Book Review: After You by Jojo Moyes

Title: After You
Author: Jojo Moyes
Series/Standalone: Me Before You (Book #2)
Genre: Adult Fiction, Chicklit, Contemporary
Pages: 353
Publisher: Pamela Dorman Books
Year Published: 2015
Format: Audiobook

"How do you move on after losing the person you loved? How do you build a life worth living?

Louisa CLark is no longer just an ordinary girl living an ordinary life. After the transformative six months spent with Will Traynor, she is struggling without him. When an extraordinary accident forces Lou to return home to her family, she can't help but feel she's right back where she started.

Her body heals, but Lou herself knows that she needs to be kick-started back to life. Which is how she ends up in a church basement with the members of the Moving On support group, who share insights, laughter, frustrations, and terrible cookies. They will also lead her to the strong, capable Sam Fielding- the paramedic, whose business is life and death, and the one man who might be able to understand her. Then a figure from Will's past appears and hijacks all her plans, propelling her into a very different future...

For Lou Clark, life after Will Traynor means learning to fall in love again, with all the risks that brings. But here Jojo Moyes gives us two families, as real as our own, whose joys and sorrows will touch you deeply, and where both changes and surprises await."

My Rating: 3.75/5

I am so unsure whether this is a 4 star or a lower rating read. The audiobook made me so happy and made me happy that I had chosen to continue on with the series, but the physical copy (I just finished the last 100 pages in a physical book) was just as addicting. That being said there are some flaws with this book, I found that the family dynamic was interesting but also chaotic to a point that wasn't necessary. I also found that some things were very dramatic, so if you're ok with those aspects you would probably enjoy this story. That being said, I loved seeing Lou grow and change in ways that we didn't get to see in the first book. Especially learning to live with Will's loss.

Thanks for reading,
Sidny

Spoiler: After You by Jojo Moyes

I was really glad that I continued this series with an audiobook. It helped me to get through the first half of the story but by the second half of the story picked up and sucked me in. In the best possible way, I needed to know what Lou would do, where life would take and what choices she would make based on those in her life. The family antics where also entertaining but there were points where they got a little overdramatic to say the least.

Characters:
Lou: I think that she had a whole lot to overcome in this second book. I'm sure people are quick to judge about how she used the money that Will left her. But to an extent, I understand what she did and why she did it. I also am kind of glad that she took time to feel what she was feeling, and to take time for herself to heal. I'm curious to see how her next endeavour goes in the final book (as far as I know it's the final book... right?).

Sam: I loved his character especially the way he treats Lou. I respect his job and the crap he probably has to deal with. That being said, the shooting was more than a little overdramatic. I think that the fact that Lou was the one who had to hold in his blood was a little much for me. That being said, I'm curious to see how they'll do with distance due to their relationship being so physically based.

Lily: She was possibly my least favourite character in this whole book. I understand that she had a lot going on, but that again was very dramatic and seemed to be blown up repeatedly. I do wonder what she will do with her Granny now that they are getting closer. 

Bernard: His final hope to win back his wife made me laugh so hard. The fact that he sat through having his legs waxed to prove a point was fantastic. Also, the fact that he didn't act like he was the man through it all was hilarious.

Josie: Good on her for making a change and seeing that she needed to take time for herself and explore her future. I think it was also important to point out that no matter your age your relationship will go through struggles.

Richard: I wish that he hadn't smartened up in the end. It was kind of nice to have a jerk to pin something on.


Thanks for reading,
Sidny

Book Review: Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult

Title: Sing You Home
Author: Jodi Picoult
Series/Standalone: Standalone
Genre: Adult Fiction, Chicklit, LGBT
Pages: 466
Publisher: Atria Books
Year Published: 2011
Format: Physical Copy
First Line: "One sunny, crisp Saturday in September when I was seven years old, I watched my father drop dead."

"Every life has a soundtrack. All you have to do is listen.

In the aftermath of a series of personal tragedies, Zoe throws herself into her career as a music therapist. When an unexpected friendship slowly blossoms into love, she makes plans for a new life, but to her shock and inevitable rage, some people- even those she loves and trusts most- don't want that to happen.

