Summer Reading Challenge 2014: After I Do by Taylor Jenkins Reid #SRC2014

 

This summer, members of the Vise Library are participating in a Summer Reading Challenge. We have received copies of several books from publishers for honest reviews. We hope you enjoy these reviews (and books)!

The sixth book on our schedule is After I Do by Taylor Jenkins Reid.

This is a momentous occasion. I am about to write a review that doesn't have anything negative to say about the book. Considering my last review was not very complimentary, I think this is worth celebrating!

About the book:

When Lauren and Ryan’s marriage reaches the breaking point, they come up with an unconventional plan. They decide to take a year off in the hopes of finding a way to fall in love again. One year apart, and only one rule: they cannot contact each other. Aside from that, anything goes.
Lauren embarks on a journey of self-discovery, quickly finding that her friends and family have their own ideas about the meaning of marriage. These influences, as well as her own healing process and the challenges of living apart from Ryan, begin to change Lauren’s ideas about monogamy and marriage. She starts to question: When you can have romance without loyalty and commitment without marriage, when love and lust are no longer tied together, what do you value? What are you willing to fight for?

This is a love story about what happens when the love fades. It’s about staying in love, seizing love, forsaking love, and committing to love with everything you’ve got. And above all, After I Do is the story of a couple caught up in an old game—and searching for a new road to happily ever after.

After I Do tells the story of Lauren and Ryan, a young married couple who have been drifting apart. The novel begins with flashbacks: how Lauren and Ryan met, their first date, their engagement, and then gives readers a glimpse of the conflicts that they begin having and how they escalate. These glimpses allow readers to see what is happening in their marriage, and it is a much more effective tool than a description or summary of their fights would have been. It made everything seem more realistic and definitely made me want to keep reading to see how they would save – or end – things. Ultimately, they decide to take a year off from being married with the rule that they can’t contact one another. 

There aren't really any huge twists in this novel, but it still kept my attention and made me want to finish it as quickly as possible. I found it intriguing to read about how their relationship deteriorated and the solutions that others offered during their year apart. Those who are married or in a long term relationship may enjoy this more than single folks because of the focus on romantic relationships and how partners change over time.

After I Do will be available for checkout in the Vise Library soon!

About the author:

Taylor Jenkins Reid is an author and essayist from Acton, Massachusetts. She graduated from Emerson College with a degree in Media Studies. Her first novel, Forever, Interrupted, was named one of the “11 Debuts We Love” by Kirkus Reviews. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Alex, and her dog, Rabbit. Her forthcoming novel, After I Do, will be published July 1, 2014.

Connect with the author:

·        Facebook: http://on.fb.me/QCF5T8

·        Twitter: https://twitter.com/tjenkinsreid

·        Website: http://www.taylorjenkinsreid.com/

·        Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1uZBWfi

To find out more about the Summer Reading Challenge, click the link above!

  

Summer Reading Challenge 2014: The Revealed by Jessica Hickam #SRC2014

This summer, members of the Vise Library are participating in a Summer Reading Challenge. We have received copies of several books from publishers for honest reviews. We hope that you enjoy these reviews (and books)!

The fourth book on our schedule is The Revealed by author Jessica Hickam.  

About the book:

Lily Atwood lives in what used to be called Washington, D.C. Her father is one of the most powerful men in the world, having been a vital part of rebuilding and reuniting humanity after the war that killed over five billion people. Now he’s running to be one of its leaders.
But in the rediscovered peace on Earth, a new enemy has risen. They call themselves the Revealed – a powerful underground organization that has been kidnapping 18 year olds across the globe without reservation. No one knows why they are kidnapping these teens, but it’s clear something is different about these people. They can set fires with a snap of their fingers and create a wind strong enough to barrel over a tree with a flick of their wrist. No one has been able to stop them, and they have targeted Lily as their next victim.

But Lily has waited too long to break free from her father’s shadow to let some rebel organization just ruin everything. Not without a fight.

The Revealed by Jessica Hickam is a debut novel for this author.  This book will be the start of a YA series.   This book is set in a post war-torn America and the country is getting back on its feet.  Even though there are no wars going on at the moment, there is a struggle with some special individuals that call themselves The Revealed. This book had me wondering who The Revealed were and what comes next after this book.

