March: A book and a month!

March can definitely be defined as Madness!  Between reading books for the blog and some wedding reads to prep for some vacation time in August, I spent March trying to keep up with it all!  


Hopefully April is full of wedding planning with a ton of decisions to be made.  If so, that will make this summer a breeze!


Books Completed:
1. Left for Dead by J.A. Jance
2. March by Geraldine Brooks
3. The Replacement Wife by Eileen Goudge
4. Being Lara by Lola Jaye
5. Day After Night by Anita Dimant
6. Comeback Love by Peter Golden
7. Cruising Attitude by Heather Poole
8. Voices of the Dead by Peter Leonard
9. The Book of Lost Fragrances by MJ Rose
10. Lia's Guide to Winning the Lottery by Keren David
11. The Wedding Dress by Rachel Hauck
12. How to Eat a Cupcake by Meg Donohue
13. Composing Amelia by Alison Strobel
14. Diary of a Mad Bride by Laura Wolf
15. Pinch Me by Adena Halpern
16. Ready or Not? by Chis Manby
17. Surviving Emily by Laurie Bellesheim
18. Chai Tea Sunday by Heather Clark
19. Fat is the New 30 by Jill Conner Browne
20. Somebody to Love by Kristan Higgins


Total pages read, clicked, and flipped: 6,333


Where Have I Been Reading?:
Phoenix, AZ
Concord, MA
New York City, NY (4)
Essex, London (3)
Israel
Detroit, MN
Paris, France
Birmingham, AL
San Francisco, CA
Wheatridge, NE
Philadelphia, PA
Farfield, CT
Ngong, Kenya
Jackson, MS
Gideon's Cove, ME

Review: Defending Jacob by William Landay

Defending Jacob by William Landay

Publisher: Delacorte Press 

Pages: 432 

Format: eARC 

Buy the Book: Amazon  

Goodreads:  Andy Barber has been an assistant district attorney in his suburban Massachusetts county for more than twenty years. He is respected in his community, tenacious in the courtroom, and happy at home with his wife, Laurie, and son, Jacob. But when a shocking crime shatters their New England town, Andy is blindsided by what happens next: His fourteen-year-old son is charged with the murder of a fellow student.Every parental instinct Andy has rallies to protect his boy. Jacob insists that he is innocent, and Andy believes him. Andy must. He’s his father. But as damning facts and shocking revelations surface, as a marriage threatens to crumble and the trial intensifies, as the crisis reveals how little a father knows about his son, Andy will face a trial of his own between loyalty and justice, between truth and allegation, between a past he's tried to bury and a future he cannot conceive.




Kritters Thoughts: Rarely do I read a book right when the hype around it is still going on.  After seeing this on NetGalley I just had to pick it up and read it.  And I am so thankful I did.  A book that is more than a criminal case, it is about the family that is at the heart of the case.  A small family unit that is solely made up of mother, father and son that takes quite a hit when a classmate at school is found dead in a local park.  


The reader is taken behind the scenes and out of the courtroom to their  home between the days of the case when it is hard to continue on.  I fell in love with this family and was intrigued by the struggle they faced trying to first determine in their own minds if their son was innocent and then defending him to the end.  The reader is in the middle of the journey trying to decide if they believe that Jacob is innocent or not.


Just when you thought the book was coming to close there were four more chapters that took this story to a whole different level.  As I always do, I will not share about the twist ending that takes you completely by surprise and is almost a sucker punch to the gut.  Because of this twist ending, this book is a terrific ride to the very last page.    


Rating:  absolutely loved it and want a sequel


Ebook Challenge 2012: 13 out of 25 


Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from the NetGalley.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own. 

Review: How to Eat a Cupcake by Meg Donohue

How to Eat a Cupcake by Meg Donohue

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Pages: 320 

Format: book 

Buy the Book: Amazon 

Goodreads:  Funny, free-spirited Annie Quintana and sophisticated, ambitious Julia St. Clair come from two different worlds. Yet, as the daughter of the St. Clair’s housekeeper, Annie grew up in Julia’s San Francisco mansion and they forged a bond that only two little girls who know nothing of class differences and scholarships could—until a life-altering betrayal destroyed their friendship. 

