One Day

2011-11-10T13:31:00.012-06:00

Book title: One Day

Author: David Alan Nicholls

Genre: Romance

Print length: 448 pages

Publisher: Vintage

Published: 6-15-10

ISBN: 0307946711

Description:

This is a story about two college graduates who became best friends and the course their lives took over a twenty year span. Each year on July 15th from the year 1988-2007, we get to see what happens in the lives of Dexter Mayhew and Emma Morley. Emma has a major crush on Dexter but he just wants to be friends. Over the years they date other people. After career failures and successes, failed relationships, Dexter's marriage and divorce, Dexter and Emma decide to date each other. They get engaged, and eventually marry. Everything is going fine at first but then tragedy hits. Now despair sets in, guilt takes over, leaving Dexter a changed man far from his younger days of drugging, drinking, and women.

Table of contents:

Other Books by the Author

Title Page

Dedication

Part One - 1988-1992: Early Twenties

Chapter One - The Future

Chapter Two - Back to Life

Chapter Three - The Taj Mahal

Chapter Four - Opportunities

Chapter Five - The Rules of Engagement

Part Two - 1993-1995: Late Twenties

Chapter Six - Chemical

Chapter Seven - G.S.O.H.

Chapter Eight - Showbusiness

Chapter Nine - Cigarettes and Alcohol

Part Three - 1996-2001: Early Thirties

Chapter Ten - Carpe Diem

Chapter Eleven - Two Meetings

Chapter Twelve - Saying 'I Love You'

Chapter Thirteen - The Third Wave

Chapter Fourteen - Fathering

Chapter Fifteen - Jean Seberg

Part Four - 2002-2005: Late Thirties

Chapter Sixteen - Monday Morning

Chapter Seventeen - bigdayspeech.doc

Chapter Eighteen - The Middle

Part Five - Three Anniversaries

Chapter Nineteen - The Morning After

Chapter Twenty - The First Anniversary: A Celebration

Chapter Twenty-One - Arthur's Seat

Chapter Twenty-Two - The Second Anniversary: Unpacking

Chapter Twenty-Three - The Third Anniversary: Last Summer

Reader's Guide

About the Author

Acknowledgements

Author Bio:

David Alan Nicholls was born on November 30, 1966. He is an English author and screenwriter. These were the schools he attended:

Barton Peveril College
Bristol University
American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York

He obtained a BA in Drama and English. In addition, he also studied Theatre Studies along with Physics and Biology. In his 20s he worked as a professional actor and went by the stage name David Holdaway.

My review:

First of all this is not the story of "When Harry Met Sally." In "When Harry Met Sally" you get the sense that he really did love her by the end of the film. I did not feel that way when I read the book "One Day." I love the way the book was written but hated the story. The author does an excellent job of describing locations and character dimensions. If you are looking for a happily-ever-after, this is not it. Anyone can see that Emma, from the very beginning of the story, is the perfect girl for Dexter. It took Dexter twenty years to see it. I'm sorry, I don't think it takes twenty years to know if you are in love. I think six months is enough time to know if you love someone.

Their love was not romantic or passionate. Even after they were married you can see that in the marriage. She always had to initiate everything to get Dexter to start up a little cafe, go see a house to buy, and even try to have a baby together. Yes, and she had to initiate sex. She was always questioning if he loved her. His TV career failed. His wife had an affair with his best friend and he ends up divorced. He is in despair and becomes suicidal. Then he asks Emma how was her career going. Emma's career was soaring. She was in a position to help Dexter get back on his feet and she did eventually help him become a success again. It is at this very point in his life that he decides to give Emma a try at a relationship as his girlfriend. Dexter was a real butt-hole towards Emma for most of the twenty years. I was angry by the end of the book. Emma got him but she never did get the love she wanted.

If there is no spark at the beginning, there will be none at the end. That's what I came away with in this story. If she has to initiate anything, that should be enough for her to know that it's not in the cards. When a guy is in love he will be chasing her, not the other way around.

Rights to the film were sold to Warner Bros. The film bares the same name "One Day." The author of the book also wrote the screenplay for the film.

Needing Nita

2011-10-21T20:18:00.001-05:00

Book title: Needing Nita

Author: Norah Wilson

Genre: Romance

Print length: 59 pages

Published: 9-11-10

Description:

A short story about a romance between a Trial Lawyer and a Police Officer. Nita Reynolds is an Attorney who does not date cops but does like a particular cop named Craig Walker. Craig wants to date her but has given up on asking her out due to her no-date-cops rule. It is not until she thinks she has a brain tumor that she decides to date Officer Craig. But then she finds out that there was a mix up with the doctor's brain scan. But by this time she finds herself in way over her head.

Table of contents:

Chapter 1. Nita is told she has a brain tumor

Chapter 2. Craig is on a date with Nita

Chapter 3. Craig takes a shower with Nita after having sex

Chapter 4. Nita wakes up the next day in Craig's arms

Chapter 5. Craig walked out on Nita

Chapter 6. Nita heads to work tired

Chapter 7. Craig confesses to Nita that he loves her

Chapter 8. Craig and Nita make up and have sex again

My review:

I loved the story. I wish it was longer but you can always go back and re-read it to make the moment linger. I love the detailed account the author gives that kept me sitting on edge while anticipation builds. Craig comes off a bit too demanding for my taste but aside from that he seems to really care about Nita. In my opinion Nita made the right decision. It's the one I would have made if I were in the same position. It is a must read. I highly recommend this book. You can sample it or buy it in the iBooks Store.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Reggie's Books Romance

One Day

Needing Nita