One Day by David Nicholls

I borrowed this book from my sister who said and I quote "This book is amazing you have to read it." Now this is a phrase that is passed quite casually from book lover to book lover when suggesting a new read and really does not carry too  much weight considering that a lot of people love a lot of books a lot of the time. I find that even when a book isn't spectacular it is hard for me to give it a negative critique because even a subpar book is something you dedicate yourself to, immerse yourself in and whether you like it or not you grow attached to the characters and their stories. A subpar book is like an annoying family member, they may not be your favorite but at the end of the day they know you, you know them and there is some love there. So with that being said I take suggestions with a grain of salt because I know how difficult it is for me to say that book was just a waste of my perfectly good weekend. However my sister is completely different because she is not really a reader. In all our years growing up together I don't think I ever saw her reading a book and that includes the required school reading. I am not saying she couldn't read or that she was too stupid or really any other superior condescending reason you may be thinking right now but in reality she didn't read because she didn't want to, just wasn't her thing. So when she actually took the time to read a book (with an active one year old to keep up with by the way) I knew this book must be great.... right?


Well the book was pretty great, most of the time. One day is about Emma Morley and Dexter Mayhew who after years of studying at the same university never spoke a word to each other but after one fateful party end up spending the night together and becoming life long friends. What I found to be super interesting about this book is it flipped between Dexter's point of view and Emma's point of view which isn't exactly ground breaking or anything but what I did find extremely interesting was the authors choice to have the entire book center around the same day each year. The book spans from 1988 to 2006 taking you through Emma and Dexter'f friendship as well as their own individual lives.

Emma is an intelligent, caring, clever girl who refuses to admit or acknowledge her own self worth. People constantly use the word beautiful when the describing Emma however you never hear Emma describe herself with anything but the word awkward. As a woman I found Emma's character to be extremely relatable. The self doubt and searching to find who she is, what she wants and really the ability to believe and trust herself is something that I think all young people can really understand. With that being said her constant inability to be happy, the always wanting something she doesn't have or feeling like she should want more even though she is content became a tedious trait of hers. But really when it comes to tedious character traits Dexter takes the cake.

Dexter is the opposite of Emma in ever way imaginable. Not only does everyone use the words handsome or even beautiful when describing Dexter, Dexter himself uses these words and more to describe how physically perfect he is. Dexter is self satisfied, cocky, unreasonably happy with his life considering its constantly in a state of  disarray and turbulence. He is almost always drunk or drugged and only ever really thinks of himself. The only likable thing about Dexter is his friendship with Emma.

People come and go through their lives, spouses, friends, parents, lovers but in the end they always have each other. Dexter and Emma, Em and Dex they are unable to move on from each other and have to come to terms with how much they love each other. I have never read a book where two people who so obviously belong together fight it as though to be happy is a bad thing.

Stephanie and Me !

One Day is funny, interesting, well written however at times tedious because you feel as though you are on a merry-go-round. Not only are you examining the same day every year over and over, the characters, well really Dexter has the same problems over and over and over again. He is in a constant circle of booze and boobs and refuses to grow up. This book is pretty well loved (by my sister especially) and although I enjoyed it I did not love it. The ending especially left me feeling completely cheated.. I don't want to give anything away so I will leave it at that. Even though I did not LOVE this book it is still worth reading, I thought the concept was new and really pretty fascinating and the characters for better or worse were complex and interesting. So give it a read and tell me what you think, am I being overly critical and harsh? Would love to get some opinions on the book because I feel like I might be looking at it the wrong way, trying to make it something it is not. Pick it up and let me know, Who was right me (questioned but truly liked) or my sister Stephanie (pure and unquestioning Loved)???

Happy Reading!!!

The Yellow House by Patricia Falvey

I owe you a review! I said I was reading an amazing book and now that I am finished with said amazing book it is time for me to give you an amazing review that is going to make you want to run out right now and borrow, buy or download The Yellow House immediately. The only problem with that is The Yellow house is one in depth book! So here goes nothing!