A decade later, Annie is now a talented, if underpaid, pastry chef who bakes to fill the void left in her heart by her mother’s death. Julia, a successful businesswoman, is tormented by a painful secret that could jeopardize her engagement to the man she loves. When a chance reunion prompts the unlikely duo to open a cupcakery, they must overcome past hurts and a mysterious saboteur or risk losing their fledgling business and any chance of healing their fractured friendship.





Kritters Thoughts:  Are you looking for a book that is centered around friendship and will take you on a journey with two friends who are reconnecting?  This book would be the one to pick up and read and pass onto a friend.


The book hops between both main characters points of view with ease - Julia is the organized, behind the counter, saleswoman who is trying to find out what her future should look like and Annie has always felt left out, but can bake like the dickens! (Yes, I used dickens in a review!)  They are friends from the past, but history and drama has separated them.  Although this book had some predictability to it, the overall story and writing were superb, so I didn't mind that I knew where it was headed.


A sweet (in more ways than one) book that friends of all ages can enjoy.  


Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel


GR Cover Challenge 2012: Sweet Treats

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from TLC Book Tours.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own. 


Tuesday, March 13th: Iwriteinbooks’ blog
Wednesday, March 14th: Peeking Between the Pages
Thursday, March 15th: Bookstack
Friday, March 16th: The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader
Monday, March 19th: Life in Review
Tuesday, March 20th: Tina’s Book Reviews
Wednesday, March 21st: Elle Lit.
Thursday, March 22nd: A Bookish Way of Life
Tuesday, March 27th: Walking With Nora
Wednesday, March 28th: Sara’s Organized Chaos
Thursday, March 29th: Kritters Ramblings
Tuesday, April 3rd: girlichef
Thursday, April 5th: Book Reviews by Molly

Review: The Replacement Wife by Eileen Goudge

The Replacement Wife by Eileen Goudge

Publisher: Open Road Media 

Pages: 482

Format: eARC 

Buy the Book: Amazon 

Goodreads:  Camille Hart, one of Manhattan’s most sought-after matchmakers, has survived more than her fair share of hardships. Her mother died when she was a young girl, leaving her and her sister with an absentee father. Now in her forties, she has already survived cancer once, though the battle revealed just how ill-equipped her husband Edward is to be a single parent. So when doctors tell Camille that her cancer is back—and this time it’s terminal—she decides to put her matchmaking expertise to the test for one final job. Seeking stability for her children and happiness for her husband, Camille sets out to find the perfect woman to replace her when she’s gone. 

But what happens when a dying wish becomes a case of “be careful what you wish for”? For Edward and Camille, the stunning conclusion arrives with one last twist of fate that no one saw coming. 





Kritters Thoughts:  A heavy book in two ways, quite a chunkster in pages and a heavy topic that at times was hard to swallow, but in a good way.  From the beginning you fall head over heals for Camille, a mother of two young children who are on the cusp of the teenage years and need a mother now more than ever.  She has already battled cancer once and now facing it again, the prospects look grim.  With a profession as a match-maker, she decides that fixing her husband up with a future partner will help the family avoid undue heartache and pain when she leaves them.  


From there the story takes quite a few twists and turns.  I never reveal plot points that may ruin a story, but this one has the reader on the edge of the seat from beginning to end.  I wanted to know how Camille and Edward were going to fare after the endeavors that this journey called life would take them on.  


I may have read this book with deeper meaning because of what is going on in my personal life.  Recently engaged and planning a wedding and a marriage, it was hard to think about a future without this boy next to me and then to think if I would then find someone to accompany on the rest of the journey or if I would finish this life alone.  Hard thoughts for me, but I crave books that make me reflect on topics that I wouldn't otherwise think about.     

Rating:  definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row


Ebook Challenge 2012: 17 out of 25  


GR Cover Challenge 2012: Linking


Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Open Road Media.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own. 

