More Vampire's!

I think you all know how much I loved the Twilight books! Well, I found another vampire series that is so good! It is called the Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead. This is a series of 6 books and they are SO GOOD! The 6th one is coming out in December and I can't wait! It is about two kinds of vampires (Moroi, the good vampires and Strigoi, the bad vampires) and Dhampir, the people who protect the Moroi. It follows two young girls (a Moroi and a Dhampir) who are best friends and in high school (of sorts). They of course encounter a bunch of action when they always seem to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. But they also find love! Seriously, if you like Twilight I am confident you will like this series too. And if you didn't like Twilight ...... still give this a try. They are super easy and fast reads due to the fact that the target audience are teenagers and young adults.

More Books!

I thought I would do a quick post on a couple other books I have read this month. The first one was referred to me by one of my friends. It is a Richard Paul Evans book and to be honest I haven't read any of his books since I read Christmas Box in like Junior High. This one is called Promise Me. Sticking with his theme is begins and ends on Christmas Eve. But really, it isn't much of a Christmas story. It is a about a woman who has been keeping a secret for almost twenty years. The secret begins on Christmas Eve 1989 and she is finally able to talk about it on Christmas Eve 2008. It is also about love, family, betrayal and forgiveness. It is a pretty good book and a extremely fast read. I read it in one day!


The next book is The False Friend by Myla Goldberg. I haven't ever read any of her books but found this on my library's website. I decided to give it a try and am glad I did. I would have to say it isn't the best book ever but it was a good read. I felt like I could relate to some of the things that were going on in this book. It is about a woman, Celia, who suddenly remembers the tragic events of her best friends abduction almost twenty years ago. The problem is, she remembers it differently than every else.

She and he friend had a love hate relationship in elementary. They were the queen bees of their click and definitely acted that way. When Celia remembers the day that happened so long ago she runs back to her home town and starts digging about what really happened to her friend. This is a story about the ruthlessness of girls and the long lasting effects it has on some of the victims. Like I said above it is a pretty good read, definitely not as fast of a read as Promise Me was though.


Happy Reading!
Jenna

Castle

My husband and I love the TV show Castle. It is a cop show, but it is different from the typical shows like that. It is about a book author who shadows a NY homicide detective. He brings a annoying, funny and different perspective to the detective's cases. Anyways, in the show they talk about the books that he writes based on this detective. So I decided to read the first one. Heat Wave is set up pretty much like the TV show so I found it entertaining and a good read. However, it is the first time I have read a book and would rather watch the TV version. I find the characters in the show funny and a little more entertaining that the book characters. They also have another book out called Naked Heat that sounds interesting also. Anyways, if you like the show or if you like murder mystery books, give this one a try.




I saw this book on my library's email for popular reads. It was interesting, but maybe not in the best way. I had a hard time connecting with any of the characters. It is about a 70 year old man, his 3rd wife (who is much younger) and a 15 year old girl. It goes back and forth each chapter between each of these characters. The man is having an affair with an even younger woman. The teenager just lost her mom in a car accident and is traveling across the country on her own. And the woman finds out that she was named as the guardian of the teenager and is torn on what to do and how to find her. Anyways, I would probably say that this book was just okay.





Jenna

The Good Daughters

I had heard some good things about this book and was excited to read it. Unfortunately, it wasn't all that it was cracked up to be. It is about two girls who were born on the same day at the same hospital in the 50's. In alternating chapters the girls tell the story of their lives. How they don't exactly fit in with their families. They talk about their experiences with love, having children, and death. I see what the author was going for in this book, I just didn't get anything out of it. The twist at the end, wasn't really a twist since I figured it out way ahead of time. By the end of the book I was very disappointed. I have heard really good things about this author though and will probably keep trying her other books. She has one out called Labor Day that is supposed to be really good. Anyways, I wouldn't suggest this book but if it sounds interesting to anyone I would love to hear their opinions about it.

