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

A brief Summary

I can’t believe that my last post here was written more than one year ago!

For those of you who are interested here it’s a brief summary of my 2011:

* in february I moved back to Milan and for a while we had been renting a VERY little place in Milan;

* in may I had a baby, her name is Carola and she is almost six month old, here it’s a picture of us on vacation:

I had a natural childbirth because by the time I arrived to the hospital it was too late for an epidural, it was better & faster than expected…would I do it again? Next time I’ll make sure to be on time for my epidural 🙂

* I read a TON of books about babies (The baby whisperer by Tracy Hogg, a book by William and Marta Sears, Your Baby and Child by Penelope Leach and many others) , currently I am exclusively breastfeeding but weaning will be staring soon.  I am lucky because my little Caro is a very sweet baby who sleeps  through the night and sometimes takes a long nap in the early afternoon;

* during the summer we moved again (this time it’s our place, no more renting!) and we are currently decorating, we bought paint & stencils on-line, it’s hard work but great fun:

Right now I am on maternity leave but I don’t really have too much time for reading and reviewing,  here are a few books that I recently read:

Jane by April Lindner, Angie was right, I really enjoyed this retelling of Jane Eyre, although I am not crazy about the original one

You don’t have to say you love me by Sarra Manning, surprisingly I did not love this one, Neve and Max sort of got on my nerves but I must admit that I still haven’t come across a book by Sarra Manning that isn’t utterly compelling and somehow juicy

Pug Hill by Alison Pace, not my kind of story… I was bored from the beginning to the end

Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire, I completely agree with a few reviews that I found on Goodreads: THIS BOOK IS LIKE CRACK

The Help by Kathryn Stockett, a keeper! Now I understand what all the fuss was about, I loved it

My one and only by Kristin Higgins, I regard myself as a very picky reader when it comes to contemporary romance… I love the concept but actual books often disappoint me, this was not the case with My one and only, it’s really really fun

Ciao

Em

Friday I am in love

In less than one month I will celebrate my first wedding anniversary. All my friends will tell you that I am everything but romantic (it’s false, I am an hopeless romantic but I do it in my own way) , on the surface my husband is even worse, we are both really lazy when it comes to cooking, buying each other presents, dressing up …  he didn’t propose with a grand gesture  and I never wanted an engagement ring so I don’t have one (I am not pretending because I don’t have one, I really don’t care).

One thing I do on a weekly basis (or at least I used to) is coming up with “love playlists”, here it’s one  that I constantly play on my iPod:

The Blower’s Daughter by Damien Rice (no I don’t think it’s overrated and yes I love Damien Rice)

There is too much love by  Belle and Sebastian

Better Together by Jack Johnson (perfect album on a sunday morning)

If I ever feel better by The Phoenix (this is an old one by The Phoenix  but still a favorite of mine)

You Will You Will (Bright Eyes Cover) by Snow Patrol (I feel like crying)

Dreaming of you by The Coral

Fix You by The Coldplay

All I need by The Radiohead (call it addiction, as depressing as it sounds I am addicted to their music)

Slow Show by The National (currently my favorite band so I have to add one of their songs)

Falling Slowly by The Frames (if you haven’t seen the movie Once I highly recommend it)

Better by Regina Spektor

Sweet Disposition by The Temper Trap

Hope you like it, feel free to recommend some more

Em

Personal YA anecdote. What about your experience?

As some of you know I am Italian (although I have lived abroad for almost six-years)… how does the school system work in Italy?

3-5:  we are in kindergarten, 6-10:  we attend primary school, 11-13:  we are in middle-school, 14-18:  we attend high school and then off we go into university.

Differently from other countries we rarely attend private schools (mainly managed by catholic institutions).

Public schools are free which is great but our country is always in financial trouble and this has some practical implications like leaking roofs, lack of facilities and more serious issues…yet part of the available money are given to private schools.

Families that send their kids into private schools  pay taxes (lots of taxes like everybody else) so some people claim it’s fair to give them some money back , other people believe it’s their own business as their kids would be welcome into the public system (if they prefer  a private system they  should  pay for it).

What’s more important: the value of freedom or the duty to give everybody an education?

It’s an open debate but if we start encouraging a private system  there will be no turning back, I understand both views but I proactively support a  “public free education “  as I value equality more than freedom.

Every year lots of students make a point of protesting  against the government and this new trend that encourages private education (among other things), protests started many years ago , what happens is called “occupation” meaning taking control of the school (sometimes students sleep in the building)  for one week or so and stop academic activities:

I won’t go into a discussion about the ethics of the whole operation (is it fair that a majority of students take control of the entire  school? What about the minority that would rather take regular lessons?  Did this approach bring some improvements in our school system?).