Review: Point Click Love by Molly Shapiro

Point Click Love by Molly Shapiro

Publisher: Random House Publishing 

Pages: 272 

Format: eARC 

Buy the Book: Amazon 

Goodreads:  Best friends and fellow midwesterners Katie, Annie, Maxine, and Claudia are no strangers to dealing with love and relationships, but with online dating and social networking now in the mix, they all have the feeling they’re not in Kansas anymore. Katie, a divorced mother of two, secretly seeks companionship through the Internet only to discover that the rules of the dating game have drastically changed. Annie, a high-powered East Coast transplant, longs for a baby, yet her online search for a sperm donor is not as easy—or anonymous—as she anticipates. Maxine, a successful artist with a seemingly perfect husband, turns to celebrity gossip sites to distract herself from her less-than-ideal marriage. And Claudia, tired of her husband’s obsession with Facebook, finds herself irresistibly drawn to a handsome co-worker. As these women navigate the new highs and lows of the digital age, they each find that their wrong turns lead surprisingly to the right click and, ultimately, the connection they were seeking.




Kritters Thoughts:  Four separate characters and their stories that come together to make a great book.  Formatted where each chapter is centered around one of the four ladies, but each of the other characters make appearances in creative ways.


Each of the four characters is in a different place in life from newly divorced to eternally single and they are each trying to figure out what kind of future they each want out of life.  With four characters and their families, I did have to make a post it note to keep the girls and their spouses and children all straight.  The reader falls in love with each character as these women grow throughout the book.  I became invested and wanted to make sure each character ended up in a happy place, whatever that was for each of them.


As a newly engaged woman, this book was hard to read at times due to the marriages that were taking hard hits and falling apart.  It made me definitely think and confirm that this marriage thing is a serious lifetime commitment which shouldn't be taken lightly.  A book that will make you think and even make you realize how good things may be in your own life.


Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row


Ebook Challenge 2012: 16 out of 25


Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from NetGalley.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own. 

It's Monday, What are you Reading? (65)

A good week of reading and some wedding things followed by a great weekend worth of curling up with a few books.  


I went to the Hunger Games movie at midnight on Thursday with a great friend, my first midnight movie experience and thank the lord the movie lived up to all the hype!  I would recommend the movie to both fans of the book and ones who haven't read it at all.


Next week should be the big week with dress shopping!


A meme hosted by Sheila at BookJourney. 


Finished this past week:
How to Eat a Cupcake by Meg Donohue
Composing Amelia by Alison Strobel
Diary of a Mad Bride by Laura Wolf
Pinch Me by Adena Halpern

Currently Reading:
Surviving Emily by Laurie Bellesheim
Ready or Not? by Chris Manby

Next off the TBR pile:
Fat is the New 30 by Jill Conner Browne

Review: The Wedding Dress by Rachel Hauck

The Wedding Dress by Rachel Hauck 

Publisher: Thomas Nelson Publishers 

Pages: 320 

Format: eARC 

Buy the Book: Amazon  

Goodreads:  One dress. Four women. An amazing destiny.

Charlotte Malone is getting married. Yet all is not settled in the heart of Birmingham's chic bridal boutique owner. Charlotte can dress any bride to perfection-except herself. When she discovers a vintage mint-condition wedding gown in a battered old trunk, Charlotte embarks on a passionate journey to discover the women who wore the gown before her.

Emily in 1912. Mary in 1939. And Hillary in 1968. Each woman teaches Charlotte something about love in her own unique way. Woven within the threads of the beautiful hundred-year-old gown is the truth about Charlotte's heritage, the power of faith, and the beauty of finding true love.

Kritters Thoughts:  Charlotte Malone is a young woman who has always put up walls instead of forming a lot of friendships/relationships.  She has not been in love often and finds her independence to be a crutch instead of allowing others to get close in fear that they may leave in one way or another.  Through mysterious ways, she ends up with a trunk that is welded shut and with no clue as to its contents.  Once she gets it open and finds the most beautiful wedding dress, she embarks on a journey to find out about its past owners.


