Review: The Rest of Her Life by Laura Moriarty

Published: August 7, 2007
Publisher: Hyperion
Format: Hardback
Source: Purchased
Challenge: 100 Books in a Year

In The Rest of Her Life, Laura Moriarty delivers a luminous, compassionate and provocative look at how mothers and daughters with the best intentions can be blind to the harm they do to one another.

Leigh is the mother of  high-achieving, popular high school senior Kara.  Their relationship is already strained for reasons Leigh does not fully understand when, in a moment of carelessness, Kara makes a mistake that ends in tragedy -- the effects of which not only divide Leigh's family, but polarize the entire community.  We see the story from Leigh's perspective, as she grapples with the hard reality of what her daughter has done and the devastating consequences her actions have on the family of another teenage girl in town, all while struggling to protect Kara in the face of rising public outcry.

Like the best works of Jane Hamilton, Jodi Picoult, and Alice Sebold, Laura Moriarty's The Rest of Her Life is a novel of complex moral dilemma, filled with nuanced characters and a page-turning plot that makes readers ask themselves, "What would I do?"

My Thoughts

I'm sure you can tell exactly why I picked this book out, as the cover likens Moriarty to Jodi Picoult, and we all know about my love for Jodi.  Anyway, I really expected a lot from this book, and had really high hopes for Moriarty to be on my top 5 favorite authors list.  Now, I'm not saying this was a terrible book by any stretch, I just felt like comparing it to something Jodi Picoult wrote was a little misleading.

About halfway through the book, I really started disliking the main character, Leigh, although I don't think that was Moriarty's intention.  She was nagging, self centered and annoying.  I know that part of the reason she was that way was so that she could come to the great realization that she ended up just like the one person she didn't want to be like -- her mother.  I was also annoyed with the fact that there were large chunks of the book that would go back in time to let the reader better understand Leigh's perspective on things, but honestly....I just wanted to know what was going on with Kara and what was going to happen. 

I can see the relation between this plot and the plot of a Jodi Picoult book, however the writing style just isn't quite up to par.  Jodi's books are very emotional, and I felt that through this book as well, I just wasn't interested in it I guess.  Like I said, I really wanted to know what was going on with Kara, not what happened to Leigh when she was 16.  

The storyline was somewhat jumpy, but I think the main idea of the book was a good one.  I really enjoyed Kara's character and I did ask myself a few times what I would do in that situation.  I honestly can't tell you.  I think that Kara was wise beyond her years and did what was best for everyone in the end.  

Favorite Quotes

"Maybe, Leigh considered, children just want whatever it is they don't get.  And then they grow up and give their children what they wanted, be it silence or information, affection or independence -- so that child, in turn, craves something else.  With every generation, the pendulum swings from opposite to opposite, stillness and peace so elusive."

"This was perhaps what it was like to mother anyone, Leigh decided, far away or close.  You could only try your best, then wait to see if what you sent was needed or even wanted.  If it wasn't, then you packed a new box, and tried again."

My Ratings

Cover: 5/5

Characters: 3/5

Writing Style: 3/5

Plot: 4/5

Ending: 3/5

Overall: 3.6

Happy Reading! 

Teaser Tuesday (20)

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly event held by MizB at Should Be Reading.  I love this event and love giving you a little teaser into what I'm reading!  This can either suck you in, and you will enjoy reading the book, or it can make you realize that this just isn't the book for you!

The rules are simple:

- Grab your current read

- Open to a random page

- Share two "teaser" sentences from somewhere on the page

- Please do not include spoilers!!!!! (Please be sure that what you post doesn't give too much away -- we want this to be fun for those who haven't read the book as well!)

- Make sure you share TITLE and AUTHOR so that other TT followers can add the book to their TBR pile.

- Always be sure to check out the host's blog and leave your Teaser Tuesday link!

My Teaser

"It was one thing to have a friend who made you feel as if you had microphones planted all over town so you could listen in on other people's pain and tell yourself it made you kinder.  It was quite another, Leigh understood now, to look across your table and see that same microphone, waiting, absolutely silent, and pointed directly at you."

