Kay's Bookshelf

Subtitled “How I survived my ex-boyfriend’s wedding with my dignity ever-so-slightly intact”, the premise of the book sounded quite promising (or at least that’s why I remember adding it to the TBR pile). It turned out to be just OK. Nice enough but nothing over the top extraordinary, nothing to remember it by in a few weeks.

I am not certain how I feel about Brooke herself. I cannot pinpoint what I do not like about her (or even if there is something about her that I dislike), and yet somehow she failed to draw me in. Maybe because she was quite superficial. Maybe because she kept bragging about the fabulous places she went to, and how much of a big-time lawyer she is. Maybe because she mentioned her salary more times that I cared to hear, especially as she spent quite a chunk of time not doing her work. I do know though what I did like about her: the fact that she took friends and friendship seriously, both when it came to asking for things (see the book summary for an example) and also when it came to giving time and/or attention herself.

The thing with chick lit (that I noticed in this book too, of course) is that there usually aren’t that many men present. There’s sometimes a current or ex boyfriend, that turns out to be a douche, but other than him there’s just one single man present. Kinda detracting from the suspense since we can instantly deduct that he is the one our “chick” will end with, even if the odds don’t seem favorable at first (a notable exception to this rule is Shannon Hale’s Austenland). While it’s true that no one reads chick lit for suspense, a bit of mystery would definitely not hurt.

A quote that gives an idea of Brooke’s personality and storytelling (one of her quotes that I liked most):

Even though the breakup was difficult, I remained very dignified. Well, not so much dignified as a screaming crying mess. But it’s not as if I embarrassed myself or anything. Unless you’d call throwing yourself at the tails of someone’s suit jacket embarrassing. Which, luckily for me, I do not. We had a very mature conversation, really, if you think about it. I sweetly said, “Please don’t go! Please don’t leave me!” Okay, so maybe I was screaming it at the time, but you get where I was going with that one.

Thoughts on the ending: Happy :)

What I liked most: I thought it was quite cool that the author has been through Law school herself, working in the same field as Brooke does in the book. If I am not mistaken she has even been to one (or more?) ex-boyfriends’ weddings :)

What I liked least: While Brenda was supposed to be this glitzy but likable character (and most of the time she pulled it off), her ceaseless babble about billable hours begun to annoy me after a while. I am of course aware that this happens somewhere near the beginning and that Brenda is supposed to be immature then (so she’ll have room to grow throughout the book), and yet her mentioning money that often didn’t exactly endear her to me (least favorite quote: “I had a wonderful family and friends. And I volunteered at a nursing home, to boot! Sometimes I forgot how wonderful I truly was. Although, I hadn’t really had time to volunteer much, what with my caseload and all. And that sort of thing isn’t billable.“).

Recommend it to? Anyone who likes books on the fluffy side of chick lit. A light and easy read.

See also
Brenda Janowitz’s website


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Popularity: 6% [?]

I added this book to my list of planned-to-be-read books more than a year ago, since first hearing about it, because the topic seemed new to me and full of potential. A husband that was so in love with his wife that he wrote her letters for the future, so that a small part of him could be around her then. For some reason I expected each letter to be long, I expected him to explore previously unseen sides of him each time, in order to… I don’t know, make him harder and harder to miss, make the love they had seem even more precious. But. It is only now, after reading the book, that I realize this couldn’t have been. First of all, because there are no “previously unseen sides” in a couple like that. Also, had the letters been like I hoped they were, long and full of promise, it would have done a world of harm to Holly, as she had enough trouble coping as it was and she didn’t need any extra reminders of what could have been and now could never be. I very much admire the author for the way she chose the letters from Gerry to be (although I, as a reader, always wanted more, more, more :) ).

Another thing that I have liked was the way the author has written the relationships between characters: they seem real, and I felt for Holly’s pain of her loss all throughout the book. There’s more to the book, relation-wise, than this, as Holly is anything but an island: she has four siblings, a mother and father, friends, work colleagues, casual acquaintances and so on. I watched her struggle with the said relationships, trouble to form them, trouble to keep them when worse came to worse, and I was glad to find them fairly well written (at least for a chick lit book, of course).

