Review: Now and Then

Now & Then by Jacqueline Sheehan tells the story of Anna and her nephew, Joseph. Starting in present time, Anna has just returned from a trip to Ireland to find her brother has been in a life threatening accident and her nephew is in police custody for stealing a car. After checking in at the hospital, Anna is sent to retrieve Joseph. Joseph spends the night at his Aunt Anna's house and, propelled by a dream he has, he rifles through Anna's yet to be unpacked suitcase. Anna catches up and something spirals them back in time to Ireland 1884. They are separated, each taken in by different families, and left to try to piece together what happened to them.

Jaqueline Sheehan

While I did enjoy the writing of this novel, for the majority of the time I spent reading it, I felt the presence of the wholes in the story and found myself longing for answers to open ended questions. It's not until the end up of the novel do you find out just what happened to Anna and Joseph that capitulated back in time. It makes sense that that scene is placed where it is, but it also causes confusion throughout because it was difficult to fully accept that the pair somehow magically just time traveled back to the 19^th century. I had a hard time suspending my belief to completely accept the story line.

That said, I did enjoy the characters in this novel. They are interesting and have a depth that brings them off the page. Anna is a strong woman and although her world is turned upside down, she works hard to make sense of what's happening to her. It's touching how worried about her nephew she is and that she makes it her main priority to find him after they've been separated. Joseph is a fascinating character because he comes of age in many ways throughout his (unexplained) time in 1884 Ireland. He's taken under the wing of a wealthy English man who makes Joseph into an unbeatable wrestler. Joseph relishes in his success and also finds love. He's torn between wanting to please his new master and wanting to be with the girl he loves. It's touching to see him deal with these struggles throughout the novel.

Now & Then is an entertaining read, especially if you've read other novels by Jacqueline Sheehan. Her writing style stays consistent but I felt unsatisfied throughout my reading until the very end when every single question is left to be answered.

Review: Someone Like You

Someone Like You by Cathy Kelly tells these story of three women who meet randomly on a trip to Egypt and forge a friendship that proves to be lasting through both happy and trying times. Leonie is a divorced mother who decided to treat herself with a relaxing vacation. She loves her children but is also looking for the love of her life. Emma was dragged along by her overbearing parents- a father who thinks he's the end all be all of everything and a mother who caters to his every need-and she needs an escape. Hannah is an independent American expat who is done with men and focused on bettering herself and her career. Although they seem like an unlikely pairing, these women form a true bond and as their lives carry them on, they are continuously intertwined in each others lives, for better or worse.

Cathy Kelly delivers yet another wonderfully engaging, emotionally captivating novel. What I love most about Kelly's novels is the way she creates such relatable characters. Although it took me a bit to get past the exposition and really dive into the story, once I did I was fully involved in each woman's story. As I continued to read I felt like Leonie, Hannah and Emma were not only friends with each other but friends of mine as well. Kelly's descriptive writing makes it easy to feel like you are personally involved in the character's lives, allowing you to cheer them on or hoping they make the right decisions. These women are exceptionally relatable, to the point that, at times, I felt like I was reading about my own life. I have several pages dog-earred because of quotes I related to so much I wanted to remember where they were.

Cathy Kelly

A big reason for all of this is because Kelly truly has a way with words. She's skilled in knowing just how to describe situations or emotions in order to bring them to life. The stories flow without awkward transitions and each of the three story lines meld together and never feel jumbled. A few times I thought chapters ended abruptly and I had to double check to make sure the next chapter was indeed starting, but I found myself often unable or not wanting to put the book down. I wanted to dive further into the stories and see how things would unfold.

My other favorite aspect of Cathy Kelly novels is how she deals with love. Once again, I found myself entranced by the notion of love between these women and the men that are in or come into their lives. What was new for me, though, with Someone Like You, was that this novel also deals with meeting the wrong men and what that does to a women. While I was cheering on one couple, warmed by their apparent love for each other and could bask with them in the glow of finding each other; I was simultaneously hating another man for hurting one of the women and hoping that soon he would get kicked to the curb.

Someone Like You proves to be a wonderful story of how important girlfriends are, how comforting love can be and also how important finding your independence is.

Review: If You Were Here

Just finished reading If You Were Here, Jen Lancaster's first fictional novel, and couldn't wait to discuss it.

As I said in my previous post, this book was everything I hoped it would be. And more. Lancaster's unique voice shines through her characters, keeping right on point with the clever wit and hilarious sarcasm. At several points throughout the novel, I literally laughed out loud at the comedy of phrasing and the situations these characters, Mac and Mia, get themselves in. One of my favorite lines in the entire book comes after a local gang member in the Chicago neighborhood tries to throw a Molotov Cocktail at their rental home. He fails and Mia remarks, “One second he's standing there looking all smug and menacing in his ski mask, and the next, he's covered in turpentine and flaming harder than Boys Town on Pride weekend.” HI-larious. Humorous remarks like this land throughout If You Were Here.