Lily Atwood is an eighteen year old who for most of her life has been in the spotlight due to her family.  Her dad is running for the first President that America has had since the war that happened all over the globe.  Lily is frightened because The Revealed have made it known that before her 19th birthday that they will take her.  In the mean time, Lily's parents are determined to keep her safe from The Revealed and do not allow her many freedoms.  No one knows who The Revealed are or what they do to the teenagers that they capture.  Her father's opponent is an old family friend named Roderick Westerfield and he has a son named Kai.  Kai is a couple of years older than Lily.  Kai and Lilly used to be friends until something happened in high school to change that.  Kai is back in town (he is in the military) and wants Lily to trust him as a friend, at first.  However, when she is finally able to trust him, he leaves to go on a mission without so much as a goodbye. As Lily's deadline with The Revealed approaches she becomes more reckless and determined to live her life.  Some people do not appear to be who they say they are and that includes The Revealed.  

This debut novel was very entertaining.  I enjoyed finding out what happens to Lily and her family and friends.  There is a major event that happens that Lily has to forget her old life and you wonder what is in store for her next.  This was a fun read and easy to get through.  I cannot wait for the next book to come out to find out what happens next!

About the author:

After graduating from Arizona State University in 2011, Jessica relocated to Los Angeles where she now works in the film industry. From acting to assisting on the Paramount feature Star Trek: Into Darkness, her experiences have only reinforced her love for living in other worlds – whether they be from her own imagination or someone else’s. The Revealed is her first novel.

·  Connect with the author:

·         Facebook: http://on.fb.me/1hSZuJa

·         Twitter: https://twitter.com/JHickam

·         Website: http://jessicahickam.com/

·         Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1hSZBoi

Summer Reading Challenge 2014: The Witch of Belladonna Bay by Suzanne Palmieri #SRC2014

 

This summer, members of the Vise Library are participating in a Summer Reading Challenge. We have received copies of several books from publishers for honest reviews. We hope you enjoy these reviews (and books)!

The fourth book on our schedule is The Witch of Belladonna Bay by Suzanne Palmieri.

About the book:

Bronwyn "BitsyWyn" Whalen hasn’t set eyes on the red dirt of Magnolia Creek, Alabama, for fourteen years—not since her mama died. But with her brother, Patrick, imprisoned for the murder of her childhood best friend, and her eccentric father, Jackson, at his wits’ end while her eleven-year-old niece, Byrd, runs wild, Bronwyn finds herself once again surrounded by ancient magnolia trees and the troubled family she left behind. She becomes immersed in a whirlwind of mystery and magic as she tries to figure out what really happened that fateful night her friend died. And as her bond with Byrd deepens, Bronwyn must face the demons of her past in order to unravel her family’s uncertain future.In Suzanne Palmieri's thrilling new novel, The Witch of Belladonna Bay, readers will learn if love and magic are enough to bring a broken family back together.

Have you ever read a book that you just can't get into no matter how much you try? For me, The Witch of Belladonna Bay was that book.

I'm not sure what it was about the book that I didn't care for. One thing that annoyed me was how the Southern dialogue was written: "Jaysus" instead of "Jesus". Give me a break. I've lived in the South my entire life and have yet to hear anyone talk like that.

Another thing that I did not like was the jumble of characters. I never felt like I could sort out who was who, especially once she started including chapters written by ghosts, which brings me to my next point. I'm also not the biggest fan of magical realism. I can read books about magic, and I can read realistic fiction, but something about the combination of the two just shuts me down.

I'll be honest; I couldn't finish this one. I even tried to read the ending, hoping that something would catch my attention and draw me in enough that I would be tempted to muddle through and figure out how the author got to that point. Sadly, nothing caught my eye, so I'm shelving (ha) this one.

The Witch of Belladonna Bay will be available for checkout soon at the Vise Library. I would love to hear opinions from anyone who reads it!

About the author:

Suzanne Palmieri Hayes is the author of The Witch of Little Italy and the forthcoming The Witch of
Belladonna Bay (May, 2014). She is also the co-author of I’ll Be Seeing You under the name Suzanne
Hayes. She lives by the ocean with her husband and three darling witches. She is currently hard at work
on her next novel.

