The Language of Flowers

I must be honest, I have seen The Language of Flowers in every bookstore, every book newsletter I get, and the bestseller lists.  Why I never picked it up, I have no idea.  I saw it on LibraryThing.com's list of books that could be requested.  I figured if I won a copy, it would be meant to be, and I would finally read this popular book.

I won and I am so glad The Language of Flowers found me!  I can't tell you enough how much I loved this book!  I devoured it in 24 hours.  This between raising 3 little girls, a cat and 2 puppies, plus my niece's birthday party in San Diego.  Needless to say, I read this book every moment I found myself with a extra minute or two.

The Language of Flowers tells the story of Victoria and begins when she is 18 and emancipated from the foster system she has been in her whole life.  The book travels back and forth from current time to Victoria's time with her foster mother, Elizabeth.  It is this relationship that shapes Victoria and her views of herself and love.

Victoria learns the language of flowers from Elizabeth.  The flowers that surround Victoria tell her story and speak for her many times when she cannot speak for herself.

I highly recommend this book!  It is seriously one of my favorites.  There were so many emotions I went through reading it, crying tears of sadness and joy, sometimes at the same time.

I have the copy of the book I was sent and would be happy to send it to anyone here.  Since there is only one copy, please leave a comment below and on Saturday, August 18, my 4 year old will pick random names out of a hat.  I will contact the winner via email, so make sure you leave your email address.

The Secrets of Mary Bowser

After having The Secrets of Mary Bowser on my wishlist for some time, I decided to was time to pick it up. The Secrets of Mary Bowser is based on real people in history.  Mary Bowser was a slave that was freed by the family she worked for and sent North to get an education.  As she is educated and the Civil War begins, Mary becomes a spy for the North.

The story takes place in the 1800's and begins when Mary is a small child.  She slaves beside her mother, her father works for a different owner.  The only time she sees her father is on Sundays when they are "off" from the family that owns them.

Mary and her mother are owned by the Van Lew Family.  It is Bet Van Lew, an abolitionist, that frees Mary and her mother.  The story really takes off from here and is beautifully written.  Because of her education and her determination to see slavery ended, she played a huge part in the Civil War, seeing that the North would succeed in its fight against the South, ending slavery.

If you like history and enjoy historical novels, this would be a great book for you.

Never Tell

Just finished reading Alafair Burke's latest, Never Tell: A Novel of Suspense. I read about it on a webiste (I can't remember which one), and knowing I thought her last book was fantastic, I picked this one up immediately.

Never Tell: A Novel of Suspense is part of a series about Ellie Hatcher, an NYPD detective.  I didn't know this upon starting the book and realized quickly that I didn't need to read the previous books in the series to understand what was going on.  I wish now that I had read the earlier books, because I loved the characters and really enjoy Alafair Burke's storytelling.

The story is about a teenager NYPD detectives assume committed suicide.  The girl's mother doesn't believe her daughter would ever kill herself and demands an investigation.  Because the family is well connected, they are able to convince the NYPD to investigate and the story takes off from there.   The book is very good and will keep you guessing until the end.

Tumbleweeds

I just finished reading Leila Meacham's second book Tumbleweeds.  I read her first, Roses, a couple of years ago and loved it so much it's on my favorite's list.  I've been waiting for her next book to come out and was so excited to download this one.

The story focuses on 2 boys in Texas, Trey Don and John that are orphaned and asked to befriend a little girl, Cathy, also orphaned, that has come to live with her grandmother.  The 2 boys are very popular, and of course, jealousy ensues.  There is the proverbial love triangle as the book follows these three friends from elementary school into adulthood.  There is even a bit of a mystery towards the end.

Tumbleweeds was a good book, but won't make my list of favorites.  It is long (480 pages), so if long books are off-putting to you, you will want to pass on this one.  If you don't mind the length of the book, it's a good read.

I do highly recommend Roses. People Magazine said it was like Gone with the Wind. It is a sweeping love story, based in Texas and told over three generations. Such a great read!  It's also a long book (clocking in at 609 pages), but so worth the time.  It is beautifully written and the story just flows.

The Chaperone

I just finished reading Laura Moriarty's The Chaperone.  This book has been receiving a lot of press and since I have liked her previous books, I thought I'd read this one.  I wasn't disappointed, in fact, I liked this one more than any of her others.

The Chaperone follows Cora as she goes to New York with her charge, Louise.  The story goes back and forth to Cora's childhood and before she married Alan and had her twin boys, now grown.  The book spans from the 1880's to the 1970's.  This is a coming of age story about a 36 year old woman.  I promise it is not quite what you'd expect.

In a book club?  This would be a great choice.  There is much to talk about after reading this.  Not only are there great characters to discuss, but the difference in times compared to now and the themes brought up in the story such as prohibition, birth control, homosexuality and unwed mothers, to name a few, will lead to a great conversation.

I hope you enjoy The Chaperone as much as I did.

P.S.  This book is based on facts.  There was a real Louise and a real Cora.  This book focuses on Cora and her life.  While this is a fictionalized account, it is based on a real person.  Think in terms of The Paris Wife and Loving Frank, both great books as well.

50 Shades of Grey

How could I start a book blog and not mention the hottest selling trilogy out right now?  50 Shades of Grey is exactly what everyone has been saying it is.  It's sexy mommy porn and the writing isn't very good at all.  But, it does have a way of hooking you in and taking you on a ride.  It is hot and steamy and people all over the place are talking about it.

As soon as I picked it up, I couldn't put it down and downloaded each book right after the other.  I read for 3 days straight, including in the car on the way to my niece's 2nd birthday party when I was supposed to be giving my husband directions.  Well, needless to say, we missed our exit! I had no idea we were already in South Orange County.  My husband wasn't amused.

Is this the kind of book I would usually read?  No.  Is it a great book?  No.  Is it sexy and entertaining?  Yes!

Leave a comment as to who your Christian Grey is below.  I always thought of David Beckham as mine.  I know he's a bit older than described, but it a fantasy after all!

And When She Was Good

I received an ARC (Advanced Reader's Copy) of Laura Lippman's newest, And When She Was Good. Having read Lippman before and knowing I liked her books, I settled into this one immediately with a sense of being back with an old friend.  The book was good, not the best ever, but a good read.  There is a bit of a mystery to the story and it keeps you wondering what will happen next.  A good beach read for sure.

*Keep in mind. when reading an ARC, this is a book that hasn't necessarily been finalized and things in the story can change once it is published.  So this review is based on the ARC, not the final finished project.

Gone Girl

I read about Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn on BookBrowse.com.  I have never read anything by this author and didn't know what to expect.  This book had received a lot of press and critics loved it.  I decided to try it out and wow!  What great writing and just when I thought I had figured it out, wham!  The book took a major turn right in the middle.

If you do pick this book up, I want to talk to you about it.  It's one of those reads that makes you want to discuss it with people and get their opinion.  Because of that, it would make a fantastic book club selection.

Reese Witherspoon's production company is going to be making this one into a movie. I wonder what Hollywood will do with the ending. It will be very interesting to see!  Who would you cast in the movie version?

The Next Best Thing

Another great read from the beloved Jennifer Weiner.

Just finished reading Jennifer Weiner's latest book, The Next Best Thing.  As with all of Weiner's books, this one did not disappoint.

The story centers around Ruth, disfigured from an accident as a child and her life with her grandmother.   As always, I will never give away any significant plot lines on this blog.  You will never see spoilers.  Just trust me, you will like this one (a lot).