2012 Favorite Reads: Samantha’s Picks
December 25, 2012 by Samantha
Filed under Chick Lit Review, Samantha's Favorites
Sad Desk Salad
Jessica Grose
Sarah’s Key
Tatiana de Rosnay
Blackberry Winter
Sarah Jio
Don’t Let Me Go
Catherine Ryan Hyde
One Breath Away
Heather Gudenkauf
Home Front
Kristin Hannah
Point Click Love
Molly Shapiro
Chasing Rainbows
Kathleen Long
One Pink Line
Dina Silver
Aftertaste
Meredith Mileti
Home Front by Kristin Hannah
March 9, 2012 by Samantha
Filed under Chick Lit Review, Samantha's Favorites
Oh boy. I knew I was going to be in for a ride with Home Front, the latest from Kristin Hannah, because well – it was Kristin Hannah. And that was exactly what happened. While I couldn’t stop reading the book, I made myself put it down because I wanted to stop crying! The emotions that swirled through me while reading left me a bit exhausted when I finally finished the story. But what a book. A five star review all the way. Shall I finally get to the review?
Michael and Jolene Zarkades are a married couple whose happiness is slowly disappearing. After twelve years of marriage, two children and hectic work schedules, there is a clear gap between husband and wife. But they are about to face the biggest challenge yet when Jolene gets deployed to the war. As a Blackhawk pilot with the National Guard, it is her duty to go, and Jolene and best friend Tami – also a Blackhawk pilot – head to Iraq together. Michael now faces being Mr. Mom at home, a job he isn’t happy about. Never one to support his wife being a soldier, Michael is furious Jolene abandons him – and tells her he doesn’t love her just before she leaves. While Jolene and Tami fight for their lives on a daily basis in Iraq, Michael tries to hold his family together back home. A horrific accident will change all the characters involved, and push them to the brink as they valiantly try to find their way home.
Hannah clearly put an insane amount of research into writing this book. From describing Iraq and what the soldiers go through to the families that are without a parent to what happens when the heroes come home is so eye opening. I have family in the military – my brother-in-law actually deploys this month to Afghanistan – so this book really hit me hard. I will say if you have a loved one deployed or soon to be deployed, I suggest you wait on reading this. Parts were hard for me to get through. But the story is so beautiful written, so masterful when it comes to creating characters, that this book has to be on your to-read list. Another 5 star review for Kristin Hannah from me!
[Rating: 5]
More Kristin Hannah Reviews
In My Mailbox: Week of February 26
February 26, 2012 by Samantha
Filed under Chick Lit Plus, In My Mailbox, Updates
In My Mailbox: Week of February 26
Title: Home Front
Author: Kristin Hannah
Received: For the SheKnows Book Club
Synopsis: In her bestselling novels Kristin Hannah has plumbed the depths of friendship, the loyalty of sisters, and the secrets mothers keep. Now, in her most emotionally powerful story yet, she explores the intimate landscape of a troubled marriage with this provocative and timely portrait of a husband and wife, in love and at war.
All marriages have a breaking point. All families have wounds. All wars have a cost. . . .
Like many couples, Michael and Jolene Zarkades have to face the pressures of everyday life—children, careers, bills, chores—even as their twelve-year marriage is falling apart. Then an unexpected deployment sends Jolene deep into harm’s way and leaves defense attorney Michael at home, unaccustomed to being a single parent to their two girls. As a mother, it agonizes Jolene to leave her family, but as a solider she has always understood the true meaning of duty. In her letters home, she paints a rose-colored version of her life on the front lines, shielding her family from the truth. But war will change Jolene in ways that none of them could have foreseen. When tragedy strikes, Michael must face his darkest fear and fight a battle of his own—for everything that matters to his family.
At once a profoundly honest look at modern marriage and a dramatic exploration of the toll war takes on an ordinary American family, Home Front is a story of love, loss, heroism, honor, and ultimately, hope.
Title: Vivid
Author: Andrea Murray
Received: Via CLP Blog Tours
Synopsis: When Vivian Cartwright was five years old, she witnessed her mother’s death.
Now, sixteen-year-old Vivian only wants a normal life—hard to accomplish when you possess the power to control energy. Her entire life she has feared her power and its connection to her mother’s murder. She has kept her ability a secret from everyone except her guardian, Charlotte, who has hidden Vivian from the man responsible for her mother’s murder.
