Geometry of Sisters by Luanne Rice

I have liked and enjoyed all of Luanne Rice's books that I have read. I picked this book up at the store one day when I was out of books to read and wanted a feel good, sweet book. And this book did not disappoint. I really liked it. This book follows 3 different set of sisters and the ups and downs and bonds that are shared only in the bond of sisters. I have sisters and this book really reminded me of the blessing of sisters and that there is such a unique relationship between sisters. And, it also is about friendships and loving your friends in spite of everything and wanting the best for them.
About the book- Beck's family is torn apart by an accident. Her father dies at sea during a storm. Her sister, Carrie, runs away after she is rescued. Beck and her brother Travis are left to deal with the fallout with their mother. As the story begins, the family is moving from Ohio to Newport, Rhode Island for a teaching position so that Maura (the mother) can support her family. There is a lot of history in Newport for Maura. It is where she fell in love and JD the man she loved is still living there. It also was the place where the relationship with her sister Katherine broke down. As Beck and Travis try to adapt to a new school, the search for Carrie continues, and Maura must face up to the mistakes of her past in order for her to sort out the present and future for her family. Beck is wrapped up in math and finds a focus and purpose through it. The math part was not overwhelming of boring though to read. The book was enjoyable and ultimately the story of how family tragedy and problems can find peace and healing. I recommend this book. It was fast and entertaining.

In This Way I Was Saved by Brian Ledeeuw

In this novel, Brian DeLeeuw brings us a story about two boys. One of the boys is real, while the other isn’t – but you may have a hard time deciding which is which. Daniel is the narroator who met Luke in the playground at the age six. Luke is the only person who can see him; yet Daniel isn't just any ‘imaginary friend’. Daniel returns home with Luke. Luke’s mother, Claire, is fragile and has her own problems as she is dealing with he own mother's suicide and her husband leaving her. One day, Claire buys a pet dog for Luke. This new friend starts to take Daniel’s place in Luke’s life and Daniel tricks Luke into poisoning the dog with some of Claire’s medication. She, of course, doesn’t believe her son when he says that Daniel told him to do it, and takes Luke to see a psychiatrist. Soon after, Luke is able to restrain Daniel, eventually locking him away inside his head, for twelve whole years. But, when Luke is eighteen, Daniel re-emerges – with his own ideas of what Luke should do, who Luke should be. DeLeeuw has created a chilling presence in Daniel, individual. He is a vile ans dangerous "person".
I kept thinking there would be more to the story. While I was intrigued and interested at parts, the book wasn't just my favorite type of read.

Jillian Dare by Melanie Jeschke

Jillian Dare is a contemporary adaptation of the classic story of Jane Eyre and I enjoyed it . In the authors letter at the end of the book, she tells us that she wrote this book not for the Bronte purists, but for three different types of people: those that love romantic suspense, those that have yet to read Jane Eyre and now will want to, which fits me. I also liked the Christian message of this book. It was refreshing and moral, without being cheesy. Though, there was one section when Jillian went to live with her friends, the Brooke's, where it did become a little preachy.
Jillian Dare gets hired as a nanny for a young girl, Cadence. She arrives at her place of work to find a sprawling mansion. She finally meets the father of Cadence, Ethan, under unfortunate circumstances. Jillian loves her job and begins to fall in love with Ethan. There are some unfortunate things that happen to keep Jillian and Ethan apart. Jillian struggles to do the right thing and be the person God wants her to be. She tries to make the right moral choices, even if it isn't what her heart wants.
It was a sweet book. Not, anything wildly different, but a cute read nonetheless.

