That's Sew Mandy: Reads

The Pioneer Woman: Black Heels to Tractor Wheels... A Love Story

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy) — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 01:16:00 +0000

Oooooooooh-Kay Ree... could you pick a longer title for your next book?! LMAO!

So this might just go down as my favourite read of all time for two reasons...

1) I love ChickLit when it's well written... and this is a really well written book. Not dry, not drawn out... just perfect

2) I love non-fiction... that's right, it's a true story.

So, I should tell you a little about this story. Way back when I started university and moved away, I found myself wondering what to make for dinner (which we call supper... and so does Ree!). I found a lovely little blog that had some recipes on it... it was called the Pioneer Woman Cooks and at the time it was a separate blog from her main blog that told about her life.

She's a city girl. Grew up on a golf-course... daughter of a doctor... went to college... became a vegetarian... you got the picture... right? Well, she met a cowboy... a cattle ranger that loved beef. She moved to a secluded farm, married the farmer, eats beef, and raises their four children on the farm... all the while cooking gourmet meals, homeschooling, and photographing her surroundings. She's like a super-human, super-mom and that's the way she loves it! But... she's oddly down to earth and you can tell from her blog, the way she writes and everything.

The book is about how she met, fell in love and married her husband... who she simply calles Marlboro Man. I read elsewhere that his name is Ladd Drummond but never once does she ever call him Ladd.

I'd suggest visiting her blog. For the food, for the pictures, for the family and for the great reading. P.S. she has a load of giveaway's too :)

Oh yeah, she also has another website called Tasty Kitchen... it's full of submitted recipes... like a giant cookbook for everyone. Seriously has everything... it's called a cooking community. Seriously, check it out too!

Anyway, pick up this book today for great summer reading. Also check out her websites as they are just awesome :)

Reading Hiatus --> OVER :)

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy) — Fri, 20 May 2011 14:35:00 +0000

It seems it has been months since I've posted.

It's been months since I read for pleasure. Well a novel anyway. I've read probably 30 quilting books and at least 10 recipe books but I don't review those. Maybe I should... at least I'd have something noteworthy on this blog.

I haven't been living on my own since September and I've been finding it difficult to find quality alone and quiet reading time. It took me a while to realize that's why I haven't been reading. I use to typically read after supper (usually before and after the dishes) sometimes before bed and always as a study break. A chapter in a book is a great break from studying.

I'm not a student anymore... no more study breaks. I don't own my own place anymore (SO and I are staying with family while we're establishing ourselves in a new community, away from University) and there's a toddler in our home. She requires lots of attention from everyone in our home!

But, I'm happy to report I'll be back soon with a reading update! I've finished my first book for 2011 and I actually think it's my favourite book of all time. Truly an awesome read... it married my two favourite genres... non-fiction and chick-lit. I'll tell ya'll about it soon :)

A great Summer read...

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy) — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 04:14:00 +0000

that literally took all summer.

Not because it was boring or long... in fact it was quite the opposite! With the finishing of degrees and packing, moving and un-packing (which continues to this day) reading and sewing have gone to the back burners.

Emily Giffin wrote another beautiful book. I have only one of hers left to read and she has quickly become my favourite author.

Her stories are always believable... like it could be happening in the house next door. In contrast to another favourite author of mine, Sophie Kinsella who has fanatical characters and plots that women dream about, Giffin's plots are not so out of the realm of usual to believe. They're fun, heart wrenching and entertaining all at the same time.

If can picture Dr. Russo, his wife, the other woman and their children. I bet that last sentence told you everything and nothing about this book! I recommend it as a great read. It still isn't my favourite by her but it's still a beautifully written story and I always love it when a book leaves you to wonder what happens next.

I particularly liked how the tense changed from chapter to chapter... it is written from the 1st person and 3rd person perspective depending on which character is in focus at the time. The chapters oscillate from the woman's perspectives and it is a great read. Although it took me a few chapters to get use to the style... it was a great choice in the end IMO.

Up next is Charlie St. Cloud... I'll let you know how it turns out... so far I'm 100 pages in and underwhelmed by the whole thing... very Nick Sparks in flavour... which isn't so much my flavour!

Wtching some Movies

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy) — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 16:04:00 +0000

Because I haven't had much time to pleasure read lately, I've been watching movies when I get the chance...

I watched Precious which was a great movie! I can't say it was better than the book but it's worth seeing.

I watched Dear John... I liked it BETTER than the book... but I'm not a huge Sparks fan so the movie was wonderful. You really should watch it!