There are plenty of characters in the book, and, while none of them are perfect, all of them were likable with one notable exception. Unfortunately, I really couldn’t like Holly herself (all the more reasons why I thought the author has done a great job with portraying her emotions, making me care for them and their effect on Holly although I didn’t like her). Holly celebrates her thirtieth birthday somewhere at the beginning of the book, and yet she acts mostly like a teenager (including a most annoying habit to call things “stupid” at times). The most fun she knows how to have is getting drunk in a pub (with friends, of course, but she has definitely spent too much of the book being drunk for my personal taste). I may be too uptight but really, her work ethic was dubious too (“Holly would daydream the majority of the day, make personal phone calls, especially abroad, because she didn’t have to pay the bill, and would be first in queue to collect her monthly paycheck, which was usually spent within two weeks.“). While I get she didn’t like her job and so on, I kinda have a problem with her being so unreliable for her employers (but then perhaps everyone does that and I live in a world of my own). Oh, and she cannot even spell!! How am I supposed to identify with that???

(Well, to be completely honest with the author, Ms. Ahern was 21 when she wrote the book so understandably enough she made Holly have the ideal life for a girl that age, forgetting or ignoring the fact that Holly is supposed to be a whole decade older and presumably more mature (the kind of maturity that was nowhere in Ms. Ahern’s sight at her tender age). I can of course understand that but I still didn’t like Holly at all.)

Gerry on the other hand is a whole other matter. While I admit that we see him very little and only in situations meant to emphasize his good side, I really liked him nevertheless (at least all his letters are spelled just fine). As for the rest of the cast, the author has definitely done a good job with them, as they are multifaceted enough and at times a joy to discover — although some changes in them were somewhat forced (I am thinking here about Richard, one of Holly’s brothers, who became almost a different person mid-book).

A quote I very much liked:

Growing older became something he wanted desperately to accomplish, rather than merely a dreaded inevitability. How presumptuous they both had been never to consider growing old as an achievement and a challenge. Aging was something they’d both wanted so much to avoid.

As a final mention, I for one have never been through what Holly’s been through (thank God!), but I’ve seen it mentioned among young widows that the year the book spans is quite unrealistic, way too short a time for Holly’s heart to heal as much as it did. I can understand the need for the book to take a shorter while rather than longer (as no one would write letters for the next I don’t know how many years), and also I think that the ending is a bit ambiguous with respect to the exact amount of healing Holly has managed: show spoiler

What I liked most: I know I have already blabbed on and on about the relationships between the characters, but bear with me a bit more: my favorite part of the book was the light banter all of them shared throughout the book. Everyone has a nice sense of humor, they tease each other now and then, and they actually manage to be funny without looking like they’re trying to hard — unlike other books I read *coughWitchlingcough*

The ending was bound to appeal to me too: show spoiler

What I liked least: Out of curiosity I have seen the P.S. I Love You movie prior to reading the book. While the two have nothing in common other than some character names and the central plot (Gerry, an Irish guy, married Holly, and then he died, but not before writing her some letters), I have nevertheless the main protagonists’ physical appearance stuck in my head as belonging to them. Now, I like Gerard Butler and he did a decent job as Gerry (especially as we don’t very much see the Gerry in the book, so while I had an idea he was younger than Mr. Butler looked in the movie I didn’t much care). However Hilary Swank really and truly ruined (what was left of) Holly for me. While I have nothing against Ms. Swank herself, I kept imagining Holly looking as her, and then it felt wrong, because in the book Holly is a bit shorter and blonder and a lot more vulnerable than Ms. Swank portrayed her in the movie. But, of course, serves me right for watching the movie first :)

Recommend it to? Anyone in the mood for a chick lit story a bit more gloomy than usual. It’s a light read though and as fun as can be with the said topic.


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Popularity: 40% [?]

I picked this up because I felt like some light reading and because Jane Austen being in the title sounded promising. Not to mention the time travel which I’m usually bound to enjoy. And yet it seems like I was expecting too much and so the story didn’t manage to draw me in all the way. At times, the plot seemed slapped together simply for the sake of being, with some matters that didn’t seem to have been considered all the way. For example, there were a few instances that very much detracted from my reading pleasure, such as when two characters get married, after a two year relationship, and on their wedding night they have a conversation like “You have to know I can’t cook. My mother died when I was young and etc.” — after two years together it’s hardly believable that the subject of cooking or abilities or one’s mother dying never came up before. Or the part at the end when every villain uncovers his/her dark & dirty secrets in a scene reminding me very strongly of a bad movie. The part of the plot where our male character is secretly hunting down spies was also quite unclear for me and to be honest the only thing I did get about it was that there was a secret place where the said spies exchanged notes. The number of the said spies went up and down quite mysteriously from my point of view, ’cause I mostly failed to see the reasoning. Let’s consider for example show spoiler

The fact that has disappointed me the most though is that there is not the slightest hint of depth to be found anywhere in the book! As I said, I was looking for something light, but unfortunately this was a bit too much. Take the characters for example. Eleanor is perfectly average, she is good at designing dresses, she dreams of studying Jane Austen, nothing interesting, nothing out of the ordinary. Despite that, there is a particular character who thinks the world of her, although there is no reason given for it other than the obvious “whenever I see you I dream of kissing you” part, with no background whatsoever. I for one would have liked a bit more interaction between the two, so the guy would have discovered the gal was special in a lot more ways than sheer physical attraction (but that’s usually my main qualm when it comes to romance books).

