betsy is alive and well--and wracked with guilt.  She has no idea if the Wyndham werewolves will greet her with fangs or friendship.

While Betsy and her husband, Sinclair, try to make nice, their legal ward, BabyJon, freaks out ever werewolf he meets.  Meanwhile, Betsy's posse back at the St. Paul mansion is not LOLing.  Increasingly frantic e-mails alert Betsy to her half sister's increasingly erratic behavior.  Looks like the devil's daughter is coming into her own--and raising hell.  All in the name of making Betsy's life easier, of course.

My review:
I don't know if I can continue reading this series.  The author tries to be funny, and I guess it's just not my kind of humor, because it comes of more annoying than funny.  And the main character, Betsy, seems to get more clueless and self-centered by the book.  I don't really care about her as a character, and I find that I don't really care about any of the characters.  They're not written in a way that you can become attached to them.

A lot of it may have to do with the first person narrative.  I've never cared for it.  I almost always find the character whiny, selfish, and unlikeable.  It makes it hard for me to get into the story.  For about half of the book, I contemplated giving up or heavily skimming.  But then it got fairly interesting, and since it's a short book with big words, I just kept on reading and finished it.  I wouldn't recommend this unless you're hooked on this series, or unless you're a glutton for punishment.

REVIEW - Mixed Bags

Title: Mixed Bags
Author: Melody Carlson
Genre: Young Adult
Grade: B

From the back cover:
When her mom died, DJ had to move in with her grandmother, internationally famous '60s fashion model Katherine Carter.  Now Mrs. Carter's opened a boarding home for young ladies, and DJ--who would rather wear her basketball team uniform than haute couture--is just sure they'll all be unbearable fashion snobs.

One by one the girls arrive and begin to figure out how to fit into this new family, getting to know each other and forming friendships.  There's a few aspiring divas and even a closet Christian.  Before long, the Carter House girls are dating, fighting, laughing, shopping, sharing clothes, purses, shoes . . . and their deepest secrets.  DJ may not turn into the perfect little lady her grandmother has in mind, but one thing's for certain--with all these new "sisters," her life will never be the same!

My review:
I have come to the realization that Melody Carlson's books just don't have a whole lot to them.  They're fairly slow moving, and not a lot happens.  I have further realized it's because she writes series, and maybe doesn't have a whole lot of plot, and wants to stretch out the books.  At least each book is short, which is the way YA books should be, if you ask me.

I do enjoy her writing, though, and she has excellent character development.  The religion in her books is fairly mild, but it's definitely there.  I would recommend this book to readers who like young adult or chick lit.  Just don't expect anything profound.  It's light and easy reading, which is nice sometimes.

REVIEW - Let Them Eat Fruitcake

Let Them Eat Fruitcake is the second book in the 86 Bloomberg Place series.  I have come to the realization that these books move incredibly slow.  It could be because each chapter skips to a different character, but every time I try to think of what the book about, only about one sentence comes to mind, and I think, "Is that it?"  This one takes place just before Christmas, with the end of the book wrapping up on Christmas day.  The roommates plan a Christmas Even party, have man troubles, and . . . that's about it.  But I guess just about every chicklit could be described as "woman has man troubles, everything is solved in the end."

Only everything isn't solved in the end of this book since it's a series.  So we only get the first part of that sentence.  The characters are all pretty much the same.  Kendall is unlikeable, almost to the point of being an unbelievable character.  I mean, are there really people like that out there?  Ironically, her point of view is probably my favorite to read, just because it's the most interesting.  The other girls really aren't doing very interesting things.

All through this book I thought it was just so-so.  Nothing special, but not so bad that it was hard to get through.  I would have rated it a 3, but I really enjoyed the ending.  It was definitely a feel good, and I can see the series getting better type ending.  So I'd rate it a 4/5.  Recommended for chick-lit lovers and Christian fiction readers.  It was a little heavier on the religion than the first one, but still not overly so.

REVIEW - Obsession, Deceit and Really Dark Chocolate

I finished Obsession, Deceit and Really Dark Chocolate by Kyra Davis last night, and while the writing was great, it was up to her usual goodness, I found myself having a really hard time enjoying the book. And the reason for that is because whoever wrote the cover blurb gave away things that didn't happen until 350 pages into the book. And this was a 390 page book. It took away a lot of what I felt should have been revelations and surprises.

