Big Girl Panties By Stephanie Evanovich

Has it really been over a year since I reviewed a book? Wow, so many books I've read over the last year I don't even know where I could possibly fully begin, but I'll try. There won't be a set schedule like before, just once I'm finished I'll review. I think this will give me more time to reflect on each book properly.

The latest book I finished is Big Girl Panties By Stephanie Evanovich. This book has a little bit of everything; humor, romance, drama, family, etc.

I found myself yearning to know the story behind Holly's witty comebacks and tenacious personality as she climbed her way out of a dark hole of depression with the help of Logan. Logan is Holly's complete opposite in both physical and mental. Logan is strong, handsome and the catch of all guy crazy girls. He's the popular guy in high school.

In a coincidental change of plans both Holly and Logan meet on an airplane ride home. Holly was disheveled and overweight finds herself sitting next to New Jersey's version of a GQ model. Both make a first impression on the other that is soon rocked by the hard work and dedication that Holly puts into moving forward with her life after heartbreak and loss.

Logan finds himself questioning every relationship he's had in the past as he get's to know Holly. His image and ideals of what is expected of him begin to unravel as he finds that not only is he falling for Holly's new body, but for her mind as well.

This book goes from funny to steamy in the turn of a page. It's one that I actually asked my friends to read just so I can talk about it because it feels like a fairytale in a plus size girls world. If Disney made rated R movies I could totally be princess Holly from New Jersey.

While many people have given this book a poor rating because of Logan's first impression of Holly I find it's true and accurate to the way men and the world work. Our image, unfortunately, is seen first and there are stereotypes that we either have to break or make. Holly and Logan both do that in their own storylines throughout this book.

I recommend this book with the advice of keeping an open mind and letting your stereotypes go. By far one of my new all-time favorites.

Escape by Carolyn Jessop

In light of recent news events with the FLDS I thought hard about giving this review. Bringing attention to the idea of a cult... yeah I couldn't really understand my first thoughts either now that I look back.

I picked up Escape by Carolyn Jessop, with Laura Palmer, a few years ago. I found myself completely entrapped in Jessop's story, constantly wanting to turn the page and know what happens next. Jessop's story is one of the most famous of women who have escaped from the FLDS. She became the face of many woman, the fighter for those who had no voice in a culture run by men, one specific man to be particular.

Jessop was married to her husband, 23 years older than her, at the age of 18. She became his fourth wife in the line up of many others in their religious, cult lifestyle. Jessop dedicated her life to her religion, husband and children; in turn she was rewarded with abuse and neglect from her husband and sister wives.

Now I don't want to get things confused here with the different religious beliefs on plural marriage, the issue that makes FLDS different than the TV shows you see these days is that in the FLDS woman don't have a voice or chance for opinion on what life will offer them. Their fates are chosen when the highest member gains insight from the lord, this member may also be known as the prophet. Jessop explains how one minute you can be living a carefree life as a teenager, well as carefree as possible, and the next you are ordered to marry someone you have little knowledge of. Along with the possibility of being wife four or even fourteen in the line up.

Throughout the book you feel the fear and anxiety Jessop felt on her decision to escape. Leaving her children behind, taking them with her, the decision she made were all for the sake of her children. I found this to be the true story and lesson of Jessop's Escape.

After her escape the horror's she faced in protecting her children and starting over again became the starting point to the world truly learning about the workings of the FLDS. Jessop became the first woman from the FLDS to gain full custody of her children. An accomplishment that has help numerous woman over the following years in their attempt to secure a promising future without fear and abuse from the "church".

I recommend this book to all who are fans of woman rights, cult lifestyles and the harrowing steps it takes to start over.

Vanishing Act by Jodi Picoult

This is my first book I ever read by Jodi Picoult and truly the book that got me to love reading. I have always loved writing, but hated reading for many reasons. Vanishing Act seemed to be under-rated for years. Many of those I have spoken with had never even heard of this title from Picoult even though they mentioned that they were avid readers and fans.

To start this book is a page turner. Be prepared to constantly want to know what happens next and failing to guess correctly. The mindset of the reader gives the book a sense of suspense.

