Sarah Dessen is an author who still eludes me… I have to read one of her books and I know Camryn has gushed about her before! ~ Sheila
Along for the Ride
Austen is a teenager with teenager issues. Her parent’s divorce gave her a case of insomnia, and her mother’s relationships with her grad students doesn’t sit well with her. Her dad is a professor who like strange names, such as Austen. He believes that great writers deserve to have his children named after them. His new wife, Heidi, gets a taste of this when their child is named Thisbe. Luckily, Heidi convinced him to allow her to make Caroline her middle name, instead of Andromeda. Austen, fed up with her mother’s attitude and games, packs up to live with her dad in Colby, a small beach town. She wants her last summer before college to be different. Her first few days consisted of prepping for Defriese, the college she was going to attend, but soon turns into a friendship with Heidi, and a job at Clementine, Heidi’s store, as Heidi’s book-keeper. In Colby, she meets a fellow insomniac, Eli. Eli is different; he is mysterious, a sort of closed book. As Auden becomes better and better friends with Eli, she starts to learn about his past, and what made him the person he is today.
Along for the Ride is Sarah Dessen’s most recent novel. It’s also my favorite of all of her books. It is for the same preteen to teenager audience, but it’s really great. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a good summer read.
Camryn is 13 years old, and enjoys reading YA books of the fantasy and romance genre. A few of her favorite books are “Hourglass” by Myra McEntire, “The Other Countess” by Eve Edwards, “Hush, Hush” by Becca Fitzpatrick, “The Immortals” series, the “Marked” series and the “Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” series. When she’s not reading she enjoys watching Gilmore Girls or going to book sales for more books to add to her ever-growing collection.
Remy never really has great relationships with boys. She likes it to be easy, fun, and when it gets to that difficult part of the relationship, she breaks it off. After all, her mother is working on husband number five. Noncommittal relationships run in the family. That’s before she meets Dexter. Dexter is gangly, messy, and in a band. All big no’s for Remy when it comes to dating, but Dexter is different. Remy is can’t seem to get rid of him. He’s not exactly what she’s looking for, but will Dexter make Remy reconsider her standards?
This Lullaby is a really cute book. I like this Sarah Dessen book a lot. It is a young adult read, and a great summer read. I recommend you pick this book up right away!
Camryn is 13 years old, and enjoys reading YA books of the fantasy and romance genre. A few of her favorite books are “Hourglass” by Myra McEntire, “The Other Countess” by Eve Edwards, “Hush, Hush” by Becca Fitzpatrick, “The Immortals” series, the “Marked” series and the “Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” series. When she’s not reading she enjoys watching Gilmore Girls or going to book sales for more books to add to her ever-growing collection.
One tragic night brings Isabel and June to live with their cousin Kat and aunt Lolly in the family owned Matriatch Inn on the coast of Maine. At that time, Isabel and June could not wait to be old enough to go out and live on their own, and when that time came, they left.
Now, years later, just as Isabel’s marriage is falling apart, and June is in search of a man who disappeared from her life seven years before, the girls are again called to the Matriarch Inn, but this time, because Lolly had been diagnosed with late term cancer. When the two sisters arrive they find their Aunt Lolly, weak but in good spirits and their cousin Kat newly engaged, but for some reason she doesn’t look like a happy bride to be.
As per tradition, each Friday night is movie night at the Inn, and Lolly has a nice selection of every movie Maryl Streep had ever been in. At first the girls are distant, all caught up in their own troubles, but as each movie is shown week after week, the movies plot and characters bring out deep conversations within the three cousins and Lolly. Wrongs are brought to light, fears are revealed, and dreams are shared.
Over bowls of buttery popcorn and delicious homemade cupcakes, this family learns to trust in one another, and eventually… learn to trust in themselves as well.
Why did I want to read this book? Title. I am a movie nut and any title with the word “club” in it draws my attention, “book club”, “cooking club”, Movie club”…. after all isn’t a club a gathering of people who all enjoy the same thing? How fascinating!
The Meryl Streep Book Club at first glance looked like it would be a quick read. It turns out it wasn’t and here is why. While I have seen some of the newer movies that Meryl Streep has been in, many of the older titles I had not. To get the most out of this book, I went and rented the movies to go along with it and found myself enjoying The Bridges Of Madison County, Kramer Vs. Kramer, and It’s Complicated.
