"Before I Go" is a beautiful love story. Daisy Richmond, a young woman who had beaten cancer 4 years earlier, learns that cancer, "lots of cancer", ha"Before I Go" is a beautiful love story. Daisy Richmond, a young woman who had beaten cancer 4 years earlier, learns that cancer, "lots of cancer", has come back with a vengeance. Daisy has always been a girl with a plan, a list-maker, and she goes on a quest to find a woman for her husband, Jack, to be with when she is gone. But her plan leaves her questioning her marriage, her love for Jack, and his love for her. It's an amazing story of illness, undying love and devotion and sacrifice that will keep you entangled in its pages from beginning to end. The raw, complex emotions author ,Colleen Oakley, was able to convey made it impossible to stop reading. Wish I could read the same story from Jack's eyes now. The whole book was bittersweet and uplifting at the same time. I loved it!!...more
Let’s face it: Sequels can be tricky things. While in theory they are wanted/needed and seem (at the time) a good thing, the reality doesn’t always paLet’s face it: Sequels can be tricky things. While in theory they are wanted/needed and seem (at the time) a good thing, the reality doesn’t always pan out. The ones that do lean more towards the “exception to the rules” spectrum. And even then, that opinion can vary from person to person. With that in mind, I give you After You by Jojo Moyes.
I loved Me Before You (it’s part of my Favorites shelf), so when I heard that a sequel was coming I was excited. I was interested to see where Moyes took Lou’s story. But amidst my curiosity and excitement hovered some trepidation. Considering how beloved Me Before You is, it is one hard act to follow. It will have to take on the risk of always having it compared to its predecessor (fair or not). And I’m not going to lie. As I started to read, that automatic reaction kicked in and I found myself waiting for that exact moment when I would start having the emotional response as I did with Me Before You. But as I continued reading, a funny thing happened. I stopped doing it because After You, while continuing Lou’s journey, is a completely different animal.
This novel was full of laughs and many tears. I missed Will in this one a lot, but loved how his voice still seemed to come through into the story. This was still an emotional read, but not nearly as hard for me to read as the first book. It makes you ask yourself a lot of questions but mainly this one… How can you live after losing the person you love most in the world? You use your love for that person to help you through the heartbreak and that’s exactly what Lou did. ...more
Scottoline talks a lot about her dogs, her family (grown daughter, aging mother, gay brother) and her ever-growing/changing collection of canine compaScottoline talks a lot about her dogs, her family (grown daughter, aging mother, gay brother) and her ever-growing/changing collection of canine companions and isn't too high on men, a point she effectively, if overly often, uses for humor.
While there is humor in here, there are also points of reflection and introspection that go deeper rather than anything for a laugh. I really appreciated the love she shares regarding her family. The stories of Mother Mary are handled so well - she isn't unrealistically presented as perfect, but the reader is shown her flaws with love. Even the ex-husbands are not skewered but are referred to in a vague enough way as to be largely gentle with them. Some stories are hilarious, some are sad and some cause the reader to pause and take a moment for introspection - very, very good....more
When the story starts, Tyson Palmer, is a washed up, pill-popping drunken professional athlete on a path to self-destruction. Definitely not what you When the story starts, Tyson Palmer, is a washed up, pill-popping drunken professional athlete on a path to self-destruction. Definitely not what you think of as a romantic hero. But he takes an offered second chance and turns things around.
Then, shockingly, the story changed and skipped ahead a few years. WHAT? No, no, no.... I was looking forward to READING what was going to happen during those skipped years! And then all of a sudden, it was torn away and everything had already happened.
I had high hopes for this one, but they weren't quite met....more
They're at it again. The irrepressible mother/daughter writing team of Lisa Scottoline and Francesca Serritella has co-authored another awesome book fThey're at it again. The irrepressible mother/daughter writing team of Lisa Scottoline and Francesca Serritella has co-authored another awesome book full of stories and essays of their fears, foibles and funny takes on life.
