Tracey Garvis Graves has come through yet again with a novella sequel to Covet in the form of Cherish: the story of Daniel and his ex-wife, Jessica. The story is told in alternating chapters between Daniel and Jessie and it is a beautiful story of unconditional love and the rebuilding of a relationship. Claire, from Covet, appears only briefly, as this is not a story about Claire and Daniel any longer. It's about Daniel and Jessie.
If you read Covet, you have to finish up the story with Cherish. It's worth the tiny bit of extra reading. I promise!
Happy reading everyone!
:) Dodie
Monday, June 22, 2015
Monday, June 8, 2015
#27: Covet by Tracey Garvis Graves
Being such an instant fan of Tracey Garvis Graves, and having read both On the Island and Unchartered in two days, I found Covet and immediately downloaded it onto my Nook. Thank God for wireless internet when it's too late to get to a bookstore.
Covet is the story of Chris and Claire Canton. Married for many years and parents of two elementary aged children, they suddenly find themselves facing the loss of Chris' job and a downward spiral of life as they know it. Chris is depressed, trying desperately to find work, and Claire is trying to juggle virtually every aspect of family life, plus her own work. Claire realizes that her family and her marriage are falling apart, while Chris is so focused on trying to find work that he can't see what's really going on at home. When you throw in a hunky police officer that shows interest in Claire, wants to spend time with her, and wants to be her friend, suddenly you have a very interesting love triangle.
This is not a new story by any means, but what was fresh and new for me, and what set Covet out from the rest of similarly plotted books, is that Graves alternated the chapters between Claire and Chris, resulting in the reader really hearing and seeing for the first time how vastly different men and women think about things. While Claire goes on an one about how distant Chris is and how he never shows affection and how she hates him being away from home while he doesn't even seem to care, Chris's chapters are about how much he hates being away from home and how much we wishes he could sleep next to Claire each night and how he has to put in time with work or he may lose his job again. You read these chapters and realize that if these two just talked for 5 seconds, they'd realize they were on the same page with life. But instead, they just keep drifting farther and farther away. Until they reach a breaking point, but I won't spoil that surprise here. You'll have to read it for yourself.
I left this book feeling fairly crummy about the way I act towards Rob, his traveling, and the amount of time that he puts into work. I assume it's because he loves work more than his family. The truth is, he probably does love it to a certain degree, but he also feels a responsibility to us, as well as to the people who employee him, and he doesn't want to let any of us down. Couple that with success at work ultimately making him feel really good about himself and what you've got is that work is very important to him. I don't think I realize sometimes how hard it is for him to juggle it all and to make everyone happy. It's hard finding a balance. I guess as with everything else in life, it will come when it's time for it to come.
So, I am off to download whatever else I can find that Graves has written before we leave for the beach on Saturday. I can't wait to read more!
Happy reading, everyone!
:) Dodie
Covet is the story of Chris and Claire Canton. Married for many years and parents of two elementary aged children, they suddenly find themselves facing the loss of Chris' job and a downward spiral of life as they know it. Chris is depressed, trying desperately to find work, and Claire is trying to juggle virtually every aspect of family life, plus her own work. Claire realizes that her family and her marriage are falling apart, while Chris is so focused on trying to find work that he can't see what's really going on at home. When you throw in a hunky police officer that shows interest in Claire, wants to spend time with her, and wants to be her friend, suddenly you have a very interesting love triangle.
This is not a new story by any means, but what was fresh and new for me, and what set Covet out from the rest of similarly plotted books, is that Graves alternated the chapters between Claire and Chris, resulting in the reader really hearing and seeing for the first time how vastly different men and women think about things. While Claire goes on an one about how distant Chris is and how he never shows affection and how she hates him being away from home while he doesn't even seem to care, Chris's chapters are about how much he hates being away from home and how much we wishes he could sleep next to Claire each night and how he has to put in time with work or he may lose his job again. You read these chapters and realize that if these two just talked for 5 seconds, they'd realize they were on the same page with life. But instead, they just keep drifting farther and farther away. Until they reach a breaking point, but I won't spoil that surprise here. You'll have to read it for yourself.