Jenna

Yummy cookies just for you

Sorry it has taken me so long to post this recipe! I'm glad everyone enjoyed the cookies!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

1c pumpkin
3/4 c sugar
1/2 c oil
1 egg
2 c flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp milk
1 c chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla
hand full of chopped nuts (I like pecans)

Dissolve baking soda in milk, set aside. In large bowl add pumpkin, sugar, oil, and egg; stir. Add flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda mixture. Mix well. Stir in chocolate chips and vanilla. Spoon onto cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 10 to 12 minutes or until done.


-Enjoy!
Rosanna

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

I just finished reading The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. I wanted to see what all the hype was about. I know some of you girls have read or are reading it so it will be interesting to see what you all thought. I thought it was pretty good. It definitely is a little slow to get into. There seemed to be a lot of characters to introduce and some background that had to be set up and I found that part a little boring. Once that was over with though, I had a hard time putting it down. I thought it was really good until the last 50 pages or so. Unfortunately, I found it a little boring once again. But a little FYI, there definitely are some parts that are a little too graphic and detailed for my taste. But there were only a few parts like that, just so you know.

Anyways, here is what the book is about if you are not sure (I copied this from the book jacket because I don't think I would do very good at describing it). Disgraced journalist Mikael Blomqvist is hired by Henrik Vanger to investigate the disappearance of Vanger’s great-niece Harriet. Henrik suspects that someone in his family, the powerful Vanger clan, murdered Harriet over forty years ago. Starting his investigation, Mikael realizes that Harriet’s disappearance is not a single event, but rather linked to series of gruesome murders in the past. He now crosses paths with Lisbeth Salander, a young computer hacker, an asocial punk and most importantly, a young woman driven by her vindictiveness. Together they form an unlikely couple as they dive deeper into the violent past of the secretive Vanger family.




I also recently read The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender. That one wasn't my favorite. I didn't ever really get into it, I just felt like I had to finish it. Anyways, I wouldn't recommend it. It is about a girl who when a little girl discovers that she can taste the emotions of people who make food. She tastes her mother's loneliness and depression in everything she makes. So the book talks about how she deals with this throughout her childhood and early adulthood.




I will leave this post with another good read though. Last month I re-read The Giver by Lois Lowry. I had read this book in Elementary and had totally forgotten about it. Anyways, it is super short and fast to read. So if you are looking for something easy, this would be a good pick!



Jenna

Book Review: Life of Pi

Hi Ladies! For those of you that could not attend Book Club this month I will give you a quick review of the book for July which was Life of Pi by Yann Martel. We all agreed that this book was very difficult to get into, but if you could reach Part 2 it definitely picked up and got interesting.

It was about an Indian boy named Pi who was very spiritual and tried to find direction in his life. He and his family move to Canada on a boat, along with many zoo animals since this was their family business, and the boat sinks. Most of the book was about Pi's struggles to survive 227 days on a lifeboat in the Pacific Ocean with his only companion Richard Parker, a tiger. Initially there was a zebra, hyena, orangutan, and tiger on the boat with Pi. The other animals did not have a fighting chance with a tiger on board. Pi had to make sure Richard Parker knew that he was "alpha". They learn to survive together; without each other they surely would be dead.

We discussed the many things Pi had to do to survive...some of them rather disgusting! How far would you go to survive? One very intriguing scene was the "living" island that consumed life. We determined this to relate to how Pi's humanity was being sucked out of him on his journey to find land. Eventually they stumble upon Mexico.

Part 3 was about an interview Pi had with maritime inspectors who wanted Pi to tell his story of his journey. Unfortunately, for some, this was where the twist happened in the book...yes, you have to read this far! The interviewers did not believe his story with the animals and wanted him to tell the "real" story. So, Pi told them another story where Pi was Richard Parker, the tiger; the orangutan was his mother; the hyena was a butchering cook; and the zebra was a sailor. Pi told them to choose which story they liked; they chose the story with the animals. Pi related this to God, having faith, and believing in the unbelievable.

