Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakthrough by Ruth Pennebaker

Synopsis from GoodReads:  Joanie's ex-husband is having a baby with his new girlfriend. Joanie won't be having more babies, since she's decided never to have sex again. 

But she still has her teenaged daughter Caroline to care for. And thanks to the recession, her elderly mother Ivy as well. Her daughter can't seem to exist without texting, and her mother brags about "goggling,"-while Joanie, back in the workforce, is still trying to figure out her office computer. And how to fend off the advances of her coworker Bruce.

Joanie, Caroline, and Ivy are stuck under the same roof, and it isn't easy. But sometimes they surprise each other-and themselves. And through their differences they learn that it is possible to undo the mistakes of the past.


My thoughts: Several times in my life I've not only heard, but used the phrase "The only way out is through."  That phrase accurately sums up the situations presented in Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakthrough.

Each of the women is in the midst of what can be a very tumultuous time in a woman's life.  Joanie is a recent divorcee nearing her 50th birthday. Caroline is in her teens, dealing with all of the physical changes a girl goes through at that point in life and trying to figure it all out.  Ivy is at the point in her life where she has to depend on her children more than she's used to and is finding herself more alone as her friends are passing away.  Put the three together and you get a pretty interesting story.

This is a super easy read but it was certainly a bit morose at times.  It actually reminded me a little bit of Love in Mid Air by Kim Wright.  It had a very similar tone and the main characters were very much alike.  I think my only real complaint is that the ending came and wrapped up fairly quickly. 

I would probably recommend this book to others if I know that they like chick lit that is a bit more mature.  If someone is looking for something that is lighter, this is probably not the title they should pick up.  

On a side note, I didn't "get" the cover until I finished the book and then immediately understood it and thought it to be very clever.
 
This is Ruth Pennebaker's debut novel that has just released.  She has previously written three young adult novels, Don't Think Twice, Conditions of Love, and Both Sides Now.  You can find more information about Ruth and her work at her website. http://www.ruthpennebaker.com/



Check out the trailer:
 





Check out some of the other stops on the tour:
Monday, January 17th: Debbie’s Book Bag
Tuesday, January 18th: Proud Book Nerd
Thursday, January 20th: Love to Read for Fun
Monday, January 24th: Hospitable Pursuits
Tuesday, January 25th: Scraps of Life
Wednesday, January 26th: Reviews from the Heart
Thursday, January 27th: Tina’s Book Reviews
Tuesday, February 1st: Booksie’s Blog
Wednesday, February 2nd: BookNAround
Friday, February 4th: Life in the Thumb
Monday, February 7th: Iwriteinbooks’s blog
Tuesday, February 8th: The Book Chick
Wednesday, February 9th: A Bookish Way of Life
Thursday, February 10th: Romance Books Forum
Monday, February 14th: Bookworm’s Dinner
Tuesday, February 15th: Amused By Books
Wednesday, February 16th: Clever Girl Goes Blog
Date TBD: Chefdruck Musings


I received my copy of Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakthrough from the Author to participate in this tour coordinated by TLC Book Tours.  This is my honest opinion of the book.

Rescue by Anita Shreve (audio book)

Synopsis from GoodReads:  A rookie paramedic pulls a young woman alive from her totaled car, a first rescue that begins a lifelong tangle of love and wreckage. Sheila Arsenault is a gorgeous enigma--streetwise and tough-talking, with haunted eyes, fierce desires, and a never-look-back determination. Peter Webster, as straight an arrow as they come, falls for her instantly and entirely. Soon Sheila and Peter are embroiled in an intense love affair, married, and parents to a baby daughter. Like the crash that brought them together, it all happened so fast.

Can you ever really save another person? Eighteen years later, Sheila is long gone and Peter is raising their daughter, Rowan, alone. But Rowan is veering dangerously off track, and for the first time in their ordered existence together, Webster fears for her future. His work shows him daily every danger the world contains, how wrong everything can go in a second. All the love a father can give a daughter is suddenly not enough.