I don't know, maybe we weren't supposed to be surprised by certain things, only the character was. Still, I think someone made a huge mistake (nod to Arrested Development there).

This was the third Sophie Katz novel, and since I can't even really remember anything that happened in the first two, it was kind of like reading a standalone book with references to previous things. In this one Sophie's friend enlists her help to try to seduce her husband, who she thinks is cheating on her. Well, it turns out her husband was not, and he ends up getting shot right after Sophie tries to seduce him at a bar. Now, I could go on to reveal everything the back cover does, and give away things, but I won't. I'll just say that chaos ensues as Sophie, with her ex-boyfriend Anatoly, tries to figure out who killed her friend's husband.

So this is your warning. If you pick up this book to read, don't read the back cover (or probably the blurb at Amazon or the like). Just go ahead and start the book. It was well written, and Kyra Davis hasn't let me down yet with her chick lit novels, so I would definitely recommend it, I just wish I hadn't been spoiled. I would rate it a 3.5/5, but it could have been higher.

REVIEW - Bon Appetit

This was my second time reading Bon Appetit, but the first time around I read it before having read the first book of the series, Let Them Eat Cake. I loved it more this time around than I did the first.

Bon Appetit is the second book in the French Twist series, and continues the adventures of Lexi. In this book she travels to a city right outside Paris and attends a cooking school there while working in the family bakery of her previous boss from Seattle, Luc. It was nice reading this again after having the background from the first book. It was actually enjoyable and could be read either way, but background info is always nice.

While Lexi is in France she meets Phillipe and his daughter Celeste. Phillipe is part of the family at the bakery. I totally fell in love with them the first time around, and even more so this time. Forget old boyfriend in Seattle, France is where it's at! I'm very interested to see where things go in the third novel, which released today, but I'd just like to say for the record that I'm team Phillipe.

I can't wait to read the third novel of the series, but I'm very sad that it'll be ending. I've come to love Sandra Byrd as an author, and I hope to read more adult books of hers in the future! I rate this one a big 5/5, and would recommend it no matter what you like to read. A very sweet and engaging book!

REVIEW - I Heart Bloomberg

I Heart Bloomberg is about one obnoxious woman named Kendall whose grandmother gave her a house. She decides to rent out the extra three bedrooms as a way to make some extra money so she doesn't have to work. The house is in pretty bad condition, and the amount of rent she wanted was too high. So the three girls she decides to rent the rooms to talk her down in price in exchange for fixing up the house a bit.

I feel like I just gave away the whole plot. In a way, I did. There's really not a whole lot to the story. It's just about getting to know the four women, with each chapter being about a different girl. Not very much happened in this story, and to be honest, I kept expecting something.

Now, it sounds like I didn't like the book, but I actually enjoyed it quite a bit. I thought the characters were interesting, if a bit cardboard at times, and Kendall was one of those characters that you love to hate. Or just hate, but who keep the story interesting. I kind of liked that it was told from different viewpoints, even though there were times when I wanted to just keep reading about what happened with one character.

This was the start of a series, and I think I'll keep reading. I'm interested to see the characters interact more, and have more to the story than just introductory stuff. I would rate this book 4/5, and would recommend it to chick-lit lovers. It was very very light on the Christianity, so I hesitate to even qualify it as Christian fiction, although it was. So if you're looking for something really inspirational, look elsewhere. And if you just like chick-lit, but don't really like religious stuff in your books, this one is pretty safe.

REVIEW - So Not Happening

I stayed up late last night to finish this book, cause the last part got intense! I was thinking I was just reading your typical YA chick-lit, but I was wrong. So Not Happening was the first book I've read by Jenny B. Jones. Sidenote: I can't get past the author's name. I either think of Jenny Jones the talk show host, or Junie B. Jones, the childrens series.

Anyway, the book is about Bella, a teenage girl whose parents are divorced. She lives in and loves New York. Her mom gets remarried, and she has to move to live with her mom and new step-dad in a small town in Oklahoma. Needless to say, she has a difficult time adjusting. Then weird things start happening, and I can't say more so I don't spoil anything!