What impressed me about this book is that each of the Meryl Streep movies, held a lesson for what at least one of the girls was going through. The movies themselves become the back drop of the book, and all in all it turned out to be a pretty sweet read.
The movies in the book:
The Bridges Of Madison County
The Devil Wears Prada
Mamma Mia!
Heartburn
Defending Your Life
Kramer Vs. Kramer
Postcards From The Edge
It’s Complicated
Out Of Africa
Julie and Julia
Do I have any complaints? Yes, to quote my friend Reagan, the relationship struggles these three girls had was a hot mess. Isabel, June, and Kat’s stories are all so over the top that for me, it took a bit away from the story – too much and all at the same time made it feel a tad unbelievable.
HOWEVER (and that is a big however), if you do not over analyze the real relationship struggles, the book is extremely enjoyable. In the beginning I was unsure how I was going to feel about this book, but by the middle I was sold out and fell in love with the story itself.
This would make for a fun book club read and discussion with a possible hosting of one of the movies mentioned in the book and lots and lots of yummy buttered popcorn!
After reading Camryn’s review below… now I want to go to Summer Brain Camp! Looks to me like Sarah Dessen has done it again!
~Sheila
The Truth About Forever
Macy Queen is looking forward to a quiet, do-nothing summer. Her boyfriend, the perfect Jason Talbot, is away for the summer at Brain Camp, and she’s taking over his boring library-counter job. She plans on studying all summer, and hanging out with her mom. Macy carries a heavy burden in her heart. She feels responsible for her dad’s death. That is, until she meets the Wish Catering crew and gets a taste of the chaos that is catering. Macy, right away, gets a job at Wish for the summer. She meets new friends, and loves her summer job. But the best part of Wish, is not the food, or the chaos, but Wes. Artistic, perfect Wes. Wes and Macy grow closer over the summer, but before they can really be together, she has a hurdle to jump. That hurdle, is accepting that her dad’s death wasn’t her fault. But can she forgive herself? Or will she miss out on Wes because of her denial?
The Truth About Forever is a novel by Sarah Dessen. The majority of Sarah Dessen’s novels are great, light and easy summer reads. This is one of them. Recommended for a young adult audience, The Truth About Forever isn’t one you want to miss!
Camryn is 13 years old, and enjoys reading YA books of the fantasy and romance genre. A few of her favorite books are “Hourglass” by Myra McEntire, “The Other Countess” by Eve Edwards, “Hush, Hush” by Becca Fitzpatrick, “The Immortals” series, the “Marked” series and the “Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” series. When she’s not reading she enjoys watching Gilmore Girls or going to book sales for more books to add to her ever-growing collection.
Sheila’s definition of marshmallows: White sticky “globby” things that come from the grocery store and are delicious ONLY if used for making rice crispy bars, smores – or fully melted within a cup of hot cocoa.
While reading blogs a while back I stumbled across this book on Nikki’s site, Notes Of Life. A book entirely about marshmallows caused me pause and at the end of her post about the book, she had a giveaway for a copy. Finding it hard to believe there was a WHOLE BOOK about marshmallows, I signed up. Imagine my surprise when I was the winner of this book!
When Marshmallow Madness arrived I was thrilled with the puffy cover. Ok that is just fun, I thought, but a cute cover in not going to sell me on this….
then I opened that puffy cover…
Chocolate Malt Marshmallows…..uh…. hello!
It was fun to read that author Shauna Severs relationship growing up with marshmallows was much as mine… so how does one go from there, to the point of making delicious flavored marshmallows for family and friends who anxiously await for holidays to receive one of these gift packages?
Shauna takes us through the simple ingredients that make up a marshmallow:
sugar
corn syrup
gelatin(Knox unflavored)
water
salt
vanilla extract (100% pure)
coating made from powdered sugar and cornstarch
Key Lime Pie Marshmallows
Grab a sauce pan, candy thermometer, measuring cups and spoons, whisk, spatula, stand mixer (heavy-duty mixer is recommended), cooking spray, a bowl for the coating, food coloring, and an 8×8 pan and you are ready to get your mallow on!!!