Ted Mackenzie and his bipolar son Chad were killed in a plane crash nine months ago. Left behind to pick up the pieces are Ted's wife Ophelie and daugTed Mackenzie and his bipolar son Chad were killed in a plane crash nine months ago. Left behind to pick up the pieces are Ted's wife Ophelie and daughter Pip. Ophelie is in a severe depression and can hardly take care of Pip except for the basics. Ophelie leases a house at Safe Harbour for the summer and while there Pip befriends artist and recluse Matt Bowles. They become fast friends despite a difference in age. Matt is suffering from the loss of his children through a divorce. Ophelie and Matt meet and although they don't hit it off at the beginning they become good friends. Matt becomes a pillar of support for Ophelie and Pip as they go through the one year anniversary of the death of their husband/father and son/brother. Through their friendship the wounds begin to heal and they begin to move on with their lives.
This story took on a true to life form. Things that happen to everyday people. Easy for anyone to relate to. The sorrow, grief, mistakes, forgiveness and ways to overcome them. Also the joy and happiness of breaking away from the past.
This is a heart-warming story and well worth taking the time to read....more
I have long held to the claim that even though you deny it, everyone has baggage. We carry around and cannot get rid of regardless of how hard we try I have long held to the claim that even though you deny it, everyone has baggage. We carry around and cannot get rid of regardless of how hard we try and boy do we try really hard. We have childhood issues we never resolved, guilt we project very effectively, and daily insanity we just have to deal with regardless of how much we try not to.
In this story Lisa Scottoline and her daughter Francesca Serritella both famed writers in their own right join forces to tell, the stories that have made them stronger are mother and daughter. The thoughts are well documented with an honesty that at times will have you cringe knowing "I have done that." The relationship between parent and child is a tightrope of life altering decisions then letting go, it is not easy. As Lisa and her daughter, Francesca lay out the road map of their life each reveals the bumps and huge potholes that went along with getting to where they are now.
What I adored about this book was the fact that both mother and daughter write about how imperfect individuals live in a world surrounded by perfect people. These people are not perfect but they appear to be which is Lisa's point at times "perception is reality" so go with the flow.
Thanks for being such great writers and showing readers a little touch of your personal fun side....more
True to form, Nicholas Sparks unfolds a triumphant tale of love and loss. When Travis Parker unexpectedly meets his new neighbor, tensions immediatelyTrue to form, Nicholas Sparks unfolds a triumphant tale of love and loss. When Travis Parker unexpectedly meets his new neighbor, tensions immediately begin to rise. Travis makes every effort to be a good neighbor, but despite all of his efforts it seems that he can never do anything right. Gabby, it seems, is quite simply impossible to please.
Travis spends his days living the single life that would make most bachelors envious. He lives for adventure and has no need outside of the companionship of his few close friends and faithful dog. Gabby on the other hand, is a modern, independent woman building a career while she awaits the proposal of her long-time boyfriend.
Despite their differences Travis and Gabby manage to build a working friendship, but that would all change in a single weekend with the materialization of an unexpected romance and the complications that would come with it.
Through a series of unexpected events, Travis and Gabby, would both be pushed to their personal limits, risk losing their love, and inevitably, in their own ways, have to answer two life-altering questions: How far should you go for love? And, at what point do you decide to give up hope?...more
Adrienne Willis’ daughter has suffered the death of her husband, leaving her with two small sons to raise alone. Adrienne is concerned that her daughtAdrienne Willis’ daughter has suffered the death of her husband, leaving her with two small sons to raise alone. Adrienne is concerned that her daughter’s grief is consuming her, leaving her sons adrift without their mother’s attention. Adrienne decides to share with her grieving daughter an experience that happened years before.
In a flashback to fifteen years earlier, Adrienne is raising her three children alone since her husband left her for a younger woman.
Dr. Paul Flanner was a highly sought-after physician who poured all his energy into his practice. After their son leaves for college, his wife leaves him. Dr. Flanner sells his practice and plans to attempt to reconcile with his son who is now practicing medicine in Ecuador.
While her children are visiting their father, Adrienne is taking care of a friend’s bed and breakfast for a few days in the small coastal town of Rodanthe, North Carolina. Only one guest is expected for the weekend, a Dr. Paul Flanner. Also expected is a fierce nor’easter. As residents prepare for the worst storm in years, another type of storm is brewing at the bed and breakfast.
When love goes bad or is neglected, it so often involves many more lives than the two directly involved. When new love is again found, it is a gift to be treasured, but invariably involves other people as well.
The novel seamlessly switches from present-day to fifteen years earlier, making for an enjoyable, exciting novel which keeps the reader guessing at each juncture.
