December 28, 2009: Over the Holidays

Book: Over the Holidays by Sandra Harper
*from LibraryThing Early Reviewers Program

Product Description:

It's only December 1, and Vanessa Clayton has been dreading Christmas since she spotted tinseled trees at her local mall in September. Thankfully, she and her husband, JT, can't afford to drag their twin boys across the country to New England for the annual celebration at her stuffy sister-in-law Patience's home. Not that Vanessa has prepared a proper Christmas for her family in years, and she has less time than ever since she agreed to consult on the script of a local play. Her older sister, Thea, is no help -- she'd rather make art and flirt with surfers than babysit her nine-year-old nephews. Then Patience drops a holiday stress bomb: Her family will come to California instead.

In between "baking" cinnamon rolls for the school potluck and overbearing Patience testing her patience, Vanessa can't stop thinking about the difficult but charming playwright at work. Meanwhile, Patience's teenage daughter, Libby, obsesses over a college boy she has met by the pool, and Thea searches desperately for the meaning of Christmas -- for her latest installation, of course. As their holiday plans go comically awry, these four women discover the true spirit of the season is hidden in every festive surprise. -- from Amazon.com

My Thoughts: Well, I was disappointed in this book. I don't mean to be a Debbie Downer, but this book was kind of odd to me.

Vanessa is the main character, and I think she is the one we are supposed to connect with the most. The frazzled mother who is not perfect but tries her best. However - I kind of did not like her, especially after her little incident with Neil when she was a perfectly loving husband, JT, at home! In the end she figured out what made her happy, so I guess her character was resolved.

Patience was the "Martha Stewart" of the family and always planned the perfect Christmas. Her family is wealthy and sometimes her helping seems condescending. In the end, she is the one I liked the most. However, I thought for sure her family would be moving to California. Why else would Harper write about a house that Patience loved, being for sale? Why interject that into the book, if it weren't going to come up later?

Thea was kind of bizarre to me, I can't imagine NOT spoiling my niece! I understand that some people don't want marriage or children, but she was written very stereotypically. I found her meeting with Cal to be unsatisfying and don't really understand why it was written into the book.

One thing I had a major issue with was the ending. Why only focus on Patience? Why not include something about the whole family? And while you're at it, how about a little heading "one year later" or something. I was a little confused. The ending was really unsatisfying to me, and I don't really think I will be picking up any more of her books.

{Alicia}

December 26, 2009: The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes

Book: The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes by Diane Chamberlain

Product Description:

An unsolved murder.

A missing child.

A lifetime of deception.

In 1977, pregnant Genevieve Russell disappeared. Twenty years later, her remains are discovered and Timothy Gleason is charged with murder. But there is no sign of the unborn child.

CeeCee Wilkes knows how Genevieve Russell died, because she was there. And she also knows what happened to the missing infant, because two decades ago she made the devastating choice to raise the baby as her own. Now Timothy Gleason is facing the death penalty, and she has another choice to make. Tell the truth, and destroy her family. Or let an innocent man die in order to protect a lifetime of lies…
-- from Amazon.com

My Thoughts: I read this book for my book club, and was really happy with my choice! I read it in one sitting, because the story really grabbed my attention and held it.

From the moment 16 year old CeeCee began her story, I knew it would go all wrong. I think back to myself at 16 and, while I would have not gone to the extremes she did, I would have been terrified in her position. First love can be blinding, and her hope for Tim to come back to her after was quickly lost as she uncovered his web of lies. She was the innocent pawn in his game and I felt so bad for her.

When CeeCee became Eve, I was scared for her. I really thought she would be caught much sooner, but she was able to create a great life for herself. Her husband, Jack, was a true gentleman and I was so glad to see that he stayed by her side, even at the end.

