Roommates Wanted by Lisa Jewell

Goodreads Summary:
1990. Please write and tell me why you should live here.

Toby Dobbs received a big Victorian house with too many bedrooms to count as a wedding present from his father, but his marriage is over within a month. Very alone, and very lonely, Toby posts an advertisement seeking the "Unexpectedly Alone" to become his roommates. Fifteen years later the wayward souls he takes in are still living with him, with no intention of leaving.

2004. Please tell me how I can convince you to move out.

Toby Dobbs has met Leah Pilgrim from across the road, and they're falling in love. But before they can begin a new life together, Toby and Leah must help Toby's house of sweet slackers and lovelorn misfits grow up, solve their problems, and set themselves free. But can their new relationship survive the test?

My thoughts:
I would like to say that I found the description above a little misleading but at the same time accurate. I went into this book thinking it was going to be a love story that would start somewhere in the beginning. The lovebirds don't get together until nearly the end of this book. I liked the slow pace of most of the book. Each character had development and I felt invested in all of them. Then the last twenty or so pages felt really rushed, as if the author suddenly realized she was already over 400 pages. I think the rushed ending did an injustice to a sweet book. I feel that in some ways the rushed ending has ruined my view of the book over all. I am hoping after a few days of thinking on it I go back to really liking this book. I loved that none of these characters were normal in anyway. I loved that each chapter unfolded a little more of the story without being overly predictable, that is until the end.

Over all I would say I liked this book but I didn't love it like I thought I would. I would recommend it to those who like Brit writers.

While writing this review I was listening to my dog run around the apartment after her bath.

Dear John by Nicolas Sparks

Goodreads Summary:
An angry rebel, John dropped out of school and enlisted in the Army, not knowing what else to do with his life--until he meets the girl of his dreams, Savannah. Their mutual attraction quickly grows into the kind of love that leaves Savannah waiting for John to finish his tour of duty, and John wanting to settle down with the woman who has captured his heart. But 9/11 changes everything. John feels it is his duty to re-enlist. And sadly, the long separation finds Savannah falling in love with someone else. "Dear John," the letter read...and with those two words, a heart was broken and two lives were changed forever. Returning home, John must come to grips with the fact that Savannah, now married, is still his true love—and face the hardest decision of his life.

My thoughts:
Wow what a terrible ending. I have never really been a fan of Nicolas Sparks but for some reason I picked up two of his books from the library recently. What sappy crap! I know that a lot of people love him. For me his writing was overly predictable and boring. I knew he was going for the most obvious emotional sucker-punches he could find whenever he could find them. I had a hard time relating to the evolution or lack there of, of his main characters. Mostly I would say that this book was crap. I hated it. I thought about not finishing it multiple times. I saw the movie prior to reading the book and thought it too was terrible. I was told by several people the book was better. I now know I shouldn't trust a few opinions as much as I previously have.

I would not recommend this book to anyone really. I am not sure why this author is so popular.

While writing this review I was listening to my dog follow my Father around his kitchen.

Heat Wave by Richard Castle

Goodreads Summary:
A New York real estate tycoon plunges to his death on a Manhattan sidewalk. A trophy wife with a past survives a narrow escape from a brazen attack. Mobsters and moguls with no shortage of reasons to kill trot out their alibis. And then, in the suffocating grip of a record heat wave, comes another shocking murder and a sharp turn in a tense journey into the dirty little secrets of the wealthy. Secrets that prove to be fatal. Secrets that lay hidden in the dark until one NYPD detective shines a light.

Mystery sensation Richard Castle, blockbuster author of the wildly best-selling Derrick Storm novels, introduces his newest character, NYPD Homicide Detective Nikki Heat. Tough, sexy, professional, Nikki Heat carries a passion for justice as she leads one of New York City's top homicide squads. She's hit with an unexpected challenge when the commissioner assigns superstar magazine journalist Jameson Rook to ride along with her to research an article on New York's Finest. Pulitzer Prize-winning Rook is as much a handful as he is handsome. His wise-cracking and meddling aren't her only problems. As she works to unravel the secrets of the murdered real estate tycoon, she must also confront the spark between them. The one called heat.

My thoughts:
This book is not my normal cup of tea. However, on the recommendation of a good friend I read it. I liked it. It didn't blow my mind or anything but it was a really good read. I enjoyed it and laughed more than once. I am a fan of the show Castle, so I likely have some pro-bias going on. I would say the characters were a little cliched and over the top but I think that worked for the story rather than against it.

I would recommend this book to fans of Castle or anyone who enjoys a little mystery light reading.

While writing this review I was listening to my heater kick on and coffee brew. Happy morning to everyone!

Such a Pretty Fat by Jen Lancaster

Goodreads Summary:
"To whom the fat rolls …I'm tired of books where a self-loathing heroine is teased to the point where she starves herself skinny in hopes of a fabulous new life. And I hate the message that women can't possibly be happy until we all fit into our skinny jeans. I don't find these stories uplifting; they make me want to hug these women and take them out for fizzy champagne drinks and cheesecake and explain to them that until they figure out their insides, their outsides don't matter. Unfortunately, being overweight isn't simply a societal issue that can be fixed with a dose healthy of positive self-esteem. It's a health matter, and here on the eve of my fortieth year, I've learned I have to make changes so I don't, you know, die. Because what good if finally being able to afford a pedicure if I lose a foot to adult onset diabetes?"

