Book Hangover

{Via thebennetsisters.wordpress.com}

It seems to be a common trend for chick lit to take a direction towards Mr. Darcy, and I seem to be convinced I have to read them all. Of all the Austen-themed books out there that I've read, this has been my favorite. 

Katherine Roberts is a prestigious professor and keeps hidden from her colleagues her obsession for Jane Austen and a racy romance novels. One set of "trashy" chick lit novels she loves are written by an author Lorna Warwick, whom she has been exchanging fan mail with. Lorna has a secret, she's really a he, Warwick Lawton, and he has fallen in love with Katherine. Katherine is attending a Jane Austen event at Hampshire and hopes to meet Lorna, but instead keeps coming across the frustrating Warwick. 

There is also another love story line in this book. Robyn has been with the same unappreciative and unadventurous man since high school. She has been saving up for so long for her Jane Austen getaway. Once she gets to Hampshire, her boyfriend, Jace is a pest and keeps popping up and ruining her weekend. Robyn meets Dan at the at Hampshire, and she just can't seem to stop herself from thinking about him and how to get rid of Jace.

This book was funny, sweet, and flowed seamlessly while doing justice to the Jane Austen theme. I highly recommend it, especially if you Jane Austen.  

{via goodreads}

I read this book in a little under 48 hours. I was looking for a quick read that I could just breeze through because sometimes you just need that in a book, and this one fit the bill! I loved that it mostly occurred through twitter convos too.

Abby Donovan - the heroine of this story - is a writer who has been praised for writing the great american novel. Some years later...she's still working on novel number two, and she just can't seem to get past chapter five. Unknowingly, her agent sets up a twitter account for her, which is how Abby meets Mark Baynard. He is off on his own adventure to inspire himself to write his own great american novel...supposedly.

The two interact through direct messages only and connect almost immediately. Your heart leaps into your throat when he sends her a message and they banter back and forth. Oh, but the end...the end, the end, the end. I re-read three times I loved it so. I won't spoil it for you, but I will say that it brought tears to my eyes each time I read it.

Reading this book is time well spent.

This Book Club Reads Wine Labels Too

{via sodahead.com}

I'm running out of ideas for books to review on here! I need to read some new ones!!! However, I do remember how much more wonderful I thought the book The Lovely Bones was over the movie. I am an advocate for reading a book before you see the movie. While this always proves to make me dislike the movie in comparison to the book, nothing can do justice to the details and plot lines a book holds that a movie usually cuts short. 

While this plot line reads horrible and sad, there really is some beauty and innocence in the story. Fourteen year old Susie Salmon is brutally raped and murdered by a serial killer in her neighborhood. The story follows Susie watching over her grieving family and following the police efforts to catch her killer. Susie reflects over all the things on earth she'll miss out on, and it covers how she moves on to accept the next part of her story. This is a sad but very wonderful story.

I'm all about reading a good series. In fact, I prefer to read them over stand alone books. I can't stand to lose my characters. I fall in love with them and their stories & then I just want to read more and more about them!

{via fun substance}

So, for this week, I'm picking a trilogy that is heart wrenching but full of love and hope.

It's written by Lauren Oliver and called the Delirium series.

 {via the examiner}

This series is set in a dystopian world where love is a disease. Can you imagine living in a world where love is considered evil and you have a procedure on your 18th birthday as a cure for it? It's an interesting world that will make you feel more than you ever thought you could from reading a simple book. If you don't believe me, watch this video.

Now, go read the books and thank me later. Also, a good theme song for these books is "Both of Us" by B.O.B. featuring Taylor Swift. Grab some tissues though because it'll make you cry at the end of book one if you're listening to it!

A Book a Day Keeps Reality Away

{via GoodReads}

I love Sophie Kinsella's books, and she did not fail to entrap me in her story this time with Wedding Night. This story follows Lottie, who has every reason to believe her longtime boyfriend, Richard, is about to propose. When his "proposal" wasn't what she expected, Lottie flees into the arms of a past  summer romance from her youth, Ben. Ben more than welcomes the idea of marriage and a quick and rushed process. Rash decisions have attracted the concerns of Lottie's sister, Fliss and Ben's co-worker and friend, Lorcan. They try their best to stop this union. There is laughter and love, and a few twists. I hope you all enjoy it! 

 

{via barnes and noble}

This is a beautiful story about first loves getting a second chance. Inglath Cooper spins a wonderful tale about high school sweethearts that never quite got the chance to realize their full potential until later in life. The characters are flawed and interact in a real world environment that isn't fueled by heady romances and unbelievable scenarios. You will get to know these characters and fall in love with them. I was sad when the book ended because I wanted to live in their world of truth.

WARNING: this book will tug at your heart strings!!!

Hump Day Hugs #3

This week's Hump Day Hug is:

Don't waste time crying over little boys who talk too much. Some day you will find the one and then all that happened in between will just seem inconsequential. Some will be hot and unforgettable, but they are definitely not worth the time, the tears, or the mascara!

Before we share our two cents today, for whatever it's worth, here are some "visual aids" that demonstrate what our hump day hug is all about!

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 {via pinterest}

Basically, if you haven't gotten the gist of it yet, follow your mother's advice and don't cry over the spilled milk. So, he wasn't Mr. Right. Who cares? Take comfort in the fact that you've learned and grown from the experiences you have. You are a better woman now; far better than Mr. Right Now quite obviously deserves!

And, ladies, let's be honest with ourselves for a second - we have this fantasy of getting the perfect guy too. The one who will do no wrong and be stupendously perfect. He might be a Mr. Darcy. Or a Mr. Grey. Or, he could even be a Dr. Who. But, the cold, hard reality is, those men are fictional, and our job is to find the man who "completes us" and makes us feel as special as our dream man would.

There is no better man than the one who cares for you, supports you, and loves you. Once you've found him, you'll realize that Mr. Darcy, Mr. Grey, and Dr. Who don't hold a candle to him because he's perfect...perfect for only you! {No tears required.}