Little Earthquakes by Jennifer Weiner

I've never been pregnant and I don't plan on it in the near future despite family objections. However, I found Little Earthquakes, by Jennifer Weiner, to be a delight in comedy and drama of the trials and tribulations of pregnancy. 

In Little Earthquakes, Weiner takes the reader on the ride of four women all in different points of their lives facing the impending birth of their children. 

From emotionally absent husbands to monster mother in laws, each woman learns to ride out the storm of hormonal emotions as the days tick by for each of their delivery dates. 

Weiner does a great job of bringing comedy into sometimes a very stressful situation. Her characters each grow both physically and personally through the journey of pregnancy. Acceptance of what they cannot control becomes a large hurdle for each. 

I don't want to give too much of this book away as Weiner has a great sense of humor in the context of what pregnancy can do on all relationships, not just with the father. Many reviews state that this would be a great book for new mothers or the complete contrast. Honestly I think this would be a great book for anyone with a sense of humor to the process of life. While the story is wrapped around motherhood and pregnancy, the outlook of life's "little earthquakes" is what brings the reader into the story. 

I truly loved this book, but I will admit it took me three attempts to read it. I started this book years ago as an impulse buy at the grocery store. A few years and a third attempt later I have become a true fan of Jennifer Weiner's. This is one of my go-to books for any of my female friends looking for reading recommendations from my "read" box of books. And truthfully it has turned many of my friends into Weiner fans as well.

As I have read many of the recommendations for this book I feel its likely a book that requires one to build their own personal opinion on. I recommend this book highly, but everyone sees life events such as pregnancy differently. I laugh at every event in my life. From death to illness to birthday parties, I find comfort in laughing and make those laugh around me. Which I'm assured is why I love this book so much. 

If you have read this book let me know what your opinion was in the comments. 

Lily Lemon Blossom Welcome to Lily's Room by Barbara Miller

This is my first Children's book review. I decided to add these into my reviews as I've been studying children's books for a while now. I'm in the process of writing two children's book series and since I am only a parent to a fur child I don't have children to read too. However, I'm pretty sure that Charlie isn't arguing with me reading to him like a two legged human.

On with the review!

Lily Lemon Blossom the title in itself is a mouthful, this book by Barbara Miller brings you into the descriptive details of Lily's room.

I found the illustrations to be inviting and easy to follow. The descriptions given for each aspect of a child's room, such as the music box are simple and sweet. They allow for the reader to understand each aspect of the story.

Lily's adventures with her toys and room decor brought me back to my own childhood with tea parties and dress-up. However, I found no story behind the book. I was expecting reasoning behind the dolls and dresses, but the description itself provided nothing more than the idea that this was Lily's room.

This is great for children age 5 and under in my eyes, as there is not much to be gained from a storyline. Truthfully for some children who read this, they may find some type of jealousy inside for Lily has a lot of toys in her room. Some of which many children will never see or play with.

At a price of Free for Amazon Kindle I would recommend this for two things alone. The illustrative drawings and price. The story needs more fluff and understanding for me to enjoy it further. I was hoping that Lily would have gone on an adventure instead I felt empty with just a description of her room.

I do feel that this is a great start to a story line for Lily Lemon Blossom and will have in inquire about Miller's other books based on this character to maintain a further opinion on the series.

Overall for a price of free, its worth seeing if your child will like it before investing in the series.

New For 2015

First I want to say Thank you to all of my readers! Whether you subscribe, follow me through social media or word of mouth I want to say thank you to all of you for hanging in there with me through the last year.

This is the first time in all of my blogging years that I have ever reached over 1000 views and I wouldn't have been able to do it without all of you!

Onward, a new year brings on new challenges. After some careful consideration, I have decided to add reviews of Children's and Young Adult books this year as well. My reviews for this genre will be posted every Tuesday (Tot Tuesday as I call it). I'm excited about this because I have been working on my own children's book series and find this is just one more addition to my own personal study of the art of writing.

If you are an author and have a book that you would like a review please drop me a comment with the title and a link where I can find it for purchase.

You can also log onto my other blog The Queen Bee where I talk about writing, reading, and the world of working in communications and marketing.

And don't forget to find me on facebook and twitter.

Mrs. Whippy By Cecelia Ahern

Have you ever experienced utter despair where you can't even think of the idea of functioning let alone find the courage to do so?
In Mrs. Whippy by Cecelia Ahern, Emelda finds herself at the depths of broken relationships and swimming in self-pity.

Emelda spent her whole life devoted to her husband, Charlie, and five boys. Suddenly her life is turned upside down with a divorce and the fight to find a balance between her new life, her difficult children, and her scathing ex-husband becomes all too consuming. Cliche to breakups, Emelda finds comfort in her only joy, ice cream, but with that Emelda soon finds something much more,

Emelda finds new pieces of herself in this remarkably well-written short story as she enters into a new life on her own.

This is my first piece by Ahern, best known for PS. I Love You. But after finishing this I quickly ordered a few others for my Kindle that will be read sometime throughout the year.

Ape House by Sara Gruen

I love books that I can't put down, Ape House by Sara Gruen was exactly one of those novels. Truthfully I didn't even realize that this was the same author of Water for Elephants until I was halfway through the book.

Sara's career as an author seems to creep up on me in an extremely good way. I loved Water for Elephants, so I was not surprised by her talent in this tantalizing story.

John Thigpen, a journalist, who's career and marriage is on the rocks when he is brought to the Ape House after an explosion in which the caretaker of the Ape's, Isabel, is injured. Isabel's family is with the Apes, she understands them, she loves them and cares for them as if they were her own. So when the Apes are captured and blasted over media for entertainment she has to get her family back.

The story is full of twist and turns for both John and Isabel who are both on a journey of holding their families together in this disaster of animal rights protests. This book is vastly different in Water for Elephants and I feel that comparing Gruen's work is unnecessary in that aspect. Her love for animals is honest and true which is well seen in both books. However, the relationships she has built are challenging in both stories and therefore Ape House cannot be truly compared to Water for Elephants.

Ape House provides the reader a look into a man's mind as he worries and wallows in his misfortunes that are of his career and marriage. The thoughts and feelings of a man in these situations are usually hidden, even in real life, so to have them brought forth gives the reader an understanding that man are not robotic non-emotional humans.

I recommend Ape House time and time again to those who ask for suggestions. It's not your viral best seller (as I call them), but this is a well established author with her own political and personal beliefs weaved into each book, something that I find makes for a great author in general.