I had everyone rate the book from 1 to 5. I actually gave it a 2! But after discussion I liked the book better. I was told to read this book by some coworkers and that it would be a good "book club" book. I hope you were one who enjoyed the "adventure" and if you didn't, that's ok too :)

Happy Reading!

Lisa

Loose Girl

Yes, this book is about what you think it is about and I am sure you are thinking "Why would I read that?". Well, I thought it was good. It is Loose Girl: A Memoir of Promiscuity, by Kerry Cohen. It is about Kerry adolescents and early adulthood. She is a sad, confused and directionless adolescent who is looking to boys to fill a void inside of her. I found this book very insightful and honest. It was interesting to get inside the head of a type of girl that I didn't particularly understand. I may not agree with how she dealt with her insecurities and lack of adult supervision but it definitely made me understand her a lot better. Anyways, if you are interested, it is a pretty good read.


Jenna

Recomendation: The Devil in the White City

This book comes highly recommended by my brilliant lawyer sister. Bringing Chicago circa 1893 to vivid life, Erik Larson's spellbinding bestseller intertwines the true tale of two men--the brilliant architect behind the legendary 1893 World's Fair, striving to secure America's place in the world; and the cunning serial killer who used the fair to lure his victims to their death. Combining meticulous research with nail-biting storytelling, Erik Larson has crafted a narrative with all the wonder of newly discovered history and the thrills of the best fiction. Enjoy... Let me know what you think.
-Brooke

The Last Child

I just finished John Hart's "The Last Child". It was really good and I found it hard to put it down. I always wanted to find out what was going to happen next. It is about a thirteen year old boy whose twin sister went missing a year ago. His father just leaves one day and his mother is depressed and absent. Since the adults in his life are useless, he takes it into his own hands to find his sister. He then finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time many times. If you are in the mood for a murder mystery type book I would definitely recommend this one.


Jenna

The Way to Long Life of Bree Tanner

So I just finished The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner and I was ummm... disappointed to say the least. Don't get me wrong, I'm still a huge Stephanie Meyer fan but this book did not meet up to the high standard set by her other novels. It was actually written well, just a complete yawn-fest. The heroine possessed a lackluster personality. So much in fact I was looking forward to her demise so I could put this book on my shelf and move on to something more interesting. Hope I didn't ruin anything for you guys but if you read Eclipse you already know she dies.

-Rosanna

Heart of the Matter

I have read quite a few of Emily Griffin's books, most recently I finished her newest one, Heart of the Matter. It probably wasn't my favorite of hers, but close. The other ones that I liked of hers was Something Borrowed and Something Blue. I would have to say that they are not my absolute favorite books but are nice when you want an easy, good read.

Heart of the Matter is about two woman who are connected by one of the woman's husband. He is a pediatric surgeon who gets a little caught up with his patients mother. I liked this book because each chapter switches from each woman's point of view. Emily Griffin sheds some light on how one woman is slowly losing her husband and how the other woman stumbles into a relationship with an unavailable man.

If you are going on a trip, this is a perfect airplane and vacation book. It is easy to read and follow yet entertaining enough to sit down, relax and loose yourself in the book.

Jenna

Q&A with Garth Stein

Hey girls

I happened to stumble across a Q&A with Garth Stein. He will be answering questions about The Art of Racing in the Rain! Here is the link if you are interested -

http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/34309.Q_A_with_Garth_Stein?utm_medium=email&utm_source=Jun_newsletter&utm_content=QAstein


Jenna

Blog info

I have removed the password and other info from this link. Jenna sent out an email with all that stuff so let me know if any of you run into any problems. I look forward to your posts!

Plus, I would like to give a quick shout out to Brooke for the pistachio pie... and for hosting... but mostly the pie.

-Rosanna

Welcome Ladies!

This blog is dedicated to all of us lovely ladies who meet once a month to read and feed. What could be more fun? Feel free to post whatever you like from recipes to books you love. I will post a little tidbit about each time we meet, covering the book and all the treats we enjoyed!

Enjoy!
-Rosanna