BlogHer Book Club: The First Husband

The First Husband by Laura Dave should be the first book you read this summer. Throw it in your beach bag or enjoy it on the plane, you will not be disappointed!

Dave carefully tells a tale of a woman who thinks she has it all until one day she hears those awful words, “we may need a break” (Dave, 7) Those simple five words grabbed me and I found myself immersed in a love story like no other I have read. The twists and turns are not only unpredictable but also very realistic. I felt like I was in Annie’s shoes many times while reading and found myself upset, elated , depressed, happy, etc.

This is not your typical boy meets girl story were they don’t like each other, then they do and end up together at the end. This story is more like something that would happen to your best friend and the way Dave writes it’s as if your friend was telling you about it over a latte at the local coffee shop. At one point I found myself asking “why” out loud while I read. Annie doesn’t necessarily take the easy route but perhaps that’s what makes the tale so interesting to read.

This book is one that will resonate with people in and out of relationships. It might hit closer to home for those in a relationship because the beginning of the book is a common nightmare. However, for those not in a relationship it will be interesting to see how someone falls out of love and the ability they have to learn to love again. Dave weaves this learning to love again in a way that is suspiciously easy when in reality Annie struggles and fights like no other.

I hope you’ll pick up a copy soon to enjoy this summer!

 
Please join me at the BlogHer Book Club page HERE for more discussions about this book.

This was a paid review for BlogHer Book Club but the opinions expressed are my own.

BlogHer Book Club: You Have No Idea

As a fan of memoirs I was thrilled to be picked to review "You Have No Idea", the untold story of Vanessa Williams' life. I'll start by saying that I knew very little about her before starting this book which may or may not have influenced my reaction to it. I found it to be a beautiful story about a mother and a daughter. Because of the way it’s written with both Vanessa and her mom Helen telling the story at times it feels like we are eavesdropping into their conversations. Vanessa was thrown into a lifestyle of fame without much preparation and throughout the book we see how her mother was able to help her with the transition while teaching her very important life lessons.

Perhaps the most striking part of the book for me was the retelling of her winning the Miss America pageant. Not the actual crowning, but what happened later. Vanessa writes "The first black Miss America. I'd made history!" (pg. 31) Unfortunately this win was not received well by everyone and she faced racism from both sides of the fence. Later the crown was taken away from her because of an unfortunate leak of inappropriate pictures that had been taken years before. But before that happened her reign was shadowed by threatening calls and mail from those who felt she didn’t deserve this title.

This would be a great book to give to any mother or daughter because more than a memoir it seems like a great story of the relationship between Vanessa and her mom.

Please join me at the BlogHer Book Club page HERE for more discussions about this book. This was a paid review for BlogHer Book Club but the opinions expressed are my own.

BlogHer Book Club: The Book of Jonas

Long time readers know that I love the BlogHer Book Club and truly enjoy reviewing books. However, I had a really hard time reading The Book of Jonas by Stephen Dau. Regardless, I still think everyone should read it. As citizens of the world we think we know about wars, but this brilliant tale brings to light many of the truths that we would rather NOT know about wars. As a mother of young children my heart broke as I got to know and love Jonas. And it further crumbled as I met Rose, a mother trying to preserve her son's memory.


Dau does an incredible job in describing the feelings of a young boy who has lost everything due to war and been shipped to another country. As if 15 isn't already a hard age, this young is thrown into a new culture and family with little support but that provided by a court-ordered counselor. It is this aid who helps put him in touch with the mother of the soldier who saved his life. And their meeting brings about a beautiful union of two lives that under any other circumstance would have never intermingled.


I found myself putting down this book and embracing my children. I was more thankful as a mom during the time that I read this book. I hurt for Rose's loss and it made me realize that no matter how much we hear about wars on television and in the papers we really don't know the full story. Perhaps it's a defense mechanism because our hearts would truly break if we knew everything that is really happening over there.

Please join me at the BlogHer Book Club page HERE for more discussions about this book.

This was a paid review for BlogHer Book Club but the opinions expressed are my own.

BlogHer Book Club: The Fault in Our Stars

Do not be turned off by the death theme in this book, I promise you will laugh more than you will cry while reading The Fault in Our Stars. This book covers much more than death! Hazel, the main character, is diagnosed with a cancer at 12. A new drug helps the tumors shrink and the book describes her life as a survivor at 16 years old. Her life is very different than that of a typical girl that age. She doesn't attend school, has few friends and very few outings. Her mom encourages her to join a support group for young cancer patients and that's where she meets Augustus Waters.

Their friendship is both beautiful and heartbreaking. The circumstances under which they meet are not ideal and perhaps because of that they get close sooner than they would have in another case. They are able to intimately relate to each other in ways that few people can at that age. John Green is a true master when it comes to writing about teens. He does a wonderful job of bringing out characters that are so far from the stereotype that a reader might find it hard to believe!

