simplyalexandra's Reviews (890)

This is a solid 3.5... 3.7. The first three chapters are hilarious. Franny is a great character and so relate-able. I got a little bit bored in the middle but it picked up again pretty quickly. I liked learning more about Dan and Jane and even James. It painted more of a picture for me. There were some quotes that just said it all about life and being a twenty-something. It rang so true, we all just want to "make it" as something. The part toward the end with the neighbor... I was teary. Excited by the idea of more books in the future, there were some really great pieces here.

This was the Literary Ladies book club book for January. It is a murder mystery, and I haven't read this author before. Definitely pushing me a little out of my comfort zone, but I'm really glad I read it, because I thought it was really good!!

The plot centers around something that happened 18 years ago on an island off the Seattle coast, two young girls are preyed upon by a man. In the present, hotel executive Madeline is dealing with the aftermath of the situation 18 years ago, and struggling in personal relationships due to the trauma. When the caretaker of the hotel where the incident took place 18 years ago, calls Madeline saying they need to talk, she quickly travels to the island to meet with him. The caretaker was calling to say that their dangerous secret from all those years ago, is in danger of being discovered. When she arrives to find him dying.... and the killer still on the premises things get interesting. Her head of security Jack, comes to help her figure out what's going on. Arson, murder, mystery, and a little romance ensue.

I was really riveted by this one. I don't read a lot of murder mysteries, but this book had a lot of depth to the story lines, multiple POVs in the writing, and some character development that I thought was pretty good. Overall, I really liked this book at lot, and would definitely recommend it if you like suspenseful mysteries! I had to laugh by how glad they were to leave the PacNW and get to Arizona... I definitely felt that way coming back from Seattle! haha

Have you seen the movie Chocolat? I love it. I needed a food themed book for semi-charmed so I picked this one up at the library. To my (pleasant) surprise, this book is quite a bit different than the movie! It follows a young bohemian woman named Vianne and her daughter Anouk, as they move to a new town in France. She decides to open a chocolatrie right as lent begins. The corrupt priest in town does everything he can to try to get her to quit and move on to another town, but Vianne sticks it out making friends with the locals. In particular, her landlord Armande (played by Judi Dench in the movie) becomes a close friend. Vianne has the mysterious ability to discern what is going on in her customer's lives... some even think she's a witch. When a caravan of gypsies arrive on the river, the town is torn in two; those who welcome them, and those who deny them entrance into their businesses.

Overall I found this book very interesting. I liked Vianne's character, she is so passionate and eclectic. There are some passages of the book that are just so interesting to read, filled with little folk stories, mixes of Catholicism and Paganism... it's just really really interesting. There are also some lovely pieces of description related to the cooking, the chocolate making, the settings... you get really immersed in this small provincial French town. If you love food, and aren't offended by pagan sort of themes I would definitely recommend this one! This doesn't end on a super tense cliffhanger, but there are more books. I think I would be interested in picking them up sometime, but I'm not in any rush!

This one has been really popular recently, and shockingly another book I found for $6 in the clearance section at Barnes and Noble. I started reading, and immediately fell in love with the Don Tillman and the way the story is told. It is quick, it's fun, it's hilarious. Picture Don as a mix between Sheldon Cooper, Hector (from Hector and the Search for Happiness), and Harold Crick (Will Farrell's character in Stranger than Fiction). He is an extremely calculated and intelligent geneticist. He decides that having a life partner would be beneficial, but he knows he isn't interested in smokers or picky ice cream eaters, so he devises a very logical questionnaire to rule out the undesirable, thus calling it "The Wife Project". Along the way he meets Rosie, a woman who is not at all the desirable life partner, but she does need help finding her real father. As a geneticist Don offers to help, and his world is turned upside down. I told KC how good this was. He read it in less than 24 hours. Might I just say, this man is not a huge reader (normally). He has however, read 5 books this summer. :) He loved this one. Highly recommend!

A guide to creating beautiful word art and penmanship. Great for the DIYer of many trades. Perfect for someone who loves quotes, writing letters, or anyone obsessed with chalkboard paint. (who isn't right?) I taught myself a lot of hand lettering and calligraphy techniques with this book. It gave some great tips, but some of the topics were pretty surface level. I would have loved to see more information on font pairing, or how to draw/letter some of the more detailed styles. Overall a cool resource.

This book is a fantastic resource for someone who loves to do hair, as well as someone who is trying to be 'better' at hair (ME!). It focuses on the basics, the tools needed, and obviously gives instructions to pull off 82 new hairstyles. This book is really approachable and fun! I highly recommend it for pros and beginners!