After the basics for making marshmallows is done, you enter into a section of the books that is all about mastering your new skill with fun recipes and idea…
How about chocolate malt marshmallows? Key lime pie flavored? Lemonade? Apricot? How about flavored with alcohol to make margarita or Malibu flavored marshmallows? There is even a recipe for homemade graham crackers so the next time you make smores – you are going to be the hit of the party!
By the time I was done with this book I knew marshmallows went far beyond what I thought they were used for prior to the reading. The marshmallows in this book are lovely and delicious enough to serve as dessert! A treat at place settings! Weddings! Kids and adult parties!
In the end there is an entire chapter on gift giving which I am particularly excited about. I am always looking for that kitchen goodie I can make for party hosts and for holiday giving that isnt what everybody else is doing. I think I may have found that thing!
Margarita Marshmallows
I have not made any of the recipes in this book yet but I plan to. And if I were to be asked where I would start I would say the Chocolate malt marshmallows and those delicious looking Key Lime ones are calling my name….
Chocolate Malt Marshmallows (as found on Shauna’s blog, and in the book)
Malted milk powder can be found in most supermarkets either by the hot chocolate mixes, or near the ice cream fixings. That’s right, I said fixings.
For the chocolate shavings, grate bar chocolate on the largest holes of a boxed grater.
The deeper and richer your cocoa powder, the more intense the color and flavor will be, so use the best one you can get your hands on (I like Valrhona).
Makes about 20
For the marshmallows:
2 tablespoons (about 2 packets) unflavored powdered gelatin
1/3 cup cold water
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup, divided
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup malted milk powder
6 tablespoons boiling water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Grease an 8×8-inch pan with shortening, using a paper towel to rub it lightly and evenly onto the bottom, sides and edges of the pan. Set aside.
Sprinkle the gelatin over 1/3 cup cold water in a small bowl. Set aside to soften.
Place the sugar, 1/4 cup corn syrup and 1/4 cup water in a medium saucepan and stir gently. Clip a candy thermometer onto the pan, and place it over medium-high heat. Bring it to a boil, checking it occasionally–you are looking for it to eventually hit a temperature of 240-245 degrees.
Meanwhile, place the remaining 1/4 cup corn syrup in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whip attachment. Heat the softened gelatin in the microwave to melt it, about 30 seconds or so on high. Start the mixer on low-speed, and pour the gelatin into the corn syrup. Keep the mixer running on low-speed.
Whisk together the cocoa, malt powder and boiling water in a small bowl until smooth. When the sugar syrup is up to temperature, whisk the cocoa mixture into it, followed by the vanilla. Carefully transfer the syrup to a large, heatproof measuring cup or a similar vessel with a spout for easy pouring. Turn the mixer up to medium speed and slowly pour the sugar syrup into the gelatin mixture. When all the syrup has been added, crank the speed up to medium-high and let it go for about 10 minutes–the candy will become fluffy and the color of a chocolate malt during this time.
Sift together 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar and 3 tablespoons cocoa powder. Set aside, and keep the sifter handy.
Pour the marshmallow into the prepared pan. Use an offset spatula spritzed with a bit of cooking spray to nudge it into the corners and smooth the top. Sift the cocoa-confectioners’ sugar mixture evenly and generously over the top. Let sit for about 6 hours, or overnight.
Use a knife to loosen the marshmallow from the edges of the pan and invert it onto a cocoa-confectioners’ sugar mixture-dusted work surface. Cut the marshmallow into squares (a pizza cutter works great here). Dip the sticky edges of the marshmallows in chocolate shavings, and dab more all over the marshmallows. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Be sure to check out Shauna Severs blog, Piece Of Cake for her fun posts and great recipes! Oh and of course, if you know a marshmallow lover (or even a skeptic like me!) this book would make a lovely gift!
Alice Humphrey really could have it all. After all her father was the famous award winning director, Frank Humphrey. Alice knew that life wasn’t for her and had insisted that she make it on her own. After months of struggling financially she can not believe her luck when while visiting an art gallery, she meets Drew Campbell who offers her a job as a new gallery manager. The owner who chooses to remain anonymous, will leave the details up to Alice, and it will be as though Alice owns the gallery herself!
