Ash Wednesday is a novel by Ethan Hawke. Yes, that Ethan Hawke. It is a gritty tale of love, fear, and the future for a young couple at the beginning of their lives together. Told from Jimmy's perspective, this story is a roller coaster ride of emotions and cringe worthy moments as these two people make mistakes along the road.
Jimmy and Christy are in love. They are immature, even though they are old enough not to be, seemingly floating through life day to day without very much structure or commitment to anything. Oddly enough, Jimmy is in the Army for the structure it provided in his life. Christy is pregnant and going back home. Her plans do not include Jimmy, until he finds her and makes her see how much she means to him. He goes AWOL and they embark on a road trip from NY to Ohio, New Orleans and Texas, so that they can both face their pasts and try to move forward together.
A bit slow moving at times, this novel does grip the reader. Full of emotion and grit, it is an intense story of this couple's journey trying to find their way and find out if they should try to make this relationship work. This one is worth checking out if you are a fan of Hawke.
Happy Reading!
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
Father of the Bride (audiobook)
Barbara Delinsky's Father of the Bride is a mature romance novel. Originally published in 2004, this is a love story about two people who lost each other years ago due to the circumstances of life. Now, 25 years later, they are meeting again and their love for each other still exists as strongly as it did years ago.
Cynthia and Russ had a whirlwind romance when they were in their late teens. When she finds herself pregnant, all dreams get put on hold as the two marry and try to raise their daughter together. Cynthia is from a wealthy family and Russ is not. Cynthia's family disowns her when she marries Russ and the two of them have to try to make it with no help. Financial troubles, though, pull them apart. Russ realizes that if he leaves, Cynthia's family will take her back and his beloved wife and daughter will be better off. So he abandons them, with the best of intentions. Twenty-five years later, their daughter is getting married and wants him to walk her down the aisle. Cynthia and Russ haven't had any contact since he left her. Both have matured and changed, but will they get through the wedding civilly? Can they each put aside their hurt feelings over the past and find a way to move forward together?
I listened to this audiobook and was kept entertained. It was a bit predictable and trite, but still enjoyable. It is short and sweet, and if the reader can get over the idea of Russ leaving his wife and daughter (regardless of intentions, that move is kind of hard to forgive) then I think the reader can root for this couple to find each other again. If you are looking for something quick and sweet to read, this one might leave you satisfied.
Happy Reading!
Cynthia and Russ had a whirlwind romance when they were in their late teens. When she finds herself pregnant, all dreams get put on hold as the two marry and try to raise their daughter together. Cynthia is from a wealthy family and Russ is not. Cynthia's family disowns her when she marries Russ and the two of them have to try to make it with no help. Financial troubles, though, pull them apart. Russ realizes that if he leaves, Cynthia's family will take her back and his beloved wife and daughter will be better off. So he abandons them, with the best of intentions. Twenty-five years later, their daughter is getting married and wants him to walk her down the aisle. Cynthia and Russ haven't had any contact since he left her. Both have matured and changed, but will they get through the wedding civilly? Can they each put aside their hurt feelings over the past and find a way to move forward together?
I listened to this audiobook and was kept entertained. It was a bit predictable and trite, but still enjoyable. It is short and sweet, and if the reader can get over the idea of Russ leaving his wife and daughter (regardless of intentions, that move is kind of hard to forgive) then I think the reader can root for this couple to find each other again. If you are looking for something quick and sweet to read, this one might leave you satisfied.
Happy Reading!
Monday, April 7, 2014
A Perfect Day
Richard Paul Evans has a knack for writing great contemporary fiction with mature romance. A Perfect Day fit his niche perfectly. Written about a man who has his lifelong dream come true only to then realize that his success might come at the cost of his family, this novel is a fast, touching read.
Robert Harlen does not have the career of his dreams. He works for a small radio station, in the advertising department. But, he does have a wonderful family, a wife and daughter he adores, and a passion for writing. So he is happy (sort of) living day to day in a job he doesn't love because the rest of his life is pretty perfect. When he loses his job, his wife encourages him to follow his real passion and write the book he has always wanted to write. He gets the novel published and it becomes a huge success. Robert finally has everything he always wanted. Except that the life that this new fame gives him is not exactly the life that his family wanted, and maybe it isn't all it is cracked up to be. The commitment to get his book sold and the appearances he has to make once it gains popularity are putting a strain on his marriage. Through a series of his own decisions, he puts everything he loved about his life before in jeopardy and becomes someone of which he is not proud. A stranger comes along and begins helping him see what he has given up in order to chase his dream. Will he realize it and be able to correct his mistakes before it is too late, before he loses everything?