I also saw My Sister's Keeper. It was only ok.... I'm going to read the book because I think the book will be better.

Oh and... I FINALLY SAW ECLIPSE IN THE THEATRE! Freeking awesome... if you haven't seen it yet, you have to! Really, I mean it! It was my favourite movie in the series and I can't believe I have to wait a year and a half to see the next one... and two years to see the last one. Yikes!

Update Time... even if it's not about books :)

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy) — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 16:01:00 +0000

I've been really bogged down with school work and moving and having family visit. I'm reading just not a lot right now... or not stuff that I'd call pleasure reading (ie text books!). So, I have been playing around with the Blogger Platform a little

I now have an RSS feed... which I didn't know how it worked or anything about it until today! I hope if you're using a reader you'll find this helpful for visiting me :) Next I'm going to figure out how to implement the subscribe to have the most recent post emailed to you option... but I'm still learning and just happy to have learned this much :) Just click the button on the side!

I have added a link to my Facebook account. I recently set-up a new Facebook account for only my blogging friends. I will post all my quilting pictures and keep in touch there. I like it much better than Twitter... I tried Twitter before and it's just not for me! So If you and I aren't friends on Facebook yet... click on the button to the left!

I created a BlogFrog community for That's Sew Mandy readers.... I'm not sure I'll keep this one up but I figered I'd give it a shot and see how it all works... we'll see what happens! Check it out and let me know what you think

I added LinkedWithin to my blog so new readers might be enticed to jump around and stay a while. It's free and I kinda like it! I've seen several other bloggers use it and I figured why not give it a try too?!

I've also created an about Mandy page at the top and streamlined the look of the blog a little by deleting my profile badge.

Hope you enjoy the new features! I'll be back with a book review soon I hope :)

Mitch Albom... the love hate relationship...

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy) — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 00:05:00 +0000

Well I just finished 'have a little faith' by Mitch Albom. It was confusing and dry until you hit the middle... then it flowed beautifully. I usually love true stories and I thought this wouldn't be an exception... I give it a 3.5/5. It wasn't my most favourite read but I'd definitely recommend you read it.... just for the insight.

It is inspiring and touching. It's also short, choppy and a little disconnected. I would have liked to know more about I Am My Brother's Keeper Ministries and more about the Reb.

One thing I will say is 10% of proceeds from the book go to a charity "A Hole in the Roof Foundation" Even if you don't buy the book (if your able) you can donate directly on the link above.

This book left me with mixed feelings just like 'five people you meet in heaven'. It was an ok read too.

Push: Sapphire

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy) — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 12:33:00 +0000

Push... such a short and phenomenal book!

Incest, rape, neglect, abuse, illiteracy, child-abuse, teen-pregnancy, African-American culture, NYC, welfare, ABE, HIV, AIDS...

these words are all profoundly represented in this novel. I cannot say how much I enjoyed and was disturbed by what was written in those pages. I cannot say I connected with the main character, Precious Jones as none of what happened to her ever happened to me. However, I can empathize with her character from a teacher's POV.

I would recommend this book for everyone who wants a short but meaningful read. It's only 150 pages (or so) but it's really a great read.
I usually read frilly-girly-feelgood stuff. But this was different. I really enjoyed reading this book. I know that it's been made into a movie too. I may watch it at some point. We'll see... but I'll hold this book near and dear as a favourite for some time to come.

Twenties Girl

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy) — Sun, 23 May 2010 13:51:00 +0000

I just finished another book... Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella. It's written with her typical whit and humor. I very much enjoyed the light funniness of it. It wasn't my favourite book by her but I have to admit the thought of having a guardian angel haunt you as a ghost is very funny.

The ending left me wanting more. I can see where she ended it in a way that if she wants to, she can continue on with the story. I would love to hear what happened next. I think it could be a funny 2-3 book series.

I'm now left waiting for her next book to be released. I'm excited about that because it's a new Shopaholic book! I can't wait... I thought the series was done!

I'm also waiting for a couple of Stephenie Meyer books to come to my home... the Host is already released but I pre-ordered it with free shipping so I have to wait for the Bree Tanner book to be released and apparently they'll ship them together.

So if you have a moment, I'd recommend Twenties Girl for a nice laugh this summer!

Twilight - The Graphic Novel

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy) — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 19:17:00 +0000

I read Twilight the Graphic Novel Vol 1. I have to say it is the first graphic novel I ever read.

