NaJuReMoNoMo 2010 Wrap-Up

Here is the final list of novels that I read in January for the NaJuReMoNoMo Challenge. I read a couple of other books throughout the month but they were either non-fiction or short stories so they did not qualify for the challenge.

1 A Matter of Class - Mary Balogh
2 Breakfast in Bed - Robin Kaye
3 Getting Lucky - Carolyn Brown
4 Jacob - Jacquelyn Frank
5 Gideon - Jacquelyn Frank
6 Bridget Jones's Diary - Helen Fielding
7 Lone Star Legend - Gwendolyn Zepeda
8 The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty - A.N. Roquelaure
9 A Black Tie Affair - Sherrill Bodine
10 Elijah - Jacquelyn Frank
11 Tainted - Brooke Morgan
12 Damien - Jacquelyn Frank
13 Fireworks Over Toccoa - Jeffrey Stepakoff
14 Noah - Jacquelyn Frank
15 Alice I Have Been - Melanie Benjamin
16 Just One Wish - Janette Rallison
17 The Warlord Wants Forever - Kresley Cole
18 The Mark - Jen Nadol
19 The Summer We Fell Apart - Robin Antalek
20 Ecstasy - Jacquelyn Frank

Alice I Have Been by Melanie Benjamin

Did you know Alice - the inspiration for Alice's Adventures in Wonderland - was a real girl? I sure didn't - so I was pleasantly surprised to not only learn of her existence but to also learn some details of her life.

For starters let's make it clear, this is a work of fiction. Ms. Benjamin clearly states that she did her research and used a lot of these details throughout the novel (names, places, years, etc.) But there were several instances throughout Alice's life that she did enhance and thus where we get the fiction part.

Alice Pleasance Liddell Hargreaves meets Mr. Charles Dodgson at a very young age. Alice's father was the Dean of Christ Church and he resided with his family including their young daughters at Oxford. Mr. Dodgson (who writes as Lewis Carrol) was a mathematics professor at the university and was fascinated by the three young Liddell girls. He would constantly seek the girls out to photograph them, take them on outings (whether it be fishing, picnic-ing or just to enjoy the weather) or to tell them stories.

This is Alice's story - her childhood, her friendship with Mr. Dodgson, being Alice - the little girl in the book, her love's, loss's, her life. Alice is the narrator and the story is mostly told at three different stages throughout her life - we begin with her being in her 80's and then travel back in time to Victorian Oxford when she is a young girl, and then later on in her life when she is in her mid-40's.
I can't even describe how fascinated I became with this story. It was so vividly detailed - I could envision Alice and her sister's, all dressed the same, with their white, muslin dresses, holding hands, strolling down the street on their way to Mr. Dodgson's in the hope of an adventure. I don't know what it was - whether the time the story is set in, Alice's friendship with the lonely, stammering Dodgson (which on more than one occasion made me feel slightly uncomfortable - since it bordered on pedophilia), the mystery of the abrupt end to that friendship, or the innocence of Alice's narration; but in the end, this was one of those books that I had a really hard time putting down.

Ultimately, you will feel haunted by Ms. Benjamin's novel about love, loss and heartbreak. If you're anything like me, you will be Googling left and right trying to acquire your own set of facts and you will become (once again - since I've always been a little crazy over her) obsessed with Alice and will want to grab your own copy of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and read, or re-read it in some cases, just to reacquaint yourself with the magical tale of a little girl that will always be immortalized in youth.

I can't recommend this enough.

Just One Wish by Janette Rallison

Every girl wishes to meet the cute, famous, teen star playing the lead in the show that everyone's talking about. What girl doesn't right?

