Mailbox/What are you reading Monday (5-2-11)

Hello bloggers! I have been a little out of the blogging world this past week or so ... between work and lack of sleep, I haven't found much time to post anything. But here's hoping that this week goes a little bit better! So, starting with, what are you reading?

Books I Read This Past Week:

The Invisible Bridge  by Julie Orringer (review up tomorrow ... hopefully)

Books I'm Currently Reading:

Barrel Fever by David Sedaris

Books I Plan to Read This Week:

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

(I'm planning an easy week so I can get back into the groove of blogging again)

While it wasn't my best reading week, The Invisible Bridge was a chunkster (700+ pages), so it took a little longer to read. But I'm hoping that I can get back on track this week.

For Mailbox Monday, I didn't actually receive anything in my mailbox, but I did get lots of new books (and won a few, too!) I went rummaging through some of the books that my mom has read and found a couple in there to add to my TBR pile and also found some at Target that have been on my wishlist.

What I Found Rummaging:

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

What I Bought at Target:

The Good Girl's Guide to Getting Lost: A Memoir of Three Continents, Two Friends, and One Unexpected Adventure by Rachel Friedman

What I Won on GoodReads:

French Lessons: A Novel by Ellen Sussman

The Things We Cherished by Pam Jenoff

Joy for Beginners by Erica Bauermeister

South of Superior by Ellen Airgood

All in all, not a bad week! Hope that everyone is having a great start to their month and getting ready for summer!

Monthly Wrap-Up: April 2011

Another month has passed me by! Since April will be over in just a few short hours, I figured that it would be a good time to do my monthly wrap up. While April seemed to drag on (mostly because of the lousy weather), I can't believe that the month is over!

Number of Books Read: 8 books

Review Done: 7 (I just finished The Invisible Bridge a few hours ago, so my review will be up shortly)

My Favorite Book from this month: Bossypants by Tina Fey. A truly hilarious book and one that I would recommend to anyone. I think it would be really hard to dislike this book!

My Least Favorite Book: The Weekend by Bernhard Schlink. It was difficult to get into, and while the premise of the book was great, I think it would be better as a movie.

All in all, not a bad month! Work is still chugging along, and I get to spend this upcoming month at a different restaurant, which might be a good break without actually taking a week of vacation. April has been a good month for catching up with old friends I, which is always great! I'm hoping to catch up with them in person, whether they come home for a weekend and we meet up for lunch, or I might go and visit them for a few days (how could I say no Disney World, my home?!? But that's a post for another day). I managed to save my money and not buy too many books this month, which is always great news for my bank account! I won a few through GoodReads giveaways (gotta love those!), and found some while digging through my mom's old books, all of which I will post about sometime this week. Like I said, not a bad month at all!

I hope that you had a wonderful April and here's hoping to a sunny May!

Waiting on Wednesday (4-27-11)

Happy Wednesday! Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It's a way to highlight upcoming book releases and connect with other bloggers. My pick this week is 22 Britannia Road by Amanda Hodgkinson (release date: April 28, 2011 ... which is tomorrow).

By the end of World War II, Silvana is a ghost of the wife Janusz once had. She and their 7-year-old son Aurek travel from Poland to England to reunite their family--a family that has been separated for 6 years. That's where 22 Britannia Road, Amanda Hodgkinson's stunning debut novel, begins. As the past unfolds from multiple points of view, it becomes clear that despite their determination to make a fresh start, the hidden secrets of the past threaten to destroy Silvana and Janusz's dreams of becoming a family once again. The irreversible events that passed during their years of separation still linger, including the horrors of war, Janusz's betrayal by a love affair with another woman, and the devastating secret that Silvana will do anything to conceal. Hodgkinson's poetic voice is impossible to forget, and the shocking and hopeful ending of her remarkable historical novel will leave readers reeling--and satisfied. (from amazon.com)

So, what are you waiting on this Wednesday?

An Object of Beauty by Steve Martin

An Object of Beauty
Author: Steve Martin
Publisher: Grand Central
Published: November 23, 2010
Hardcover: 292 pages


My Rating: 3 stars


Synopsis (from borders.com): Lacey Yeager charms men and women with her magnetic charisma and liveliness. Lacey Yeager is young, captivating, and ambitious enough to take the NYC art world by storm. Groomed at Sotheby's and hungry to keep climbing the social and career ladders put before her, Lacey charms men and women, old and young, rich and even richer with her magnetic charisma and liveliness. Her ascension to the highest tiers of the city parallel the soaring heights--and, at times, the dark lows--of the art world and the country from the late 1990s through today.


