Vanishing Acts

Read April 2010 * * * * *

Delia Hopkins has led a charmed life. Raised in rural New Hampshire by her widowed father, Andrew, she now has a young daughter, a handsome fiancé, and her own search-and-rescue bloodhound, which she uses to find missing persons. But as she plans her wedding, she is plagued by flashbacks of a life she can’t recall. And when a policemen arrives to disclose a truth that will upend the world as she knows it, Delia must search through these memories – even when they have the potential to devastate her life, and the lives of those she loves most. Vanishing Acts is a book about the nature and power of memory; about what happens when the past we have been running from catches up to us… and what happens when the memory we thought had vanished returns as a threat.

Brianna says: I loved this book, as I love all of her others. The main story is enough to make you enjoy this book, but she just adds more and more and more, so that you never know which story you want to find out more about. Each character comes with a story, and I love how the book is written in all of their views. Oh Jodi Picoult, I just can't get enough of her books!

How This Works

Hey guys!

So basically if you have read any of the books under "reviews" you can send me a written review and your star level and I will post your reviews under mine. I also will post what I am currently reading on the right hand side of the home page, you are more than welcome to read that too and send me your review. If you have a wish list of books to read you can email that to me, and I will add them to the "wish to read" page, and will read as many of them as I can! My email is bri.beck.19@gmail.com , hope to hear from you guys!

So excited for this book to come out...

Coming out May 11, 2010!

"Tessa Russo is the mother of two young children and the wife of a renowned pediatric surgeon. Despite her mother’s warnings, Tessa has recently given up her career to focus on her family and the pursuit of domestic happiness. From the outside, she seems destined to live a charmed life.

Valerie Anderson is an attorney and single mother to six-year-old Charlie---a boy who has never known his father. After too many disappointments, she has given up on romance---and even, to some degree, friendships---believing that it is always safer not to expect too much.

Although both women live in the same Boston suburb, the two have relatively little in common aside from a fierce love for their children. But one night, a tragic accident causes their lives to converge in ways no one could have imagined.

In alternating, pitch-perfect points of view, Emily Giffin creates a moving, luminous story of good people caught in untenable circumstances. Each being tested in ways they never thought possible. Each questioning everything they once believed. And each ultimately discovering what truly matters most."

Something Blue

"Darcy Rhone thought she had it all figured out: the more beautiful the girl, the more charmed her life. Never mind substance. Never mind playing by the rules. Never mind karma.

But Darcy's neat, perfect world turns upside down when her best friend, Rachel, the plain-Jane “good girl,” steals her fiancé, while Darcy finds herself completely alone for the first time in her life . . . with a baby on the way.

Darcy tries to recover, fleeing to her childhood friend living in London and resorting to her tried-and-true methods for getting what she wants. But as she attempts to recreate her glamorous life on a new continent, Darcy finds that her rules no longer apply. It is only then that Darcy can begin her journey toward self-awareness, forgiveness, and motherhood.

Something Blue is a novel about one woman's surprising discoveries about the true meaning of friendship, love, and happily-ever-after. It's a novel for anyone who has ever, even secretly, wondered if the last thing you want is really the one thing you need."

Brianna Says: Loved this book, make sure to read "something borrowed" first!

Something Borrowed

"Something Borrowed tells the story of Rachel, a young attorney living and working in Manhattan. Rachel has always been the consummate good girl---until her thirtieth birthday, when her best friend, Darcy, throws her a party. That night, after too many drinks, Rachel ends up in bed with Darcy's fiancé. Although she wakes up determined to put the one-night fling behind her, Rachel is horrified to discover that she has genuine feelings for the one guy she should run from. As the September wedding date nears, Rachel knows she has to make a choice. In doing so, she discovers that the lines between right and wrong can be blurry, endings aren't always neat, and sometimes you have to risk all to win true happiness.Something Borrowed is a phenomenal debut novel that will have you laughing, crying, and calling your best friend."

