Waiting on Wednesday (1-18-11)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. Each week, you highlight an upcoming release that you are eagerly awaiting. This week, my pick is: 150 Pounds by Kate Rockland (expected publication date: January 17, 2012).

Synopsis (from Amazon): Full time bloggers Alexis Allbright, of Skinny Chick fame, and Shoshana Weiner, of Fat and Fabulous stand out in the blogosphere like diamonds. Both have over five million loyal readers. Both are hungry for success. But their similarities end there as they send out directly opposing messages about women, weight and what is healthy. After being invited as guests on Oprah Winfrey, Shoshana and Alexis are forced into each other's lives but hope never to see each other again. However the result of two exciting life events means a drastic weight change for both of them, and they are forced to confront the real issue at hand:  What is the best message to give women about their weight? Should they try and shed it, or learn to love their own skin? These two writers living across the Hudson River from one another in Manhattan, NYC and Hoboken, New Jersey must put their differences aside as they realize there is no perfect number on the scale.

So, what are you waiting on this Wednesday?

Review: It's Classified by Nicolle Wallace

It's Classified
Author: Nicolle Wallace
Published: September 20, 2011
Genre: political fiction
Hardcover: 336 pages
Source: borrowed from the library


My Rating: 4 stars


Synopsis (from GoodReads): President Charlotte Kramer, the nation’s first female president, returns for her second term after re-election and Tara Meyers is now Vice President of the United States. For Tara, making the transition from the New York Attorney General’s office to working on the national level by President Kramer’s side creates issues that blur the line between personal and professional. After botching a live television interview that gets everyone in D.C. clamoring for her resignation, she attempts to redeem herself by wading headlong into a sensational terror investigation. Unfortunately, Tara’s leading role in the case puts her in the crosshairs of an edgy public with questions about the White House’s role in the plot—and what the administration did or didn’t do to keep the country clear from danger.


My Thoughts: I usually stay away from politcal or legal fiction/thrillers, mostly because there is enough craziness out there in the real-world of politics that I don't want to read about it as well. However, I read Eighteen Acres (my review) earlier this year and really liked it. Nicolle Wallace draws upon her experience as a White House communications director and politcal contributor for CBS News to craft a story of four women who are all working in the federal government at some level. There is President Charlotte Kramer, Vice President Tara Meyers, communications director for the VP Dale Smith, and Defense secretary Melanie Kingston. Each chapter is told from one of their points of view, so you are able to have a well-rounded opinion on how four women view one situation.


The plot was very interesting and I found myself wondering what would actually happen if this were to happen to our president or vice president (don't worry, no spoilers here). With each chapter being told from a different woman's perspective, you are able to not only understand the situation fully, but see how the president views a situation versus a communications staffer. Wallace knows what she writes about, which is evident as you read this book. Her understanding of how the White House complex is laid out is great, and at times I felt as if I knew where everything was, too (not really, but I had a pretty good idea). My only complaint for this book was that Melanie wasn't featured quite as much as she was in Eighteen Acres, but I'm hoping that Wallace continues with this series and Melanie will be a bit more prominent in her next book.


While I tend to stay away from series, this is one that I will continue to keep up with. And if you haven't read Eighteen Acres and want to read this one, it shouldn't be too difficult for you. Wallace is able to go over the major points of what happened in that book without dragging on (something that I really like!) If you are looking for a good political novel, then you should definitely add this to your TBR list.

Audiobook Review: Shoe Addicts Annonymous

Shoe Addicts Anonymous
Author: Beth Harbison
Published: June 12, 2007
Genre: chick lit
Audiobook: 7 CDs
Narrator: Orlagh Cassidy
Source: borrowed from the library


My Rating: 1.5 stars


Synopsis (from GoodReads): Four different women. One common shoe size. And a shared lust for fabulous footwear. In this sparkling novel, the wife of a controlling politician, a debt-ridden eBay addict, an agoraphobic phone sex operator, and a nanny for the family from hell (who barely knows a sole from a heel but who will do anything to get out of the house) meet Tuesday nights to trade shoes, and, in the process, form friendships that will help them each triumph over their problems--from secret pasts to blackmail, bankruptcy, and dating.  Funny, emotional, and powerful, Shoe Addicts Anonymous is the perfect summer listen.


