Chick-lit Corner: Bookreview

Bookreview
Girl On The Run by Jane Costello

I'm cheating a little bit today, as I've had a horrid week (those who follow me on twitter know why) and just couldn't read, so the book I'd planned to review today hides under my bed only half-read. So I thought I'd post a short review of a book I've read back in April.

Girl on the Run - Jane Costello

Abby Rogers has been on health kicks before - they involve eating one blueberry muffin for breakfast instead of two. When she's encouraged to join her fitness-fanatic best friend's running club - by none other than its gorgeous new captain - she finds a mysterious compulsion to exercise.

Why did I read this book?

 I've been a huge Jane Costello fan ever since I found her first book Bridesmaids in a bookstore in Stockholm a few years back. I've devoured her books ever since. So, of course I had to read her latest one too. 

The Cover

I love the cover, it matches the previous ones and fits the story perfectly. It's summery, it's fresh, it's funny.

My Thought about the Book

Sadly it is already a few months since I've read this book so my thoughts about it aren't as coherent as I'd like them to be. I like to have the story fresh in my mind when I review a book.

Anyway, I remember that I giggled my way through it. From start to finish. I felt a strong friendship with Abby, she's really likeable, funny and charming. I could really relate to her aversion to all things exercise as I'm really not the sporty-type and particulary hate running (which may have to do with the fact that I have very very weak ankles and always sprain them as soon as I start to run, or well, I sprain them even when I walk, but that's another story). 

I admire Abby's fighting-spirit, that she doesn't give up because she has something to fight for. That she wants to run for charity, to help her friend is just awesome.

Lets not forget about the man in the story. *Swoon*. Where was I? Ahh, yes, he's perfect. Enough said. He and Abby have a lot of chemistry, the dialogues are witty and snappy. 

All in all..I loved this book. It made me giggle. Chick-lit at its best!

April Favourites (Monthly favs # 4)

Yes, I know, I'm ridiculously late with this post. I mean we are already five days into May! 
April has gone so fast it didn't even register in my mind. I've had a bad month, really. Somehow I just got into a reading slump. It got to the point that I picked up a random book, read the first page and threw the book away, next! I think I started about 20 books I just felt *Meeh* about. It felt like I'd lost the pleasure of reading, like it became a task, hard work. And I've never ever felt like that before, I've been reading regularly since I was 8 years old (I was reading before that too, but not as much...). Anyway..the month started off good, then got really really slow when I was in that black hole, I managed to get myself out of it and read three books in a row, but now during these past five days I haven't touched a book yet. Let's hope the excitement of books comes back to me!
According to Goodreads I managed to read 11 books during the month of April, I'm not quite sure though if I've finished all of them. Most of these books were a disappointment really, but here are my two favourites:

Girl on the Run by Jane Costello

Abby Rogers has been on health kicks before - they involve eating one blueberry muffin for breakfast instead of two. When she's encouraged to join her fitness-fanatic best friend's running club - by none other than its gorgeous new captain - she finds a mysterious compulsion to exercise.

.

.

I'm a big fan of Jane Costello's novels, ever since I've picked up Bridesmaids in a book store in Stockholm. I loved this book. It's funny and charming and wonderful, it's exactly the kind of book that made me fall in love with *girlie* books in the first place.
I was hoping to be able to feature this one in my *chick-lit corner*..we will see how that goes..lol

After I'd read this wonderful book I fell right into that black hole I was talking about earlier, no book was good enough. That lasted about two weeks if not longer, during those weeks I discarded about twenty books. Finally I got an idea how to get out of it. I was thinking about what kind of book I'd like to read and immediately thought about Sarah Dessen. I didn't want to reread any and then it just hit me: You have a kindle, use it! So I did and downloaded a few Sarah Dessen books I hadn't previously read.

The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen

Sixteen-year-old Macy Queen is looking forward to a long, boring summer. Her boyfriend is going away. She's stuck with a dull-as-dishwater job at the library. And she'll spend all of her free time studying for the SATs or grieving silently with her mother over her father's recent unexpected death. But everything changes when Macy is corralled into helping out at one of her mother's open house events, and she meets the chaotic Wish Catering crew. Before long, Macy joins the Wish team. She loves everything about, the work and the people. But the best thing about Wish is Wes—artistic, insightful, and understanding Wes—who gets Macy to look at life in a whole new way, and really start living it.

I'd heard so much about this book. Everybody loved it, everybody recommended it, but somehow I never got around to reading it. Let me tell you, YES, it really IS THAT GOOD!
I went through all the emotions while reading this book. I felt frustration, so much frustration I just wanted to scream at the mother, I felt butterflies in my stomach, first love *sigh*, I felt the sorrow of a loss and I cried, and I laughed and smiled and felt hope.
So, if you somehow have lived under a rock these past five years and haven't read this yet GO READ IT RIGHT NOW!..I'll wait  :P

In My Mailbox # 16

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren , find out more about it on her IMM-page.