Sheila's sudden return may be a godsend--or it may be exactly the wrong moment for a lifetime of questions and anger and longing to surface anew. What tore a young family apart? Is there even worse damage ahead? The questions lifted up in Anita Shreve's utterly enthralling new novel are deep and lasting, and this is a novel that could only have been written by a master of the human heart.

My thoughts:  This was my first experience with Anita Shreve's work although she's been recommended to me several times.  I absolutely loved this book on audio.  It was engaging and highly entertaining.  There were a few times that I was pretty sure I knew what was coming  and I would get so exasperated at Peter.  Couldn't he see what I could see what was clearly going on?   There was at least one occasion where I was surprised by the turn that the story took.  The story was constantly moving at an appropriate pace. 

I never liked Sheila, she was one of those characters that you love to hate.  The story asks a difficult question, can you ever rescue someone?  I think that we can try, but they have to want it too.

The story was narrated by Dennis Holland.  He did an excellent job.  Through his voice and the character descriptions I had a definite picture in my head of what each of them looked like.  According to the audio book jacket he has over 100 audio books to his credit.  I can certainly understand why.  


Assuming you like like this kind of story or Shreve's work in general, this would be a great starter audio book. 


I received my copy of Rescue from the publisher for review.  This is my honest opinion of the audio book.



This is my January entry for the 2011 Audio Book Challenge.

Small Wars by Sadie Jones

Synopsis from Goodreads:  The prizewinning author of The Outcast delivers the emotionally searing story of a marriage in crisis, an unflinching look at lives irrevocably altered by one of history's "small wars."

Hal Treherne is a major in the British Army, a young and dedicated soldier on the brink of a brilliant career. When he is transferred to the British colony of Cyprus in 1956, Hal is joined by Clara, his beautiful and supportive wife, and their baby daughters. The Trehernes quickly learn that the Mediterranean is no "sunshine posting," however, and soon Hal is caught up in the battle to defend the island against Cypriots seeking enosis, union with Greece.

Leading his men in difficult and bloody skirmishes, after years of peaceful service, Hal at last tastes triumph. But his confidence and pride quickly fade: traumatized by the brutality he witnesses-and thwarted again in his attempts to do the right thing-Hal finds himself well trained in duty but ill equipped for moral battle.

A seasoned army wife, Clara shares her husband's sense of obligation. She knows to settle in quickly, make no fuss, smile. But as she struggles to trust her own maternal instincts and resist the anxiety that surges with Hal's frequent absences, Clara grows fearful of her increasingly distant husband. When she needs him most, Clara finds the once-tender Hal a changed man-a betrayal that is only part of the shocking personal crisis to come.

What place is there for honor amid cruelty, and what becomes of intimacy in the grinding gears of empire? A passionate and brilliantly researched novel about the effects of war on the men who wage it and the families they leave behind, Small Wars raises important questions that resonate for our own time.

My thoughts: I've gone back and forth on this book.  When I started it I thought it was just okay.  It was another young couple getting together before he goes off to war.  The story quickly jumps into their marriage and they have been separated while he is stationed abroad.  The family is finally reunited and I was eager for the story to begin.  What I didn't realize was how pertinent the war itself was t the story.  I'll admit that I got lost a time or two as the author describes the small battles that Hal is involved in on a daily basis.  Finally I realized that I needed to look past them, and really look at what was going on.  

This was not only a tale of the relationship between a soldier and his bride.  The story encompasses the relationships of the soldier and his men as well as that of the soldier and the wars.  Each of these relationships intertwine to lead us to the unexpected climax.

While many of the readers might not be soldiers in the military each one of us are soldiers in our own way. We are each fighting battles that others may or may not be aware of.  This is the story of Hal and Clara, how each of them were fighting their own battles and neither of them  aware of what the other is dealing with.

In the end, I enjoyed this book.  I thought it was realistic portrayal of the difficulty of being married to someone whose job prevents them from open communication with the ones that matter most.  

Sadie Jones lives in London and has one other book to her credit.  Her first novel, The Outcast won the Costa First Novel Award and was a finalist for both the Orange Prize as well as the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for First Fiction.