Her secret is safe until Vivian subconsciously defends herself at school using her power. After this first use of her gift in many years, Vivian’s power seems to take on a mind of its own, increasing in strength and demanding to be used. This increase in power also brings dreams of her mother’s death and the mysterious man connected with it. When she is assigned to tutor the would-be boyfriend of Trista Parmer (a.k.a. the biggest diva in school), Vivian cannot deny the electrifying connection that she feels for the boy, Easton Garrett. In her desire to get Easton away from Vivian, Trista doubles her efforts to humiliate Vivian, forcing Vivian to use her supernatural gift over and over. With each use, Vivian fears she is losing control and discovers her powers are growing—maybe too much—bringing her unknowingly closer to the man who murdered her mother.
Title: Run Rabbit Run
Author: Kate Johnson
Received: From Choc Lit
Synopsis: Sophie’s in trouble. Must be Tuesday.
Sophie Green’s an ex-spy, or trying to be. You wouldn’t believe the trouble she’s in. An MI5 officer has been shot with her gun, her fingerprints all over his office. And no, she didn’t kill him.
But she has gone on the run.
Now Sophie’s desperately seeking whoever’s trying to frame and kill her. She’s being forced to work with the least trustworthy man in Europe, MI5 is following her every move, and she’s had to leave the tall, blond, god of a man she loves behind.
Luke Sharpe works for MI6. Or did, until his girlfriend became a murder suspect.
Doing nothing wasn’t an option, so he started investigating. Who cares if it is means jeopardising his career? Sophie’s everything he used to say he never wanted. Young, irresponsible, bright and mad. Now she’s just everything – and she has to live.
She will live, won’t she?
In Sara’s Mailbox:
Title: Miracle’s Pain
Author: JT Keitt
Received: From Lauren @ AuthorRight
Synopsis: From the beginning, Patricia Ann Hall knew she had a secret. Within a darkness of shouting voices that only she could hear, inside a world only her eyes could see, she grasped onto a deadly Miracle that although cruel and deceptive, offered her the only escape. Sex was the weapon. Money was the bait. Sanity was the vehicle. And someone had to suffer. Patricia s daughter Symphony finds that even she can t erase the melody of the madness as her past catches up to her, and everything she thought was real reveals its true identity. But is it too late? Miracle s Pain is part two of Secrets of my Soul, the novel that began this twisted tale of mystery; a trilogy that leads to A Promise Fulfilled.
Title: The Book of Lost Fragrances
Author: MJ Rose
Received: Lindsay @ Media Muscle
Synopsis: A Secret Worth Dying For …
Jac L’Etoile has always been haunted by visions of the past, her earliest memories infused with the exotic scents that she grew up with as the heir to a storied French perfume company. These worsened after her mother’s suicide until she finally found a doctor who helped her, teaching her to explore the mythological symbolism in her visions and thus lessen their painful impact. This ability led Jac to a wildly successful career as a mythologist, television personality and author.
When her brother, Robbie—who’s taken over the House of L’Etoile from their father—contacts Jac about a remarkable discovery in the family archives, she’s skeptical. But when Robbie goes missing before he can share the secret—leaving a dead body in his wake—Jac is plunged into a world she thought she’d left behind.
Traveling back to Paris to investigate Robbie’s disappearance, Jac discovers that the secret is a mysterious scent developed in Cleopatra’s time. Could the rumors swirling be true? Can this ancient perfume hold the power to unlock the ability to remember past lives and conclusively prove reincarnation? If this possession has the power to change the world, then it’s not only worth living for . . . it’s worth killing for, too.
The Book of Lost Fragrances fuses history, passion and suspense in an intoxicating web that moves from Cleopatra’s Egypt and the terrors of revolutionary France to Tibet’s battle with China and the glamour of modern-day Paris. This marvelous, spellbinding novel mixes the sensory allure of Perfume with the heartbreaking beauty of The Time Traveler’s Wife, coming to life as richly as our most wildly imagined dreams.
Night Road by Kristin Hannah
June 2, 2011 by Samantha
Filed under Chick Lit Review, Samantha's Favorites
Where do I begin to say how much I loved this book? With the powerful writing that swept me into the story immediately? Or maybe with the fiercely real characters, whom I identified with even though I have never been in their situation? Characters who I cried for, who stayed in my head after I closed the book, who sparked conversations with numerous friends on many different subjects. What would you do if you were Jude? How do teach teenagers about drinking and driving? Why did Lexi give up her freedom for a mistake?