I left this book feeling fairly crummy about the way I act towards Rob, his traveling, and the amount of time that he puts into work. I assume it's because he loves work more than his family. The truth is, he probably does love it to a certain degree, but he also feels a responsibility to us, as well as to the people who employee him, and he doesn't want to let any of us down. Couple that with success at work ultimately making him feel really good about himself and what you've got is that work is very important to him. I don't think I realize sometimes how hard it is for him to juggle it all and to make everyone happy. It's hard finding a balance. I guess as with everything else in life, it will come when it's time for it to come.
So, I am off to download whatever else I can find that Graves has written before we leave for the beach on Saturday. I can't wait to read more!
Happy reading, everyone!
:) Dodie
#26: Uncharted, an On The Island novella by Tracey Garvis Graves
Being a high fan of most sequels, because I often want to know where characters go after I leave them, I was quite thrilled to find that On the Island had a sequel called Unchartered. It is a novella, under 100 pages, and it gives readers a glimpse into the life of T.J. and Anna and where their lives are now. But, the cool part of this sequel is that they are not the main characters. Instead, this story is about Owen and you will have to read On the Island to learn who he is. I refuse to spoil that surprise!
If you read On the Island and love it as much as I did, you HAVE to read Unchartered. You won't be disappointed. I promise!
Happy reading everyone!
:) Dodie
If you read On the Island and love it as much as I did, you HAVE to read Unchartered. You won't be disappointed. I promise!
Happy reading everyone!
:) Dodie
Thursday, June 4, 2015
#25: On the Island by Tracey Garvis Graves
Abigail asked me the other day if she could get this book so I picked it up for her on the way home from school. She spent the entire afternoon and evening sitting on her new window seat reading and finished the book the following day (hope her exams turn out ok!). I asked to borrow it when she was done, thinking that it was going to be a cute teenager story (I like to know what my kids are reading). What I never expected was to finish the book myself in less that 24 hours and to close the book in hysterical tears wishing the book wasn't over. Bottom line--it's no cute teenager story. It's a compelling book that brought me to tears.
On the Island is the story of Anna, a 30 year old teacher, and T.J., a 16 year boy recovering from cancer that Anna will spend the summer tutoring in the Maldives. Their story begins with a plane crash that lands them on a small uninhabited island. From that opening paragraph, I was hooked and couldn't put the book down. The chapters alternate between Anna and T.J. which I always love but loved even more here so that I could really tell what was going on in the heads of these extraordinary characters who are facing obstacles no one should ever have to face: starvation, lack of water, sharks, illness. As I sat on my bed covered by a blanket because the AC was on too high in my one year old home after driving my daughter to school in her new car, I knew that I wouldn't have lasted a day under the circumstances that Anna and T.J. had to endure on a daily basis.
I won't divulge any details beyond what I have already written because I don't want to ruin the story. What I will tell you is that this book may be the best book I have read all year and that if you only have time to read one book this year, this is the one you need to read. You won't be disappointed.
I am off to find more books written by Garvis Graves. She's a fantastic writer and I can't wait to read more of her books!
Happy reading, everyone!
:) Dodie
On the Island is the story of Anna, a 30 year old teacher, and T.J., a 16 year boy recovering from cancer that Anna will spend the summer tutoring in the Maldives. Their story begins with a plane crash that lands them on a small uninhabited island. From that opening paragraph, I was hooked and couldn't put the book down. The chapters alternate between Anna and T.J. which I always love but loved even more here so that I could really tell what was going on in the heads of these extraordinary characters who are facing obstacles no one should ever have to face: starvation, lack of water, sharks, illness. As I sat on my bed covered by a blanket because the AC was on too high in my one year old home after driving my daughter to school in her new car, I knew that I wouldn't have lasted a day under the circumstances that Anna and T.J. had to endure on a daily basis.
I won't divulge any details beyond what I have already written because I don't want to ruin the story. What I will tell you is that this book may be the best book I have read all year and that if you only have time to read one book this year, this is the one you need to read. You won't be disappointed.
I am off to find more books written by Garvis Graves. She's a fantastic writer and I can't wait to read more of her books!
Happy reading, everyone!
