Chick Lit Challenge Wrap-Up

I recently completed the Chick Lit Challenge. So sad to see that it's over considering it took no effort to do. Chick Lit Rules! For the challenge rules click here.

Here is my final list:
1 Where the Heart Is - Billie Letts (completed 1/05/09)
2 Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict - Laurie Viera Rigler (completed 1/09/09)
3 Time of My Life - Allison Winn Scotch (completed 1/17/09)
4 Confessions of a Shopoholic - Sophie Kinsella (completed 2/02/09)
5 No Rest for the Wicked - Kresley Cole (completed 2/05/09)
6 One Fifth Avenue - Candace Bushnell (completed 2/09/09)
7 Upon the Midnight Clear - Sherrilyn Kenyon (completed 2/10/09)
8 One Silent Night - Sherrilyn Kenyon (competed 2/12/09)
9 Outlander - Diana Gabaldon (completed 2/19/09)
10 Playing with the Grown-Ups - Sophie Dahl (completed 2/24/09)

Playing with the Grown-Ups by Sophie Dahl

This novel tells the life experiences of a young girl (Kitty) on the cusp of adulthood and her self-destructive "mummy" Marina. It is a beautifully written coming-of-age tale which develops quite a gritty sting in the latter half while describing Kitty's teen years. Throughout the story we read about Kitty’s idyllic life in the country with her grandparents, mummy, aunts, siblings and nanny, her stay at boarding schools, the moving back and forth between England and the U.S., her friendships, drugs, alcohol, sex, and just the wildness of it all. Yet, I enjoyed this even when it became a little harrowing.

I found the ending a bit disappointing. After all that we went through with Kitty, it just leaves you to imagine what she has to overcome in order to lead a better life. You obviously know that she was able to overcome her mother’s influence and eventually make a life for herself in New York, but you just don’t read how she was able to do it (you know this from the first chapter - so I’m not giving anything away). It would have been nice to read how she was able to get herself out of the hole she was in and better herself and her life.

Moving, well-written, tender-hearted coming of age/mother-daughter relationship story. Utterly charming and I couldn’t help wondering if some parts were autobiographical. I think anybody who had a slightly unconventional childhood will be able to relate to this in some way.

And just in case you were wondering, Sophie Dahl is Roald Dahl’s granddaughter.

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

On holiday in 1945, ex-British nurse, Claire Randall, accidentally travels back in time, to 1743. She leaves behind a loving husband and a comfortable 20th-century existence, and finds herself in the midst of skirmishing Scottish clans, brutal British captains, and the hardships of life in the 18th century.

I know I’m a bit late to this party, as I think everyone I know has already read the Outlander series or is in the process of doing so, but I can’t begin to tell you how wonderful I found this book to be. There is just so much going on in this story - fantasy, romance, history, adventure. And it was all neatly wrapped up into this epic tale of love that transcends time. WoW!

I did find it a bit wordy at times... sometimes the descriptions enhanced the story, as when describing the Scottish Highlands in all their splendor, but there were times where I found it hard to focus on the page-after-page depictions of each intricate dark corner of a castle or prison.

I read that Ms. Gabaldon said that this was not meant to be the story of a romance, but the story of a marriage. What a profound statement! Marriage is not love and happiness all the time; it has it's challenges. I feel that she does a very good job of illustrating a true marriage.

I strongly recommend this to anyone who loves a well-written story.

... and thus begins my love affair w/ Jaime and Claire Fraser... I believe I have 6 more books to go.

One Silent Night by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Bad boys need lovin’ too!

This is the story of Stryker - yes, Strykerius (tormentor of all things Dark-Hunter, Acheron and Nick Gaultier related). Yet I thoroughly enjoyed reading the bad guy’s side of the story.

In this story we were able to get a glimpse of the romance between Stryker (all around Dark-Hunter nemesis) and his first-wife Zephyra (she’s a total bwitch). Upon reading this you see Stryker in a whole new light and why he is the way he is. Yes, Stryker, was human at one point. He was a child, he loved, he made mistakes... he was/is a man. I found myself feeling sympathy for him and understanding a little more of the world that Sherrilyn Kenyon has created.