Night Road by Kristin Hannah is a gripping story about a family that deals with a terrible tragedy. Mother Jude Farraday is a “helicopter mom” always in the lives of her twins, Mia and Zach. A slightly overbearing mother, she is always there to make sure her children are on the right track. But things start to slip away during their senior year of high school. Mia’s best friend, former foster child Lexi, is in love with Mia’s twin brother. And Zach is in love with Lexi. The threesome is always together, the best of friends, until one night of wrong decisions rips the friendship, and the Farradays perfect family, apart.
I know this story will be unforgettable to me. I also know when I read a phenomenal story, because I have the characters in my head even when I am not reading. I can’t tell you how many times I imagined scenes between Lexi and Jude, where I became so worked up in the drama of their lives that I had to remind myself I was reading a book. I have read a few reviews that complain about Jude’s character being selfish and a horrible bitch after the accident, and it’s the truth. But people aren’t supposed to be cheerful and reasonable after death. I thought Hannah showcased just what can happen to people after such a tragedy. Did I hate Jude’s character? Yes. But that’s the reality of life. The only downfall I saw to the story was that it ended too soon for me. I wanted to get more of an ending between Lexi and Zach. But I think Night Road is completely worthy of a five star rating, and will definitely get a place on my Favorites List.
[Rating: 5]
In My Mailbox: Week of May 15
In My Mailbox: Week of May 15
Title: Priceless
Author: Nicole Richie
Received: From Cristina @ Simon and Shuster
Synopsis: Tall, blond, and willowy, this twenty-two-year-old seems to have everything going for her—she’s rich and gorgeous, a talented singer, and has just returned to her Park Avenue penthouse after a year studying in Paris. But since her mother’s tragic death years ago, her father, an extremely successful financier, has been her only family—and if she’s being honest, her only true friend.
All that changes when Jacob Williams is arrested on charges of fraud, and the SEC freezes the family’s bank accounts. With her father in jail and her partying pals suddenly scarce, Charlotte escapes Manhattan and heads to the one place she doesn’t think anyone will come looking: New Orleans.
Determined to rebuild her life, Charlotte moves in with her beloved former nanny and finds a job in a local restaurant. Between trying to make ends meet and hiding from her past, she meets Kat, a fellow fashionista who introduces her to the best of the Big Easy’s bohemian style. With Kat by her side, Charlotte begins to haunt nightclubs, securing singing gigs that soon begin to heat up—as does her friendship with a local boy, Jackson.
But Charlotte’s being followed by an angry stalker who wants nothing more than to destroy her for her father’s crimes. And with Mardi Gras just around the corner, the masquerade has only just begun . . .
From the stylish avenues of Manhattan and dark clubs of the French Quarter to the bright lights of Los Angeles, the multitalented Nicole Richie’s scintillating tale shows that the very life you run from is the one that won’t let you hide.
Title: Phone Kitten
Author: Marika Christian
Received: From Julie Smith @ BookBnimble/CLP Blog Tours
Synopsis: Marika Christian’s PHONE KITTEN introduces an absolutely unique, first-time-ever kind of female sleuth—a totally lovable, intelligent, downright hilarious down-home girl who happens to earn her living as a phone sex worker.
Shy, slightly overweight Emily would die if she had to talk dirty face-to-face—especially to her hot cop boy friend. She sure didn’t set out to do phone sex—she wanted to be a writer. But when her BFF framed her for plagiarism, she got in a tiny financial hole and saw this ad for “phone actresses”… Hey, it’s not nearly as bad as it sounds. No pantyhose or pantsuits, no regular hours, you’re your own boss, and lots of people to talk to. Guys, that is. But here’s the odd thing—lots of them want to talk about more than Emily’s imagined attributes; they start to think of her as the best friend they’ll never have to meet. Next thing you know, one of her customers gets killed and Emily knows a lot more about it than she should. But she can’t tell the nearest cop, who’s also her own true love, because then he’ll find out about her secret life. What’s a phone kitten to do? Solve the murder herself, of course—because wouldn’t it be a great story for the newspaper that wrongly fired her? It’s her ticket back to her real life—if it doesn’t get her killed.
PHONE KITTEN is your ticket to hours of giggles—so long as you’re not looking for raunch. Because this is so not it. Somehow, first-time author Christian manages to handle a potentially smokin’ subject with such sly wit, authentic detail, and clever writing that you’ll wonder why this subject was ever considered taboo.
Title: A Pug’s Tale
Author: Alison Pace
Received: From Erin @ The Penguin Group
Synopsis: Hope McNeill is a New York City gal who finally has it all—an amazing boyfriend, an adorable pug named Max, and a great job in the restorations department of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. In fact, when a wealthy society woman and a major benefactor of the museum takes an interest in her and Max, Hope is thrilled and flattered.