My freshman year, I was 14 years old,  there was an “occupation” in my school: an unforgettable experience!

Older students organized a schedule with classes on  sexual education (that’s right an 18 years old boy was briefing us on sex and contraception), drugs & liberalization of drugs , immigration & politics.

I was attending “politics” and the guy who was hosting the meeting was raging against private schools with a superficial obnoxious attitude , I thought “I can’t take more of this crap” and without realizing what I was doing I raised my hand and found thirty pairs of eyes on me.

I sucked at public speaking (I still do) my face turned  deep crimson as  I bravely stood up and argued my point with   this 17 years-old guy, obnoxious yeah  but  way more popular than I was.

What I didn’t know is that another boy sitting in that room was really impressed by my speech and  developed a little crush on me or so he claims.

In retrospective this is how everything started.

This is as close as my life ever got to a YA novel…what about your experience?

Em

The Beatles in my life aka crash course in happiness

Yesterday I won a wonderful contest on the Book Binge : a Copy of The Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg (see review and contest here).

What was this contest about? The Beatles !

What’s so great about this contest? Comments that bloggers came up with:

http://jmartinlibrarian.wordpress.com/2010/06/09/win-a-copy-of-the-lonely-hearts-club-by-elizabeth-eulberg/

I love the Beatles (and I would like to post a picture of me in Abbey Road here but I can’t find it) and the way their lyrics influenced our culture, this is one of my favorite reference because it’s so true (and Levithan is a genius):

“First single. Fucking brilliant. Perhaps the most fucking brilliant song ever written. Because they nailed it. That’s what everyone wants. Not 24-7 hot wet sex. Not a marriage that lasts a hundred years. Not a Porsche or a blow job or a million-dollar crib. No. They wanna hold your hand. They have such a feeling that they can’t hide. Every single successful love song of the past fifty years can be traced back to ‘I Wanna Hold Your Hand.’ And every single successful love story has those unbearable and unbearably exciting moments of hand-holding. Trust me. I’ve thought a lot about this”

About “I wanna hold your hand” by The Beatles” — David Levithan (Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist)

Can you think of other great Beatles’ references or books somehow influenced by their music?

The thing about this band is that their songs put me in a good mood, some lyrics might be cheesy but they make me feel happy.

The Beatles in my life aka crash course in happiness:

All you need is love: All you need is love, love/ Love is all you need

I want to hold your hand: And when I touch you i feel happy, inside/It´s such a feeling/That my love/I can’t hide

Let it be: Let it be, let it be/Let it be, yeah, let it be/Whisper words of wisdom/Let it be/

A little help from my friends: No, I get by with a little help from my friends/Mm, I get high with a little help from my friends/Mm,Gonna try with a little help from my friends

We can work it out: Life is very short, and there’s no time/For fussing and fighting, my friend./I have always thought that it’s a crime,/So I will ask you once again.

Hey Jude: And anytime you feel the pain, hey Jude, refrain,/Don’t carry the world upon your shoulders./
For well you know that it’s a fool who plays it cool/By making his world a little colder.

Em

One day by David Nicholls

I was recommended One Day by a friend who told me “it’s a chick lit with a twist” which is true but this is a story that deserves a bit more consideration than your average romantic novel (and be ready because it’s a pretty big twist that will hit you like a bullet).

I cannot say that this novel it’s an instant classic (it’s written on the cover), there are many stereotypes and situations that I’ve seen before but it worked for me and I found myself absorbed in the story of Dexter and Emma.

15th July 1988. Emma and Dexter meet on the night of their graduation and almost sleep together, we might say that nothing really happens and yet everything happens because Em and Dex experience one of those it-happens-once-in-a-lifetime connection and don’t let  go of each other, they become friends.

“This is me.’” He handed her the precious scrap of paper. ‘Call me or I’ll call you, but one of us will call, yes? What I mean is it’s not a competition. You don’t lose if you phone first”

Each chapter covers the same day, 15th July,  from 1988 until 2007, by the end of the story Em and Dex become friends of yours, I feel like if I have known them for twenty years.

Nicholls  pays homage to Fitzgerald (Dexter’s character) without achieving quite the same beautiful and damned quality as Dex is more obnoxious than charming but he does have a good side and I enjoyed his character.

Dex is a very handsome lazy young man who turns into an arrogant ambitious tv presenter and slowly falls into alcoholism and drugs, self-absorbed and sex-addicted he reaches that point in which not even his natural charm and good humor can make up for his awful behavior.

Em starts as a self-deprecating, artsy, smart girl who is wasting her talent away until she starts teaching and writing finally conquering the gift of confidence. Emma has a crush on Dexter but she won’t act on it (she has a self-esteem, she wants everything or nothing).