Although it can be a bit confusing with all the Greek mythology she normally intertwines with her storylines, this book (I think) is like a new era for the Dark-Hunter series. Sherrilyn is involving a lot of new and different characters that I can’t help but anticipate the day when we get to read their stories.

For those of you who are fans of the Dark-Hunter series, this book felt like an intermediate point, where she just filled you in on information that she was unable to incorporate into any of her other stories. If you have not read a Dark-Hunter novel before than this definitely is not the book you want to start the series on (definitely read some of her older stuff and I’m sure you’ll get snagged along with the rest of us into this world).

But intrigued I am! With all the new hotties characters that she is introducing I can’t wait to read the next installment.

Upon the Midnight Clear by Sherrilyn Kenyon

This is the second Dream-Hunter novel that I've read and although I am a huge fan of Sherrilyn Kenyon’s - I was sorely disappointed by this one. It’s lacking in a lot of things. Her characters weren’t developed enough for you to actually grow fond of them. Aidan was just to whiny and needy for me to like him, and Leta just never really amounted to much when it counted either.

Too much happened in too short of a time period. It didn't feel very believable and it almost felt more like a chore to read rather than a delight for the mind. If nothing else, this book was used just to fill us in on some of the background information on Zeus’ curse on the Oneroi.

When you see this book, it seems short for a paperback. When you open it, it seems REALLY short for a paperback - they have used double spacing, wide margins, and a large font. Now, either Kenyon's publisher is formatting books for her older, more myopic fans, or this was a short-story that was made into a novel. Add a little padding and a huge font and, presto-change-o, you have a very short paperback that you can still sell for the full paperback price. Grrrrrrr!

On the bright side though, at the end of the book there was a short story called Holiday Gatherings - It brought back some of her other characters and was really a treat to read.

If you haven't read any of Sherrilyn Kenyon's books, I would suggest to stay away from this book. Start off by reading the "Dark-Hunter" series and then make your way to this new Dream-Hunter spin-off.

One Fifth Avenue by Candace Bushnell

This one is a toughie. I haven’t decided whether I liked this one or not.... yet. I’m leaning towards the not liking direction though.

The story revolves around the lives of the residents of a luxury building on Fifth Avenue. A place that just by living in it or being seen entering or exiting from it - meant wealth and power. Each resident of One Fifth is interconnected somehow and it was neat to see how one of their actions would cause an effect in one of their neighbors’ lives. I also liked that architecture was the center-piece of the story. I will say, that there were a lot of characters (each written in the first person) introduced all at once, which was confusing at first, but once I got passed that and actually started focusing on who was who and what was what it became easier to read and the pages began turning. The writing was very hip and fresh and I loved her comments on 20-somethings, bloggers and the Internet.

But in the end, it just didn’t strike a note with me. I don’t know if it was that I just didn’t connect with any of the characters or that we have no similarities in common, but I found that none of the characters were likeable. There was one character that I did like but she was the one that we barely read about (figures). I got the impression that this book was expressly written to become a movie or tv series.

All in all, if you like reading stories about New York City life, sex, lies and money, (Drama, Drama, Drama), then this is something that I’d recommend you read.

No Rest for the Wicked by Kresley Cole

This is the second book in the Immortals After Dark series. This is the story of Kaderin the Cold and she has met her mate in a vampire (which she starts off not being too happy about)- Sebastian. The story takes us from one adventure after another throughout the globe as Kaderin and Sebastian are competing for the grand prize in the Hie. In this story we once again hear from Emma and Myst and learn more about the Lore. You are also introduced to the characters for her next book. I love that about these books - that, and that you always seem to get a glimpse of the lives of those characters you previously enjoyed.

The story is full of action, adventure and steamy romance. These books are part of my guilty pleasures (along with all Christine Feehan and Sherrilyn Kenyon books).

Another enjoyable, can't-put-it-down, interrupt-me-and-you'll-be-sorry page turner.

Confessions of a Shopoholic by Sophie Kinsella

I can’t wait for the movie! I was in the mood for something light and funny - just some mind candy. I was reading all these deep, thought-provoking books all last month that I thought I was in need of a break - and I couldn’t have chosen anything better than Confessions of a Shopoholic.

