Books

Books Galore

Hi Ya’ll! Sorry I haven’t posted in a bit this wedding has TAKEN over my life! 10 days! WHAT?!?! Whether I’m planning, emailing, or stressing I just haven’t had a lot of time to make posts! I need to get better at that! Another goal!


One goal that I am still keeping up is my love for reading! Here is the good, the bad, and the ugly! So without further ado here we go!


 I found this book to be so interesting! I really enjoyed it and could not put it down! 

After losing her parents, Ivy Hart is left to care for her grandmother, older sister, and nephew on their small tobacco farm. She struggles with her aging mother, sister's mental illness and her own epilepsy. 

When Jane Forrester takes a position as Grace County's newest social worker, she realizes how much her help is needed. She becomes emotionally invested in her clients' lives, causing tension with her boss and new husband. Jane is drawn to Ivy and she begins to discover secrets that are much darker than she would have guessed. She realizes she needs to take drastic action or she might lose a battle that goes against everything she believes in. 

Fabulous read!


 Beautiful Day was a book I just couldn't put down! It was so wonderful and I could relate to it so much because the main character is planning her wedding. While reading, I thought on a couple occasions "oh, I wish I had planned a wedding  on the beaches of Nantucket!" Just kidding mom :)

The Carmichaels and the Grahams are gathered in Nantucket for a wedding that will unite their two families. The plans were made according to the wishes of the bride's late mother, who left behind a priceless Notebook. Everything should be going seamlessly however, things are falling apart. The happy couple is doing well while their loved ones are crumbling around them. Leading up to the big day, love is questioned, scandals arise, and hearts are broken and healed.

Another fabulous read! It was easy, light and enjoyable!


 And then there was this book.... 2 tissue boxes later I think I have finally recovered!! I had to read this book with all the hype that it has been getting! I am a firm believer on reading the book FIRST then seeing the moving. The jury is still out whether I will go see the movie. Not that I didn't enjoy the book, I just don't think I can put myself through all that emotion again! Let's just say make sure you are alone when you finish this book because YOU WILL turn into a slobbering, blubbering, tear-filled mess. Don't say I didn't warn you!!

Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has brought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal. In her final chapter she is introduced to a gorgeous Augustus Waters who appears in her Cancer Kids Support Group, and her story is completely rewritten. 

Great read! I read it in 2 days so it's a quick read as well!


The Murder House was an interesting story! It was written from the point of view of the murderer, which I enjoyed! There were lots of twists and turns which kept you on your toes. I felt some parts in the story that were very winded. This book could have been cut in half and it would have been a great read!

When Police Officer, Helen Anderson takes the files of a big court case to study over the weekend, she commits a huge error. Police files are not suppose to leave the police station. The moment those files end in the wrote hands, Helen's whole life is turned upside down and begins to spiral out of control. For one small lie leads to another and another until she is forced to clean up her tracks on multiple occasions. 

Interesting read for sure. I wouldn't say it was my favorite though!

If you have read any good books lately write them in the comment box below! I love new book suggestions. I just started Bent Road by Lori Roy so I will let you know!


The Pieces We Keep


As Paul and my mom always say, I constantly read the same type of genres; romantic fiction. So, to challenge them, I have been trying to read different types of books. This book, I would say, is loosely a historical fiction.

The Pieces We Keep is an intricate tale of two women seemingly unrelated yet tied together 70 years apart. Audra is a young widowed mother living in current day and Vivian is the daughter of an American diplomat living in London just before WWII. How these two women are connected is slowly and skillfully revealed through alternating chapters.

At the end of each chapter we are left with cliffhangers that lead into the next chapter, but that are occurring in the opposite time period. The alternating chapters make for fantastic reading, with great suspense. You want to keep reading so you can return to either 1942, or 2012 and find out how these pieces connect. Each chapter slowly reveals the connection, the secrets, and the reasons why Audra and Vivian’s lives become intertwined or connected!

I enjoyed this book, there were some “slow” parts that I felt were occasionally “fluff” however, and I really enjoyed this book and read it in only three days!


Book Review- Great Read



I can’t wait to tell you all about my bachelorette this past weekend! I have plenty of pictures to share as well however; I wanted to get this book up here first!

Have you ever started reading a book that after just the first page you knew you were going to love it?! That is how I felt about this book! I was intrigued from the first page. I thought this was a beautifully written book by Randy Susan Meyers.

It tells the story of two characters, Lulu and Merry, and how their childhood was less than ideal. Their father, on Lulu’s 10th birthday, creates an absolute nightmare for their family by killing their mother, stabbing her 5 year old sister, Merry, and unsuccessfully killing himself. After this horrific scene, the story goes on to tell the tale of these two girls growing up together in and out of orphanages and foster homes and how their lives have drastically been changed by their father’s actions. This book is insight to the power of family and what ties us together and tears us apart. 