I was never a fan of comic books growing up, but while in University a couple of my Lit courses emphasized the importance of all types of books/media in reading. The graphic novel is/was seen as a way to reach reluctant readers and share more difficult concepts through pictures rather than text.

I thought it was a great read! It really encompasses the love story that is Twilight but certainly captures it in a new light. It took me less than 2 hours to read the whole book, cover to cover. I bet it could be done in an hour but I wanted to appreciate the artwork. Young Kim illustrated the book and I'd imagine chose the text that Stephenie Meyer wrote in the novel that best went with the illustrations.

I look forward to seeing/reading/purchasing the next volumes.... I'd imagine there will be 10-11 more for sure!

Eclipse and Breaking Dawn

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy) — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 00:46:00 +0000

All I can say about this entire series is that I'm glad I waited to read them until after they were all published because I would have died waiting for the next books to come out.

I have to say that these books were so good that I read them too quickly. I have a need/desire that I can't explain to re-read the entire series.

I'm so in love with the characters, the ultimate good, the love story that isn't mooshy, just everything about this series radiates great wholesome literature. It's thoughtful storyline is just unbelievable. I'm not a person who enjoyes werewolves and vampires but these books are just simply captivating.

I do have to caution that the first 3 books (Twilight, New Moon and Eclipse) are pretty much pg... but Breaking Dawn is definitely PG 13. There is sex mentioned but no explicit scenes, it's romantic and tasteful but I'm not sure I'd want my 11-yr-old reading it... 12, 13 yeah probably no problem just be aware!

Stephenie Meyer said that she wrote these books for people like herself. She was in her late 20's when she wrote Twilight... it's funny how they are YA Lit but I think it's because they're not graphic and there's no swearing or heavy sexual content at all. They really relate well to a younger audience but I think there's something in here for everyone.

I was going to include the link for the books separate but in my honest opinion, if you're going to buy one book it's just as well to buy the set all at once and enjoy the ride. I really look forward to seeing the movies.

A note of caution, leave your self endless hours to read these books. I read them all in 2 days a piece... that's 8 days for almost 2500 pages! It's a lot of reading... more like reading 7-9 novels rather than 4! I devoured every last morsel of information in them. I have no idea how I'm going to read something different now. But I do have a plan for the rest of this year. I'm going to read a new book and then re-read Twilight... watch the movie and then read a new book. Then I'm going to re-read New Moon and watch the movie and read a new book. Hopefully by that time It'll be June and Eclipse will be in the theatre (Weird Canadian spelling alert lol!). I don't know what I'll do until they make the other movies! Take Care people

Book 2: New Moon

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 00:15:00 +0000

So I finished all 500+ pages of New Moon yesterday... It was great.

The story just keeps evolving and growing. It's heartbreaking and intriguing. I just am totally in love with the characters and progression. Even if I wanted to stop I couldn't now, I'm in too deep.

I wanted to address something that has been boggling my mind for a while now... as a teacher I like to know what other kids are reading... in every class I enter I usually ask what their into now. Last week I was in a grade 4 class where a little girl was reading twilight. I thought about it for a bit and I realized, hey that's probably ok. There's nothing any scarier than a Goosebumps plot in the book and the sex is non-existent. There's a few passionate kisses but they're sweetly implied and not in your face scenes. I think Harry Potter is more explicit!!

But, I'm still not sure the mind of a 10-year-old can fully understand and appreciate the storyline that the Twilight saga entails. But then I think they get what they want out of the book... it's a great read and when they read it again next year (because this is a book you'll want to read again and again) they'll get more and more out of it as they mature.

I think this is a series you can share with your Tween. To read them together would be extra special.

I've gone ahead and ordered the last two books in the saga and am waiting for them to arrive from Chapters. I have a discount card from there so it's great. I really didn't want to wait for them to come in the mail but Wal-Mart didn't have any copies and neither did the second hand bookstore, that's the only options in this small town.

So my next piece of advice... go get yourself into the Twilight books... New Moon was awesome. Werewolves and Vampires are such a great mix, I can't wait to read the third and fourth books. So the waiting on Canada Post game starts now... I've already got the shipping confirmation.

I also had the pleasure of reading the Midnight Sun manuscript from Stephenie Meyer's website.

