White Girl Problems by Babe Walker

Publisher: Hyperion

Publish Date: January 17, 2012

Format: Kobo ereader

Pages: - 

ISBN: 978 1401304119

Babe Walker, center of the universe, is a painstakingly manicured white girl with an expensive smoothie habit, a proclivity for Louboutins, a mysterious mother she’s never met, and approximately 50 bajillion Twitter followers.  But her “problems” have landed her in shopping rehab – that’s what happens when you spend $246,893.50 in one afternoon at Barneys.  Now she’s decided to write her memoir, revealing the gut-wrenching hurdles she’s had to overcome in order to be perfect in every way, every day.  Hurdles such as: I hate my horse.  Every job I've ever had is the worst job I've ever had.  He’s not a doctor, a lawyer, or a prince.  I’ll eat anything, as long as it’s gluten-free, dairy-free, low-carb, low-calorie, sugar-free, and organic.

My Thoughts

If you enjoy reading "memoirs" about an overly rich, spoiled, shallow, neurotic, self-absorbed, materialistic, annoying, selfish socialite with major "problems" then this is the "memoir" for you!  Yes there were parts that I found funny and gave myself a chuckle but overall I just found it unrealistic.  You just want to be embarrassed for Babe Walker, but you can't.

After attempting to Google Babe Walker and finding nothing but a blog and Twitter account I then learned that she isn't even a real person - just a made up character.

Yes I purchased the book (on sale for $2.99) and yes I will probably read the next book Psychos: A White Girl Problems Novel (when it also goes on sale for $2.99) and yes I started following @whitegrlproblems on Twitter (for entertainment purposes) but overall this was a bit of a disappointing read.  But in the end I guess it served it's purpose because I've clearly gotten caught up in the antics of "Babe Walker." xo

My Rating: ««

Buy it Now!

The reviews made here are my personal opinion. I’m not being paid to review any of these books. I am by no means a professional book reviewer or editor.  I do this for the love of books.

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

Publisher: HarperCollins
Publish Date: May 21, 2013
Format: Kobo ereader
Pages: - 
ISBN: 978 1443422680

Narrator Don Tillman 39, Melbourne genetics prof and Gregory Peck lookalike, sets a 16-page questionnaire The Wife Project to find a non-smoker, non-drinker ideal match.  But \Rosie and her Father Project  supersede.  The spontaneous always-late smoker-drinker wants to find her biological father.  She resets his clock, throws of his schedule, and turns his life topsy-turvy.

My Thoughts

I found this to be suck a cute quirky read.  Don is such a lovable offbeat narrator that at times I would laugh out loud at the situations he got himself into.  Meeting Rosie turns his life upside down and ends up complementing Don's character perfectly.

As the first novel by Simsion I thought it was very well written and delivered and loved that it is a romantic comedy with a male protagonist as the main character and written by a male author.  I loved being along for the ride during all of Don's ups and downs as he faces his fears, embraces change, adapts to social etiquette and eventually learns the power of love.

Defiantly an off-beat one of a kind love story that is sure to have you laughing.   

My Rating: ««««

Buy it Now!

The reviews made here are my personal opinion. I’m not being paid to review any of these books. I am by no means a professional book reviewer or editor.  I do this for the love of books.

Wedding Night by Sophie Kinsella

Publisher:Random House Audio
Publish Date: April 23, 2013
Format: Audio
Discs: 11
ISBN: 978 0385361668

Lottie just knows that her boyfriend is going to propose during lunch at one of London’s fanciest restaurants.  But when his big question involves a trip abroad, not a trip down the aisle, she’s completely crushed.  So when Ben, an old flame, calls her out of the blue and reminds Lottie of their pact to get married if they were both still single at thirty, she jumps at the chance.  No formal dates – just a quick march to the alter and a honeymoon on Ikonos, the sun-drenched Greek island where they first met years ago.

Their family and friends are horrified. Fliss, Lottie’s older sister, knows that Lottie can be impulsive – but surely this is her worst decision yet.  And Ben’s colleague Lorcan fears that this hasty marriage will ruin his friend’s career.  To keep Lottie and Ben from making a terrible mistake, Fliss concocts an elaborate scheme to sabotage their wedding night.  As she and Lorcan jet off to Ikonos in pursuit, Lottie and Ben are in for a honeymoon to remember, for better…or worse.

My Thoughts

Let me start off by saying that I am a huge Sophie Kinsella fan, and have been for many many year.  Hell I even enjoy reading Kinsella books as Madeleine Wickham.  But this, this was just downright awful.  I've read every book of her's (and Wickham's) and even own every single one of them...except Wedding Night. I made the mistake of listening to this on Audio and the narration was atrocious, which made it an even worse experience.

Where did Kinsella go wrong with this book?  It wasn't just the beginning or the middle or the end...it was the whole thing!  Every character drove me nuts and I don't even know how I managed to finish it, but I did.  It lacked the usual wit and endearing parts of the characters we all hate in the beginning then fall in love with in the end.  Also, it could have easily been 100-150 pages shorter.