Happy Reading!

 

Review: My Horizontal Life - Chelsea Handler

Published: June 6, 2005
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA
Format: E-book
Source: Amazon
Challenge: 2011 E-book Challenge & 100 Books in a Year

In this raucous collection of true-life stories, actress and comedian Chelsea Handler recounts her time spent in the social trenches with that wild, strange, irresistible, and often gratifying beast: the one night stand.   

You've either done it or know someone who has:  The one-night stand, the familiar outcome of a night spent at a bar, sometimes the sole payoff for your friend's irritating wedding, or the only relief from a disastrous vacation.  Often embarrassing and uncomfortable, occasionally outlandish, but most times just a necessary and irresistible evil, the one-night stand is a social rite as old as sex itself and as common as a barstool.   

Enter Chelsea Handler.  Gorgeous, sharp and anything but shy, Chelsea loves men and lots of them.  My Horizontal Life chronicles her romp through the different bedrooms of a variety of suitors, a no-holds-barred account of what can happen between a man and a sometimes very intoxicated, outgoing woman during one night of passion.  From her short fling with a Vegas stripper to her even shorter dalliance with a well-endowed little person, from her uncomfortable tryst with a cruise ship performer to her misguided rebound with a man who likes to play leather dress-up, Chelsea recalls the highs and lows of her one-night stands with hilarious honesty.  Encouraged by her motley collection of friends (aka: her partners in crime) but challenged by her family members (who at times find themselves a surprise part of the encounter), Chelsea hits bottom and bounces back, unafraid to share the gritty details.  My Horizontal Life is one guilty pleasure you won't be ashamed to talk about in the morning.

My Thoughts

Oh Chelsea, you kill me.  You are brilliantly hilarious, yet you say things that I only have the cajones to think.

I have yet to read a Chelsea Handler book that I do not love, and do not spend the entire time laughing so hard I pee my pants.  There were so many times while reading this that I thought, "seriously, how do you end up in situations like this?"  Maybe I'm sheltered -- which doesn't sound like it is really all that bad.  I can live vicariously through Chelsea's awful experiences and never really have to deal with them myself.  

Anyway, if you are a Chelsea Handler fan and you haven't read this yet -- I don't know what you are waiting for.  If you are not a Chelsea Handler fan -- crawl out from under that rock and check her out.  You obviously don't know how to laugh yet -- so let her teach you

.Favorite Quotes

"Seeing your mother naked and jumping from one side of a king-sized bed to the other with a nurse's hat on while your father, who is also naked, is chasing her with a bandanna around his neck, is reason to put yourself up for adoption."

"I fall a lot, but other than that I can pretty much control my liquor."

"The great thing about sleeping with a midget is that first you get to have sex with them, and then you can use them as a pillow."

"Lydia was the kind of friend whom people referred to as a "party favor" - always fun to be around but she really doesn't have an patience for suffering unless it's her own."

"I never say the things I really want to.  If I did, I'd have no friends."

"You know you've slept around a lot when you walk into your bank and see someone you've had sex with on a life sized poster for 'Small Business Loans.'"

"There are two kinds of people I don't trust: people who don't drink and people who collect stickers."

"I'd have to be Helen Keller not to have seen that one coming."

"There are three words that gross me out: "panties", "moist", and "slick".  They all seem like words a child molester would use.  Together."

My Ratings

Cover: 5/5

Characters: 5/5

Writing Style: 5/5

Plot: 5/5

Ending: 5/5

Overall: 5/5   

Happy Reading!

