Broken For You

It has been forever since I have posted on here. To tell you the truth it has been awhile since I have read something that really moved me. Broken For You by Stephanie Kallos definitely moved me. It is heartbreaking at times, this story about a collection of people who, even as broken as they are, find their way to each other. Margaret begins it by finally living her life at 70 and opening up her house. Wanda is the first to move in and together they sift through their lives trying to find the pieces and put them back together. In doing so they suddenly find that their house is full and they are a family where once there was none. It really is beautifully written, and a story that must be read in its entirety.

Promises to Keep

Jane Green is back again with a new novel about family, friends, and the power of love. Callie has it all, the perfect husband, beautiful children and a career she loves. She has her minor complaints; she wishes her husband didn't travel so much, she wishes her kids didn't fight quite as often, but compared to her sister she had it made. Steffi, Callie's little sister is the girl who has never grown up. Now in her 30's she is still dating loser guys and until recently flitting from job to job. It isn't until she finds a job as a chef at a little vegetarian restaurant that she discovers her true passion and begins her journey towards " growing up." The cast expands to include Callie's best friend Lila, and her parents. As each character faces their own problems in life, they all know that no matter what they would drop everything to be there for eachother in times of need. One added bonus is that Green has added some of Steffi's recipes throughout the book and they all look delicious!
       While Green does write a touching tribute to what it truly means to love, I felt that this novel was a little predictable. Not to say it wasn't enjoyable, and touching. It definitely spurred on a few tears here and there and Green does a good job building each character to be relatable as well as lovable. However, I knew the ending by the third chapter and was a little dissappointed that it unraveled the way it did. My favorite part about the book was probably the recipes, which isn't saying a whole lot for the book itself.

Heart of The Matter

In Emily Griffin's new novel she writes from the stand point of two very different women. One is a stay-at-home mom struggling with the everyday aspects of caring for a family, while keeping up with chores and having a little time of her own. She never quite feels like she can keep up with the other "perfect moms" around her, but does her best to balance it all. The other is a single mom who has put herself through law school and has a successful career while still making time for her son. When tragedy strikes the two women's lives interweave and they are faced with dealing with eachother's differences and their own shortcomings.
    Griffin once again has given us a well-written tale to follow. The plot, being more realistic than fantasy, may be a hard one for some to swallow and there were moments when I was ready to put the book down. However, the ending is appropriate and leaves you with a sense that all is how it should be. Just be warned, this is not a happy-go-lucky look at love and life and the perfect little family. It is a more closer-to-home look at how life can really be, with a happier ending than most realities!

The Nanny Returns

McLaughlin and Kraus team up once again to bring us Nan and her many adventures. Ten years have passed and she is back in NY fixing up a house her and her hubby have bought. While trying to remodel/ live in their falling down "dream house" Nan runs into her old charge Grayer and is instantly thrown into his life, and many family issues.   Her residual guilt causes her to feel she owes him and to take them all on and be his rescuer. Along with these problems Nan has started her own business and takes on a tough client. Finally, her man is ready to be a dad, but Nan just isn't there and isn't sure she ever will be. With all of this the novel is fairly fast paced and easy reading. Nan is a likeable heroine and since we know and love her from the Nanny Diaries we are easily forgiving of any faults and ready to watch her take on the world.

The Postmistress

Sarah Blake writes a novel about the many casualties of war from a different perspective. Set during WWI we hear the story from a postmistress in the US who finds herself in a place where a letter not delivered might make all the difference. The novel also follows a female war correspondent from the states who has placed herself in Europe among the worst of the fighting. This novel hits on many crucial topics of this era. Should the US get involved in the fighting? What is happening to the Jewish people and are they really being treated badly? Sarah Blake does a good job weaving a story through many interesting characters and topics and while it is a unique perspective it seems to fall a little short. It is very bittersweet and has very little in the way of happy endings. In fact it could be labeled more of a tragedy than anything else, and perhaps that was what Blake was striving for when writing a novel about war.

The White Queen

The White Queen! Phillipa Gregory writes again and this time it is the first in a series of books about King Richard and the era before the Tudors. Always very well done, and once again she captures your attention and draws you into the story of the war for the throne between three brothers. It is a never ending battle in this novel as the residing King and Queen are never safe for long on their newly won throne. Brothers and then cousins guided by parents and mentors stop at nothing to become the ruler of England. Even if it means destroying a family, their own family, in the process! A must read!

Her next book in the series will be called The Red Queen and is due out August 3rd. This one will pick up with Margaret, mother to King Henry VII, who will spend her life trying to get her son on the throne. Again it is a cousin's war, and set to be another must read!

Spellman Files

A friend of mine has been telling me to read these books for awhile now and I finally have. What can I say, she is usually right about her recommendations. Izzy Spellman and her family are a quirky, fun-loving group who, besides her older brother David, all work in the family business of private investigation. They are fun, easy reads with a few deeper moments when real-life threatens to invade.