Follow Friday and TGIF! (1-6-12)

Happy Friday, everyone! I hope that everyone is having a great first Friday of the new year and staying warm if it's cold where you are (it's finally warming up here, thank goodness!) If this is your first time to my blog, welcome! Go ahead and look around! If you are an old follower, welcome back! Now, onto the Friday fun ...

Parajunkee asks:

Go count the number of unread books sitting on your shelf. How many?

I counted my books a few months ago and it was at 40-something, and since I haven't bought any, it's about the same amount.

GReads asks:

Reading Resolutions: What are some of your reading goals for the new year?

- Read 100 books this year. I read 95 books this year, so I definitely think this is an attainable goal.

- Read more classics. I joined the Back to the Classics challenge, so I hope this encourages me to read some more of this timeless books this year.

- Relax more. I think I sometimes get a little too caught up in the numbers or reading this book, instead of just enjoying the reading experience. So I plan on relaxing a little more and not focusing on the numbers.

So, what are your reading resolutions for 2012? How books do you have waiting for you on your bookshelf? Let me know, and have a great Friday!

Waiting On Wednesday (1-4-12)

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 Street Sweeper by Elliot Perlman (expected publication date: January 5, 2012).

Synopsis (from Amazon): Lamont Williams is a paroled felon looking to turn his life around, working as a street sweeper at a large city hospital and searching for his estranged daughter. Adam Zignelik is a struggling, nontenured professor, paralyzed by looming failure, his life falling apart around him. He discovers a cache of recordings of previously unheard voices reaching out from a horrific past, voices that can both save his career and bring him back to the woman he loves. At the same time, Lamont forges an unlikely friendship with a dying man, who, having lived through those horrors, has a crucially important story to tell and to preserve. The worlds surrounding these two men, their families, their pasts, their potential futures, swirl in and out of history as the forces of the Holocaust, the American civil rights movement, Chicago unions, and New York City racial politics combine in a thrilling cross- generational literary symphony.

So, what are you waiting on this Wednesday?

Top Ten Tuesday (1-3-12)

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:

Books I'm Excited to Read in 2012

1) Home Front by Kristin Hannah - she is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors and her newest book is coming out at the end of January. Needless to say, I am very excited to get my hands on this book!

2) The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides - while I didn't find this book under the tree, I am still planning on buying a copy to add to my ever-growing library. 

3) The Submission by Amy Waldman - I did find this book under the tree and I could not be more excited to read it! I have been wanting to read it since I first heard about it, and now, I can't wait to sit down with this book in the months to come.

4) Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling - I picked up this book and started to skim through it the last time I was at Barnes and Noble. After about five minutes, I had to shut the book and walk away ... I was so close to just standing right by the display and reading the whole thing!

5) An Invisible Thread by Laura Schroff - I hadn't heard of this book but found a copy under my tree for Christmas. It sounds like a really interesting story and can't wait to read it.

6) That Woman: The Life of Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor by Anne Sebba - I love a good biography, and reading one about a woman who somehow got the King of England to abdicate his throne to be with her ... sounds like a great story to me!

7) A Dublin Student Doctor by Patrick Taylor - the next book in my favorite series ... come on, how could I not be excited to read this one in 2012?!?

8) Bitter is the New Black by Jen Lancaster - I just finished Lancaster's first work of fiction, If You Were Here, and laughed through the whole thing. I figure that I need to go back and read her memoirs!

9) Naked by David Sedaris - I try to space out my Sedaris books since I love them so much, so I plan on reading this one in 2012 to get my Sedaris fix.

10) Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson - this book has been sitting in my TBR pile for MONTHS now. I resolve that I am going to read it in 2012!

So, what books are you excited to read in 2012? I know I could have listed to many more and can't wait to see what everyone else shares!

Audiobook Review: Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella

Twenties Girl
Author: Sophie Kinsella
Published: July 21, 2009
Genre: chick lit
Audiobook
Source: borrowed from the library


My Rating: 4 stars


Synopsis (from GoodReads):  Lara Lington has always had an overactive imagination, but suddenly that imagination seems to be in overdrive. Normal professional twenty-something young women don’t get visited by ghosts. Or do they? When the spirit of Lara’s great-aunt Sadie–a feisty, demanding girl with firm ideas about fashion, love, and the right way to dance–mysteriously appears, she has one last request: Lara must find a missing necklace that had been in Sadie’s possession for more than seventy-five years, and Sadie cannot rest without it. Lara, on the other hand, has a number of ongoing distractions. Her best friend and business partner has run off to Goa, her start-up company is floundering, and she’s just been dumped by the “perfect” man. Sadie, however, could care less. Lara and Sadie make a hilarious sparring duo, and at first it seems as though they have nothing in common. But as the mission to find Sadie’s necklace leads to intrigue and a new romance for Lara, these very different “twenties” girls learn some surprising truths from each other along the way. Written with all the irrepressible charm and humor that have made Sophie Kinsella’s books beloved by millions, Twenties Girl is also a deeply moving testament to the transcendent bonds of friendship and family.