The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks

I love a good Nicholas Sparks book. Its been a while since I read a really good one from him. And, I usually have to plan it out when I read one of his books though, because I always cry in his books. I wanted to read The Last Song right when I saw it, because I saw that it was going to be a movie and I wanted to read the book before I saw movie trailers and figured out what the book was about. I did know Miley Cyrus was going to play the main character in the movie, so I kept thinking of her as the main character. But, I like her and it didn't get in the way of the story.
I loved this coming of age book. The main character is almost 18 year old Ronnie. Ronnie is such a relatable character to me on many levels and the whole first love/coming of age story is something that we have all experienced. Veronica "Ronnie" Miller won't be eighteen until the end of the summer, so she has to follow her mom's rules and is off with her younger brother, Jonah, to spend the summer with her dad in a North Carolina beach town. Ronnie hasn't talked to her dad in over three years. He left New York City and their family and moved back to his hometown. Ronnie is rebellious and having been arrested for shoplifting back home, a quiet summer in North Carolina might be the best thing for her. At least that's what her mother thinks. As the summer unfolds, Ronnie falls in love with a local boy, Will. She discovers the wonders of Loggerhead turtles. And she learns to trust her father all over again. As the summer comes to a close, more than one tragedy occurs, and Ronnie must face some hard truths in her life
I fell in love with the characters, cried when they cried (of course), got mad when they did stupid things, and was rooting for Ronnie the entire time. Throughout the novel, you see Ronnie’s complete transformation and realization as to who she is as defined by herself and not by those she surrounds herself with. So often we tend to adapt to those around us and do our best to fit it at any cost (emotionally, physically, etc.) and for the past few years that is what Ronnie has done. It is not until she is forced to come see her dad that she finds out who she is and what is truly important in life.
I think this book is good for all ages. I really enjoyed it. And, of course, I cried some too!

Nanny Returns by Emma McLauglin & Nicola Kraus

I loved the book, The Nanny Diaries. So, I was excited to read this book. I love reading sequels and such that continue to tell the story of characters I loved. 12 years have passed since Nan left the X residence. The book begins with Grayer X finding the nanny cam tape left behind. Grayer seeks Nanny out and she is sucked back into the crazy life of the X's. Nan is married and has been living abroad and has recently returned to NYC. Her and her husband Ryan(HH from the first book) have a lot of work ahead of them with many renovations and many improvements to their home. Nan is hoping to get a job soon. Grayer dislikes Nan for leaving him and his brother. He believes she is just like all the rest of the prior nannies. Nan and Grayer will soon realize that they need each other. For anyone who has not read The Nanny Diaries, I suggest you start with that book first before reading Nanny Returns or you will be a bit lost in the beginning. Plus, it will help you become more connected with the characters. Nan not only is strong and smart but that she is the back bone for why Grayer did turn out to be a good kid. Mrs. X seemed too much into herself and really annoying. The book is a little over the top at times and totally dysfunctional the way the X family is. And, so sad for the kids. I did not like this book near as much as the first. I just kept reading because I wanted to know that the X kids were going to be ok and that Nan would too.

The Historian by Elizabeth

I picked up the at the library. And, I didn't realize it was about vampires until I was in a little too far(not that I would quit anyways). I'm not really into vampires. I think I am the only person in the world to read Twilight and not continue on with the series.
I was drawn into the past quickly and presented with the vast knowledgethe author has of the Ottoman Empire, Eastern European folklore, and the legend of Dracula. At it’s heart, The Historian, is the story of a young man led to believe his missing professor has been whisked away by the evil Vlad Tpesch, Dracula. Paul is drawn into a world where history and myth walk hand in hand. He receives a mysterious book, blank save for the chilling emblem of a dragon at the very center. When he shows this book to his mentor, Professor Rossi, it sets into motion a chain of events that lead him from his university in London, to Constantinople, Romania, Bulgaria and eventually the Transylvania province of Walachia. Along the way he meets a mysterious Romanian woman also searching for Rossi, a noble Turkish Scholar, various priests and numerous villains.
Most vampire tales, it seems, rely on cloaked figures, fangs, sucking blood and taking the shape of a giant bat to prey on their innocent victims. The Historian has none of this. It plods along, gathering information about the real Walachian Prince, taunting not only the main character and his female companion but the reader. The information and the search for Dracula is something I found interesting. It has the feel of a research paper, but an intriguing research paper.
I can’t decide it the historical aspects and the amazing depth they provide help or hinder this book. It just seems to me that she could have tightened the whole thing up and gotten to the heart of the matter and the stake through its heart, sooner(the book is around 650 pages).
It was an interesting read and more of a history lesson about places I don't know much about. But, ultimately, I felt that this was a book to be conquered. You know, one where after a time you feel so invested that you MUST finish it, you must defeat the book, you will NOT give up, no matter how much you are suffering.

Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom

This book I read for my book club. It was a very fast read and a very heartwarming book. It is a true story based on Albom's experiences.

The book begins with a request: an 82-year-old rabbi from Albom’s old hometown asks him to say his eulogy. Albom insists on understanding him better. Meanwhile, Albom becomes involved with a Detroit pastor – a reformed drug dealer and convict – who preaches to the poor and homeless in a decaying church. Moving between their worlds, Christian and Jewish, African-American and white, poor and rich, Mitch observes how these very different men have faith: the older rabbi, embracing it as death approaches; the younger, inner-city pastor relying on it to keep himself and his church afloat.
The book explores things that many wonder and question about life- how to keep going when difficult things happen; what heaven is; intermarriage; forgiveness; doubting God; and the importance of faith in trying times. Albom begins to realize similarities between the two worlds - and really, between beliefs everywhere. In the end, he finally understands what both men had been teaching all along: the profound comfort of believing in something bigger than yourself. Have a Little Faith is a book about a life’s purpose; about losing belief and finding it again.
Here is a quote I liked from the book-
" If we tend to things that are important in life, if we right those we love a d behave in line with our faith, our lives will not be cursed with the aching throb of unfulfilled business, our words will be sincere, our embraces tight. We will never wallow in the agony of " I could have, I should have."
I enjoyed this book. It was encouraging and very thought provoking. It made me think about my own faith and beliefs and how we are all alike.

The Sharper Your Knife, The Less You Cry by Katherine Flinn

This book is a memoir of a Kathleen Flinn. She was working in the corporate world and lost her job. She was at a crossroads of what to do and with the encouragement of her boyfriend, she decided to follow her lifelong dream and move to Paris to attend the famous Le Cordon Bleu cooking school. Sh
e always had enjoyed cooking. She had been living in London, but did not speak much French. The book was a nice little tale of her finding her passion and fulfilling a dream. She did not want to be a chef but wanted to write about food. She goes into lots of details about her time in school, the classes, chefs, other students and the techniques she learned and used for cooking. Some of the details were over my head. I mean I love to cook and bake, but French cuisine and technique is often very different from what we eat in America. It got to be a little boring at times to read some of those details.
But, I enjoyed seeing Kathleen find her way in Paris, make friends, learn the culture. Her boyfriend, who became her husband, was sweet and I enjoyed the parts about them and their growing love for each other.
I really liked that this book was a memoir. Again, while the cooking parts were sometimes to long and boring, I enjoyed the story and find it inspiring that this person went after her dream and passion. And there were several recipes in the book that I would like to try out. And, I learned the proper way to cut an onion so you don't cry. from the book-
"Turning a simple task into a thing of beauty, with a chef's knife, he cut a peeled onion in half at the root. He places one half cut-side down on the board and cuts thin vertical slices toward the root but not through it, keeping the onion intact. Twisting the blade flat, he cuts thin slices across, parallel to his cutting board, stopping before he the root end. Then he slices across the top of the onion down, and perfect tiny cubes tumble onto the cutting board"
And a quote from the end of the book-
"As in cooking, living requires you taste, taste, taste as you go along- you can't wait until the dish of life is done! The joy of life is in the trip, and the station is a dream that constantly outdistances us."
She is a very talented writer and I enjoyed her writing style. She shared the good and the bad, the hard times and fun times and there were times in reading this that I laughed out loud. It was overall a very entertaining read.

The Time It Snowed In Puerto Rico

I picked this book up because it took place in Puerto Rico. We went on vacation there last year and loved it! And, it was neat to read about alot of places we visited while in PR and even some restaurants we went to were mentioned.

The book is about a young girl, Verdita, in Puerto Rico in the 60's who wants to be more"American". She wants to visit the US, speak English, and look like the movie stars from America. The book is about her discovering who she wants to become.

I really wanted to like this book. It started out fairly good, but I found myself midway through the book just wanting to be finished. It had a few interesting parts, but it seemed like lots of characters were introduced, but not really developed. I am glad to be moving on to something new.

