The Vow by Kim & Krickitt Carpenter

I really liked the movie The Vow.  Channing Tatum and Rachel McAdams are two of my favorites!  And I love a love story!  So I really wanted to love this book.  But I didn't.

The book is very different from the movie.  And it is written more like a journal of events and their feelings during those events than a story.  It just wasn't well written I felt like.

I do love their story and how their faith in God and their commitment to the marriage got them through in tact.  It wasn't a pretty story, but life never is and their faith through it all really is amazing!

It's a good story and worth reading, but don't expect movie love or a story that sucks you in.

I give this one 3 out of 5 stars.

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

I LOVED this book.  I fell in love with it from the first page when I realized it was written from the point of view of the dog!!  I am so head over heels in love with my dog and often wonder what he is thinking.  Now thanks to this book I now wonder how Cam would tell my story.  What would he have to say about our life together?

The Art of Racing in the Rain is written from Enzo's perspective.  Enzo is Denny's dog.  It tells the story of how Eve, Denny's wife, enters the picture.  It tells the story of how their daughter Zoe joins the family.  It tells the story of Eve's tragic and unexpected death.  And it tells the story of how Denny fights for his family all through Enzo's eyes.

You are probably wondering where the title comes from.  Denny is a race car driver.  Not like NASCAR race car, but like fancy Italian cars racing.  Enzo has learned a lot about racing from Denny and watching races with Denny, and even riding in the race car with Denny.

Oh and did I mention that Enzo likes TV and learned on a documentary that when dogs die they come back as a man?  And Enzo can not wait to come back as a man!

I laughed, I cried, I flew through this book.  I give it 5 out of 5 stars!  A great read!!

Here is a trailer for the book:



It apparently is also in development to become a movie.

And the book is very well written and filled with great quotes.  Here is one of my favorites:

“Here is why I will be a good person. Because I listen. I cannot speak so I listen very well. I never interrupt, I never deflect the course of the conversation with a comment of my own.

...I beg of you, pretend you are a dog like me and LISTEN to other people rather than steal their stories.” 

And go here for a lot more great quotes from the book!

Same Kind of Different as Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore

You should read this book.  Seriously.  If you have not read it, you should put it on your "to-read" list.  Same Kind of Different as Me is the true story of a wealthy art dealer and a homeless man and the unlikely friendship they find.

The book alternates between Denver, a former plantation sharecropper who jumps a train to escape his bleak future and ends up living his life as a homeless man for years, and Ron, a wealthy art dealer whose wife convinces him to serve the community at a homeless shelter.  That homeless shelter is where their paths cross and God moves in both of their lives.

This story really did make me view homeless people and serving others differently.  If you really want to make a difference in someone's life it doesn't happen in a day. 

It was inspiring to watch how God worked in both of these men's lives to change them and each other.

The book is very well written and will suck you in.  It is open and honest and tells their imperfect and inspiring story beautifully.  Not only is it a good story, but it may change your life- read it!

I give this one 4.5 out of 5 stars.

It looks like it is in production to become a movie.

Here's a good interview with Ron and Denver about their story:

Sarah’s Key by Tatiana De Rosnay

A good friend of mine and fellow book lover recommended Sarah's Key to me.  I freaking loved this book! Ever since I went to the Holocaust museum in DC I have been somewhat obsessed with stories involving it.

Here is a synopsis:

A New York Times bestseller. Paris, July 1942: Sarah, a ten year-old girl, is brutally arrested with her family by the French police in the Vel’ d’Hiv’ roundup, but not before she locks her younger brother in a cupboard in the family's apartment, thinking that she will be back within a few hours. Paris, May 2002: On Vel’ d’Hiv’s 60th anniversary, journalist Julia Jarmond is asked to write an article about this black day in France's past. Through her contemporary investigation, she stumbles onto a trail of long-hidden family secrets that connect her to Sarah. Julia finds herself compelled to retrace the girl's ordeal, from that terrible term in the Vel d'Hiv', to the camps, and beyond. As she probes into Sarah's past, she begins to question her own place in France, and to reevaluate her marriage and her life.

I read this book in less than 24 hours. I loved seeing Sarah’s story unfold and following Julia through her discoveries of Sarah’s story and the connection it had to her own life. I highly recommend this book!

I give it 5 out of 5 stars!

It’s also going to be a movie coming out July 22. Here’s a preview:

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

The first chapter of this book I had to read out loud. It made me want to go out and sit on a font porch and sip sweet tea (even though I am probably one of the only Southerner's that hates sweet tea).

The first character you will meet in The Help is Aibeleen and her point of view is written in a very strong southern dialect. So much so that it was hard to read at first- thus the reading it out loud in my own strong southern accent.

