Summer Reading - Part II

Good day, party people, good day.  Happy Friday!  I hope that life has been treating you all kind...

So I'm still reading.  Since I last posted about books, I've read 6 more books, I am reading another now, and have two more waiting for me.  Two of them I don't have pictures for, but I can give you the authors' names (I got them all at my local library - shout out to Grande Prairie Public Library!).

First up, "Last One Home" by Debbie Macomber.  You can read the official synopsis and see the cover photo here.  I don't like to give the plot away.  I absolutely LOVED this book! The test of a good book for me is what emotions it invokes, and this book made me laugh and cry and feel empathy - all of that!  Debbie Macomber is an author I first encountered from a free e-book I downloaded years ago (The Shop on Blossom Street, see that synopsis here) and I fell in love with her writing and her characters (I have read almost all of the Blossom Street books at this point and others by the author). It's categorized as women's fiction, and really is the story of life, love, bad decisions, forgiveness, humility and redemption.  Ms. Macomber does a great job of telling Cassie's story.  You will want to slap her sisters though, I'm just saying...  This book gets a A+!

Second, "War of the Wives" by Tamar Cohen.  You can read the official synopsis and see the cover photo here.  I won't give the plot away, but suffice it to say that it is the story of the ultimate betrayal - two women find out their husband is dead and that he was married to both of them.  Ouch!  The two women are polar opposites and it's just an interesting portrait of the emotion and life changes that happen when this type of devastating news surfaces.  I thought this book was OK, others agree (check other reviews here).  I thought it was what one would expect under those circumstances, but on the other hand, I didn't like that we never found out why the husband did it and the ending just left me flat.  Also women's fiction, I was just a little disappointed at the ending.  This book gets a C+!

Third up, another one by Claire Cook, "Seven Year Switch."  

In case you haven't figured it out yet, I am decidedly a Claire Cook fan!  This book is about struggling single mom Jill whose husband Seth ran off 7 years prior to join the Peace Corps (left her a note, imagine that), leaving her to raise their 3-year old daughter alone.  He then reappears and wants to pick up where they left off.  As usual and in true Claire Cook form, the book will make you laugh out loud at times!  Loved it!  This book gets a A!

Fourth, "The Hurricane Sisters" by Dorothea Benton Frank. 

She is a newer author for me, I read another of her books, "The Last Original Wife" back in the spring and loved it!  Check out the synopsis and photo for that one here.  So I picked this up to read.  Most of Dorothea Benton Frank's books are set in the south, this one is no different, set in the low country of South Carolina.  It is the story of a family, three generations, family secrets, love and redemption.  It also spoke of the very real story of domestic violence.  Loved it!  It started a bit slow, but once it picked up, it was great!  This book gets a B+ (because of the slow start).

Fifth, we have "Girls in White Dresses" by Jennifer Close.  

I read another book by Jennifer Close, "The Smart One," a few months ago and loved it; see more about that one here.  Anyway, this is pure chick lit about those years in your late 20's and early 30's when college is over and you're still trying to figure things out; when you're an adult but not really (remember those days) and it seems that everyone else has it figured out but you. This book was really fast paced and had some awesome nods to the 2008 presidential campaign.  I enjoyed it and though the ending wasn't a conclusion per se, it was a nice ending to the story.  I give this book an A!

Last but not least, I just finished Judy Blume's "Smart Women."  

Yes, you read correctly.  Judy Blume.  As in "Are you there God, it's me Margaret?" "Blubber," and "Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing" Judy Blume.  I had no IDEA that she wrote adult books!  I learned it because she has a new book out.  Anyway, Smart Women was EXCELLENT!  It's an older book, but still relevant (it was reprinted in 2004).  It deals with divorced women raising children, children's emotions after divorce, remarriage, dating, blended families, friends dating friends' exes - all of that!  In a true to life format (I know, because I am living it!).  It made me cry, mostly because some parts mirror my own life, and they hit close to home.  I absolutely recommend this book to anyone, but especially to divorced or separated women for a real look at life on the other side.  This book gets an A++!!!

That's the end of my book reviews for now.  What are you reading?  Share it with me, I love to read!  Holla @ Darvi!  Be Blessed and have an awesome weekend!