Latest Read: Moonglass

Here are the basics ...
Book: Moonglass
Author: Jessi Kirby
Site: http://www.jessikirby.com/
Category: Young Adult - Contemporary








My thoughts ...
Short summary:  Anna's father accepts a job transfer the summer before her junior year and is forced to move to the beach where here parents first met and fell in love.  But it's a place filled memories and secrets that Anna isn't ready to face.  

The good: I liked pretty much every character in the book.  There was something interesting and flawed about each of them, whether they played a major role or a minor one.  Most of all, they just felt real. It was very easy to get absorbed in Anna's story of trying to understand and cope with her past but also the every day things in her life like.. running track or crushing on a guy.  Namely, Tyler.  I thought he was adorable (at least I imagined him to be!) and I really liked their interactions together a lot.  But it wasn't just about the romance.  There's also her relationship with her father, making friends, talking to people who knew her mother.  It was all very well-written.  

The bad:  When I reached the end of the book, I was definitely left wanting more.  I wanted to learn more about her parents and how they met, more Tyler, more interaction between Anna and her dad.  It kinda felt like as soon as Anna found the answers she was looking for, the book came to a somewhat abrupt stop. 

Do I recommend?:  If you want a book that is both light and thoughtful, I would give this one a try.  It has a lot to say about forgiveness and opening yourself up people.  I enjoyed it! 


Happy reading! 

Life lately, according to my iPhone

Last week, my cousin and I took her two kids out for lunch & a movie (we saw Mirror Mirror - it was terrible!).  It's been fun spending more time with my nephews lately.. although I am constantly amazed by how big they've gotten (and how old I am!). 

Some video games before the movie (my cousin had to help Benaiah with the pedal). I sent this photo to Carina after I highlighted by hair because I was freaking out (now you can see my new 'do and new iPhone case). 

Dinner with the besties at CPK - love their four cheese ravioli.  Brunch with the cousins at Raymond's.

Latest Read: Wildflower Hill

Here are the basics ...
Book: Wildflower Hill
Author: Kimberley Freeman
Site: http://kimberleyfreeman.com/
Category: Fiction








My thoughts ...
Short summary:  The book simultaneously tells the story of modern day Emma, a prima ballerina in London whose career is ruined after she injures her knee and Beattie (her grandmother) who was once at a crossroads herself as an unwed pregnant young woman. When Beattie passes away, she leaves Wildflower Hill (a sheep station in the country) to Emma and it is while cleaning up the house that she learns more about her grandmother's past and long buried family secrets.  

The good: I think what really touched me about the book was the richness of the characters, especially Beattie.  Her struggles and the obstacles she faced are so sad and heartbreaking.  But she overcomes them the best she can and tries to impart that wisdom to Emma by leaving her the estate.  Don't get me wrong though, I really enjoyed Emma's story too. Her whole life has been about one thing - ballet.  And with the loss of it, she has to start anew and how she finds happiness again was really touching.  The book encompassed so much - the importance of family, friendship, love and more.

The bad:  I can't really think of any faults with the book.  I did find myself getting very angry at certain characters (which is probably a testament to how the author brought her characters to life) and I wouldn't have minded a little more detail with the ending. But other than that, I thought everything was very well-written.

Do I recommend?: I do.  Usually when I read a lot of Young Adult and suddenly switch to regular fiction, I find it to be kind of jarring.  But in this case, It was easy to get absorbed in the story and these characters.  I definitely recommend. 


Happy reading! 

Variations on the Word Love

This is my favorite poem and while I can't elaborate.. today is the kind of day where I want to share a beautiful poem.  Especially one about love.

Variations on the Word Love
This is a word we use to plug
holes with. It's the right size for those warm
blanks in speech, for those red heart-
shaped vacancies on the page that look nothing
like real hearts. Add lace
and you can sell
it. We insert it also in the one empty
space on the printed form
that comes with no instructions. There are whole
magazines with not much in them
but the word love, you can
rub it all over your body and you
can cook with it too. How do we know
it isn't what goes on at the cool
debaucheries of slugs under damp
pieces of cardboard? As for the weed-
seedlings nosing their tough snouts up
among the lettuces, they shout it.
Love! Love! sing the soldiers, raising
their glittering knives in salute.

Then there's the two
of us. This word
is far too short for us, it has only
four letters, too sparse
to fill those deep bare
vacuums between the stars
that press on us with their deafness.
It's not love we don't wish
to fall into, but that fear.
this word is not enough but it will
have to do. It's a single
vowel in this metallic
silence, a mouth that says
O again and again in wonder
and pain, a breath, a finger
grip on a cliffside. You can
hold on or let go. 
- Margaret Atwood


That last line gets me every time. 

