Twenties Girl

Title: Twenties Girl

Author: Sophie Kinsella

Date Finished: August 10, 2009

Personal Book Count: 50 out of 100

Rating: 4 out of 5

Genre/ Subject: chick-lit

First Line: The thing about lying to you parents is, you have to do it to protect them.

Summary: from the dust jacket-

“Lara Lington has always had an overactive imagination, but suddenly that imagination seems to be in overdrive. Normal professional twenty-something young women don't get visited by ghosts. Or do they?

When the spirit of Lara's great-aunt Sadie-a feisty, demanding girl with firm ideas about fashion, love, and the right way to dance-mysteriously appears, she has one last request: Lara must find a missing necklace that had been in Sadie's possession for more than seventy-five years, and Sadie cannot rest without it. Lara, on the other hand, has a number of ongoing distractions. Her best friend and business partner has run off to Goa, her start-up company is floundering, and she's just been dumped by the "perfect" man.
Sadie, however, could care less.

Lara and Sadie make a hilarious sparring duo, and at first it seems as though they have nothing in common. But as the mission to find Sadie's necklace leads to intrigue and a new romance for Lara, these very different "twenties" girls learn some surprising truths from each other along the way. Written with all the irrepressible charm and humor that have made Sophie Kinsella's books beloved by millions, "Twenties Girl "is also a deeply moving testament to the transcendent bonds of friendship and family.”

Why did I pick this book? : I am a fan of Kinsella’s work, so was excited to read her latest when it came out.

Review: I think this is my favorite of Kinsella’s books so far. This was full of the standard, funny, uncomfortable moments she generally packs in her books. The ones that make you laugh out loud and think “oh my gosh, I’m glad that’s not me.” all the while knowing that is the type of thing that could happen to anyone. And I LOVE that the best friend/sidekick is not only a ghost, but one from the twenties. I think this is her most complex novel yet. It has more characters then her previous novels. And in addition to the main story line, it has several smaller stories going on, that all seem to weave together nicely in the end. I am defiantly looking forward to her next book, and hope she does something along these lines again.

Agree? Disagree? Recommendations? Any insights, suggestions, or comments on the book or format, or blog at all are most welcome. If you have read this and/ or review it yourself, please let me know. Can you think of any books like this? Give me a recommendation! =D

What's in a Name? Reading Challenge Wrap-Up

I finished a challenge. It was What’s in a Name? (links to original post) hosted by Annie (links to challenge).

The 6 books I read are:

1. The Alchemist- Paulo Coelho (profession)
2. Twilight- Stephanie Meyer (time of day)
3. Sister Wife- Shelley Hrdlitschka (relative)
4. Hot Blooded- Lisa Jackson (body part)
5. The Last Chance Cafe- Linda Lael Miller (building)
6. Darkfever- Karen Marie Moning (Medical condition)

I love this challenge! Half of the fun was going through my bookshelves and deciding what to read, and the other half was having an excuse to read some of the books I was holding on to for a while, but never got around to, for one reason or another. Thanks for hosting a really fun challenge Annie. =D

Darkfever

Title: Darkfever

Author: Karen Marie Moning

Date Finished: July 25, 2009

Personal Book Count: 49 out of 100

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Genre/ Subject: romance/ fantasy

First Line: My philosophy is pretty simple- any day nobody’s trying to kill me is a good day in my book.

Summary: from the back cover-

“My name is MacKayla, Mac for short. I'm a sidhe-seer, one who sees the Fae, a fact I accepted only recently and very reluctantly.

My philosophy is pretty simple--any day nobody's trying to kill me is a good day in my book. I haven't had many good days lately. Not since the walls between Man and Fae came down. But then, there's not a sidhe-seer alive who's had a good day since then.

When MacKayla's sister was murdered, she left a single clue to her death--a cryptic message on Mac's cel phone. Journeying to Ireland in search of answers, Mac is soon faced with an even greater challenge: staying alive long enough to master a power she had no idea she possessed--a gift that allows her to see beyond the world of man, into the dangerous realm of the Fae....

As Mac delves deeper into the mystery of her sister's death, her every move is shadowed by the dark, mysterious Jericho...while at the same time, the ruthless V'lane--an alpha Fae who makes sex an addiction for human women--closes in on her. As the boundary between worlds begins to crumble, Mac's true mission becomes clear: to find the elusive Sinsar Dubh before someone else claims the all-powerful Dark Book--because whoever gets to it first holds nothing less than complete control both worlds in their hands....”

Why did I pick this book? : I liked the highlander books I read, and this one came highly recommended.

Review: This book took me a long time to read. That had way more to do with me and my life right now, then the book itself. I wasn’t really sure what to expect of this one when I started, but I enjoyed it none the less. It is an easy to read story that just sucks you in and carries you along for the ride.
It is set in Dublin, and makes me wish I had spent more time there when I was in Ireland. Something about having been there, made reading the book a different experience in my imagination. Almost like you can remember walking down that street, or being in that pub, or meeting those people.

Mac’s (Ms. Lane’s) character was fun, and spunky and stubborn, and persistent, and just a little bit dippy. Just like you want a main character in this type of book to be.

Barron’s on the other hand is dark, and mysterious, and capable and strong, and we aren’t even sure if he is a good guy or a bad guy. Or even on Mac’s side, most of the time. And yet he is the perfect complement to her character, being her opposite.

Fiona I think could be a very interesting character, and I’m hoping we find out more about her in the next book.

In addition, there are a plethora of bad guys, in all shapes and sizes, and this is constantly making things interesting.

The plot is pretty simple to sum up, find out what happened to her sister and save the world.

As I read through the book, my mind couldn’t help occasionally making comparisons to Buffy, the Vampire Slayer. Blond girl, with a tendency to be a bit of a dip. Has a ‘special gift’. The power to save the world. A spear head instead of a stake. Ok, a little older, and a bartender instead of a cheerleader. And not necessarily as great with the snappy comebacks.

On a final note, I tend to like my books to be more self contained. This one felt like it was more of a set up, and full of background information for the rest of the series. So many more questions asked then answered, and I felt like there was very little resolved. On the other hand, I am in the series now, until at least a few more things play out, and I have already bought the second book in the series. I think I will be waiting until I have a bit more time to read it though.

Agree? Disagree? Recommendations? Any insights, suggestions, or comments on the book or format, or blog at all are most welcome. If you have read this and/ or review it yourself, please let me know. Can you think of any books like this? Give me a recommendation! =D