Mailbox Monday and It's Monday...What Are You Reading?

Mailbox Monday

is hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page.
We share what books that we found 

in our mailboxes last week.

Broken Birds. the story of My Momila- received from author for review
Backseat Saints- publisher for review
Mr. Rosenblum Dreams in English- publisher for review
Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake- from the wonderful Diane (Bibliophile by the Sea) Thanks Diane!!!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hosted by Sheila
One Persons Journey Through a World of Books
Weekly meme where we discuss the books you've read
and those you plan to read in the coming week.

Read and reviewed last two weeks:

Crossing Oceans- enjoyed this one 4/5

A Complicated Kindness- 2/5 disappointing

Whiter Than Snow- another great book by Dallas 4/5

This One is Mine- not a bad read, just despised one of the characters!! 3/5

Heart of the Matter- loved it, another great book by Giffin 4.75/5

Every Secret Thing- one of my gentle reads...a good book 3.5/5

Reviews for this week:

The One That I Want- TLC tour stop Wednesday, June 9th

Six Sentence Saturday:

Love's Pursuit

For Keeps (YA)

Books on deck for reviews next week:

Just for you.....EDITED FOR WINNERS

 

I've got a few books to clear off my shelves. If you interested in any of them list them in your comment by their number and I'll draw for them on Friday!!!! U.S. friends only...sorry to all my international friends but shipping at this time is extremely expensive...forgive me!

1. This One is Mine by Maria Semple
Sending this one to SHON

2. Life, In Spite of Me
Sending this one to LYNNE

3. Life O'Reilly
Sending this one to JULIE

Six Sentence Saturday

Welcome to Six Sentence Saturday.

Where I try to express my thoughts on recent reads using only 6 sentences!!!!.
At the end of each review I will post a
rating scale of 1-5 using the cute and original (lol) Playing Cards.
Rating scale will be as follows:

5 of Hearts- You must read this book NOW!!
4 of Hearts- A great read, put it on your TBR list.
3 of Hearts- Happy that I read it...a good read.
2 of Hearts- Just O.K but nothing to write home about.
Joker Card - Don't bother (why did I?)

Every Secret Thing- Anne Tatlock
I picked this one up because of a Goodreads ad and after reading it thought this would be a book that I'd enjoy. I did enjoy it, but it didn't blow me away. And you  know something....I'm o.k. with that. I still like to sit down with a good solid book and become involved with the story, and that is what happens with this one. I liked that the main character is a book lover, in fact, she sounds like she would fit into our crowd easily. I would classify this one as a gentle read that was worth the time invested in reading it



My Rating:

Heart of the Matter- Emily Giffin
I love every single thing that Giffin has put out and eagerly looked forward to reading this one. The biggest problem is that I read this right after, This One is Mine, and to have back-to-back extramarital affairs was just a bit too much for me. I was so damn mad at the "other woman" and thought how dare she and don't even get me started on the hubby who crossed the line. Tessa was a woman who I could relate to and I certainly felt her pain and disbelief every step of the way. I especially love the way Giffin ties up the ending, very much like real life there sometimes isn't anything that can be done except to learn, grow, forgive, and try to move on. If you haven't read Giffin before then what are you waiting for??? She's awesome and this book is stellar, because it is authentic and real.
My Rating:

Influenced easily by others.......

Can I just say that I love my book reading friends?? Your reviews, Mailbox Mondays, Waiting on Wednesday, It's Monday...What are you Reading, Teaser Tuesdays, and Library Loot posts have a big impact on what I've been reading the past year. Who said that memes were a waste of time??? I know that there are bloggers out there that wouldn't be caught dead participating in one, but I'm thankful that so many of us do, because my choices and knowledge of new releases and new-to-me authors  has grown exponentially!!! (sort of like a few rabbits getting busy...if you know what I mean!!!) Without this blogging community and fun memes that bring us together on a weekly basis I know that my reading experience would not be as rich. So for that I thank you all and now will proceed to blaming people for loading up my library bag this week....You've been very naughty this week!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wedding Cake - Lynne Hinton
Who is to blame? Bonnie (Redlady's Reading Room)
Why? Because a while back she reviewed 'Christmas Cake' and I loved her review so much that she generously sent me her copy. So when I was looking at books today and noticed this author, I remembered Bonnie's review and grabbed it! Don't you love how I blamed Bonnie in such a crazy roundabout way??

A Cottage by the Sea- Ciji Ware
Who is to blame? Kaye (Pudgy Penguin Perusals)
Why? I fell in love with her review of this book because it takes place in Cornwall, which is on top of my MUST visit before I die locations. After reading her review I requested it immediately from my library!

The Bride Collector- Ted Dekker
Who is to blame? Nise (Under the Boardwalk)
Why?I really enjoy Dekker but after reading Nise's review and her description of this book being like a roller coaster ride made me realize that I had to read it now instead of later!!


Books Read in 2010 to date: 95
Books read from the library: 67
Number of Books Checked out from the library:23

Review: 'This One is Mine' by Maria Semple

Author: Maria Semple
Pages: 320
Publication Date:  March 24, 2010
Genre: Women's Fiction
Source: Publisher- this one was a surprise in my mailbox

My Thoughts:
I've decided to change things up a bit with this review. First, I want to say upfront that I thought the writing was wonderful. I think Maria has a real gift and her talent is immense. Please keep that in mind, as I'm sharing my thoughts with you of this one, that I'm not attacking Semple whatsoever! I would read another book written by her in a heartbeat. I just have MAJOR ISSUES with the characters and their behaviors throughout this story. So here it goes-

Synopsis from Goodreads:
Violet Parry is living the quintessential life of luxury in the Hollywood Hills with David, her rock-and-roll manager husband, and her darling toddler, Dot. She has the perfect life--except that she's deeply unhappy.
My take on it: Violet is a spoiled brat who expects everyone else around her to make her happy. She doesn't realize the sacrifices that David has made in order for her to live her swanky life.  Also, Dot can speak wayyyy to good for a toddler...sorry!

