Dancing Naked in Dixie: Lauren Clark

Julia is use to the fast paced life, living in NYC and spending most of her time passing through airports to exotic locations as a travel writer for Getaway magazine. She has to meet with her new boss thought and he has other plans for her. Knowing Julia's past David sends her to Eufaula, Alabama. Julia has to write the piece of her life to save her job, but as she tours the town and gets use to a slower pace Julia learns there might be more at stake then just her job.  With the slower pace she has to face her past, her future, and the past of others in her life too. As some of the secrets just might need to come out and be saved now.

I could relate to Julia and I think that is part of why this novel really appealed to me. She is as accident prone as I am at times. She is just built as a well rounded character for me. We didn't get all of her background at the start, but all was revealed as we needed it, which I appreciated and I think added to the readers experience.

Two thing I would have liked more is a bit more description about some of the characters looks and the settings. I had some very general ideas of what the houses she was touring looked like. But at times I wanted more to get a better picture. As odd as it is I would appreciate pictures with it, to give the readers some general ideas. And I would have liked to read the article that Julia wrote that made the difference in the story. Overall, those elements being missing weren't enough to distract me from the aspects of the book that I liked, so I still recommend it.

I would give this book 4 stars as it kept me reading and I liked the development of the main character and the development of the plot. I would recommend this book to others who enjoy chick lit and those who are interested in travel, seeing different places through different eyes.

This review is part of chick lit plus blog tours.

I was provided a copy of the book for review, but the summary and thoughts on the book are mine.

In my bag 06/10-06/16

Reading:

A Game of Thrones: George R.R. Martin
Kat Fight: Dina Silver

Up for review soon:

Two for the Dough: Janet Evanovich

Three to get Deadly:Janet Evanovich

Dancing in Dixie: Lauren Clark

Rest of the Hunger Game series reviews

These reviews will each contain spoilers for the book that occurred before them. So, fair warning on that there maybe spoilers in the summaries. 

Catching Fire: Suzanne Collins 
Having survived the arena Katniss and Peetra are the champions and back at home. But, in both of them surviving they have offset the balance and the Capital is not happy with them. On the Victory tour Katniss has to prove why they should both have survived and crush the rebellion that might be building. It might not be enough though and then her family and Gale, where there is still tension between them, may be at risk. When the next games in announced (SPOILER) and Katniss and Peetra find that they have to enter the arena again. This time Katniss makes it her mission to get Peera out alive, but others may have plans for both of them. 

I personally thought that this book kind of started a little slow. There wasn't the building of the world to keep you interested like the start of the last book and the action was a bit slow to pickup. Once things started happening, you could see why that part needed to be established, but I wished it had been tightened up a little more. When you got into the action and really movement of the story I couldn't put it down and just wanted to keep reading. The end just flew by, as you kept wanting to know more and the action built till it just dropped you and ended. I would give it 4 stars for how well the action built towards the end. 

If you are enjoying this series, make sure that you have the final one available to start as soon as you finish this one, you will need it. I read the last two books across just two or three days I believe and if you ask those around me I wasn't putting me ereader down. I also have a physical copy of the series and had left those at work. When I left 3 people were lined up for the 2nd book and one was reading it. I was only gone for a week and no one who was lined up claims to be a big reader. When I was back they were all done with all of them.  

Mockingjay: Suzanne Collins
The rebellion grew while Katniss and Peetra were in the arena for the second time and the rebels had brought an end to the games. They saved Katniss, their Mockingjay to become the symbol of the revolution, while Peetra was captured. Though District 12 has been destroyed Katniss and Gale's Family has escaped. Taken in by District 13 where the rebels are based and fighting the Capital by taking each district everyone seems to have a plan for Katniss, but Katniss. She is still in shock from all the changes and what appears to be the lose of Peetra. She has some choices to make and decisions that will not only change her life, but those of the maybe the whole country of Panema. 