When Eve revealed her secret, I was curious to see the reaction. I was so happy that Jack and Dru stood in her corner and after awhile Corrine came around. I believe that Eve was finally at peace after she served her time, and she could actually live her life freely. Her whole life was not free at all - even her disease left restricted her freedom, so it was nice to see that in the end. It's kind of interesting that even though Eve is a criminal, I felt sympathy towards her...that is quite rare for me!

Anyways - I really want to read some other books by Diane Chamberlain, I ordered two more and recommended this book to my grandma!

{Alicia}

December 26, 2009: The Christmas Cookie Club

Book: The Christmas Cookie Club by Ann Pearlman

Product Description:

Mark your calendar. It's the Christmas Cookie Club! Every year on the first Monday of December, Marnie and her twelve closest girlfriends gather in the evening with batches of beautifully wrapped homemade cookies. Everyone has to bring a dish, a bottle of wine, and their stories. This year, the stories are especially important. Marnie's oldest daughter has a risky pregnancy. Will she find out tonight how that story might end? Jeannie's father is having an affair with her best friend. Who else knew about the betrayal, and how can that be forgiven or forgotten, even among old friends such as these? Rosie's husband doesn't want children, and she has to decide, very soon, whether or not that's a deal breaker for the marriage. Taylor's life is in financial freefall. Each woman, each friend has a story to tell, and they are all interwoven, just as their lives are.

On this evening, at least, they can feel as a group the impulses of sisterly love and conflict, the passion and hopefulness of a new romance, the betrayal and disillusionment some relationships bring, the joys and fears of motherhood, the agony of losing a child, and above all, the love they have for one another. As Marnie says, the Christmas Cookie Club, if it's anything, is a reminder of delight.

The Christmas Cookie Club is about the paths Marnie and her friends have traveled, the absolute joy they take in life and love despite the decisions they've regretted, the hard choices and amends they've had to make, and the sacrifices along the way. Ultimately, The Christmas Cookie Club is every woman's story. As you read about Marnie and her friends, their struggles and triumphs, what makes them laugh and what has made them cry, you'll see yourself and some of the ingredients of your own story. Celebrating courage and joy in spite of hard times and honoring the importance of women's friendships as well as the embracing bonds of community, Ann Pearlman has written a novel that speaks to us all. -- from Amazon.com

My Thoughts: I thought this book would be really festive to read during the holidays, however, I kind of found the character stories hard to follow. Each chapter focused on a different cookie recipe and a different person, however, it just seemed a little chaotic at times. Maybe my mind was still in crazy Christmas mode.

Another thing I did not like was the ending of each chapter. It's kind of hard to explain but the author would write a 1-2 page summary about an ingredient used in the recipe (i.e. sugar, vanilla). It really brought me out of the story, and I basically skipped over it.

Unfortunately, while I liked the concept of this book, the execution failed for me.

{Alicia}

What I Gave For Christmas - The Book Edition

I hope that everyone had a Merry Christmas! I sure had a blast. I love the holiday season - it always makes me warm and cozy! I love to give books as Christmas gifts, in fact I always try to give books to my younger cousins {and now my niece} for any holiday. I also got my mom some books {that I plan on reading too!}

Here are the books that I got them!

for Mom

for Jake

for Kyle

for Grace

And for my beautiful niece, Lily....well she got the following books...Do you give books for Christmas?

{Alicia}

Merry Christmas!

First off - no What's In Your Handbag today :)

I hope you all have a wonderful, family filled Christmas! Today is my favorite day! We start out early and go to my aunt's house to watch my cousins open their presents from Santa! I just love watching the joy on their faces as they open their presents....then we all eat a huge breakfast! After that we go to our respective homes and get ready for the day and cap it off with a nice family dinner! I love it!

I hope you all have a great day!


{Alicia}

What's In Your Handbag?

Do you always have a book in your handbag? If you can't leave home without something to read, then "What's In Your Handbag?" is the post for you! Every Friday, I will be posting what book is currently in my purse. I would love to know what books are in your handbag this week, so leave a comment below telling me - or if you post it on your site, leave the link in the comments so I can go read about it!