:) Dodie
#24: Passing Through Paradise by Susan Wiggs
I have yet to read a book by Susan Wiggs that I did not love. Passing Through Paradise is the beautifully touching story of Sandra Winslow and her fight to regain her life and her struggle to love again after losing her husband, Victor, in a car accident that most people in the small town of Paradise blame her for causing.
Passing Through Paradise is part romance, part mystery and is a wonderful read that reminds us all of the power of love and loyalty, and what some people are willing to give up in order to keep them.
Throw this one in the beach bag! You will devour it in one sitting!
Happy reading everyone!
:) Dodie
Passing Through Paradise is part romance, part mystery and is a wonderful read that reminds us all of the power of love and loyalty, and what some people are willing to give up in order to keep them.
Throw this one in the beach bag! You will devour it in one sitting!
Happy reading everyone!
:) Dodie
#23: Whistling Past the Graveyard by Susan Crandall
If you are a fan of The Help, you must read Whistling Past the Graveyard. This is the story of Starla Claudelle, a nine year old who runs away from her life with her grandmother in search of her famous mother in Nashville. Along the way she meets Eula, a black woman who offers her a ride. When Starla gets in Eula's truck and closes the door, finding a white baby on the floorboard, her life takes a turn she never expected. And because so much happens while she's trying to make it to Nashville to find her mother, I am not about to ruin any of the surprises here by detailing them all.
What I will tell you is this. This book will make you feel every emotion possible: anger, fear, happiness, love, admiration, respect, sadness. The characters are so real you can hear them talking and you can't help but love Eula and Starla, even when they don't make the best choices. More than anything, it's one more book to help us truly understand what life in Mississippi was like in the early 1960's, for both the black and the white people. Whistling Past the Graveyard (which is what Starla's daddy called it "when you did something to keep your mind off of your worstest fear") is a fresh story detailing lives of those who probably got lost in the racial struggles of the 60's. It's a beautiful, endearing story.
Seriously, if you liked The Help, you need to read this one.
Happy reading, everyone!
:) Dodie
What I will tell you is this. This book will make you feel every emotion possible: anger, fear, happiness, love, admiration, respect, sadness. The characters are so real you can hear them talking and you can't help but love Eula and Starla, even when they don't make the best choices. More than anything, it's one more book to help us truly understand what life in Mississippi was like in the early 1960's, for both the black and the white people. Whistling Past the Graveyard (which is what Starla's daddy called it "when you did something to keep your mind off of your worstest fear") is a fresh story detailing lives of those who probably got lost in the racial struggles of the 60's. It's a beautiful, endearing story.
Seriously, if you liked The Help, you need to read this one.
Happy reading, everyone!
:) Dodie
#22: The Isle of the Lost by Melissa De La Cruz
I read about this book in an edition of a magazine my family gets called Disney Files. It details new and upcoming events in the Disney Parks and in all of the other aspects of the Disney world--like movies, merchandise, etc. I read that a new made for TV movie called "Disney Descendants" would be aired this summer and The Isle of the Lost is the prequel for this movie. Clever marketing, in my opinion...getting people to buy a book published by Disney in order to understand a movie made by Disney.
So, I bought the book and read it. It's a children's book, after all, so it didn't take long. As I was reading, the story and characters reminded me of Disney, Harry Potter, and Percy Jackson all rolled up into one. It was a good story and I am curious now to watch the movie and see what happens next for these Disney Descendants.
In a nutshell, The Isle of the Lost is where the Disney Villains and their children have been banned to live out their lives. Maleficent and her daughter Mal hate The Evil Queen and her daughter Evie and have banned Evie and The Queen to their castle. Mal is not a nice girl, as one might imagine the daughter of Maleficent to be, and she can't stand Evie, who spends her days trying to ignore her mother's requests for her to wear make-up and make herself pretty and presentable in front of the Magic Mirror. Cruella deVil's son Carlos is also part of this story. He spend his days in his mother's closet caring for her furs. Jafar's son Jay, another of the main characters, spends his days stealing from anyone and everyone on the island. They make a very interesting quartet.
One of the plot lines of the book, and a major one at that, follows the hatred between Mal and Evie (who had the nerve to NOT invite Mal to a party when they were six, resulting in her banishment by Maleficent) sparks Mal's attempt to play a cruel joke on Evie and her desire to find Maleficent's staff in order to ingratiate herself once again with her mother. Carlos and Jay are along for the ride to help Mal carry out her evil plans. Carlos is very interested in the scientific forms of magic, since magic in all forms has been banned from the island. He is a very clever boy that Mal uses to get things done.
