Where We Belong- Emily Giffin

I am a huge fan of Emily Giffin. She has written some of my all time favorite books including: Something Borrowed, Something Blue & Baby Proof. She has an amazing way of telling a story from the protagonist's point of view and making you truly feel what is happening as the story unfolds. Her stories and characters are interesting, and in my opinion, realistic and fresh. 

Where We Belong Synopisis:

Marian Caldwell is a thirty-six year old television producer, living her dream in New York City. With a fulfilling career and satisfying relationship, she has convinced everyone, including herself, that her life is just as she wants it to be. But one night, Marian answers a knock on the door . . . only to find Kirby Rose, an eighteen-year-old girl with a key to a past that Marian thought she had sealed off forever. From the moment Kirby appears on her doorstep, Marian’s perfectly constructed world—and her very identity—will be shaken to its core, resurrecting ghosts and memories of a passionate young love affair that threaten everything that has come to define her.

For the precocious and determined Kirby, the encounter will spur a process of discovery that ushers her across the threshold of adulthood, forcing her to re-evaluate her family and future in a wise and bittersweet light. As the two women embark on a journey to find the one thing missing in their lives, each will come to recognize that where we belong is often where we least expect to find ourselves—a place that we may have willed ourselves to forget, but that the heart remembers forever.

Loved:

• how choices always affect your future
• true love and first love 
• nature vs nurture issue
• flashbacks to how Marion and Conrad met, made Kirby, etc.
• perfect on paper men that maybe aren't perfect in reality
• Emily's book covers always have a similar look

Loathed:

• sometimes a little slow
• I wanted to know more about Kirby's adoptive parents and their struggle
• not seeing more at the end, I felt like it sort of ended! book hangover?!

I kind of gobbled this book up. It was an easy read, as all of Giffin's books are. It was interesting to read both Kirby and Marion's perspectives throughout getting to know each other. I wanted to know what was going to happen the whole time I read the book, so much so that I'm sitting here typing wondering... what is happening still! I guess it's a good thing when you truly want to know what happens after a book ends, so I'll take this as a good sign and you should too! If you love Emily's books, you'll enjoy this one for sure. If you haven't read any, I suggest digging into Something Borrowed, then Something Blue and definitely dig into Where We Belong.

Book Hangover

We've all felt that terrible sensation when one finishes a book or a series that really enthralled and once it's done there's an abyss left in your soul.

I felt it after Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, Sisterhood Everlasting, The Fault in our Stars and even Twilight. I get so wrapped up in the story and the world that I even begin talking like the author writes. When it's all over with, it feels like nothing I read will ever get me like this book or series did.

Well, eventually we move on! In the mean time, I have TONS of books to blog about. I just finished The Vanpire Academy by Richelle Mead and I'm just in the beginning of Emily Giffin's {author of Something Borrowed} Where We Belong.

Slowly but surely I will review all the books I have read, but for now go add me on Goodreads.com. I've been consistently reviewing books and listing ones I want to read next.

Also, I am now really fond of audible.com. If you are REALLY into audio books this site is for you. I have a one month free trial and I even got one audio book free. Then it becomes $14 a month and you are entitled to significantly cheaper audio books. If you've ever bought an audio book, they cost around $25 and up. Recently I got an email saying that audible.com had certain audio books for sale at print prices. Some were as low as $5!

Anyway, that's my little piece of advice for the day. Go join Goodreads.com and audible.com. Also, if you're having a book hangover maybe the best cure is a good recommendation! Good reads does that for you! ;)

Thank you card

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Something Borrowed, the movie

I just caught the middle to end of Something Borrowed on HBO. It is actually a movie rendition of the book Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin. I read this book so long ago, but have to say when I saw the movie it brought so many memories of the book back.

If you are an avid reader, you would know that there are a lot of bad, TERRIBLE, movie renditions of books. This is a perfect example of a good one. I know that the charter of Darcy Rhone is supposed to be a brunette, but aside from that, everything in the movie reminds me of why I loved the book so much. If you have or even haven't seen the movie, I recommend reading both books. 

Something Borrowed, is a story about Rachel and her best friend since forever, Darcy. Darcy gets everything she wants, and Rachel is just happy to be her best friend in New York while persuing her dream job as a lawyer. It all goes downhill though when Darcy, being the life of the party at her birthday, leaves Rachel and Darcy's fiancé Dex to end up together. You'll love Rachel, even though she's the one stealing her friend's man, trust me. 

Something Blue is Darcy's story. I won't say much about the storyline, because it really picks up right after Something Borrowed. But, I will say that there is a lot of Ethan, who was Rachel's go to friend during her whole fiasco in Something Borrowed. 

Read both books, and hopefully ::fingers crossed:: they will make Something Blue into a movie soon!

Left to right: Ethan, Rachel, Darcy, Dex

Go read the books!