My Thoughts: I listened to Confessions of a Shopaholic about a month ago and enjoyed it. I hadn't read anything by Sophie Kinsella before and was unsure if I wanted to read this series or not. So, I decided to try another of Kinsella's works, but not from the Shopaholic series. I was a bit skeptical as I was reading the description, but about five minutes into listening to this book, I was hooked! The plot is fantastic, the characters engaging and charming, and the growth in Lara is something that is rare to find in a chick lit novel.


I loved the relationship that Sadie and Lara had. It was just like a relationship between sisters, the way they would argue and bicker with one another and then be happy and content with one another the next. Even though Sadie is a ghost, you could see that each girl was learning from the other one. Sadie was teaching Lara how to let loose, not be so focused on work, to just have fun and not try to seek out the person she believes to be "the perfect man." Lara taught Sadie about modern women, about business and how important it is to make your way in the world. It was wonderful seeing these two characters grow with one another.


Another thing that I absolutely loved was the growth in Lara. In most chick lit novels, the girl ends up with the man. I won't give anything away here, but Lara realizes so much about herself that the relationships with men almost take a back seat in this novel. You are able to see Lara grow from an insecure, unsure young professional to a woman who is confident in herself and where she is headed in life. I loved that Kinsella gave Lara depth instead of just writing another bland main character that is so often found in chick lit.


After listening to this book, I plan on listening to all of Kinsella's books. They are engaging, the narrators have the perfect tone, and they make me want to sit in my car and listen to the story all day, instead of going into work (although I would probably sit in my car for anything to avoid going into work, haha). If you haven't read any of Kinsella's works or are looking for something fun to listen to, then you should definitely add Sophie Kinsella to your TBR list!

2011 Wrap-Up

Well, 2011 is over. I can't even believe it! Honestly, I don't think that this year happened. Everytime I looked at the calendar, another month had passed. I started my blog back in February, and I'm shocked at how it has grown in that time. When I started it, I thought that no one would care or read my blog. Now, I have well over 100 followers (139 to be exact), have read books that I never thought I would read, and met so many wonderful people. I'm excited to see what the 2012 brings, not only in terms of my blog, but in my professional and personal life as well. So, first up, my reading stats for 2011:

Books Read: 95 (might hit 97 before the year is over)

Reviews Done: 93 (I need to play catch up!)

Pages Read: 32,624 pages (WOW!)

Now, my favorite books for 2011:

Seriously, one of the funniest things I have ever read. I recommend this book to anyone and everyone, because I can't imagine anyone not loving this book.

Such a decadent and wonderful book to get lost in. I typically stay away from the fantasy genre, but this book was so much more than just a journey into a different world.

Probably the best book I have ever read. If you haven't read this book, then you need to. 

Now, I do have some blogging resolutions for 2012 (here's hoping I can stick to them!):

~ Do my reviews in a more timely manner (I sometimes wait weeks to write a review)

~ Get better at commenting back (I always want to, but since I normally just read ths email notifications of what was written, I always forget to go back and respond to people)

~ Focus on writing better reviews (I think I do a pretty good job most of the time, but I always feel like there is room for improvement!)

So, that's 2011 in a nutshell! How was your year?

Review: Tabloid City by Pete Hamill

Tabloid City
Author: Pete Hamill
Published: May 5, 2011
Genre: fiction
Hardcover: 288 pages
Source: borrowed from the library


My Rating: 4 stars


Synopsis (from GoodReads): If a budding Hollywood director were searching for the archetypal New York City journalist, he or she could find no better model than Pete Hamill. A veteran beat writer and columnist, a former editor-in-chief of both The New York Post and The New York Daily News, Hamill knows what it means to chase down a front-page story or to confront a stop-the-presses editorial decision. In the case of his new Tabloid City, the headline grabber is the murder of a socialite and her personal secretary at a stylish Manhattan town house. This ambitious ensemble novel takes us into late night city newsroom deadlines and the nest of a terrorist plotting destruction.


