The Piano Teacher by Janice Y.K. Lee

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
I found this novel to be very intriguing and beautifully written. It moves slow at first, but once I got into it, I couldn't put it down.



This novel takes place in two time periods. WWII and Post-WWII. Claire moves to Hong Kong with her husband in 1953 and finds a job for herself as a piano teacher for a very priveleged chinese family. She meets and finds herself in a love affair with Will Truesdale who happens to be a driver for this family. More involved she become's with Will, the more his past starts to resurface. His love affair with a Hong Kong socialite Trudy Liang, his time in a POW camp, the lies and things that were done to befriends the Japanese, who were the enemy, just to get ahead and survive. Eventually Claire finds herself mor involved than she wanted. She finds how past secrets not only ruin lives of those from the past but also of those of the present.



The more that the past and secrecy unraveled itself, the more interesting the book became. It was interesting to see how some would sell all that they had as well as their souls, so to speak just to survive war. As well as sell out your own governement and play whichever side best suited the need of the characteres.



Claire was written beautifully as someone who who could act innocent which helped other characfters to open up to her.


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Shopaholic and Baby by Sophie Kinsella

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
In this book, Rebecca and Luke are expecting their first child. Becky has to have everything for the new baby from the best pram down to 400 count crib sheets. Everything is perfect. Luke's job, Becky has the celebrity obstetrician that no one else can get into, a spot in British Vogue. Things couldn't be better. Than her world comes crashing down.



To her utter dismay, she finds out the this new doctor is Luke's ex-girlfriend who turns out to be a royal pain in the butt. She really is, as Becky puts it, a "cow". However, Beck is not about to allow Venetia, the doctor, interfere in her marriage even if it puts Becky in labor.



Then there are problems with Luke's company and Becky's employment as well. But in the end, Becky learns that nothing else matters or is more important than family and friends.



Sophie Kinsella has a way of drawing in the reader and falling in love with her characters. She has a way of touching their hearts but making them laugh out loud.


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Shopaholic and Sister by Sophie Kinsella

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
****Spoiler Alerts****



I truly enjoyed this book probably as much as the others. This book made me laugh and cry at the same time. It was very touching and, at times, pulled at the heart strings.



This book was kind of like Legally Blonde meets I Love Lucy. Rebecca Bloomwood is very bright, yet doesn't use alot of common sense. She is very fashionable but warm and caring. She meets her long lost sister who is very thrifty, frugal and for the environment. Rebecca's idea of being frugal is buying something because it come with a free gift. It's hilarious!! And she is also married to her love, Luke Brandon who sometimes has a hard time keeping up with her.



Some things that I loved was how Rebecca tried to become apart of Luke's company ad when Luke says no, she does corporate networking on her own. Kind of like Lucy Ricardo trying to be in all of Ricky's shows. Or, they come home from their honeymoon to find she has purchased loads of things that they don't need and finds out about the miracel of eBay. However, she accidently sells 12 Tiffany clocks that were gifts for her husband's new client. Then there is also the time that she climbs a very treacherous trail to go after her sister and she is not dressed for the occasion.


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Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
I have read this novel several times and never get bored of the story. I love how it shows a little girl given the opportunity to take her fate into her own hands and make a better life for herself. I loved reading about the different traditions and ceremonies that these Geisha's followed. Tea ceremonies, debut ceremonies, and even the bidding between men to be the first to take a new geisha's virginity. It's interesting to read about the training and pain that these girls go through from the time that they are young to become desired geisha's to entertain men. Also, they were known as artists and courtisans. They were not selling flesh but their talents and company. I could read this over and over.


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Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book was so amazing. The love story between Edward and Bella became even stronger. It was interesting to see the things that there love had to battle in this book. As always, Stephanie Meyer was able to keep my attention and allow my imagination to run away with itself.


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The Host: A Novel by Stephenie Meyer

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was an interesting book. A little different from the author's Twilight series. This book was more of a sci-fi/romance/fantasy novel. It's about a group of "souls" who come to Earth and take over human bodies to make society more honest and safe. The main character get's involved with a group of rebel human's and ends up helping them survive and falls in love with the group of human's that's she is supposed to be afraid of. It starts out slow and your not really sure where the book is going, but it has some twists in it and turns out to be really good.


