Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Summer Reading Part II


I finished Debbie Macomber's book. Shop on Blossom Street. Eh.

It wasn't my favorite book. It was a little - too perfect. Everyone had these huge problems that were nicely tied up and fixed by the end. Which is something I enjoy in chick-lit (a new term for me, taken from my latest issue of US Weekly. Apparently Courtney Love also enjoys chick-lit, as referenced by the picture taken of her at the beach, certainly by someone hiding behind a sand dune with a telephoto lens). I usually enjoy how things are fixed nicely in chick-lit, but this was all too much. The characters had these huge problems that were suddenly fine. This time the tumors are benign, after having had cancerous brain tumors twice before. This time the drug addict makes it into culinary school magically by the end of the book. The bitchy old lady suddenly likes her daughter-in-law and will have sex with her husband again, magically by the end of the book.
I guess I just wasn't in the mood for that much perfection. Sorry for the spoiler. But don't waste your time on this one.
Okay, now I have to decide which book(s) to take on our road trip. We leave Wednesday morning at 7:45 AM. Please chime in. Look at my original list and see what you think would be good road trip reading. It's not too late to go get something else, I'll take other random suggestions. We're headed out for swim diapers and sunflower seeds tonight, so I can pick up other literature if tempted. Nothing too heavy, c'mon now - it's vacation!!!
* BTW - what is it with spacing? I get it all set, with the spaces in correctly and then sometimes when I publish - it's all smooshed together. Like today. So I go fix it, hit publish, and once again it's smooshed together. Really irritating - that's what it is!
I just found The Wedding by Nicholas Sparks (in my book box, from our Scholastic warehouse semi-annual 1/2 price sale - I sock away books for a rainy day...yes, I have a book addiction too, to add to the others) that is definitely going on the trip. I've taken Stacey (Fit for Florida)'s advice on the other two. But please, go ahead and post your own suggestions. Even if you're reading this after I've already gone on my trip - we're driving to Wyoming in a few weeks and I'll be making the same choices about good road trip reads. Yes, I'm posting again today, I think because I fear going five whole days without blogging. My addiction will surely come to light then, when I started twitching...thinking of how clogged my Google Reader will be when we get home. I do indeed believe it's time for an intervention.

5 comments:

Midwest Beach Girl said...

Less of a Stranger is a cute read. There is a little more uneasiness in the whole situation, so a little more like life. (I agree, Debbie Macomber seems to make things so rose-colored-glasses/Stepford wifey.) Plus it is short.
However, I also love Freakonimics. If you get bored with it, you can breeze it, too. Just make sure that you read most of the chapter about names.

Jenifer said...

I have the same spacing issues after a photo or bullets or something, whatever comes after is really tightly spaced. I have seen it in a lot of places actually.

Enjoy the trip!

nikkis30by30 said...

As I said in your last blog about books..... Nicholas Sparks is my FAVE chick-lit. I have read every single one of his books and loved them all. My all time fave of his was The Rescue. Don't know if you will want to take it on a vacation though. Reason being, I had a hell of a time putting it down and read it in two days.... while home alone with the kids. The house was trashed by the time I was done and the kids were in dire need of baths, too.... but it was totally worth it!!!

I wouldn't read The Wedding without first reading The Notebook. Although it's doable, it's sort of a sequel. Just a head's up. I am thinking that it might mean a little more if you know the background of all the characters. Then again.... what am I saying?? You have pry seen the movie a hundred times!!! ;)

Enjoy your trip. I have come to the conclusion that maybe you and I should take out stock in the seeds companies. As many as we will be consuming this summer, we should try and get some of that money back in dividends!!! LOL!!!

Melanie D. said...

Seeds + road trip = good fun.

I have read The Notebook. I own the movie. I'm excited to read the sequel!

Colorado here we come!

Mimi said...

God, and here I am the English Professor who is ... not. reading. novels. at. all.

How sad. Your book reviews, though, are keeping me in the loop ;-)