Synopsis from Goodreads:
David expects the world of Violet but gives little of himself in return. When she meets Teddy, a roguish small-time bass player, Violet comes alive, and soon she's risking everything for the chance to find herself again.
My take on it: David works all of the time trying to keep up with Violet's whims. She wanted to renovate a house, he bought it for her. Whatever she wanted he tried to do. She decided that she hated the grind of writing for television, so David told her that she could quit if she wanted...so she did. Then she finds that she just can't keep herself occupied. She becomes bored until one day she meets loser Teddy. She's attracted to him why?? I don't know why!! That's the question I kept asking myself. From the author's description he comes across as a dark latino that never takes a shower and grooming isn't exactly his forte. Why would she risk her marriage for this recovering drug addict/alcoholic????? This is the part of the book where I found myself getting royally pissed. Would you have unprotected sex with someone who A) is a recovering drug addict and B) who has Hep-C?????????? I wouldn't even have protected sex with them. Even if my entire body was covered in a body condom!! I have a hard time with infidelity and I was in no mood to be giving Violet any passes on her behavior. I could care less if her husband hadn't talked to her in a few days...big deal. You're either in or you're out!

Synopsis from Goodreads:
Also in the picture are David's hilariously high-strung sister, Sally, on the prowl for a successful husband, and Jeremy, the ESPN sportscaster savant who falls into her trap.
My take on it: I wasn't that wild about Sally. She seemed like a major manipulator to me. I felt sorry for Jeremy and recognized early on that he had some issues in regards to dealing with people. But Sally only wants one thing- someone to take care of her and that someone better have money. I just thought she was shallow and therefore I did not like her.

Synopsis from Goodreads:
For all their recklessness, Violet and Sally will discover that David and Jeremy have a few surprises of their own. THIS ONE IS MINE is a compassionate and wickedly funny satire about our need for more--and the often disastrous choices we make in the name of happiness.
My take on it: David is a stand up guy. I liked him and really could understand how driven he was to succeed. He loves his family but at times has a hard time jumping into the mix and just relaxing. I think Violet and David needed to communicate, but instead they seem to have fallen into that "Hollywood marriage" thing....you know, have your person call my person sort of relationship. David is a solid person and good thing for Violet that he is this way because through it all he stands beside her. I think she is one lucky fickle wife.

Final Thoughts:
I'm not going to tell you that I loved this book, but I am glad that I read it because it really did stir up some strong emotions. Just ask my son...he heard me yelling and calling Violet some shady names while I was reading it. I do believe Maria has a great future ahead of her, but I hope her next book's main character isn't someone that I wish to burn for all eternity in a fiery pit of hell!

Book Review Club: Whiter Than Snow- Sandra Dallas

Author: Sandra Dallas
Pages: 310
Publication Date:  March 30, 2010
Genre: Historical Fiction
Source: The Book Report Network
Synopsis from Goodreads:
Whiter Than Snow opens in 1920, on a spring afternoon in Swandyke, a small town near Colorado’s Tenmile Range. Just moments after four o’clock, a large split of snow separates from Jubilee Mountain high above the tiny hamlet and hurtles down the rocky slope, enveloping everything in its path including nine young children who are walking home from school. But only four children survive. Whiter Than Snow takes you into the lives of each of these families

My Thoughts:
I have yet to read a Dallas book that I wasn't totally absorbed into from the very first sentence. She has a way of putting the reader right there in the moment of tragedy. I felt the coldness of the snow. The desperation of the parents. The joy when a loved one was recovered. The anguish when a small child who would not draw another breath was laid to rest. The author does an amazing job of taking you into the lives of each family affected and traces the choices they made that brought them all to Swandyke, Colorado. There are so many different themes explored in this story: redemption, betrayal, forgiveness, racism, and love. It makes you think twice about fate and how nothing is really left to chance and that everything....everything has a reason and purpose. 

Highly Recommended

 If you're interested in reading Sandra's other books please visit her site here.
 Readers on Facebook can become a fan of Sandra Dallas by clicking this link.
 Read an excerpt of Whiter Than Snow here.

Click icon for more
book review blogs
@Barrie Summy

May Totals

Books Read:

1.  On Folly Beach- Karen White 5/5
2.  The Shepherd's Granddaughter 4/5
3.  The Girls from Ames 2/5
4.  The Telling 4/5
5.  Indivisible 4/5
6.  Get Lucky 4/5
7.  Black Water Rising 4/5
8.  Just Jane 4/5
9.  Plain Paradise 3/5
10. Life, In Spite of Me 3/5
11. A Complicated Kindness 2/5
12. Crossing Oceans 4/5
13. Whiter Than Snow 4/5
14. This One is Mine 2/5/5
15. Heart of the Matter 4/5



Total Pages: 6,142
Favorite Book (s): On Folly Beach,

Challenges:
100+- 93/100
Reading From My Shelves- 2/20 (this one is so pathetic!! I need to read my own books!!)
2010 States Challenge- 27/50
All About the Brontes- 2/6
All Things Alcott- 0/4
Cozy Mystery - 1/6
Gilmore Girls Challenge- 0/10
GBLT- 1/4
Graphic Novel- 12/10 COMPLETED
Historical Reading- 9/6 COMPLETED
Jane Austen- 1/6
Japanese Literature- 1/1 COMPLETED
Random Reading- 3/12
Sookie Stackhouse- 1/9
Support Your Library- 67/100
Terry Pratchett- 0/4
The Pub 2010 - 11/10 COMPLETED