The Yellow House is set in Northern Ireland during turbulent times and centers around Eileen O'Neil of the great "warrior" probably more importantly CATHOLIC O'Neils. It spans from the time she is a small child to when she is a grown women with children of her own. Eileen's life begins happily enough in her family's yellow house with her strong and loving mother, her full of life father and her two younger siblings.  It doesn't take long for extreme poverty and extreme personal tragedy to catch up to the O'Neils and tear them apart. Eileen ends up in a mill, working her fingers to the bone in deplorable working conditions but she bites her tongue (no small feat for her) and saves her money with hopes of reuniting her family under the roof of her beloved yellow house. 

Along the way Eileen finds herself torn between two men and her own will. Eileen's family history, misguided decisions, and the turbulent political environment shape this novel into an epic story of one Catholic women's journey to find peace in her heart and country both of which are at war with themselves.

This is one of those books that keep thinking about long after you have finished it. There are so many emotions that I went through while reading; Joy, sorrow, anger, frustration, disgust, incredulity. Isn’t that what a good book does to you? This book transports you to Ireland in the early 1900’s when your religion was just as relevant and important as  any skills you possessed. A time where every today was a struggle and every tomorrow was a question mark. 

The Yellow house is an epic story about love and loss, family pride and pride in yourself, old dreams and new dreams but above all I found this story to be about resilience. I would suggest this book to anyone and everyone. Happy Reading!

***Disclaimer***
Ok I take that back I would not suggest this book to anyone under the age of 16 due to graphic violence, sex and an all around mature subject matter. All though I did not find any of this gratuitous and all of the above mentioned incidents had intricate and important roles in telling this story of turmoil and strife I still do not think it is age appropriate for anyone under the age of 16.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

So as I have already stated I absolutely adore reading. Nothing can transport you farther and faster to a different time and a  new world with people you could never have dreamed of meeting. I challenge you all to think of something much more comforting then curling up with a good cup of coffee or tea, a delicious little dessert and a fabulous book........ Times up you will never think of anything more relaxing because it does not exist! With that being said I think it would be fun for me to give you little reviews of books i read and a recipe that I think would go perfect with it (once in a while lets not get carried away I do have a full time job!)


The first book I am going to do is The Help by Kathryn Stockett. I  read this book a couple months ago and let me tell you it is one of the best books I have read in a long time. This book is set in Jackson, Mississippi when segregation was in full swing. It is about a a white women who is challenging the separate but equal practices of the south, believing that things really aren't all that equal. This women decides to write a book depicting the relationships that white women have with their black maids and what follows is humor, heartbreak, and a story of friendship like I have never read before. This book made me ashamed, made me laugh out loud, cry and I was truly sad when it ended. Kathryn Stockett gives you cast of characters you fall in love with and some you hate. It is hard to believe how ignorant and hateful people were but the ending was something to be proud of and gives you hope for the future.
When thinking of what recipe to pair with this amazing book, I thought of one thing... PEACHES!!! I think peaches and the south go hand in hand so I thought I would try a Peach 'n Berry Pie. So grab the book The Help by Kathryn Stockett, and a piece of peach n' berry pie curl up in your favorite spot and relax!!!!!

PEACH 'N BERRY PIE  

CRUST
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups butter flavored shortening
3 tablespoons white sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 egg
1/2 cup cold water

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, shortening, sugar and salt. Blend together with a pastry cutter until crumbly. Then in a small bowl, mix egg with water. Blend into flour mixture. Chill until ready to use.

This makes enough for a double crust pie

**** Helpful hint **** When rolling the pie crust out roll from the center to make the desired size circle. To make it easier to transfer this to pie pan fold that circle in half, then the half in half making it 1/4 size and unfold in the pie pan.