The book is written from three different points of view- Aibeleen her best friend Minny and "the white lady" Skeeter. Aibeleen works as a maid for one of Skeeter's best friends and Minny was just fired as a maid by another one of Skeeter's best friends.

Basically the book takes you back to the 1960's in Jackson, Mississippi and gives you a glimpse into the world of the elite Junior League women and the "help" they have. It is right at the start of the civil rights movement and as the tensions rise regarding segregation, Skeeter gets the help of Aibeleen and Minny to write a book from the point of the view of the maids.

I LOVED it! It had me laughing out loud, tearing up, and open mouthed in shock throughout the book. Each chapter left enough suspense to make it hard to put the book down.

I can't believe that people lived like that so recently! I never had to experience segregation, so it is just so hard for me to imagine. I mean I do live in the South and I do know some racist people, but I can't believe it was ever like this!  It made me wonder if one day our children will read a book and be shocked that we were ever so anti-gay.

My only disappointment was with Miss Celia Foote's storyline. She was one of my favorites and I felt like her storyline fell flat in the end.  But my absolute favorite character was Aibeleen and I also loved to hate that Miss Hilly Hollbrook!

I loved it and would totally recommend this book to everyone!

I give it 5 out of 5 stars!

Here is the preview for the movie. I have to say I was a little disappointed when I saw this in the theater last week because it looks like the movie might not live up to the book (at least for me). But I will definitely be going to see it though!

I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell by Tucker Max

Since I started reading this book, I have talked about it to anyone who will listen. It was just so shocking! All the stories in the book are supposedly true accounts of Tucker Max’s hedonistic adventures. I just can’t believe there are guys like this out there! But at least he admits what he is. Here is the summary he wrote on the back of his book:

"My name is Tucker Max, and I am an asshole.

I get excessively drunk at inappropriate times, disregard social norms, indulge every whim, ignore the consequences of my actions, mock idiots and posers, sleep with more women than is safe or reasonable, and just generally act like a raging dickhead.

But, I do contribute to humanity in one very important way. I share my adventures with the world."

The stories are completely disgusting but also completely hilarious. He is a jerk. He is a drunk. He is a male whore. But he is also funny- his one redeeming quality. From a hit and run through the window of a donut shop in some random girl’s car to defecating in the lobby of an Embassy Suites and being banned for life from ever staying there again, it is hard to believe these things really happened. And his sex stories…don’t even get me started.

He has no filter and is very mean to girls. He doesn’t just “love em and leave em” he emotionally abuses them and uses them until they finally wake up and smell the nasty in this guy. I have no idea why any self-respecting girl would put up with him. But I guess there are a lot of girls out there who have no self-respect since he brags that his “number” is well into the triple digits.

His writing is actually pretty good though. The stories flow really well and he surprising has a pretty good vocabulary. The other “characters” in the book are pretty well developed. So as a writer, I give him props. It’s just that the content of the stories will leave you in complete shock with your mouth hanging wide open for hours.

This is very much a “guy” book, but for girls it will probably be like a car wreck…I just couldn’t look away. I was obsessed with it and finished it in less than a week. There is supposedly a movie coming out in September based on this book and I just don’t see how it is not going to be rated NC-17 or something because this book is just raunchy! But you better believe I am going to go see it.

I give this book 4.5 out of 5 stars because I loved reading it.
But I give Tucker Max a negative 2 star rating as a human being.
Keep the funny, but loose the meanness and get some morals dude.

Oh and he has a website and a blog…check it out at your own risk.

If you have read this PLEASE tell me what you thought of it! Was it as shocking for you as it was for me?

New Moon by Stephanie Meyer

I wasn't overly impressed with the first Twilight book. I could take it or leave it. But now I am hooked. I read this book obsessively. When I wasn't reading, I was thinking about what might happen next in the story. A lot of people have said they didn't like this book in the series, but I loved it.

In New Moon we go deeper into this secret vampire world. Edward is not as prominent in this book, but that was ok with me. Bella is sad through most of this book, which I could relate to.

I don't want to give away any of the plot line, so I will just say trust me, there is a reason this series is so popular. It is super romantic with lots of drama. The chapters are long, but it is an easy read. Each chapter ends with a cliff hanger which makes you want to continue reading. I think this style helps you get through the 500+ pages really quickly.

I will say I think this is dangerous for young girls to read. I mean Bella's whole world is Edward. It is the kind of love everyone dreams of. But this stuff just does not exist in real life, so don't get your hopes up girls.

It is a great book though. I give it 4.5 out of 5 stars!

I also saw the Twilight movie this weekend. It was good. Edward was hot. Some scenes where very cheesy though. They did a good job with the normal scenes, but the love scenes with just Edward and Bella were cheesy and just laughable. They were some of my favorite scenes in the book and the movie just ruined them.