This was a very fast read (I read it on one lazy Sunday) and quite satisfying. I found myself falling in love with Robert's family, then cringing as he began his downfall with them, and rooting for him to fix it all before his time ran out. The element of the mysterious stranger was a nice twist to the story. I would recommend this one to anyone looking for a good contemporary, chick lit type book.
Happy Reading!
Robert Harlen does not have the career of his dreams. He works for a small radio station, in the advertising department. But, he does have a wonderful family, a wife and daughter he adores, and a passion for writing. So he is happy (sort of) living day to day in a job he doesn't love because the rest of his life is pretty perfect. When he loses his job, his wife encourages him to follow his real passion and write the book he has always wanted to write. He gets the novel published and it becomes a huge success. Robert finally has everything he always wanted. Except that the life that this new fame gives him is not exactly the life that his family wanted, and maybe it isn't all it is cracked up to be. The commitment to get his book sold and the appearances he has to make once it gains popularity are putting a strain on his marriage. Through a series of his own decisions, he puts everything he loved about his life before in jeopardy and becomes someone of which he is not proud. A stranger comes along and begins helping him see what he has given up in order to chase his dream. Will he realize it and be able to correct his mistakes before it is too late, before he loses everything?
This was a very fast read (I read it on one lazy Sunday) and quite satisfying. I found myself falling in love with Robert's family, then cringing as he began his downfall with them, and rooting for him to fix it all before his time ran out. The element of the mysterious stranger was a nice twist to the story. I would recommend this one to anyone looking for a good contemporary, chick lit type book.
Happy Reading!
Sunday, March 30, 2014
The Tycoon & The Texan
The Tycoon and the Texan by Phyllis Miranda was an awful book. It was a Barnes & Noble Free Fridays download that was a complete waste of my time (not that I don't appreciate the free books B&N offers every Friday - no complaints for them from this happy, voracious reader). This novel was silly, stupid romance with a plot that made very little sense, a back story for the two main characters that made no sense at all and no character consistency. This is one of those romances that makes me believe the author thinks her audience is made up of idiots and makes this reader disgusted with the genre. I am not going to give it any more of my time. Skip this one.
Happy Reading!
Happy Reading!
Monday, March 24, 2014
The Compound
S.A. Bodeen's young adult novel, The Compound, was a fascinating, fun, fast paced realistic fiction novel. This novel was thought provoking and interesting. I read it with my book club. All four of us enjoyed the book and could not wait to get together to discuss it.
Eli Yanakakis and his family escaped a nuclear crisis by running to the Compound, a shelter created by his extremely wealthy father with most of the comforts of home. But his twin brother and his grandmother didn't make it. Wracked with guilt, Eli spends the next six years distancing himself from his parents and his siblings and the things that are happening in the Compound. But a discovery has him questioning his father's motives and whether a nuclear event even happened. With a fascinating look at what it takes to keep a family of 5 alive underground for six years and at the family dynamic when faced with such circumstances, this novel keeps the reader turning the pages. With its dramatic conclusion, the reader is left wondering about the future of this family and there is the perfect set up for the follow up novel, The Fallout.
This was a great read. Sometimes the symbolism is overstated, but one must remember that the audience is a younger one. I found that easy to overlook, as were some of the more unrealistic aspects of the shelter, because the plot was so good and the characters so engaging. Highly recommend this one.
Happy Reading!
Eli Yanakakis and his family escaped a nuclear crisis by running to the Compound, a shelter created by his extremely wealthy father with most of the comforts of home. But his twin brother and his grandmother didn't make it. Wracked with guilt, Eli spends the next six years distancing himself from his parents and his siblings and the things that are happening in the Compound. But a discovery has him questioning his father's motives and whether a nuclear event even happened. With a fascinating look at what it takes to keep a family of 5 alive underground for six years and at the family dynamic when faced with such circumstances, this novel keeps the reader turning the pages. With its dramatic conclusion, the reader is left wondering about the future of this family and there is the perfect set up for the follow up novel, The Fallout.