My Thoughts: After listening to Beth Harbison's Always Something There to Remind Me (my review) and thoroughly enjoying it, I thought that I should give another one of her audiobooks a try. Unfortunately, this book just didn't meet any of my expectations going into it. First off, I found this book on the GoodReads recommendation program (who else loves that feature?!? I could sit there for days finding new things to read). I read the description (posted above), and figured that I would love this book. Besides that I liked Harbison's work, I also have a thing for shoes (some might call it an addiction, but I can stop buying shoes whenever I want!). Based on all those things, I thought that I would really enjoy this book. WRONG!!! There wasn't much to do with shoes (imagine my disappointment). Actually, nothing written in the description actually happens in the book! 


If I would have to write a summary for the book, it would be this: three women lose themselves in the crazy world that is Las Vegas and lose thousands of dollars (each), so in order to repay their debts, they become phone sex operators. Yeah, that description is not like anything that they have posted on the website (I compared this to the description on GoodReads, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble). 


The characters are lackluster, the plot was a bit boring, and I found it all very predictable. The worst thing about it is that the description is nothing like the book (I found myself checking the case and CDs several times to make sure that this was the right book). If there had been a more accurate description, I probably wouldn't have read this book. I just feel let down that the title and synopsis relate to the story in no way whatsoever.

Waiting on Wednesday (1-11-12)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. Each week, you highlight an upcoming release that you are eagerly awaiting. This week, my pick is: The Odds by Stewart O'Nan (expected publication date: January 19, 2012).

Synopsis (from Amazon): Stewart O'Nan's thirteenth novel is another wildly original, bittersweet gem like his celebrated Last Night at the Lobster. Valentine's weekend, Art and Marion Fowler flee their Cleveland suburb for Niagara Falls, desperate to recoup their losses. Jobless, with their home approaching foreclosure and their marriage on the brink of collapse, Art and Marion liquidate their savings account and book a bridal suite at the Falls' ritziest casino for a second honeymoon. While they sightsee like tourists during the day, at night they risk it all at the roulette wheel to fix their finances-and save their marriage. A tender yet honest exploration of faith, forgiveness and last chances, The Odds is a reminder that love, like life, is always a gamble.

So, what are you waiting on this Wednesday?

Top Ten Tuesday (1-10-12)

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and The Bookish. Each week, 

they post a different topic, and you get to create your own top ten list. This week's topic:

Authors I Wish Would Write Another Book

1) Harper Lee (To Kill A Mockingbird) - since she only wrote one book, which happens to be one the greatest books ever written, I wish she would have written another book (and I'm sure many people feel the same way)

2) Emily Bronte (Wuthering Heights) - this was her only published novel, which happens to be one of the greatest love stories ever written.

3) David Nicholls (One Day) - Nicholls has written three novels, but I wish that he would write more! I love his writing style so much.

4) Erin Morgenstern (The Night Circus) - I'm not a big fan of the fantasy genre, but Morgenstern's first novel was so beautifully written that I was swept away to the night cirucs. I'm looking forward to reading more of her work in the future.

5) David Sedaris - seriously, I think we all need some more Sedaris in our lives! Here's hoping that he will release a new book soon!

6) Kathryn Stockett (The Help) - such a great, powerful debut novel. I hope that she has another story up her sleeve!

7) JK Rowling (Harry Potter) - in actuality, I just want more Harry Potter books.

8) Paula McLain (The Paris Wife) - such a beautifully written novel about Ernest Hemingway's first wife. I hope that she continues to write historical novels.

Well, that's all I could come up with this week. So, which authors do you wish would write another book?

Review: 22 Britannia Road by Amanda Hodgkinson

22 Britannia Road
Author: Amanda Hodgkinson
Published: April 28, 2011
Genre: historical fiction
Hardcover: 336 pages
Source: borrowed from the library


My Rating: 3.5 stars


Synopsis (from GoodReads): "Housekeeper or housewife?" the soldier asks Silvana as she and eight- year-old Aurek board the ship that will take them from Poland to England at the end of World War II. There her husband, Janusz, is already waiting for them at the little house at 22 Britannia Road. But the war has changed them all so utterly that they'll barely recognize one another when they are reunited. "Survivor," she answers. 

