Summer Vacation Reading Challenge Completed

Hurray! I completed the Summer Vacation Reading Challenge that is hosted by My Cozy Book Nook. I signed up for the Beach Bum option, which required me to read three books by September 7, 2009, that brought me to locations that I would like to travel to. So here is what I read, and feel free to click on the titles to read my reviews:

1. Cutting Loose by Nadine Dajani, brought me to London and Miami--Completed 6/25/2009

2. Lost and Found by Carolyn Parkhurst, brought me all over the world--Completed 7/8/2009

3. Beach Trip by Cathy Holton, brought me to a little island off the North Carolina coast--Completed 7/10/2009

Even though this challenge is completed I am expecting to hit a couple more destinations before the end of summer. One of them being a relaxing trip to Africa with Alexander McCall Smith...I can't wait until I get there! So is your literature taking you to exciting places this summer?

Review: Beach Trip by Cathy Holton

Here is a summary of Beach Trip from Cathy Holton's website:

A reunion between four friends becomes a cathartic journey into the past in Cathy Holton’s luminous new novel. Mel, Sara, Annie, and Lola have traveled distinct and diverse paths since the early 1980s and their years together at a small Southern liberal arts college. Mel, a mystery writer living in New York, contends with the aftermath of two failed marriages and a stalled writing career. Sara, an Atlanta attorney, struggles with guilt over her son’s illness and her own slowly unraveling marriage. Annie, a successful Nashville businesswoman married to her childhood sweetheart, can’t seem to leave the regrets of her youth behind her. And Lola, sweet-tempered and absent-minded, whiles away her hours and her husband’s money, on little pills that keep her happy.

Now the friends, all in their forties, converge on Lola’s idyllic North Carolina beach house in an attempt to relive the carefree days of their college years. But as the week wears on, and each woman’s hidden story is gradually revealed, they find they must inevitably confront their shared past; a failed love affair, a discarded suitor, a betrayal, and a secret that threatens to change their bond, and their lives, forever.

My Review:

I just love the premise of this story! Four women that were best friends in college decide to enjoy a week long beach vacation together. Wouldn't that just be great to do with some of your closest girlfriends? These women are all in their forties now and even though they have tried to stay in touch for the most part, life seems to have taken them all on different paths. This book alternates very well between the past and the present. You will see little snippets along the way as to why some of these ladies have turned into reserved, nervous, distant, and distrustful people.

Since they graduated from college they haven't really gotten together, so Lola decides that it is time and invites them all to stay at her beach house on a little island just off the North Carolina coast for a week. After college Lola married Briggs Fuhrman and really hasn't pursued any personal interests of her own, so she puts all of her love and energy into raising her son Henry. She finds herself not wanting or needing anything at all, but also trying to keep a very demanding and possessive husband at bay.

Sara and Mel were best friends since they were young girls as they grew up in the same town together. Sara's family had a rough time of it, where as Mel had lived a very privileged life and really didn't have to work hard for anything. Their relationship is put to the ultimate test when they both fall for the same young man in college. Mel realizes that she doesn't ever want to focus on a relationship, so she flees her one love and her best friends to move to New York after college graduation to start a new and exciting life as a writer. The following is an excerpt from page 129 that I enjoyed that describes how Mel was pondering the loneliness that Lola must have been feeling:

It occurred suddenly to Mel that Lola was lonely. And Mel knew a thing or two about loneliness, although with her it was a condition she had chosen. Her career as a writer made a solitary life necessary but it was a choice she'd never really regretted. Well, most of the time, anyway. But with Lola the loneliness was forced, and that was different. Briggs had his money, Mel had her writing, Sara and Annie had their own families, but all Lola had ever had was Henry. And now Henry had found someone else.

Annie is an interesting character as she is probably considered the mirror of perfection to all of her friends. She was always known for her schedules running like clockwork and her meticulous house cleaning skills. When Annie went to college, she left her high school sweetheart at home, but eventually marries him after her graduation. Annie's secret life from her college days is revealed throughout the novel, and she finds herself needing to pour out her feelings to her friends to come to terms with the mistakes that she made.

When the trip started these ladies were very reserved and seemed to be hiding their deepest fears from each other. But by their final evening together they were able to share their secrets and offer the love and support to one another that has been missing for way too long. This was such a great novel that delved into the themes of friendship, love and forgiveness. I think it will make a great beach read as it will probably make you laugh and cry. You may want to call up that friend that you haven't talk to in the last five years just to catch up. This book will make you realize that good friends are worth the heartache and they don't come a dime a dozen.

