Memphis Reads Archive

Fiction/Chick Lit

Andrea reviews FALLING by Jane Green (Berkley Books, 2016)

Emma Montague has always been a quiet introvert. She would much rather be in the corner reading a book instead of being at a party. She was part of the hustle and bustle of New York banking for too long when she realized she was craving a more subdued and quiet lifestyle. Answering an ad for a rental house in Westport, Connecticut, Emma thinks this may be the answer she has been looking for. The house itself is horribly dated but Emma realizes its potential, especially since her most attractive landlord, Dominic DiFranco, lives right next door.

Time passes and Emma and Dominic find themselves more and more in love, and Emma is smitten with Dominic’s young son, Jesse. Even though Emma and Dominic couldn’t be any more different, the two are inseparable and even start thinking about becoming a family unit with Jesse. While Emma and Dominic are getting closer each day, they are thrown some major curve balls as all couples are.

Everything seems idyllic for the couple until it isn’t. Experiencing the worst kind of loss, Emma must go on without Dominic.

This is a heartbreaking story about all the ups and downs of true love; readers will learn that true friends are the family we make for ourselves.

Andrea Bledsoe King, Cordova Library

Labels: Chick Lit, Contemporary Romance, Fiction, Reviews by Andrea King

Fiction

Christina reviews CONFESSIONS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT by Laurie Viera Rigler (Dutton, 2007)

Modern woman Courtney Stone ends up time traveling into the world of Jane Austen. She becomes Jane Mansfield, a single 30-year-old who must cope with “unwashed bodies” and sewing. She also must get married or become the bane of her mother. A suitable suitor and best friend come along for the ride.

This was a really good book. Simple to read and not really graphic, it provided a lot of humor and description. It was interesting to learn how Courtney’s thoughts began to merge with Jane’s. The description of life during that time period was also very intriguing. I really enjoyed the book and it was a fast read overall.

Recommended websites:
http://janeaustenaddict.com/
http://bloomsbury.com/Laurie-Viera-Rigler/authors/10189
http://janeaustenaddict.com/videos - If you get a chance to look at these snippet videos – they are really cute!

Christina Barnes, Business/Sciences Department

Labels: Chick Lit, Fiction, Reviews by Christina Barnes

Fiction/Women's

Andrea reviews THE WEIRD SISTERS by Eleanor Brown (Amy Einhorn Books/G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2011)

This is not a novel of sentimentality and sap. In fact, the cover reads “See, we love each other. We just don’t happen to like each other very much.”

These three sisters are the daughters of a small town college's Shakespeare professor and his wife. Apparently overzealous in his expertise, Dr. Andreas decided each daughter needed to be named after a Shakespearean heroine. Rosalind, Bianca, and Cordelia are grateful for their names because their father’s colleague, a Classics professor, named his daughter Lysistrata, nicknamed Lyssie!

Dr. Andreas has written each daughter a letter stating, “Come, let us go; and pray to all gods/for our beloved mother in her pains.” As obscure as this message is, each sister realizes it’s time to come home, since their mother has cancer.

Rose, the oldest and dutiful daughter, has decided to put her wedding plans on hold and move back home to take care of her mother. Bean, the flirtatious middle daughter, has gotten fired from her job in New York and decides to return to her small town home as a way of escaping legal and financial issues. Cordy, the spoiled youngest, arrives home to Barnwell last, after indulging in a hippie lifestyle.

Being their father’s daughters, the three spout Shakespearean phrases when conversing or arguing with each other. The liberal sprinkling of such phrases and quotations actually works well, but it also takes some getting used to when reading the book. This novel also took some getting used to based on the fact that the three sisters speak as a single point of view. The pronouns “we” and “us” are most commonly used.

This is a solid, charming, well-written story by Eleanor Brown, who can boast of having her Master’s Degree in Literature. Using the single point of view works well because the sisters can talk about themselves or each other freely and equally. Although the sisters start out at odds with each other and themselves, it was refreshing to see all of them end in peace.

Andrea King, Poplar-White Station Library

Labels: Chick Lit, Reviews by Andrea King, Women's Fiction

Fiction/Women's Fiction

Darletha reviews GODS IN ALABAMA by Joshilyn Jackson (Warner Books, 2005)

This story begins with one of the best first liners: "There are gods in Alabama: Jack Daniel's, high school quarterbacks, trucks, big tits, and also Jesus."