What a wonderful book.  I absolutely loved taking the adventure with her to find out about the past of the dress along with finding out about her past.  The author seamlessly weaves together stories from the past and the present without having the reader get lost in the middle.  The pieces all fit together in the end to create such a magical story.


Few things are more important to the bride then what she wears on for her big day.  A book that centers around this very thing was beautiful and should be read by those who are already married, in the middle of planning or have a dream of getting married one day.    




DISCLAIMER: I am just a few days away from shopping for my wedding dress, so I knew the minute I saw this on BookSneeze that I had to grab it and read it immediately!




Rating:  absolutely loved it and want a sequel


Ebook Challenge 2012: 18 out of 25  


Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from BookSneeze.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own. 

Interview with Keren David

Hello!  I had the opportunity to read Lia's Guide to Winning the Lottery by Keren David.  Check below for my review from yesterday.  As well, I was able to send some questions her way and am excited to share them with you today.  So, here it goes - 

1. What do you find yourself rambling about? 

Oh, difficult question! I spend much too much time on twitter and facebook talking about television programmes, politics and great books I've read.

2. When becoming an author did you have any speed bumps along the way?  If so, how did you overcome them?

 My first book (When I Was Joe) baffled some publishers because it was for male and female readers, it was a thriller and a romance, it was scary and funny...apart from that, the main speed bumps are my own idleness and getting distracted by socialising when I should be writing.

3. As you write, does a part of your personality leak into any of the characters?  Which character is most like you?

I think that bits of my personality leak into all of the characters. Lia's a bit like me as a teenager because I was always been told I was selfish and could never work out why. And Lia's mum is a bit like me, in that I'm sure that if my teenage daughter won the lottery I'd be looking at new houses and buying new clothes..

4. What is your favorite part of the writing process?

Probably redrafting -  the hard work of creating characters and working out the story is done, and with the redraft everything falls into place. Hopefully. 

5. What is next on your plate?

I'm working on two ideas -  a funny book for younger teens and a more serious read for Young Adults. 




Thank you so much to Keren David for the opportunity to read your book and interview you!

Review: Lia's Guide to Winning the Lottery by Keren David

Lia's Guide to Winning the Lottery by Keren David

Publisher: Frances Lincoln Children's Books 

Pages: 352 

Format: book 

Buy the Book: Amazon  

Goodreads:  Think winning the jackpot will solve all your problems?


Life's hard for Lia. Her mum is a nag, her sister a pain and the gorgeous but mysterious Raf seems immune to her charms. When Lia wins £8 million on the lottery, though, suddenly everything is different.

But will Lia's millions create more problems than they solve?

Firstly, a resentful gang of girls at school set up a 'We Hate Lia Latimer' Facebook group . . . that soon has fans in the thousands. Her friend Shazia can't have anything to do with Lia's new-found fortune, believing gambling to be immoral. The mum of her other best friend, Jack, is threatening to sue Lia for what she believes to be his share of the winnings. Raf's behaviour is getting stranger and stranger, and Lia can't help but wonder whether there's something to the school rumours that he's not . . . well, human.

And when her sister Natalie goes missing, Lia begins to wonder if a millionaire lifestyle is all it's cracked up to be. . .





Kritters Thoughts:  Lia is your typical teenager in London until her best friend buys her the winning lottery ticket.  From the moment she realizes that she has won over 8 million pounds her life is sent into a tail spin.  Her friends have interesting reactions and her family went over the deep end, there weren't many people who weren't trying to get something out of her.


Although there was a blatant lesson to be learned, I enjoyed that there was more to this story then learning the value of one's life with and without money.  The reactions of her family members were all of the place and it was quite entertaining to see where the whole family dynamics would end up.  I also enjoyed that there was other drama in her relationships that wasn't money related at all.


The perfect YA read to pass onto a younger reader who thinks that everything could be solved with a little more money.   




Rating: enjoyable, but didn't leave me wanting more


Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Frances Lincoln Publishers.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.