Best Friends Forever by Jennifer Weiner

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

6066819This is the quintessential summer read!

I love Jennifer Weiner!  Her writing is always witty, sarcastic, entertaining and full of heart – and this book is yet another example of this.

Addie and Valerie, who although are very different, grew up as best friends, living across the street from each other and sharing all their childhood secrets.  Unfortunately, their paths diverged when an incident in high school sent them spinning in very different directions.  Suddenly, now, many years later, just after their high school reunion, Valerie shows up at Addie’s doorstep asking for help after what may have been a serious crime.  Almost in spite of herself, Addie is drawn in to the drama and their adventure begins.

What I love about Weiner’s writing is the building of characters that the reader loves.  The reader cannot help rooting for Addie in this story – she’s an underdog who you can’t help adoring for her steadfast loyalty to her friend and her family.  Even Valerie, who is vain and materialistic, is sympathetic and entertaining in her own right.  Each of the characters is written with tenderness and self-deprecation and you can’t help wanting to know how it all ends for each of them.

I think I may have a deeper appreciation for Jennifer Weiner, also, since I had the amazing opportunity to be present during BookCon (a few weekends ago at the Javits Center), when she interviewed Judy Blume.  There was such a great rapport between the 2 of them ,as they spoke about everything from writing to sex and to the size of their respective chests.  They were both warm, funny, smart and respectful of each other’s talent —  I could have listened to them converse for hours!

Bottom line, I’d take this with me to Cape Cod if I hadn’t already read it!

Three Wishes by Liane Moriarty (migrated from bookblogger)

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

It was supposed to be a lovely celebration of the triplets’ birthday and it began as such, but a sudden explosion of temper erupted and all hell broke loose.  This is how this story starts and the rest of the book discloses how these 3 tall, very attractive triplets came to arrive at this tumultuous point in their lives.

As usual, Liane Moriarty crafts a fun read – with a combination of both heavier and lighter issues that each of the sisters is coping with.  She is able to weave an emotionally abusive relationship, blended families, infertility and infidelity among the sisters’ lives, without making this a totally depressing story.  Quite an accomplishment, I think!  I think she is able to do this by intertwining the serious with lighter, funnier moments, with sarcasm and with beautiful moments as well.  Sort of like how life is, I believe — ie. the good with the bad.

While this was not my favorite book of hers, I did enjoy it very much and do recommend it.  This would be a good summer read!  (Just wish it felt anywhere close to summer right now — I’d even take spring!)

The Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriarty (migrated from bookblogger)

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

Tess has just been told that her husband is in love with her cousin…  Cecilia has just learned that there is a letter from her husband that she is instructed to open only upon his death…  Rachel has just learned that her son is going to be moving to the other side of the world, taking away her grandson and the only reason for living since her daughter has been murdered all those years ago.   These characters are gradually woven together into a story that is both gripping and heartbreaking.

The writing here is simple, a little repetitive, but the story is worth it.  There is a calculated twist to the action in the story that is a little far-fetched, but that is what fiction is about, no?

I think the Epilogue is actually my favorite part of the book, though, and I won’t give any of that away.  Suffice it to say, it is a great commentary on the randomness of life and how a small or not-so-small action can impact the trajectory of a life and/or lives.  This I believe to be true.

Not exactly high literature here, but a good read nonetheless.

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty (migrated from bookblogger)

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

This was one of those jewels that has you laughing even as you’re reading about a subject that is profoundly serious.  On the surface, the story reads almost like a comical documentary, with the narrative intermixed with comments given by each of the characters who were peripherally involved in the death of a character (this is not a spoiler — this comes out in the beginning, but through the whole story it is unclear who is killed by whom).  On a deeper level, though, the story deals extremely sensitively and honestly with the frightening issue of relationship violence.

Jane is about to move to a new area in Australia near the ocean with her son, Ziggy.  During the kindergarten orientation, an incident occurs with sweet, little Ziggy that initiates a huge divide among the mothers of the class.  As alliances form, each of the characters shows her true colors and the friendships begin.  Jane is initially secretive about her own past, but as she warms to her new friends, she sees that revealing her own story can actually free her of the burden of  it.  She also learns that she is not the only one with secrets.

The characters in this story are remarkably real and 3-dimentional.  The story also has a number of different corollaries, which keeps it moving both sideways and forward and also works to add to the suspense of who is killed and by whom.  And while the underlying message is clear and strong, there is  a warm humor threaded through which kept me loving this book.

Can’t wait to read more by this author!

Shopaholic to the Stars by Sophie Kinsella (migrated from bookblogger)

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

True confession:  the Shopaholic books are usually my secret, guilty pleasure.  The previous ones have been silly but fun and cute and highly entertaining.  This is why I am so sad to say that this latest one was an utter disappointment!