There's almost 300 pages of the Twilight book from Edward's perspective. It was leaked onto the internet in 2008 and Stephenie didn't finish writing the book. She has posted the first 11 chapters which are phenomenal. I hope that she someday finds the inspiration to finish the book as I very much enjoyed the first 11 chapters. Also this is a great way for you to get into the Twilight books before buying them. If you read that much and are intrigued then you know you'll love the others too.

I've added this as a finish for 2010 as it was beyond 250 pages so it clearly is a novella in it's own right.

I don't know what I'm going to do until the other books get here! I may just skim through the first two again and re-read the middle sections to make sure I haven't missed anything.

Revelation

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy) — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 15:45:00 +0000

I admit that I'm a bibliophile and now I can say that the Twilight Saga is my own personal blend of cocaine...

thanks for feeding my addiction Stephenie Meyer...

You NEED to be inspired to write more books.

Twilight

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy) — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 22:37:00 +0000

Well holy sweet-bakeapple-jesus! That's a Newfoundland saying for I cannot believe what just happened.

I DEVOURED THIS BOOK! I read for no less than 2 hours at a time. I'm addicted to this series like addicts are to their drug of choice. This may be classified as a book for "young readers" but I cannot think of a single reason why anyone wouldn't like this book, even men. It is a love story but it's also so much more. I usually hate books about vampires and scary/harry things but this one is vastly different.

I cannot encourage you enough to read this book if you haven't already.

I finished Twilight last night and I'm already 100 pages into the second book. This is soon going to be a problem because I only own the first two... this means I'm going to have to buy the last two very soon. I've already checked out the prices at chapters and I think on pay day I'll be placing the order!

Enjoy!

First finish for 2010!

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy) — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 14:23:00 +0000

Finally, I've finished "Uphill all the Way" by Sue Moorcroft. I loved this book. Although it's dry in parts the story reads really well. There were a few places that were short and choppy and I actually wondered if the story was missing a line in print but I think that may have something to do with my reading late at night :) It feels really good to finish this one as I started it in November! I can't remember the last time it too me so long to read a book!

I give this book a 4/5 and would definately read it again. I bought it at a secondhand store and it really was a good buy. I've looked on chapters.ca and found this picutre for you so you know what the cover is like.

This book is about a middle aged woman who is divorced, moves to Malta to work with her uncle and family. Falls in love with a local man (in a place where there is no divorce even if you're separated!)... he has a tragic accident and loses his memory. His family freaks out, blames her for the accident and she goes back home. There she discovers her ex is still an arse-hole, and her step-son (who's mother is dead and knows only her as Mum) has a teenaged girl "preggers". This is a story about preservation and will. It has many many downs and even a few ups....

I'd read it again, so check your local library for a copy... I think it'll be hard to find a copy to buy!

I've done something now that I didn't think I'd do... I've started reading Twilight... we'll see how that goes! Hopefully a little faster than the last one... although it's nearly 500pages long... usually the books I read are 300-400... it's quite a bit more :)

Happy Reading!

2009 Clue-up...

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy) — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 17:01:00 +0000

Well I read a lot in 2009 but with December being so busy I have yet to finish the next book "Uphill all the Way"

It'll be my first book for 2010!

I look forward to reading a lot this year... Currently I have 7 novels here to read and I've left 5 in St. John's for this summer.

I'm hoping to have about 20 books read this year... that's 1-2 per month and a comfortable pace for me.

Some books on my list for this year are

Twilight

New Moon

Under the Tuscon Sun

The Kite Runner

and I forget the rest! SO's parents gave me Twilight and New Moon for Christmas. I hope that I like them. Most of the other books I buy at second hand stores for $5-6 each or at Chapters.ca where I have a discount card.

I'm looking forward to buying/recieving some books this year too...

Twenty's Girl - Sophie Kinsella

Baby Proof - Emily Giffin

I hear that Giffin has a new book arriving in May as well, so I'm sure that'll be added to my list as a must read...

Any suggestions for great reads are always appreciated! Until the next update... Happy Reading!

THe Scandalous Summer of Sissy LeBlanc.... <3!

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 02:41:00 +0000

Well I just loved this book! It's definately a 5/5! It's really a great read and very believable too :)

Sissy is a SAHM to 3 boys in the 50's-60's... she married her high school boyfriend and then 14 years later her high school sweetheart returned to find her.

With liquor, humour, race issues, adultry, and murder this was one great read!

I haven't decided what I'll read next.... I'll figure it out in the next couple of days I'm sure :)

Dear John...

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 16:20:00 +0000

Dear John was a delightful book!

