Archive for February, 2008
Tuesday, February 26th, 2008
It’s been more than half a year since I’ve updated here… but I wanted you all to know that I’m considering doing a complete revamp of this website.
To those of you who have emailed me in the last several months: Sorry that I never replied or acknowledged your email! I’m currently trying to get through over 8,000 emails that have accumulated. I haven’t checked my chicklitbooks.com email account for many, many months.
I hope to add some new reviews here soon as well since I’ve caught up on some of the newer releases.
Make sure to check back soon!
Posted in Website Updates & Info | 3 Comments »
Tuesday, February 26th, 2008
Tales From The Crib
by Jennifer Coburn
Strapless Kensington
January 2006
Sub-genre: Mom Lit
Rian’s rating: 3/5 stars
Ever wonder what it would be like to watch your husband, with whom you had just had a child with, date other women and bring them back to your home?
Lucy, the main heroine of Tales From the Crib, is speeding full ahead towards 40, and has finally gotten pregnant after several miscarriages. The problem is, her husband tells her on the same night that she plans to break the pregnancy news that he is no longer in love with her. After much discussion, it is decided that they will live together as friends and raise the child. Or at least try it for a year and see how it went.
The pregnancy itself is a nightmare for Lucy, and things don’t always go according to plan after she has the baby, either. There is her crazy and selfish mother who always has something going on; there is her husband, who decides that bringing new women into their home is OK; there are the doctors, who don’t seem to know what they are doing. Lucy somehow manages to get through it all while trying to be the best mother she could be.
I did enjoy Tales From The Crib, but not as much as I did Jennifer Coburn’s last book. What would have otherwise been a totally engrossing and hilarious novel was somewhat dampened by the unreality of it all, including Lucy’s mother Anjoli. She comes across as nothing but a spoiled, selfish and lazy woman who had far too much time and coverage in the book. I know she was supposed to be one of those quirky characters who are loved for their oddness, but it didn’t work for me, as there was not one redeeming quality about her. As much as I did love the overall story line of the novel and the main character herself, things moved along very slowly. There were, however, a couple of laugh-out-loud moments.
As always, Coburn’s writing is spunky, crisp and entertaining, and I enjoyed the overall story, but the many of the characters didn’t really do it for me this time around. However, I am sure others who enjoy wacky and quirky characters will enjoy this one.
Overall I would recommend this one to mom lit fans and to anyone who enjoys mad-cap adventures in a novel.
reviewed by Rian Montgomery
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Posted in 3 Star Rating, Mom Lit, Reviews | No Comments »
Monday, February 25th, 2008
Fashionably Late
by Beth Kendrick
Downtown Press
January 2006
Rian’s rating: 5/5 stars
There’s nothing like a marriage proposal to jolt you into reality and make you wonder what exactly you want out of life. When Becca Davis of Fashionably Late is proposed to by her longtime boyfriend Kevin, she accepts, but almost immediately realizes that it isn’t what she wants.
Instead, she decides to break the engagement and flee to Los Angeles to try and pursue her true passion of fashion design. She moves in with her sister and jumps into the industry bravely, not realizing how cut-throat and catty the industry is. She is forced to take a job at a restaurant to make ends meet while pursuing her dream.
Meanwhile, back home in Arizona, Kevin thinks that she will be back when she comes to her senses. What he doesn’t realize is that Becca has met someone else, sort of: the handsome Connor, who trades corny (but hilarious) pick-up lines with Becca, but who isn’t the type to settle down. Although he seems awfully interested.
With so many roadblocks and heartaches going on with both her personal life and career, Becca must figure it all out: what does she really want? What was she meant to do with her life?
As with Beth Kendrick’s other books, I thoroughly enjoyed “Fashionably Late”. It is filled with laugh-out-loud moments, crackling romantic tension, the ups and downs of following your dreams, and Kendrick’s signature witty, addictive writing style. She somehow manages to create characters that are so real, down-to-earth, flawed, yet at the same time endearing. Becca is a little clueless at times and doesn’t always make the right choices, she is easy to identify with and like.
Overall I highly recommend this to all Beth Kendrick fans, and to anyone who wants to read a great chick lit novel filled with style, humor, wit and a touch of romance.
reviewed by Rian Montgomery
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Posted in 5 Star Rating, Reviews | No Comments »
Wednesday, February 20th, 2008
Spooning
by Darri Stephens
Broadway Books
April 2006
Sub-genre: Single City Girl Lit
Rian’s Rating: 2/5 Stars
This book held great promise: the story of a girl just starting out in the great city of New York with a new job, new apartment, and a unique twist of a cooking club.
The problem is that the story was all over the place; you could tell that it was written by two people. The main character would start out in one scene and then a chapter later be telling people what happened to her previously. You didn’t get to experience the entire novel firsthand; you had to put up with the main character telling her friends about it later on after other events had taken place. All the jumping around made it too confusing.
The main character was very easy to like and her circle of friends was amusing except for “Skinny Sage” and her many food aversions. There are only so many Anorexia jokes that can be made before a person gets irritated. Most everything else in the story was unbelievable and pretty much cookie cutter.
Overall, I was disappointed with Spooning and would only recommend it to people who like an extremely fluffy, light & meaningless story.
reviewed by Rian Montgomery
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Posted in 2 Star Rating, Reviews | No Comments »