Check out the other Stops on the Small Wars Blog Tour:
Tuesday, January 18th: nomadreader
Thursday, January 20th: Diary of an Eccentric
Tuesday, January 25th: Unabridged Chick
Wednesday, January 26th: Rundpinne
Thursday, January 27th: In the Next Room
Monday, January 31st: Reviews from the Heart
Tuesday, February 1st: Amused By Books
Wednesday, February 9th: The Book Faery Reviews
Thursday, February 10th: Caribousmom
Friday, February 11th: BookNAround
Wednesday, February 16th: Chefdruck Musings

I received my copy of Small wars to participate in this blog tour presented by TLC Book Tours.  This is my honest opinion of the book.

This title qualifies for the What's in a Name 4 Challenge under Title with a size in it.  Yay!

Drinking Closer to Home by Jessica Anya Blau

Synopsis from the back of the book:  There is nothing like ten days with one's family to stir up child hood memories.  When Anna, Portia, and Emery's mother, Louise, suffers a massive heart attack, the three grown children return to Santa Barbara as they wait for Louise to either recover or die.

Anna can't stop thinking about sex with strangers, though in junior high she was terrifyingly certain that her free-loving parents had syphilis.  Portia's beach-bunny teen years feel far away as she struggles in an unfaithful husband who has left her feeling boneless and unsure.  And though Emery's greatest childhood fear was that The Law would catch up with their parents for any one of their numerous  transgressions, now his only worry is that he won't be able to create his own family, a newer, better version that will trump the chaos that ruled his childhood.

But time together also brings to the surface some painful, often heartbreaking secrets that will shake the foundations of everything the siblings know about themselves and their family- secrets that may, perhaps, change the way they view the past as well as the future.

My thoughts:  I wanted to read this one because I was craving something different.  I seem to have fallen into a bit of a reading rut.  I've been reading a lot of Historical fiction and Memoirs with a few fluffy titles in between.  Not that there is anything wrong with that, I just needed something else.  This book was most certainly outside of those parameters.  The thing that I loved about it is that it allowed me to take my mind off of my own troubles but it wasn't fluffy brain candy either.  This was a very dysfunctional family, it would make the oddest family seem normal. There were several times that I wondered what else could possibly happen to these people.

The situations presented in Drinking Closer to Home are certainly extreme, but the overall message is true for everyone.  How many of us have left home to go to college and come back a different person.  Did you find that your "role" in the family dynamic changed?  Did you find out about some long lost family secret years after it happened and have it affect you deeply?  Do you long for a relationship with a sibling that is vastly different from the one that you actually have?  If any of these statements are true, then you will be able to relate to these characters.

This was an interesting read for me because I found that I could relate to these characters even if I never actually liked any of them. I don't think that this has happened to me before.  This story is full of emotion and heartbreak.  It will make your jaw drop, make you laugh out loud and you might want to throw it against the wall in frustration.  It will also keep you coming back for more.  You will want to see what happens to this quirky family. 

The bottom line... read it, you might appreciate your own family a little bit more or learn something about yourself.  Please note that there are many sexual situations and drug use throughout the story.  This is most certainly a book meant for adults to enjoy. 

I was provided an uncorrected proof from the publisher for participation in the blog tour put on by TLC Book Tours.  This is my honest opinion of the book

Make sure you stop by some of the other blogs to see what they thought of the book.

Wednesday, January 19th: Life in the Thumb
Thursday, January 20th: Scraps of Life
Monday, January 24th: Bloggin’ ‘Bout Books
Tuesday, January 25th: Sara’s Organized Chaos
Wednesday, January 26th: Chefdruck Musings
Thursday, January 27th: Book Club Classics!
Tuesday, February 1st: Rundpinne
Wednesday, February 2nd: Write Meg
Thursday, February 3rd: After ‘I Do’
Wednesday, February 9th: Clever Girl Goes Blog
Thursday, February 10th: Alison’s Book Marks

Easy As Pie at Bobby's Diner by Susan Wingate

Synopsis from Amazon:  Georgette Carlisle lost her first husband, and is about to lose her next one: Hawthorne Biggs. She’s running the diner with Roberta, her late husband’s daughter. When old friend, Helen, comes back home after a failed attempt at a writing career, she is, once again, attracted to Georgette’s man. After the two women part company Helen goes missing. While digging around, Georgette finds out that Biggs has a dangerous past. With Roberta at her side, the two women brave separation, torture, and near death at the hand of Biggs. And, after taking him down, the women find a new strength and belonging. EASY AS PIE is the number two book in the four-part “Bobby’s Diner” series.