This was a really quick read, and I enjoyed it. I'm not sure what kind of draw there is for me reading about a teenage girl and her angst, but I was interested. I know I'm not the only woman, because there are all those Twilight lovin' ladies (and that is one craze I just don't get). I would have liked to see more character growth, but I understand this is just the first in a series. And I've also got to remember that I'm reading about a young girl, and not a mature woman.

The only complaints I have is that I felt like the main character did a few really unbelievable things to further the plot along. Sometimes I think there just can't be anybody that stupid. There was also a few pretty predictable parts, but I think when you read enough books, you can start seeing things from a mile away. Either that, or I'm just extra smart. ;)

I would rate this book 4/5, and I liked it enough that I'm eagerly awaiting the next in the series that comes out in November (I think). I would recommend this to teenage girls, women who like chick-lit, and anyone looking for a light read.

Let Them Eat Cake

Lexi Stuart is at a critical crossroads. She’s done with college but still living at home, ready to launch a career but unable to find a job, and solidly stalled between boyfriends.

When a lighthearted conversation in French with the manager of her favorite bakery turns into a job offer, Lexi accepts. But the actual glamour is minimal: the pay is less than generous, her co-workers are skeptical, her bank account remains vertically-challenged, and her parents are perpetually disappointed. Her only comfort comes from the flirtatious baker she has her eye on–but even he may not be who he seems to be!

So when a handsome young executive dashes into the bakery to pick up his high profile company’s special order for an important meeting–an order Lexi has flubbed– she loses her compulsion to please. “What am I going to do?” he shouts. “Let them eat cake!” she fires back with equal passion and a nod to Marie Antoinette. And then, something inside Lexi clicks. Laissez la révolution commencer! Let the revolution begin! Instead of trying to fulfill everyone else’s expectations for her life, Lexi embarks on an adventure in trusting God with her future–très bon!

I can't even begin to express how much I loved this book. I had previously read the second book, so I knew what decisions she was going to make at the end of the book. There was no suspense, and yet I still very much enjoyed the journey of reading. I cried at the end, not because it was sad, but because I loved the book so much, and it was over.

This book had a lot of things I love. First, it was a book, so it gets bonus points right there. Second, there was talk of Paris and France (the second book takes place just outside of Paris, so it gets slight bonus points there, but this one didn't lack). Third, it mostly took place in a little cafe/bakery. Now, I don't really cook. I don't think I really like to cook. But I want to like to cook. I'd love to be able to whip up pastries and figure out delicious recipes. So when I read books like this it inspires me. It makes me think maybe I could try to like it.

The one thing I didn't like about this book had nothing to do with the story itself. It made me a little sad. It made me want to go to Paris so much that it hurts. When I visited Europe for two weeks (Brussels and Paris), I felt like it was where I was meant to be. I liked the oldness of it. The cathedrals, the cobblestone streets, the more laid back attitude. I liked walking everywhere. I really liked the pastry shops. I loved all the beauty--it's just so different from the way things are here.

But back to the book . . . I plan to re-read the second book, and hopefully have a fuller appreciation for it now that I've read the first. The second book didn't make my favorites list, as this one did, but it may after a re-read. And bonus! The third book comes out in a couple of weeks. These books are ones that I would heartily recommend, and will be going on my keeper shelf as soon as I can get ahold of them (since I can't keep the library copies).

The Yada Yada Prayer Group

I just read The Yada Yada Prayer Group. I really wasn't expecting to like it as much as I did. It seemed like one of those older lady Christian chick lit books--I'm not quite sure why I thought that, because there were women of all ages in the book. It was one of those books that I liked so much that I didn't want to pick up anything else afterward. I've got the second one on hold at the library, but I wish I had had it today, because I would have started it already.

The Yada Yada Prayer Group starts off with Jodi (the main character) being anxious about going to a women's conference. She goes, and is put with a group of very diverse women for a prayer group. They seem to connect, and decide to keep the prayer group going after the conference ends. The rest of the book follows the prayer group first e-mailing each other, and then getting together to pray together. That's a very simple summary of the book, and the story is a lot more complex than that, but that's the jist of it.

I've read differing reviews on this book. Some people thought it was really corny and preachy, some thought it boring, and some, like me, loved it. I found myself really annoyed with the main character and her attitude, but if I'm really honest with myself, I am like her in a lot of ways. And I really loved the realizations that she came to at the end.