Silvana and Aurek spent the war hiding in the forests of Poland. Wild, almost feral Aurek doesn't know how to tie his own shoes or sleep in a bed. Janusz is an Englishman now-determined to forget Poland, forget his own ghosts from the way, and begin a new life as a proper English family. But for Silvana, who cannot escape the painful memory of a shattering wartime act, forgetting is not a possibility. 

One of the most searing debuts to come along in years, 22 Britannia Roadis the wrenching chronicle of how these damaged people try to become, once again, a true family. An unforgettable novel that cries out for discussion, it is a powerful story of primal maternal love, overcoming hardship, and, ultimately, acceptance-one that will pierce your heart.

My Thoughts: 22 Brittania Road is not your typical World War II novel. It follows a young couple from Poland and their separate experiences during the war and Silvania's experiences following the war. The chapters alternate between the past (the war) and the present (immediately following the war), but you aren't quite sure what is happening during the war sections to feel like you have a grasp on what you are reading. Amanda Hodgkinson is a clear writer, but you can tell that there is something more brewing beneath the surface of this young family.

I found the story to be very interesting. The plot isn't driven so much by the war as by Silvania and Janusz (husband and wife). Their thoughts and actions are what drive the story, and it feels as if the war is something that is just happening in the background. The war did determine their living situation, but their individual stories of survival had little to do with the fighting and conflict going on around them. Silvania and Janusz both grow as characters throughout the story, as you witness them from young people falling in love to people who are thrown across Europe at the whim of the war, to reconnecting several years later. Hodgkinson expertly develops both of them, struggling with and without one another and maturing into adults right before your eyes.

For me, my biggest complaint about this novel was that it seemed rather stagnant until the last half of the book. I had heard so many good things about this book that I pushed myself through that first half, and I'm glad that I did. However, it did seem to drag at times and I felt as though I was waiting for the story to begin. If you enjoy WWII novels, then this is a book that you might be interested in reading. While not dealing specifically with the war, this novel deals with the affects that it has on a young couple and their fledgling relationship.

Review: The American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin

The American Heiress
Author: Daisy Goodwin
Published: June 21, 2011
Genre: historical romance
Hardcover: 468 pages
Source: borrowed from the library


My Rating: 3 stars


Synopsis (from GoodReads): Traveling abroad with her mother at the turn of the twentieth century to seek a titled husband, beautiful, vivacious Cora Cash, whose family mansion in Newport dwarfs the Vanderbilts’, suddenly finds herself Duchess of Wareham, married to Ivo, the most eligible bachelor in England. Nothing is quite as it seems, however: Ivo is withdrawn and secretive, and the English social scene is full of traps and betrayals. Money, Cora soon learns, cannot buy everything, as she must decide what is truly worth the price in her life and her marriage.


My Thoughts: I have been wanting to read this book for months (my Waiting on Wednesday pick way back in April!), so when I was finally able to get my hands on a copy at the library, I grabbed it. First off, that cover is gorgeous. Second, I love historical fiction, and I find the gilded era to be such an interesting time in American history. Third, it seemed like something that I would love. And for me, it wasn't worth the wait. It was a good book, I might pick up one of Daisy Goodwin's books in the future, but I wouldn't be anxiously awaiting her next release.


For me, the book was just too long. There were so many times in the book where I was bored with what was going on. About 75-100 pages could have been edited out and wouldn't have affected the plot. On the other hand, the last 100 pages of the book were fantastic. I didn't know what would happen, what Cora would decide, what Ivo would do, and what her mother and mother-in-law would say! It had me guessing and kept me on the edge of my seat.


There are many characters in the book, which could be confusing at times. Once again, I felt like some of the people that are mentioned in the story could have been edited out without the plot suffering. I found Cora to be very interesting. She knows who she is and what she wants, and she also realizes why men would be interested in her (she's the heir to the biggest fortune in America). She doesn't shy away from this and knows that it's her money that will bring her a husband. Ivo, Cora's husband and an English duke, definitely uses her for her family's wealth but he is such a slimeball that you don't care that he used her for the money. There could have been more character development with these two, but it wasn't a huge downside for me.


If you enjoy long, historical novels, then check this book out. However, if you aren't looking to invest a long period of time into reading a novel that seems repetitive at times, then it's best to look for something else.