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.