This could have been like the start of two was with being slower as it built to the final fight, but it didn't fall into that pattern oddly enough. It really got more into the mind of not only Katniss, but some of her other victors that had helped her in Catching Fire. Again, with this book especially I don't see how this could be a young adult book. It would depend on the child, but I am sure that I would have to have read this before I would let a child and would need to be prepared to take about tough issues with them. I like how the book was wrapped out and how we saw Katniss grown through the series, by the end she seemed much older that she was said to be in age. 

I would again give this book 4 stars and say that this series is very much worth reading. And I will keep these books and someday when I have kids and they are older would share them with them. It brings up some great topics of conversation. 

I've Got Your Number: Sophie Kinsella

Poppy Wyatt has misplaced her engagement ring, a family heirloom for her fiance, and in her search for it she finds more than she expected. Her phone is stolen while searching for her ring and she conveniently finds a abandoned cell phone in the waste bin. She takes the phone on as her own in her search for the ring.  Sam, who's PA happens to be the one who abandoned the phone and her job, is not so keen on Poppy having the phone though. 

As Poppy keeps the phone and is forwarding Sam's emails onto him, their relationship expands and they form something that could be seen as a friendship. They talk to each other about the lost ring, problems Sam is having at work, Poppy planning her wedding and the issues she is having with her future family. Until, it all comes to a head on both side and they find that they both need each other, but how can they help each other and will they really trust each other when they need to. All over a lost and found phone. 

Much like many of Kinsella's books in my opinions this is superior to her shopaholic books, but still it not my favorite of her works. This book started a bit slow to me, then when it picked up it really picked up and I couldn't put it down. I just wanted to keep reading towards the end, especially the last 3/4 of the book. I liked how Poppy learned a grew some in the book but still stayed true to herself. The other characters grew and were there, but were not very deep too, so it was hard only have one or two characters to relate too. 

I gave this book 3 starts, since I enjoyed it. But, it was not one of my favorites, I guess you could say it felt kind of average to me. I would suggest this to others invested in the genre and it was worth reading, but not Kinsella best piece or a good into to the genre. 

In my Bag 06/03-06/09

Sorry, I didn't post last week. I was headed out of the town last Sunday and got back late today. So, shall try to get back to our originally scheduled posts.

Reading:
A Game of Thrones: George R.R. Martin
Three to get Deadly:Janet Evanovich

Up for review soon:
Catching Fire: Suzanne Collins
Two for the Dough: Janet Evanovich
Dancing in Dixie: Lauren Clark

Mockingjay: Suzanne Collins
I've Got Your Number: Sophie Kinsella

In my bag 5/20-5/26

Reading:
A Game of Thrones: George R.R. Martin
Dancing in Dixie: Lauren Clark
Three to get Deadly:Janet Evanovich

Up for review:
Catching Fire: Suzanne Collins
Two for the Dough: Janet Evanovich

Second Time Around: Beth Kendrick

Five college friends meet up every summer to catch up and are usually bemoaning their jobs and talking about the dreams. When one of the group Arden, dies of an ongoing illness she leaves a million dollars to be split between the remaining 4. The only catch to the money is that she tells them to use it to pursue their dream. The rest of the plot follows them as they work out what to do with the money and how to pursue their dreams.

The first to use the money is Brooke, who works at the alumni office at the college they all graduated from. With the windfall and an old dorm just being put up for sale from the college, she jumps on the chance to try and run a Bed and Breakfast in the small college town with their past. The others gather around her as she tries to get the B and B up and running and finds that the house which holds their memories and her dream now might not be in the condition she thought it was and her dream requires more work then she might be able to do.

Jamie follows her to the B and B as she quit her job in order to go to Arden's funeral. With three failed weddings under her belt she can't imagine that it is that hard to plan weddings and events for other that actually succeed. What she doesn't count on is ghosts from her past visiting that make it hard for her to take Arden's money and making her question what she wants and can do.

Cait is a professor of literature, but prefers to read romance novels. She blows off work as her ex tries to manipulate her and heads to the B and B to pursue her dream of writing. With a blast from the past with one of the girls past professors she may realize what her real dream is and what she wants to write as well as find out about herself and her own courage.