Chicago transplant, Arlene Fleet, has avoided Alabama, its gods, and all family gatherings since she graduated from high school ten years ago. After she killed Jim Beverly, the high school quarterback, she made a promise to God that she would stop fornicating, never lie, and never return to Possett, Alabama, if the body was never found. Unfortunately, Arlene’s past has arrived in Chicago in the form of Rose Mae Lolley.

Rose Mae, the missing quarterback's girlfriend, is searching for answers to his disappearance. Even worse, Arlene’s African-American boyfriend thinks it's time to be properly introduced to her family, despite warnings of their racist views. Arlene must decide if she is ready to travel down south to come to terms with her not-so-pretty past.

This was a funny but sad novel I couldn’t stop thinking about after I finished reading it. The story is told from Arlene’s perspective, utilizing flashbacks to pull the reader into her inner thoughts and her unexpected, sometimes disturbing, actions. Like many Southern novels, there are quirky but likeable characters. My favorite was Aunt Florence, the proud Southern Baptist who unloads a ton of guilt on Arlene with her sharp wit. Be prepared to laugh and cry because this novel pulls heavily on your emotions.

Darletha Matthews, South Branch Library

Labels: Chick Lit, Reviews by Darletha Matthews, Women's Fiction

Fiction/ChickLit

Andrea King reviews THE OVERNIGHT SOCIALITE by Bridie Clark (Weinstein Books, 2009)

In this modern version of Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion, we encounter Lucy Jo Ellis, a Minnesota native who has moved across the country to Manhattan. Lucy Jo dreams of being a fashion designer and she has a heart of gold. But, it seems every time Lucy gets a leg up in the industry she suffers major setbacks and heartache.

Enter Wyatt Hayes, IV. His name alone sounds regal, doesn't it? Wyatt is a Manhattan native with a doctorate in anthropology. He is tired of just being an arm to New York’s reigning socialites. Bored with being the man-about-town, Wyatt is looking for a project.

Lucy Jo meets Wyatt and his billionaire best friend, Trip, while waiting on a taxi during a terrible thunderstorm. In an effort to score a major book deal, Wyatt boasts that he can transform any girl into the next “It Girl.” As Wyatt tells Trip, “Give me a few months… I could turn her into a social luminary. She’ll make the rest of the pack look like a dim little tea lights.”

Quicker than you can say, “The rain in Spain…” or in this modern version, “Didn’t we meet in Capri in May,” the bet has been set and the stakes have been raised. Tempers flare and tensions rise. As the paparazzi begin to love the new and approved “Lucia Haverford Ellis,” the claws and insecurities of others come out.

Set in the most glamorous, utterly elite circles of Manhattan, where no girl wears the same gown twice, Clark gives readers amusing characters who feel the need to impress from the outside. Sooner than later, everyone realizes that true beauty comes from the inside.

This is a hilarious second novel from novelist Bridie Clark, who also wrote Because She Can--a story about the cut-throat New York publishing industry.

Andrea King, Poplar-White Station Library

Labels: Chick Lit, Reviews by Andrea King

Fiction

Andrea King reviews GOING COASTAL, by Wendy French (Forge Books, 2005)

This work of fiction is about karma--the simple belief that “what goes around will come around.”

Jody Rogers, a 27-year-old waitress, has had enough. Tired of customers sexually harassing her and not having a future at what feels like a dead-end job at Dean’s Ocean Galley Restaurant, she finally snaps after seven years. Abruptly quitting in the middle of her lunch shift, Jody trudges home to tell the news to Chris, her live-in boyfriend of two years.

Not expecting Jody home for a few more hours, Chris is busted, literally, with his pants down. To add another fly in the ointment, Jody finds Chris in the shower with her cousin, Beth! So, on top of a horrible day at work, Jody has found her longtime boyfriend cheating on her--with her cousin! Jody attempts to move back home with her parents, after hastily deciding to move out of Chris' house.

Strike three! Her parents have converted her old childhood bedroom into their arts and crafts room, leaving Jody virtually homeless.

In the course of 24 hours, Jody is jobless, boyfriend-less, and homeless. What could be the icing on this proverbial cake? Of course, it would be the invitation to her ten year class reunion!