Sing You Home explores the delicate boundaries of identity, love, marriage, and parenthood. What happens when the outside world brutally calls into question the very thing closest to our hearts: family? Once again, Jodi Picoult gracefully brings the hidden tension of life sharply into focus in this poignantly honest novel."

My Rating: 4/5

I know that Jodi Picoult is a very popular author for chicklit and adult fiction, but this is the first novel of hers that I have read. And I really enjoyed it. I came to realize though  that Jodi Picoult is to chicklit, what Nicholas Sparks is to romance. A standard if that makes sense. Not to say that I didn't enjoy this story. I think that this book does an interesting job of questioning values and relationships, especially the idea of families in the modern day. 
I also think that Jodi Picoult does a great job of hitting hard right from the start, which makes me interested in reading more of her works.

Thanks for reading,
Sidny

Spoiler: Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult

I have come to terms with the fact that I might be trash for the drama in Jodi Picoult's books. I'm really looking into the idea of looking into more of her books (kind of hoping that some of her books come up in the bookclub I thought). I really think that Jodi Picoult tackled important subjects in this story. Homophobia, the idea of the modern family, mental health, etc. These were all important themes throughout the story line. I can understand how this is alittle much for some people, but to me these were important subjects to think about.

Characters:
Zoe: I think that this concept may be difficult for people to understand, but this story is an interesting account about sexuality and how sexuality is fluid. I liked the way that Zoe described how she was attracted to Vanessa. She very much describes that she is attracted to people rather than the gender.  I also enjoyed her perspective as a music therapist it made me happy to see someone taking their love of music to help those around them. 

Vanessa: I liked Vanessa. She was willing to fight for Zoe and give it her all. She also didn't force her into anything she wasn't comfortable with. She is straightforward with her sexuality and doesn't hide it from Zoe which I think is an important aspect to consider.

Max: I really liked him at the beginning of the stoyr, but as i watched the story unfold I found myself getting extremely frustrated with him. I understand that people change with their experiences, but Max totally flipped into another person after joining the church (not that I think this happens to all people who join a religious group).

Reid: He might be my least favorite character in this whole story. He thinks that he can buy the embreos near the end of the story he wants to have kids but doesn't care about the cost that it would put anyone else under. He also is very suspicious. I can't explain it all, because I don't want any biased that I might have towards certain religions to come front and centre, so let's just say I hated him.

Liddy: I do wonder more about her childhood and how she gained such a personal relationship with God and the idea of religion. I understand that she was a pastor's daughter, but it's also made clear that he engaged in drinking and possibly other "sins". I'm curious about her back story but happy to see her happy with Max at the end.

Pastor Clive: I honestly think that he thinks he is doing the right thing, but I enjoyed in the court room when his beliefs were brought into perspective. You can't only take things you need as direct quotes, when there are so many others that are not appropriate to this day and age. 

Wade: He's a smooth talking son of a gun, but that didn't win him any favors by the end of the story line. I truly hope that his career went downhill from here.

Angela: I loved her. She was sassy, full of passion for her job and just honest with those around her. Although she herself doesn't identify as gay, she is able to defend gay rights and rights of those that often go unheard. 

Lucy: I wonder more and more about her life. About what happened to her by the end of the book and if she was able to survive in Pastor Clive's house until she was 18. I can't say that I was surprised by the fact that she was his step daughter, in fact I started to wonder about it about half way through the book, then brushed that idea aside. I hope that she got the help she needed before it was too late.


Moments to Remember:
Final Line: "That, really, she is the luckiest girl in the world."


Thanks for reading,
Sidny

Book Review: PS I Love You by Cecelia Ahern

Title: P.S. I Love You

Author: Cecelia Ahern

Series/Novel: Novel

Genre: Chick Lit, Romance, Adult Fiction

Pages: 503

Publisher: Hachette Books

Year Published: 2003

First Line: “Holly held the blue cotton sweater to her face and the familiar smell immediately struck her, an overwhelming grief knotting her stomach and pulling at her heart.”

“Some people wait their whole lives to find their soul mates. But not Holly and Gerry.

They were childhood sweethearts- no one could imagine Holly and Gerry without each other.