Latest Read: The Summer I Turned Pretty Trilogy

Here are the basics ...
Books: The Summer I Turned Pretty Trilogy (The Summer I Turned Pretty, It's Not Summer Without You, We'll Always Have Summer) 
Author: Jenny Han
Site: http://dearjennyhan.com/
Category: Young Adult 








My thoughts...
Summary: Belly has always lived for the summertime because it means all her favorite things: swimming, the beach and the Fischer boys, Conrad and Jeremiah. She has spent every summer with them at Cousins Beach for as long as she can remember. She has always been in love with Conrad and finally, one summer, it seems like he might have feelings for her too. But it turns out, so does Jeremiah. As the summers go on, Belly has to choose between two brothers who love her as she comes to the realization that she will have to break one of their hearts.  (Taken from Goodreads)

The good:  The beauty of this book is in its simplicity.  Straight-forward dialogue, real characters and a story that has been told a thousand times (the love triangle!) and yet somehow.. there was something refreshing about it.  Reading through Belly's eyes really brought me back to my own childhood days. When I was the only girl hanging out with three brothers almost every day and how much I liked the eldest one (he was my age).  And even though I'm definitely different from Belly, I still related to her and enjoyed reading about how her character grew up with each book.  Her choice was definitely a hard one but I liked that.   That there was all this history between them, their families (the friendship between their mothers was my other favorite part about the book!), the magic of their summers together.  I mean, I didn't even know who I wanted her to choose until the last book.

The bad: There were times when Belly would be a little bratty but then I'd quickly remind myself of her age.  I mean when you're that young and sure that you're in love with this boy who continues to push you away - it seems like the end of the world at 14, 15 or 16.  I think she was just a normal girl and that's what appealed to me despite those moments.  My other little gripe has to do with one of the guys.  He was totally my guy (I mean the guy for Belly) until the last book when he did something that seemed so out of character.  Although in retrospect, I think it made sense and the book ended exactly the way it should have.

Do I recommend?: I do! I read all three books in one weekend and I feel like that's how they should be read.  They're all fairly short and each book flows so well into one another.  Plus I was impatient and needed to know who Belly would choose.  As you can tell, I was happy with her choice.

Happy reading!

Latest Read: Looking For Alaska

Here are the basics ...
Book: Looking For Alaska
Author: John Green
Site: http://johngreenbooks.com/
Category: Young Adult 










My thoughts ...
Short summary:  Miles Halter is fascinated by famous last words–and tired of his safe life at home. He leaves for boarding school to seek what the dying poet Francois Rabelais called the “Great Perhaps.” Much awaits Miles at Culver Creek, including Alaska Young. Clever, funny, screwed-up, and dead sexy, Alaska will pull Miles into her labyrinth and catapult him into the Great Perhaps. (from John Green Books)

The good:  The author really has a knack for coming up with unique characters.  Miles, his roommate Chip and Alaska are at the center of the story.  They all have these crazy quirks that make them unlike anyone I've ever known.  But at the same time, they each have this vulnerable side that makes you think of someone you know or relate to them in some way.

The bad:  Honestly, I didn't like much about the book.  Despite what I just said about the characters, I couldn't really connect with them or the story.  Miles as a protagonist didn't interest me (I also rarely read books from a guy's POV).  He seemed to just follow what everyone else did or obsess over a girl.  Namely Alaska.  And again, I just didn't get her or connect to her character.  Then by the middle of the book, the plot got too predictable for me.  It's sad because I loved The Fault in Our Stars SO much and I wanted to fall in love with another of his books but deep down, I had a feeling this one would disappoint me.

Do I recommend?:  I can't say that I do.  But if you check Amazon, the reviews are pretty awesome so it might be worth giving a shot.  Maybe you'll see something in the book that I don't.

Happy reading!

Life lately, according to my iPhone

Me & Jason after church.  Dinner with the best friends. 

First attempt at green tea cupcakes.  Benaiah is officially 6 years old. 

Dim sum for lunch with the fam.  Celebrating Easter and Benaiah's birthday. 

It's been a busy few weeks lately and as much as I may complain sometimes about not having enough time to myself, the truth is.. I'm happiest when surrounded by my friends and family.  Plus you know me, I always manage to find time for some reading or TV :)

The Adjustment Bureau

I watched this movie last night and I loved it! Mostly for the ballet scenes, the chemistry between Matt Damon and Emily Blunt and the interesting storyline.  But especially the ballet scenes.  Unlike Natalie Portman in the The Black Swan, Emily Blunt was graceful and athletic - the way I think a real ballerina should be.  Very impressed!





Anyway, I just wanted to post this video.  Enjoy and.. Happy Easter everyone!

Latest Read: Fifty Shades of Grey

Here are the basics ...
Book: Fifty Shades of Grey (Book #1)
Author: E. L. James
Site: http://www.eljamesauthor.com/
Category: Fiction 








My thoughts...
Let me preface this review by saying that I've never read a book like this before.  But it's on the top of all these charts on B&N, Amazon, GoodReads - it's everywhere! So I wanted to see what all the fuss was about.  Also, I didn't know this book was originally Bella and Edward (Twilight) fanfiction when I started reading (which definitely explained why my annoyance with these characters felt somewhat familiar).