There is one tiny catch….
At the opening of this new gallery this mysterious owner wants only one artist to be featured and promoted. Once this artists run is up, Alice is open to choose any other artists to feature in the gallery. The artist Alice must represent has some pretty far our unpleasant art pieces. Alice just continues to remind herself that this is only for a time and then she can make the gallery more to her liking… and hey, the paychecks are coming in!
But a group of protesters against the art set Alice’s nerves on edge, and then finding the gallery emptied to the bare bones and Drew’s body in the gallery the morning after the protesters is impossible to wrap her mind around. Who would do such a thing?
When the police are involved, Alice soon discovers that Drew is not who he says he was. And now the art that was displayed and the gallery itself seem to be tied to a missing girl. When pictures turn up of a woman who looks like Alice in compromising acts, Alice knows she has been set up. To save herself from being put behind bars she has to get to the bottom of this twisted area of her life. Who is this girl and how is she tied to the gallery? As she works to find answers Alice begins to discover long hidden secrets within her own family – secrets that could get her killed.
Why did I want to read this? The synopsis is fascinating… a mysterious job offer, a murder centered around an art gallery and a protagonist who comes from a life of plenty but chooses to make her own way. It is funny how those family ties no matter how hard we try to distance ourselves in some cases, can come back when we least expect it.
Long Gone is definitely a page turner. There is no long drawn out front story to this book – instead we jump into the gallery job offer and things spiral into action from there, which I like it when a book gets to the point. I liked Alice, she felt real. I was surprised that the missing girl was not a bigger part of the story. While that story line hovers around the edges of the book, a small part about it in the beginning and then a few sprinkles throughout the read, it is really more about Alice.
As you get to the end it all starts coming together and meshes into a fantastic climax. As I think about the lack of information about the missing girl I can not help but wonder if that was not the author being strategic… after all the girl is missing… it could make sense that she does hover – almost ghost like and not quite there, throughout the read.
Lovers of great suspense and good fast action should definitely check this book out.
Welcome to New York. It’s busy and fast paced and feels as though you are surrounded by a constant buzz of electricity that feels the air.
For Cate, New York has brought her the sought after title of feature editor for the magazine Gloss. It is everything that Cate had hoped for in a career, and everything she has dreaded as well.
Renee, is in the running for the coveted position of Beauty editor of Gloss. She suffers from low self-esteem to her constant battle with her weight and her two components for the position seem to have it far more together than she does. However, the diet pills she has started taking seem to be giving her energy and curbing her appetite and she is learning that if she takes more pills, she has more energy…. and maybe the weight will drop faster.
Abby, had her life together. She was happy and in a dream job where she was able to go to school in the evenings and by day live with a young family and take care of their darling little girl. But the man of the house, Bob, is pretty good-looking, and oh so kind, and the wife just works all the time late into the evenings…. leaving Abby alone with Bob…
As these three women connect and eventually become roommates, the secrets that can busy us… perhaps friendship can save us?
Sarah Pekkanen and I in 2011, BEA week, New York
Why did I want to read this book? Helloooooo… it’s Sarah Pekkanen! I loved Sarah’s book The Opposite of Me which I read in 2010, and then I loved Skipping A Beat her book of 2011. You can bet I was super excited to read this one!
Women friendships. Why do they have to be so complicated? Cate has the job that she loves and is getting her feet wet into this new career with a flourish. Yet her friend and roommate Renee struggles through life with weight issues that seem to shadow over everything she does. If a date does not go well, it is due to her weight, if she doesn’t get the position she wants.. no doubt it is contributed to her weight… and the mean comments that show up on her beauty tips blog just seal the deal that she has to do something about her weight. They Abby enters the picture and by the time Cate and Renee meet her she is a fragile broken girl with a story that they know nothing about. Abby’s career as a nanny is now over – and as the pages turn we get a glimpse into what was true then….