Connect with the author:

Facebook: http://on.fb.me/1jISJhs
Twitter: http://twitter.com/Thelostwitch
Website: http://suzannepalmieri.com/
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1hSWLQd


If you would like to find out more about the Summer Reading Challenge click on the image below.  See ya next time!

Summer Reading Challenge 2014: Cure for the Common Breakup by Beth Kendrick #SRC2014

This summer, members of the Vise Library are participating in a Summer Reading Challenge. We have received copies of several books from publishers for honest reviews. We hope that you enjoy these reviews (and books)!

The third book on our schedule is Cure for the Common Breakup by author Beth Kendrick.  

About the book:

Flight attendant Summer Benson lives by two rules: Don’t stay with the same man for too long and never stay in one place. She’s about to break rule number one by considering accepting her boyfriend’s proposal—then disaster strikes and her world is shattered in an instant. Summer heads to Black Dog Bay, where the locals welcome her. Even Hattie Huntington, the town’s oldest, richest, and meanest resident, likes her enough to give her a job. Then there’s Dutch Jansen, the rugged, stoic mayor, who’s the opposite of her type. She probably shouldn't be kissing him. She definitely shouldn't be falling in love. After a lifetime of globe-trotting, Summer has finally found a home. But Hattie has old scores to settle and a hidden agenda for her newest employee. Summer finds herself faced with an impossible choice: Leave Black Dog Bay behind forever, or stay with the ones she loves and cost them everything...

Cure for the Common Breakup by Beth Kendrick is actually a sequel to a book called The Week Before the Wedding.  If you have not read the previous book do not worry!  The main character in this book is the best friend of the main character in the previous book.  This book was a very entertaining book set in a small town named Black Dog Bay, Delaware.  Black Dog Bay is a tourist town that many people choose to visit to escape from life.  This book will make you chuckle to yourself and laugh out loud.  You will really enjoy the main character Summer.  

Summer Benson is a flight attendant that usually does not like to stay in one place for an extended period of time.  Of course that changes throughout the book.  Summer ends up in Black Dog Bay after surviving a plane crash. Before the crash, she found out that her boyfriend was going to propose and she was not exactly thrilled about this.  After the crash the both of them reexamine their life and Summer takes off to Delaware alone.  She becomes a big fan of the little town and the people in it.  They become huge fans of her as well.  Well, most of the local people end up liking her anyways.  She ends up working (not by choice!) for town’s oldest resident, Hattie, who has a grudge against the whole town.  Summer also starts to pursue Dutch Jansen who is the mayor. 

Summer tries to find out why Hattie hates Black Dog Bay and why she particularly hates Dutch.  Summer must also figure out if the people in Black Dog Bay are worth sticking around for even if it will be bad for the town. Kendrick has written an entertaining story that has some lessons of choosing to be happy and never settling for anything less than what will make you happy.  Kendrick must also have a great sense of humor since all of her characters do as well.  She also writes about what resentment and grudges can cost you if you hold onto them for too long. If you are looking for a book that will be a fun read with a little lesson in it, then you will enjoy this book.  After reading this book you will want to find out more about the town and its residents!

About the author:

Beth Kendrick is the author of The Week Before the Wedding, The Lucky Dog Matchmaking Service, and Nearlyweds, which was turned into a Hallmark Channel original movie. She lives in Arizona with her two rescue dogs, but she loves to vacation at the Delaware shore, where she goes to Funland, eats boardwalk fries, and wishes that the Whinery really existed.

·         Facebook:  http://on.fb.me/1hyNbYy

·         Twitter: http://bit.ly/1gSjj3h

·         Website: http://bit.ly/1lQXUwF

·         Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1hyN7Ie

Praise for the book:

“Beth Kendrick has reminded me once again exactly why I love her books so much. Cure for the Common Breakup is packed with humor, wit and a lot of heart.  A charming and exceptionally entertaining story!  I can’t recommend this book highly enough.”--Jane Porter, national bestselling author of The Good Wife

“Beth Kendrick has written a sharp, sassy, surprisingly emotional story that will make readers laugh out loud from page one and sigh from the heart at the end.  Light and lovely perfection!"--Roxanne St. Claire, New York Times bestselling author of The Barefoot Bay Series

“Utterly delightful! Summer Benson will charm and disarm her way into the hearts of readers as easily as she does the residents of Black Dog Bay.”--Meg Donohue, USA Today bestselling author of All the Summer Girls

Summer Reading Challenge 2014: Love and Other Foreign Words by Erin McCahan #SRC2014

This summer, members of the Vise Library are participating in a Summer Reading Challenge. We have received copies of several books from publishers for honest reviews. We hope you enjoy these reviews (and books)!

