Book Review | And One Last Thing ...By Molly Harper

I can’t begin to tell you how much I laughed when I read the first sentence of this book, And One Last Thing ... By Molly Harper. It has to be my ultimate laugh out loud and “NO she didn't just write that” best first sentence. But you can be the judge:

"If Singletree’s only florist didn’t deliver her posies half-drunk, I might still be married to that floor-licking, scum-sucking, receptionist-nailing hack-accountant, Mike Terwilliger."

Now you want to read more right! Don’t get all judgmental I am not always reading chick lit books and really took this recommendation from one of the book clubs I joined on goodreads.com. I had no idea what the book was about but really wanted that quick train read. And reading a nice relationship book can put you in the right frame of mind when things get a bit crazy in your own kitchen.

Share a Book Rating | 4 - Great book, but hey you tell me is it a 5!! Read below will have details about the story so here is your warning ** SPOILER ALERT **

Book Review | Setting & Characters

The main theme of the book does center on the main characters behavior after she sent the email that we would all want to send at the end of a very bad relationship but it does not over power the story. With this act she discovers her true desires in life as an individual, lover and family member. Set in the isolated woods of a family cabin, a place to retreat to in the hysteria of a push of the ENTER button, she finds comfort in her own discoveries. The author does a brilliant job focusing on the main characters discovery with the entire additional sub characters each playing a voice in her head. The strength of family, new friends and losing it all can lead to a self-discovery.

I have to say the lake setting and day turning into night writing was a favorite scene for me as I wish I could trade places with that peacefulness. And the pursuit of being an author kept me wanting more for this girl!

Book Review | A little research

Goodreads.com has an author review of Molly Harper. On her blog she states that she was “A former newspaper reporter and church secretary, I write paranormal romance and romance novels. This blog is where I shamelessly promote them.”

I found this great video. Love when I can see the author and learn more about them. Check it out


Product Description from Amazon 

"If Singletree’s only florist didn’t deliver her posies half-drunk, I might still be married to that floor-licking, scum-sucking, receptionist-nailing hack-accountant, Mike Terwilliger."

Lacey Terwilliger’s shock and humiliation over her husband’s philandering prompt her to add some bonus material to Mike’s company newsletter: stunning Technicolor descriptions of the special brand of "administrative support" his receptionist gives him. The detailed mass e-mail to Mike’s family, friends, and clients blows up in her face, and before one can say "instant urban legend," Lacey has become the pariah of her small Kentucky town, a media punch line, and the defendant in Mike’s defamation lawsuit.
Her seemingly perfect life up in flames, Lacey retreats to her family’s lakeside cabin, only to encounter an aggravating neighbor named Monroe. A hunky crime novelist with a low tolerance for drama, Monroe is not thrilled about a newly divorced woman moving in next door. But with time, beer, and a screen door to the nose, a cautious friendship develops into something infinitely more satisfying.
Lacey has to make a decision about her long-term living arrangements, though. Should she take a job writing caustic divorce newsletters for paying clients, or move on with her own life, pursuing more literary aspirations? Can she find happiness with a man who tells her what he thinks and not what she wants to hear? And will she ever be able to resist saying one . . . last . . . thing?

Other links to Molly Harper

• http://mollyharper.com/
• http://singleundeadfemale.blogspot.com/
• http://reluctantadults.blogspot.com/

Conclusion| My thoughts 

Like I said I really enjoyed this book and the first sentence might be my 2012 Best first sentence, laugh out loud award. Molly Harper brought us into a family situation that many of us shy away from. The author leads us through a relationship that ended in turmoil and shows that a second chance can happen for each person. Although, these signs might have been there through out the relationship it can lead to drastic measures on both sides when these two people aren't  meant to be together. No matter if the buzzed florist delivers the wrong package or that voice in your head leads you to change. It is a good thing and over time bitterness aside a new beginning will come to you once you accept.

So I say read it pick it up at the library (like I did) share it with a girlfriend and laugh, enjoy her new experiences and remember all in time things move forward. 