Clever one liners aside, the story itself is quite interesting. If You Were Here tells the story of Mac and Mia, a Chicago based couple who decide it's time to make the move to the suburbs. After looking at an endless supply of almost houses, they settle on a money pit of a house in need of total renovation. The story retells their adventures in DIY home repair, hiring contractors, renovation nightmares and all things in between. What I loved was the twists and turns this novel takes. There are many unpredictable points reached that I never saw coming. They added a captivating element that made it hard to put the book down. I also really enjoyed that just when you think things can't get any worse or go any further, they do. Lancaster does a great job of setting up scenes and then taking it to the brink, keeping the reader engaged and entertained.

Mac and Mia (who slightly resemble Jen and Fletch in some ways from the memoirs, in a good way) have an interesting and realistic relationship that you can't not root for all the way to the end. Lancaster delves into the other side of happily ever after and hits at real marital problems stemming from financial woes, house disrepair and disagreements. We, the readers, get to see this couple work through such looming problems, making Mac and Mia seem more like old friends than simply characters on a page.

My only (minor) gripe is that I wish Mia was a little more confrontational up front when having to deal with overbearing neighbors and pushy executives and the like. In the end though, she steps up and makes her voice heard in a fantastic way.

Lancaster has successfully made her mark on the fiction world and I can't wait to see where she takes us next.

Jen Lancaster, in person.

If you're a book nerd like me then getting to meet one of your favorite authors in person is always a big thrill.


Last weekend I had the pleasure of attending my second (!) Jen Lancaster book signing for her new novel, If You Were Here.

This is Lancaster's first work of fiction, which is quite exciting. I'm totally obsessed with her memoirs and couldn't wait to my my hands on this book. Luckily, my sister pre-ordered me a copy for my birthday (Thanks, sis!) and I got it just in time for the event.

Even getting to the Barnes and Noble the better part of an hour early, it was still standing room only left. The crowds had already formed to hear Lancaster read, answer questions and get books signed. My friend Jen and I patiently waited, discussing all things Jen Lancaster: previous books and the parts we loved, how Lancaster might make her entrance (we hoped pumping her fists like Rocky to “Eye of the Tiger”....no luck), and what we thought the new novel was going to be like.

Then the time came, Lancaster came to the podium as the crowd snaked all around the upstairs of Barnes and Noble cheered. She started off reading an excerpt from If You Were Here that had everyone laughing out loud at her trademark humor and wit. There's certainly no lacking of Lancaster's voice in her characters. With that excerpt, anyone who hadn't read the book yet (Jen and I included) couldn't wait to see what else was in store. Following the reading Lancaster answered questions from the audience about her pets, what she misses about the city and other things book related.

Lancaster's just as funny in person as she is in her writing and it always a pleasure getting to hear her speak. After a quick coffee break, it was time to get our books signed. Jen and I stepped into the line winding around various book shelves displaying titles from all things gardening to parenting, spirituality and all things in between. We spent out time waiting entertaining ourselves discussing random book titles and reading through a book of useless information (example: people, on average, laugh about 13 times per day.) Finally, it was almost our turn. We briefly discussed what we should talk about while getting our books signs and then we were. Lancaster was friendly and open as she signed out books and posed for a picture. It was a fantastically fun evening and I've since made my way over halfway through If You Were Here. So far I'll say it's everything I hoped it would be.

Lifelines.

Among the many things I love about books and reading is that sometimes you come across something where the author can express in words exactly what you are thinking or feeling in way you couldn't figure out how to do.

I find this happens to me especially at times when I am going through something life changing. Whether is meeting someone or breaking up with someone, making career changes or exploring new adventures I always happen to stumble across a book expressing my exact sentiments that I couldn't find the words for. And when this happens, these stories become life lines- something to hold on through as you figure your way through. It keeps you grounded and serves as a reference point to which you can look back for inspiration, courage or remembrance.

When I find books like this I hold on to them and find that I reread them over again when I am faced with a situation similar to the one that latched my onto the story in the first place.

One of my favorites is a book by Alison Pace called Through Thick and Thin. It tells the story of two sisters, Meredith and Stephanie who lead completely opposite lives. They both bond and separate because of dieting and they try to deal with the issues of their lives while trying to lose weight. At one point Meredith adopts a dog and decides to try a dog yoga, or doga if you will, class. As Meredith struggles through poses her teacher says something so simple, yet so brilliant. "Try easy," he says. What a revelation! And this can be applied to so many things in life. I recall the scene from this book constantly when something is giving me trouble. I'll take a moment and repeat: try easy. I think we have a tendency to make thing far more complicated than they may actually need to be. We get ourselves all worked up into a frenzied, stressed out state of madness until we can't see which way is up. If we take a moment, breathe, and try easy things just might turn around.

Another book I turn to constantly because it's so full of wisdom that I learn something new every time is Eat, Pray, Love. Elizabeth Gilbert offers such insightful views on so many important aspects of life: love, relationships, self discovery, work... to name a few. I tend to turn back to Eat, Pray, Love after things turn sour in my love life. I see a lot of similarities between myself and Gilbert in the way we behave in relationships (as I'm sure many women and maybe even some men do too.) It's nice to turn back to this book and rereard Gilbert's comforting words, like wrapping myself in my coziest blanket and settling in for the period of "getting over it" or "moving on."