Until the unthinkable happens. Gerry’s death devastates Holly. But as her 30th birthday looms Holly discovers that Gerry has left her a bundle of notes, gently guiding her into her new life without him, each signed ‘PS, I Love You’.

With some help from her friends, and her noisy and loving family, Holly finds herself laughing, crying, singing, dancing- and being braver than ever before.

Life is for the living, she realises- but it always helps if there’s an angel watching over you.”

My Rating: 4/5

So I'm a little behind on the times, that's not terribly new. But after an emotional week I decided it was time to get my emotion out with a book, and it proved to be helpful. PS. I Love You follows the emotional story of Holly who has recently lost her dear husband of 7 years and the love of her life for the past 15. This story follows how she copes through her loss with a hilarious group of characters, a crazy city and an even crazier family Holly begins to find her way through her new life.

I grew very fond of Holly. She's a wise woman who I'm assuming many of us can relate to. She's an honest, brave and friendly person who does more than many would given her circumstances.

Obviously she goes through her grief that one would naturally expect after loosing one that she truly cared about. This book is a reminder about what it is to truly love and loose. Is it sad? Of course it is. But it’s so much more than that, it incompases a love that can survive death. A true love.

THANK YOU CECELIA AHERN FOR A LOVE THAT OUTLASTS DEATH!

Thanks For Reading,

Love,

Sidny xoxo

Spoiler: P.S I Love You by Cecelia Ahern

This was an interesting book that I didn’t expect to hold me captive the whole 500+ pages but it did it’s job. I was entertained, made to feel so many emotions and encouraged through this book. This book entertained me through the side characters. The things that they came up with made me think of some people I’ve meet the past two years and how they react to certain things. Sharon is perfect and reminds me alot of my best friend. I felt the obvious emotions of sadness and empathy towards Holly, but I also felt her joy when she remembered Gerry, the way he laughed, smiled, lived just simply lived. Finally I believe that there is a form of love that can live after death. This book makes that quite obvious to the readers that Gerry and Holly’s love will continue.

Characters:

♥Holly: I’m happy that Gerry’s letters were able to affect her from the grave. Although I doubt she will ever fully move on, I know that she will be able to live a life worth living even though he is not physically with her. Gerry really knew how to get her to chase her dreams. By being able to find a job she enjoyed and reentering her friendships as her whole self she was able to find a new way of life. I hope that at some point she can find love, even if it’s not as full as Gerry’s.

♥Denise: Ok so she’s a little moody, but we all have that one friend we love just for that reason. She’s a laugh if nothing else and I fully approve of her getting married.

♥Sharon: She by far reminds me of my best friend, blunt but honest and loyal to the end. She’s compassionate and gives all she can to Holly. I was excited when we found out she was pregnant, but sad that she felt she couldn’t share it with Holly in a better time. But there really would have been no good time.

♥Gerry: Although we never met him, in the memories and through the letters some of us (cough) might have fallen in love with him.

♥Richard: Goes to show we never really know what’s going on in someone’s life unless we take the time to get to know them better. I hope that his new job will bring him joy rather than stress and that he finds life without that rude ex-wife of his.

♥Ciara: Perfect how wild she is. Sure for a laugh, even when she was sad about Matthew you can see that she would figure something out.

♥Daniel: Here is where it gets tricky. I wanted Holly and Daniel to fall in love even though it was too soon. I felt that they got along so well, but in reality sometimes people are just better off friends and this is a perfect case. Neither of them were over the other person they had been with.

♥Moments to Remembe♥r

♥Pg. 9

“Instead, Gerry and Holly travelled the world together. It made far more sense that way because when they weren’t together… well, Holly just felt as though she was missing a vital organ from her body.”

♥Pg. 254

“As much as Sharon tried to tan over the years she just ended up getting sunburned and then it would peel. She had finally given up trying to tan and accepted the fact that her skin was meant to be pale.”

♥Final Line: “In the meantime, she would just live.”

Thanks for reading,

Love,

Sidny xoxo

Book Review: Last Summer by Hailey Abbott

Title: Last Summer

Author: Hailey Abbott

Series/Novel: Summer Boys (Book #4)

Genre: Young Adult, Chicklit, Romance

Pages: 233

Publisher: Alloy Entertainment

Year Published: 2007

First Line: “‘Congratulations, graduates!’ cried the principal of Martin High, directly into the microphone.”