Question| what would you do if you got the wrong flowers? Please share.

Keep Turning those pages!
Happy Reading,
 Jennifer

p.s. While you are reading this, I am reading Enchanted Inc. I'll post a full review in an upcoming post. Be sure to subscribe to A Reading Journal so you don't miss it!

June Books :: One on everyone's secret list and more...

It seems I am about to read some books that EVERYONE has been talking about and I have to say I hope the hype wins hahah

This month we are reading a favorite author of mine Ms. Judy Blume and one that has made me laugh on the Chelsea Lately show, Ms. Sarah Colonna but the one everyone is talking about and hiding on their kindles is Fifty Shades of Grey: Book One of the Fifty... by E L James. And finally, magic, mystery, intrigue, romance, and adventure in A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 1)By George R.R. Martin.

I hope you are able to join me and pick up one or all four of these books at the local library, book store, online at our store or join our Share A Book program and receive a FREE copy.

Keep turning those pages....
Happy Reading,
Jennifer

Life As I Blow It: Tales of Love, Life &... by Sarah Colonna $10.20	A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, ... by George R.R. Martin $10.36	Fifty Shades of Grey: Book One of the Fifty... by E L James $9.57
Summer Sisters: A Novel by Judy Blume $10.24

May Books :: Friendship, Loss & Gain, War and Family

Magic of friendship ~ Loss and Gain ~ Drought, fire, famine, and war ~Power of family

We have some interesting books coming up this month. I will also include a galley from a new upcoming author. I will keep you posted on that book. I have included the product descriptions below in this post. Check them out - you can link directly to Amazon for a copy or a kindle version. 

• The Murderer's Daughters By Randy Susan Meyers
• Unbearable Lightness: A Story of Loss and Gain By Portia de Rossi 
• The Hunger Games By Suzanne Collins 
• Firefly Lane By Kristin Hannah 

PICK UP THE BOOK - join us in SHARE a BOOK - read it! Share it! 

Join me in discussions on my reviews. I look forward to your comments. All the best! 

Keep turning those pages....
Happy Reading,
Jennifer


Product Description (from Amazon)

The Murderer's Daughters By Randy Susan Meyers

Lulu and Merry's childhood was never ideal, but on the day before Lulu's tenth birthday their father drives them into a nightmare. He's always hungered for the love of the girls’ self-obsessed mother; after she throws him out, their troubles turn deadly.

Lulu had been warned to never to let her father in, but when he shows up drunk, he's impossible to ignore. He bullies his way past Lulu, who then listens in horror as her parents struggle. She runs for help, but discovers upon her return that he's murdered her mother, stabbed her five-year-old sister, and tried, unsuccessfully, to kill himself.

Lulu and Merry are effectively orphaned by their mother’s death and father’s imprisonment, but the girls’ relatives refuse to care for them and abandon them to a terrifying group home. Even as they plot to be taken in by a well-to-do family, they come to learn they’ll never really belong anywhere or to anyone—that all they have to hold onto is each other.

For thirty years, the sisters try to make sense of what happened. Their imprisoned father is a specter in both their lives, shadowing every choice they make. One spends her life pretending he's dead, while the other feels compelled, by fear, by duty, to keep him close. Both dread the day his attempts to win parole may meet success.

A beautifully written, compulsively readable debut, The Murderer's Daughters is a testament to the power of family and the ties that bind us together and tear us apart.

Product Description (from Amazon)

Unbearable Lightness: A Story of Loss and Gain By Portia de Rossi

Now in paperback, the New York Times bestselling memoir from Portia de Rossi explores the truth of her long battle to overcome anorexia and bulimia—“an unusually fresh and engrossing memoir of both Hollywood and modern womanhood” (Los Angeles Times, 5 stars).

In this groundbreaking memoir, Portia de Rossi reveals the pain and illness that haunted her for decades, from the time she was a twelve-year-old girl working as a model in Australia, through her early rise to fame as a cast member of the hit television show Ally McBeal . All the while terrified that the truth of her sexuality would be exposed in the tabloids, Portia alternately starved herself and binged, putting her life in danger and concealing from herself and everyone around her the seriousness of her illness.

