This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen

I saw a book by this author in Barnes and Nobel called Along for the Ride. I loved the cover and found out the author was from Chapel Hill, so I immediately went home and added a bunch of her books to my Paperbackswap wish list.

Even though this book is YA (young adult), I thought I would like it, I mean I liked Twilight and Harry Potter right? Well, I have spent the last week reading this book and trying to get in to it, but I just couldn't.

I hardly ever quit a book, but I had so many good ones to read on my bookshelf that I just couldn't justfy wasting my time on it if I didn't enjoy it.

I still have a few of her other books, so maybe I will give her another try at a later date, but as for this one...it was too slow and simple and just did not pull me in.

Since I didn't even get half way through I feel like I can't give it a rating.

Have you read this one or any other of Sarah Dessen's books?

You can check out the rest of them HERE

The Next Big Thing by Johanna Edwards

Kat Larson is dating a guy in London whom she has never met. They met online and sad thing is they like each other but he thinks she is a size 4. In reality she is over 200 pounds. Kat keeps putting off meeting each other in person so she can loose the weight and then everything will fall into place and her life will be perfect. When she hears about the casting for a new reality show called From Fat to Fabulous, she jumps at the chance. She makes it to the finals and is flown out to Los Angles and eventually cast on the show!

Most of the book centers around her experience on the show. She shares a house with the other contestants and is taped 24/7. They are locked off from society and are given different competitions to earn money for their bank. From working out for an hour each day, to guessing the weight of each of your competitors to the closest pound, the girls slowly build up their banks and the one with the most at the end gets to take home the money in her bank! They also have a Tomb of Temptation filled with every sweet snack and comfort food imaginable to tempt the girls.

Later in the show a shocking twist throws not just the competition, but Kat’s life into a tailspin. And it is all Live on TV for all of America to see.

I really enjoyed this book. Seeing the inner workings of a reality show, Kat’s thoughts about dealing with weight issues, and the twisty turvy plot line with Kat’s love life, all kept me thoroughly entertained. It reminded me of a Jennifer Weiner type of book.

Overall, I give this 4 out of 5 stars.

The Pact: A Love Story by Jodi Picoult

I LOVED this book! I read My Sister's Keeper a few years ago and picked this book up because I thought the plot seemed really intriguing. I had started to read it a few times throughout the year, but I couldn't get in to it. This time I was determined to get in to it.

After I got past the first few chapters I was HOOKED. The story jumps between "Then" and "Now" and tells the story of Chris and Emily and their families. Chris and Emily and their parents were almost like on family. They lived next door to each other and took vacations together. Chris and Emily grew up together and were just about as close as two people can be. They started dating as teenagers. The book opens with the death of Emily.

They find Emily shot in the head and Chris holding her dead body. Chris tells them it was supposed to be a double suicide, but he apparently passed out before he could take his life.

As the police investigate the situation and you get flashes of before all this happened and different story starts to take shape. Did thes two love-struck teenagers really plan a double suicide? And why?

These two families, who were like one, are torn apart by the tragedy.

Throughout the book, the plot thickens with almost every page turn. You get more pieces to the puzzle, see things from Emily's perspective, and more and more plot lines develop with each chapter.

I could not put it down all weekend.

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars!

Any other Jodi Picoult fans out there? Which one should I read next? I was thinking about picking up "Keeping Faith" because it sounds interesting but I've heard some of her books are disappointing. Any Suggestions?

Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah

It took me a while to decide to read Firefly Lane because of the size. It just looked so thick sitting there on my bookshelf. But the cover and title were cute and it was a book about friendship that followed these characters through over 3 decades of their lives, so I figured I would have to like some part of the book.

It didn't disappoint. The storyline kept my attention the whole time and even though I should have seen the ending coming I didn't because I was so busy waiting for something else to happen that never did!

The story is about Tully and Kate who become best friends in middle school when Tully moves to Kate's town. Kate has the perfect little family, but she is somewhat of a dork and Tully seems so cool and interesting to her. Tully has a bad family life. Her mother is drugged out and not much of a mom at all. She spends most of her childhood being raised by her grandma, but goes to live with her mom for a brief period across the street from Kate.

The story follows them through most of their lives together. I loved watching their friendship evolve and the different stories throughout their teenage years, 20's and 30's. From getting themselves in trouble and dreaming about the future as they ride their bikes down Firefly Lane as teens, to their first jobs and loves in their 20's, to how each of their chosen life paths play out in their 30's. Even though the characters are somewhat one dimensional and predictable at times, I still liked their story and the author puts in enough sub-plots to keep your attention throughout the book.

It is a pretty good book and I give it 4 out of 5 stars.