WEDNESDAY, 15 JULY 1992 (The Dodecanese Islands, Greece)

‘I take it that’s a no then,’ he said eventually, pinching the sea-water from his nose.
‘I think so. I think our moment passed some time ago.’
‘Oh. Really. Are you sure? Because I think we’d feel much better if we got it out of the way.’
‘Got it out of the way?’
‘I just think we’d feel closer. As friends.’
‘You’re worried that not sleeping together could spoil our friendship?’
‘I’m not expressing myself very well—’
‘Dexter, I understand you perfectly, that’s the problem—’
‘If you’re scared of Ingrid—’
‘I’m not scared of her, I’m just not going to do it so that we can say that we’ve done it. And I’m not going to do it if the first thing you say afterwards is “please don’t tell anyone” or “let’s forget it ever happened”.If you have to keep something secret it’s because you shouldn’t be doing it in the first place!’

Dex vs Em:

* doesn’t care for politics vs a radical activist

* not a very brilliant student vs honors

* extremely good looking vs pretty girl (she is a redhead) with spectacles

* wealthy family vs working class

* an ass vs a girl who cares

I only like Dex when he is around Em, I love the dynamic of their friendship and I became really fond of this pair.

What I liked about this book:

* the witty bantering, dialogues, conversation

* Emma, she is precious. I adored her sense of humor, her clever observations, her fear of skinny-dipping

* quotes  (some of them are truly brilliant, ‘They spoke very little of their mutual feelings: pretty phrases and warm attentions being probably unnecessary between such tried friend.’ – Thomas Hardy, Far from the Madding Crowd)

What I didn’t like about this book is how Nicholls focuses exclusively  on characters and dialogues but wastes an opportunity when it comes to creating a strong background social contest, this is a story that covers twenty years and yet I didn’t realize time was passing, there are no references to what happens out there around Em and Dex.

To progress further I should probably give away a big spoiler but it wouldn’t be fair to do so, I will just say that the ending left me with a smile on my face and a tight not in my stomach. A bittersweet taste that really got me thinking about life, love, bad-timing.

This novel would make a brilliant movie and apparently Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess are being recruited those days, I really don’t see how Hathaway can play Emma, she is far too pretty and she is not a redhead.

If I only had one song for this book:

Unfinished sympathy by Massive Attack
I know that I’ve been mad in love before
And how it could be with you
Really hurt me baby, really cut me baby
How can you have a day without a night
You’re the book that I have opened
And now I’ve got to know much more
The curiousness of your potential kiss
Has got my mind and body aching
Really hurt me baby, really cut me baby
How can you have a day without a night
You’re the book that I have opened
And now I’ve got to know much more
Like a soul without a mind
In a body without a heart
I’m missing every part

I hope you’ll put it in your TBR list for the summer (let me know what you think).

Other reviews:

Lit Snit

Write Meg

My grade: 4/5

Em

Just Listen by Sarah Dessen

“The best way out is always through”

Today I stayed all day curled up on my couch re-reading Just Listen, it’s a wonderful sunny day so everybody else went to the park and I took advantage of the situation (I have a cough) to enjoy a few hours of solitude.

I love Sarah Dessen, sometimes I forget how good she is.

From Goodreads:

Last year, Annabel was “the girl who has everything”—at least that’s the part she played in the television commercial for Kopf’s Department Store.This year, she’s the girl who has nothing: no best friend because mean-but-exciting Sophie dropped her, no peace at home since her older sister became anorexic, and no one to sit with at lunch. Until she meets Owen Armstrong. Tall, dark, and music-obsessed, Owen is a reformed bad boy with a commitment to  truth-telling. With Owen’s help,maybe Annabel can face what happened the night she and Sophie stopped being friends.

There are  many good reasons why I love Sarah Dessen so much (and it’s true that occurring dynamics in her books are often similar but I honestly don’t care):

* great characterization, I have never been disappointed by a main character in her novels and Annabel is no exception.

* she deals with issues with the right touch of realism, humor and optimism. Eating disorders, modeling, anger, high school dynamics, family relationships.  I never have a feeling that Dessen is giving me a lecture which I appreciate (“Don’t think or judge”  “Just listen” ).

* she creates awesome Boy characters and I can’t help falling for them,  each time they steal my heart. Owen is one of my favorite (my all time favorite  being Dexter from This Lullaby) , he is really into music and he has strict rule of always saying the truth. I like the way Owen expresses himself through songs and playlists.

I might sound nostalgic but when I was 16 I used to make and receive all kind of mix cd (and tapes) for friends, boyfriends, it was a way for impressing each other with our awesome personality and musical knowledge but it was also  sweet, personal and caring.