My Thoughts: Pete Hamill is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors and this novel is another reason why I love his writing so much. While unlike his other books that I have read (Snow in August and Forever), which are set in the past and focus on one person's experience with this magnificent city, Tabloid City is set in the present day, with cell phones, online news companies, and terrorism, and is also told from the perspective of many different people, all ranging in ages and stages in life. The story follows a day in the life of different New Yorkers, from a tabloid editor, an antiterrorism officer, a terrorist, and many others. Each chronicles their lives in short little chapters, but each voice is so distinctive that you can easily tell which character is talking without reading the heading at the beginning of each chapter. 


Hamill's writing is quick and to the point, much like that of newspaper stories. He tunes into each characters' emotions with little build-up. Hamill pulls you into the story immediately and uses his experience as a news reporter, newspaper editor, and New Yorker to craft an engaging story. To me, this story felt like it was told in all one breathe because it's so fast-paced. When I finished the novel, it felt as if I had been holding my breathe, as I took in so many different parts of a typical New York day.


If you haven't read any of Hamill's work, then what are you waiting for?!? He is such a gifted writer and I feel like his writing can appeal to a wide audience. Whether you are looking for a work of fiction, a story about New York, or how one event can affect so many people, then this novel will appeal to you.

Review: The Lantern by Deborah Lawrenson

The Lantern
Author: Deborah Lawrenson
Published: August 9, 2011
Genre: mystery
Hardcover: 400 pages
Source: borrowed from the library


My Rating: 2.5 stars


Synopsis (from GoodReads): Meeting Dom was the most incredible thing that had ever happened to me. When Eve falls for the secretive, charming Dom in Switzerland, their whirlwind relationship leads them to Les GenÉvriers, an abandoned house set among the fragrant lavender fields of the South of France. Each enchanting day delivers happy discoveries: hidden chambers, secret vaults, a beautiful wrought-iron lantern. Deeply in love and surrounded by music, books, and the heady summer scents of the French countryside, Eve has never felt more alive.

But with autumn’s arrival the days begin to cool, and so, too, does Dom. Though Eve knows he bears the emotional scars of a failed marriage—one he refuses to talk about—his silence arouses suspicion and uncertainty. The more reticent Dom is to explain, the more Eve becomes obsessed with finding answers—and with unraveling the mystery of his absent, beautiful ex-wife, Rachel.

Like its owner, Les Genevriers is also changing. Bright, warm rooms have turned cold and uninviting; shadows now fall unexpectedly; and Eve senses a presence moving through the garden. Is it a ghost from the past or a manifestation of her current troubles with Dom? Can she trust Dom, or could her life be in danger?

Eve does not know that Les Genevriers has been haunted before. Benedicte Lincel, the house’s former owner, thrived as a young girl within the rich elements of the landscape: the violets hidden in the woodland, the warm wind through the almond trees. She knew the bitter taste of heartbreak and tragedy—long-buried family secrets and evil deeds that, once unearthed, will hold shocking and unexpected consequences for Eve.

My Thoughts: I was so anxious to read this book (my Waiting on Wednesday pick back in July), that I couldn't wait to read it when I finally got my hands on a copy. It sounded like a great spooky book, one that would make the hairs on the back of my neck stand up from the decades of mystery surrounding this estate in France. Unfortunately, there wasn't much hair raising here and I was left feeling a little disappointed. I felt like Lawrenson had a great idea for a story, but just held herself back from putting it down on paper. 


The writing is phenomenal and is so lush that I found myself wanting to pack my bags to go and visit this estate for myself. Lawrenson shows her mastery of words in this novel, with beautiful descriptions of the landscape, Eve's feelings and emotions, the actions that are occuring around her. There is very little dialogue in this novel, with the characters' perceptions moving the story along. The novel is told by two characters: Eve, in the present, who just bought this estate with her boyfriend, and Benedicte narrating how the estate came to fall into the state that it is currently in and who is haunting it. I felt like the characters were a bit stagnant and there wasn't much growth. They were all very much one dimensional. I wish that there had been a little more put into the characters.


While not my favorite book, this was a great autumn read. I loved reading the beautiful descriptions while sipping on a pumpkin spice latte and seeing the leaves blowing about. It helped to get me in the autum spirit and had me looking forward to Halloween.