Crossed- Ally Condie

Sorry for the break in my daily blogging routine, but I do have a life!
I drove down to Ft. Lauderdale for my best friend's bachelorette party a couple of weeks ago. Luckily the five hour drive allowed me to listen to Crossed on audiobook. I have to say, I'm really feeling the whole audio book thing. It's incredible for long drives, however sometimes the voices do get a little annoying.

I started reading listening to Matched on audio the night before my drive home. I left Friday midday, and trust me I listened all day while folding and doing laundry and finally on the ride home. I finished it up in bed before going to sleep. That Sunday I downloaded Crossed and got listening for my ride home.

Synopsis on Goodreads.com

Rules Are Different Outside The Society

Chasing down an uncertain future, Cassia makes her way to the Outer Provinces in pursuit of Ky--taken by the Society to his sure death--only to find that he has escaped into the majestic, but treacherous, canyons. On this wild frontier are glimmers of a different life and the enthralling promise of a rebellion. But even as Cassia sacrifices every thing to reunite with Ky, ingenious surprises from Xander may change the game once again.
Narrated from both Cassia's and Ky's point of view, this hotly anticipated sequel to Matched will take them both to the edge of Society, where nothing is as expected and crosses and double crosses make their path more twisted than ever

Loved:

• two point of views
• {in audiobook} two voices!
• it is leads up to the third and final book
• deeper understanding of the Society and it's areas
• the cover, and the progression is has from the first book

Loathed:

• slow storyline
• felt like a true middle book
• you only knew what was happening where either Cassia or Ky were
• not much substance compared to Matched, just in between 

It's not going to win awards for being the best middle book, but it was definitely enjoyable and kept me hooked on the series. I'm dying to read the third book, Reached. If you liked The Hunger Games series, this story's progression will be something you will like. I sense that Reached will be similar to Mockingjay in many ways {war war war}. 

City of Bones- Cassandra Clare

First things first... THIS BOOK IS ON BARNES AND NOBLE FOR YOUR NOOK AND AMAZON {OR NOOK APP/KINDLE APP ON IPAD} FOR 99 CENTS UNTIL JULY 13! JUMP ON IT! 

Moving on, I heard about this series of books through one of my more mature eighth grade boys. He loved The Hunger Games and we bonded throughout the year because of our discussions about the books. Towards the end of the school year he told me about The Mortal Instrument Series and I saw him nearly devoured the first two books in a matter of weeks. 

I finally started this book because I had it {bought copies for my classroom at scholastic warehouse}, and I told my student I would. Well, let me tell you, I am officially a fanatic. I not only am on the third book as I write this, but I am dying to stop writing this so I can get in bed and KEEP READING! There are four five books in this series, and I cannot wait to finish them all! 

Goodreads.com synopsis:

When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder -- much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing -- not even a smear of blood -- to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know. . 

Loved:

• Jace! ::fans face::
• this world {unknown to us mundanes} with demons, angels, vampires, werewolves and shadowhunters
• good old unrequited love
• a world shattering twist at the end!
• not out of control, but definitely a little sexy

Loathed:

• a little slow at the beginning
• a lot of character and world building through intense imagery 
• at times I felt uncomfortable with the religion involved in the tale
• the cover... I think that Jace is depicted a little too old!

This book definitely picked up for me, and I HAD to begin the second book as soon as I finished this one. If you like True Blood and Twilight I think this book would definitely be for you!

4 hearts, if you can get through the beginning then you would have begun to get to the good part and will enjoy the series.

Happy fourth!

America's birthday is definitely something worth celebrating. We live in a land that is free. Free? What does that mean to me to us? I think that it gives us luxuries citizens of other countries don't have. For example we can vote for whomever we want to and a sillier freedom is that we have the luxury of shopping 24 hours at a Walmart if we wish.

Those two very different examples seem normal to us. But take the time to think about how people live elsewhere. Sure some live pretty good, but a lot live terrible lives without many things we take for granted daily. On the serious side of the example penny, people can't vote or even if they can, their vote isn't really accounted for. On the sillier side, if you run out eggs for the cookies you're making at 2 am, in some places stores close at 5 on the dot. What do you do then? Here we can go to our 24 hour walmart or maybe 24 hour cvs. Its these truly simple luxuries we take for granted daily. Truly, and not sarcastically, we have a lot to be thankful for here.

Today I celebrated my land of the free by tanning, drinking a beer, and playing in the ocean and pool with great friends and my hubby, instead of working. I'm lucky I get to do all of these things in my beloved country without any trouble. I was even able to buy drinks at the store because it was actually open on a holiday (a simple luxury that comes in handy.)

I hope you all had a wonderful day celebrating our old lady's birthday. I know I sure did!


Ps- I read about three pages of City of Bones by Cassandra Clare today. Its my newest read and it's interesting so far. I'll try to post about Crossed by Ally Condie tomorrow.