The second book on our schedule is Love and Other Foreign Words by author Erin McCahan.

About the book:
Sixteen-year-old Josie lives her life in translation. She speaks High School, College, Friends, Boyfriends, Break-ups, and even the language of Beautiful Girls. But none of these is her native tongue--the only people who speak that are her best friend Stu and her sister Kate. So when Kate gets engaged to an epically insufferable guy, how can Josie see it as anything but the mistake of a lifetime? Kate is determined to bend Josie to her will for the wedding; Josie is determined to break Kate and her fiance up. As battles are waged over secrets and semantics, Josie is forced to examine her feelings for the boyfriend who says he loves her, the sister she loves but doesn't always like, and the best friend who hasn't said a word--at least not in a language Josie understands.

I usually really enjoy young adult (YA) books, but this one was just okay to me.

To be honest, I didn't like Josie for the better part of the book. I haven't been a teenager in more years than I care to admit, but I felt like she wasn't a realistic representation of a fifteen-year-old (who turned sixteen during the book). I know that part of the behavior was based on her giftedness, but I still found it difficult to root for her or her plot to break up her sister and fiance. However, there is a scene between Josie and one of her professors that explained part of her behavior, and that helped make her more relatable.

I also sometimes had the feeling that the author was using Josie and the other characters to show off her own intelligence (or great research skills). For example, there is a scene where Kate, Josie, their mother, and Kate's bridesmaids were at a dress fitting, and Josie has a conversation in French with a boutique employee. Things like this didn't add anything to the story for me, and I felt that they were a bit forced at times. I liked the scenes when Josie and Kate acted a bit mischievous more than any other portions, probably because they seemed like normal people then!

The main plot of the book centered on Kate's wedding and Josie's determination to make Kate and her fiance break up. There were other subplots that revolved around other aspects of love, and those tied in with the overall theme of Josie not knowing about love or why people fall in love with one another.

Overall, this wasn't a bad book, but it wasn't anything outstanding. It would be a good, quick read for anyone who wants to relive their adolescence (wait, why would anyone want to do that?!?). We will be adding the title to the library's collection, so be sure to check our catalog and see when it is available for checkout. 

About the author:

Erin McCahan is the author of the YA book I Now Pronounce You Someone Else (Scholastic, June 2010). Erin's debut novel was a 2010 Cybils Award finalist. She grew up in Michigan and worked extensively with teenagers before beginning her writing career. She lives in Columbus, Ohio. 

Connect with the author

Facebook: http://on.fb.me/1gSfmLP
Twitter: http://bit.ly/1esk2Of
Website: http://bit.ly/1gSfo6z
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1ehbxoJ

To find out more about the Summer Reading Challenge, click the link above!

Kicking off the Summer Reading Challenge with The One and Only by Emily Giffin #SRC2014

This summer, members of the Vise Library are participating in a Summer Reading Challenge. We have received copies of several books from publishers for honest reviews. We hope that you enjoy these reviews (and books)!

The first book on our schedule is The One and Only by bestselling author Emily Giffin.  

"Thirty-three-year-old Shea Rigsby has spent her entire life in Walker, Texas—a small college town that lives and dies by football, a passion she unabashedly shares. Raised alongside her best friend, Lucy, the daughter of Walker’s legendary head coach, Clive Carr, Shea was too devoted to her hometown team to leave. Instead she stayed in Walker for college, even taking a job in the university athletic department after graduation, where she has remained for more than a decade.

But when an unexpected tragedy strikes the tight-knit Walker community, Shea’s comfortable world is upended, and she begins to wonder if the life she’s chosen is really enough for her. As she finally gives up her safety net to set out on an unexpected path, Shea discovers unsettling truths about the people and things she has always trusted most—and is forced to confront her deepest desires, fears, and secrets.

Thoughtful, funny, and brilliantly observed, The One & Only is a luminous novel about finding your passion, following your heart, and, most of all, believing in something bigger than yourself . . . the one and only thing that truly makes life worth living."