FILLING
4 Cups fresh peaches-peeled, pitted and sliced
1 1/2 cup fresh raspberries
3/4 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 Tablespoons butter, softened and cut into pieces
1 Tablespoon coarse granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Place peaches and berries in a colander for about 15 minutes to drain any excess fluid, then transfer to a large bowl. Gently toss with sugar,flour and cinnamon. Transfer to pie crust. Dot with butter, and top with 2nd crust. Cut slits and sprinkle with coarse sugar. (Feel free to do a lattice top if you prefer)
Bake 45 minutes in the preheated oven, or until crust is a golden brown.

Oh and if you are wondering... The movie was AMAZING! So many times movies based on books are a complete let down but let me assure you this is not the case with the help. It took a delicate subject matter and it attacked with integrity and in good taste leaving out some of the more gruesome scenes from the book which for me is a positive thing (reading and seeing two very different things!) The acting was wonderful and the story was followed beautifully, definitely worth seeing!

Dreaming about Reading

Well I am in the middle of an excellent book right now. All I can say at this moment is be excited, be very excited. But fresh off my rededication and redesign of my blog (hope you love it so much more then the last design, I know I do!) I felt like I should share the picture of my dream reading nook!

Are you as in love with this as I am???? I do have a lovely reading room that my lovely fiancee Ryan helped me create and sometime very soon I will do a tour!  I just thought I should share my perfect idea of a reading room So take a peak, dream about YOUR perfect space and leave me a picture or description in the comment sections!  Happy Reading!

The Book of Tomorrow: A Novel by Cecelia Ahern

The Book of Tomorrow is about Tamara Goodwin who is a spoiled rich brat who's life is just completely upended when her father commits suicide leaving Tamara and her mother to sell off all they own to pay their debts. With everything she has ever known and loved gone, Tamara and her mother move in with her controlling Aunt and Uncle she has only met a handful of times. While Tamara is dealing with the loss of her father and her ritzy lifestyle she is also trying to pull her mother out of her catatonic stupor all while trying to not die of boredom. Enter Marcus, a handsome college man who drives the traveling library to towns without libraries. Meeting Marcus changes everything for Tamara because it is in the traveling library that she finds a blank diary that upon opening she discovers reveals to her the events of tomorrow.
Through the knowledge the diary provides Tamara begins to unravel family mystery and discovers that nothing is as it seems.

First off the reason I wanted to read this book is because the cover is absolutely beautiful (the picture really doesn't do it justice!) I know you are not supposed to judge a book by its cover but it was too hard to resist when I saw how cute this book looked I had to give it a shot. With that being said this book was a total let down! I was expecting a magical experience and instead I got underdeveloped characters, weird writing, and an overall shallow story. There were some interesting parts, and the ending is a surprise but this might not be worth picking up. It was extremely difficult to get into the book and then when you do it leaves you unsatisfied.

I really am at a loss to suggest this to any group of readers because I believe that most adults will find it far to "fluffy" and underdeveloped however I feel that some of the material in the book (sexual situation involving a teenager and young twenty-something, foul language, underage drinking etc.) make it a little inappropriate for the age group the story itself is best suited for.

So the best I can do is to say if you need a quick read that requires no thought or emotional involvement but I will say has some funny moments this is the book for you. Definitely read better though, can't love 'em all I guess!

My Harry Potter Love Affair and Butterbeer Recipe

Some of my very favorite books of all time are the Harry Potter series, I can read those books over and over again and every time I am as enchanted as I was the first time.

J.K. Rowling created a world in which her readers all secretly hope exist. All the characters are engaging and every plot twist is a surprise. Your heart breaks for Harry when he must return home and you find yourself just as sad as he is whenever the school year is over and he must leave Hogwarts and all his new found friends.

As I am sure you all know the final installment of the movie franchise Harry Potter and the deathly Hollows has recently been released and I have been spending my weekend watching the other movies and trying to enjoy the ending of an era as much as possible (if you can't tell I am a huge fan!)

