Skylight Confessions

Skylight Confessions: A Novel by Alice Hoffman

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a book club selection. The cover looked intesting, although it was a lot darker than I thought it would be. It was about fate, love, and spirits. One woman's fateful decision impacts her life and those around her the rest of her life. Can't write too much without it ruining the ending.

It was written very well. The author never gave you too much detail about each character, so it kept you guessing. Great characters. Sad set of circumstances. If you are looking for a fairy tale ending, not the book for you. It was dark, but I liked it. Interesting read.

The Wednesday Sisters

The Wednesday Sisters: A Novel by Meg Waite Clayton

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars

The book is about friendship and love. It focuses around five women who form a friendship in a park where they live in Palo Alto, California in the 1960s. At first, they focus more on where they are from and by what their husbands do for a living. They soon discover their mutual love for books and their love for the Miss America pageant. Soon they begin writing together every Wednesday morning, which allows each of them to open up about their lives. The book focuses on the role of women as wives and mothers during this time period. At the time, it was about taking care of your husband and kids first and you last. These women discover that they are more than that and they form an unbreakable bond. They finally can be themselves without being judged.

I felt like I could relate to each of these women to some degree. Even now, we all go through life doing the best we can just as these women did. What would women do without our close friends? How wonderful would it be to have four other women who were always looking out for you and constantly lifting you up through a time when women were still trying to make their mark in society. While reading this book, I continually thought of my moms (all of them - mom, step-mom, mother-in-law). How did they feel as they were graduating from high school living in a world dominated by men and war. I was fascintated by the setting and time period of the book and was so relieved to read it in a woman's perspective.

For more information on the this book, go to: http://www.megwaiteclayton.com.

Angels & Demons

Angels & Demons, Special Illustrated Edition by Dan Brown

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars

What a book. I am so grateful to have read the illustrated version. There was so much information that it helped having pictures to show what the author was referring to. There was a plot within the plot it seemed like. The history in this book intrigured me. I wanted to read more and more about the history of the church. It is amazing to think about writing a book such as this one. I really liked all the twists and turns, it kept me reading. I thought Davinci Code was an easier read than this one. It was almost as it I was reading a history book. I enjoyed it, but I strugged to get through it. NOW, I am ready to see the movie!

Handle with Care

Handle with Care by Jodi Picoult

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a book club selection and my third Jodi Picoult book. Jodi Picoult doesn't disappoint the reader in this novel. Just as you can expect from her, there are twists and turns and you never know when she is going to drop the big one. I was sucked in from the beginning and had a hard time putting it down. Essentially, the book is about two best friends, one being an OBGYN. The one gets pregnant and ends up giving birth to a child with Osteogenesis Imperfecta or better know as brittle bone syndrome. The mom later sues her best friend for malpractice. Would she have aborted the baby? That is the question. What would you do? And how could you sue your best friend? You see both sides and it is hard to determine what you would do if you were her and lived her life. While reading the book, I empathized with all the characters (to a point). I thought the plot and characters were very similar to "My Sister's Keeper," which I loved. I couldn't tell how she was going to end it, so it kept me reading. I liked it, but am glad I'm done. The issue in this book is extremely controversial and as a parent, made me feel uneasy at times. Jodi Picoult definitely leaves you coming back for more!

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan: A Novel by Lisa See

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book was a book club book and is one of my absolute favorites. Once I started the book, I couldn't put the thing down. The book takes place in 19th century China and is about the friendship of two young girls and their journey throughout life. A girl named Lily is matched up with a laotong or "old same" named Snow Flower. The girls come to think they are alike, but they soon find out they are very different. The book is about friendship, loyalty, secret language among women, footbinding, and love. The story line takes you through years of friendship and many long-kept secrets among friends. The role of women in this time period is fascinating.

Don't we all long for an old same or longtime friend to get through life with??