Now every author can pull off the multiple protagonists, Sarah Pekkanen does it with a flourish. Not once did I get confused over whose story line was taking the wheel for a part of the book. And each of these women – Cate, Renee, and Abby felt like real women to me. What each woman was going through was so different from the others, yet I could relate to each. Cate had a drive which I loved, but she also had to balance that out with friendships, and family issues. Renee’s battle to look good believing it would lead her to feeling good… is a topic I think many of us struggle with, and Abby just fell into the wrong situation which never felt pre meditated… it just… happened.
Reading a Sarah Pekkanen book is like spending time with friends. I enjoyed spending times within its pages.
A few weeks ago I hosted a read-a-long for this classic book. For me, this was my first time experiencing it, for a few that read a long, it was their first time as well. Here are my thoughts, on The Secret Garden…
~Sheila
Mary Mary, quite contrary how does your garden grow?
When Mary Lennox is orphaned she is moved away from everything she ever knew and relocated to her uncle’s home in Yorkshire. It doesn’t take long for all those around to see that Mary is not the most agreeable child in the world. Through her lonely days in her new home, Mary explores the large home with many rooms.. searching for the crying sounds she hears but no one can tell her what it is. When she finally does venture outside she meets Dickon, a mysterious boy who tells her of a secret garden… one that has not been entered in many many years.
Mary’s adventures outdoors leads her not only to the garden, but into a magical world for her to explore with talking animals and adventures beyond her imagination! Suddenly, Mary’s demeanor changes as the garden blooms her into a whole new girl….
Would you dare enter? Would your life ever be the same if you did?
Why did I want to read this? I feel like I missed the boat on many of the great reads that many people read in high school. None of the greats were required reading where I went to school, and honestly in a way I feel cheated. I have been trying to implement the classics into my reading diet… and thus… this book 😀
The Secret Garden was what I had hoped it would be. This story was one of innocence and a time when kids did not sit in front of a tv show or a video game but actually got outside and used their imaginations. I enjoyed Mary, even when she wasn’t the most likable and I think that was because she had potential. When she meets her cousin and he is just as pouty and unpleasant as she is (probably even more so). To see them work together and help one another is a pretty sweet part of the book and the discover y of the garden and how the garden itself heals people….
well, honestly the message is a powerful one.
I enjoyed the read and I am so thankful so many joined me in this reading of a classic that I can happily now cross off my to be read list.
I think this book should be on every child’s book shelf. The Secret Garden is a book that truly is meant to be read.
I listened to this book on audio and really enjoyed Victoria Mcgee’snarration.
Be sure to see our discussion we had on this book and the other reviews from the read a long.
I have not featured Camryn for a couple of Tuesdays here as New York threw my scheduling for a loop. Now, Camryn’s Tuesday YA reviews are back, Camryn is a little older since she was last featured here 😉 … and she is sharing with us about the book, Fairest by Gail Carson Levine. Seriously… cover love alone would have caused me to pick this book up!
~Sheila
Fairest
Fairest is a novel written by Gail Carson Levine. Aza is very insecure; she feels she was born ugly, and the guests at her adoptive parent’s inn don’t help the matter by staring, or not looking at her at all. But Aza has a skill that makes up for her lack of beauty; she is an amazing singer. She has even learned how to throw her voice and imitate sounds. This is a skill she calls illuse-ing. One day, one of the guests at the inn is without a traveling partner to go to the palace to see the royal wedding of the King and his bride, Ivi, Aza is chosen to accompany her. At the palace, Aza becomes Ivi’s lady-in-waiting. She meets a handsome prince, Ijori, and likes him quite a bit, and he doesn’t seem to mind her looks. But everything turns sour when Queen Ivi demands a dangerous task from Aza, threatening her parents livelihood should she refuse. Aza is forced to do the Queen’s bidding, but the real question is, at what cost?
I loved this book. I’ve read Ella Enchanted by this author as well. It’s really good fantasy, but probably for a younger audience. So a few interesting details I picked up out of the story is that they live in Ayortha, where everyone’s name ends with the same vowel it starts with. And it made me interested in htun, but I doubt it actually exists. I think this would be a great gift for someone less than fifteen years old. I would recommend it to any fantasy fan or anyone looking for a good suspenseful book.
