Got myself a kindle

I haven’t written here for a very long time but this blog is still alive (just renewed my domain), more important: I got myself a kindle and I am back in the reading arena.

I haven’t checked out your blogs in a while so If a great do-not-miss unputdownable novel was released in the last year I wouldn’t be aware of it.

I saw today that Sarra Manning released  Adorkable and I got it from amazon, I also saw that she suggest a few novels on her blog and got some of them also 🙂

What else?

This summer I re-read I capture the Castle by Dodie Smith and fell in love with Cassy (again & again)

 It seems that I no longer enjoy YA novels, we all know how impossible it is to find a well written chick lit page turner so here are some suggestions:

You Had Me At Hello by Mhairi McFarlane, so very  very english

 My One and Only by Kristan Higgins, so far my favorite by Higgins, cannot help myself: I love Divorce attorneys

 As it’s now available as kindle edition I strongly recommend Body Check by Deirdre Martin, it’s one of my favorite romances.

Purely based on my personal ranking of BEST SASSY HEROINES ever, Janna MacNeil fits all the requirements: she is smart, she has money, she isn’t looking for prince charming, she is persistent, she is a no-nonsense kind of girl, she has a sense of humor, she is urban as opposite to paranormal .

Talk Soon

Em

Nine Uses for an ex-boyfriend by Sarra Manning

I have been an avid Sarra Manning’s supporter and reader for many many years.

I devoured Diary of a Crush (Ya Trilogy), Guitar Girl,  Let’s Get Lost, Nobody’s Girl and I was thrilled when she started writing adult romance, I absolutely adored Unsticky, I enjoyed You don’t have to say you love me so so so it really pains me to say that I really disliked Nine Uses for an ex-boyfriend.

Recently I only reviewed books that I liked, I have very little time and I have been sleeping poorly for ages (yeah my one year old daughter believes that sleeping is a waste of time, but that’s another story :)) but I have to say something about  Nine Uses for an ex-boyfriend because I am afraid that some readers might pick up this one (as their first try at Sarra Manning) and think “nah, not my thing”.

I did the same in the past with a few authors (Paige Toon, Kristan Higgings, …) and I am glad that after initial disappointment I picked up other books and loved them.

Don’t give up on Sarra Manning!

From Goodreads:

Hope Delafield hasn’t always had an easy life. She has red hair and a temper to match, as her mother is constantly reminding her. She can’t wear heels, is terrified of heights and being a primary school teacher isn’t exactly the job she dreamed of doing, especially when her class are stuck on the two times table.

At least Hope has Jack, and Jack is the God of boyfriends. He’s sweet, kind, funny, has a killer smile, a cool job on a fashion magazine and he’s pretty (but in a manly way). Hope knew that Jack was The One ever since their first kiss after the Youth Club Disco and thirteen years later, they’re still totally in love. Totally. They’re even officially pre-engaged. And then Hope catches Jack kissing her best friend Susie…

My problem, my big big problem with this book is that it doesn’t have that un-put-down-ability factor that I crave when I decide to buy a Sarra Manning’s book, it was actually boring due to poor characterization, weak storyline, a “who-cares” sort of romance.

Yes Jack is annoying, Hope is hopeless but I cannot  put my finger on what exactly doesn’t work, let’s say I was bored from start to finish.

Yet when Manning’s new book will be released I’ll be there to buy it, she is great, she wrote so many great books that I will pretend that I haven’t read this one, it won’t spoil my love for Sarra.

Other reviews:

Book Harbinger

Handwritten Girl

Em

Johnny be good & Baby Be Mine by Paige Toon

One of the best chick lit duo ever!

An if you haven’t read Johnny be good when it was first released you are so so lucky because you can buy those two books together and won’t have to suffer a few years the way I had to.

Those books aren’t perfect and I’ll come to that soon but they have a strength that few chick lits seem to achieve those days: compelling characters, great storyline and a generous amount of swoon factor.

From Amazon:

If your boss was the hottest rock star on the planet, would you mix business with pleasure? I’m Meg Stiles. This is my leaving party. And that song we’re making a mockery of? That’s written by one of the biggest rock stars in the world. And I’m moving in with him tomorrow. Seriously! I am not even joking. Well, maybe I’m misleading you a little bit. You see, I haven’t actually met him yet …No, I’m not a stalker. I’m his new PA. His Personal Assistant. And I am off to La-La Land. Los Angeles. The City of Angels – whatever you want to call it – and I can’t bloody believe it! Celebrity PA to wild boy of rock Johnny Jefferson, Meg’s glam new life in sun-drenched LA is a whirlwind of showbiz parties and backstage passes. Cool, calm Christian, in town to write his famous friend’s biography, helps keep Meg’s feet firmly on the ground. But with Johnny’s piercing green eyes and a body Brad Pitt would kill for, how long will it be before she’s swept right off them again?