Review: The Summer I Dared - Barbara Delinsky

Release Date: 5/22/07
Publisher: Random House
Format: Paperback
Number of Pages: 512
Source: Purchased
Challenge: 100 Books in a Year 

On Big Sawyer island, life is as steady as the routine of the lobestermen who leave with the tide each morning and return with their haul each night.  But for forty-year-old New Yorker, Julia Bechtel, life and what's important in it are about to be forever altered when she survives a terrible boat accident en route to the island.  Now, in the company of her aunt and daughter, Julia finds herself strangely connected to the tragedy's other survivors - Noah, a divorced lobsterman, and Kim, a young woman rendered mute since her rescue - and newly outraged at the state of her marriage to a domineering man.  Seeing the world with new eyes, Julia vows to embrace life with all of its joys and uncertainties.  And the journey begins on Big Sawyer...

First Sentences

"The Amelia Celeste was born a lobster boat.  An elegant lad, she ran a proud thirty-eight feet of mahogany and oak, from the graceful upward sweep of her bow, down her foredeck to the wheelhouse, and, on a straight and simple plane, back to her stern."

My Thoughts

I have only read one other book by Barbara Delinsky and I really enjoyed it.  I purchased this book on a whim, and thought it would be a nice summer read.  It was a good story, but I knew from the beginning how it would end.

I'm not one for predictable love stories, but I love the way Delinsky writes, and it was hard not to get into the story and fall in love with the characters.  The main character Julia was very well developed, but she also could have been me, she was so easy to relate to.  The setting was so descriptive that throughout each scene I could picture myself there with the characters, and Big Sawyer sounds delightful!  After all the stress I've been going through recently a week at Big Sawyer is just what the doctor ordered!

Julia is on her way to Big Sawyer to spend a little time away from the hustle and bustle of New York City, but finds a lot more than she bargained for.  She is visiting her aunt, Zoe, who I immediately fell in love with.  She was the cool aunt that everyone has, that is a little wacky, but everyone loves her for it.  I felt bad about Julia's marriage situation, but as soon as we were introduced to Noah, I knew they were destined to be together.  

It is truly a heartwarming story, and one that I would recommend, however it was a little lengthy and drawn out.  I haven't had as much time to read lately, so it probably seemed like it was a lot longer than usual since I couldn't read as quickly as I do.  While it wasn't my favorite book this year, it was a good one, and I will continue to pick up Delinsky's books wherever I can find them!

Ratings

Favorite Characters: Zoe

Least Favorite Characters: Monty

Cover: 5/5 - The cover perfectly portrays the way I feel Big Sawyer would be.

Characters: 4/5

Writing Style: 5/5

Plot: 3/5

Ending: 3/5

Overall Rating: 4

Happy Reading!

Review: In Office Hours - Lucy Kellaway

Release Date: 2/7/11
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Format: Paperback
Number of Pages: 352
Source: Hachette Book Group
Challenge: 100 Books in a Year

In Office Hours is the story of Stella and Bella, two intelligent working women who each fall for impossible lovers -- at work.  Kellaway's keen observations on the way in which affairs move from state to state are sort of masterclass in office love, bringing to life both the excitement of illicit romance and the ridiculousness of business behavior and language with a sharp sense of humor.


In Office Hours is intelligent, funny, moving and agonizing, but it's also painfully recognizable to any woman who has ever worked in an office or ever been in love.  Kellaway hits a real nerve with her depictions of how people come to get into the emotional messes that we do and then how very difficult it is to get out again.

First Sentences

"Two words: four letters, then eight. The shape of them was so familiar and yet shocking to see now, after all this time."

My Thoughts

This book really annoyed me, but I pushed through and finished it.  There were a few times that I just kept thinking "put it down...it isn't worth it", but a very small part of me had to know what was going on.

First of all, I was so annoyed and confused by the fact that the main characters names were Bella and Stella.  It was like I had to keep stopping and reminding myself which was which.  Not that it really mattered, both women were pathetic, hopeless and completely self-centered.  