Brianna says: One of my favourite books! Very good light summer read, after this you should read the connecting novel "something blue"

Pride & Prejudice

Read April 2010 * *

"The story follows the main character Elizabeth Bennet as she deals with issues of manners, upbringing, moral rightness, education and marriage in her aristocratic society of early 19th century England. Elizabeth is the second eldest of five daughters of a country gentleman landed in the fictional town of Meryton in Hertfordshire, not far from London.

Though the story's setting is uniquely turn of the 19th century, it retains a fascination for modern readers, continuing near the top of lists of 'most loved books' and still receives considerable attention from literary critics. This modern interest has resulted in a number of dramatic adaptations and an abundance of novels and stories imitating Austen's memorable characters or themes."

Brianna's Review: I found that I was very disappointed with this novel. I’m not sure if it is because maybe I am too young to enjoy it or if its because so many people say that it is an amazing book, and its on the top 50 books to read before you die that maybe I had too high of expectations. It took me a very long time to get into because of the writing style, but I shouldn’t have expected more since it was written approximately in 1796. Once I finally understood what was going on, I found it too be boring and you had to concentrate otherwise I found myself rereading the same paragraph three times! I’m sure in the 1800′s this book was excellent. Who knows, maybe if I watch the movie or read it in a few years I will enjoy it more?

The Memory Keepers Daughter

Read March 2010 * * * * *

"This stunning novel begins on a winter night in 1964, when a blizzard forces Dr. David Henry to deliver his own twins.

His son, born first, is perfectly healthy, but the doctor immediately recognizes that his daughter has Down syndrome. For motives he tells himself are good, he makes a split-second decision that will haunt all their lives forever. He asks his nurse, Caroline, to take the baby away to an institution. Instead, she disappears into another city to raise the child as her own. Compulsively readable and deeply moving, The Memory Keeper's Daughter is a brilliantly crafted story of parallel lives, familial secrets, and the redemptive power of love."

Brianna's Review: This book was soooo good. You are captured from the first chapter, and even when you aren’t reading it, you are for sure thinking about it. I like how the book is set back in time starting in 1964, and how you can see how things have changed through time. It’s crazy to see how one incident can change soo much in everyones life, and is very realistic. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and hope to read another one of her novels. I highly recommend this book to everyone. 5 stars for sure!

Between Sisters

Read March 2010 * * * * 1/2

"Meghann Dontess is haunted by heartbreak. Twenty-seven years ago she was forced to make a terrible choice, one that cost her everything, including the love of her sister, Claire. Now, Meghann is a hotshot divorce attorney who doesn't believe in intimacy-until she meets the one man who can change her mind.

Claire Cavenaugh has fallen in love for the first time in her life. As her wedding day approaches, she prepares to face her harsh, judgmental older sister. It is the first time they have been together in more than two decades. Over the course of a hot Pacific Northwest summer, these two women who believe they have nothing in common will try to become what they never were: a family."

Brianna's Review: I really enjoyed this book even though it took me a while to read. You get to really understand the characters and what they are going through with their dysfunctional family and you get to see two sisters come together. It was good the entire way through and the last 3/4 really captivates you and it is hard to put down. This would be a good book to read while relaxing during the summer!

The Last Song

Read February 2010 * * * * *

"Seventeen year-old Veronica “Ronnie” Miller’s life was turned upside-down when her parents divorced and her father moved from New York City to Wilmington, North Carolina. Three years later, she remains angry and alienated from her parents, especially her father… until her mother decides it would be in everyone’s best interest if she spent the summer in Wilmington with him. Ronnie’s father, a former concert pianist and teacher, is living a quiet life in the beach town, immersed in creating a work of art that will become the centerpiece of a local church. The tale that unfolds is an unforgettable story about love in its myriad forms – first love, the love between parents and children – that demonstrates, as only a Nicholas Sparks novel can, the many ways that deeply felt relationships can break our hearts… and heal them."

Brianna's Review: I must admit, I had very high expectations for his books. From seeing the movies and everyone telling me his books are amazing, I really thought I wouldn’t enjoy it as much as I did. But I loved this book! Happy, sad, cute, humorous, inspiring; this book had it all. Lovely writing style that has you captured from the beginning. I would definatley recommend this book!