Nicholas Sparks is famous for writing those sappy sad romantic love stories. I have to say I only think his work is ok most of the time.

But this book, I can't say that I could relate to the story but it was a really great read. Maybe I was in that kind of mood when I was reading it.

The main character is in the Army and stationed in Germany, while home on leave he falls in love. The story is about their love and it's growth. Of course you can probably tell something happens so that it changes and becomes sad but it's not that he dies in the war!!! This is actually a great read. I would really like to see a sequal for it. I would like to see this one on film! This book is everything that Nights in Rodenthe wasn't for me... and that makes it a great book in my honest opinion. So check it out from your local library today... or if you're a book snob like me, just go buy it! You could spend $10 on a lot worse entertainment!

Why Are you now Reading about Mandy here?

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 18:52:00 +0000

Well...

Because I decided that my Small Town Adventures in the City blog was dated and didn't really fit where I am in my life now. So... I've fixed that. I now have my Sewing blog and now my Reading blog.

You're probably wondering how a brand new blog can have so many old posts? Well I use to to a Reading List tag in my old blog... so I imported only those posts.

I've also removed my name and I now have removed all my pictures with me in them from the free and open blog world. As a teacher I like to be a little more careful.

So when I finish the next book, I'll post about it here. You can link here from my Sewing Blog... I may have lost a couple of friends this way but there were way WAY more friends on my sewing blog anyway! So, happy reading everyone :)

Life's pretty simple around here

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 22:02:00 +0000

Not a lot going on to blog about.... school, work, eat, laundry, dishes... repeat.

There have been a few posts on my sewing blog... but unless your into sewing, you probably don't care much about that.

I've finished a new book... it's the second one in Jeff Lindsay's Dexter series.

Dearly Devoted Dexter was a great read. I enjoyed it far more than the first one in the series yet I still like the show better. I'll read the other two books eventually but I won't be rushing out to buy them. It's more gory than the first book but it's delightfully gruesome. If you get a chance check it out from the LBS!

New Book Review... and yes it's been a while

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy) — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 13:11:00 +0000

I actually finished this book on the plane while venturing home :) but with the new kiddo and all I didn't have time to write about it.

Dexter is a guilty pleasure for me. I love to watch the show and I have even purchased the DVD's. If you're not into crime novels this one may not be for you, however it is vastly different than any crime novel I've ever read so don't count yourself out just yet!!!!

Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay is an ok read. It took me a couple of chapters to get into the book because Lindsay's writing style is quite different from anything I read before. The details are similar to the show however the ending is very different.

For those of you familiar with the show, here are some differences I've noticed

LaGuarta - rich and not good at her job... doesn't like Deborah. She's a detective and well lets just say (don't read any further in this sentence if you plan on reading this book) she won't make it to the next book!
Deborah Morgan - Big chested prostitute type... and then masculin in nature... not in looks
Angel Batista - Not a police officer, works for the coroners office

There are others... like the ice truck killer's differences himself... but it's best to read the book to figure out the rest. I don't want to spoil the fun.

I'm now reading the second book in the series. That's the only two Andrew owns so I probably will have to wait to read the next two.

Here's a shot at the cover if your interested in knowing what to look for...

Reading List Update

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy) — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 13:53:00 +0000

I haven't updated my Reading List in a long time!

School was finally finished on Monday and I've been trying to finish up my hours at my summer job. I've been doing a lot of sewing so not much blogging has been going on.

Anyway, I have two books to talk about... one really good and worth every penny paid for it and the other was the kinda bad you had to finish. Just like one of those cheesy made for tv movies not really good but you have to keep watching anyway...

I'll start with the really good one... Love the One You're With by Emily Giffin.... I loved the idea behind this book. A happily married woman runs into her ex and he clearly wants her back. What does she do? Normally I'd let a little slip but for you... just go read it!

The other book... it's called Big Boned by Meg Cabot. It is a book in a series but I haven't read any of the others. Some of the details were alluding to other books but I didn't have that info to catch on to the reference. It wasn't a terrible read, It's a "Chick-Lit Murder Mystery" and I think those are two things that (IMO) shouldn't be mixed. You can check it out if you like cheesy murder mysteries and all lol!

I don't know what to read next! I have 10-15 novels sitting on my shelf that I've yet to touch and with my $$$ in such dire straights lately I'll be reading those before purchasing any new ones!!! I may even read one of the boy's books... he has the Dexter novels there and I love the show... I may read them to see how twisted they are in print too!

Another book...