She describes the elaborate rituals around food that came to dominate hours of every day and explores the pivotal moments of her childhood that set her on the road to illness. She reveals the heartache and fear that accompany a life lived in the closet, a sense of isolation that was only magnified by her unrelenting desire to be ever thinner, ever more in control of her body and the number of calories she consumed and spent.

From her lowest point, Portia began the painful climb back to a life of health and honesty, falling in love and marrying Ellen DeGeneres and emerging as an outspoken and articulate advocate for gay rights and women’s health issues. In this remarkable and landmark book, she has given the world a story that inspires hope and nourishes the spirit.

Product Description (from Amazon) 

The Hunger Games By Suzanne Collins 

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. Long ago the districts waged war on the Capitol and were defeated. As part of the surrender terms, each district agreed to send one boy and one girl to appear in an annual televised event called, "The Hunger Games," a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the Games. The terrain, rules, and level of audience participation may change but one thing is constant: kill or be killed.

Product Description (from Amazon) 

Firefly Lane By Kristin Hannah

From the New York Times bestselling author of On Mystic Lake comes a powerful novel of love, loss, and the magic of friendship. . . .

In the turbulent summer of 1974, Kate Mularkey has accepted her place at the bottom of the eighth-grade social food chain. Then, to her amazement, the “coolest girl in the world” moves in across the street and wants to be her friend. Tully Hart seems to have it all---beauty, brains, ambition. On the surface they are as opposite as two people can be: Kate, doomed to be forever uncool, with a loving family who mortifies her at every turn. Tully, steeped in glamour and mystery, but with a secret that is destroying her. They make a pact to be best friends forever; by summer’s end they’ve become TullyandKate. Inseparable.

So begins Kristin Hannah’s magnificent new novel. Spanning more than three decades and playing out across the ever-changing face of the Pacific Northwest, Firefly Lane is the poignant, powerful story of two women and the friendship that becomes the bulkhead of their lives.

From the beginning, Tully is desperate to prove her worth to the world. Abandoned by her mother at an early age, she longs to be loved unconditionally. In the glittering, big-hair era of the eighties, she looks to men to fill the void in her soul. But in the buttoned-down nineties, it is television news that captivates her. She will follow her own blind ambition to New York and around the globe, finding fame and success . . . and loneliness.

Kate knows early on that her life will be nothing special. Throughout college, she pretends to be driven by a need for success, but all she really wants is to fall in love and have children and live an ordinary life. In her own quiet way, Kate is as driven as Tully. What she doesn’t know is how being a wife and mother will change her . . . how she’ll lose sight of who she once was, and what she once wanted. And how much she’ll envy her famous best friend. . . .

For thirty years, Tully and Kate buoy each other through life, weathering the storms of friendship---jealousy, anger, hurt, resentment. They think they’ve survived it all until a single act of betrayal tears them apart . . . and puts their courage and friendship to the ultimate test.

Firefly Lane is for anyone who ever drank Boone’s Farm apple wine while listening to Abba or Fleetwood Mac. More than a coming-of-age novel, it’s the story of a generation of women who were both blessed and cursed by choices. It’s about promises and secrets and betrayals. And ultimately, about the one person who really, truly knows you---and knows what has the power to hurt you . . . and heal you. Firefly Lane is a story you’ll never forget . . . one you’ll want to pass on to your best friend.

Book Review :: CeeCee and some Savannah Ice Tea

This statement is soooo true "Steel Magnolias meets The Help in this Southern debut novel sparkling with humor, heart, and feminine wisdom".

April Book :: Saving CeeCee Honeycutt: A Novel By Beth Hoffman

I read this and was like I have to read it! I actually think it has been on my list for a while. And thank God it made it to Bookworm Bitches group on Goodreads.

Below are a few lines that I just found perfect reminders :: 

"Life is full of change, honey. That is how we learn and grow. When we're born, the Good Lord gives each of us a Life Book. Chapter by chapter, we live and learn."