My thoughts:  Easy as Pie at Bobby's Diner is the second installment in what might also be known as the Georgette Carlisle series.   If given the opportunity to read Bobby's Diner first, I would recommend doing so.  While it was fairly easy to catch up on the story, it seems that this installment picks up where the first one left off.

There weren't any super surprising plot twists in Bobby's Diner, but it was entertaining throughout. Georgette Carlisle is a likable character who is not without her flaws.  There were a few occasions where I thought that she should have seen the light, but that is what makes reading this kind of story fun.  Roberta had an integral role in this installment and I would like to get to know her better.  I can see her having a larger role in one of the future installments.  I immediately saw Helen as a means to and end and nothing more. 

This book is a little more graphic than a cozy mystery, but not quite so much as a more intense mystery/thriller.  This was a nice little escape that I finished in just a few sittings.  If you have the time I'd bet you could race through it in one.  I would recommend this one to anyone who likes a cozy with a little bit of oomph.  I look forward to continuing the series. 

Wingate has several titles to her credit.  Take a peek at http://www.susanwingate.com/ to check them out.


My copy of Easy As Pie at Bobby's Diner was provided by the author for participation in her blog tour presented by Pump Up Your Book.  This is my honest opinion of the book.

Audio Book Challenge January Link up

Welcome Audio Book Challengers! I'm so excited that you all have decided to join the group. I've been trying to make it to each of your blogs to welcome you. If I haven't made it to your blog yet, I'm still working my way through the list. You haven't been forgotten.

How are things going so far? I've completed a couple of audio books that I'm working on writing the reviews for. I've got some great ideas for other posts as well. If there is anything that you'd like to see, please leave me a comment or shoot me an email.

Make sure you link up your reviews so that the rest of us can check out what you've listened to.

Two Tickets to the Christmas Ball by Donita K. Paul

Synopsis from Goodreads:  In a sleepy, snow-covered city, Cora Crowder is busy preparing for the holiday season. Searching for a perfect gift, a fortuitous trip to Warner, Werner, and Wizbotterdad's (a most unusual bookshop) leads to an unexpected encounter with co-worker Simon Derrick and the surprise discovery of a ticket for a truly one-of-a-kind Christmas Ball. 

Every year, the matchmaking booksellers of the Sage Street bookshop host an enchanting, old-fashioned Christmas Ball for the romantic matches they've decided to bring together. 

This year, will Simon and Cora discover a perfect chemistry in their opposite personalities and shared faith? Or will the matchmakers' best laid plans end up ruining everything this holiday?


My thoughts:  It seems that my reading plan was not quite in line with my activity level in December.  This was one of the few Holiday themed books that I was reading this year.  I didn't get it in before Christmas or even before the New Year so it ended up being my first book in 2011.  

I pretty much knew that it was going to read like a Hallmark special and that was exactly what I was looking for.  I really enjoyed the addition wizardry into the theme.  This story was an exploration of a new relationship, but also of faith .  Sometimes the two combined can really weigh down a story, but in this case the wizardry and the ball made it  more fun.  The story is full of fantastic coincidences and wonderful people.  It is a simple yet elegant holiday read that will satisfy your sweet tooth and is sure to get you in the holiday spirit.  


Check out the trailer...









Edited 1/20/11 to add:

I just realized that this book counts toward my What's in a Name Challenge hosted by Beth Fish Reads for the Number in the title Category.  Yay for achieving one of the challenge goals!


I was provided a copy of Two Tickets to the Christmas Ball by the Publisher for review.