The One & Only by Emily Giffin is a very well written book set in a small town called Walker, Texas.  In Walker, football rules the town.This book was a fun and delightful book to read.  You will not want to put the book down.  Giffin is very descriptive and makes sure that the reader is entertained. There are themes of love, abuse, loss and going out of one's norm to find out who they really are.  

Shea Rigsby is the main character who is sort of stuck in life.  She has always lived in the same town, works for her alma mater and has a boyfriend that she is just comfortable with. You instantly like her.  She realizes that she needs a change when a town and personal tragedy happen. This makes Shae question everything about her life, the people around her, and things she has denied herself.  She makes drastic changes, but the only thing that has remained the same is her love of Walker Football and people in the Coach Carr family (Coach Carr himself and his daughter Lucy, who is Shea's lifelong friend). 

Coach Clive Carr is the coach of the Walker football team and is also facing changes after the shocking loss of his wife, Connie, to cancer. After her parents divorced, Shea and Lucy become close friends.  Lucy does not enjoy football or have a passion for it in any way. Shea, however, does enjoy football more than anything and shares a special connection with Carr and football. The death of Connie changes everything about the relationships between these three people.

Shea Rigsby goes on a journey of self discovery and encounters painful circumstances and secrets that unravel her life. This book is full of memorable characters that readers will want to know more about once they finish. Giffin has written a wonderful novel that has both happiness and sadness mixed throughout the story.  Even if someone not a fan of football, readers will enjoy learning and reading about these characters.  The bad thing about receiving an advanced copy of this book is having to until Emily Giffin writes a new one!


This book is available in the Vise Library.  To see the record for this book click here.

For other books that are available in the library by Emily Giffin click here.

Praise for the Emily Giffin:

“Emily Giffin ranks as a grand master. . . . She has traversed the slippery slopes of true love, lost love, marriage, motherhood, betrayal, forgiveness and redemption that have led her to be called ‘a modern-day Jane Austen.’ ”—Chicago Sun-Times

“Giffin’s writing is true, smart, and heartfelt.”—Entertainment Weekly

“[Giffin] excels at creating complex characters and quick-to-read stories that ask us to explore what we really want from our lives.”—The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

“A dependably down-to-earth, girlfriendly storyteller.”—The New York Times

“Giffin’s talent lies in taking relatable situations and injecting enough wit and suspense to make them feel fresh.”—People

“When it comes to writing stories that resonate with real women, bestselling author Emily Giffin has hit her stride.”—San Francisco Chronicle

About the author:

Emily Giffin is the author of six New York Times bestselling novels: Something Borrowed, Something Blue, Baby Proof, Love the One You’re With, Heart of the Matter, and Where We Belong. A graduate of Wake Forest University and the University of Virginia School of Law, she now lives in Atlanta lives with her husband and three young children.

-AT

P.S. For more information about the summer reading challenge and the books that we will be reviewing click the badge below!  

How Black History Month Started

Black History Month was started primarily by a man named Carter G. Woodson.  He was a teacher and was the second African American man to obtain a doctorate from Harvard University.  In 1915, he attended a celebration in Chicago that celebrated 50 years of slavery ending.  This celebration had a huge impact on Woodson and he and four other men formed the ASNLH (Association for the Study of Negro Life and History).  This association went on to publish the Journal of Negro History.  

Woodson did not feel that the books used in schools at the time showed the history and achievements of African Americans.  He wanted a way to promote this history and to educate people on it.  So in 1926, he proposed the idea of "Negro History Week."  He chose the second week in February because it held birthdays for two very significant people in the fight for African Americans: Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass.  This idea caught on fairly quickly and the ASNLH started publishing materials to give schools to help with lesson plans to promote the week.  In 1937, the ASNLH began publishing Negro History Bulletin which focused on materials for a theme for Negro History Week.  To this day, there is still a theme for each year.  This year's theme is Civil Rights in America.  

Fifty years after the first celebration, in 1976, Black History Week was transformed into Black History Month.  It is now celebrated for the whole month of February.  Woodson thought that the celebrations would eventually end but not the teachings of Black History Month.  He would probably like to know that in this instance he was proved wrong.  Celebrations around the country are still continued for the month of February.  

Carter G. Woodson

Sources:

ASALH - History of Black History Month