"...wired door open to remind myself how delicious freedom is - Financial and otherwise." 

"the human mind is an amazing thing. It protects us when we can't protect ourselves.'

"Oysters are a lot like women. It's how we survive the hurts in life that brings us strehgth and gives us our beauty."

It seems my quotes that caught my eye or made me bunny ear the pages were nice reminders to all when times are a bit of a struggle we can turn it around and cherish the past and move forward to the future. 

Read the book - Let me know your comments. If you like sign up for the SHARE A BOOK program and receive a FREE copy. 

Much love and Happy Reading! 

Happy Easter and Passover to all. 

~ Jennifer

Product Description (from Amazon)

Twelve-year-old CeeCee Honeycutt is in trouble. For years, she has been the caretaker of her psychotic mother, Camille-the tiara-toting, lipstick-smeared laughingstock of an entire town-a woman trapped in her long-ago moment of glory as the 1951 Vidalia Onion Queen. But when Camille is hit by a truck and killed, CeeCee is left to fend for herself. To the rescue comes her previously unknown great-aunt, Tootie Caldwell.

In her vintage Packard convertible, Tootie whisks CeeCee away to Savannah's perfumed world of prosperity and Southern eccentricity, a world that seems to be run entirely by women. From the exotic Miz Thelma Rae Goodpepper, who bathes in her backyard bathtub and uses garden slugs as her secret weapons, to Tootie's all- knowing housekeeper, Oletta Jones, to Violene Hobbs, who entertains a local police officer in her canary-yellow peignoir, the women of Gaston Street keep CeeCee entertained and enthralled for an entire summer.

Laugh-out-loud funny and deeply touching, Beth Hoffman's sparkling debut is, as Kristin Hannah says, "packed full of Southern charm, strong women, wacky humor, and good old-fashioned heart." It is a novel that explores the indomitable strengths of female friendship and gives us the story of a young girl who loses one mother and finds many others. 

Book Review :: Ranting and a lot of laughing for Mama

Let's be honest no one gives us that book that really details the reality of bringing home your first child. Tales from the Pantry by Shari Owen Brown reminds us of what it is like to need that "lock" on the inside of Pantry door and snack on that bag of chips while #whoknowswhat is happening on the other side.

This book was a peek behind the scenes into a life of a mother with two young children. A simple tug at the curtains to see and listen to a mothers plea for sanity at times. No one really wants to pull the blinds all the way open and this book is a funny but yet true look at a mothers sometimes daily life.

I personally agree that there should be a peak into this life before you head down that road of motherhood. Be fully warned but PLEASE take the path it is SO worth the sleepless nights, tantrums, dirty diapers, endless crying and that unbelievable smile from your child that takes you to a place you can't describe.

I personally didn't mind all the ranting and love the twitter references #thetruthhurts and don't get me started on agreeing about the FRENCH FRIES #whatisupwiththat!

And please please send me the directions to the PARENT only park! I will be the one with the Pinot Noir Sippy cup :)

I will be sharing this book with some of my Mama's for a nice laugh!!

Happy Reading!

Jennifer


Product Description (from Amazon)

Tales From the Pantry: Random Rants & Musings of a Stay-at-Home Mom is a collection of witty, funny, and sometimes gut-wrenching stories told by a 40-something mother of two small children. Based upon the popular blog 'Don't Make Me Count to Three!', Shari Owen Brown uses humor to navigate the daily slings and arrows of motherhood. Many parents can relate to the often unspoken challenges of child rearing. And for those who have yet to have children...consider yourself warned! Shari found herself the last of her friends to have children and was then SHOCKED to discover all of the lies she had been told! Why hadn't anybody mentioned these things before?!! It was like a secret club of parents who dared not tell the truth or else none of their friends would have children, leaving them all alone in their own private nightmare! Shari blows the lid off of these unspoken challenges & discusses daily life in a funny and entertaining way that still manages to speak the truth. It is a great outlet for parents to laugh at themselves through Shari, and realize that they are not alone or crazy (well, maybe just a little!) for feeling the way that they do.