One of my favorite parts of the book is when Gus proves to Hazel the value of their friendship. In this day and age when bullying is more common that proms, it's nice to hear about true friendships, even if they are in a work of fiction. While I read this part in the book I pondered how I could teach my children to be better friends. This is something that I don't want to forget and I don't think it's too early to start talking about the value of friendship. It thank John Green for giving me the spark to start these conversations early on with my children!

Please join me at the BlogHer Book Club page HERE for more discussions about this book.

This was a paid review for BlogHer Book Club but the opinions expressed are my own.

BlogHer Book Club: Diary of a Mad Fat Girl

This book was a pleasure to read and to review for the BlogHer Book Club. Stephanie McAfee created a set of characters that anyone would want to hang out with on a Saturday night. Ace is the friend everyone needs to have in their circle of friends and she proves it when she helps her two best friends dig themselves out of troublesome situations. The book deals with many different topics including emotional abuse in a marriage. The author finds humor in the situation while still dealing with a complex topic that is not always easy to read about in a book.

Having said that, this is the type of book that one would take to the beach or on a plane. It's not a "deep" book by any means but it's certainly entertaining. I enjoyed getting to know the characters and following the different story lines. I was a tad annoyed with Ace's reaction to her ex and felt that part of the story could have been dealt in a more mature way but other than that the characters were all people I wanted to get to know better. And Ace's chiweenie Buster Loo just adds to the spark of the story!

This book and the main character reminded me of Stephanie Plum in the series by Janet Evanovich. I hope the self-publishing fairy tale doesn't end here and instead McAfee continues to write books about Ace!

Please join me at the BlogHer Book Club page HERE for more discussions about this book.

This was a paid review for BlogHer Book Club but the opinions expressed are my own.

BlogHer Book Club: Why Women Need Fat

Why Women Need Fat is a book written by a former assistant surgeon general and an anthropologist that will change how you look at food for the rest of your life. Their theory is that we have it all wrong and that in fact the things we are doing to lose weight are increasing the number on the scale. The authors compare populations across the world and realize that the US has implemented a lot of changes based on faulty research and the obesity rate has increased. On the other hand other countries have left their nutrition untouched and their populations are stable with no obesity epidemic.

The authors identify the need for healthy facts for organ systems to function including the brain. This is not a new idea but they chose to present it in a different, more effective, manner. They then go into detail about where the excess weight goes and why that is the case. And lastly they give us the tools necessary to each reach our healthy weight by eating like our ancestors.

The last part of the book goes through a detailed list of food groups and explains how each should be approached. There are several things that are surprising such as the fact that butter is healthier than margarine. Perhaps the most important thing to note in this section is the need to decrease Omega-6 and increase Omega-3. Several tips are provided regarding how to achieve this so that the readers don’t feel lost. The rest of the tips are more common and include a lot of natural, un-processed foods.

Please join me at the BlogHer Book Club page HERE for more discussions about this book.

This was a paid review for BlogHer Book Club but the opinions expressed are my own.

BlogHer Book Club: The Lake of Dreams

The Lake of Dreams is an insightful book that takes a look at the history of a family. Kim Edwards, the author of “The Memory Keeper’s Daughter’, takes us on a journey as the protagonist learns about her roots. Lucy takes an unexpected trip back home when her mom hurts herself and soon dives into learning more about where she came from. While initially it seems like the objects found are just interesting, soon Lucy discovers that they are the key to a very dark secret that will change her family forever.

The scenarios covered in the book hit close to home for me as my mother passed away in May. I know what it’s like to return to your childhood home after losing a parent. Lucy is faced with some difficult changes as upon her return she notices that her mother is well on her way to moving on with her life after her husband’s death. That transition is not so easy for Lucy as she hasn’t been home since her father passed away. Her mother is thinking about selling the family home which is unheard of to her. As Lucy starts to uncovered objects and facts found she learns things about her family that no one else knew about. She realizes that women have always been strong in her family and realizes that while she is in a difficult time in her life, she is dealing with her issues much like her ancestors would have done. As the story unravels we get to know Lucy and in a way take part in her story. This is a beautiful tale!

Please join me at the BlogHer Book Club page HERE for more discussions about this book.

This was a paid review for BlogHer Book Club but the opinions expressed are my own.

BlogHer Book Club: How To Be An American Housewife

This book brought back so many memories from the year I spent living in Tokyo that it was hard to put down. In a story inspired by her mother, Margaret Dilloway tells a tale about a Japanese woman (Shoko) who marries an American man and moves to the US. The story begins right before she meets her future husband and follows her life through to her becoming a grandmother. The author does a fantastic job of giving the reader a peak into Japanese customs, that while not mainstream in the US, are very common in the hometown of the protagonist. The second part of the book is written from the American daughter's perspective and thus introduces a whole new set of views on the different rituals and customs coming from someone of blended cultures.