Is Sophie Kinsella slipping or am I just outgrowing her novels?

My Rating: ««

Buy it Now!

The reviews made here are my personal opinion. I’m not being paid to review any of these books. I am by no means a professional book reviewer or editor.  I do this for the love of books.

Skipping Christmas by John Grisham

Publisher: DoubleDay
Publish Date: November 6, 2001
Format: download library
Pages: - 
ISBN: - 

Imagine a year without Christmas.  No crowded malls, no corny office parties, no fruitcakes, no unwanted presents.  That’s just was Luther and Nora Krank have in mind when they decide that, just this once, they’ll skip the holiday all together.  Theirs will be the only house on Hemlock Street without a rooftop Frosty; they won’t be hosting their annual Christmas Eve bash; they aren't even going to have a tree.  They won’t need one, because come December 25 they’re setting sail on a Caribbean cruise.  But, as this weary couple is about to discover, skipping Christmas brings enormous consequences – and isn't half as easy as they’d imagined.

My Thoughts

I thought that was hilarious.  I did see the movie a few years ago when it first came out and the movie stayed true to the novel - very similar and just as funny.  A nice short  predictable read, finished it in only a few hours.  

Got me in the Christmas mood.

My Rating:««««

Buy it Now!

The reviews made here are my personal opinion. I’m not being paid to review any of these books. I am by no means a professional book reviewer or editor.  I do this for the love of books.

I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella

Publisher: Dial Press Trade Paperback
Publish Date: April 23, 2013
Pages: 448
Format: Trade Paperback
ISBN: 978-0385342070

Poppy Wyatt has never felt luckier.  She is about to marry her ideal man, Magnus Tavish, but in one afternoon her “happily ever after” begins to fall apart.  Not only has she lost her engagement ring in a hotel fire drill but in the panic that follows, her phone is stolen.  As she paces shakily around the lobby, she spots an abandoned phone in a trash can.  Finders keepers!  Now she can leave a number for the hotel to contact her when they find her ring, perfect!

Well, perfect except that the phone’s owner, businessman Sam Roxton, doesn’t agree.  He wants his phone back and doesn’t appreciate Poppy reading his messages and wading into his personal life.

What ensues is a hilarious and unpredictable turn of events as Poppy and Sam increasingly upend each other’s lives through emails and text messages.  As Popp juggles wedding preparations, mysterious phone calls, and hiding her left hand from Magnus and his parents…she soon realizes that she is in for the biggest surprise of her life.

My Thoughts
Sophie Kinsella is known for her over the top characters finding themselves in wacky situations that would never exist in real life, yet her stories still ooze with charm.  You will laugh your way through this entire novel and will find it hard to put down (I know I did).  Witty, refreshing and well thought out, the writing had nice flow and so did the plot.  Her characters are cleverly thought out and they will engross you from the beginning.  Highly recommended for any Sophie Kinsella fan out there! 

My Rating: ««««

Buy it Now!

The reviews made here are my personal opinion. I’m not being paid to review any of these books. I am by no means a professional book reviewer or editor.  I do this for the love of books.

Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella

Publisher: Dial Press Trade Paperback
Publish Date: October 28, 2008
Pages: 400
Format: Trade Paperback
ISBN: 978-0385338738

When twenty-eight-year-old Lexi Smart wakes up in a London hospital, she’s in for a big surprise.  Her teeth are perfect.  Her body is toned.  Her handbag is Vuitton.  Having survived a car accident – in a Mercedes no less – Lexi has lost a big chunk of her memory, three years to be exact, and she’s about to find out just how much things have changed.

Somehow Lexi went from a twenty-five-year-old working girl to a corporate big shot with a sleek new loft, a personal assistant, a carb-free diet, and a set of glamorous new friends.  And who is this gorgeous husband – who also happens to be a multimillionaire?  With her mind still stuck three years in the past, Lexi greets this brave new world determined to be the person she, well, seems to be.  This is, until an adourably disheveled architect drops the biggest bombshell of all.

Suddenly Lexi is scrambling to catch her balance.  Her new life, it turns out, comes complete with secrets, schemes, and intrigue.  How on earth did all this happen?  Will she ever remember?  And what will happen when she does?

My Thoughts

Sophie Kinsella is a masterful story teller; she mixes real life with just enough drama to carry you along and helps you invest in the characters.  If you are in the mood for checklit, it doesn’t get much better than this.  Remember Me? Is addictive and hard to put down as well as laugh out loud funny.  It is light and entertaining.  You can always count on Sophie Kinsella’s books for a delightful escape and this one is no exception.

My Rating: ««««

Buy it Now!

The reviews made here are my personal opinion. I’m not being paid to review any of these books. I am by no means a professional book reviewer or editor.  I do this for the love of books.