It always makes me laugh when people talk about office romances, so I really thought this would be a good read.  It is never a good idea to fall in love with someone you work for, or someone that works for you...however I strongly believe that you cannot help who you fall in love with.  It was just too coincidental and cliche that these women happen to work in the same office, and their situations are almost exactly opposite.  Stella is in a high position at the office, married, two children, sleeping with her assistant.  Bella is a junior at the office, single, one child, sleeping with her boss.  *yawn*

Throughout the book I was annoyed at how pathetic these women were.  I mean I've never really been able to understand the thought process that goes on in someones head when they decide to have an affair -- maybe because I am a loyal, honest, loving person...but who knows.  I've worked with plenty of good looking men, but nothing has ever had me think "well, things at home are really great, but you know, having a fling with this guy would be great..."

I think that in the end, both women deserved what they got, and I was glad that it ended the way it did.  Now, this isn't to say that the men in the story weren't at all to blame, they were as well, but with the focus being on the women, I just couldn't help but hate them.  

Ratings

Favorite Characters: Rhys

Least Favorite Characters: Stella/Bella

Cover: 2/5

Characters: 3/5

Writing Style: 4/5

Plot: 3/5

Ending: 3/5

Overall Rating: 2.75/5

Happy Reading!

Disclosure - I received a copy of this book from the publisher.  This in no way affected my review.

Review: Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult

Release Date: 3/1/11
Publisher: Atria Books
Format: Hardback
Number of Pages: 480
Source: Purchased at Barnes & Noble
Challenge: 100 Books in a Year 

Zoe Baxter has spent ten years trying to get pregnant, and after multiple miscarriages and infertility issues, it looks like her dream is about to come true -- she is seven months pregnant.  But a terrible turn of events leads to a nightmare - one that takes away the baby she has already fallen for; and breaks apart her marriage to Max.  In the aftermath, she throws herself into her career as a music therapist - using music clinically to soothe burn victims in a hospital; to help Alzheimer's patients connect with the present; to provide solace for hospice patients.  When Vanessa - a guidance counselor - asks her to work with a suicidal teen, their relationship moves from business to friendship and then, to Zoe's surprise, blossoms into love.  When Zoe allows herself to start thinking of having a family, again, she remembers that there are still frozen embryos that were never used by herself and Max.

Meanwhile, Max has found peace at the bottom of a bottle - until he is redeemed by an evangelical church, whose charismatic pastor - Clive Lincoln - has vowed to fight the "homosexual agenda" that has threatened traditional family values in America.  But this mission becomes personal for Max, when Zoe and her same-sex partner say they want permission to raise his unborn child.

SING YOU HOME explores what it means to be gay in today's world, and how reproductive science has outstripped the legal system.  Are embryos people or property?  What challenges do same-sex couples face when it comes to marriage and adoption?  What happens when religion and sexual orientation - two issues that are supposed to be justice-blind -- enter the courtroom?  And most importantly, what constitutes a "traditional family" in today's day and age?

First Sentence

"One sunny, crisp Saturday in September when I was seven years old, I watched my father drop dead."

My Thoughts

As usual, Jodi does not disappoint one bit in her latest book, filled with highs and lows, twists and turns, love and hate.  I feel like I set the bar really high when it comes to Jodi's books, and I expect a lot from her.  I think that it is warranted though, because she is known for all of the research that is put into one of her books, and I think that is what really sets her apart as an author.  I'm not saying that there are no other authors out there that research before writing a book, but she takes a controversial issue and breaks it down on all sides, in hopes that she can help even just one closed minded person.  I've heard a lot of reviews recently saying that they are "tired of Jodi Picoult writing about controversial issues that end up in the courtroom", and to that my friends, I say "STOP READING HER BOOKS THEN".  You know what you are going to get from her, as with any other author she has a formula that works for her.  

So, since this book is filled with all sorts of controversy, I feel as though I could write an entire book just on my feelings about the book.  But I will spare you my ranting and raving.  From the first page, I loved Zoe and knew that no matter what I would be on her side.  I think Jodi did a fantastic job making Zoe a character that anyone and everyone could relate to.  With Max, I went from indifference to disgust to hatred -- just thinking about his character makes me want to punch a wall.  He was a total hypocrite and a poor excuse for a man.  I'm sure it wasn't Jodi's intent for me to hate Max so much, but it is just so easy.  I really liked Vanessa's character, and loved the way that she and Zoe were together.  