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New Moon by Stephenie Meyer

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
I love this series. I am so glad that I read this again. I am still Team Edward. I do remember how mad it made me that Edward left Bella in the beginning of the book to fend for herself. I found it odd that he felt that he was doing her a favor when it actually destroyed her. However, I did find it interesting that she was able to come around to her old self after spending time with Jacob. I did like how she was able to stay friends with Jacob even thought it was obvious he wanted more.



I enjoyed the parts where Bella did dangerous things to hear Edward's voice. You knew that he still loved her and wanted to be with her.



My favorite part is Italy when she ran after Edward to save him from getting himself killed. It just showed true love and how much she was willing to sacrifice for someone else. Edward is a true Romeo. He was unwilling to go one without the love of his life.



These books are cheesy, but I love the romance.


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Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is the second time that I have read this book and I love it as much as the first. I think in alot of ways this is my favorite out of the series.



I love how in this book, Edward and Jacob are forced to work together even though they are mortal enemies. Bella is still being tracked down by Victoria who's mate, James, was killed by Edward. She figure's "a tooth for a tooth". Jacob and his "brother's" who are werewolves hate vampire's and are forced to work with Edward and his family to take down Victoria and all the "newborn" vampire's that she has created. I think it is great.



I love how selfless Edward is and want's nothing more than Bella's happiness. Especially since he has to make up for tearing her heart out in New Moon. He is also o.kay with her kissing Jacob and giving Bella the option to choose between Jacob andhimself. I know that Edward is only fictional, but he very secure in his feelings for Bella and I love that.



Stehpenie Meyer has done an incredible job ith these character's and has made it very easy for the reader to become sucked into the fictional world of vampire's, werewolve's, and fairytale love.


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Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is the second time that I have read this book and I think I enjoyed it much more. I am also glad that I read it again before the movie came out.



I found it interesting that Bella was portrayed as someone who was clumsy adn always getting hurt and that Edward is portrayed as graceful and able to do anything perfectly. I liked how the author wrote them as being perfect for each other. Edward utterly worships Bella and Bella describe's him as a "Greek God". I loved how romantic the story is. And as silly as it seems, a vampire who is in love with a human, Stephanie Meyer has written him as the perfect man with his only flaw as being crazy in love with Bella, which could ultimately be dangerous for him.



*****Spoile Alert***** For those who have not read the books yet. I found it interesting that in the first book that Bella dreamed of Jacob turning into a werewolf and of being afraid of Edward being harmed. I knew that there was alot that I missed the first time aroung and I am glad I read it a second time.



This is for sure a guilty pleasure and I could read this over and over again.


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Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
At first, this book was hard to get into. I had a hard time getting past the way the author wrote the conversations between the different characters. But once I was able to do that, I really enjoyed this book.



About a girl, Janie, who doesn't see color and doesn't know she is black until she is older and sees a picture of herself. She is content to let others think what is best for her until she grow's up and finds out what she really wants. Love. She wants to be loved unconditionally and vice versa. She learns about love and it's heartache's, sacrifice's, joy's, trials etc. She learns that she can truly be happy if she allows herself.



I felt that Hurston really pulled everything together and brought her point home in the last chapter. I just found this to be a beautiful book.


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The Glass Castle: A Memoir by Jeannette Walls

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
I thought that this was an amazing memoir. The author tells her family story with incredible enthusiasm.



This woman definately had a very interesting upbringing. Always moving around the country and going on adventures. Her parents were very well educated, but never wanted or worked for the finer things and comforts of life. They raised their children to be self-sufficient and no matter how hard things were, they still stuck together as a family.



There were some parts that I found sad and made me a little upset. But then there were parts that really made me laugh out loud. It's very rare when I allow myself to become that involved in a book.


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The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
I thought this was an excellent novel about Queen Anne and King Henry. It was slow at first, but then it became a page turner. I have a little understanding of why King Henry was called a tyrant. It also had 3 beautiful love stories that were going on during the seduction of King Henry by Queen Anne. However, if you have or plan on seeing the movie, the two are not the same. The movie cut out alot of information, but was just as good in it's own right. The movie was short, sweet, and to the point. The book took a deeper look into the life of the royal court.