This week I am reading The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes by Diane Chamberlain for the Booking NY to NC Book Club. I've had this in my TBR pile for awhile and I really look forward to reading it!

What's in your handbag?

{Alicia}

So You Think You Can Dance....Yay!

Remember my post from yesterday? Here was the order I thought the top 6 would be:

Who will win:
My predicted order: 1.) Russell 2.) Jakob 3.) Kathryn 4.) Ellenore 5.) Ashleigh 6.) Ryan

Wow! I am pretty amazing hehe. I was 100% correct :) I went into this season wanting a Russell win - he is an amazing krumper {and I really don't like krump}, and he seems like a nice guy. I have to say that the person I want to win, has won every season except season 3 {I didn't watch season 1}. I think I have a pretty good track record :)

I also want to commend Cat Deeley! That woman is the best host out there {give the woman an Emmy!}. She handles everything so well, even in crisis, and you can just tell that she cares for each and every one of those dancers. Also, I never really cared for Ryan until last night. His speech at the end was so eloquent and heartfelt, it made me kind of sad that we never got to see his personality {instead of all the weight-lifting stuff}.

I hope Russell is able to enjoy this win without any backlash. It seems that every year, people always complain that the best dancer did not win. By saying this, they are saying that contemporary dancers are the best dancers out there. Jakob may have been a pretty good contemporary dancer, but could he krump? Each dancer is great in their own style and the show is not called So You Think You Can Dance Contemporary. I am so sick of this show acting like contemporary dancers can save the world. I think that ballroom dancers are pretty amazing and they never get the recognition they deserve! It is something that has always bothered me about this show. Everyone works hard, regardless of their style, and the winners should get to enjoy the fact that all of their hard work paid off for them in the end.

So I look forward to season 7 {please let it be in the summer} and I am hoping for a ballroom win, although I think the show may be pushing for a classically trained male dancer {Billy Bell}.

{Alicia}

So You Think You Can Dance {Dance, Dance} - Season Six Wrap-Up

Well, last night was the performance episode finale of Season 6 of SYTYCD. Here are some of my thoughts on the season.

What I loved:
1.) The top 2o introduction show. I loved all the dancing and it seemed like they were all having a blast.
2.) The fact that Mary has only said "Hot Tamale Train" like 2 times, and seems generally subdued this season.

What I didn't love:
1.) The new stage! Ick, I hate it! Please take it away now!!!!!
2.) The judges blatant pimping and the way the judges talk down to contestants. They are on a reality dance show - they are not on a reality show for the next Nobel Peace Prize winner. Most of them are young and still maturing - do not yell at them on tv.
3.) On the same note, stop telling me who to like and who to vote for!
4.) No guest judges :(
5.) Sometimes there were so many routines that we didn't get rehearsal packages. How about no judges comments instead? I just fast forward through them anyways, but I LOVE the rehearsal packages!
6.) NO SOLOS IN THE FINALE! Are you kidding me?! Last season, I think Jeanine WON with that solo. I think that they majorly screwed that one up.
7.) No mention of tour. I think season 6 is getting screwed.

What shocked me:
1.) The fact that I only came into this season loving Russell, but ended up loving the top 6! In the beginning, I did not like Kathryn or Ashleigh. This is why I should never watch the audition episodes, I get preconceived notions.
2.) Adam Shankman. I love him as a guest judge, but man I was so over him by the end of the season.....unless he were to replace Nigel, then I would be okay.

Last Night's Performances:
Okay, Russell was amazing last night! I loved his lyrical jazz with Ashleigh {we finally got to see them dance together}. He was fantastic, I almost didn't notice her {sorry Ashleigh!}. I also LOVED his hip hop with Kathryn {I didn't notice her either}. He just commands attention when he is on stage, I can't NOT look at him! That hip hop was hard-hitting {hated the song though - I have no respect for the singer}, and Russell rocked it! I was spoiled about the contemporary with Jakob and Kathryn. Sure, it was beautiful, but perhaps over hyped. On the other hand, Ashleigh and Ryan's contemporary made me cry like a baby. I thought it was really beautiful - and why does Nigel have to be so rude to them!? Also, this was the first time, in my opinion, that Travis really deserved heaps of praise. His routines have been kind of blah for me this year, but I loved this one.