My thoughts:
I didn't dig this book as much as the other Jen Lancaster books I have read. I didn't hate it either. I would say this book and the space in my head just didn't match up this time. I didn't dive into this book and not come up for air until it was finished. I did read a bit each night and get a few chuckles. I liked that for the most part Jen stayed positive about her self image. I liked that she wanted to feel better and the major motivation for losing weight wasn't to be more sexy which is often the case with these books.

I would recommend this book to fans of Jen Lancaster or maybe to people needing some motivation to get up and move more.

While writing this review I was listening to the migraine storming around in my head.

Julie and Julia by Julie Powell

Goodreads Summary:
Some people go on pilgrimages; Julie Powell attempted to master one cookbook. Thirty years old, bored with her job, hating her Queens apartment, Powell decided to transcend her life by concocting all 524 recipes in Julia Child's 1961 classic Mastering the Art of French Cooking -- in a single year. Replicating Child's kitchen artistry at such short notice tested Julie's skill and stamina, not to mention her husband's patience; but it did produce a high-spirited, sometimes hilarious memoir.

My thoughts:
She had me from her first Buffy the Vampire reference. Reading this book was very much so like reading the journal of a fellow nerd. I love nerd books. Julie Powell is a nerd. She is normal and doesn't pretend to be anything else. She is honest about her short comings and equally honest about her triumphs. While I can't relate to a blog saving someone from themselves (yes I know I write a blog) I can relate to having a project have unexpected awesome benefits.

I would recommend this to people who didn't like the movie. I hated the movie. Julie Powell is no where near as annoying as Amy Adams.

While writing this review I was listening to my dog bark at neighbors, no I did not attempt to stop her. I don't like those neighbors either.

Born Standing Up By Steve Martin

Goodreads Summary:
In the midseventies, Steve Martin exploded onto the comedy scene. By 1978 he was the biggest concert draw in the history of stand-up. In 1981 he quit forever. This book is, in his own words, the story of "why I did stand-up and why I walked away."

Emmy and Grammy Award winner, author of the acclaimed New York Times bestsellers Shopgirl and The Pleasure of My Company, and a regular contributor to The New Yorker, Martin has always been a writer. His memoir of his years in stand-up is candid, spectacularly amusing, and beautifully written.

At age ten Martin started his career at Disneyland, selling guidebooks in the newly opened theme park. In the decade that followed, he worked in the Disney magic shop and the Bird Cage Theatre at Knott's Berry Farm, performing his first magic/comedy act a dozen times a week. The story of these years, during which he practiced and honed his craft, is moving and revelatory. The dedication to excellence and innovation is formed at an astonishingly early age and never wavers or wanes.

Martin illuminates the sacrifice, discipline, and originality that made him an icon and informs his work to this day. To be this good, to perform so frequently, was isolating and lonely. It took Martin decades to reconnect with his parents and sister, and he tells that story with great tenderness. Martin also paints a portrait of his times — the era of free love and protests against the war in Vietnam, the heady irreverence of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour in the late sixties, and the transformative new voice of Saturday Night Live in the seventies.

Throughout the text, Martin has placed photographs, many never seen before. Born Standing Up is a superb testament to the sheer tenacity, focus, and daring of one of the greatest and most iconoclastic comedians of all time.

My thoughts:
I learned for a fact what I always thought of Steve Martin, he isn't a Wild and Crazy GUY! He is a nerd and a bit aloof. I too am a nerd and a bit aloof. Years ago I saw the play Picasso at the Lapin Agile. I loved it. I wanted to see it again and again. Sure this has some credit to the actors but mostly I loved the writing. It was then that I formed my writer's crush on Steve Martin.
This crush is still with me after reading his memoir of comedy. He is more complicated that meets the eye but that is true with everyone. I enjoyed the history factoids throughout the book; from the opening of Disneyland to the first airing of Saturday Night Live.
I would not say that I left this book knowing Steve Martin. I think even after reading more than one book he has written I have a slightly more clear snap shot of him. Really, I hope I never feel like I know Steve Martin so I can A) continue to have my crush and B) be surprised by his writing in the future.

I would recommend this book to Steve Martin fans and anyone who likes autobiographies.

While writing this review I was listening to my dog crash around the house.

Bright Lights, Big Ass by Jen Lancaster

Goodreads Summary:
Jen Lancaster hates to burst your happy little bubble, but life in the big city isn't all it's cracked up to be. Contrary to what you see on TV and in the movies, most urbanites aren't party-hopping in slinky dresses and strappy stilettos. But lucky for us, Lancaster knows how to make the life of the lower crust mercilessly funny and infinitely entertaining.