I'm not religious, I'm not homosexual, but I do have very strong feelings when it comes to gay rights.  It has been hard for me to understand why people feel the need to meddle in other peoples business.  I'm not sure why it is so hard for people to understand that you can't help who you fall in love with.  Some women fall in love with men that are abusive, some women fall in love with men that cheat on them....and no one bats an eye.  But when a woman falls in love with another woman...everyone has something to say about it.  

At a few points in the book, it is mentioned by Max's attorney's that gays are not fighting for equal rights, they are fighting for extra rights.  I'd really like to know how that is...considering that gay marriages aren't recognized in most states, gay couples have a hard time adopting, if one person in the gay couple happens to be in the hospital their partner is unable to be in the room or to make any medical decisions for them.  Tell me, how would having these rights be "extra" rights?  They are rights that straight couples take for advantage every day.  

I read a review yesterday stating that the reader was highly offended by this book.  The reader claimed to be a Christian and thought that Jodi was bashing Christian's as a whole.  I really don't think that the reader understood what Jodi was trying to get across.  I don't think that Jodi was saying that everyone who claims to be Christian is as nutty as the people that attended Pastor Clive's evangelical church.  I think that Jodi was trying to use the extreme right to make her point. It is funny that the reader was so upset by being stereotyped, however the reader never stopped to mention the stereotypes that are laid upon gays every day. The reader just wanted to be offended and shocked at the audacity of this book, but didn't want to read into what the message truly is.

Anyway, like I said, I could write an entire book just based on my feelings about this book, but I won't keep rambling on here.  My point is...this is an incredible, thought-provoking book that I think everyone should read.  ((As a side note, this book comes with an audio CD of songs that Jodi wrote and her good friend performed.  I honestly haven't listened to it yet, as I was sucked into the story, but I think it is an awesome idea to have a soundtrack to a book!!)) 

Favorite Quotes

"No man has a natural right to commit aggression on the equal rights of another, and this is all from which the laws ought to restrain him." - Thomas Jefferson

"Every life has a soundtrack...If you ask me, music is the language of memory."

"All I'm saying is that the past is nothing but a springboard for the future."

"Believe me, being gay is not a choice.  No one would choose to make life harder than it has to be, and no matter how confident and comfortable a gay person is, he or she can't control the thoughts of others."

"Because...when you love someone, you don't see the parts of him you don't like."

"What songs would be on a mix tape that describes you?  It's a question I've used my whole life, as a foolproof test of character."

"The moment I heard my first love story I began seeking

you, not realizing the search was useless.

Lovers don't meet somewhere along the way.

They're in one another's souls from the beginning."

"i carry your hear with me(i carry it in 

my heart) i am never without it (anywhere 

i go you go, my dear; and whatever is done

by only me is your doing, my darling)"

"Beliefs are the roads we take to reach our dreams.  Believe you can do something -- or believe you can't -- and you'll be right every time."

Ratings

Likes: The fact that no matter what, Jodi is not afraid to delve into controversial issues.

Dislikes: The fact that this even has to be a controversy to begin with...

Favorite Characters: Zoe and Angela

Least Favorite Character: Max

Cover: 5/5 

Characters: 5/5

Writing Style: 5/5

Plot: 5/5

Ending: 5/5

Overall Rating: 5/5

Happy Reading!

Review: Tick Tock - James Patterson

Release Date: 1/24/11
Publisher: Little, Brown & Company
Format: Hardback
Number of Pages: 448
Source: Hachette Book Group
Challenge: 100 Books in a Year 

& Mystery and Suspense Reading Challenge 2011

NYC's #1 detective, Michael Bennett, has a huge problem - the Son of Sam, the Werewolf of Wisteria and the Mad Bomber are all back.  The city has never been more terrified!

Tick -- a killer's countdown begins.