I was hooked on page 1, I love love love when HIM is a rock star … now if this was real life and I was Meg Stiles or she was a friend of mine I would say “RUN AWAY AS FAST AS YOU CAN” except I am an helpless romantic, I will probably stay thinking that I can change the man, no matter how bad things are.

Things are very  bad, Meg suffers humiliations that no woman deserves, Johnny Jefferson has a good heart but he is seriously messed up, so why does Meg stick around?

She is in love, she is experiencing the same sort of love addiction that teens experience, that  ALL or NOTHING feeling, that “Love will tear us apart” obsession (except they haven’t been together yet but you know what I mean).

How could she not? Johnny Jefferson it’s one of those characters that you will love or hate (and if you were a Peeta’s fan you’ll probably dislike him, just saying), needless to say he is a favorite of mine as chick lit goes.

Yes, I am twisted like that.

And to be honest I enjoy a novel where characters are flawed, they cheat, they lie, they have sex without thinking a bazillion times if it’s the right thing to do, they go with the flow . It’s refreshing.

I stated before how much I dislike those novels in which she stars as damsel-in-distress and he plays the good natured saviour who will fix everything and beyond if only he can get her to trust him.

I like Trouble.

I also really like Christian, Johnny’s best friend, a music journalist who is writing Johnny’s bio, not just a supporting character but a key player in the story.

Unfortunately he is no trouble, just kidding , he is very likeable, you’ll love him.

Meg is a genuine character, she tells us her story and she is great fun to listen to, I could really relate to her humor,  her disappointments, her sadness, her choices.

Except when it comes to Baby Be Mine I cringed for the first 100 pages or so, I didn’t like Meg very much, she does the unthinkable, a deception that I could never forget, let alone forgive no matter her reasons.

The ending of Johnny be good is one of those that will let you disappointed, make sure you have the sequel or you’ll suffer  for a few days, get those characters out of your mind it will take a few days, you’ll want to start Baby Me Mine ASAP.

Now Johnny B. Goode  is among the most widely covered rock and roll songs in history, I like the Sex Pistols version, love their energy…chose you pick, there are so many !

Apart from the first 100 pages or so in Baby Be Mine (where something really twisted happens) those novels deal with addiction, alchool, drugs, rehab … it’a all far to simple and superficial but hey it’s a chick lit and I am more than willing to enjoy myself, I don’t need a real account of what happens when people deal with this sort of addictions.

Overall it’s a MUST READ for me, it deserves 5/5 because it’s really really absorbing and every time I start a new book that’s what I am looking for, something that can grip my heart and keep hold of it, I am glad to say that this is exactly what happened.

Casting Call:

Joe Anderson as Johnny (Am I the only one who has a massive crush on him?)

Amanda Peet  as Meg

Ryan Gosling ad Christian:

Other reviews:

About Happy Books by Sabrina

Em

I’ve got your number: A Novel by Sophie Kinsella

Believe me or not I’ve got your number was released in Italy a few months ago (translation: Ho il tuo numero) , it hasn’t been released in english yet.

The original english version is usually the one I prefer but desperate times call for desperate measures and I needed something fun & entertaining, I knew I could rely on Sophie Kinsella.

From Goodreads:

Poppy Wyatt has never felt luckier. She is about to marry the ideal man, Magnus Tavish, but in one afternoon her ‘happy ever after’ begins to fall apart. Not only has she lost her engagement ring but in the panic that followed, she has now lost her phone. As she paces shakily round the hotel foyer she spots an abandoned phone in a bin. Finders keepers! Now she can leave a number for the hotel to contact her when they find her ring. Perfect!
Well, perfect except the phone’s owner, businessman Sam Roxton doesn’t agree. He wants his phone back and doesn’t appreciate Poppy reading all his messages and wading into his personal life.
What ensues is a hilarious and unpredictable turn of events as Poppy and Sam increasingly upend each other’s lives through emails and text messages. As Poppy juggles wedding preparations, mysterious phone calls and hiding her left hand from Magnus and his parents… she soon realises that she is in for the biggest surprise of her life.

First of all it’s not that UNPREDICTABLE (stop here , spoilers are coming)…I read lots of romantic novels and I am always able to predict who ends up with who by page 10, what’s intriguing is how they end up together.

I’ve got your number is Kinsella at her best: fun & light & romantic & entertaining, I read it in 2 days.

Sam Roxton is DREAMY, not the sort of businessman I ever had the pleasure to work with, he is confident and a little obnoxious, loyal, has a dry sense of humor, has a BIG HEART when it matters.