The Summer We Fell Apart

Read February 2010 * * * 1/2

"The children of a once-brilliant playwright and a struggling actress, the four Haas siblings grew up in chaos—raised in an environment composed of neglect and glamour in equal measure. When their father dies, they must depend on their intense but fragile bond to remember what it means to be family despite years of anger and hurt. These brothers and sisters are painfully human, sometimes selfish, and almost always making the wrong decisions, but their endearing struggles provide laughter through tears—something anyone who’s ever had a sibling can relate to."

Brianna's Review: I really am not sure what to say or how I feel about this novel. It’s not that it was hard to get into, I just found that the whole book I was waiting for something to happen. I liked how the book was written. The story was about 4 siblings who grew up in a neglected household. She started the book off in the youngest childs narrative, and as Part 2, 3, 4, and 5 came along, she wrote in the next siblings character, until eventually the mothers. As each new part of the novel started, the children were all older. I guess the whole time I was expecting to read more into their neglected childhood to have a better understanding of where they were in their lives. The family is very disfunctional, but I do like the way that the author got you really into the characters, and the way that the family all reacted differently to one another. This was a good book, I wouldn’t say it was one of the best books I’ve read, more or less a book to pass the time.

Salem Falls

Read February 2010 * * * * *

"Jack St. Bride was once a beloved teacher and soccer coach at a girls' prep school - until a student's crush sparked a powder keg of accusation and robbed him of his career and reputation. Now, after a devastatingly public ordeal that left him with an eight-month jail sentence and no job, Jack resolves to pick up the pieces of his life. He takes a job washing dishes at Addie Peabody's diner and slowly starts to form a relationship with her in the quiet New England village of Salem Falls. But just when Jack thinks he has outrun his past, a quartet of teenage girls with a secret turn his world upside down once again, triggering a modern-day witch hunt in a town haunted by its own history…"

Brianna's Review: Once again, another book by Picoult that I thoroughly enjoyed. Her writing has you captured from the beginning of the novel. Once I started, this book was so hard to set down. After reading a few of her books now, I know that she always has a twist, which makes me enjoy her books all the more. Her writing keeps you guessing all the way from the first chapter to the last. I would recommend her books to anyone.

Still Alice

Read February 2010 * * * * *

"Alice Howland, happily married with three grown children and a house on the Cape, is a celebrated Harvard professor at the height of her career when she notices a forgetfulness creeping into her life. As confusion starts to cloud her thinking and her memory begins to fail her, she receives a devastating diagnosis: early onset Alzheimer's disease. Fiercely independent, Alice struggles to maintain her lifestyle and live in the moment, even as her sense of self is being stripped away. In turns heartbreaking, inspiring and terrifying, Still Alice captures in remarkable detail what's it's like to literally lose your mind..."

Brianna's Review: Words don't describe how this book makes you feel when you are reading it. But there is one thing I can say about this book - ‘MUST READ’. I thought this was the most amazing book I have read in a long time. It is about a woman who is diagnosed at the age of 50 with alzheimers. Although I didn’t want to cry, I did for about the last 40 pages…like a baby But I could NOT set it down once I was halfway through. It is sad, realistic, and has an ironic humour too it. I think that everyone should read this book, whether you want a sad book or not, it was AMAZING! I borrowed it from a friend, but may end up looking for a copy at a used book store to keep for myself, because I know at some point down the road, I will want to read it again. She has another book coming out soon, I hope it is just as good.

A Million Little Pieces

Read January 2010

My rating: 2/5


"At the age of 23, James Frey woke up on a plane to find his four front teeth knocked out, his nose broken, and a hole through his cheek. He had no idea where the plane was headed nor any recollection of the past two weeks. An alcoholic for ten years and a crack addict for three, he checked into a treatment facility shortly after landing. There he was told he could either stop using or die before he reached age 24. This is Frey's acclaimed account of his six weeks in rehab."


Brianna's Review: This book was different. His writing was different, and for the first part of the book I found his writing intriguing, and I just wanted to keep reading. But after reading about 1/4 of the book, I didn’t enjoy his writing anymore. It took me a very long time to get through this book, and I found myself skipping paragraphs. I also think the fact that this book is supposed to be a true story, and that later on the author admitted to fabricating large pieces of the book is also disappointing. Now after saying all that, I think the story itself was still good, and in a way encouraging.