All of these unfortunate events would harden anyone else, but Jody’s spunk and determination keep her afloat. Jody is no “Pollyanna” but she is a resourceful and sympathetic character.

In the end, anyone who has wronged Jody sees the errors of their ways. (Spoiler alerts: Chris gets cheated on, the harasser from Dean’s moves out of town, and Jody gets re-hired with a promotion!)

I liked Jody because she has a good heart and tries to make the best of her situation. Going Coastal is a lighthearted, end of the summer read that this reviewer finished in one day!

Andrea King, Poplar-White Station

Labels: Chick Lit, Reviews by Andrea King

Fiction/Chick Lit

Andrea Bledsoe reviews CHASING HARRY WINSTON by Lauren Weisberger (Simon and Schuster, 2008)

What’s a girl to do if she lives in high society Manhattan, is quickly approaching 30, is single, and feels there are no prospects out there?

Well, most likely, the aforementioned young lady will either have an emotional temper-fit complete with tears, self-pity, and aggravation, OR she will hold her head up high and think it’s not even worth the stress of a second thought.

For Leigh, Emmy, and Adriana, characters in Lauren--famous for The Devil Wears Prada-- Weisberger’s latest novel, 30 and single is a death sentence. Determined to make new lifestyle changes, the girls embark on adventures of self-analysis and self-improvement.

Leigh, the neurotic, single but commitment-phobic editor, is expected to get her ESPN boyfriend to propose.

Emmy, the newly dumped chef, is not to look at any and every man as her future husband. The others convince her she should have a "long series of affairs" and not husband hunt all the time.

Adriana, the stunning, Brazilian model must prove she can be a serial-monogamist and stop using men just as sex objects.

Each young woman gets what she wants. Russell proposes to Leigh, Emmy has her affairs, and Adriana begins a committed relationship with a famous director. Even though they achieve their goals, do the results make and keep them happy? I’m not one for spoilers so readers must find out on their own.

I enjoyed this book because although I am a newly engaged, over 30 young woman, I have also been nearly 30 and single with no eligible prospects. It’s rough! The girls and their personal plights made me laugh, even though the language in the novel is coarse. Getting past that, Weisberger has written another great story.


Andrea Bledsoe, Poplar-White Station Branch Library

Labels: Chick Lit, Reviews by Andrea King

Fiction/Chick Lit

Andrea Bledsoe reviews BECAUSE SHE CAN by Bridie Clark (Warner Books, 2007)

This first novel by Bridie Clark, a former New York magazine and book editor, reminded me a lot of The Devil Wears Prada. I highly recommend this novel for readers who enjoy Chick Lit. Meet Claire Truman. Frustrated, but loyal, Claire wants to advance in the world of publishing as well as increase her income. Although she has learned a lot from her professional mentor, Jackson Mayfield, while at Peters and Pomfret Publishing the last five years, she still feels unchallenged and underpaid. To make matters worse, Jackson is getting ready to retire.

While at dinner with another Princeton alumni/soon-to-be boyfriend, Claire is given the contact information for Vivian Grant who just so happens to be looking for a senior editor. Claire is ecstatic to work for THE Vivian Grant. If you have already read The Devil Wears Prada, you'll remember that Claire's counterpart, Andrea Sachs, hardly knows anything about Miranda Priestley or Runway Magazine. Both editors-in-chief, Vivian and Miranda, seem to be evil incarnate as they take great pleasure in abusing their staff members, especially Claire and Andrea, on a daily basis. While Ms. Priestley is quiet and calm as she rips her staff to pieces, Ms. Grant thinks screaming at the top of her lungs is a more effective way of berating her staff.

Confronted with demanding early morning phone calls, tremendous workloads, late nights at the publishing house, and a dwindling social life, Claire (like Prada's Andrea) believes if she can just make one year, she will have that much more of an edge on her resume.

To tell you the truth, Because She Can made me tired. But I would still recommend it for those of us working hard and trying to get a leg up in our respective careers. Honestly, a year is not that long in the grand scheme of things unless you are being pushed beyond your physical, mental, and emotional limits within that year. That's when I think life's too short to be that miserable, and I would re-evaluate my situation. Be warned that there is a lot of cursing in this novel.


Andrea Bledsoe, Poplar-White Station Branch Library

Labels: Chick Lit, Reviews by Andrea King