I want to give a special thank you to Caitlin from Ballentine Books for providing me with this review copy. In the genre of women's fiction I definitely recommend this novel and give it a high rating.

My Rating: 5/5

Audiobook Review: Lost and Found by Carolyn Parkhurst

Here is a summary of Lost and Found from Carolyn Parkhurst's website:

What do a suburban mom and her troubled daughter, two recently divorced brothers, a pair of former child stars, born-again Christian newlyweds, and a couple of young millionaires have in common? They have all been selected to compete on Lost and Found, a daring new reality TV show. In teams of two, they will scour the globe - from Egypt to Japan, from Sweden to England - to battle for a million-dollar prize. They must decipher encrypted clues, recover mysterious artifacts, and outwit their opponents to stay in play.

What starts as a lark turns deadly serious as the number of players is whittled down, temptations beckon, and the bonds between partners strain and unravel. Before long the question is not only who will capture the final prize, but at what cost.

My Review:

I do believe that if you enjoy reality television shows that you will probably like this novel. The only reality shows that I really watch are Survivor and The Apprentice, but I loved this book. Even though this novel is centered around a reality show, that the winner happens to win a million dollars, it is more about the secrets and inner fears that are revealed by the characters that are playing the game. You find yourself getting to know these contestants quite well, as the alternating chapters are written in first person of the different contestants.

The book opens with Laura and Cassie, a mother and daughter team straining to keep their relationship intact. Laura is awakened in the middle of the night by her daughter Cassie to inform her that she has just given birth to a little girl. Cassie is still in high school, so you can only imagine how confused Laura was to learn that her daughter who lives in her own home was not only pregnant but just gave birth to a baby! So when Laura realized that the reality show Lost and Found was looking for contestants she thought it would be a great opportunity for the two of them to build their relationship as they see the world.

Justin and Abby were another interesting team that participated in the game. Justin and Abby are a married couple that happened to meet at a church that helps to rehabilitate homosexuals and help them live a straight life. When they met, Justin and Abby were both homosexuals but they figured they could get married and live a normal life with the help and support of each other and their church. Quite often, Abby would share her feelings with Justin when she would feel that her homosexual tendencies were about to get the best of her. Little did she know that her strong and supportive husband was struggling with his own faith and beliefs.

Carl and Jeff are a team of brothers that are competing for the grand prize. They are both recently divorced but Carl also has some pretty serious issues that are weighing him down. Later in the game the teams get switched around a little bit and you really see a different side of Carl that is quite appealing. As he shares some of his personal problems with a new team mate a new relationship is blooming.

And then we have Juliette and Dallas, who were a couple of former child-stars looking for a way to try to get in the spotlight again. It is just amazing the lengths that some people will go to just to get a little media coverage. There are many other contestants in the beginning of the novel, but as more tasks are completed, more teams are voted off.

It seems that Lost and Found is very comparable to The Amazing Race reality show, although I haven't watched this one myself. The teams are given clues and they find themselves spanning the globe with a Network credit card to get to the next location to find the answer. Through this journey, some of the contestants lives unravel and spin out of control, while others find peace and enjoyment out of the whole charade.

Like I said earlier, if you enjoy reality shows you will probably enjoy this one. The story kept my attention and I didn't find my mind wandering. Even though the chapters changed depending upon which character was narrating, it was quite easy to follow along. I just loved this one as an audiobook!

My Rating: 5/5

Review: Cutting Loose by Nadine Dajani

Here is a summary of Cutting Loose from Nadine Dajani's website:

Meet three women who are as different as could be—at least that’s what they think—and the men who’ve turned their lives upside down as their paths collide in sizzling, sexy Miami. . . .

Ranya is a modern-day princess—brought up behind the gilded walls of Saudi Arabian high society and winner of the dream husband sweepstakes . . . until said husband turns out to be more interested in Paolo, the interior-decorator-cum-underwear-model, than in his virginal new wife.

Smart, independent, but painfully shy, Zahra has managed to escape her impoverished Palestinian roots to carve out a life of comfort. But she can’t reveal her secrets to the man she adores or shake off the fear that she doesn’t deserve any of it. Neither can she stop herself from thinking that if she holds on to anything—or anyone—too dearly, they will be taken away in the blink of a kohl-lined eye.

