Coming Soon/To Be Read 2014-2015

As the end of the year approaches quickly most of my favorite authors have books coming out within the next year. Here are some of the ones I am most excited for.

All Fall Down by Jennifer Weiner

This story follows overwhelmed mother, daughter, writer Allison Weiss through her journey through recreational drug use, to full addiction and finally doing something about it. Allison has a father who has Alzheimer's, a mother who doesn't know how to handle the household duties like paying bills and an extremely sensitive daughter who often requires extra attention and measures in order to make her happy. 

I was able to relate to this story, on some level. Reading has always been my peace. It's the way I deal with stress. At the time I was following this story I was dealing with an extremely painful hip and back injury. Although my back is now significantly better, my hip is not. My medication was not nearly as strong as the pills Allison was taking. I was also dealing with crazy, stressful situations in my office. I have a co-worker who yells and screams for just about everything and someone 
who had decided the month of July was the month he was going to nit pick everything I did. That being said reading this book related to me a lot more than a story about drug addiction should have. For the record, unlike Allison I fight the pain and wait until I really cannot take it anymore to take anything (just 1 pill). I DO NOT take anything that has not be rightfully prescribed to me and nothing I take is anywhere horrible as what the character of Allison was taking.

This story could very easily be anyone's story. The addiction is only one aspect. With Ms. Weiner's amazing writing skills you can feel the stresses in Allison's life. I found myself unable to put the book down. In the moments I forced to step away from it getting back to the book became all I could think about. I absolutely adore Ms. Weiner's stories. I cannot wait until her next one is announced and I can once again begin my countdown to publication clock! 

~I received a free eBook to review.~

~I was not compensated in anyway for my honest opinion~

The Next Best Thing by Jennifer Weiner

If you have not been able to tell from several other postings I am a very big fan of Jennifer Weiner's novels and short lived TV show.  I have been following Jennifer Weiner on facebook and twitter for years. Unlike some authors she responds to comments, posts and even emails personally. Despite following her for so long I am always shocked when I receive a response from her. Shortly after I shared that she had a free ebook available entitled Swim she sent me a message saying as a thank you she would like to send me an advanced reader copy to read and review. I soon received a box expecting to find a paperback book with the cover marked "advanced reader copy" like most ARC's I have received, instead I find a book so new it has a spiral spine.

Swim turned out to be a republication of a previous story from her book Guy Not Taken that led to a the full novel entitled The Next Best Thing. Once again we follow the life of Ruth Saunders as she leaves her childhood home and follows her dream to Hollywood, CA where she becomes a screen writer. After several years she has created her own show which has been picked up by network tv. We see Ruth as she begins to bring her show to life, but it does not go as she had planned.

This story was great. It was nice to see closure for the character's I fell in love with when I first read Guy Not Taken. Throughout the story I could not help but wonder how much of it is true and based on Ms. Weiner's relationship with the production studio for her show State of Georgia, which stared Raven Symone and the fantastic Loretta Devine. There are a number of scenes in the book that an outsider could see a possible relationship between the two.  I truly enjoyed this story and I hope that everyone else will too.

I would once again like to thank Jennifer Weiner and Simon & Schuster for sending me the book.  This book will be published on July 3, 2012 and is currently available for pre-order.

~I received a free ebook or book to review. ~

~I was not be compensated in any way for my honest review~

Recalculating by Jennifer Weiner

It was around mid October 2011, shortly before Halloween when Ms. Weiner posted on facebook about her crazy GPS and wondered if she could turn it into a story. Several days later she posted "Jonesing for a new book? I wrote a spooky short story about a possessed GPS. Fingers crossed you'll be able to buy it on Amazon on 10/31. Happy Halloween!" That short story is Recalculating. It follows a women whose abusive husband passes away. While cleaning she finds a gps which turns out to be possessed.

It amazes me that Ms. Weiner was able to write a story so quickly. This book was great, but like most short stories it leaves you wanting more.

Then Came You by Jennifer Weiner

I would like to thank Jennifer Weiner for taking the time to send me this book via kindle when she saw a posting stating that I was not allowed to bring a book to work, but was able to sneak my kindle in.This story follows the lives of four women one in school looking for money to help a family member, one looking for money to support a growing family, one wanting to have a child and one in a surprising situation.

Ms. Weiner has a very unique way of having her characters live completely separate lives that some how find away to connect. The story was fantastic, but  it left me wanting more. I hope that she decides to make a sequel to this story so I can dig deeper into the characters lives.

Swim by Jennifer Weiner

 

Swim by Jennifer Weiner was first published as a short story  in her book Guy Not Taken (my review can be found here. It follows Ruth who is a writer on a popular tv show. Do to a series of events her life does not turn out the way she thought it would. She uses swimming as a way to escape the real world.

The first time I read this story I remember thinking I wish she would take this story and turn if into a full novel. Well I am very excited to report that she has. Her book The Next Best Thing will be published July 3, 2012. I have already read it and have a review coming soon. Stay tuned!

Guy Not Taken By Jennifer Weiner

Guy Not Taken by Jennifer Weiner has been on my to be read pile for a very long time. I must say how sorry I am that it sat there for so long! Unlike Ms. Weiner's other books this one is a series of short stories. The stories show the many sides and strengths of women. She even references her character's from Good In Bed. 

If you have not read this one yet I highly recommend you do. 

The Opposite of Me by Sarah Pekkanen (Chick Lit Challenge, TBR Challenge Book 3, Just For Fun Challenge Book 2)

The Opposite of Me by Sarah Pekkanen

Have you ever picked up a book and know by the second page that you are going to fall in love and not be able to put it down? That's what happened to me when I first started to read Opposite of Me. I first discovered Sarah Pekkanen through my love of Jennifer Weiner's books. She had a promotion that if you purchased Opposite of me she would send you one of her books (your choice) autographed. I immediately placed my order and emailed Jennifer my choice of book. Both books arrived a short time later. School had taken over my life by then and the books sat on the shelve waiting for the day they would be read.

About a year later when I realized that Sarah's second book Skipping a Beat would be out any day I decided that it needed to be read. I had heard wonderful things about Opposite of Me and had no excuse for not reading it yet. I picked it up and began reading. I didn't stop that day until way after 200 pages. I knew right from the start that this was going to be a great book!

The book begins by following Lindsey Rose through her life growing up as a twin, but not the prettier of the two. It then follows her as advertiser working for a high profile agency. Her hard work had paid off and she was on track to become the youngest vice president at her firm. One night she looses a large campaign, and her job, causing life as she knew it to come to a screeching stop.

She decides to move back home with her parents and find a new job. This brings about a whole set of new problems like how to tell her parents she was fired and dealing with her sister who she barely had relationship with. Little did she know that a chance meeting after an uncharacteristic shopping spree would change her life.

Want to know how it ends? Well I will not ruin it for you. Go buy the book and find out!

If you have not read Opposite of Me yet don't wait, run to your local bookstore and get it. And don't forget to pick up a copy of Skipping a Beat this February too. She also has a short story available for ebook only entitled All is Bright.


I am so sorry that I waited so long to read Opposite of Me. I promise not to wait to read Skipping a Beat!


Check out Sarah's Website: http://www.sarahpekkanen.com/

Chick Lit Challenge can be found http://chicklitplus.com/chick-lit-reading-challenge-2011/

The 2011 TBR Challenge can be found http://readerchallenges.wordpress.com/2011-tbr-lite/
Just For Fun Challenge can be found http://dollycas.blogspot.com/2010/11/just-for-fun-reading-challenge-2011.html

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