Well Annika Truman does have a wish - but it's not that. Her wish is that her six year old brother, Jeremy, survives the surgery that will remove the tumor in his head. She desperately believes in the power of positive thinking and has a plan to get Jeremy thinking positive. After getting the Teen Robin Hood figurine he's been asking for she devises a plan. This plan consists of having Jeremy believe that she has a genie that will grant him two wishes... and, of course, Jeremy has been dying for the Teen Robin Hood figurine, so this is a fool-proof way of things working out perfectly. But Annika is thrown for a loop when her brother asks for NOT the figurine but the real Teen Robin Hood. He wants to take archery lessons from the real Teen Robin Hood. Annika suddenly finds herself in the desperate predicament of getting access to a hunky star actor and convincing him to come home with her. Piece of cake, right?

This story has a little bit of everything. I laughed, I cried, I sighed... It was so much more than the cute, bright cover leads you to believe.

Annika is smart, strong, spunky and funny. She has a knack for reading people and this confidence that you can't help but look up to. She is devoted to Jeremy - the love between this brother and sister alone shone so bright in these pages... giving me a lump in my throat more than once. But she also had her moments of weakness - moments that made her even more realistic and relateable to me. She is mad at God for making Jeremy sick - but she has hopes that she'll be able to swing the odds in her favor if Jeremy gets his wish, making him think positive which will then help him pull through the surgery.

There were many moments that were unrealistic, far-fetched, silly, even over-the-top - but in the end it worked for me. With Annika anything seemed possible. I absolutely loved this and can highly recommend to readers of all ages.

Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding

So I picked up Bridget Jones's Diary because I just simply wanted to read and laugh a little and enjoy a lot and I was not disappointed. I have seen the movies and I definitely enjoyed them - but I've always wanted to get a deeper feeling for Bridget and thus the book has been one that I've wanted to read for quite some time now.

Bridget Jones's Diary is just that - her diary entries which span a year in time. Every entry not only has what's going on in her life but also counts her calories, cigarette intake, and how much booze she drinks. Now let me tell you that just those little numbers were a crack-up. You could definitely tell what kind of a day she was having by how many cigarettes or how many drinks she had.

There were so many things that I truly enjoyed about this book:
Characters that I could relate to; weighing oneself every single day, being infatuated with a guy who's no good for you, knowing it, and still obsessing over him to the point where you get no work done; good friends who love and protect you and will do anything for you (including lie to you) if the need arises; parents who try to hook you up with anyone of the opposite sex because they are terrified that you are spiraling headfirst into spinsterhood.

Bridget Jones's Diary is all that it was said to be and more. It is funny and original with a likable, funny, yet slightly neurotic heroine... just the way I like them.

I'll end it at this, it was V. good. :)

Lone Star Legend by Gwendolyn Zepeda

When Sandy Saavedra lands her dream job with the popular website ¡Latino Now!, she can't wait to write hard-hitting pieces to combat all those stupid Latino stereotypes. While visions of Pulitzers dance in her head, her editor in chief is suddenly laid off, replaced by the infamous Dolores Villanueva O'Sullivan. Dolores has one mission: make ¡Latino Now! an internet phenomenon, no matter how many pandering puff pieces she has to pack onto its pages. Sandy doesn't see how she can keep this job without losing her soul, especially when she's sent to Middle-of-Nowhere Texas to investigate the dumbest legend her people ever created, the Chupacabra. She fears she's about to fail an assignment-and lose her job-until she meets Tío Jaime, a grandfatherly hermit who might be crazy, or might be the best thing that ever happened to Sandy's career. [borrowed from Goodreads]

I really enjoyed this story. Sandy was such a great character - and she had such growth throughout her story. As Sandy's dreams of writing on important topics goes down the drain and she begins to write pieces a-la-TMZ, it seems like not only has her job gone to hell, but so has her love life, her living situation and just about everything else. She strives to make changes in her life (including a makeover), but she slowly begins to realize that these changes are superficial, she must make real changes that will bring her to a place where she will be happy not only with life, but with herself.

I loved being brought into the world of online magazines, blogs and gossip columns. The characters were one of a kind (my favorite being Tio Jaime) and the scenarios were definitely laugh out loud funny. Ms. Cepeda has a fantastic sense of humor - I found myself literally cracking up at times.