Black and White with a dash of Scarlet

My Favorite line from the description is “utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements.” I was not prepared for this magical enchantment that THE NIGHT CIRCUS brought to me with each turn of the page. The “contest” started without a true understanding of what the meaning of the contest was to each player. The reader is taken on a magical journey introduced to new characters with special talents. And each new tent at the circus made me a believer of the true circus experience. If the Le Cirque des Rêves was in town I would wear my scarlet scarf and be one with the Rêves.

Who doesn’t love a love story that tries to keep the lovers apart only to find that secret way to stay together! I was taken away by the thrill of the circus tents and the imagination of each setting. I truly believe it was an “enchanting” story. Yup! I am sticking with the “enchanting” I just hope one day this becomes a movie… I want to ride Le Cirque des Rêves train Not a Hogwarts Express but one with more magic.

About Erin M. I implore you to visit her blog. Her site has the dreamiest quote: “A dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world. - Oscar Wilde.

Much Love,

 Jennifer

READ ::


Title: The Night Circus
Author: Erin Morgenstern
Genre: Fiction
Theme: Magic, Love, metaphysical, women’s fiction
ISBN-13: 978-0385534635

WATCH ::

Video Preview :: 

fall in love with the music :)

Author Interviews with Erin Morgenstern :: 

Product Description (From Amazon)

The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.

But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.

True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus per­formers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead.

Written in rich, seductive prose, this spell-casting novel is a feast for the senses and the heart.

Definitely not a tear jerker

This funny chic, Mindy Kaling, writer/actress on The Office, has you really thinking about how funny life’s experiences - romance, friendship and working in the great place of Hollywood can lead to a great book. These twists in experiences can be a tear jerker in the HILARIOUS kind of way. Mindy takes us on a personal journey into her discovery of comedy, friendship and that perfect job.


Title: Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? 
Author: MINDY KALING
Genre: Biographies & Memoirs
Theme: Humor, Entertainer, Biographies & Memoirs
ISBN-13: 978-0307886262

I want to laugh!

I swear at times I was like OMG that is hilarious! The reminder of those OLD family photos’ you hope nobody would post; she proudly inserts into her stories bringing the reader up front and personal to her experiences. Or remember that time in school when you wish you could have erased from everyone’s memory; she reminds us of a memory we can all recall making us wonder how we made it this far. Then she brings her current obsessions and habits to light make us all seem a little closer in this small world. Don’t we all memorize our credit card numbers, to get that quick sale on Gilt.com

I have to say not at all as raunchy as our hysterical Miss Chelsea H. and not as descriptive as miss Tina F. (Sorry, Tina I couldn’t even finish the book – love the shows and comedy but the book – next one :)

This book was a quick read as Mindy clearly states “if you are reading this book longer than two days something is up". I recommend this book for that quick read in between a long drawn out historical fiction or a train ride on the LIRR from Montauk to Penn, or stop at her old stomping grounds in Brooklyn.

Book Description (from Amazon)

Mindy Kaling has lived many lives: the obedient child of immigrant professionals, a timid chubster afraid of her own bike, a Ben Affleck–impersonating Off-Broadway performer and playwright, and, finally, a comedy writer and actress prone to starting fights with her friends and coworkers with the sentence “Can I just say one last thing about this, and then I swear I’ll shut up about it?”

Perhaps you want to know what Mindy thinks makes a great best friend (someone who will fill your prescription in the middle of the night), or what makes a great guy (one who is aware of all elderly people in any room at any time and acts accordingly), or what is the perfect amount of fame (so famous you can never get convicted of murder in a court of law), or how to maintain a trim figure (you will not find that information in these pages). If so, you’ve come to the right book, mostly!

In Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?, Mindy invites readers on a tour of her life and her unscientific observations on romance, friendship, and Hollywood, with several conveniently placed stopping points for you to run errands and make phone calls. Mindy Kaling really is just a Girl Next Door—not so much literally anywhere in the continental United States, but definitely if you live in India or Sri Lanka.