Speaking of the male lead, he is a cliche from head to toe: proud, rich, handsome, with a secret mission in order to help his country (**swoon**), irresistibly attracted by the heroine and so on. Not a bit of substance unfortunately, nothing to make him stand out in a crowd. The same goes for the rest of the cast, from the two flighty sisters acting a bit reckless (to the extent of visiting a gentleman in his bedroom at night, unthinkable at their ages and in that time), but quite likable overall, to Jane Austen herself, putting in a cameo appearance and speaking somewhat in cliches. Darn.

It may be time to say something nice about the book too. It does have some interesting moments (unfortunately nothing above average) and a cute ending (although it sort of annoyed me that the author never gave a moment’s thought of time travel affecting the future, other than the obvious — I mean that nothing actually changed, except what the author wanted to, but time travel doesn’t work like that :( ). Funny how the more I try to think of nice things to say the more things I didn’t like come to mind. I should probably stop now.

What I liked most: Probably not the best thing in the book but a nice touch. I was amused by Ellen, the cousin of the two ghost girls. Actually, not by her (since she never makes an appearance) but by the fact that the author has chosen to hint at her having premonitory dreams: she dreams that one of her cousins will break an arm, and it happens, she dreams that her ship will sink, and it presumably happens (since we don’t actually get to meet her), and so on. It’s cool in a way that such a minor character has a potentially interesting trait while no such thing happened to the major ones.

The idea of having a scene in a butterfly-filled meadow was quite cool too :)

What I liked least: The fact that Jane Austen is mentioned in the very title, thus heightening the potential readers expectations (yes, such as I). The book is a lot closer to a bodice-ripper than anything Austenesque, so the Jane Austen part is misleading to say the least.

Recommend it to? Chick lit & romance aficionados. Don’t worry, it’s probably not as bad as I made it sound, especially if you’re a fan of the genre. :)

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Popularity: 12% [?]

I liked the way Jane grows and develops throughout the book. She is aware that her intensity and her expectations are a roadblock in her path to happiness, and all the time while at Pembrook she is doing her best to play along and, at the same time, reinvent herself. Day by day she discovers that, after all, she could very well enjoy the trip as well as the destination, and that a relationship can be savoured even if a wedding does not appear on the horizon. Oh, and there’s nothing wrong with a bit of harmless flirting now and then. Jane does change after her stint in Austenland show spoiler

The writing style is casual and enjoyable, sprinkled with funny bits that made me smile (such as “She thought she should say something witty here. She said, “Really?” “), and some pretty intense moments too (“[He] smiled in his way, the way that made her stare back and wish she could breathe.“). I couldn’t help but very much admire the diligence of the author when she created the characters’ Pembrook lines, because a good chunk of the book is written in Austen-like style, and, at least for a profane like me, it sounded quite close to the original.

Speaking of which, another thing that mightily amused me throughout the book was imagining what I myself would have done in such a setting, being forced to talk in such a style. Each time I ended up being very much impressed with the way the author has chosen to have Jane and the rest of the cast go back and forth between conversational tones: everyone is doing their best to act as 1816 as possible in order not to ruin the Experience for everyone else, and yet their true upbringing and habits do slip through the pretense now and then (making it all the more real because I really wouldn’t have believed a complete change from one way of talking to another can be achieved on such a short notice).

What I liked most: The fact that the ending is not obvious until the last few pages. Or at least it wasn’t for me. Oh, and the whole idea of an Austen-esque estate making guests feel like they went back in time is pretty cool too.

What I liked least: Chick lit, easy reading, nothing to take seriously…what’s there not to like? :)

Recommend it to? Since it’s a chick lit book I obviously recommend it to chick lit fans. Nevertheless I do encourage anyone (especially if they have a penchant for Mr. Darcy) to at least see what it’s about. It’s not perfect but if you’re in the mood for something light it might be just the thing :)


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Popularity: 11% [?]

