50 Shades of Grey & 50 Shades Darker

So I was a little hesitant to read these book because of how everyone says they are very "racy" and I thought that's what the book would be all about but its not.  The book is from the point of view of Anastasia Steele, a new graduate from College who has a chance meeting with Christian Grey, a very rich and successful business man in town.  I will not go into detail because I think everyone know what the book is about but Christian has a very different lifestyle and wants Anastasia to go into an "arrangement" with him.  I really like the book because of the main character and the relationship they start.

The 2nd book just keeps the story going but adds some drama with some of Christians exes.  I really like both books and started the 3rd one last night.

Yankee Doodle Dixie (Whistlin Dixie Sequel) Lisa Patton

Yankee Doodle Dixie is the sequel to Whistlin Dixie in a Nor'easter. After reading the first one, I went to rush out and buy the second one only to find that it wasn't out yet! I was excited when it finally came out because the first one ended in such a cliff hanger. Throughout the book, I feel like I never know what is going to happen to the main character Leelee who's life has been spun upside down. I can't give much away for anyone who wants to read the first one, but I recommend reading them one after the other. The ongoing story centers around the main character and her 3 best friends who are southern belles of Memphis. There is a rock star encounter which is a very interesting part of the book; I couldn't put it down. I love the way it ended. Overall this book is a light fluffy read but enjoyable.

Okay first I picked up this book up when Boarders was going out of business, thinking hey I like knitting and Friday nights so maybe this would be a good book.  Well I was right, I loved this book so much!  It's about this mother who runs a knit shop in New York City and her and her daughter live above it, so basically there whole lives revolve around knitting.  Then there is a group of friends that always come to the shop, so they decide to start a Friday night knitting club.  The book is centered on the shop owner and daughter but also does give details and stories on the friends, I think there were 3 or 4 of them. 

The best part is there are 3 books in this series, Knit Two, and Knit in Season.  I have read them all and the first and 2nd are the best but you have to read the 3rd one to wrap up the story line.  I bet there will be more books coming out too.

Night Road by Kristin Hannah

Night Road by Kristin Hannah was a very good read and I would recommend it.  I had read some of Kristin's other books, that are on this blog, so I thought why not try this one.  The story focuses on the Farraday family, Jude (the mom) and her twins Mia and Zach.  Zach is very popular in school and Mia is the shy one but since they are twins they have an inseperable bond.  A new girl Lexi comes to town and becomes friends with Mia and eventually of course falls in love with Zach.  I don't want to say to much more because it would give things away.  Also if you really want to be surprised don't read the summary on the book. As Kristins other books do, this book does cover about 10 years. 

It is a great read and many unexpected things happen.

Let me know if you want to borrow it!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Hunger Games

Ok so my take on Hunger Games...not my favorite. It's a good read and the plot is very interesting, but I would rather not read about dying. I think if the characters were adults instead of children I would have enjoyed it more. I guess I couldn't get past that. I must say, I was happy the way it ended and it somewhat makes me want to read the next one.

American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld

I bought this book because I thought it would be interesting to read a fiction novel about the president and politics. Little did I know that the majority of this book does not revolve around politics which I enjoyed. It's much more dramatic than I was anticipating. It follows the life of a women from her teenage years living in a small town all the way up until she meets her husband who ends up becoming the President. She goes from being a regular person to the most famous woman in the world. One thing I like about this book is most of storyline takes place before her husband becomes President.

True Colors Kristen Hannah

So far I've loved every book by Kristen Hannah. True Colors is a story about 3 sisters trying to succeed in life and gain the approval of their father who is an old crochety widower living on a ranch in Washington State. One sister is the pretty one, one is the overachiever, and one is the housewife and they all have drama. There is all sorts of heartache, dissapointments and fun twists in this book. Loved it!

The Castaways Elin Hilderbrand

The Castaways is a story about a group of married couples who are all great friends. They take trips together and their kids play with one another. But tragedy strikes the group and they all have to come together to get past the "tragedy" as things unravel and fall apart. There's lots of scandal, cheating, make-ups, break-ups. All sorts of twists and turns. Great summer read! I couldn't put it down once I got to the middle.

Price & Prejudice - Jane Austin

Okay this is my all time favorite classic novel. I just watched the movie the other day with Keira Knightley and it reminded me of how much I love this book! I also read Mr. Darcy's Daughter's which takes place 20 years after Pride and Prejudice.

Water for Elephants

This book is about a young adult who lost his parents while he was taking his final exams to become a veterinarian. He ends up jumping a train that is actually a train for a traveling circus. He gets hired on as the vet and starts to fall in love with the boss' wife. Every five chapters or so, it goes back to man (50 years later), to tell about his current life. This book is very good, but you have to get past the first 100 pages or so, to really see the story developing, but trust me, you won't be disappointed by reading it.

Whistlin dixie in Nor'easter - Lisa Patton

This book is about a Southern belle who gets uprooted by her husband to Vermont where summer is 6 weeks long and snow stays on the ground through April. This Tennessee mom of 2 young kids has to face the life struggles of moving away from her only home in Tennessee to the foreign culture and weather of the North. It's a quick read and I really enjoyed the sequence of events that occur throughout the story. I was kind of disappointed with how it ended, but then I found out there is a second book that follows that I definitely want to read next.