Book Report #117 - The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (Book 1) by Ann Brashares

This book was a weird experience. I got about twenty pages in, noted to myself that I didn't like it because it was annoying and then finished it in three hours.

You probably know a little about the story. The four very different girls who have been friends since birth all somehow not only fit into this pair of jeans but also all look fantastic in them. This is their first summer apart because they are going all over the place for different adventures so they make a pact to share the pants over the summer. The magic pants.

One discovers that her dad is getting remarried and has to cope with his new family all summer. One goes to Greece to visit her grandparents and falls in love for the first time. Another goes to Baja for soccer camp and falls for a camp counselor. The last has to stay home and work over the summer but makes a life-changing friend in the process.

It was written in a teenager's style and stayed true to the age. It was fine. I don't understand why people say it's so amazing.

General consensus: Preferred the movie.

Book Report #116 - The Girls Guide to Hunting and Fishing

The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing by Melissa Bank

This collection of short stories told by women starts off hilariously. Then it got more serious but I soldiered through a woman's relationship with a man twice her age. It wasn't that hard because the writing is solid. And it was so worth it because the last story sent me into peals of giggles.

The woman who is consistent throughout the book meets the right man. Unfortunately she's also finally caved and started reading one of those books on the rules on dating. She did this as a precautionary measure so she wouldn't drive this wonderful man away but ends up getting the two writers of the book stuck in her head and wondering if she's turning slightly schizo. I, for one, could identify with it and was blown away by how perfectly Bank wrote it.

General consensus: Fun and thought-provoking. Recommended for women.

Tidbit: They say that Michelle Bank started the genre of chick lit with this book. Then the genre changed and got kind of stupid. Wikipedia it.

Book Report #75 - Baby Proof

Baby Proof by Emily Griffin

Claudia's 30 and doesn't want a baby. This makes her a dating pariah. Until she meets Ben who is just like her. But after a few years of their dazzling marriage something changes. Now all Ben can think about is how wonderful it would be to have a child. Deal breaker. Marriage is over. Until there's some post-divorce remorse.

I thought this was a flimsy plot but that's usually what chick lit is, right? Throw in some contrived scenes and a fast-paced plot and somehow you've finished reading the book in two days.

General consensus: Exactly what you expect, giggling included.

Book Report #68 - Lights On, Los Angeles

Lights On, Los Angeles by Rachel Bird

I don't usually read chick lit because a lot of the time I end up wanting to beat an important character senseless. Since I wrote this book I thought the least I could do was read it. I gave it a couple of months since my final edit before I picked it up again. And I'm happy to report that I actually had a good time!

Lights On, Los Angeles is the sequel to Lights Out, Los Angeles. They are Laker-inspired novels about recent UCLA graduate Sara Banks finding herself cleaning the house of her favorite player on the basketball team she is an absolute fanatic about, the Los Angeles Celebrities. Her crush Jake soon develops a crush on her and it's game on.

There's enough ridiculousness to keep you entertained. The main character is actually intelligent and capable. However, she's young so she doesn't know what the hell she wants. Jake, on the other hand, manages to be that level of perfect that stops short of annoying. I was surprised to find that men think that he's just the greatest.

General consensus: Fun!

Book Review #36

Tales Of A Drama Queen (Red Dress Ink) by Lee Nichols

This is the kind of book you stay up until 1am reading because it's so hilarious. Elle Medina, a 26-year old with no job experience and a fiance who married someone else, moves back to her hometown of Santa Barbara to get her life together. She's such a mess that at first you may want to clock her but she inevitably grows on you through her silly shennanigans.

General consensus: You'll enjoy it so much you'll feel obligated to pass it on.

Book Review #34

Little Earthquakes by Jennifer Weiner

While a page turner, this book can send you into post-partum depression faster than an actual baby. The novel follows three women through their deliveries and early motherhood, and another woman through the grieving process of the death of her ten-week old boy. It's possible that it could be a charming read for someone who has had children. I'm no authority on that. For the non-parent I would say steer clear or you could find yourself experiencing more than a little earthquake. One thing's for sure, natural birth will never be an option again.

Book Review #32

Metro Girl by Janet Evanovich

If Jerry Bruckheimer wrote a book with a female protagonist it would be just like Metro Girl. With a sexist, yet sexy brute of a hero , a scantily clad, somewhat intelligent heroine and larger-than-life action, Metro Girl manages to be your typical literary summer blockbuster.

General consensus: Perfect if you're in the mood for fluff.