The book The Deathly Hollows was by far the best of the entire series. Rowling has done an excellent job in growing with her readers, making each book a little darker and more mature then the last. From start to finish the book was engaging, exciting and bittersweet at the end. How everything came together was nothing short of poetic. Which is why I have such high expectations for the final movie! Of course I feel as though the books are superior to the movies (as books always are) the movies have done an excellent job bringing this magical world to life. I am going to see the movie tomorrow and will make sure to report back  with my review!

In the mean time, I have decided to give a recipe for the favored drink of the wizarding world BUTTERBEER a try, you should too because it was delicious!

Butterbeer
*makes four servings*


1 cup light or dark brown sugar
2 TBSP water
6 TBSP butter
1/2 tsp cider vingear
3/4 cup heavy cream, divided
1/2 tsp. rum extract
4 12-ounce bottles cream soda


In a small saucepan over medium heat combine the brown sugar and water. Bring to a gentle boil and cook, stirring often, until the mixture reads 240 on a candy thermometer.


Stir in the butter, vinegar and 1/4 cup heavy cream. Set aside to cool to room temperature


Once the mixture has cooled, stir in the rum extract


In a medium bowl, comine 2 TBSP of the brown sugar mixture and the remaining 1/2 cup of heavy cream. Use an electric mixer to beat until just thickened, but not completely whipped, about 2-3 min.


To serve, dived the brown sugar mixture between 4 tall glasses (about 1/4 cup for each glass) add 1/4 cup of cream soda to each glass, then stir to combine. Fill each glass nearly to the top with additional cream soda, then spoon the whipped topping over each. 


Grab one of the Harry Potter books, or put in one of the Harry Potter movies; curl up and Enjoy a truly magical experience!

The Twelfth Enchantment by David Liss

Even though no one reads this but me I have to apologize for completely defaulting on my blog! I let the fact that I am not getting tons of feedback and followers discourage me ( by tons I really mean absolutely zero) but really I am doing this for me. I have a true passion for reading, I love to write and as most of my friends and family would tell you I love to share my opinion. So I am rededicating myself to this blog. I am going to share the books I love, the books I hate and everything in between. Even if I am the only one that ever sees the damn blog!


So to kick it back off I am going to give a review for a book I didn't just like but I LOVED! I literally could not put this book down, amazing characters, amazing writing, amazing plot basically the book was amazing.

The Twelfth Enchantment by David Liss 


The story takes place in early 1800 England and is centered around a destitute orphan named Lucy Derrick who is the unwanted house guest of her greedy and grumpy uncle. The story really began when a mysterious and more importantly cursed stranger stumbled to Lucy's home to warn her not to marry the local mill owner. Lucy proceeds to rid him of the curse that drove him to her and discovers that the mysterious stranger is the notorious ladies man Lord Byron.

Lord Byron is convinced he loves Lucy but unwilling to denounce is wild ways he asks Lucy to forget her already questioned morals and be his lover but not his wife. Enter the other swoon worthy male lead Jonas Morrison, a man from Lucy's past with questionable motives.

What follows is a war between two worlds; the industrial and the world of the working man with a liberal dose of magic thrown into the mix. All of this is swirling around Lucy and she is brought to face where her loyalties lie, as well as her trust and her heart.

Lucy Proves to be an Austen worthy heroine and Lord Byron and Jonas Morrison prove to be very Willobey Vs. Colonel Brandon. The book is full of adventure, intrigue, romance and sacrifice. As far as magical books go my heart still belongs to Harry Potter but The Twelfth Enchantment is worth reading.

The Dashwood Sisters Tell All By Beth Pattillo

Love, Laughter, Family these are things any parent would wish for their children and Caroline Dodge is no exception to this rule. So it is when she learns that she will no longer be around to guide the girls to lives full of everything she dreams of them having she spends her final days planning a guided tour of all that is Jane Austen for her two daughters Ellen and Mimi to go on and hopefully bring them closer together.