“Stealing kisses. Keeping secrets. Making memories.

Beth: Who says you can’t be friends with your ex? It’s the summer before college and George and I are keeping things totally platonic. Aren’t we?

Ella: I love Jeremy. But seeing Peter, my old flame, hook up with a new girl is driving me a little too crazy.

Kelsi: Bennett and I are ready to take things to the next level—except we’re so far apart. Long-distance makes everything harder.

It’s the steamiest summer yet on the beach. The girls have saved the best for last.”

My Rating: 5/5

This is the end of the series by Hailey Abbot. It’s a bittersweet end for me. I feel like I’ve traveled so far with the Tuttle cousins. Seeing them through three summers of their lives. Important summers of their lives, I feel that being a teenager is a tough 7 years, especially when you notice the opposite sex. This final book made me laugh, cry and gasp in surprise. I will gladly say that this is one of my favourite chicklit series I have ever read. I’ve been wondering how the series would end and this seemed to be a perfect way to finish with the majority of the girls going out of high school and starting into the real world. To see the characters end on such a sad note was heartbreaking, but I realize that this is how it was meant to be. To leave Pebble Beach behind for a while and focus on each individual life afterwards.

THANK YOU HAILEY ABBOTT FOR MAKING ME FEEL AT HOME AT PEBBLE BEACH!

Thanks for reading,

Love,

Sidny xoxo

Spoiler: Last Summer by Hailey Abbott

This series was a rough one to read. It reminded me of prior years and things that I wished I could have been, I mean who wishes they weren’t as confident as Ella. The Tuttle cousins slowly became my family too. I cried through their struggles, laughed when they laughed and got goose bumps as I watched them fall in love. It was a wild ride, but Pebble Beach became a second home to me, in my mind. That sounds insane, but I’m sure some of you will know exactly what I’m talking about.

♥Characters♥

♥Ella: I’m happy to see that she’s settled down with Jeremy. They’re made to be together. I understand her jealousy of Taryn. It’s hard to see someone your close to grow close to someone else. It often seems like you’re being left in the dust. But in the end it usually means you’ll find a way to make new friends also. Your sister will always be your sister.

♥Kelsi: The way she acted with Bennett was odd, but I understand that distance is hard. In the long run I don’t see Bennett and Kelsi lasting just because of their different life styles. I’m happy that she realized that she had to let Bennett follow his dreams and had to follow her own; even if that means that they are separate. I hope that she’s happy and has learned to follow her own dreams to her hearts content.

♥Beth: Beth lost so much this instalment. She lost the place where she spent all her summers, the place she fell in love, etc. She lost George, she lost her idea of moving on but in the end she found that people are even more important than materials. I’m happy that she realized that George and her will always have a spark. Whether she wants that spark or not, they can’t go back to being just friends when they’ve loved each other so much. This gave me hope that eventually they will be together.

♥Jamie: I really wish that we had been able see how the private school had changed her love life. It seems incredibly wild that she’ll be taking a year off to go to Europe with a boy she barely knows but hopefully that all works out.

♥Moments to Remember♥

♥Pg. 144

“‘You’ve been sad lately,’ Jeremy said, smiling at her. ‘And you know I hate that. It’s like, my duty to make you smile, and I like that.’”

♥Final Line: “But that didn’t mean that she had to leave anything- or anyone- behind.”

Thanks for reading,

Love,

Sidny xoxo

Book Review: Dear John by Nicholas Sparks

Title: Dear John

Author: Nicholas Sparks

Series/Novel: Novel

Genre: Romance, Fiction, Chicklit

Pages: 276

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Year Published: 2006

First Line: “What does it mean to truly love another?”

“‘Dear John,’ the letter read. And with those two words, a heart was broken and two lives changed forever.