My Thoughts: This book chronicles a young woman, Lacey Yeager's, rise through the New York City art world. From starting out in the basement of Sotheby's, growing and learning until she opens her own gallery. Knowing very little about the art world, but always curious, I found this book fascinating in this respect. Being a huge Sex and the City fan, I have seen the girls go to gallery openings and seen Charlotte's gallery, but didn't really know what all happened in this creative world. Learning the difference between uptown and downtown art was interesting and something that I hadn't considered before reading this book.


While the plot was interesting, the thing that I did not like was the point of view. The story is told from the perspective of Lacey's friend, who drifts in and out of her life and admits that he doesn't know everything that Lacey does. But the story was so detailed at some points, it didn't make sense that someone who casually observes this woman would know such details. Steve Martin would go back and forth between someone who is observing her and the omnipotent narrator. It was defintely distracting and did not add to the story at all. Overall, I found the book to be interesting and, if the narration was more consistent, I would have liked it even more. If you have ever wondered what the New York art scene would be like, then you should definitely check this book out.

It's Monday! What are you reading? (4-25-11)

It's Monday! What are you reading? This weekly meme is hosted by Shelia at Book Journey. It's really easy to participate: go over what you read last week, what you are currently reading, and what you plan to read this upcoming week. Pretty easy! I had a good week of reading, which was surprising since I was on a seven day stretch at work. So, here's what I read this week:

What I Finished Reading

Snow in August by Pete Hamill

An Object of Beauty by Steve Martin (review up later today or tomorrow)

What I Am Currently Reading

The Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer

What I Plan to Read

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Barrel Fever by David Sedaris

What are you planning on reading this week? Leave a comment and let me know!

Book Blog Hop and Follow Friday! (4-22-11)

Happy Friday everyone! I hope that everyone is gearing up for a relaxing holiday weekend (I'm hoping for one, even though I will be working) and eating lots of candy! Since it's Friday, it's time for Follow Friday and Book Blog Hop. 

Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee and each week, she posts a question. You answer, post your link, and then visit other blogs and possible find some to follow! It's a great way to meet other bloggers and learn some more about the people who you already follow. This week's question is:

What is on your current playlist?

Right now, I'm really into Adele and Frank Sinatra (random, I know). I also really enjoy listening to the Glee soundtracks. Each album is like it's own playlist, with a good mix of music! And of course, Elton John ... I always have Elton playing somewhere!

The Book Blog Hop is hosted by Crazy for Books, where a question is posted every week and you respond, link up, then visit other blogs! This week's question is:

"If you find a book you love, do you hunt down other books by the same author?"

What a great question! For me, it depends. If I LOVED the book, then I will definitely hunt down other books by that author the next time I go shopping. But most likely, if I happen to stumble upon the books while shopping for other ones, as long as it's reasonably priced/marked down, then I get it. There are a lot of authors that I like but I don't hunt down other books by them.

Let me know what you are listening to/if you hunt down readers! Happy Friday everyone!

Snow In August by Pete Hamill

Snow in August
Author: Pete Hamill
Publisher: Grand Central
Published: 1997
Paperback: 354 pages


My Rating: 4.5 stars


Synopsis (from borders.com): Set in a working-class Brooklyn neighborhood in 1947, this poignant tale revolves around two of the most endearing characters in recent fiction: an 11-year-old Irish Catholic boy named Michael Devlin and Rabbi Judah Hirsch, a refugee from Prague.


My Thoughts: This novel revolves around Michael Devlin, a boy growing up in Brooklyn in 1947. His father died in the war, so he is the man of the house. He and his mother depend on one another to remain strong. Michael meets a rabbi, Judah Hirsch, one snowy day on his way to mass, and a friendship grows between the two and Michael teaches the rabbi English and all about baseball, and the rabbi teaches Michael about Yiddish and Jewish folklore.


This is a truly magical book, one that had me crying at points over what was happening to the characters. Seeing how some prejudices existed in America after World War II truly broke my heart but left me cheering for Michael and the rabbi to come out on top. While definitely a work of fiction, I felt like I was in Brooklyn with these to men, experiencing the excitement of Jackie Robinson joining the Dodgers; listening to Bing Crosby singing on the radio; sweating in the heat of summer. Pete Hamill's writing will definitely transport you back in time and make you feel as if you are living with Michael and his mother. I truly enjoyed this book and cannot wait to read another book from Hamill in the near future.