This was a light read with some witty dialogue, heart-warming moments and a one of a kind ensemble that I can definitely recommend.

This book was provided for review by Hachette Book Group.

Tainted by Brooke Morgan

Holly Barrett is a single mother to her 5 year old daughter Katy. They reside in Cape Cod near Holly's grandfather and, although her life isn't ideal, she is definitely a survivor and has made the best out of her situation in life. The three of them are a family.

Then one day Holly meets handsome, Englishman, Jack Dane. She is utterly charmed by him and after a whirlwind courtship he moves into her home and they are promptly married. Everything is fantastic for Holly... not only is she in love, but her daughter and grandfather both love Jack just as much as she does. But then Katy's father comes back into the picture and he is quickly suspicious of Jack's true motives. Where did he come from? Where is his family? Who are his friends? By the time Katy realizes something is amiss, it just might be too late.

I will forewarn you that Tainted starts off at a slow pace, but about 100 pages in you become quickly enmeshed in Holly's struggle to take control of her life. The characters Ms. Morgan creates are all fleshed out and you can definitely envision them as being someone you might know. Her descriptions of Cape Cod were fascinating.

I thought Holly was a great character although she did have her faults. I found her frustrating and too forgiving at times. There were many red flags indicating that Jack might not be as "wonderful" as he seemed but she carelessly looked them over. I did feel that she matured throughout the story, redeeming herself in my eyes. I also really liked some of the secondary characters. Holly's grandfather, Henry, was a favorite of mine. He was old and grumpy, but still a loving and caring fatherly figure towards Holly.

I was definitely taken in by this story and found myself at the edge of my seat... and I will confess that I found myself having a hard time putting it down... I mean, I had to sleep, but I picked it right back up the next morning and didn't put it down until I finished it. I thought the ending was superb and made up for any flaws I found along the way. This is a fantastic read for lovers of suspense and one I would definitely recommend.

This book was provided for review by:

A Black Tie Affair by Sherrill Bodine

As the curator of the costume collection at the Fashion Institute of Chicago, Athena Smith lives and breathes couture dresses. They're her entire life. And while she's in a vast underground bunker where the Institute houses their private collection of vintage couture clothing, examining the dresses, she falls desperately ill and is rushed to the hospital. Word around town is that Athena has been poisoned. Dr. Drew Montgomery, a physician at Northwestern Hospital, knows all about Athena's gal-about-town reputation. He's seen her picture in the society rags and he can barely contain his disdain. But he's perplexed by her illness. As they together unravel the secrets behind her illness to figure out who might have poisoned her and why, an attraction blooms between this society gal and this no-nonsense doctor. But is love enough to keep them together? [borrowed from GoodReads]

Oh, but I loved this book. Ms. Bodine has a way of bringing you into the world of high fashion couture dresses and making any girl feel all giddy inside. I loved the descriptions of these fantastic gowns. Oh, to just twirl around in one of them (a girl can dream right?) obviously sans the poison.

I loved the chemistry between Athena and Drew - it was flirty, it was sweet and very romantic. I especially liked how you read a little bit about their past together in short increments making you come to terms with how their relationship ended and have you rooting for them to have another go at it and make it work. Between the mystery of the gowns and the romance between our characters it definitely keeps you on your toes, making this a very quick read. This was a light, fluffy romance, with great characters, witty banter and an underlying mystery to solve. I thought it had a little bit of everything needed to make it a very enjoyable read.

This book was provided for review by Hachette Book Group.

GIVEAWAY: I have 5 copies of each up for grabs - thanks to the lovely Anna at HBG.

As always, leave a comment for one entry. If you'd like extra entries just say so in your comment or separate comments (extra entries for followers, Twitter, sidebars, Facebook, etc.) ; and for putting my spiffy little button on your blog. Make sure to leave an e-mail address, especially if you are leaving a comment under Anonymous.