Another book I've mentioned here that offers some great advice is Cathy Kelly's Past Secrets. In it Maggie suffers a devastating breakup after discovering her boyfriend's been cheating. Her friend suggests getting back at him, making him suffer and other sorts of revenge. Instead of giving in Maggie says, "I'm trying to put myself in the happy Zen state where the only true revenge is living my own life well." And it's true. You can't look anything but fabulous and confident when you are living your best life to its fullest potential. Instead of worrying about him (or her if the case may be) you focus on you. You make you better and you sink your teeth into carpe diem.

Most recently I've been reading Now and Then by Jacqueline Sheehan. It's been an interesting read so far. I've been enjoying it but I'm only half way through so I don't have an official opinion yet. Anyway, While I reading before bed last night I came across a great droplet of wisdom. The main character Anna is thinking about her situation (which is that she and her nephew have time traveled back to Ireland 1844 and don't know how to get back) and she realizes: she could endure the most excruciating circumstances as long as she knew there was an end. Similarly Anna thinks that "surely she can do anything for a few days." We as people don't do well with any sort of uncomfort. Pain. Confusion. Anxiety. Helplessness.  But we forget it's only temporary. Those feelings don't last forever. I know for me, when I'm in the middle of something, I feel like it's never going to be any other way. When I'm in it, I can't see that proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. But as cliche as it is, it's there. The feelings fade back, time makes it better and it ends.

World Book Day!

Happy World Book Day everyone!

Today, March 3, is world book day, and in honor of that, I believe it's time to update about the books I've been reading.

I got a whole stack of books for Christmas this year and since then I have been reading through them quicker than  I can write about them. So far I've enjoyed them all which is always a pleasure. I've gotten lost in many different worlds, the stories keeping me drawn to the pages so I can't put the book down.

Most recently (just yesterday in fact) I finished The Guardian by Nicholas Sparks. The Guardian tells the story of Julie, a recently widowed, small town hairdresser. After the death of her husband, she receives a special gift from him he set up in advance to ease her through her grief, a great dane puppy Julie names Singer. Singer becomes more than just a pet, but a friend who is a little bit like a person. Julie is also best friends with her ex-husband's best friend Mike (who's also in love with Julie). After a couple of dates with a hair client, Richard, Julie figures it's not going to work out and realizes that Mike was who she was meant to be with after all. Things don't go quite as planned and take a scary turn, Julie and Mike fearing for their lives and their relationship.

I was just glued to this book. Sparks does a good job of balancing the thriller aspect with the love story she while I was cheering on Mike and Julie, I was also right there, afraid for them while they fought for their life together. Their story is sweet and touching. Mike's love for Julie is honest and unwavering, and it's always refreshing to see (or read about...) a man so devoted to his love. I found myself just waiting for Julie to come to realization that her feelings we mutual and when they finally get together I gave them a little cheer.

Unfortunately Richard turns out to be nothing like anyone expected, becoming obsessively scary and increasingly dangerous. The deeper into the story I got, the harder it became to put the book down. It was literally a thrill and I wanted to get through each detail, needing to know more and more until my eyes were literally burning with exhaustion and I had to put the book down.

The Guardian is certainly unlike a traditional romance novel but the love story, after everything, stays in the foreground and offers a little something for lovers of romance, thrill and Nicholas Sparks.

Review: Once in a Lifetime

In the small town is Ardagh, Ireland rests a successful and popular department store, Kenny's. Many lives of the people in this town revolve around Kenny's. They own it, are married to the owner, work there, have relatives who are employed there or have some other connection. These connections run deep through the town, connecting not only the people to the store, but the people to each other.

In Cathy Kelly's novel, Once in a Lifetime, she introduces fascinating characters with wonderful, albeit sometimes heartbreaking, stories to tell. Although probably considered chick lit Once in a Lifetime takes twists and turns that are unexpected and take the characters in directions that allow them to become fully realized and more relatable.

Stories start out typically enough, following patterns you would assume. Not to say that's a bad thing, they are enjoyable and captivating stories on their own. Yet at a certain point each story takes an unexpected turn and I found myself unable to put the book down for wanting to find out more details. The depths these stories go to is fascinating and they become real. It's not all fluff and sugar, but real problems are dealt with and I think that's something people can really relate to.

Aside from wonderfully twisting stories, the characters are widely diverse and as a result, they really have space to grow. They take their roots in certain stock characters (the strange old woman, the powerful working mom/wife, the cast off daughter, etc) but the grow from their and take on their own forms. Mainly female lead characters, they are all strong woman in their own ways and it's enjoyable reading about them maneuvering through their lives.

I thoroughly enjoyed Once in a Lifetime and appreciate that Cathy Kelly kept me intrigued from the moment I opened the novel to when I closed the back cover.