This was a great read. Sometimes the symbolism is overstated, but one must remember that the audience is a younger one. I found that easy to overlook, as were some of the more unrealistic aspects of the shelter, because the plot was so good and the characters so engaging. Highly recommend this one.
Happy Reading!
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
The Front Porch Prophet
Raymond L. Atkins' The Front Porch Prophet is a compelling story about a group of seemingly misfits in a small town in Georgia. The reader grows to care about and even love the characters, even the unlovable ones. Engaging and affecting, this novel is about a lot more than it initially seems.
A.J. Longstreet and Eugene Purdue have been best friends since childhood. One a trouble maker, rude and obnoxious son of a gun and the other a nice, well meaning and hard working sort. They make an odd couple and an entertaining one. Eugene has pushed away most of the people in his life, including A.J. But now that he has been diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer, he turns to his longtime friend for help and asks him to kill him when the time is right. A.J. is faced with a dilemma, but before he faces that dilemma he helps Eugene make things right with the people he has pushed away.
The two reconnect and take the reader on a journey into the past that shapes for the reader the lives of who these two are today. Joined by a cast of unforgettable characters, this book is funny, smart and heart warming. By the end of the book, this motley crew feels almost like family. This was a great read and one I would absolutely recommend. Thanks Barnes & Noble for this Free Friday pick!
Happy Reading!
A.J. Longstreet and Eugene Purdue have been best friends since childhood. One a trouble maker, rude and obnoxious son of a gun and the other a nice, well meaning and hard working sort. They make an odd couple and an entertaining one. Eugene has pushed away most of the people in his life, including A.J. But now that he has been diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer, he turns to his longtime friend for help and asks him to kill him when the time is right. A.J. is faced with a dilemma, but before he faces that dilemma he helps Eugene make things right with the people he has pushed away.
The two reconnect and take the reader on a journey into the past that shapes for the reader the lives of who these two are today. Joined by a cast of unforgettable characters, this book is funny, smart and heart warming. By the end of the book, this motley crew feels almost like family. This was a great read and one I would absolutely recommend. Thanks Barnes & Noble for this Free Friday pick!
Happy Reading!
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Snatched
Snatched is a short story, but action packed from beginning to end, by Karin Slaughter. A gripping story about a cop with an instinct and a little girl who looked forlorn, Snatched gives the reader a thrill ride through the Atlanta airport in a very short period of time.
Will Trent is an agent of the Georgia Bureau of Investigations. He has been put on bathroom duty at the Atlanta airport, one of the busiest in the country. He spends his time sitting in a stall listening to other men come and go, hoping to catch someone in an illicit act. Instead, he hears a little girl in the stall next to him say "Please, I want to go home." His gut tells him this isn't right, and that the man she is with is not her father or any other relative or friend. But he isn't sure if he should follow that instinct or not. What follows is a thrill ride through the airport as he tries to figure out what is going on. When he does, will he be in time to fix it?
I recommend this one. I listened to it as an audiobook in just two sittings. Excellently written to grip the reader from the first page, this was a great story. I was unfamiliar with Karin Slaughter. I will absolutely add her as one of my authors to get to know. This particular set of characters may be from a series. I will be looking into that as well, since they were so interesting.
Happy Reading!
Will Trent is an agent of the Georgia Bureau of Investigations. He has been put on bathroom duty at the Atlanta airport, one of the busiest in the country. He spends his time sitting in a stall listening to other men come and go, hoping to catch someone in an illicit act. Instead, he hears a little girl in the stall next to him say "Please, I want to go home." His gut tells him this isn't right, and that the man she is with is not her father or any other relative or friend. But he isn't sure if he should follow that instinct or not. What follows is a thrill ride through the airport as he tries to figure out what is going on. When he does, will he be in time to fix it?
I recommend this one. I listened to it as an audiobook in just two sittings. Excellently written to grip the reader from the first page, this was a great story. I was unfamiliar with Karin Slaughter. I will absolutely add her as one of my authors to get to know. This particular set of characters may be from a series. I will be looking into that as well, since they were so interesting.
Happy Reading!
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