A gifted novelist, Nicholas Sparks writes with deeply moving tenderness. He manages to keep suspense dangling while writing with detailed clarity. Nights in Rodanthe is a bitter-sweet story of the healing power of love....more
Ellen Dempsey runs into her ex, Leo, on the streets of downtown New York and it throws her into a tizzy. She is happily married, or so she thought untEllen Dempsey runs into her ex, Leo, on the streets of downtown New York and it throws her into a tizzy. She is happily married, or so she thought until seeing her former flame again. His appearance makes her question her marriage, her love, and her life.
Andy, a good man, who treats Ellen well, is not just her husband, but her best friend's brother. When Ellen starts questioning things about her marriage, she turns to her best friend, Margot. The family loves her, but the pull of her ex just keeps tugging on her. Ellen tries to talk to Margot, but gets no sympathy. Instead, she has to struggle through her feelings and decide if she made the right decision when she let Leo go.
The entire story is about Ellen's struggle and it's hard to read a book about what should be a simple decision for a happily married woman. When her indecision begins to affect her marriage, there's not a lot of sympathy for her since she is doing this to herself. While many women will recognize themselves in the over-thinking and constant questioning Ellen goes through, it will likely annoy many others. If you enjoy reading about the problems many women experience at one point or another, this may be a good book for you....more
Thrown to the waves, and to fate, the bottle could have ended up anywhere. Instead, it is found just three weeks after it begins its journey. Theresa Thrown to the waves, and to fate, the bottle could have ended up anywhere. Instead, it is found just three weeks after it begins its journey. Theresa Osborne, divorced and the mother of a twelve-year-old son, picks it up during a seaside vacation from her job as a Boston newspaper columnist. Inside is a letter that opens with:
My Dearest Catherine, I miss you my darling, as I always do, but today is particularly hard because the ocean has been singing to me, and the song is that of our life together...
For "Garrett," the man who signs the letter, the message is the only way he knows to express his undying love for a woman he has lost. For Theresa, wary of romance since her husband shattered her trust, the message raises questions that intrigue her. Who are Garrett and Catherine? Where is he now? What is his story?
Challenged by the mystery, and pulled to find Garrett by emotions she does not fully understand, Theresa begins a search that takes her to a sunlit coastal town and an unexpected confrontation. Brought together by chance-or something more powerful-Theresa and Garrett are people whose lives are about to touch for a purpose, in a tale that resonates with our deepest hopes for finding that special someone and everlasting love.
Shimmering with suspense and emotional intensity, Message in a Bottle takes readers on a hunt for the truth about a man and his memories, and about both the heartbreaking fragility and enormous strength of love. For those who cherished The Notebook and readers waiting to discover the magic of Nicholas Sparks's storytelling, here is his new, achingly lovely novel of happenstance, desire, and the choices that matter most....more
Wow!! Like the first book this one had me hooked. I love reading about Oakley and Cole and all their family.
This series covers a very hard topic whichWow!! Like the first book this one had me hooked. I love reading about Oakley and Cole and all their family.
This series covers a very hard topic which some may find hard to read but I think Natasha did this well...it is not written in lots of detail but I would say that it has been written well and not just "brushed over." You get a clear picture of what Oakley went through during her childhood but without making it too hard to read. It is an awful topic and Oakley went through hell for sure but thankfully the people responsible were soon given what they deserved!
This series has been brilliant, I have enjoyed the two books so much..Cole is completely swoon worthy, Jasper is silly, funny and ridiculous but very sweet and protective towards his sister where necessary.
Highly recommend this series and I'll be going straight on to Jasper's story next!...more
Silence is a bittersweet story depicting how a young girl tries hard to conceal a life-changing secret in order to keep her family together, while givSilence is a bittersweet story depicting how a young girl tries hard to conceal a life-changing secret in order to keep her family together, while giving up something everyone wants so badly to hear again: her voice.
Oakley hasn't spoken a word since the age of five (for reasons you won't find out until the end of the book). She is harboring a HUGE secret that would ruin her family's morale if the truth came out. Now at the age of 15, she still has yet to utter a single word. Her best friend from childhood, Cole, has been the only person she is able to communicate with easily. He understands Oakley better than Oakley understands herself. They are inseparable - from school to each other's houses and their parents are best friends as well.