The Color of Lightning by Paulette Jiles

This book wasn't what I was expecting. I guess I need to be better about reading the entire jacket blurb instead of the first few sentences.
This book takes place just after the Civil War and is about a black man, Britt Johnson, and his family. They leave Kentucky and head west to Texas to start their lives as free people. Texas in the 1860s and 70s was rough. Right in the beginning of the book there is an Indian raid while Britt and several other men from the community were out of town. Britt's family- Mary, his wife and his 3 kids- is taken by the Indians. The book becomes alot about his drive to get his family back.
There is a side story about a man who is working with the Office of Indian Affairs. His name is Samuel Hammond and his life has taken a bad turn and he ends up working with the Indians and on the reservation.
The book had lots of historically accurate information and I learned alot about that time period in Texas. Britt Johnson was a real person and the book is loosely based on information about him. It was neat to read about Texas towns and people. I ended up enjoying the book, but felt like it had a lot of drama in the beginning and then I kept waiting for more to happen and it never really did till the end.

Three June by Julia Glass

This book is divided into 3 parts,each focusing on a different character- a father, his son and a young woman. Each one is written ten years apart and the characters and families overlap. I enjoyed the first third of the book and I liked how it came together in the end, but the middle part of the book was slow and it focused so much on this one man and his gay relationships- a lover and a friend dying of AIDS in the 80's. The book starts off in Greece and then goes back and forth between Scotland and New York. There were interesting parts and I liked that it followed the characters for many years, but it was kindof drawn out in the middle. I didn't hate it, but wouldn't really say I loved it either. I did like the end, but was ready to be done with the book and move on to something else.

Pictures at an Exhibition by Sara Houghteling

This book is set in Paris right before and during WWII. Max Berenzon is the son of a famous art dealer and collector. He is interested in following in his father's footsteps, but ends up in medical school instead. Max also falls in love with his fathers assistant, Rose. When Paris falls to the Nazis, the Berenzons survive in hiding. When they return, they find their priceless art collection has disappeared. Max is driven to find his father's paintings. The book also focuses on Rose and her actions to save paintings from the Nazis. This book started off well but then got a little slow and dull. Then it picked up again and I really liked it. It was very interesting to learn about the art that was destroyed, stolen or hidden during World War II. There were lots of historical facts and I learned alot in reading this book.

Brooklyn by Colm Toibin

This book tells the story of a young woman, Eilis, soon after WWII in Ireland. They story begins as Eilis has grown into a woman and is at a crossroads in life. When a priest offers to sponsor her to go to America, Eilis decides to go, leaving here sister and mother behind. Most of the book takes place in Brooklyn. Eilis gets a job and struggles to find her way in a new place. She also finds love. The books was slow at times, but then when the book ended, I wasn't ready for it to be over. The ending was a little abrupt and had me wanting to know more. It was a nice story and a really quick read- only 270 pages.

Dear John by Nicholas Sparks

I enjoy most of Nicholas Sparks books. I requested this book from my local library when I saw they were making it into a movie. I wanted to read the book first, if there was a chance I would see the movie. It was a quick read. It is a love story with a few twists along the way. I liked that there was alot of talk of faith in God and doing whats right. The story is of 2 young people who meet in the summer when the guy, John, is home on leave from the army. John and Savannah fall in love quickly that summer and then, as often happens, reality and life hit. The books is about choices and ultimately loving someone and putting their happiness first. It was a sweet book.

The Girl Who Played With Fire by Steig Larsson

This is the sequel to the book, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo(which I LOVED) and it is good too. Steig Larsson writes great books! And they are so different than anything I've read before. I could not put this book down, which can be bad when it comes to housework! This book is a mystery thriller with many of the same characters from the first book, but it is a completely different premise. It was a page turner. There are some pretty graphic and frankly, weird, things in the book, but the story is so well written and intriguing that it didn't get in the way of the story. I really reccomend this book, but I would say to read The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo first.

The Help by Kathyrn Stockett

I loved this book. It is set in the 1960's in Jackson, Mississippi. It basically tells the story of a newly graduated white girl, Skeeter and how she becomes involved in telling the story black domestic workers and their experiences working in white homes. It is alot about the relationship between white and black women in that time,as well as relationships with women of the same race. It is fiction, but is still very thought provoking. I like books where you really get to know the characters and you get to in this book. They seem like friends. I couldn't put the book down.