When Savannah Lynn Curtis comes into his life, John Tyree, knows he is ready to turn over a new leaf. An angry rebel, he had enlisted in the army after high school, not know what else to do. Then, during a furlough, he meets Savannah, the girl of his dreams. The attraction is mutual and quickly grows into the kind of love that leaves Savannah vowing to wait for John while he finishes his tour of duty. But neither can foresee that 9/11 is about to change the world. Like so many proud men and women, John must choose between love and country. Now, when he finally returns to North Carolina, John will discover how love can transform us in ways we never could have imagined.”

My Rating: 4/5

Now before anyone gets upset about the fact that this is also a very popular movie, and that I probably watched the movie before I read the book, you should all know this. I haven’t watched the movie yet as I’m completely out of the loop. So this review is purely based on the book.

This book was far better than I thought it would be. I expected it to be so lovey dovey stuff, and there was some of that. But it wasn’t all stuff that makes us regular people want to puke. But it was a lot of character struggle, showing how a long distance relationship can feel.

To begin with I was interested in how much the military would play into this book, and while there are plenty of times that it is obvious that is what John does for a job, it doesn’t always consume the story line.

All in all, I really enjoyed this novel. It was better than expected and made me fall in love with my man all over again. It had the twists and turns that were to be expected, but some that I certainly did not see coming.

THANK YOU NICHOLAS SPARKS FOR SHOWING LOVE IN A DIFFERENT WAY!

Thanks for reading,

Love,

Sidny

Spoiler: Dear John by Nicholas Sparks

This novel broke so many boundaries for me. So many people go through long distant relationships and find those difficult. But nothing can be as difficult as someone who has signed to live away for years at a time, risking their life for those around them.

Dear John shows a side of the military I had never witnessed, love at first sight and a love that is beyond words.

I often read this book while on my lunch break at work. I was often warned that I was going to cry and had people throw the Kleenex box at me. I did cry in the end after I flopped the book down and was going back to my office. Throughout the book, as a reader you realize that maybe things will not always work out, and by the end it just doesn’t fit together. It’s heart breaking, but that’s also how you can tell John feels a real love for Savannah.

♥Characters♥

John: He’s a little rough around the edges. The beginning of this story doesn’t do much to make us like John. He acts like a jerk towards his father, and rebels. But as he joins the army he becomes that all good guy type, that is with the tattoos included. I did fall in love with him a little more story by story. The trouble with that is, that as I read about his heart breaking, my heart broke over and over. Seeing the struggle he went through with Savannah was sad, but seeing him finally give his all to his one love without reciprocation is hard.

♥Savannah: I know there are probably some who blame her for not staying faithful to John. I don’t agree with that for the simple reason, that you can’t control what the heart wants. Sometimes we can fall in love with two people at the same time, especially when there is such a great distance between two people. I strongly believe that while long distance is a capability, not all people or relationships are built for it.

♥John’s Father: It was heart breaking to hear about how his life had diminished near the end, but I’m happy that John had a chance to get to know who he really was, and why he was the way he was. It’s hard to learn something like that about someone you love. But just because there may be an additional support need it doesn’t mean there is something the matter with a person.

♥Tim: It said at the beginning that Tim appeared to be in love with Savannah, but I never thought the book would end with him. I was surprised they ended up together, I just didn’t see it coming until she sent the letter. Then again, the fact that he got cancer was a tragedy in itself. John couldn’t very well steal up a cancer patient’s wife, now could he? All the same I’m happy that Tim made it through thanks to John’s contribution.

♥Moments to Remember♥

♥Pg. 47

“‘I have to start my day with coffee. It’s my only vice.’”

♥Pg. 133

“‘I’m going to marry you one day, you know?’

 ‘Is that a promise.’

 ‘If you want it to be.’

 ‘Well, then you have to promise that you’ll come back for me when you get out of the army. I can’t marry you if you’re not around.’”

♥Pg. 144

“From the very beginning, the calls and letters between us were regular. We e-mailed as well, but I soon learned that Savannah preferred to write, and she wanted me to do the same. ‘I know it’s not as immediate as e-mail, but that’s what I like about it,’ she wrote me. ‘I like the surprise of finding a letter in the mailbox and the anxious anticipation I feel when I’m getting ready to open it. I like the fact that I can take it with me to read at leisure, and that I can lean against a tree and feel the breeze on my face when I see your words on paper. I like to imagine the way you looked when you wrote it…”

♥Final Line: “And for the briefest instant, it almost feels like we’re together again.”