So far Sam Roxton is my favorite male character created by Sophie Kinsella, this is saying something considering I read them all.

Poppy Whyatt isn’t Becky Bloomberg, she is a little too cute for my taste however she can get carried away and create some exhilarating situations.

Sam and Poppy work really well together, they find themselves sharing a phone for a while, reading each others emails and texts, developing a friendship.

… and then there is a beautifully written scene, I could feel the  butterflies in my stomach, and the ending…oh the ending! is spectacular.

It made me laugh a lot, plus as I mentioned I became very fond of Sam, it always happens when I read a novel written by Mrs Kinsella, by the end of the book we know a lot about HER and not to much about HIM so I sort of wish for a sequel in which I get to know Sam better.

It would be perfect on screen (if if if…I hated Confession of a Shopaholic, the movie!)

Enjoy

My grade: 4/5

Em

BBAW – Day 4 – Forgotten Treasure

DAY 4: A forgotten Pleasure

I love this theme because I am sure today I will discover the most amazing books, this is where bloggers usually squeeze their brains and come up with the best answers.

Do I have a book that I wish got more attention from the book blogging community?

Yes I do, there are a few titles on my mind. First up it’s a delightful chick lit I read many years ago:

Kate Saunders is an English author, actress and journalist, she writes children books and chick lit, Bachelor Boys really made an impression on me.

Then I would like to mention Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman (ya? dystopian?):

I recommend this book because of its strength, it won’t leave you indifferent.

What’s your forgotten treasure?

Em

Book Blogger Appreciation Week

I consider myself a relatively new blogger who has received lots of encouragement from fellow bloggers so it’s pay back time!

First Question: For those you new to BBAW, what was the first book blog you discovered?

I don’t remember the first blog I discovered but the first one that truly mattered is Angieville by Angie.

Why? I adopted her beloved shelf as my TBR list and so far it hasn’t disappointed me, her reviews are the best because they say everything by saying nothing (significant but spoilers-free) plus she really makes an effort to get to know all her followers. I often associate unpretentiousness and talent, Angie has plenty of both.

Second Question: for those of you who participated in BBAW last year, what’s a great new book blog you’ve discovered since last year’s BBAW?

I didn’t participate last year because I wasn’t blogging but a great book blog I recently discovered is Lit Snit.

Erin, Janelle and Daniela appeared on the blogosphere a couple of months ago but their blog has quickly become one of my favorite, they mix a bit of everything which I like, their reviews are never bland.

Like me they are always on the lookout for a good chick lit, not too obvious, not overly dramatic.

Em

Bad Books I read in 2010

Today I feel like organizing a list of some bad books I read in 201o, if you check my 5/5 list you might think that I am quite generous, truth to be told I am not … it’s just that when I read a book and it’s really bad either I give up (because life is too short) or I simply don’t feel  like sitting here and writing about it.

I bitch all day about all sort of things (office related things especially) and when it comes to books I just want to have fun but I am aware that Bad Reviews are also important,  so here it’s a list of books I read in 2010 and wouldn’t recommend to anybody:

Dark Lover by J.R. Ward

A Kiss of Shadows by Laurell K. Hamilton

You are probably thinking that I am a prude, that’s not it! I selected those two books expecting some steamy Urban Fantasy but I found both books extremely dull and utterly boring

The Duke and I by Julia Quin

I enjoyed The Viscount Who Loved me so much but this one was a disappointment, I hate manipulations in all shapes so I was really annoyed by Daphne

Hostile Makeover by Wendy Wax

I deeply disliked the male character Ross, I failed to see his charming side. I should have know from the description: porsche-driving sales executive …urghhh…welcome to my personal nightmare

Schooled by Anisha Lakhani

I didn’t see the charm, one of those books that tries too hard to be smart, sometimes it works perfectly but this one left me completely unsympathetic

The Gatecrasher by Madeleine Wickham

Madeleine Wickham is in fact Sophie Kinsella but to me they are two completely different writers as I can’t help loving everything Kinsella publishes while hating everything that’s signed by Wickham.

Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr

I am perfectly aware that most readers love this book but I really couldn’t get into it. I wasn’t impressed by Aislinn, fairies are cold sinister creatures  not half as fun as my beloved werewolves.

Hush Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

One of those books in which a character is meant to be dark, dangerous, sexy because the author says so, I like reaching my own conclusions not being told how each character is

What about you?

Em

Sharing is Caring: Chick Lit September Giveaway

September is a very special month, I have a wedding anniversary (1 year!), a birthday (I’ll be turning 29 ), a possible relocation… I am excited and I thought I would share some of the fun by organizing my first  giveaway ever.