After their mother's funeral Ellen and Mimi travel to England to go on the Jane Austen tour and make the important decision of where to scatter their mother's ashes and they have to agree to the location. This could be no easy task seeing as sensible Ellen and free spirit Mimi have never quite seen eye to eye. This emotionally trying situation is not made easier by a mysterious package their mother has left them with strict instructions not to open until they arrive in England. When they arrive and open the package they are in disbelief when they find the package contains the diary of Jane Austin sister Cassandra's diary. What follows is mystery, romance and the bond between sister's.

I found this book to be very entertaining. It was an easy read but it did not take long for me to become engrossed in the intrigue of it all and I quickly began to make comparisons between Pattillo's characters and the characters in Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility. This book has a rich cast of characters, some lovable, some despicable and some just plain confusing but in the end this is a sweet book about sisters who are trying to find themselves, find each other and find a place to put there mother to rest all on walking tour of Jane Austen.... whats not to love?

A Cup of Friendship By Deborah Rodriguez

A Cup of Friendship is a wonderful book about an American women named Sunny who has come to Afghanistan, Kabul specifically and opened a coffee shop. Working along side Afghans, Sunny learns to toe the line between her American ways and respecting Afghan traditions.

A colorful cast of characters are introduced to you through the doors of the coffee shop each one of them opening themselves up to growing and learning about love, life and themselves during their time in the coffee shop. Working alongside Sunny in the cafe there is a maternal older women name Halajan who has lived through several different regimens and knows the peace Kabul could have if the Taliban were not in charge, everyday she hopes for   tradition to meet modern half way so she can marry the love of her life. Right now she as to settle for hiding this modern romance from her ultra traditional son Ahmet who unbeknownst to her is facing his own religious doubts and is having a struggle in himself to practice the Love the Koran teaches but not the hate that is reflected in his country.

Then into the cafe comes Isabel, a British journalist who has followed a risky story to Kabul and is searching for meaning and purpose in her life after a traumatic past; Jack, who left his family in Michigan to earn "danger pay" as a consultant but he doesn't know if the marriage he left behind is worth returning for; and then there is Candace, a wealthy, well-connected American who wants to help so badly that she allows her judgment to be clouded and puts herself in harms way.

The cafe is changed when a young Afghan women with beautiful green eyes named Yazmina is brought in after being kidnapped from her home to pay a debt and then left on a city street when her captors find she is pregnant from her beloved husband who died in violence after conception; leaving her terrified and alone. Sunny wants to help and asks Yazmina to live and work in the cafe but Sunny's American ways prevents her from seeing their danger of having an unmarried women with child in her home and its not until later everyone finds out just how much her secrets could put all their lives at risk.

As this group works and lives together they find that there is more to one another then meets the eye, they will form an unlikely friendship that will change their lives and hopefully one day the entire country. Full of friendship, love and purpose this book will open your eyes to a whole new culture and not just the injustice of it but the beauty of it as well. A cup of Friendship is a remarkable story about what is possible when people rise up for change, whether its is changing one life, dozens or thousands   this book is a book that celebrates new and old as one, rising up against oppression and hate. In one word I found this book to be inspiring.

The Bird Sisters by Rebecca Rasmussen

When thinking of ways to describe the bird sisters I thought of an ice cold glass of fresh squeezed lemonade on a hot summer day, extremely satisfying.

The story opens with two elderly sisters, Milly and Twiss who live alone in their childhood home together. They are known as the bird sisters because people bring injured birds for Twiss to tend to while Milly tends to the people who bring them. The bird Sisters, weaves a beautiful story that takes you from past to present seamlessly and introduces you to characters you will care deeply for.

Milly is the elder sister and is infinitely kind and considerate. She is one of those people who are always put upon. Her mother and father are dysfunctional at best and Milly steps in to their shoes and nurtures and cares for her younger sister Twiss who is the opposite of Milly in every possible way. Twiss is rambunctious, irreverent, and at times quite cruel but there is nothing and no one she loves like her sister.