Rebecca Bloomwood is 25, a writer for a magazine called Successful Savings, lives in a fab flat in a ritzy neighborhood, has all the latest clothes and fantastic, loveable rich friends - what more can a girl ask for right? Well, this would all be merry if it weren’t for the fact that she is in debt trying to live a life that she just can’t afford. Her troubles begin when she starts getting harassed by her loan creditors for repayment. Everyday more and more letters arrive requesting repayment and she is just too much of a shopoholic to stop all her frivolous spending.

Mostly the book deals with Rebecca trying to control her spending habits, but really only getting deeper and deeper in the hole. She is bored to death with her job and feels that no one in her industry respects her. She’s a bit naive at times and the way she thought through her difficulties was rather irrational and unrealistic, I thought. But her scenarios and situations where just so fun to read about that none of that bothered me. I was literally sitting there laughing out loud at times. When she thinks she’s going to win the lottery or she has to come up with the excuse of her "fake" aunt’s death - were totally hilarious. And the letters from her creditors with all the excuses of why she can’t make payments (i.e.: a broken leg, her dog died, glandular fever) - were roll on the floor funny.

So, if you’re in the mood for something fun and light - this is a great choice. Total fluff but just what I needed at this point.

Time of My Life by Allison Winn Scotch

Time of My Life was a bit reminiscent of Family Man, but I loved it anyway. This book is based on the question "What If?" I became totally engrossed with Jillian's story from the first page. When Jillian goes to her masseuse and has her chi unblocked, some very unexpected things happen. For one, she wakes up seven years earlier in bed, in her old apartment, and still in a relationship with her ex-boyfriend - no more husband, nor toddler, nor house in the suburbs. The best thing of it all, she remains with all the knowledge from her real life in the future... thus being able to avoid old arguments, get work done more efficiently and without the stress, be prepared for important life altering moments, etc. It was fun to see how every action had a reaction, thus changing her present and, of course, her future. More importantly though, it raised some very good points - like being true to yourself and not changing who you are or what you believe in for your partner, instead to compromise. As well as how important communication is in relationships. I was curious to see how things would turn out the second time around and will say that I had a tough time trying not to cheat and just look at the last couple of pages to see how it would end. All in all, this was very funny, thought-provoking and a joy to read. I highly recommend it.

Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Viera Rigler

This was such a fun and witty novel. In short, Jane Austen meets Quantum Leap. Courtney Stone (hip, modern, LA girl) wakes up as Miss Jane Mansfield in Regency England -in none other than Jane Austen’s time! It’s funny because I myself have wondered a time or two (or three) what it would be like to live in one of my favorite novels. Well, I’m sure there is nothing fun about the lack of plumbing, or body odor!, or anesthesia?!? for that matter. Yes, when you look at it that way, I am sure there is nothing romantic about living in another era. But nonetheless, Courtney makes the best of it, making friends, finding a love interest in Mr. Edgeworth and eventually coming to terms with "if you’re given lemons, make lemonade." =)

This was a nice, easy read. There are plenty of references to Pride and Prejudice along with several similar circumstances that you can also associate with Austen’s novels. I loved that Jane Austen herself had a cameo appearance (which was hilarious)! Lots of fun for fans of Austen's literary brilliance and a clear tribute.

Once again, I would like to send a shout-out to Jennifer at bookclubgirl and Laurie Viera Rigler for hosting the giveaway that allowed me to win this autographed copy. Thanks so much ladies - it was a pleasure to read.

Where the Heart Is by Billie Letts

Novalee Nation is seventeen and seven months pregnant when the father of her child abandons her at a Walmart halfway across the nation from anyone she knows. The story of Novalie's life is so beautiful - she overcomes so many obstacles (from being abandoned by her mother as a child to living and giving birth in a Walmart, etc.) yet always looks on the brighter side. She goes through the good, bad, and ugly. I laughed and I cried. It just goes to show that friends can be just as much your family as those who are blood-related to you, sometimes they are even more so. Through Novalee the reader is introduced to a variety of lovable and eccentric characters who teach her that home truly is Where the Heart Is.

Chick Lit Challenge

Back by popular demand, the 2009 Chick Lit Challenge has been expanded for the whole year! (click on button for host) From January 1 through December 31, 2009, read at least 10 chick lit books. Books can overlap with other challenges and you can change your list at any time.

This is right up my alley - plus I loved the button.