The last to join them is Anna, who has been trying to get pregnant and all they are gaining is debt. It is straining her marriage too. She joins the girls at the B and B when she is needed for a crisis, but stays when her marriage needs the space. Anna, has always found comfort in baking, so she starts baking for parties. The other Baker in town challenges her, but they may find that they both need each other.

Different parts of the story focuses on each of the girls. Since it was covering so many character I personal feel like too much was covered in the plot and in such a short period of time that the book took place. But, I did enjoy reading all the characters story, I would have just like more and deeper connections at times. Also, I think that characters relationships were speed up in the time frame also..

One of my favorite parts of the book was how information/secrets about the characters were revealed. We were given hints that something specific would be going on , but just enough to know that it has an influence, but not what specifically happened or is going on until we really need the information and at that point the character grows and can forgive or learn from the revelation of the secret.

I would give this book 3 starts in that it was a very enjoyable read, but there are draw backs to the book so I couldn't give it more than that. I liked the writing style and will check out other books by Kendrick, I appreciate how she built the characters and hope to see more like that.

Strings of Color: Marian L. Thomas

A quote starts each chapter in the book and I felt it was the way to start this review.

"Everything we go through in life is like a string of color, which pulls us this way or that." She said as she crossed one sting over the other. "That's how come we get so twisted in life. Can't grab our own strings and pull them in the direction we want them to go. No, we allow someone to not only hook us but to sting us along."

The plot follows 4 women and the men around them. Simone, a talented young singer but as she learns about her family and past she has to consider how far she will go for love now. Naya a jazz singer, who has built a world around her that seems to be falling down around and and now she really has to face secrets of her past. Mona, has to face the secrets of her past with all the changes that are happening around her, but how much damage has she done and can fix it now. Misty, has lived her life one way and thought one thing for so long when she finds out that might not be all the truth is she going to be able to face the changes she knows in her heart she needs to make.

The plot of all of these character's lives are entwined throughout this whole plot. There are moments where I couldn't keep them all straight and sometimes I still am confused by their pasts and how they are all related. But, it is in a good way, a way that I know they all go together and know that their relationships will work out together.

The confusion worked in this plot for me. It drew me in to the plot as I wanted to see all the elements work out. And see how all the characters grew, learned and faced what they need to through the plot. I would give this book 4 stars, but I do still need to read it again to make sure I understood all the elements.

This review is part of chick lit is the new black tour. I was provided a copy of the book, but the thoughts and summary are my own.

In my bag 5/6-5/12

Reading:

A Game of Thrones: George R.R. Martin

Second Time Around:Beth Kendrick

Catching Fire: Suzanne Collins

Up for review:

Strings of Color: Marian L. Thomas

The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe: J. Randy Taraborrelli

Every now and then I get in the mood to read a biography or and autobiography and this is what I choose to read this time.  In my opinion/experience there are two kinds of biographies. The one that make the life into a story and are almost more like autobiographies in they lead you through a life like someone living it would or might describe it. Or one that is more a collection of facts, put them into a chronological order for the reader, this is more informative and truths or what might be rumored about a famous person, but is not confirmed with that part noted.

My personal preference is for the first kind, probably why I usually read more autobiographies then biographies.  I think it is because I enjoy the stories of how people know each other and interact, the stories they tell. But, hearing it from one persons side I feel like you can relate to all of the people in the stories better.

Back to this book. Marilyn seems to be coming up in culture again right now and maybe, that is why I picked up the book right now.  I enjoyed the first 300 or so pages of this book. The paced moved well and more was explored then just what is kind of known about Marilyn. When it came to her childhood it was covered, but not over dwelled on (like some biographies can do in my opinion). I like how it rumors or possible untruths were presented and then how they could be true or weren't were handled. Most of this book felt like the first type of book for me. It had stories and gave me insight, but there were moments where it was just facts listed off.

I did finally make it through to the end of the book. Part of it could be that everyone knew she was fading at the end, and the build up was hard to read. But, then it was anticlimactic at the end. It was just kind of an inevitable thing.

Overall, I am glad that I read the book and do feel like I got some insight into who Marilyn Monroe was as a person. I wouldn't go back to it again though. So, I would give it three stars.