Whether she's reporting rude neighbors to Homeland Security, harboring a crush on her grocery store clerk, or fighting-and losing-the Battle of the Stairmaster- Lancaster explores how silly, strange, and not-so-fabulous real city living can be. And if anyone doesn't like it, they can kiss her big, fat, pink, puffy down parka.

My thoughts:
If I were a girly-girl and a republican I think I would be Jen Lancaster. I am not sure why it startled me every time she mentioned watching FOX News, but alas it did. I was like finding out my bestie was secretly hiding some their freaky porcelain doll collection. Weird yes, reason to disown no (at least not yet). I enjoyed this book and got a few laughs from it. I didn't love this book as much as Bitter is the New Black but I don't blame Jen for that. I blame being sick and fucking grumpy while reading her book. I will say that reading her book made me far less grumpy. It also made me want to join a gym again.
I dig the way that Jen can be so open and honest about all the fucked up things in her life. While I have never exploded out of my pants, I have thought more than once it was a real possibility. Also, I would like to mention that I find it interesting that no matter what part of the country you are in the employees at Trader Joes all have a similar appearances and behaviors. I don't know if this is comforting or creepy.
I lived in downtown SLC for a few years and after watching a homeless man pee on my car every morning for two of those years it was refreshing to know that other people in other cities enjoyed the same weird things. I had the weirdest neighbors while living downtown. At least that is what I thought until I moved to the suburbs of SLC. Now these people are fucking insane.

I would recommend this book to people like me or those who enjoy reading about the lives of normal bitchy fat girls.

While writing this review was listening to Florence and the Machine.

XVI by Julia Karr

Goodreads summary:
Some girls can't wait to be sixteen, to be legal. Nina is not one of them. Even though she has no choice in the matter, she knows that so long as her life continues as normal everything will be okay.

Then, with one brutal strike, Nina's normal is shattered; and she discovers that nothing that she believed about her life is true. But there's one boy who can help--and he just may hold the key to her past.

But with the line between attraction and danger as thin as a whisper, one thing is for sure..For Nina, turning sixteen promises to be anything but sweet.

My thoughts:
This time last year I was reading my first dystopian YA novel. Something about Christmas break makes me want to read about the end of civilation as we know it. :) Just kidding. I liked this book. It didn't blow my hair back but there were several parts of this book that appealed to my political science heart. I definitely could feel how the author felt about the sexualization of young girls, health insurance companies, and over bearing governments as a whole. The interesting thing about this book that other dystopian books lacked what how real the main character is. Nina is the average girl who is put into some serious and shitty circumstances. She handles what she can and fails when she can't handle them. I am looking forward to the follow up to this book which is due out in a few weeks.

I would also say that I liked that Nina was not only loyal to her family like all or most dystopian books, but Nina also valued her friends as family. I liked that Nina had strong female friendships with two very distinctly different girls. I can relate to that. Even now my two closest female friends couldn't be more different.


I would recommend this book to people who dig the dystopian trend in YA books.

Drink Slay Love By Sarah Beth Durst

Goodreads summary:
Pearl is a sixteen-year-old vampire... fond of blood, allergic to sunlight, and mostly evil... until the night a sparkly unicorn stabs her through the heart with his horn. Oops.

Her family thinks she was attacked by a vampire hunter (because, obviously, unicorns don't exist), and they're shocked she survived. They're even more shocked when Pearl discovers she can now withstand the sun. But they quickly find a way to make use of her new talent. The Vampire King of New England has chosen Pearl's family to host his feast. If Pearl enrolls in high school, she can make lots of human friends and lure them to the King's feast -- as the entrees.

The only problem? Pearl's starting to feel the twinges of a conscience. How can she serve up her new friends—especially the cute guy who makes her fangs ache—to be slaughtered? Then again, she's definitely dead if she lets down her family. What's a sunlight-loving vamp to do?

My Thoughts:
She had me at Acknowledgments. I will say that this book made me laugh at least three times from how ridiculous it is. I think it was a fun read. This book had a sense of humor about itself and by extension I don't feel the author takes herself overly serious. I will say that she almost lost me though with some of the unicorn stuff. Without spoiling anything I will say that while making fun of Twilight she unintentionally had some of the same annoying aspects to her book as Twilight. For instance I would for once like a book to show that love doesn't just happen over night but takes time to build and develop. Silly teenagers and rushing to use the love word!

That being said I would recommend this to anyone looking for an eye rolling good time. I wouldn't recommend this book if you are looking for a serious and or deep read.

While writing this review I was listening to the blissful silence that is my apartment on a quiet afternoon.

My oh My.... how time flies when you are doing math.

Tomorrow is the day....

Yep, I turn 30 tomorrow.

I am attempting to be positive about my birthday this year. I have never been a fan of them. Mostly, I like to sleep and not do a damn thing. This year I will be rocking some Thai food with my nearest and dearest. I am pretty excited to see my peeps. I haven't seen them much lately because of school. I took my final so I magically will have some free time until the second week of January.

My 30 for 30 project has been on the back burner for the last couple of months but as of tomorrow I am going to put it back in the forefront.