Camryn is 12 13 years old, and enjoys reading YA books of the fantasy and romance genre. A few of her favorite books are “Hourglass” by Myra McEntire, “The Other Countess” by Eve Edwards, “Hush, Hush” by Becca Fitzpatrick, “The Immortals” series, the “Marked” series and the “Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” series. When she’s not reading she enjoys watching Gilmore Girls or going to book sales for more books to add to her ever-growing collection.
News Journalist, Ellen Gleeson is complete when she sees the little bot in the hospital with the heart condition that is up for adoption. When he becomes hers, she is over the moon in love with her now son, Will.
Two years later Ellen is coming home from another harried day on the job and as she sorts through the mail, a Missing Child flyer catches her attention… the boy in the picture, looks exactly like her Will. How could that even be? The birth mother and father has signed over their rights and a judge had awarded Will to Ellen. Yes the flyer does not stop nagging her and Ellen used her journalist instincts to get to the truth, all the while knowing the truth… may cost her everything.
What Ellen uncovers leaves her shell-shocked and fearing for her and Will’s life. She is the only one that knows what she knows… is it best to cover it all back up and pretend it never happened? Or is it best to do what is right for Will, no matter the painful consequences.
(not a big fan of book trailers, with just a few exceptions… this one is one of the reasons why… they man’s voice… is a little too much I think.)
Why did I read this book? My book club chose this book for our June read.
When Lisa Scottoline’s book was chosen for our June book club read I am the first to admit, I wasn’t overjoyed. I had recently finished an audio book of her’s that left me confused and with more questions in the end than I had in the beginning. HOWEVER… I did say I would try her again.
I just didn’t know it would be this soon. 😀
Look Again is every mothers nightmare. Imagine jumping through all the hoops of adopting a child. When that day finally comes that the child is fully yours you are… ecstatic beyond belief. (I have friends who have adopted – I have seen this first hand). This child becomes as much your own as if you had birthed him or her yourself. You know their every expression, their likes, dislikes, joys, and fears… and you love them so much you think your heart can hold no more…
Now imagine that something, or someone… can come along and take away that pure joy.
Ellen is a protagonist you can root for. She is a strong independent single mom, doing the best she can between work and home. It is apparent in this reading that home is the most important of the two as her whole life revolves around Will.
The storyline is consistently updating, but at first it was not at a pace that held me captive. You spend time learning about where Ellen works, her co workers (BOO!!!! to one of them….) and her hot boss Marcelo (double kudos to Lisa Scottoline for coming up with that name…. it oozes hotness, it really does!) for the first half of the book I could have continued on or put it down… I was not overly committed, mainly I think because I had a feeling as to where it was going.
Well… color me wrong. Once all starts to come together the books pace takes on a fast trot and now I do not want to put it down. Every page, reveals a new twist, a new turn… what I think is about to happen… doesn’t… what does, is something totally left field… totally…
brilliant.
As I flew to the end of this book, tears on some pages, anger on others… I fully appreciated what Lisa Scottoline invested into this book. It is smart and clever. I did not see it coming…
while some (uhem…. Bookies book club members) found the ending a little too neat all wrapped up perfectly with a bow… I think I had bee through so much with Ellen that I liked the neat ending, what some would call the easy way out, I applaud in this case as it was just what I needed.
The Bookies (book club) thoughts:
Oh the Bookies….. a difficult group…. lol… I am kidding! Our discussion was not passionate as it has been in some recent reads, and I admit I missed that, but it was a good discussion. For the most part, the group found this book to be a slightly over average read. A few found it predictable, and said they had figured out how it was all going to go down long before the end. (I had not). While the book did not blow anyone away with “WOW!!!! Why did it take us so long to read this?” It was a good discussion and brought up conversations around adoption, and connections between birth parents.
Oh, and of course we had food to go with the book:
Ellen and Will live in Philadelphia, so we had Phili cheese steak sandwichesSeafood pasta!Thai seasoned chicken on riceThese are for the end of the book…. which, I can not tell you about 😉More about the end… sorry, no hints here 😉
And I don’t know how I missed this picture, but two of us brought lime jello, the abducted boy, Timothy Braverman’s favorite, as well as Will’s.
I am linking my review to Beth Fish reads Weekend Cooking because where there are Bookies… there is food. 😀
Book Journey 