Since Mp3 files appeared on the scene together with all kind of readers that old practice of swapping mix cd has stopped and I honestly miss it.

On a personal level Just Listen presented me with a very interesting point of view regarding how to handle conflicts, disagreements and confrontations…I am very bad at confrontation not in the way Owen is,  I don’t do confrontations  and I keep everything inside.

I might try to experiment some of those techniques that Owen explains to Annabel and see if I can make them work.

My grade: 4/5

Em

The Viscount who loved me by Julia Queen

I recall mentioning on this blog that I am not really into historical romance, scratch that as I hadn’t heard of Julia Quinn.

A few weeks ago I created an account on goodreads and wandering into people’s lists I read many good reviews on Julia Queen, I asked for advise and The Viscount who loved me was strongly recommended as a starting point into Quinn  historical romantic world.

I was hooked on page 1 (the same thrilling sensation I had when I started reading Practice Makes Perfect by Julie James or Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie)

From Goodreads:

“1814 promises to be another eventful season, but not, This Author believes, for Anthony Bridgerton, London’s most elusive bachelor, who has shown no indication that he plans to marry. And in all truth, why should he? When it comes to playing the consummate rake, nobody does it better…
–Lady Whistledown’s Society Papers, April 1814
But this time the gossip columnists have it wrong. Anthony Bridgerton hasn’t just decided to marry–he’s even chosen a wife! The only obstacle is his intended’s older sister, Kate Sheffield–the most meddlesome woman ever to grace a London ballroom. The spirited schemer is driving Anthony mad with her determination to stop the betrothal, but when he closes his eyes at night, Kate’s the woman haunting his increasingly erotic dreams…
Contrary to popular belief, Kate is quite sure that reformed rakes do not make the best husbands–and Anthony Bridgerton is the most wicked rogue of them all. Kate’s determined to protect her sister–but she fears her own heart is vulnerable. And when Anthony’s lips touch hers, she’s suddenly afraid she might not be able to resist the reprehensible rake herself.”

When it comes to romance I always  enjoy when  Hero and Heroine cannot stand each other at first and then fall in love.

The part that I like  most is when they fight (physically or figuratively speaking), dialogues in which h/h try to outsmart each other are always my favorite part.  When they eventually realize that it is indeed Love I get bored. For me it’s all about the  build-up when Things Happen I lose interest.

Things usually happen too fast and that doesn’t work for me, The Viscount who loved me is engaging from start to end, the is a proper characterization: Kate Sheffield is unconventionally beautiful, smart, outspoken and resourceful, Anthony might be a tiny bit obnoxious and is a rake, but at least he has a sense of humor.

If you had a stressful week this it’s a great cheer-me-up fun book,  I highly recommend it.

My grade: 4/5

Em

Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman

Nought & Crosses is the first book in the Nougths & Crosses series by Malorie Blackman. This series  is settled in a dystopian world in which people with black skin (cross) rule over people with white skin (noughts) , in a society dominated by  injustice and prejudice the story focuses on two families with very different positions and the strong friendship between their youngest member Persephone Hadley and Callum McGregor.

From Amazon:

Sephy and Callum have been best friends since childhood, and now they are older and they realize they want more from each other. But the harsh realities of lives lived in a segregated society are beginning to take their toll: Callum is a nought–a second-class citizen in a world dominated by the Crosses–and Sephy is a Cross, and the daughter of one of the most powerful men in the country. The barriers they would have to cross to be together at first seem little more than minor obstacles to the two idealistic teenagers, but soon those barriers threaten not only their friendship but their lives.

This story possesses an intensity and a brutality that gripped me for a few days without letting go of my emotions, it has a thriller pace but it is also a love story, think about “Romeo and Juliet” with a strong focus on the racial problem.

Main themes:

* Social Injustice/Segregation/Racial Discrimination;

* Rebellion and Terrorism. Jude (Callum’s  brother) and their father  Ryan,  join the Liberation Militia, a violent terrorist organization  aimed at promoting equality between the two races. Callum and Sephie fall in love with each other but a series of events persuades also Callum to join the Militia.  Blackman  doesn’t pass judgments, the very delicate theme of  terrorism  is filtered through  Callum and Sephie voices;

* Deception and discovery of love;

Callum and Sephie display a passivity and an acceptance of their destiny (or rather lack of one) that made me want to scream and shake them, there is a feeling of tragic unavoidability,  no possibility for  hope.

Towards the end the plot takes a more dramatic twist and the ending is powerful. I was left emotionally drained, it took me while to recover and consider the second book in the series (I am glad I did).

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

My grade: 5/5

Em