Who will win:
My predicted order: 1.) Russell 2.) Jakob 3.) Kathryn 4.) Ellenore 5.) Ashleigh 6.) Ryan

Who do you think will win?

{Alicia}

Brilliant

Whose brilliant idea was it to knit a Christmas present for every member of my family?! Oh, that's right...I'm a genius! Unfortunately, all this knitting has put me way behind on my reading. The sacrifices we make for those we love ;)

Does anyone else knit? If so, how do you keep up for Christmas!?

{Alicia}

Teaser Tuesdays

Grab your current read.

Let the book fall open to a random page.

Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.

You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!

Please avoid spoilers!

"I hear the laughter from the party in the next room and I smell the carnation and rose aroma from the flowers next to my bed, which is now piled with everyone's coats. I know what I should do, what I need to do"

The Christmas Cookie Club by Anne Pearlman, page 175

{Alicia}

2009 Holiday Reading Challenge COMPLETE

Yay! I completed a challenge :) I finished all 5 of the books on my list for the 2009 Holiday Reading Challenge. I have two other books that I may read, but I might save them for next year since I achieved my goal :)


Original Post below:

I've decided to join this challenge {regardless of my failure at my other challenges} because I was in a holiday book buying mood this past month! Head over to All About {n} to check out the challenge!

Challenge Requirements:

1- Challenge will start Friday, November 20 and will end Thursday, December 31.

2- You can read anywhere from 1 to 5 books for the challenge and, of course, if you're like me, you are more than welcome to surpass that number.

3- And now, here's the clincher... they must be holiday related books. That's right, the holiday doesn't really matter, but it would be more "jolly" if your choices were Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, etc.

4- The size of the book does not matter, nor does the genre. It is also okay for the book to overlap with other challenges. The only thing I ask is that they are not children's books. YA is okay. And so are re-reads. I for one tend to read the same books every Christmas - they are tradition.

5- To sign up - leave a link back to your challenge post. There will also be a post for review links as well as one for challenge wrap-ups.

6- And.... there will be goodies. That's right, we'll call them presents. At the end of every week that the challenge is running I will choose one winner from the review links and I will allow them to pick a book of their choosing (of course, I will provide a list). Meaning the more books you read, review and link up, the more chances you have at winning a "present".

Books I will be reading:
1. The Best Gift by Wendy Markham
2. The Gift by Cecelia Ahern
3. Knit the Season by Kate Jacobs
4. The Christmas Secret by Donna VanLiere
5. Wishin' and Hopin' by Wally Lamb
6. The Christmas Cookie Club by Ann Pearlman
7. Over the Holidays by Sandra Harper


{Alicia}

What's in Your Handbag?

Do you always have a book in your handbag? If you can't leave home without something to read, then "What's In Your Handbag?" is the post for you! Every Friday, I will be posting what book is currently in my purse. I would love to know what books are in your handbag this week, so leave a comment below telling me - or if you post it on your site, leave the link in the comments so I can go read about it!

This week I am reading The Christmas Cookie Club by Ann Pearlman. I bought this book on a whim because I love reading and Christmas cookies, so it's a perfect match {hehe}. Has anyone else read this book? I haven't read too many reviews on it, so I am curious to see what people think!

What's in your handbag?

{Alicia}

December 9, 2009: Wishin' and Hopin': A Christmas Story

Book: Wishin' and Hopin': A Christmas Story by Wally Lamb.

Product Description:

It's 1964 and ten-year-old Felix is sure of a few things: the birds and the bees are puzzling, television is magical, and this is one Christmas he'll never forget.

