ellemnope's Reviews (2.4k)

I really love Philippa Gregory's books. She is absolutely wonderful at mixing historical fact and interesting fiction. The only issue I had with this book is that I frequently found myself confused at the characters. Not that it's really any of Ms. Gregory's fault, but at this time everyone in England appears to have the names George, Richard, Edward, Elizabeth or Anne. It makes things all very confusing.

Very cute book. I loved Dora...even if her name bothered me. Definitely chick lit with a few whiny flaws, but overall a great read and an endearing story. I would read it again. For the full review: http://erraticprojectjunkie.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-secret-lives-of-dresses-by-erin.html

I'll be honest...I think seeing the 2nd Sisterhood movie totally wrecked this book for me. True...it's kind of a hodgepodge of books two and three along with some changes, but I felt like it just made this less surprising. It was a bummer. But...true to form, I loved the writing. Ann Brashares just writes a darned good book. It was cute and sweet...and I love her characters. Lena will always be my favorite (and not just because Alexis Bledel plays her in the movie).

This is a book of the type where my 20-page rule paid off. When I start a book, I always give it 20 pages before I decide to stop reading it. The rule saved this book and I'm glad it did. When I first started reading I was frustrated by the 5-year-old point of view and the difficult time I had understanding what Jack was talking about. At page 6 I really just wanted to give up. But, I kept going. I'm glad I did. Though it was still sometimes difficult and I still got confused by his way of referring to items and activities, the point of view worked incredibly well for this story. Now that's not to say that I actually liked the story itself. The topic is horrendous and I found myself often nauseated by the things that take place. I say this as a testament to how well written it is. The book itself is fantastic, just the plot is a difficult story to read due to it's complete upheaval of the human condition. Though this is a fictional account, it is based on real cases. The thought of living through such an experience made me realize how strong an individual can become when faced with adversity. The strength of Ma in this narrative is impressive. She stays as sane and resolute as she can under the circumstances for the betterment of Jack. She is a wonderful mother and because of her love Jack becomes an amazing boy despite the lifestyle he came to know. This book was definitely worth sticking it out. I would've missed out on a wonderful book had I put it down.

I admit that I love chick lit. I do. It's just so relaxing. I like cute little love stories. I don't care if they sometimes seem mildly predictable or sappy. I like them. I liked this one. I was excited to read it and I wanted to see good things happen for Annie. It was certainly worth the read.

The Constant Princess is the story of Princess Catalina of Spain, daughter of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. The plot centers on the treaty arrangement between Spain and England, a promise to stand together against France in the exchange for Princess Catalina's marriage to Prince Arthur, son of Henry VII. I read this book following The White Queen & The Red Queen. It worked out perfectly. Though written prior to the Cousins' War books, chronologically the story falls just 15 years after the end of the stories told in both books. Philippa Gregory takes some license with the historical details, but mainly remains true to the historical facts that have been gathered. Without spoiling any of the plot, it is easiest to just say that she hypothesizes on things that were not wholly understood. This book was a great read and I read it fairly quickly. The only thing that I did not like was the way the book ended rather abruptly. The saving grace is that, having read other books by Ms. Gregory, I know that the story again picks up with the plot of The Other Boleyn Girl. I don't think I will ever be bored with her books.

Okay. This book almost lost me. Seriously. I almost stopped reading at page 75. Why? Because the author did something STUPID. Aspartame as a component in a heavenly healing mixture? Really? Why would you DO THAT? No. Just NO Ms. Kate. That one lame thing almost cost the entire book for me. I delayed in reading the rest of it for a day or two and just because of it. But I finally returned to the reading. I'm glad I did. The second half of the book made it worth it. In fact, it actually redeemed the series and brought back any interest that had been lost in the second and third books along the way. So if you read this book...try to just let that momentary lapse of judgement slide. It will be worth it.

I like how easy this book is to read. It starts off feeling like it's going to be superficial and boring - just a journal of the neighbor's raucous parties. However, the characters quickly begin to mesh and the story starts to flow nice and easy. The pace was comforting without being boring and it was descriptive without being overly assaulting.

This was a very quick and easy read. I love Ann Brashares. I've read her Traveling Pants series and was a big fan. Thought it is a little more young adult fiction, I still enjoy reading her books. I was a little worried that the plot line would come off as too fantasy based, but she made it work. As with the books I've read lately though, I have to say that I wasn't a huge fan of the ending. I'm not sure if she has a plan for a sequel to the book, but based on the ending I'm really hoping that is the case. It really felt like I was left hanging.