Books I Wouldn't Have Picked for Myself

In a previous post, I told you all that because of the book club I am in, I am reading books that I wouldn't have normally picked or been drawn to.  It's out of my comfort zone and it's a good experience.  Thanks to my new book friends, here are a couple of books that I have read that I would have missed out on otherwise.

I give One True Thing 3 solid stars.  This book made me cry and deal with a topic that I don't normally care to read about...cancer.  Books on this topic generally make me uncomfortable and I struggle with my own emotions and feelings as I read.  I thought Anna Quindlen did a great job of making the reader have an emotional connection to the characters and the overall story.

The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton.  This book was released in 2008 and I would not have ever read it had it not been picked for our book club.  I loved how the story weaved through several generations.  I also loved how the majority of it took place in England.  This book was a little longer than many of the books I have recently read and it took a little bit for me to really get into the story but once  I did, I was hooked.  I think I will definitely visit more of Morton's books.

Review: Just One Day

Just One Day had three of my favorite story lines, travel, friendship, and love. I loved so much about this book and it is one that I will be sure to recommend over and over.

First of all, I wasn't expecting the depth that this plot would have. This is not a book that you can just put down and walk away from. This is a story that will stay with you. Allyson is an amazing character. I think readers will be pulling for her the entire time because after her amazing day in Paris, that just cannot be it for her and Willem's story. 

Read the rest of my review over at YABC.

Back to Blogging

So it has been a while since I have posted anything other than some book reviews I had scheduled.  You could say that the last 5 months of 2012 were nothing short of stressful.  I did a lot of crying, soul-searching, and hiding.  I'm pleased to say that I kicked 2012 in the rear and am raring to go into 2013.  I'm excited about a big change that is on the way.  Nothing I can really share yet, but it's something that I know will be a great thing for me and my family.

I'm excited that I am finally part of a book club that actually meets to talk about books.  I LOVE my online community of book friends but there is something special about sitting down with people and talking about books over a cup of tea.  I also love being a part of this group because it is getting me to read books that I would not have otherwise picked up.  We've already read and discussed our first book, Kate Morton's The Forgotten Garden.  I loved it and will definitely be reading more of her books.  Her writing is beautiful.  Our book for next month is Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn.  I just picked it up today and I am really excited to start reading it.

I've also been reading a lot of Royal Biographies.  I'm really digging those.  My husband says that I was born in the wrong country...I should be British.  I just received the Official Biography of the Queen Mother in the mail and it is a whopping 943 pages, so I'm sure I'll be reading that for quite a while.

So my goal is to break out of my comfort zone and get more involved in the blogging community.  Please feel free to comment and/or  follow so I can get to know more of you as well.

Happy 2013 friends, it has hard to believe we are almost at the end of January!