LBJ and Lady Bird are in the White House, Meet the Beatles is on everyone's turntable, and Felix Funicello (distant cousin of the iconic Annette!) is doing his best to navigate fifth grade—easier said than done when scary movies still give you nightmares and you bear a striking resemblance to a certain adorable cartoon boy.

Back in his beloved fictional town of Three Rivers, Connecticut, with a new cast of endearing characters, Wally Lamb takes his readers straight into the halls of St. Aloysius Gonzaga Parochial School—where Mother Filomina's word is law and goody-two-shoes Rosalie Twerski is sure to be minding everyone's business. But grammar and arithmetic move to the back burner this holiday season with the sudden arrivals of substitute teacher Madame Frechette, straight from QuÉbec, and feisty Russian student Zhenya Kabakova. While Felix learns the meaning of French kissing, cultural misunderstanding, and tableaux vivants, Wishin' and Hopin' barrels toward one outrageous Christmas.

From the Funicello family's bus-station lunch counter to the elementary school playground (with an uproarious stop at the Pillsbury Bake-Off), Wishin' and Hopin' is a vivid slice of 1960s life, a wise and witty holiday tale that celebrates where we've been—and how far we've come. -- from Amazon.com

My thoughts: So, I usually LOVE Wally Lamb books and while I liked this book, I was not over the moon in love with it {unfortunately}. This isn't your typical Christmas story with a message and that's okay, but I think I love message Christmas stories!

I was not born in the 60s, so I can't relate to the time period, nor can I relate to the Catholic school experience. Nonetheless, I enjoyed reading the adventures of Felix and his friends at school. This book was a very quick read {yay}. This is a bit of a departure for Wally Lamb, because the book was not as serious as his other books - I think I might have been expecting it to be. Instead it was lighthearted and fun. My favorite part was the epilogue. I kind of thought it was hilarious! Am I the only one?! Also, I was wondering if this is somewhat autobiographical? Maybe not, but it seemed like a real-life story to me!

Did anyone else read this book?

{Alicia}

Book Closeouts

Have you ever been to bookcloseouts.com? A couple times a year I like to check out their sales, and a couple weeks ago they were having 50% off of their fiction books (which are already pretty cheap!) So I went through my wishlist and ordered these goodies below for only $20.18! That includes 3 hardcover books!

Here is what I got:
20 Fragments of Ravenous Youth by Xiaolu Guo
The Accidental Mother by Rowan Coleman
My Judy Garland Life by Susie Boyt
The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent
Brick Lane by Monica Ali
A Hatred for Tulips by Richard Lourie
Aftermath of Dreaming by Delaune Michel

Be sure to check it out, they are taking an additional 50% of holiday books!

{Alicia}

Teaser Tuesdays

Grab your current read.

Let the book fall open to a random page.

Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.

You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!

Please avoid spoilers!

"Of course, what Lonny and I had agreed to didn't mean that, once my bedroom door was closed, we had to stick to it. I ate nine pieces of candy and Lonny ate about twice that much."

Wishin' and Hopin' by Wally Lamb, page 83

{Alicia}

What's in Your Handbag?

Do you always have a book in your handbag? If you can't leave home without something to read, then "What's In Your Handbag?" is the post for you! Every Friday, I will be posting what book is currently in my purse. I would love to know what books are in your handbag this week, so leave a comment below telling me - or if you post it on your site, leave the link in the comments so I can go read about it!

I'm keeping up with my trend of reading Christmas books this week with Wishin' and Hopin': A Christmas Story by Wally Lamb. Was I the only one who fainted when I saw this book! Just joking, but I absolutely love Wally Lamb! I am so excited to dig into this book!

So readers, what's in your handbag?

{Alicia}

2009 Chick Lit Challenge COMPLETE

Original post here.