I have to say I was quite fond of all the main characters. Lara, the typical Sophie Kinsella heroine, amused me to no end (in no small part because we kinda have some common traits) — and, of course, liked her very much for her good side (inherited from her father, whom I have also liked very much for the very reason of sharing this trait). Nevertheless the true star of the book was Sadie, the great aunt returned from the dead. She is overwhelming, what with her penchant for dancing and adventure, and, not in the least, ability to pick up the pieces and move forward with her life whenever the going got tough. And, of course, let’s not forget the male lead, a very serious business man that is quite funny once one manages to get him out of his shell — and I, understandably enough, very much liked him too :)

I was amused (in a good way, of course) at what the author has chosen to do with the book’s title. “Twenties girl”. At first I thought that the twenties girl was Lara, given that she lives in the year 20-something (I know it’s technically the 21st century but for some reason, when reading the title, I first thought of the twentieth). After reading a handful of pages it had become obvious that I was wrong, and the twenties girl was actually Sadie (who had actually lived through the twenties). And yet, approaching the end, the signs are pointing towards Lara again since her guy is calling her “twenties girl” since she seems to him to have a penchant for those years.

What I liked most: The whole idea of old people being old only on the outside. Like in this particular quote (when Lara is at a nursing home watching the old people there enjoy the music of their youth):

I feel a sudden lump in my throat as I watch. They’re all Sadie inside, aren’t they? They’re all in their twenties inside. All that white hair and wrinkled skin is just cladding. The old man with the oxygen tank was probably once a dashing heartthrob. That woman with distant rheumy eyes was once a mischievous young girl who played pranks on her friends. They were all young, with love affairs and friends and parties and an endless life ahead of them….

And, of course, I couldn’t not like (in fact I was absolutely charmed by) show spoiler

What I liked least: Nothing. I found it a delightful book on the whole.

Recommend it to? Any chick lit lover :)

Written by the same author:
Can You Keep a Secret?
Remember me?
Shopaholic & Baby
The Undomestic Goddess

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Popularity: 12% [?]

The characters were likable and amusing. I liked Candace of course, and commiserated with her as she went through her men and later job problems. Luckily Candace had two friends (Sex and the City style :) ) that never let her down and were always there for her when she needed to vent. My favorite of the two was of course Monica (with her nicknaming habit that I have found somewhat endearing), but I had nothing to reproach to Christine either. As of the guys, Matt was, of course, perfect. The perfect guy, knowing who he wants and doing all the right things needed to get her ( *fawn* ). I would lie if I said I didn’t like him: smart, nice, with a sense of humor, a perfect match for the heroine.

I was amused to discover there are some similarities between the author and her heroine, Candace. For example the infamous list has actually existed (containing fewer items), as the author is herself the Type A personality that she gave Candace. The bad date experiences in the beginning (that to be honest I have thought to be a bit exaggerated) are actually drawn from real dates the author has been in. These quirks make the story all the more plausible — not that the idea of a gal making a list with the traits she liked in a person (starting from bad dating experiences and traits she saw as insufferable) is that far-fetched. It’s called “discovering one’s tastes” and I must confess I am as guilty about it as the next person (although, not being a Type-A, I never wrote it down or tried to follow it to a T).

All in all the book was a fun read that I have quite enjoyed. To me it seemed that it has described the current dating scene (and world in general) perfectly. I loved the fact that the heroine was conservative when it came to sex (a very rare thing in the novels today) and the fact that she was very good at her work, thus checking all the points on my list of traits I like in a heroine. Overall she’s a very nice girl I would say, and I was happy to see her getting the ending she deserved :)

What I liked most: The small details :) Such as when William orders his coffee on the first day he met Candace, phrasing it as a haiku (of course he didn’t actually try to make it a haiku, Candace heard it like this because she was smitten with the guy, but still, it was haiku none the less :P ). Or the part where Matt knows the meaning of various rose colors… aaaaw :)

What I liked least: There is nothing that I have actually disliked. There is one (little) thing though that has detracted from my reading pleasure.

———–SPOILER—————-
How come William has changed so suddenly and in so many ways? It made him seem a bit cliche and no more than an accessory to the story, there and good when needed, discarded despicable when not. I mean, the change can be a bit explained by “oh, now he’s shown his true colors”. But why? How come? Wasn’t he decided to win Candace back? Why did he suddenly start acting like a jerk? It really didn’t make much sense to me.
——–END SPOILER—————

Recommend it? Chick lit, light reading, funny at times. It reminded most of Kinsella’s books, so if you like the genre you might want to try this one too :)

See also
The blog of the author & book

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Popularity: 3% [?]

