book review

Just Read: The Carrie Diaries

It’s time for the 2013 debut of one of my favorite features… Just Read! While I don’t always have the time to do it, I absolutely love to read!

And today’s book is one that I really enjoyed!

The Carrie Diaries by Candace Bushnell

I fell in love with Sex and the City like most Americans when the show was still new and on HBO. My fascination with the series intensified when I purchased the DVDs.. and I’d say it hit obsession when they started running episodes in syndication.

How can you not love these ladies??

When I heard that the CW was going to start running a show that was the prequel to SATC based upon Candace Bushnell’s books, I knew that I wanted to watch… and moreso, that I wanted to read the prequel stories before I watched the show.

When the book begins, the lovely Carrie Bradshaw was just a high schooler in a small town. Envisioning a young version of this fabulous fashionista, I was immediately intrigued. I read page after page about Carrie growing up in the 80′s and reminisced a bit of my teenage years. Not because I was as fabulous as Carrie, but remembering a time when life was so much simpler – - when phones were connected to a wall and when the world was wide open with possibility.

Much like her adult character we grew to love on TV, Carrie meets boys and dates them… and struggles through relationships. The one thing that is very different is that she hasn’t found her “soulmates” yet. The young women she hangs out with in high school offer a world of drama, which is also extremely relatable. So young and immature, we see Carrie experiencing many a sticky situation especially with her friends Maggie and Lali.

As with any great heroine, Carrie always ends up on her feet. She powers through and finds her passion… and finds herself heading to the big city as the first book comes to an end.

After reading The Carrie Diaries, I immediately purchased the second book, and jumped right in. I truly believe the second book is going to be where all the action happens… and where she meets an intelligent redhead, a conservative brunette, and a promiscuous blonde. I’ll keep you posted as to how book 2 goes!

Have you read/or watched The Carrie Diaries?

Just Read: Silver Girl

Just Read: Shanghai Girls

Where Have I Been This Week?

Just Read: Summerland

I posted a few days ago that I was reading an awesome book that was keeping me on the treadmill. I freakin’ LOVE it when that happens.

You don’t even notice the minutes and miles ticking away because you’re just enthralled in the book. THE. BEST.

I’ve started taking my iPad to the gym and it’s become my favorite way to read. I bump up the font size to extra, extra large so that I can keep my place no matter how fast I’m walking. Seriously, technology makes it so much easier to do so many things… including this.

Summerland is the fourth book I’ve read by Elin Hilderbrand now, and I just loved it. Prior to reading this (her latest) novel, I had read The Island, Silver Girl, and The Blue Bistro and loved them dearly.

With this third successful read, Hilderbrand has found a comfortable position amongst my favorite contemporary authors: Emily Giffin, Elizabeth Gilbert, and Nicholas Sparks.

Summerland starts off with a bang… I feel comfortable telling you this detail only because it happens within the first two chapters of the book. It starts out with the death of a teenager and a terrible car accident that caused it. Thankfully, this tragic accident only takes one life, and the three other passengers become the protagonists of our story.

All of Hilderbrand’s novels (at least those that I’ve read) take place on Nantucket Island, so you can imagine the impact associated with a teen’s death and injured (and traumatized) survivors living in such a close-knit community. The community comes together as it can in situations like this, paying tribute to the beautiful young girl who’s life was lost.

The novel chronicles life after Penny’s death for her twin brother, her boyfriend, and her troubled friend. We also see the impact the accident has had upon the island and the parents of the children as they all try their hardest to get back to “normal,” whatever normal is after you’ve lost a dear sister/friend/girlfriend.

Hilderbrand had me in tears MULTIPLE times during the story. Not because her words were sad, but because she had written them in a way that touched me. She also is the master at introducing TWISTS and TURNS. She starts throwing curveballs, and I literally can’t put the book down. She did this expertly this time around with more than ONE surprise twist that I didn’t anticipate… GENIUS!

I HIGHLY recommend this book, and if you read it… message me so we can talk details! I don’t want to spoil it for those who are still planning to read it!

Have you read Summerland? Do you have any other book recommendations?

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