Category Archives: Books

What I’m Reading: First Comes Love

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26192467From Goodreads.com:
In this dazzling new novel, Emily Giffin, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Something Borrowed, Where We Belong, and The One & Only introduces a pair of sisters who find themselves at a crossroads.
 
Growing up, Josie and Meredith Garland shared a loving, if sometimes contentious relationship. Josie was impulsive, spirited, and outgoing; Meredith hardworking, thoughtful, and reserved. When tragedy strikes their family, their different responses to the event splinter their delicate bond.
 
Fifteen years later, Josie and Meredith are in their late thirties, following very different paths. Josie, a first grade teacher, is single—and this close to swearing off dating for good. What she wants more than the right guy, however, is to become a mother—a feeling that is heightened when her ex-boyfriend’s daughter ends up in her class. Determined to have the future she’s always wanted, Josie decides to take matters into her own hands.
 
On the outside, Meredith is the model daughter with the perfect life. A successful attorney, she’s married to a wonderful man, and together they’re raising a beautiful four-year-old daughter. Yet lately, Meredith feels dissatisfied and restless, secretly wondering if she chose the life that was expected of her rather than the one she truly desired.
 
As the anniversary of their tragedy looms and painful secrets from the past begin to surface, Josie and Meredith must not only confront the issues that divide them, but also come to terms with their own choices. In their journey toward understanding and forgiveness, both sisters discover they need each other more than they knew . . . and that in the recipe for true happiness, love always comes first.
 
Emotionally honest and utterly enthralling, First Comes Love is a story about family, friendship, and the courage to follow your own heart—wherever that may lead.

My review:
I was beyond excited when I first learned that Emily Giffin was penning a new novel, so the day that it was released I snatched up my copy from the local bookstore. Of course, I was in the middle of reading a different book, so it took me longer than desired to start reading it.

Once I did get to it though, I had mixed feelings. While I wasn’t head over heels in love with the characters (Meredith and Josie are both blind to their own shallow behaviour and put the blame on one another too much), I did enjoy the story itself. Too often in life do you hear about people choosing  what they think is right for everyone, not just themselves, and it’s easy to forget that you need to do what’s best for you and your own happiness.

CAUTION, THERE BE SPOILERS BELOW …

I didn’t think Josie’s decision to venture into motherhood via donor was selfish – being a single parent scares the ever-loving bejesus out of me. There are so many wrongs ways go go about having a child, and she chose her method wisely.

(However, I would’ve perhaps liked to have seen more romance for Josie instead of awkward friendship dates with her donor.)

And Meredith … I just don’t know. I don’t think she stood up for herself enough, but I suppose that was the theme of the book. She wasn’t honest with herself and paid the price when it came to her marriage. I think the only thing she was really honest about was not wanting to have another child, and it frustrated me that her husband was upset about that. (I could write an entire post on that topic though, so I won’t get into here.)

But again, I did like the story itself. When something tragic happens, it’s really hard to find closure and it’s hard to realize that not everyone grieves the same. For some, it may take only a few weeks, or like in the case of Meredith and Josie, it may take someone years to wrap their heads around what happens and to come to terms with it. I cannot fault the characters for that whatsoever.

Overall, I’m giving First Comes Love 4 stars out of 5. There could have been a few more layers to the characters, but it was still enjoyable.

 

 

What I’m Reading: The Painted Girls

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12991201From Goodreads.com:
Paris. 1878. Following their father’s sudden death, the van Goethem sisters find their lives upended. Without his wages, and with the small amount their laundress mother earns disappearing into the absinthe bottle, eviction from their lodgings seems imminent. With few options for work, Marie is dispatched to the Paris Opéra, where for a scant seventy francs a month, she will be trained to enter the famous ballet. Her older sister, Antoinette, finds work — and the love of a dangerous young man — as an extra in a stage adaptation of Émile Zola’s naturalist masterpiece L’Assommoir.

Marie throws herself into dance and is soon modelling in the studio of Edgar Degas, where her image will forever be immortalized as Little Dancer Aged Fourteen. Antoinette, meanwhile, descends lower and lower in society, and must make the choice between a life of honest labor and the more profitable avenues open to a young woman of the Parisian demimonde — that is, unless her love affair derails her completely.

Set at a moment of profound artistic, cultural, and societal change, The Painted Girls is a tale of two remarkable sisters rendered uniquely vulnerable to the darker impulses of “civilized society.”

My review:
The Painted Girls probably isn’t a book I would’ve picked up on my own as I totally judge books by their covers, but I was gifted the novel for my birthday and I always appreciate someone else’s recommendations! The book cover made The Painted Girls sound interesting enough, so I jumped into it to help pass the time while getting Norah down for her naps and bedtime.

Sadly, I found the book to be a little dull and lifeless; it wasn’t really a page turner for me. I understand that it’s based on real people, but the character development was slacking for me. Marie was very “ho-hum” and down on herself too much. And, while the book cover made it seem like Antoinette struggled with her own decisions, I never felt any kind of urgency or moral struggles from her. Antoinette was simply blinded by love and didn’t think twice about much.

What did I like about The Painted Girls? Well, it showed how young girls had to grow up perhaps a little too quickly. They are sent to the Opéra not because they want to dance, but because they need to earn money in order to pay the rent. It’s a reflection in general of how many people, even today, have to do things they don’t want to in order to pay the bills.

Overall, I was underwhelmed by The Painted Girls, so I’m giving it 2 stars out of 5.

What I’m Reading: Me Before You

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From Goodreads.com:
Lou Clark knows lots of things. She knows how many footsteps there are between the bus stop and home. She knows she likes working in The Buttered Bun tea shop and she knows she might not love her boyfriend Patrick.

What Lou doesn’t know is she’s about to lose her job or that knowing what’s coming is what keeps her sane.

Will Traynor knows his motorcycle accident took away his desire to live. He knows everything feels very small and rather joyless now and he knows exactly how he’s going to put a stop to that.

What Will doesn’t know is that Lou is about to burst into his world in a riot of colour. And neither of them knows they’re going to change the other for all time.

My review:

I think I’m a few years late getting on the Jojo Moyes train, but after seeing this book pop up on my “Recommended Reads” list more than once I was delighted to receive it as a birthday gift! It took me longer to read because real books don’t come with backlights like ebooks do, but I found myself picking it up and chewing through it whenever I had the chance!

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started reading it, to be honest. Love story? Survival story? The subject matter is a touchy one, even four years after Moyes penned this book, but I think it was “handled” very well. It wasn’t tip-toed around, but it wasn’t in-your-face either.  I’m so glad that Lou & Will’s romantic feelings towards one another didn’t overshadow the “real” story of the book. As much as I wanted Lou & Will’s romantic storyline to develop more, I’m glad it wasn’t the main focus.

Is it obvious that I loved the characters? Lou’s free spirit balanced out Will’s (understandable) stubborn arse behaviour, and I enjoyed their friendly banter.

Honesty time: I never expected Lou to change Will’s mind. Did I want her to? Absolutely. As much as I believed that Lou could make Will unbelievably happy, I understand that there would always be something missing for Will. Will’s ultimate decision just goes to show that despite how “happy” a person may seem on the outside, you cannot deny how they actually feel on the inside – especially when they go through something as traumatic and life-altering as Will did. Sometimes, no matter how hard you try to help a person see the brighter side of things, a part of them will always dwell on the life that’s no longer theirs. It hurts the heart, but a person’s choice. I will not judge Will one bit for the decision he made.

I’ve already added the sequel to me “To Read” list and I’m looking forward to reading more about Lou and her life after Will. I gave Me Before You 5 stars out of 5.