The Opposite Of Me

Read June 2010 * * * * *

"Twenty-nine-year-old Lindsey Rose has, for as long as she can remember, lived in the shadow of her ravishingly beautiful fraternal twin sister, Alex. Determined to get noticed, Lindsey is finally on the cusp of being named VP creative director of an elite New York advertising agency, after years of eighty-plus-hour weeks, migraines, and profound loneliness. But during the course of one devastating night, Lindsey’s carefully constructed life implodes. Humiliated, she flees the glitter of Manhattan and retreats to the time warp of her parents’ Maryland home. As her sister plans her lavish wedding to her Prince Charming, Lindsey struggles to maintain her identity as the smart, responsible twin while she furtively tries to piece her career back together. But things get more complicated when a long-held family secret is unleashed that forces both sisters to reconsider who they are and who they are meant to be."

Brianna`s Review: CUTE! Twins, who are clearly not identical, have two completely different personalities and life dreams. As they get older they drift apart, and barely really talk anymore. Then something happens to bring Lindsey home, and she is stuck spending more time with her sister. I thought this book was adorable, funny, and realistic. I loved all the characters, including mom and dad (they were funny). And of course, what you think would be the main part of this story is the sisters, but there is sooo much more. As far as I know, this was her only novel, but if I see another, I will definatley be reading it. This book makes you want to call up your sister, just because.

Crow Lake

Read June 2010 * * * * *

"Mary Lawson's debut novel concerns a young woman, Kate Morrison, a zoologist who is hundreds of miles away from her childhood home of Crow Lake in the isolated regions of northern Ontario. Yet she can't escape the memories of her past, the car accident that killed her parents, her older brother who took her out to the pond to teach her about the wildlife there, and the violence of the neighbors whose lives were intertwined with her family. Embarking on a new love, Kate must come to grips with her past to fashion her own future. This novel has received high praise from almost all reviewers. The Washington Post calls Crow Lake, "the kind of book that keeps you reading well past midnight; you grieve when it's over."

Brianna's Review: this book was beautifully written. I loved this book from the beginning to the end. It was believable, and understandable, and I love how it is written in the characters view mostly when she was around the ages of 7 and 8. A story that really makes you love your family, and cherish everything that you have.

Barefoot

Read June 2010 * * * *

"Three women arrive at the local airport, observed by Josh, a Nantucket native home from college for the summer. Burdened with small children, unwieldy straw hats, and some obvious emotional issues, the women-- two sisters and one friend--make their way to the sisters' tiny cottage, inherited from an aunt. They're all trying to escape from something: Melanie, after seven failed in-vitro attempts, learned her husband was having an affair, and then discovered she's pregnant; Brenda embarked on a passionate affair with an older student that got her fired from her prestigious job as a professor in New York; and her sister Vicki, mother to two small boys, has been diagnosed with lung cancer. Soon Josh is part of the chaotic household, acting as babysitter, confidant, and, eventually, lover."

Brianna's Review: Good summer read, really made me want to be up at my cottage! The story is about three women, and a young man named Josh, and they each have their own issues going on, but are all intertwined. I loved all of the characters, and thoroughly liked the ending.

Heart of the Matter

Read June 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.”

Brianna's review: Yet another Emily Giffin book that I love. She only has 5 books, and I can't say a bad thing about any of them. Love and feel for both characters, as the entire book is written in two different characters views. I want one thing to happen, and yet want something totally different to happen the entire time. It was so hard to put down, and I was thinking about the book when I wasn't reading it, which to me is a good sign that I loved the book. Happy with the ending, and she has wonderful choice of wording throughout. Once again, I love Emily Giffin and her writing. Can't wait till I hear about another one of her books!

The Wife's Tale

Read May 2010 * * * * *

“Mary is fat. Not just fat, but morbidly obese. She knows she’s fat (thank you very much) and lives her life in defensive, deflective blame, isolating herself in the small farming town of Leaford, Ontario, the locale of Lori Lansens’ first two novels. Everyone skirts the subject of her weight, the literal elephant in the room. Mary and her husband Gooch have gradually drifted away from each other. On their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary, Mary’s husband disappears. Bewildered, Mary abandons her sheltered life in pursuit of him across America, encountering a dazzling array of characters and discovering a boundless supply of human kindness in unexpected places. Runaway children, single mothers, taxi drivers, migrant workers and bitter relatives enter her life in chaotic fashion. Pounds melt away as she walks, runs, swims, drives and flies in momentous steps from claustrophobic Leaford to the freedom of California, hermissing husband a spectre dogging each step. She discovers new worlds in hidden pockets of Los Angeles before she arrives at her final destination, the most unexpected surprise of all.”

Brianna's Review: I loved this book. It was hard to set down once I started reading. The characters are amazing and watching them transform throughout the novel was really believable and inspirational. Very light summer read and I would recommend it for sure.