Summary:  When Anastasia Steele goes to interview young entrepreneur Christian Grey, he is beautiful, brilliant, and intimidating. Ana is startled to realize she wants him and Christian, unable to resist Ana’s quiet beauty, wit, and independent spirit, admits he wants her, too—but on his own terms.  Shocked yet thrilled by Grey’s singular erotic tastes, Ana hesitates.  Grey is a man tormented by demons and consumed by the need to control. When the couple embarks on a daring, passionately physical affair, Ana discovers Christian Grey’s secrets and explores her own dark desires. (Summarized from Amazon.com)

The good:  There is no good here.  Except how much I get to hate on this book (and because I get to read hilarious reviews like this and know exactly how they feel).  I consider myself to be a pretty fair reviewer so it's rare that I get to flat out rant about how terrible a book is.  I'm relishing the moment!  I will admit that I did my best to keep an open mind and tried to remain optimistic throughout the first ten chapters.  Then it all went downhill from there. 

The bad: WHERE TO START.  How about the stereotypes in this book.  Ana, for instance.  Of course she sees herself as this mousy unattractive brunette (God forbid a blonde sees herself as mousy) who's actually extremely attractive but she's suffering from Bella Swan syndrome of low self-esteem.  Kate, her beautiful blonde and confident best friend (to her credit, she's not a b*tch).  And Christian, the gorgeous (the author dedicated a third of the book to his good looks and the way his pants hang off his hips), rich, slightly older, business man / alpha male with stalker tendencies and a S&M fetish.

The plot is just ridiculous.  At first I thought, we (the reader) are obviously supposed to see ourselves in Ana and maybe if some really hot guy only had eyes for me, I might get a little lost in that feeling.  But you know what - the minute the guy tells me that I have to sign a contract (filled with details about how often to sleep, what to wear, when to eat, how many times a week to exercise, etc) before getting into bed with him and shows me his playroom which Ana describes as looking like right out of the Spanish Inquisition - I'm pretty sure I'd go running for the hills.  Just saying.  All the S&M scenes were just so.. sad!  Ana is basically letting herself be whipped and slapped for HIS benefit (while hoping he'll change) and after the "amazing" sex, she ends up crawling into bed fetal position, crying her eyes out.  To me it seemed like she was suffering from multiple personalities, especially since she kept having conversations with her "inner goddess" (whatever the heck that means).  Which brings me to my last (although I could keep going on) point -- where was this author's editor?! If she even had one, she should be fired.  The dialogue was so repetitive.  She used the certain phrases and descriptions over and over and over AND over again.  Her favorite ones: "Laters baby", "Oh baby/Ana/Christian!", s/he whispered/gasped (who whispers and gasps that often!), holy cow, what are you doing to me, you've beguiled me.  I couldn't help but laugh or roll my eyes half the time (which according to Christian's logic in this book, deserves a slap).  The entire book was one big WTF.

Do I recommend?: NO, I can't say that I do.  But I am going to keep reading and finish the entire series.  Why?  Because I want to know how their story ends, how the author manages to drag on this nonsense for two more books AND because I keep waiting to see why women love this series.  I have a feeling I might never figure that one out. 


Happy reading! 


[4/8/12 UPDATE :: I finished the series! The dialogue got progressively worse, Ana got more annoying, Christian got more controlling.  The whole thing was totally ridiculous.  Do not read this series - I repeat, DO NOT READ.] 

Latest Read: The Fault In Our Stars

Here are the basics ...
Book: The Fault in Our Stars
Author: John Green
Site: http://johngreenbooks.com/
Category: Young Adult 








My thoughts ...
Short summary: The Fault in Our Stars is the story of Hazel Lancaster and Augustus Waters, two Indianapolis teenagers who meet at a Cancer Kid Support Group.

The good: One look at the summary and I expected that I'd be crying by the end of it (this turned out to be very, very true).  But what I didn't expect was to laugh so much.  Hazel and Augustus really came alive to me as I read.  They're both such intelligent, funny, loving and strong characters.  In spite of everything they've been through and continue to go through, they somehow are still able to find joy and love.  I loved that.  Other things I loved? Their conversations (I wish I had conversations like these!), their family, how their relationship evolved and that Hazel has poems memorized.  I realize that last one is random but I really did like that about her (among many other things)! It made want to memorize some poems too. (Yeah, I'm a dork.)

The bad:  I know I've said this a few times about other books but seriously - nothing bad to say.  However, I would recommend reading it in one sitting (it's short but extremely engaging).  I didn't only because I started the book late at night and I was exhausted (it had been a long day).

Do I recommend?:  Well, right after reading it, the first thing I did was tweet about how good it is and I alrady convinced one friend to read it.  So that should tell you how I feel about this book :)

Happy reading!

Over the weekend..

Last week was a pretty blah week.  Nothing bad or stressful happened though.  It was all just very routine, except with longer work hours and no plans for the weekend so I was a little feeling down on Friday.  Then it turns out.. not having anything planned was exactly what I needed.

I made impromptu plans with Carina for breakfast at IHOP.  When I wanted to get a manicure, I asked my mom on a whim to come with me (shocking, I know).  My older cousin asked our younger cousin and I to get dinner and we found ourselves at Country Pancake House in Ridgewood (biggest pancakes EVER).  Then yesterday I spent the afternoon with Mary Ann doing what we do best - shopping!  And I also got to catch up on Once Upon a Time and read a really great book in between all that activity.

All in all - it was the perfect weekend :)