Rio has risen above the slums of her native Honduras—not to mention the jeers of her none too supportive family—to become editor in chief of Suéltate magazine, the hottest Latina-targeted glossy in town, and this in spite of Georges Mallouk, her clueless boss, and in spite of Rio’s affair with Georges’ delicious but despicable younger brother, Joe.

In this city of fast cars, sleek clubs, and unapologetic superficiality, Ranya, Zahra, and Rio wrestle with the ties that bind them to their difficult pasts, each wondering if she will ever manage to cut loose.

My Review:

I think that the title of this book, Cutting Loose, was very appropriate as the story seemed very easy and carefree. This was a fast read but it was also very fun and refreshing to be immersed into the Miami clubs and social society. The story deals with three women all with different problems and at various points in their lives. Ranya is the pampered Arabian socialite, Rio the tough Latina magazine editor that worked hard to get to where she is today, and the talented Palestinian Zahra, who is very talented but can't seem to let go of her past mistakes.

The story opens with Ranya in London, who recently left her newly married husband because she learned that he was gay. Ranya came from a well-off family and her husband was prepared to offer her the same luxurious lifestyle. When she informs her family that she will not be returning to her husband they cut her off financially, leaving her to figure out how she will survive without their support.

As Ranya spends time in London she runs into the handsome Georges a couple of times and although she is married, there is an attraction between the two of them. Georges is an entrepreneur and has various businesses in the works and is always accompanied by Zahra, who heads his financial team. Ranya cannot figure out why Zahra seems to instantly dislike her since they hardly know each other, but this comes to light soon enough in the novel.

When Georges and Zahra complete their business in London, they return to the main office in Miami, Florida. This is where Rio enters the novel. Rio is the editor and chief of the Sueltate magazine that Georges owns. Rio works very hard at her job and she is good at it, and it also helps that she is having a passionate affair with her bosses playboy brother Joe. Rio may be tough on the outside, but there was a part on page 194 that revealed Rio's raw emotions as she was always trying to stay on top of her game:

I shake--with what? Rage? Fear? The contained fury of impotence? I don't know. It's all too much. Sometimes I just want to bury my head in my hands and cry at the hopelessness of it all. Then, a second or three later, I'm over it. Moving on with my life.

Ranya doesn't know where to turn for help so she finds herself at the door of the Sueltate magazine. Georges wants to help her and keep her around as long as possible so he asks Zahra if Ranya could stay with her and offers her a job at the magazine. Rio finds herself quite upset with the hiring of this new employee without any experience and struggles to think of projects to keep Ranya busy.

As the story goes on, all of these women find themselves dealing with new emotions that come into play with the changes that are thrown at them. You could definitely tell how their ethnic backgrounds influenced decisions that were made by these women. This is a fast paced story that will make a great beach read, as you are visualizing life in the fast lane in Miami. Nadine seems like such a fascinating and down-to-earth lady, she even sent me a hand written Thank You card for reviewing her book. Now this was sent from Grand Cayman, and I'm sure there are better things to do down there than send out Thank You cards! Thanks so much for giving me the opportunity to review this book for you Nadine!

If you want to find out more about Nadine Dajani and her novels there is a great author interview over at Bookends. Nadine also has a very informative website here. So if you are ready to Cut Loose for the summer pick up her book-it's an enjoyable retreat from life. Stop back here in the next day or so if you are interested in winning a copy for yourself.

Summer Vacation Reading Challenge

It has been quite some time since I have signed up for any new reading challenges, but when I saw this one I figured that I could handle it! My family is not planning on taking any type of vacation this summer, but I definitely will be doing some traveling through literature. The challenge runs from May 22, 2009 to September 7, 2009.

There are a couple of options available, but I am going to sign up to be a Beach Bum. I find that ironic because I am known as a beach bum when I go on vacation! The Beach Bum option only requires me to read 3 books and I don't even have to list them in advance. You can go here to sign up yourself if this challenge interests you.

I will list my books below as I read them:
1. Cutting Loose by Nadine Dajani--Completed 6/25/2009 (brought me to London and Miami)
2. Lost and Found by Carolyn Parkhurst--Completed 7/8/2009 Brought me all over the world!)
3. Beach Trip by Cathy Holton--Completed 7/10/2009 (Brought me to a little island off the North Carolina coast)