Rules: This contest is open to U.S. & Canada residents only. No P.O. Boxes. Winners will be drawn Friday, February 5.

Breakfast in Bed by Robin Kaye

Becca and Rich are in quite the predicament. It seems they will have to share the same living quarters for a while. Rich thinks that it might be the perfect setting - since he asks Becca to help him become more of a "relationship material" type of man. He solicits her help in learning to cook, clean, laundry - all in the hopes of getting his ex girlfriend back. Now Becca is more than happy to help - since she sees this as a way of speeding Rich's departure from the apartment they are sharing. But soon she realizes that this Domestic God might be something she doesn't want to give up but instead wants to keep for herself... now it's just a matter of convincing him that she's the only girl he needs to impress.

Just thinking of a man trying to domesticate himself in order to win a girl's heart - brings a big smile to my face. Rich was hilarious with his zany antics. My God, the man was a disaster. Although he comes off as a womanizer and even arrogant at first, he slowly but surely works his way into your heart. Becca wasn't so high on my list. She was easier to like in the beginning of the book but she just went downhill from there for me. I can understand that a girl needs to set-up barriers to protect her delicate heart, and in Becca's case, she just couldn't trust a man to love her without loving her money more. But there was a point where I just wanted to grab a hold of her and tell her to just get over it. She was a tad frustrating for me. Nonetheless, she redeemed herself towards the end of the story making this sweet, contemporary romance, an enjoyable one. I loved all the supporting characters as well - Rich's Aunt Rose, the upstairs gay neighbors and even Tripod, the three legged cat. Ms. Kaye's writing was simple and she made her characters realistic and most of them were very endearing. None were perfect, which made them even more loveable in my eyes.

In the end, this was a fun read where you don't have to put too much thought into it and just submerge yourself in the good feeling of it all. It was the first in the series that I've read, so I definitely want to get my hands on the other two that came before it.

This book was provided for review by Sourcebooks.

A Matter of Class by Mary Balogh

Reginald Mason is, by all accounts, a gentleman - he is well-educated, courteous, handsome and very wealthy. However, the ton doesn’t see it that way, much to his and his father’s dismay. For Reginald Senior was not born a gentleman. He worked hard for this station even if it is said that their money is tarnished by coal. When the opportunity for social advancement arises, namely, Lady Annabelle Ashton, daughter of the Earl of Havercroft, a neighbor and enemy of the Mason family, he finds the opportunity too hard to resist.

Lady Annabelle is in quite the predicament. She tried to elope with her father's footman and now finds herself disgraced by scandal, even thought of as damaged goods. Her father, the Earl, is none too happy with her and will gladly marry her off to anyone willing to have her.

Reginald Senior sees this as the moment he's been waiting for to move his family up the social ladder. But young Reggie does not see it as ideal, for he enjoys single life too much. When his father gives him an ultimatum: marry Annabelle or be cut-off from the family funds - he has no choice but to consent to the marriage. But no one said either one of them had to be happy about their new predicament.

This was such a sweet story. It was rather short, but nonetheless, it was delightful. I am a fan of Regency England, but even more than that, the way the story is written was brilliant. For starters it is very tame. There aren't any blush worthy moments - which gave it a timeless feel. The romance was light but as the relationship between Annabelle and Reggie grew, it steadily became more and more... sigh worthy.

I really must give kudos to Ms. Balogh for keeping me in the dark for most of the story as to the "twist" (everyone keeps mentioning). I didn't peak and I tried not to think too much of it and I was pleasantly surprised with the outcome. It was very witty of her and by far what made this short story so pleasurable. I highly recommend to anyone looking for a feel-good love story.

National Just Read More Novels Month 2010

Yellojkt is once again hosting NaJuReMoNoMo. I also participated in this event last year and I read a total of 16 books in the month of January... although by this time last year I had already read 4 books (so far this year = 2.5). But here's to reading all the books I can get my little hands on this month.

For challenge rules and to sign up, click here.