In a Kingdom not far away, Auradon is where King Beast (married to Queen Belle) reigns over the other Princes and Princesses and their children. Ben, son of Beast and Belle, is preparing to take over as King and has fallen in love with Prince Philip and Princess Aurora's daughter Audrey, who is exactly as flighty and whimsical as you'd think she'd be. The sections of the book devoted to Auradon are few and hint at a possible love interest between Ben and Mal, so I hope this becomes more prevalent in the movie. Ben is also trying hard to have people think of him as a potential King and a benevolent ruler, so I suspect this will also be explored in the upcoming movie.
As I read, I couldn't help but wonder where the missing parents of these Descendants are. Mal, Evie, and Carlos seem to be raised by their mothers; Jay by his Father. I know that I am an adult, but children will wonder about this, too. Mal's father was mentioned once or twice, but never by name. So...just who are these nameless people who had children with some of the greatest villains of all time? I am so curious!
I am also anxiously awaiting the movie. The Isle of the Lost gave me just enough background information to understand the plot of the movie, whatever it might be, and peaked my curiosity about the children and where their lives will go next. I suspect that this is exactly what Disney wanted to happen, too!
If you are a Disney fan, this one is is must-read!
Happy reading, everyone!
:) Dodie
So, I bought the book and read it. It's a children's book, after all, so it didn't take long. As I was reading, the story and characters reminded me of Disney, Harry Potter, and Percy Jackson all rolled up into one. It was a good story and I am curious now to watch the movie and see what happens next for these Disney Descendants.
In a nutshell, The Isle of the Lost is where the Disney Villains and their children have been banned to live out their lives. Maleficent and her daughter Mal hate The Evil Queen and her daughter Evie and have banned Evie and The Queen to their castle. Mal is not a nice girl, as one might imagine the daughter of Maleficent to be, and she can't stand Evie, who spends her days trying to ignore her mother's requests for her to wear make-up and make herself pretty and presentable in front of the Magic Mirror. Cruella deVil's son Carlos is also part of this story. He spend his days in his mother's closet caring for her furs. Jafar's son Jay, another of the main characters, spends his days stealing from anyone and everyone on the island. They make a very interesting quartet.
One of the plot lines of the book, and a major one at that, follows the hatred between Mal and Evie (who had the nerve to NOT invite Mal to a party when they were six, resulting in her banishment by Maleficent) sparks Mal's attempt to play a cruel joke on Evie and her desire to find Maleficent's staff in order to ingratiate herself once again with her mother. Carlos and Jay are along for the ride to help Mal carry out her evil plans. Carlos is very interested in the scientific forms of magic, since magic in all forms has been banned from the island. He is a very clever boy that Mal uses to get things done.
In a Kingdom not far away, Auradon is where King Beast (married to Queen Belle) reigns over the other Princes and Princesses and their children. Ben, son of Beast and Belle, is preparing to take over as King and has fallen in love with Prince Philip and Princess Aurora's daughter Audrey, who is exactly as flighty and whimsical as you'd think she'd be. The sections of the book devoted to Auradon are few and hint at a possible love interest between Ben and Mal, so I hope this becomes more prevalent in the movie. Ben is also trying hard to have people think of him as a potential King and a benevolent ruler, so I suspect this will also be explored in the upcoming movie.
As I read, I couldn't help but wonder where the missing parents of these Descendants are. Mal, Evie, and Carlos seem to be raised by their mothers; Jay by his Father. I know that I am an adult, but children will wonder about this, too. Mal's father was mentioned once or twice, but never by name. So...just who are these nameless people who had children with some of the greatest villains of all time? I am so curious!
I am also anxiously awaiting the movie. The Isle of the Lost gave me just enough background information to understand the plot of the movie, whatever it might be, and peaked my curiosity about the children and where their lives will go next. I suspect that this is exactly what Disney wanted to happen, too!
If you are a Disney fan, this one is is must-read!
Happy reading, everyone!
:) Dodie
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