Becky Brandon, who is entranced by fashion and shopping and has been a personal shopper for Barney’s, now finds herself in the middle of LA with a possible connection to the “star du jour,” Sage Seymour.  As she fantasizes about becoming Sage’s stylist, and even a stylist for the “red carpet,” she becomes entangled in a brawl between Sage and her arch enemy, Lois Kellerton.  As Becky’s is thrust into the media frenzy that is LA, she is forced to choose between her loyalty to her husband and her best friend and her career, and she is seeing the less-than-glamorous side of fame.

It’s a cute idea for the story, but the writing actually becomes boring.  It is lacking the usual, amusing twists and turns, and it feels as if even the author gets bored because she just stops writing.  The ending arrives with a THUD with no resolution of the most interesting part of the story!

I was really looking forward to this book and was painfully disappointed.

Really – don’t bother!

Time of My Life by Allison Winn Scott

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

This is the quintessential beach read…  light, amusing, and easy on the brain!  It is the story of Jillian, a full-time mother and wife who has been thinking more and more lately about her ex-boyfriend, Jack and her ex-career as an ad exec, while lamenting the current status of her marriage.  She goes for her appointment for her massage, and suddenly she finds herself rewound about 6 years prior, with another chance to reset the trajectory of her life.

This is a cute premise — probably something everyone at some point wishes for, even briefly — and it is written in a cutely engaging prose.  But even though it is sprinkled with an occasional heady idea, it is fairly predictable and trite.

Again, it is a fun, light book to read through if you have a lot of time to read (like on the beach).  If your reading time is limited though, I would not spend it on this!

Ladies Night by Mary Kay Andrews (migrated from bookblogger)

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

Another fun book to add to your list of lighter, summer fare!  When Grace finds her husband having sex with her personal assistant and in her fury drives his very expensive sports car into their pool, she is sentenced by the judge to a “divorce recovery group.”  It is here that she meets her new allies who really do support her through the unfamiliar terrain of going through a divorce and landing back on her own two feet.

What makes this book fun is really the multiple lines of the story.  There are different relationships that develop among the characters who I felt I came to really like, there is an illegal scam to be uncovered, and of course, a romance that is budding even from the group itself.  And the outrageous behaviors of ex-spouses taking revenge also add a sometimes comedic/sometimes tragic note to this story.  In any case, there were a number of times I had to exclaim out loud at this book!

If you’re on your way to the beach be sure to pack this book next to your towel!

The One and Only by Emily Griffin (migrated from bookblogger)

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

Shea is a football fanatic in a small town in Texas, who has found herself stuck in a small-time job , with a small-town relationship. Her best friend’s father, the coach of the local college football team whom she has idolized, suggests to her that she needs to get out of her rut.  In the process of making some needed changes, she sort of comes full circle in discovering what she really wants in her life.

With her usual uncanny ability, Griffin scooped me right up with this very engaging story.  Her characters are smart and sassy and there is a lot of humanity in them as well.  There are real conflicts with real layers just as in real life, but there’s just enough glamor mixed in to make it fun to read.  And even though I know nothing about football -it’s got to be one of my least favorite sports! – I still was able to follow the gist of what was going on.

Basically a great summer read – perfect for the beach, which exactly where I read it!

London Falling by Emma Carr (migrated from bookblogger)

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

Admittedly, I was looking for something mindless when I chose this, but I got more than my fair share of mindlessness with this choice.  It is the silly tale of Aimee, who finds herself in London, with all her money and possessions having been stolen.  Seeking a way to pay for her ticket home to Seattle, she finds her way to the estate of Simon, a handsome, rich, and of course, tender-hearted bachelor and begs him to hire her as a housekeeper.  Because he’s seeking the account of the Royal Family for his family-owned bank, he cannot be perceived to do anything illegal, including hiring anyone with no working papers.   Predictably, they figure out a sort of compromise, and of course, fall in love and become somewhat embroiled in a situation because of Simon’s father who reigns over him with a strong arm.

While it actually was a cute premise, the rather weak writing combined with the lack of imagination in the plot line kept it only at that.  It remained only superficial and did not really go anywhere significant.  I downloaded it for only $2.99 and even at that price, it was more than it was worth!

Heartburn (migrated from bookblogger)

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

Heartburn by Nora Ephron

This is true vintage Nora Ephron, a book where not much happens, but she has you laughing through much of what she has written.  The story, such as it is, is about a woman who is 7 months pregnant with her second child and discovers that her husband is cheating on her.  This is, of course, her second husband and it feels as if everyone she’s surrounded by is cheating or has been cheating as well.  In addition, she happens to be an author of cook books, and so interspersed with the story are recipes.  It’s a bit of a bizarre story, but it is cute.  (Evidently, it was also made into a movie awhile ago as well.)

Not exactly high literature, but it was a light, quick read on the beach!