IMM #16 aka Chick-lit week at its finest :)

Hello everybody and thanks for stopping by my blog.

This week was a busy week, with uni starting again (not that I was on vacation before, I could work from home for the last three months, writing my masters-thesis). I live a bit away from my uni (it's cheaper where I live and I'm doing my masters which means I can do a lot from home, no lectures or seminars).

Anyway, this week has been more chick-lit-y than my past IMM's which seems kind of weird. Also, my missing books arrived (well, not the ones that were missing, but the ones that were re-sent to me) but an other book-related parcel is way overdue ( I've ordered a bag and a sweater that are book-related and they haven't turned up, hope it was a legitimate company :S :S). So, this is what I've got this week:

Playing Hurt - Holly Schindler. This is one of my 'missing books' that finally turned up. I was waiting for ever end ever for this one. Ordered it a long time ago, it was shipped...and...nothing happened. It just didn't arrive. Anyway, I was very happy when it finally arrived on my doorstep, after lots of emails to customer-service. Anyway. I've started it, but couldn't really get into it. The story in the book is not the one described on the jacket (or at least what I'd expected from the blurb). And I have a feeling there's some cheating going on there. :/ But everyone else loves it, so give it a try :)

City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare. Yay, it arrived, beautiful hardback.

Looking for Leon  by Shirley Bentely. I just love these *big*-paperbacks :)

Girl on the Run by Jane Costello. I did my own little happy-dance when this arrived. Didn't think it was out yet. So it was a complete surprise. I LURVE Jane Costello's books. I LURVE THEM!

The Truth About You - Melissa Hill. I'm quite new to Melissa's books, I've only read two of them. But I've enjoyed both of them. She has a way of writing that's just like chocolate mousse or something. And all the twists and turns...oh my...I hope I like this one as much. Love the cover, (it reminds me of Lucy Dillon's books)

The Finishing Touches - Hester Browne. A few weeks back  I was raving about Hester Browne's new book: Swept off her Feet, (here), and a few of you mentioned this book of hers, that I should read it, so I've bought it :)

The Provence Cure for Brokenhearted by Bridget Asher. I love the Provence, hope I'll love the books as well :)

So, this is it for me this week. What did you all get?

Happy Reading!

Just Arrived #4

I just had to walk for an hour to get these lovelies home, and let me tell you: They are heavy!!
But it was totally worth it! One must simply love DHL they are always so efficient! At this point I don't know when the rest of the books are going to arrive..but now I'll be busy reading anyway :)

Top 10

My Top Ten of the books I've read in 2009 (nothing to do with when they're published)

1. Saving Grace by Ciara Geraghty
2. A Field Guide to Burying your Parents by Liza Palmer

3. The Good Luck Girl by Kerry Reichs

4. Love in Translation by Wendy Nelson Tokunaga

5. Happiness Sold Seperately by Libby Street

6. Who's That Girl by Alexandra Potter

7. A Total Waste of Make-up by Kim Gruenenfelder
   

8. The Lost Guide to Life and Love by Sharon Griffiths

9. The Nearly-Weds by Jane Costello

10. Right Before Your Eyes by Ellen Shanman
    

Bokabstinens

Jag har aldrig haft så svårt att hitta böcker förut! Seriöst. Hur svårt kan det vara att hitta en bok att läsa? Väldigt svårt verkar det som! Jag har köpt hela 15 !!! böcker den senaste månaden jag inte kunde läsa. Jämför det med 4, för fyra är det antal böcker som jag köpte och läste den senaste månaden. Helt galet. Jag brukar läsa 4 böcker i veckan, minst.
Vad är det som har förändrats? Jag? Har jag förändrats medan allt annat har förblivit sig likt? Eller är det snarare jag som har stått stilla, medan allt runt omkring mig förändrades sakta med säkert? Är det finanskrisens fel? Jag som ibland kan gilla lite udda böcker av nya författare, att de stora förlagen inte vågar ge de ut, eftersom de inte garanterar vinst? Folk vågar inte skriva om sådant längre som de skrev om innan krisen? Nu måste allt vara seriöst och reflekterande? Eller ha med pengar/jobb kriser/problem att göra? Exempel: "Confessions of a Reluctant Recessionista" by Amy Silver. Jag är så trött på det. Usch..jag vill ha nåt att läsa nu! Inget tungt, det har jag tillräckligt med i An Echo in The Bone, eller i kurslitteraturen, eller till och med i mejlen hemifrån! Jag vill försvinna i en annan värld, även om det bara är för några timmar. Jag vill ha den där lyckokänslan jag får av att läsa en bra bok, känslan i magen jag får när jag är i skolan, eller på stan och plötsligt minns att en bra bok väntar hemma, ååå som jag längtar!

