When a Book Reads like a Conversation with a Friend

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (and Other Concerns was Mindy Kaling's debut book. She writes pretty much what she thinks and how she feels and it is fabulous.

In her quirky take on life, Mindy reveals that the path to Hollywood was not smooth. She is not a size two, and "hooking up" needs to have a unified term. In short Mindy writes like she is having a conversation with you on her couch. You can laugh at loud, turn the page quickly when you remember a guilty pleasure, and just enjoy the book. I encourage you all to pick up this quick read!

Starting Where'd You Go Bernadette tonight for Book Club!

Happy Reading!

Sometimes you just need a break

After reading some pretty intense books the last two weeks, I decided I wanted to read a light an easy read. Luckily, I had Sarah Jio The Bungalow on my list. I think I read the entire book in less than 24 hours. The story is captivating. While most of the story is told through a flashback, the two stories meet and mysteries are solved.

Sarah Jio brings together the perfect blend of character development, plot, and intrigue. Anne and her friend Kitty leave to serve as army nurses in the South Pacific in WWII. The stories the come together and plot twist make this a great book with a surprising twist at the end.

(PS: On a side note, I highly recommend reading this book on the beach or any tropical location.)


Currently evaluating my next book options.. can't decide off my list!

Happy Reading!

Letting go of the Past to Make Room for the Future

To me Nicholas Sparks is a hit or miss author. His books are either over the top and so sappy that you are question why you read them or they find the perfect blend of love, mystery, and plot.

A Bend in The Road which was one of Sparks earlier books can be considered a hit in Sparks world (yet not my favorite Sparks book). Miles loses his wife Missy in a tragic accident. After searching for two years in search of the cause, he loses himself in the trama until he befriends his sons second grade teacher,Sarah.

This book was a little harder to read than expected as my life took its own personal bend in the road. But the message is universal: You have to learn to accept the past and let go of the past in order to move on. This book has great twist and turns. It is pretty easy to guess what will happen. Overall, if you want a light easy read. This is a great book.


Happy Reading!

And now I'm 50 books down! I'll have a great 50 book recap post tonight!

Gone...What?

Currently, I am back in the real world for 3 more days. (Side note: it took me 3 days to actually publish this post. Now, I leave for the beach in the morning!) During my first beach vacation, I read The Secret and Gone Girl. Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl was a 2012 and even 2013 best seller that received so much hype. Amy and Nick may be two of the weirdest characters that I have ever seen come into literature.

With a twisting plot, characters who are not what they seem, and all in all weird book, this book does not leave you wanting more  for action. Nick and Amy live a wonderful happy life in New York. After their career's tank and the trust funds falls apart, they move back to Nick's Missouri hometown. The drama unfolds as Amy suddenly disappears on their wedding anniversary. While this can be a good beach read because of its fast pace mentality, overall the plot was just a little too cliche yet to far fetch for me.

I leave you to be the final judge.

In other news, I am leaving for the beach and will post in the morning on the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People that I just finished. My week long family vacation will however include some great reading!

Below are my 4 Beach/Airplane Books for the trip. (Depending on the vacation will depend if I make it to number 4)

Catch 22
Inferno (I know I am cheating, but I can't wait!)
A Lion Among Men
The Lovely Bones

Happy Reading!

Jennifer Weiner...Short and Sweet

The Guy Not Taken...From one extreme to another, both with the same goal... well sort of. Jennifer Weiner highlights eleven primary previously written short stories to highlight human promise, love, families, happy endings, and not so happy endings. All in all, this book center around Weiner great ability to not only develop characters but let readers connect with those characters.

In each story, the primary character grew with age and sometimes issues. From the 14 year old Nikki to the 70 year old Dory, the emotions of the story seemed real and almost everyone can relate to at least one story.


Overall, considering short stories are my least favorite type of anything genre to read, I thought this was a good book. Jennifer Weiner is a great author to read an almost meaningful chick lit especially if you want to be entertained yet connected.  (See Good In Bed and In Her Shoes). She spends much time developing these characters and creating the story, but they end (hence the problem with short stories). In all, this much much better than JK Rowling's Casual Vacancy.

Happy Reading... (Almost done with Lean In and will start Half the Sky tonight)

Another Chick Lit Beach Read

The beach is my special place. I can escape and relax and read forever.Hence, I finished two books already on the trip. This post however is devoted to I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella.

On the whole, it was pretty good and  easy beach read. About 60% of the book was fairly predictable with guy is with girl, girl meets other guy, oh wait someone is cheating. To bring in a true 21st century twist, much of the connections occur over email and text.

 I would save this book for a rainy day or beach day. I much prefer Can You Keep A Secret?  or Remember Me by Kinsella.


Happy Reading!
(HP 6 post is around the corner)