Unfortunately, things take a wrong turn at work—a painting has disappeared from the museum and Hope’s boss is desperate to keep it quiet. Since the painting was in Hope’s department when last seen, she feels it’s up to her to get it back. Along the way she receives some surprising help from an enigmatic detective and her own intuitive pug.
Title: Night Road
Author: Kristin Hannah
Received: Unknown/Unsolicited
Synopsis: For eighteen years, Jude Farraday has put her children’s needs above her own, and it shows—her twins, Mia and Zach—are bright and happy teenagers. When Lexi Baill moves into their small, close knit community, no one is more welcoming than Jude. Lexi, a former foster child with a dark past, quickly becomes Mia’s best friend. Then Zach falls in love with Lexi and the three become inseparable.
Jude does everything to keep her kids on track for college and out of harm’s way. It has always been easy– until senior year of high school. Suddenly she is at a loss. Nothing feels safe anymore; every time her kids leave the house, she worries about them.
On a hot summer’s night her worst fears come true. One decision will change the course of their lives. In the blink of an eye, the Farraday family will be torn apart and Lexi will lose everything. In the years that follow, each must face the consequences of that single night and find a way to forget…or the courage to forgive.
Chick Lit Plus Awards
And the Chick Lit Plus Award goes to……
BEST LOL NOVEL
Nominees:
Not Ready for Mom Jeans by Maureen Lipinski
Lowcountry Summer by Dorothea Benton Frank
Rachel’s Holiday by Marian Keyes
The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella
Sleeping with Ward Cleaver by Jenny Gardiner
Winner: The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella
BEST ROMANCE NOVEL
Nominees:
Summer of Two Wishes by Julia London
Something Blue by Emily Giffin
Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin
The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks
Anyone for Seconds? by Fiona Cassidy
Winner: The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks
BEST BFF NOVEL
Nominees:
Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah
Best Friends Forever by Jennifer Weiner
Hope in a Jar by Beth Harbison
Summer Sisters by Judy Blume
Second Time Around by Beth Kendrick
Winner: Best Friends Forever by Jennifer Weiner
BEST VILLAIN IN A NOVEL
Nominees:
Miranda, The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger
Olga, Moonlight in Odessa, by Janet Skeslein Charles
Cici, I Heart Paris by Lindsey Kelk
Patty, The Icing on the Cupcake by Jennifer Ross
Valerie, Bulletproof Mascara by Bethany Maines
Winner: Cici, I Heart Paris by Lindsey Kelk
BEST SCANDAL IN A NOVEL
Nominees:
Perfect Blend by Sue Margolis
Fly Away Home by Jennifer Weiner
Still Thinking of You by Adele Parks
Poor Little Bitch Girl by Jackie Collins
Pieces of Happily Ever After by Irene Zutell’
Winner: Fly Away Home by Jennifer Weiner
BEST TEAR-JERKER NOVEL
Nominees:
Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah
Promises to Keep by Jane Green
The Opposite of Me by Sarah Pekkanen
The Lies We Told by Diane Chamberlain
On Folly Beach by Karen White
Winner: Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah
BEST NOVEL FROM A DEBUT AUTHOR
Nominees:
The Opposite of Me by Sarah Pekkanen
I’ll Have Who She’s Having by Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke
Reunion by JL Penn
Hook Line and Sink Him by Jackie Pilossoph
Perfect on Paper by Maria Murnane
Winner: I’ll Have Who She’s Having by Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke
BEST NOVL WRITTEN BY A CELEBRITY
Nominees:
LA Candy by Lauren Conrad
Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang by Chelsea Handler
The Truth About Diamonds by Nicole Richie
Sweet Little Lies by Lauren Conrad
Star by Pamela Anderson
Winner: Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang by Chelsea Handler
MOST INTRIGUING CONCEPT
Nominees:
The One That I Want by Allison Winn Scotch
Tuesday Tells it Slant by Holly Christine
The Lies We Told by Diane Chamberlain
Espressologist by Kristina Springer