Oakley and Cole attend the same school and Cole being 2 years ahead of Oakley is about to graduate but he wants to include Oakley in anything and everything that he can to "include" Oakley...parties, eating lunch together, even sometimes cutting school during mid day. As time passes, the two of them develop a relationship of something beyond friendship. Luckily we get both sides of the story in Silence. It's a dual first person (Cole's and Oakley's perspectives). We get to experience first hand how their relationship blossoms and develops from friends to boyfriend and girlfriend.
This story is NOT a standalone. You will have to read "Broken Silence" to get the continuation of Oakley's story that takes place 4 years after Silence....more
Jennifer was summoned back to her hometown where she was raised by her grandmother. Her grandmother Samantha, took very ill with a heart attack and isJennifer was summoned back to her hometown where she was raised by her grandmother. Her grandmother Samantha, took very ill with a heart attack and is in a coma in the hospital.
When Jennifer arrives home there, she discovers a pack of letters which have been addressed specifically to her by Sam. In every letter, her grandma reveals many sad memories of her past. She speaks of her late husband Charles, who beat her over the years, and the affair she had been carrying on the side with a man, Doc, of whom she fell deeply in love. Jennifer is shocked to discover this as she reads on in her grandma's story.
Also, she runs into Brendan, the kid she nicknamed Scout when they were kids and played together. They discover a newfound love, and have a summer romance. Jennifer doesn't realize though that Brendan, is hiding a terrible secret of his own, and is devastated when she finds out that he is very very ill.
Her grandmother may rally, and Brendan may have a miracle operation which either cures his illness, or will make him much worse. So in the end he has to make a difficult decision; die, or maybe live a little longer.
A wonderful novel, and one you don't lay down until the end....more
We start off meeting Cather, or Cath as she likes to be known as moving into her dorm room at the beginniI really think I hit a winner with this book.
We start off meeting Cather, or Cath as she likes to be known as moving into her dorm room at the beginning of the year. She is really sad because this is the first time that she is going to live away from her sister, Wren. (We later find out that her mom didn't know she was going to have twins and only had one name picked out, get it Cather-Wren?) Anyway, Cath is learning to live with out her other self and adjust.
But the real challenge is that Cath has quite a following on the fan boards, as a fan fiction writer for Simon Snow fan fiction writing. So it becomes quite a challenge learning to balance everything.
I loved this story. This was my intro to Rainbow Rowell. I adored her characters. They were so multidimensional and so fun. Cath was great. She was happy to sit in her dorm room on a Saturday night and write rather than go out and party, and her roommate was constantly snarking at her , but was so much fun. Then you had the guy that was always in their room... but anyway...
I also loved the story itself. Rainbow Rowell took on some tough issues kind of from the side including excessive drinking and parent abandonment. But she handled them in a tactful and thoughtful way. This book was spot on and just so well written.
I found this book tedious and kept losing interest and my place as I read. The premise of the book sounded great – college friends getting together toI found this book tedious and kept losing interest and my place as I read. The premise of the book sounded great – college friends getting together to celebrate one of their birthdays and they are invited to a week away in Jamaica to do so – relaxing at a sumptuous villa, all expenses paid. But it was anything but. The characters did not do much except drink, drink and drink some more and then smoked some pot as well.
The characters had many layers to them and all were dysfunctional in one way or another. There were so many possibilities that never were explored. I would have been drawn in better if Dwight was more central to the storyline instead of a bystander many times throughout. Some of them were responsible parents, some had careers/jobs and most needed this getaway more than they could say. The infighting, the arguments and secrets did nothing to endear me to any of them. None seemed to want to be with their spouse either so instead of bonding with each other as well as with their friends they seemed more to be pushing each other away.
There was friendship and family, lots of heartache, backstabbing, insecurities, misunderstandings, arguments and some love but almost no romance. Each couples dirty laundry was aired for all to see and the title did not fit the premise of the book since it really wasn't the best of us for any one of them but the worst of us throughout. The book ended abruptly. It would have been nice to have a few more chapters where the characters resumed their normal lives and showed the impact their week away had on them and their families.
I haven’t read books by this author before and can't say that I plan on reading any others in the future....more
I was so disappointed! I like JoJo Moyes! It was hard to believe this book was written by her! It's very predictable and quite unbelieveable. It's notI was so disappointed! I like JoJo Moyes! It was hard to believe this book was written by her! It's very predictable and quite unbelieveable. It's not even funny in the parts I'm guessing it's suppose to be...Sorry, I put it down in the middle, it wasn't worth finishing....more
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