Hosted by Books and Life

COMPLETE 11/20/09

Here is my list:

1. English as a Second Language by Megan Crane -- 2/26/09
2. The Smart One and the Pretty One by Claire LaZebnik -- 1/2/09
3. Names My Sisters Call Me by Megan Crane -- 1/3/09
4. Knit Two by Kate Jacobs -- 1/27/09
5. One Fifth Avenue by Candace Bushnell -- 5/17/09
6. Love the One You're With by Emily Giffin -- 7/11/09
7. L.A. Candy by Lauren Conrad {ya chick lit} -- 6/27/09
8. Hedge Fund Wives by Tatiana Boncompagni -- 6/19/09
9. Love and Other Natural Disasters by Holly Shumas -- 4/23/09
10. The Wednesday Sisters by Meg Waite Clayton -- 8/14/09
11. Target Underwear and a Vera Wang Gown by Adena Halpern -- 2/16/09
12. The Best Gift by Wendy Markham -- 11/20/09

I know some of these may be questionable chick lit, but anything under "women's fiction" is my definition of chick lit :)

{Alicia}

November 30, 2009: Knit the Season

Book: Knit the Season by Kate Jacobs

Product Description:

Knit the Season is a loving, moving, laugh-out-loud celebration of special times with friends and family. The story begins a year after the end of Knit Two, with Dakota Walker's trip to spend the Christmas holidays with her Gran in Scotland-accompanied by her father, her grandparents, and her mother's best friend, Catherine. Together, they share a trove of happy memories about Christmases past with Dakota's mom, Georgia Walker-from Georgia's childhood to her blissful time as a doting new mom. From Thanksgiving through Hanukkah and Christmas to New Year's, Knit the Season is a novel about the richness of family bonds and the joys of friendship. --from Amazon.com

My Thoughts: These books by Kate Jacobs suck me in every time! Although I feel like I should come clean - I have not read Comfort Food yet {but I do own it}.

I loved the flashbacks used during this book. They helped me understand Georgia more and I may have shed a few tears along the way! I really enjoyed seeing how Dakota has grown into a remarkable young woman and you get the feeling that not only her mother, but the wonderful network they created with the Friday Night Knitting Club really inspired her to become such a woman. I love that she is following her dream to become a pastry chef...and my belly was rumbling when she was baking throughout the novel! I loved that she vowed to finish her mother's unfinished project, and that it had so much meaning to her father - that was a really sweet moment!

I just love reading holiday books because they make me feel all warm and fuzzy. This one certainly didn't disappoint - plus, I love the cover ;)

The end of this book was a little unclear for me. By unclear, I mean that I don't know if there will be any more books in the series. It might be cool to do a little "reunion" in about 5 years, but I think that this book would be okay as the last one. Any thoughts on this?


{Alicia}

Book Blogger Holiday Swap Update

Thanks to Becky at No More Grump Bookseller for my amazing gift! I saw a box in the mail and had no idea who it was from! She was so efficient, and I was so excited to unwrap presents...was I supposed to wait until Christmas {oops!}.

Here are the goodies I got:
Dying Scream by Mary Burton - I have never read anything by her, but this book sounds right up my alley!
The Castaways by Elin Hilderbrand - I actually almost bought this book at Target a couple of weeks ago, but was trying to stick to my budget! I was really excited about this book!
2 super cute bookmarks - I LOVE bookmarks!

Thanks again Becky........hopefully my santee has received her gift ;)

Update: She has! I was laughing when I was addressing the box. I thought, gee this name looks so familiar! Well, it's because I had just received the gift from her! Thanks again Becky :)

{Alicia}

Teaser Tuesdays

Grab your current read.

Let the book fall open to a random page.

Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.

You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!

Please avoid spoilers!

"She'd been caught off guard by the woman who came into Walker and Daughter two nights before as Dakota toiled in the kitchen upstairs over pies. Peri had been closing up"

Knit the Season by Kate Jacobs, page 44

Feel free to link to your post in the comments!

_________
{Alicia}