I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it! I have been thinking about the main character Lulu since I finished. Also, I loved the bond that these two sisters have together. It reminded me of my sister and I and how I would do anything to protect her! A great read!!
Book Review- Great Read

                  



Ah!! I just finished this book in about two days. It was such a good book! It was a wonderful, feel good, and easy read! It made me laugh and cry! It was really well written. The author, Nancy Thayer, has such a warm way of writing that makes you feel like you truly know the characters. I especially enjoyed the main character, Carley. It would make a delightful beach read. I will definitely be checking out more of Nancy Thayer’s books!

Here is a short synopsis from Amazon. “Heat Wave tells the moving story of a woman who, after her seemingly perfect life unravels, must find the strength to live and love again.”

Books I've Read Lately 

Pretty uneventful weekend over here! We did some wedding things, ran lots of errands, and worked out ... a lot! (we’re trying to get into wedding shape) We went shopping together and after many stores and hours later I found my bachelorette dress! It was super hard to find something that felt like me but also was for a night out on the town! Honestly, we haven’t been doing a lot of nights out lately! However, in between the hustle and bustle I was able to finish these two books.


There is something about the public library that honestly makes me beyond happy. Back in High School, when I was feeling stressed or upset, probably about something silly, I’d visit the library. It would calm me. I am not sure why. I just always felt I could lose myself in the books no matter what was going on in my actual life! Thank goodness I currently live less than 0.2 miles away from the public library! I head there about every 2 weeks.


I enjoyed Sisterland. It made me happy, sad, and angry. I love when I can relate or have reactions to characters that I read. However,since finishing this book, I haven’t thought about the characters at all. That tells me I didn’t love it. Do you ever have that? Where a week later something happens and it makes you think of a character in a book you read?? I have and it’s awesome. I know nerd alert!


I felt like Living Single was written very much like a Sex and the City episode. It was about a main character, Erin, who was having an affair with a married man. (hello.. Big and Carrie anyone?) She would then meet with her three girlfriends once a week at breakfast or dinner. I just felt like this book fell flat. I love Sex and the City but I like when Candace Bushnell writes about them, not Holly Chamberlin. I felt like there was a lot of unnecessary information we could have done without in the book. Have you ever had that feeling when every time you turned the page 100 more pages were added to the book? It just never ended! Also I could have predicted the ending after reading the first chapter! Bottom line..I was disappointed.
BOOK REVIEW

a

A little over a year ago, I unfortunately lost my beloved grandmother. She was a bubbly, kind, loving, and wonderful person. However, my favorite trait about my grandmother was her carefree lifestyle. She was always open to trying new things and many knew her as the life of the party.  Lately, I have been missing her more and more, I think because the wedding is so close! I often find myself upset that she will not be there on my big day physically however; I know without a doubt, she will be there in spirit. Grandma would never miss a good party! ;) So this brings me to my new goal in honor of my Grams. She was an avid reader. You often never saw her without a book in her bag or hand! She used to write down the books along with a short synopsis so she wouldn’t forget previously read books!


So with all that being said my new goal is… to read a book a month! This should NOT be a challenge however with all the Real Housewives of anything I have to watch chores I have to do, it seems like reading always gets put on the back burner. I try to tell myself I will read before bed, however, as Paul has witness many of nights, the book often finds itself falling to the ground as I am far away in dream land! So, my goal is to get to bed thirty minutes before my regular time to get in some quality reading.

So far, I am doing well! I just finished this book, The Other Half by Sarah Rayner. It is written from the point of view of two women. One of the narrators, Maggie, is the wife and the other narrator, Chloe, is the mistress. (I know I know should I really have read this book two months before my wedding?!?!? Just kidding Paul hehe) This book navigates between their separate lives and how they are both affected from this affair. In addition, it really emphasizes how no one will go unscathed from this choice that is made.

Overall I would give it a C on my grading scale. It was a good easy read however, I tended to find myself bored while reading this book. {disclaimer: One thing you should know about me when I start something I HATE to not finish it. It’s one of my pet peeves.) So even though I wasn’t in love with the book I had to see how it ended. Overall the book was rather anti-climatic. I would recommend if you are in for an easy read! 


BOOKS AND CHAI


The other weekend I went to visit a wonderful friend, Christine, in Philly. On the way home I needed a good book to read while I sat on the train for a couple hours. She gave me this recommendation; Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight. It was a really quick read and kept my attention the entire time! I kept questioning characters and situations! I really enjoyed it! Like Christine said, it was very Gossip Girl!




One of my favorite authors is Nicholas Sparks. I think his books are romantic and always an easy read. I just finished his newest book, The Longest Ride. Now since I have read every single one of his books, I feel like I can be a teeny tiny bit critical. This book, The Longest Ride, was not my favorite, however, it was still good and a nice leisurely read! I like the way the characters intertwined themselves by the end. Which is typically of his books! Let me know if you read them and what you think!


Of course with all the reading it wouldn't be complete without some delicious tea! Christine and I visited this ADORABLE tea shop in the suburbs of Philly called A Taste of Britain. We even ended up buying some Chai Tea to take home because it was that delicious! If you're ever in the area of Wayne, PA make sure to check it out here! I feel like nothing is better during the cold winter season than curling up with a good book and a great cup of tea!


                                                                         xoxo Lyss

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