Can You Keep a Secret?

Read January 2010 * * * * *

"Emma is sitting on a turbulent plane. She’s always been a v. nervous flyer. She really thinks that this could be her last moment. So, naturally enough, she starts telling the man sitting next to her – quite a dishy American, but she’s too frightened to notice -all her innermost secrets. How she scans the backs of intellectual books and pretends she’s read them. How she does her hair up like Princess Leia in her bedroom. How she’s not sure if she has a G-spot, and whether her boyfriend could find it anyway. How she feels like a fraud at work – everyone uses the word ‘operational’ all the time but she hasn’t a clue what it means. How the coffee at work is horrible. How she once threw a troublesome client file in the bin. If ever there was a bare soul, it’s hers.

She survives the flight, of course, and the next morning the famous founding boss of the whole mega corporation she works for is coming for a look at the UK branch. As he walks around, Emma looks up and realises…

It’s the man from the plane.

What will he do with her secrets? He knows them all – but she doesn’t know a single one of his. Or… does she?"

Brianna's Review: As usual, another Sophia Kinsella book that I loved. I laughed from beginning to end, and when I was not laughing, I had a grin from ear to ear. Her sense of humour is just so realistic, and easy to relate to. Love love love her books, I’ve read them all now and can’t wait for her to publish more!

Crazy Love

Read January 2010 * * * *

"If you and I met at one of our children's birthday parties, in the hallway at work, or at a neighbor's barbecue, you'd never guess my secret: that as a young woman I fell in love with and married a man who beat me regularly and nearly killed me.

I don’t look the part. I have an MBA and an undergraduate degree from Ivy League schools. I live in a red brick house on a tree-lined street in one of the prettiest neighborhoods in Washington, DC. I’ve got 15 years of marketing experience at Fortune 500 companies and a best-selling book about motherhood to my name. A smart, loyal husband with a sexy gap in his front teeth, a softie who puts out food for the stray kittens in our alley. Three rambunctious, well-loved children. A dog and three cats of our own. Everyone in my family is blonde (the people, at least).

Ah, if only being well-educated and blonde and coming from a good family were enough to defang all life’s demons.

If I were brave enough the first time I met you, I'd try to share what torture it is to fall in love with a good man who cannot leave a violent past behind. I’d tell you why I stayed for years, and how I finally confronted someone whose love I valued almost more than my own life. Then maybe the next time you came across a woman in an abusive relationship, instead of asking why anyone stays with a man who beats her, you’d have the empathy and courage to help her on her way.

We all have secrets we don't reveal the first time we cross paths with others. This is mine."

Brianna's Review : This book was good, but sad. It's a true story about a woman who was abused by her husband. It's sad that it happens every day in real life, and this book really reminds you of that. It must have been really hard for her to write this book. For the readers who may think this book sounds depressing, the ending is happy if that helps you get through!

My Sisters Keeper

Read: January 2010 * * * * *

"Anna is not sick, but she might as well be. By age thirteen, she has undergone countless surgeries, transfusions, and shots so that her older sister, Kate, can somehow fight the leukemia that has plagued her since childhood. The product of preimplantation genetic diagnosis, Anna was conceived as a bone marrow match for Kate - a life and a role that she has never questioned… until now. Like most teenagers, Anna is beginning to question who she truly is. But unlike most teenagers, she has always been defined in terms of her sister - and so Anna makes a decision that for most would be unthinkable… a decision that will tear her family apart and have perhaps fatal consequences for the sister she loves. My Sister's Keeper examines what it means to be a good parent, a good sister, a good person. Is it morally correct to do whatever it takes to save a child's life… even if that means infringing upon the rights of another? Is it worth trying to discover who you really are, if that quest makes you like yourself less?"

Brianna's Review: Amazing! One of my favourite authors. I love her writing, she always has such a controversial topic, and always has the reader thinking. The end brought many tears, can't wait to see the movie, I know I will need a box of Kleenex... or two :)

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