Delia has learned her most valuable lesson from her father at the rip old age of six "people don't vanish into thin air..." Little did Delia know how her life would soon wrap around this concept in many ways. As an adult Delia finds a career in search and rescue, looking for those who don't just vanish. What Delia doesn't realize is that in an instant her life becomes one that seems to have vanished into thin air and her world is turned upside down.

With an out of place memory Delia soon learns the truth about her upbringing and the life her father so desperately tried to protect. She is faced with choices that seem to go against her upbringing all while learning about the life she could have had. The decisions of each character in Picoult's novel rivet you to your core, making you question the decisions you would take if faced in such difficult situations for the sake of saving your child.

Without giving too much detail on this novel I have found that Picoult's use of different character's perspectives and voices throughout the story help develop the image within the readers mind. You learn the reasons behind each emotion and decision allowing you to formulate the needed emotions to grasp the story head on. I highly recommend this book to any and all Picoult newbies, while not her most famous book, by far one of her best.

Astray by Emma Donoghue

First let me start off by saying thank you to all my readers who have stuck with me the last few weeks. My life has been crazy busy lately. Most importantly I started a new job and have been crazy busy with getting antiquated with the new schedule and commute the last few weeks. But the good news is I'm back and have tons of reviews to post!

Now on to the review of Astray by Emma Donoghue.

I was looking for something different the day I picked this book up. Ironically when I picked it up and read the synopsis I thought it was extremely similar to one of my new favorite's Trains & Lovers by Alexander McCall Smith. I fell in love with McCall Smith's book instantly and read it in one night, so surely with a very similar description of adventure and finding ones self in a hodgepodge of characters I thought this book would be a good comparison.

I started off reading this thinking that each chapter was an introduction to the character and their stories. What I soon realized was that each chapter was their story. Astray is a collection of short stories that Donoghue did a wonderful job of portraying in these historical fiction pieces.

I don't like reading collections of short stories for numerous reasons, but mostly because I always feel as though the stories are left hanging. Ironically I write short stories myself, but they usually turn into full fledged novel manuscripts down the road. So when I realized that this book was short stories I contemplated on the idea of giving up and walking away out of frustration. But I'm glad I held strong and finished this collection of master pieces.

Donoghue does a great job of getting the reader to understand the characters while leaving a slight sense of mystery to the story. Each story ends with information about the characters development and where Donoghue found her inspiration. Out of the collection my favorites where Daddy's Girl and Vanitas. I won't give away much but the thought provoking questions that are asked in the mind of the reader leave to question the idea of what more in history do we not know or understand?

Our lives today are very similar in many of these stories, but the question I wonder is how far have we truly come from understanding the human mind and the beliefs we all hold true to our hearts. I recommend this read if you are looking for something a little different and philosophical to a sort.

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

Original Book Cover

Have you ever wanted to run away? Just leave all the bad behind in the dust as you speed on forward to a better tomorrow? Sometimes all it takes is a little guts and whole lot of will to take that first step of leaving the hurt and pain in the past.

In Sue Monk Kidd's The Secret Life of Bees Lily does just that. She runs away from the heartache and abuse that is inflicted on her by her widowed father and the memory of something deeply suited in her soul. Lily, only 14, leaves behind the hurt and horror of her life she looks for the one place she can find comfort in the future, her mother. She knows that the physical being of her mother is impossible, the memory of how she died rooted inside of her holds deep guilt, but the clues left behind by her mother lead her to find just what her soul was looking for. The place that her mother called home.

The adventure of a teenager finding herself in the south in a time of segregation is well written and beautifully transfixed on how color really has no boundaries on the heart. Monk Kidd does a great job of telling this coming of age story in the midst of such historical context in America. The mind of a child is shown through as Lily see's beyond the color of her adoptive family and into their hearts, but understands that the outside world does not see the sames as her.

I have passed this book on to a few friends who enjoyed it so when it was turned into a movie I was trilled to see the adaptation. But what I found was that this book far outweighed the movie in comparison. I will always recommend the book over the movie on this one. The actresses did a great job in the portrayal of the characters that Monk Kidd had developed, but the editing literally botched the feel of the story.