A rash of horrifying crimes tears through the city, throwing it into complete chaos and terrorizing everyone living there.  Immediately, it becomes clear that they are not the work of an amateur, but of a calculating, efficient, and deadly mastermind.

Tick -- Michael Bennett is on the chase.

The city calls on Detective Michael Bennett, pulling him away from a seaside retreat with his ten adopted children, his grandfather, and their beloved nanny, Mary Catherine.  Not only does it tear apart their vacation, it leaves the entire family open to attack.

Tock -- your time is up.

Bennett enlists the help of a former colleague, FBI Agent Emily Parker.  As his affection for Emily grows into something stronger, his relationship with Mary Catherine takes an unexpected turn.  All too soon, another appalling crime leads Bennett to a shocking discovery that exposes the killer's pattern and earth-shattering enormity of his plan.  From the creator of the #1 New York detective series comes the most volatile and most explosive Michael Bennett novel ever. 

First Sentence

"Like the luxury co-ops and five star French eateries located in Manhattan's Silk Stocking District, Benchley East Side Parking was outrageously exclusive."

My Thoughts

I don't even know where to start with this.  I was really expecting a lot from this book, as I have heard so many great things.  I love Michael Bennett's character, and was really excited to hear there was another book in his series.  I'm not sure what happened with this book.  It was really good, don't get me wrong.  I couldn't put it down, and was completely hooked from the beginning (as I am with most every book that Patterson has written).  I just felt like I was reading an Alex Cross novel -- which isn't a bad thing, but I felt like Michael Bennett was a lot different from Alex Cross before . . .  and now they seemed to be very similar.  The other thing I thought was very similar between Michael and Alex is that majority of the time in Alex Cross books the killer ends up coming after Cross and his family.  I don't know if I am forgetting anything from the other Michael Bennett books I've read, but I don't remember that ever happening in his books.  

All of the crimes that were committed in this book were gruesome and horrifying -- I will give Patterson that.  Like I said, I was shocked and completely freaked out from the beginning.  It probably didn't help that I've been home alone the entire time I've been reading this book, so I'm constantly looking over my shoulder!  

Again, like I mentioned before, I was very disappointed in Michael Bennett's character, and felt like I was reading an Alex Cross novel.  I know that Michael and Alex are two completely different people, but I couldn't help but see the similarities in them.  I felt like the way that Michael was acting towards the women in his life, Mary Catherine and Emily Parker, was very similar to the way that Alex Cross acts towards women.  It isn't a bad thing, it just isn't really what I expected from Michael.  I was totally annoyed with the Emily Parker thing, and couldn't get over the fact that he treated her like complete garbage.  After all, he was the one that begged her to come and help him with this case.  He knew that they had some sparks, but he just led her on until something was about to happen, and then ran.  

As always, the twists and turns left me with what I like to call "jaw to the floor" reading disorder.  I couldn't stop thinking I know what's happening...this is so predictable...and then going WHAT THE *#$@!! when I realized how wrong I had been.  That is probably one of my favorite things about James Patterson -- his books are quick reads (no matter how long they are), and they are full of action and plot twists.  While this wasn't my favorite James Patterson book, it wasn't the worst.  If you are a real James Patterson fan, you will enjoy this book.

If you have already read this book, or you plan to read it soon, please let me know what you think about the Michael Bennett/Alex Cross comparison...I'm interested to see if I am the only one that felt this way. 

Favorite Quote

"Kids could be challenging, oftentimes a downright pain in the ass, but in the rare moments they made you see that maybe you were trying after all.  Maybe you really were doing the best you could."

Ratings

Likes: The fast paced twists and turns in the plot.

Dislikes: The uncanny similarities between Michael Bennett and Alex Cross

Favorite Characters: Michael and Seamus

Least Favorite Character: Emily Parker

Cover: 3/5 (it is pretty boring, and doesn't really grab me)

Characters: 3.5/5

Writing Style: 5/5

Plot: 4/5

Ending: 4/5

Overall Rating: 4.1/5

Happy Reading!