Thanks for reading,

Love,

Sidny xoxo

Book Review: After Summer by Hailey Abbott

Title: After Summer

Author: Hailey Abbott

Series/Novel: Summer Boys Series (Book #3)

Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Chicklit
Pages: 163

Publisher: Alloy Entertainment

Year Published: 2006

First Line: “Beth lined up her bare toes along the edge of the platform and arched her body forward, extending her arms over the still, blue water.”

“Summer may be over; but the hook ups are hotter than ever:

Beth: George is supposed to be my boyfriend and my best friend. Now, it’s like he’s only interested in one thing- and it’s not my friendship

Ella: Unbelievable. Ryan is an even bigger player than… I am. Have I finally met my match?

Kelsi: Even though Tim is great, I still want us to wait a while. But what if I’m the only one at college who hasn’t done it yet?

Cold winds. Hot boys. Can summer love survive?”

My Rating: 4/5

This book is the first and only book from the Summer Boys series that takes place in each of the girls’ separate towns. I was surprised how much of a difference that made. While this novel showed some contact between the cousins it made it harder to follow each individual story as they did not overlap nearly enough for my liking.

That being said, I also found that this instalment in the series was completely over dramatic. It seemed as though it was repeating parts from the first two books, so it was hard to be put on edge by anything.

But truth be told, I’m a sucker for drama. I got sucked into each story and was heartbroken at times along with the girls, but also angry at the girls for doing things I never thought they would do.

I am extremely excited to read the last instalment of these books, as I want to see who ends up with who and why, etc. In all honesty, I’m hooked!

THANK YOU HAILEY ABBOTT FOR MAKING ME FEEL LIKE A TUTTLE COUSIN!

Thanks for reading,

Love,

Sidny xoxo

Spoiler: After Summer by Hailey Abbott

Welcome back (told you I’d get better with posting more frequently!). So this book caught me off guard in so many ways. As I’ve read through the Summer Boys series, I realized that the girls lived in different areas. When I found that this book wasn’t based on Pebble Beach I thought nothing off it, in fact I looked forward to it. Truth be told it changed the way the individual perspectives were told, as the girls didn’t see each other nearly every day. I found it hard to keep all the stories separate when a lot of similar things were happening with Kelsi, Beth and Ella. Also, can we hear from Jamie more often??? Please!

♥Character♥

♥Ella: I think I expected her to leave Jeremy in the dust during the beginning of the book, but I was still disappointed in her when it happened. Although that being said, it seemed like Jeremy had decided he was out, so she must have been hurt. So forth, Ryan. What a piece of work!! I was overjoyed when she realized that she was a different person than who she was before Jeremy. She’s really changed and started to think about having one boyfriend, instead of every boy. That’s a real step up for her. Hopefully she can make it to summer to be with Jeremy. Fingers crossed.

♥Beth: What in the world is going on here? I was cheering for her and George. But I guess things can’t always be patched. Especially when she was feeling so stretched out. It could happen with time that she and George get back together. But at some point I had to realize it was done for them. Especially with how jerk-ish George was acting about the sex thing. Grrrr….

♥Kelsi: Kelsi is certainly right. People change, they grow apart, it just happens. It’s sad, and parts of you might still love the other person, but it takes a real adult to be able to stand up and say, “This isn’t working.” I wouldn’t be surprised if she ends up with Bennet, but if she doesn’t that’s ok too. Maybe she just needs time to explore her options and whatever. Have to wait and see I suppose.

♥Moments to Remember♥

♥Pg. 111

“‘Not the hotel, George,’ Beth snapped at him. ‘I can’t believe you. This was supposed to be a new romantic weekend. And you decide that means I should dress up like some ho. Then you paw at me all night, and now you think I want to go and have sex with you? Who are you? What happened to you?’”

♥Pg. 116

“Kelsi wasn’t sure she’d missed her sister while away at college. But when Ella came up for the long Veteran’s Day weekend in November, Kelsi realized that she had. A lot.”

♥Final Line: “All she had to do was jump.”

Thanks for reading,

Love,

Sidny xoxo