Perhaps my favorite part of the book are little excerpts included at the beginning of each chapter that the author tells us are taken from a book handed to Japanese women when they get married to American men. And my least favorite part was reading about how rude people were to Shoko because her English wasn't perfect and her customs were different. As a fellow expatriate and mom, it hurt my heart to read of others secluding her.

I would recommend this book to moms, expatriates, or anyone wanting to learn about a different culture. I could relate to Shoko on many things but also learned a lot about what life was like for her. I find it fascinating to learn about how others deal with the ordeals life presents them with at a given point in their life. It's like history class made fun!

Please join me at the BlogHer Book Club page HERE for more discussions about this book.

This was a paid review for BlogHer Book Club but the opinions expressed are my own.

BlogHer Book Club: Lunch Wars

If you have been reading my blog for a while you know that my daughter just started Kindergarten this year. We talked a lot about her new school during the summer as a way to prepare her for this important transition. One of the things she decided early on was that she would like me to pack her lunch everyday. After reading Lunch Wars by Amy Kalafa I have to say that might have been one of the best decisions of her life. This book was not fun, but I will admit to reading it in a couple of hours.

"Our children's life expectancy is now shorter than our own and we can expect them to be plagued with worse health than our own as well" (pg.7) This sentence is what made me finish the book in one night. It made me so upset I couldn't put the book down because I felt the urge to learn how to stop this epidemic. The whole time I was reading the book I had an uneasy feeling in my stomach.

Amy Kalafa goes on to explain in detail what is happening in schools around the country. What I liked about this book is that she doesn't only point out the problems, she also gives us solutions. She provides ways for parents to help improve school cafeterias and it all starts with education. I can tell you after reading the book I felt empowered and pumped up to do something about this, even if my daughter brings her lunch to school everyday.

I leave you with this: "American's children are both overfed and undernourished. Why have we allowed this crisis to spin so dangerously out of control?" (pg.11) Let’s do something about it!

Please join me at the BlogHer Book Club page HERE for more discussions about this book.

This was a paid review for BlogHer Book Club but the opinions expressed are my own.

BlogHer Book Club: Slow Love

Have you ever read a book where you spent the majority of it nodding in agreement? That was my experience while reading Dominique Browning's Slow Love. She tells the tale of her life after her company closes and she finds herself without a job. The transition from crazy hours to having nothing to do is not something to be taken lightly. Depression is a common occurrence in these instances and in her book Browning describes the downhill battle she experiences. One of my favorite lines in the book is her son's response to her selling their family home, "My son is right: time for that new Museum of Happiest Moments" (pg 86.) What a great way to look at a tough moment and turn it into a positive.

The story line is very relevant right now because of the state of our economy. As the unemployment rate reaches max limits in history, many people are finding themselves in similar situations to that of Browning. At one point she explains “one of the side effects of unemployment, for me, was such a sag in self-esteem that the antidote was to feel constantly needed, and to judge that by the ringing phone” (pg 106.) I think anyone that has abruptly stopped working has felt this at one point. The tale unwinds as she spends the year following her departure from the workforce finding her new happy place. And while it might be very different than what she might have once imagined, it is her new reality. Anyone in a similar situation can learn from her journey because while the stops might be different, the destination is the same. At the end of the day we all want to be happy.

Please join me at the BlogHer Book Club page HERE for more discussions about this book.

This was a paid review for BlogHer Book Club but the opinions expressed are my own.

Summer Reading: Getting to Happy

Happy summer! How are your summer goals coming along? I am really enjoying being a member of the BlogHer book club!

For the conclusion of my summer reading reviews I present you Getting Happy by Terry McMillan. You might recognize this author's name as she is the brilliant mind behind Waiting to Exhale. This is the sequel to that novel and you really shouldn't miss it! You can check out my review here.

I sincerely hope that you have enjoyed my book reviews this summer. I plan to continue to check out the BlogHer Book Club website throughout the summer to get more reading ideas! For me nothing beats reading a good book while sipping a nice cold lemonade on a hot summer day.

Happy reading!

Summer Reading: What Happened to Goodbye

I hope you are all having a great summer! I have really been enjoying the BlogHer book club!

My second selection for the summer is What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen, which is one you should especially not miss if you have a teenager at home. You can check my review out here.

I have one more review coming up, I hope you are enjoying them! If you are looking for more reading ideas I suggest you check out the BlogHer Book Club website.

Happy reading!

Summer Reading: A Jane Austen Education

Are you looking for some ideas for summer reading? I recently joined the BlogHer book club and am having a blast reading and reviewing the books. I just completed my first review for William Deresiewicz's A Jane Austen Education. You can check it out here.

I have a couple more reviews that I will complete in the next couple of months, I'll be sure to post links back to them here. And if you want to read a ton of reviews to get more ideas check out the BlogHer Book Club website.

Happy reading!