Bulletproof Mascara by Bethany Maines
Winner: Espressologist by Kristina Springer
BEST FEMALE
Nominees:
Willa, Montana Sky by Nora Roberts
Darcy, Something Blue by Emily Giffin
Becky, Shopaholic Series by Sophie Kinsella
Rachel, Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin
Sammy, Sammy’s Hill by Kristin Gore
Winner: Becky, Shopaholic Series by Sophie Kinsella
BEST MALE
Nominees:
Luc, See Jane Score by Rachel Gibson
Ethan, Something Blue by Emily Giffin
Luke, Shopaholic Series by Sophie Kinsella
Alex, I Heart Paris by Lindsey Kelk
Dan, A Vintage Affair by Isabel Wolff
Winner: Alex, I Heart Paris by Lindsey Kelk
BEST SERIES
Nominees:
Stephanie Plum Series by Janet Evanovich
Shopaholic Series by Sophie Kinsella
Heather Wells Series by Meg Cabot
I Heart Series by Lindsey Kelk
Enchanted Series by Shanna Swendson
Winner: I Heart Series by Lindsey Kelk
NOVEL THAT SHOULD BE A MOVIE
Nominees:
A Total Waste of Makeup by Kim Gruenenfelder
I Heart New York by Lindsey Kelk
Size 12 Is Not Fat by Meg Cabot
The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella
Hook Line and Sink Him by Jackie Pilossoph
Winner: I Heart New York by Lindsey Kelk
BEST NOVEL MADE INTO A MOVIE
Nominees:
Flirty With Forty by Jane Porter
My Sisters Keeper by Jodi Picoult
The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks
The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot
Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella
Winner: The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot
CHARACTER WITH THE BEST JOB
Nominees:
Sophie, Sophie Katz Series by Kyra Davis
Lydia, The Shop on Blossom Street by Debbie Macomber
Becky, Shopaholic Series by Sophie Kinsella
Heather, Heather Wells Series by Meg Cabot
Marla, Diary of a Beverly Hills Matchmaker by Marla Martenson
Winner: Sophie, Sophie Katz Series by Kyra Davis
BEST WEDDING IN A NOVEL
Nominees:
Shopaholic Ties the Knot by Sophie Kinsella
Wedding Season by Katie Fforde
Scot on the Rocks by Brenda Janowitz
For Better, For Worse by Carole Matthews
I Do, But I Don’t by Cara Lockwood
Winner: Shopaholic Ties the Knot by Sophie Kinsella
BEST SUPPORTING CHARACTER IN A NOVEL
Nominees:
Suze, Shopaholic Series by Sophie Kinsella
Kelly, Love in Mid Air by Kim Wright
Dot, The Icing on the Cupcake by Jennifer Ross
Jessica, Shopaholic and Sister by Sophie Kinsella
Candace, Reunion by JL Penn
Winner: Suze, Shopaholic Series by Sophie Kinsella
BEST COUGAR NOVEL
Nominees:
Flirting With Forty by Jane Porter
The Cougar Club by Susan McBride
The Infidelity Pact by Carrie Karasyov
Winner: The Cougar Club by Susan McBride
BEST COVER
Nominees:
Fairytale of New York by Miranda Dickinson
Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella
Misery Loves Cabernet by Kim Gruenenfelder
Pretty in Plaid by Jen Lancaster
Secrets of the Hollywood Girls Club by Maggie Marr
Winner: Pretty in Plaid by Jen Lancaster
BEST SEQUEL
Nominees:
Shopaholic Takes Manhattan by Sophie Kinsella
Something Blue by Emily Giffin
The First Assistant by Clare Naylor and Mimi Hare
Slightly Settled by Wendy Markham
Killer Cocktails by Sheryl J Anderson
Winner: Something Blue by Emily Giffin
BEST MYSTERY
Nominees:
I Scream, You Scream by Wendy Lyn Watson
Killer Heels by Sheryl J Anderson
Looks to Die For by Janice Kaplan
House Rules by Jodi Picoult
Bulletproof Mascara by Bethany Maines
Winner: Bulletproof Mascara by Bethany Maines
THANKS TO ALL WHO VOTED AND THE AUTHORS WHO DONATED THEIR NOVELS!
Best Tear Jerker Nominees
The nominees for Best Tear-Jerker Novel:
Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah
Promises to Keep by Jane Green
The Opposite of Me by Sarah Pekkanen
The Lies We Told by Diane Chamberlain
On Folly Beach by Karen White
Please vote for your favorite by commenting below. Everyone who votes is entered to win!
Best BFF Nominees
The nominees for best BFF Novel (Best Friends Forever):
Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah
Best Friends Forever by Jennifer Weiner
Hope in a Jar by Beth Harbison
Summer Sisters by Judy Blume
Second Time Around by Beth Kendrick
Please vote for your favorite by commenting below. Everyone who votes is entered to win!