Book Review #31

Something Blue by Emily Griffin

The sequel to Something Borrowed is geared toward the same audience as its previous volume and is just as enthralling. I will avoid an in-depth review since it would contain spoilers for Something Borrowed. However, I will say that it will leave you with a satisfied smile on your face and possibly even a tear on your cheek.

General consensus: Fun and filling.

Book Review #30

Something Borrowed by Emily Griffin

If you're a female in her twenties you are going to love this book--not because it's the next classic, but because of the enthralling and relatable characters living their immoral lives in happening Manhattan.

Rachel is appointed the maid of honor at the wedding of her two best friends, Darcy and Dex. Darcy is that perfect looking, must-be-the-center-of-attention-due-to-low-self-esteem, loyal-when-convenient friend that every girl had when growing up. You didn't know whether to punch her or envy her. Dex is that hot, super intelligent, well-spoken, fun and friendly guy you knew in college who you put on such a pedestal that when you even made eye contact you feared you'd faint. Rachel is the odd one out due to her perfectionist streak; she's always walked the straight and narrow path. She thinks of herself as an uninteresting, average Joe.

Dex completely disagrees with her self-assessment to the point where they find themselves having an affair. What unfolds is a soap opera that won't let you stop reading. Griffin keeps the action fresh and moving for an insatiable read.

General consensus: A lot of fun.

Book Review #15

One for the Money (A Stephanie Plum Novel) by Janet Evanovich

I read this on my couch on a lazy Saturday morning. I started the Stephanie Plum series with number 11 (which I loved), and then was very disappointed with number 9. I was pleased to find that this novel renewed my interest with Miss Plum. I was really missing Joe Morelli and Ranger for awhile there.

It's funny how starting from the beginning will get everything to make sense. Now I know how Stephanie met Joe, Ranger and Lula. I feel like I'm in good position to read the entire series in order now.

I'm starting to think small-time bounty hunting might be good for my bank account.

Time to read cover to cover: 4 hours
General consensus: A good, clean, page-turning romp.

Book Review #14

Ten Big Ones: A Stephanie Plum Novel by Janet Evanovich

"The way I see it, life is a jelly doughnut. You don't know what it's really about until you bite into it. And then, just when you decide it's good, you drop a big glop of jelly on your best t-shirt."

This first paragraph grabbed me to the point that I shelled out $7.99 plus tax at the corner store at my hotel so that I'd have something to read on the plane ride home. Over the next few pages, I got disappointed. It was obviously another mass market paperback bestsller. Then there came a point where I just couldn't stop reading it. Forget my honeymoon, I was hooked.

Our heroine (which I kept saying to my husband when I had to share parts of the novel with him, and of which I had to keep reminding him if only for my sanity, was not in reference to a drug but to a character in the book) Stephanie Plum is a bounty hunter in New Jersey who doesn't carry a gun and who has two extremely sexy young men waiting in the wings while she bumbles around fighting crime and stuffing her face with jelly doughnuts.

I loved it and I'm not ashamed to say it. In fact, I'm probably going to be busy for awhile reading all nine Stephanie Plum novels that come before this one. And don't be surprised if you find me at Costco with my head shoved in Eleven on Top while I follow my husband around.

Time to read cover to cover: 2 days
General consensus: Addictive junk food for the brain.

Book Review #6

Sushi for Beginners: A Novel by Marian Keyes

Sushi for Beginners is a cross between Bridget Jones' Diary and The Devil Wears Prada set in Dublin and with quite a bit more inappropriateness than I was expecting. So yes, I liked it.

The novel winds around the romantic hurdles of its three female protagonists. I was pleased to find a lot witty narrative as well as banter between the characters. I suppose this is the female counterpart to novels like Deception Point, which I reviewed earlier. It is definitely perfect reading for women when they have time to kill, preferably on a flight to Mars because the book is so long--over 500 pages!

I suppose this is a typical book of the new "trashy romance novel" era. It was engaging yet formulaic in a way. I felt triumphant at the ending. It reminded me of the movies you watch with the soaring music at the end where you leave the theater totally elated. Of course, Sushi for Beginners involved a lot more work than passively watching a screen for two hours. The 500-pages have to be read somewhat rapidly or else you will forget what is going on and who is who. That is why I recommend it predominantly for space shuttle flights where you will have days to kill and nowhere to go to forget the presence of the book.

Time to read cover to cover: 2 weeks
General consensus: Prerequisites for enjoying this novel: a vagina and a good memory.