Jag var på akademibokhandeln igår, i Muppsala. De har ju ingen urval alls på engelska böcker, men jag försökte ändå. Hittade som väntat ingenting. Stannade av en slump framför barn/ungdomshyllan, där de till exempel har Twilight på engelska. Såg "Emily"..lyckorus...men nähä..de hade inte bok 3, som jag så gärna hade velat läst. Fick gå tomhänt därifrån.

Känns desperat att lista böckerna som jag väntar på redan nu..framförallt med tanke på att några kommer ut nästa år, vår/sommar. Hjälp!

• Bachelor and Spinster Ball - Janet Gover ( November)
• A Field Guide to Burying Your Parents - Liza Palmer ( November)
• Becoming Scarlett - Ciara Geraghty (Januari)
• I Heart Hollywood - Lindsey Kelk (Januari)
• Nina Jones and the Temple of Gloom - Julie Cohen ( Mars)
• The Thinking Girls Crumpet - Jane Costello (April)
  
• The Good, The Bad and The Dumped - Jenny Colgan ( Maj)

Utbudet är väldigt klent...det ser inte bra ut inför framtiden :(

Chick-lit, my favorites

Well, I read a lot, and it's mostly chick-lit I read, so I thought I start off with a list of my favorite chick-lit books. Because I don't read just any book, I really don't. And I don't read the typical chick-lit. I hate everything that has to do with shopping, make-up and shoes! Shoes in particular. I hate shoes (oops, maybe I shouldn't out myself like that). And I don't particular care for books with titles such as "A Singles Guide to...", and I really don't want to read about women working at glossy magazines and so on. So, even though I'm a girl and read chick-lit, I'm not so girly after all.
Books I read have to have something, that difficult to define it, most of the time it's something that is personal to me, and other readers just don't understand why I liked a particular book, because for them there was nothing special about it.
I like reading as an entertainment on lazy afternoons when there's nothing much to do. I like to read on a break from my studies, to get my mind to think about something else. I use reading when I'm angry or sad, because all my negative emotions disappear when I read, and I use reading when I'm happy because reading just makes all my positive emotions so much stronger.

Reading for me is a constant quest for that special feeling in my stomach/heart, some call it butterflies, but I'm not sure if it is that what it is, but it certainly makes life worth living!!!

It's difficult for me to say just exactly why I like a certain book, sometimes it has nothing to do with the book or the plot, but with how the book makes me feel!

My favorite chick-lit books: (Without any particular order!!!)

1. Conversations With The Fat Girl - Liza Palmer This is a favorite, not because of the weight issue but because Liza Palmer is an exceptionally good writer. I wasn't a fan of the "I" style before this book, but now I just can't get enough of it. I love the suspense I get when I don't know what everyone else is thinking, when I know exactly as much as the main-person in the book. When the author isn't playing God, and when you don't read phrases like " She didn't know that this wasn't the worst thing happening to her this day, more was to come..."
2. Be Careful What You Wish For - Alexandra Potter Well, the title says it all. The book really makes you start thinking about the small and big things in everyday-life. Wonderfully written.
3. Life's too Short to Frost a Cupcake - Rosie Wilde
   
4. Out Of The Blue - Belinda Jones Perfect Summer Read! You can litterally smell the ocean!
5. English As A Second Language - Megan Crane There's a lot of drinking in this book, which could cause a problem for some readers, but it's about college/graduate school, and which student doesn't drink?
   
6. Best Day Of Someone Else's Life - Kerry Reichs It's about weddings, a lot of them, which's normally not my thing, too girly. But this is a smart book, very entertaining, many deep insights, it has everything I look for in a book!!
7. One Night Stand - Julie Cohen
8. Flirting in Cars - Alisa Kwitney It was a warm sunny day, when I was reading this book on the balcony. I got so immersed in the story that when I finally was interrupted several hours later, I was very red and sun-burnt.
   
9. The Nearly-Weds - Jane Costello
10. Desperately Seeking - Evelyn Cosgrave
11. Playing James - Sarah Mason
12. The Nanny - Melissa Nathan
13. The Boy I Loved Before - Jenny Colgan
14. I Heart New York - Lindsey Kelk I actually didn't care much for the plot. It has too much shopping, too many clothes and make-up and a few fairy-taily things in it, but the writing, the writing is wonderful! Once picked up, I couldn't put it down again, the emotions were so real. Heavenly :)
    
15. Knitting under the Influence - Claire LaZebnik
16. Truly Madly Yorus - Rachel Gibson
17. It Should Have Been Me - Phillippa Ashley
18. Smart Casual - Niamh Shaw
19. One Thing Led to Another - Katy Regan
20. Farmer Needs a Wife - Janet Gover