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 13:09:00 +0000

I just finished the another book in my library. It's Happiness Sold Seperately by Lolly Winston. She could easily be my favourite author.

I just love this story... infertility, infidelity, separation, divorce, miscarriage, love, hate, children... it's all in between the covers. Just got to read it... I dare you to put it down!

It took me a while to read this one but it's because I loved it that much I would read sections over and over. I probably read it 2-3 times before I got through the whole thing!

It had a very interesting style too. It was written from multiple points of view. It was the first time I had read a book like that but it creates a situation where only the reader is omnipotent (I think that's the omni word I was looking for.... if it's not please let me know in the comments lol).

I loved her first book Good Grief and I can honestly say I can't wait for a 3rd one!

Check it out at the library or bookstore soon!

Autism...

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 15:52:00 +0000

I guess most of you know that I worked as an ABA for a child with Autism. We'll when I seen this book at Coles and was only $5.99 I figured I've wasted money on worse than that before...

I had never heard of the author Marti Leimbach and certainly never heard of her other books... although one of her books, Dying Young, was made into a movie with Julia Roberts.

I didn't expect this book to be a love story but that is what it is. It's the story of a mother and her love for her son who is Autistic. They have a journey through diagnosis, ABA therapy, Play therapy, and life.

She struggles in her marriage and in the end I believe she found love. It was really well written and I enjoyed every page... I have to say I could put it down and leave it for a while as it wasn't a tear jurker or thriller. It's like a look into somebody's life. It's not my favourite book of all time but it is a great read. If you or somebody you know has a child with Autism, this may be a book of interest. But I think everyone will enjoy this book.

This book was written as a kind of Autobiography for her... on the Autism Speaks website she wrote "The novel Daniel Isn't Talking reflects the situation for my family between the years of 1999 and 2001, what I've come to know as the “autism years.” Of course, the autism years have carried on. It's just that I have grown so accustomed to them that they have ceased to require the appellation autism years and have just become the years, like any years "

You can purchase the book from your local bookstore or try...

Nicholas Sparks

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy) — Mon, 25 May 2009 11:33:00 +0000

I've always heard the Nicholas Sparks was a fantastic author. So I picked up 2 of his books recently. I started with the most recent one that was made into a motion picture. (I haven't seen either of the movies yet!).

Nights in Rodanthe. It was a good read... not a lot of detail... minimal sappiness. Overall it left me asking questions of why people love this guy so much... the book was only ok. I'm not sure I'd read it again but it wasn't terrible. Just OK. I actually think the movie will be (is) better than the book in this case. I think the actors can fill in the blanks on the missing emotions and expressions that weren't penned.

That being said... I decided to see if all of his work was that "ok" so I read the Notebook. I have to say I LOVED IT! It was short and sweet, sad and funny, just a beautiful love story. Not over the top, very tasteful, just beautiful! This is why Nicholas Sparks is loved by the world. I would tell you to pick this one up and have a little read. It's only 200+ pages so it's quick and fufilling. If you don't like this book... I'm convinced you have no heart... like nothing... grinch style... seriously... I'm not kidding!

I don't know which one I'll read next. I have a stack of about 20-25 to read lol! I need to stop buying them so I can enjoy them!!! Anywho... here's the links to the books so you can check them out yourself!

Multiple Bles8ings

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy) — Mon, 11 May 2009 18:13:00 +0000

Well I've been clipping right along in the book category lately. I have devoured the book Multiple Bles8ings by Jon & Kate Gosselin and Beth Carson.

It's largely an Autobiography of Kate and her life since conception of sextuplets. I really enjoyed 95% of the book. The only part I wasn't a big fan of was the last chapter. It was really faith oriented and although I consider myself Christian I thought it was a little pushy for the previous feeling of the book. I mean I would read a religious book (and have!) but I didn't think that this book would be like that. It was published by Zondervan so I knew that I should expect religious views etc but the first 90% of the book just wasn't like that.

I have to say though that if you followed the show at all or even if your just curious about what life may be like with 8 children, twins and sextuplets... less than 3 years apart... this is a great read! I'd recommend it to everyone. I still gave it a 4.5/5 in my ratings

I just loved the light-heartedness of the book and it was really well written. I could almost hear Kate narrating in my head as I read lol!

So, pick it up at your local library, bookshop, yard-sale... whatever! and read it today.

My next read is... Nights in Rodanthe by Nicholas Sparks... my first adventure into the sappy romance novel! We'll see how it goes.