I selected two chick lit that I loved but don’t seem to have gained much popularity:

If Andy Warhol had a girlfriend by Alison Pace

The Family Fortune by Laurie Horowitz

Contest is open almost internationally (if BookDepository delivers to your country …).

If Andy Warhol had a girlfriend talks a lot about art, contemporary art especially,  to enter leave a comment telling me the title of your favorite painting, why you love it and a way of contacting you.

Here it’s one of my favorite paintings (Gare Montparnasse. The Melancholy of Departure by Giorgio De Chirico):

I am fond of this painting for its simplicity, the implicit tension, its shadows and lights, its subtlety.

Contest is open until September, 16th (that’s my birthday) , Hope you enjoy!

Em

I went to Vassar for this? by Naomi Neale

We all know how hard it is to discover a  fun-smart-can’t-put-it-down-chick-lit, it’s all  well and good when writers  write about sad things but when comedy kicks in things get complicated.

The way I see it a good chick lit doesn’t rely on sex to keep the reader interested (you won’t find those never-ending steamy paragraphs) and shouldn’t rely on death, illness, catastrophes in all shapes to generate  an emotional reaction.

It’s not easy but Neale (real name Vance Briceland, yes he is a man)  handled everything perfectly well in her/his wondrous novel “Calendar Girl” , I loved that novel, the whole  Elizabethan Failure  Society‘s concept totally applies to my life.

I had great expectations for I went to Vassar for this? but it turned out to be a disappointment.

From  Goodreads:

When modern-day Cathy Voorhees is transported to 1959, screaming and kicking her kitten heels on the board room table, she’s in for a retro treat—her new bosses advances, jello salad, and the granny panties she finds herself forced to wear.

The overall sensation I had while reading this is that the writer  was trying too hard, here it’s a story  that could be sassy-clever-edgy but it’s so overstuffed with references that becomes suffocating.

Plus I had a feeling that Cathy not only time-travelled in time but also had a personality transplant in the process. Overall Cathy displays inconsistent behavior and I did not warm to her character.

There are two very good things: Hank (draws comics about super women, wears framed glasses, unpretentious in that way  geeky types can be , do I need to say more?) and the fact that this could be a perfect screen-play for a movie.  I can imagine  an awesome movie with this storyline and those characters .

It did not work on paper, not for me but others readers think differently.

Vance Briceland writes with different pseudonyms, he is also wrote some ya books (author Naomi Nash) and my next book will be You Are SO Cursed, I see great potential here.

My grade: 2.75/5

Em

One for the money by Janet Evanovich

I honestly don’t know why it took me so long to consider reading Janet Evanovich, encouragement came from  “casting call” on Lit Snit and I am glad I read this one, it was fun.

The movie is also coming up soon and Katherine Heigl has been chosen to play Stephanie Plum:

I love Katherine Heigl but she wouldn’t have been my first choice (while reading this I kept thinking about Julia Roberts in Erin Brockovich).

From Goodreads:

Stephanie Plum is so smart, so honest, and so funny that her narrative charm could drive a documentary on termites. But this tough gal from New Jersey, an unemployed discount lingerie buyer, has a much more interesting story to tell: She has to say that her Miata has been repossessed and that she’s so poor at the moment that she just drank her last bottle of beer for breakfast. She has to say that her only chance out of her present rut is her repugnant cousin Vinnie and his bail-bond business. She has to say that she blackmailed Vinnie into giving her a bail-bond recovery job worth $10,000 (for a murder suspect), even though she doesn’t own a gun and has never apprehended a person in her life. And she has to say that the guy she has to get, Joe Morelli, is the same creep who charmed away her teenage virginity behind the pastry case in the Trenton bakery where she worked after school.

Recipe for a bestseller: feisty sexy heroine aka Stephanie Plum, childhood crush turned into hot cop maybe also a dangerous murderer aka Joe Morelli, a grandmother that could be on stage in a stand-up act, a psycho boxer, a mystery plot, a pinch of sarcasm, a generous amount of sense of humor,  blend them together and voilà your summer read it’s ready-to-go.

It actually works, regardless of characters’ predictability there is a certain freshness in this story, Evanovich can write, she manages to create compelling characters that don’t take themselves too seriously, follow their lead and enjoy the ride, start questioning and the whole thing might collapse into a flabby soufflè.

Stephanie Plum might be a clueless bounty hunter but you can’t argue with her determination, I for instance respect a girl who toughens up and faces dangerous criminals.

I read this on vacation and it was great fun. I don’t know if I will embrace those others 15 books in the series but I have already booked the second one.

My grade: 4/5

Em