I'm going to see the movie again this week though, so it must not be that bad.

I'm also hoping to borrow the third and fourth books from someone soon so I can continue escaping to this super romantic vampire world!

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer

If you haven't heard of this series by now, you might be living under a rock. People are comparing this to the Harry Potter craze. I had so many people recommend this series to me that I just had to read it. When I first started Twilight by Stephanie Meyer, I thought I was going to become obsessed and finish it over the weekend. But to be honest with you I just couldn't get in to it for the first half of the book. It was the story of this high school girl, Bella Swan, who moves to a small town in the Northwest called Forks to live with her dad. She slips easily into high school life there and meets Edward Cullen. He is beautiful, dazzling, and kind of weird at first. Of course you should know this by now- he is a vampire. All the guys are crazy about Bella at her new school, so I'm guessing she probably isn't so bad herself. But for the first 300 pages or so it was just this little high school story.

I think the turning point for me was the baseball game. After that chapter, things started moving really fast and I got into it. For those last few chapters I could almost get the Harry Potter comparisons. It was exciting and you had to use your imagination to visualize what was going on. But Harry Potter this is not. It is a good book and I will read the others in the series: New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn. I will also see the movie. But I'm not jumping right in and reading all four books overnight. I'm going to take an Edward/Bella break for now, but I will come back for more.

I give this book 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Marley and Me as a movie!

Last year I read Marley and Me and I absolutely LOVED it! I'm a dog person and now having gone through the dreaded puppy stage with Cam I have so much sympathy for the owners of Marley. Dogs can bring so so much to your life it is impossible not to love them despite the accidents in the house, chewed household items, and embarrassing moments in public. If you are a dog person Marley and Me is a MUST read! I would give it 5 out of 5 stars!

I saw the preview for the movie Marley and Me this weekend and it is going to be H-I-larious! It stars Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson and comes out on Christmas Day. I personally can't wait to see it! And it may just be the one that is good enough to go see by myself so I can cross something else off my list!

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd is the kind of story that sucks you in. Set in South Carolina during the 1960's, it is the story of Lily Owens. Lily has been haunted by the events surrounding the death of her mother when she was 4. Shortly after her 14th birthday she escapes her unloving father's peach farm and breaks her colored nanny out of jail for an adventure to discover more about her mother's past. They end up in the home of the "calendar sisters"- May, June, and August Boatwright. The three colored sisters own a honey business and Lily learns a lot about beekeeping, her mother's past and herself. There are lots of twists and turns throughout the book that I won't spoil for you, but I can tell you that you will fall in love with the characters as they face race relations and heartache, but find strength in themselves and each other.

I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

I also saw the movie this weekend and it was really good too. It had a few differences from the book and some that was left out. Overall I would recommend the book over the movie, but if you don't have the time to read it, at least see the movie. I would suggest not watching the movie right after reading the book though. I was so caught up in comparing the differences from the book that I couldn't really enjoy the movie as much.

Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella

What has changed in the last 3 years of your life? If you suddenly lost all those years would you recognize yourself or your life? This is what happens to Lexi Smart, Sophie Kinsella’s main character in “Remember Me?” After a car accident she wakes up in a London hospital and thinks it is 2004. During the 3 years she lost, she has transformed into someone she doesn’t even recognize (literally thanks to a crash diet, collagen injections, veneers, and a great stylist). In that time she has been on a reality TV show (why do I keep picking books with references to reality shows?), gotten married, become the boss of her department (not to mention a millionairess), given up carbs, and lost her closest friends. She tries her best to figure out her new life and face all the secrets, schemes, and bombshells that come her way during the process as she figures out why, when, and how she turned into this person she doesn’t even know.

I loved this book! It was full of laugh out loud moments and suspense that kept me up late reading every night. It made me think about how unrecognizable my life would be in her situation. I would have missed so much! Overall it was a great book and I highly recommend it!

I give it 4.5 out of 5 stars

If you don’t already know Sophie Kinsella (real name- Madeleine Wickham, she also publishes under this name), she is the author of the Shopaholic series. Here is a link to her official site:
http://www.randomhouse.com/bantamdell/kinsella/

They are making a movie out of her Shopaholic Series starring Isla Fischer (Wedding Crashers):
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1093908/

AND they are making a movie out of another book of hers “Can You Keep A Secret?” that will star Kate Hudson!
http://www.countingdown.com/movies/3519881

She is a GREAT writer and I predict someone will pick up the rights to this book too! Now who would I want to star? Hmmm…Reese Witherspoon maybe? She’d have to go brunette though. I’ve always like Rachael Bilson…