There are no words to say how much I loved Emily (especially at first). I was truly amused by her younger self, possessing a very good vocabulary (in her own words) and never afraid to use it (mistakenly every now and then, but still charming me). She started talking at nine months (and her mother was so proud she kept recounting it), and wanted to become a writer, because she felt that’s what she was put on Earth to do. She’s carefully planning her future and is an outstanding student, so everyone (including herself) thinks that she’ll go far. Juliet is the very opposite at the time: her parents have recently divorced so she’s very shy and sensitive. She always feels like everyone else knows something she doesn’t, and is sort of ashamed because of that. Her favorite interjections were (and will remain) “Great Caesar’s Ghost!” and “For corn’s sake!”, the former amusing me to no end :)

It’s interesting to notice just how different the two girls actually are: Juliet loves order (for her an ordered kitchen/room is the symbol of an ordered life), Em doesn’t. Em hates ordinary and/or ubiquitous things; Juliet loves losing herself in a crowd. Em is the nostalgic kind, looking fondly to the past and fearing the future; Juliet is the very opposite, she always loves thinking about what the future can bring her. Nevertheless their friendship seemed very real to me: their personalities did clash at times but each wanted to protect the other from harm when things got rough.

The pie could be considered a character in itself, always there at the most important times in the girls’ lives. Em is much more attached to it (to the very idea of pie actually), as it reminds her of her glorious past that she has become so attached of. It is perhaps worth noticing though that, even if the girls make the pie all throughout the book, it ends up uneaten most of the times (for various reasons). A true symbol of their friendship actually: when things go okay between them they eat the pie together; when something goes wrong the pie is the first to “suffer”.

I must say I have totally loved Em’s college teacher, Dr. Campbell, and I very much agreed with his advice of keeping it simple. One of the things that amused me the most in the book was when Em was writing one of her assignments (“A tactile experience”). Em writes a short essay about tasting the pie, and I admired her talent then and there:

The first bite of pie was the best. It was surprisingly flavorful, an unexpected delight, like discovering an open gas station at midnight when your car is running on empty.
First the flaky crust, melting like snowflakes on the tongue. Then the first surprise of cherry, tart as a cold wind slapping against your face. Just as you grew accustomed to the cherry, the chocolate wrapped its loving embrace insidiously around your taste buds. Chocolate, like every Halloween you’ve ever experienced, every Easter basket left by that ubiquitous bunny. Cherry and chocolate mixed up, tart and sweet together, like conjoined twins with their arms wrapped around each other. Bundled up in the flaky embrace of the crust, like a child securely rolled up in his favorite blanket.
That was the first bite of pie. And also, the best.

And then her teacher writes on her paper “Rather an abundance of similes, like a torturous rain of hail upon my weary brow. Keep it simple.“, which amused me to no end, firstly because I didn’t notice it before but, now that I looked again, almost every sentence was a simile! :) Plus the teacher has imitated her style when writing the answer! :) :)
I just know I would have loved Dr. Campbell a lot, too bad he appears only a few times throughout the book, too few for my taste, I would have wanted more :)

In the end, I have to say I am left wondering “did that pie really taste that good?” :) (it does seem like a strange combination for pie filling — cherries, chocolate chips and Karo syrup)

What I liked most: Em. She’s got to be, by far, the character I have most things in common with, ever (or at least in all the books I’ve read). I have seen my feelings in her thoughts more than once (which I found cool, but has also helped me understand her better). The simile sort of fades in the later years (or is it that how I would like it to be?) but I am glad I felt it nevertheless (I’m always happy when seeing my feelings in books because I always thought I cannot express myself clearly enough — a problem book characters very rarely have).
My favorite moments in this (what I call) simile were two: first of all when Em was finishing high school and worried that all her friends will scatter throughout the country and their friendship will fade; the second was when she went to college and realized that she’s grown, that now it doesn’t matter that she talked at nine months (a former reason of pride) anymore, it only matters what she’ll do from now on.

What I liked least: Ugh. Vernon. More precisely, the way Vernon talked. This seems to fade a bit in the later years, but I found him really annoying at first. Especially as it was clear that the author wanted him to be one of the good guys. But his manner of speech was SO blah. (I do understand the whole “Drama Queen” concept but I’m not sure I like it, in general, and I definitely don’t like it here, in particular)

Recommend it? Yes, it’s a very fast read (and captivating too).

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Popularity: 2% [?]