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Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
This novel takes place in 1954, however, the author includes flashbacks from before Pearl Harbor. This novel revolve's around the trial of Kabuo Miyamoto who is accused of murder in the first degree. The author, however, takes a different perspective on the accused. Is he being justly accused for murder or because he is Japanese?



This book also looks back on the life of Hatsue Miyamoto and Ishmael Chamber's lives who, as children and youth, were secretly involoved and in love. But knew their love could not be revealed publicly because of their background's. Even thought the citizen's of San Piedro Island accepted the Japanese, they did not treat them as equals. Then Pearl Harbor happened and all American-Japanese citizen's were sent to work camps for fear that they were spies. Hatsue then falls in love with Kabuo and Ishmael become's bitter.



In all of this, I think the book revolve's more around Ishmael trying to found out who he is. Some parts were a little too deep and seemed to be too long winded. Also, I did not feel that the sexual activities of all the main chacter's did not need to be dwelled on. However, I found the story very interesting, but confusing as it kept going back and forth between the past and present


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Shopaholic Ties the Knot by Sophie Kinsella

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
This probably has to be my third favorit series. I am quite addicted to Shopaholic. The main character is just so easy to love.



Becky is marrying Luke, but is involved in two weddings for her. It's hilarious!! She is dealing with her soon to be mother in-law who is adamant on having a high society wedding in New York. This woman is pushy, mean, and as Becky would put it, a "cow". Then her mother is planning a quaint little English wedding. It's hilarious and amazing the lengths she will go to to have the perfect wedding. I laughed so hard in this book at all of Becky's little stunts and charades. However, at the end I was crying and truly touched.


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Shopaholic Takes Manhattan by Sophie Kinsella

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
This one is just as good as the first one. Except this time, Becky Bloomwood takes on New York. She goes there with several prospects open to here to expand her career and the chance to become an american citizen and enjoy life with Luke Brandon.



However, Miss Bloomwood gets herself into even more trouble and can't seem to stop shopping. The famous Barneys and Saks Fifth Avenue and Sephora takes her by surprise. Things are great until her world come crashing down when the British tabloids attack her and make her a laughin stock of New York and England. But she picks herself up and decide's to make drastic changes which inclue her personal life as well as her choice of career.



I couldn't stop laughing at the extent and extereme's the author would put her character through. She makes Becky easy to like, love, and feel for during the good times and bad times.


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Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
I really enjoyed this book. It was a fun read and I could not stop laughing.



This book takes place in London and centers around Rebecca Bloomwood. Rebecca finds herself in the worst financial situation but cannot help herself from spending. She even tries to cut back and budget and realize's she can't do that either. The funniest part is that she is a journalist for a financial magazine writing articles on how to manage your money. She just seems to find herself in one disasterous situation after another, which was a little too coincidental.Rebecca is sweet and fun, but when she realize's everyone thinks she is just a big joke, she shows London what she is really capable of. It reminded me a little bit of Legally Blonde. However, the author was able to pull me along and was able to keep my interest peeked to find out what Rebecca was going to do next.


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These Is My Words by Nancy E. Turner

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
WOW!!!! I loved this book. I thought it was beautifully written and it really draws in the reader.



This is a novel about Sarah Agnes Prine and her life in the Arizona Territory in the late 1800's. She was a tue frontier woman who wanted to be loved and a lady. She talks about her life traveling from Arizona to Texas and back again. The hardships in her life from loosing a brother and her father on the trail. Captain Jack Elliott is the head of the wagon train and Sarah sweeps him off his feet without even trying. Reading this book I kept picturing Captain Jack and kept comparing him to Rhett Butler, although, Sarah Prine is no Scarlett O'Hara. Sarah is kind, hardworking, but has a feisty streak. She loves Captain Jack with all her heart and their love story is so beautiful.



There were times I found myself crying and laughing. Sarah does not hold back her feelings and Captain Jack loves her all the more for it. Even though she is a rancher and a fair shooter, she has an unbelievable taste for knowledge. She is definately a woman after my own heart.



This book is wonderful and is a definate must read.


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