PS, I Love You by Cecelia Ahern

'PS, I Love You' by Cecelia Ahern

Everyone needs a guardian angel…

Some people wait their whole lives to find their soul mates. But not Holly and Gerry.

Childhood sweethearts, they could finish each other's sentences and even when they fought, they laughed. No one could imagine Holly and Gerry without each other.

Until the unthinkable happens. Gerry's death devastates Holly. But as her 30th birthday looms, Gerry comes back to her. He's left her a bundle of notes, one for each of the months after his death, gently guiding Holly into her new life without him, each note signed 'PS, I Love You'.

As the notes are gradually opened, the man who knows Holly better than anyone sets out to teach her that life goes on. With some help from her friends, and her noisy and loving family, Holly finds herself laughing, crying, singing, dancing – and being braver than ever before.

Life is for living, she realises – but it always helps if there's an angel watching over you.

REVIEW

I haven't watched the film like most of my bookclub members, but they all said the book is so much better than the film. I so enjoyed this book, it is a heart warming story of love and loss - I felt as if I was on a journey with the main character Holly's struggle to grieve for her husband. This is a love story of a past love, trying to move on from that love and then looking forward to the future. I found the book hard to put down as I wanted to see how life would work out for Holly. I liked how it wasn't predictable - her new man interest.

Would recommend - a very enjoyable read.

Remember me? By Sophie Kinsella

'Remember me?' By Sophie Kinsella

Lexi wakes up in a hospital bed after a car accident, thinking it's 2004 and she's a twenty-five-year old with crooked teeth and a disastrous love life.But, to her disbelief, she learns it's actually 2007 - she's twenty-eight, her teeth are straight, she's the boss of her department - and she's married! To a good-looking millionaire! How on earth did she land the dream life??!

She can't believe her luck - especially when she sees her stunning new home. She's sure she'll have a fantastic marriage once she gets to know her husband again. He's drawn up a 'manual of our marriage', which should help.

But as she learns more about her new self, chinks start to appear in the perfect life. All her old colleagues hate her. A rival is after her job. Then a dishevelled, sexy guy turns up... and lands a new bombshell.

What happened to her? Will she ever remember? And what will happen if she does?

REVIEW

This is the second Sophie Kinsella book that I have read and I have to say I really enjoyed it. Just what I needed after a few disappointing books - a light hearted, chick flick, easy read. It had me laughing out loud in parts which kept me reading. It was a little predictable but I actually didn't mind that.

If you want a easy enjoyable read, would recommend.

Franky Furbo by William Wharton

'Franky Furbo' by William Wharton

Set in a remote Italian village, this novel focuses on William Wiley and his family as they separate his fantasy about a magical fox from reality by disproving the existence of Franky.

REVIEW

Umm one word 'weird'!!! Only finished this book because it was a bookclub book. This has to be the weirdest book I have ever read! I don't get it - this book has received some really good reviews telling how life changing this read was. I really think I'm just not a understander of William Wharton's work because this wasn't life changing at all for me. It was very well written but not for me.

Would not recommend - not my kind of book!

A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby

'A Long Way Down' by Nick Hornby

'Can I explain why I wanted to jump off the top of a tower block?'

For disgraced TV presenter Martin Sharp the answer's pretty simple: he has, in his own words, 'pissed his life away'. And on New Year's Eve he's going to end it all . . . but not, as it happens, alone. Because first single-mum Maureen, then eighteen-year-old Jess and lastly American rock-god JJ turn up and crash Martin's private party. They've stolen his idea - but brought their own reasons.

Yet it's hard to jump when you've got an audience queuing impatiently behind you. A few heated words and some slices if cold pizza later and these four strangers are suddenly allies. But is their unlikely friendship a good enough reason to carry on living?

REVIEW

Very mixed reviews from me on this one, overall I found the book ok but so much of it annoyed me. I didn't find all the characters likeable especially the girl who just drove me up the wall. It was funny in places but the annoying bits took over the funny ones!! It didn't have me gripped but I found I still wanted to read it to find out what happened. Quick read.

Recommend - only if nothing else to read!

Coming out on movie this year - the trailer looks better than the book!

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1af2sx_a-long-way-down-with-aaron-paul-official-trailer_shortfilms

The Giver by Lois Lowry

'The Giver' by Lois Lowry

Jonas's world is perfect. Everything is under control. There is no war or fear of pain. There are no choices. Every person is assigned a role in the community. When Jonas turns 12 he is singled out to receive special training from The Giver. The Giver alone holds the memories of the true pain and pleasure of life. Now, it is time for Jonas to receive the truth. There is no turning back.

REVIEW

I thought I would read this book as it comes out as a movie sometime this year. I didn't really know anything about the book apart from it was a teen book and a quick read. What can I say, it was ok. It is definitely a teen book 14-18year olds but I can see why adults like the concept of it. The ending leaves you hanging with a lot of unanswered questions - maybe they will be answered in the following books in the series, not sure though if I'll read them! I think it will be better as a movie.

An ok read.

- Posted using BlogPress

The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas

'The Slap' by Christos Tsiolkas

At a suburban barbecue one afternoon, a man slaps an unruly boy.

The boy is not his son.

It is a single act of violence, but this one slap reverberates through the lives of everyone who witnesses it happen.

REVIEW

I was really looking forward to reading this book - I thought it sounded really good and would bring up some great discussions within my bookclub. Oh how wrong was I........I only managed to read less than a 1/4 of this book before I had to give up!! The concept itself is really good but the author, Christo Tsiolkas I think side tracked - he forgot about the actually slap of a young child and became obsessed by using constant swearing - crude language and constant sex. All the characters are obnoxious unlikable people - how they even had friends is unknown to me - they are all just horrible.

I just wish I had read some reviews for this book - I would have thrown it in the bin instead of attempting to reading it. Some many people gave it 1 star - sorry I disagree, it's not even worth 1 star; A BIG FAT 0 stars.

This book is a complete and utter waste of time, it takes a lot for me to totally abandon a book but believe me it was worth abandoning!!
WOULD NEVER RECOMMEND.

- Posted using BlogPress

The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon

'The Fiery Cross' by Diana Gabaldon

1771: the Colony of North Carolina stands in an uneasy balance, with the rich, colonial aristocracy on one side and the struggling pioneers of the backcountry on the other.

Between them stands Jamie Fraser, a man of honour, a man of worth. Exiled from his beloved Scotland, he is at last possessed of the land he has longed for. By his side his extraordinary wife, Claire, a woman out of time and out of place, blessed with the uneasy gift of the knowledge of what is to come. In the past, that knowledge has brought both danger and deliverance to Jamie and Claire. Now it could be a flickering torch that will light their way through the perilous years ahead - or might ignite a conflagration that will leave their lives in ashes.

REVIEW

Before starting this book I read some of the reviews and was some what confused - a lot of reviews said it was their lest favourite and was a means to an end and others loved it giving it 5 stars. Well I world agree with the 5 stars reviews!!!! I really enjoyed reading this book and when nearing the end I was like 'oh no I'm nearly finished!!' I really felt throughout this book we really get to know more about Jamie and Claire; and Brianna and Roger, and then the relationships between Jamie and Roger; and Claire and Brianna. I loved reading about their lives and their ups and down. There is so much in this book that I think some have over looked - relationships, loyalties, passion, struggles, creating homes, fighting, trails, concerns for those who are living on the ridge, secrets, lies, the past, hope for the future, loneliness, grieving for long away families, war etc

You won't be disappointed by this book. Would highly recommend.