The Bird sisters really takes place in a summer, the summer when their cousin Bett from deadwood comes to visit. In this summer parents fall in and out of love, the family fights poverty, they fight each other, Milly and Twiss find and lose true loves and determine the course of their futures. This book is beautifully written and is a story about the true love and fierce loyalty between sisters. This novel is full of quirky, unique characters and Milly and Twiss will no doubt find a way into your heart. I would suggest this beautiful story of life, love and sisterhood to anyone who loves a well-written book, that submerges you into a whole different world.

What Would Mr.Darcy Do? By Abigail Reynolds

Jane Austen is one of my favorite authors of all time. Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Emma all these books are classics and lovely in every way. Which is why I am usually against any tampering of the original stories being that they are all so perfect. With that being said I thought that What Would Mr.Darcy Do?  was a wonderful rendition answering the question of "what if?"

If you do not know the story of Pride and Prejudice it is a story set in a time where men hold all the power and the only hope a women has at survival is to marry and marry well. The problem for a women like our heroine Elizabeth Bennett is that her dignity and being in Love is far more important then marrying for money and stability, much to her perpetually anxious mother's disappointment. Enter the hero Mr. Darcy his reputation precedes him, he is a man of wealth and class and considered to be a very handsome and desirable catch. Both of these characters have fatal flaws in Mr. Darcy's famous Pride and Elizabeth Bennett's well meaning, but misplaced prejudice. This is a story of family, humor, love and of course Pride and Prejudice. Its is a rocky road to a fairytale ending for our two lovers with many "what if" moments laced into the story.

What Would Mr.Darcy Do? Is a book that examines one of those very moments. At the inn where Darcy and Elizabeth choose to keep their feelings for one another concealed in the original, this retake examines what could have been if they had opened their hearts to one another right then and there with Darcy proposing.

This is a quick read but is beautifully written and for all you Jane Austen fans out there keeps the most beloved characters Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy alive and evolving. The Original Masterpiece of Pride and Prejudice is an absolute must read, and this new version What Would Mr.Darcy Do? Is most definitely worth your time!!!!!!

Happy Reading!

Dogwood by Chris Fabry

This book was really great! I have read some other reviews done on the book and not everyone loved it but I sure did. It is about two teenagers named Karin and Will who in one night change the course of their entire lives and not for the better; sending Will to federal prison and Karin to a life of quite isolation and desolation.

After 12 years in prison Will is released back into the world and out of all the places he can go to start over and begin again all he can think of is his hometown of Dogwood and the love of his life Karin. Unfortunately Dogwood doesn't want him and Karin is married with children. The people of dogwood want to see their prodigal son Will strung up from a tree and Karin is drowning in her life and incapable of seeing beyond her own pain.

This is a story of pain and redemption it will leave you with chills when you realize nothing is as it seems.

For the Love of reading

There are few things in this world that provide the level of comfort that a good book does. They are able to transport you anywhere at anytime. Whether it is a romantic interlude with Mr.Darcy, a civil rights march , a play reading with four sisters by the name of March or even what a day in the life of a dog is like a good book can show you a whole new world.

The problem is, is that there are so many life changing, earth moving, tear jerking, wonderful, amazing books out there and so little time. In a world full of obligation it is hard to carve out the time it takes to curl up with a book, a blanket and a hot cup of coffee/tea. My perfect day would consist of a stormy day, a pumpkin latte and a beautiful book cuddled up on a cozy couch. I can not think of one day like that I have ever had but I am pretty confident that if that were to ever happen it would be complete perfection. 

With so little time and so many books I find it to be most efficient to read books that will make you laugh, cry and fall in love all at once. Whether it is a good no thinking, beach read which is not just fun but absolutely necessary or a thought provoking, view changing novel; I'm no book snob a good read is a good read. This is my pursuit of finding books that are everything I just described and more.

 I am forever in love with being in love. I love my fiancee, I love my friends, I love my family, I love music, and I love a good book so in the pursuit  amazing  literature here is a blog to fill you in on what I have read, what I loved, what I hated and everything in between. Take it for whatever you may (or may not) think its worth. And please Leave any and all suggestions because I am always interested in finding my next favorite book!

Happy Reading!!!!!!