Like Water For Chocolate by Laura Esquivel

(286 pages)



From Publishers Weekly
Each chapter of screenwriter Esquivel's utterly charming interpretation of life in turn-of-the-century Mexico begins with a recipe--not surprisingly, since so much of the action of this exquisite first novel (a bestseller in Mexico) centers around the kitchen, the heart and soul of a traditional Mexican family. The youngest daughter of a well-born rancher, Tita has always known her destiny: to remain single and care for her aging mother. When she falls in love, her mother quickly scotches the liaison and tyrannically dictates that Tita's sister Rosaura must marry the luckless suitor, Pedro, in her place. But Tita has one weapon left--her cooking. Esquivel mischievously appropriates the techniques of magical realism to make Tita's contact with food sensual, instinctual and often explosive. Forced to make the cake for her sister's wedding, Tita pours her emotions into the task; each guest who samples a piece bursts into tears. Esquivel does a splendid job of describing the frustration, love and hope expressed through the most domestic and feminine of arts, family cooking, suggesting by implication the limited options available to Mexican women of this period. Tita's unrequited love for Pedro survives the Mexican Revolution the births of Rosaura and Pedro's children, even a proposal of marriage from an eligible doctor. In a poignant conclusion, Tita manages to break the bonds of tradition, if not for herself, then for future generations.

A nice fun enjoyable book, very original and addictive with som fab recipes to boot!! Recommended!!

Life Skills by Katie Fforde

(352 pages)



A combination of overwork and jet-leg propel Julia Fairfax into becoming engaged to a golf-playing wine buff called Oscar. When she realises that she has fonder feelings for his adorable Labrador than for Oscar himself, she is forced to confront the fact that there is something drastically wrong. So, she ditches her fiance, jacks in her job and decides to revolutionise her life…
Her new career as a cook on a pair of hotel boats is certainly a departure, and teaches her more about life than how to get a couple of narrow boats through a lock. But even afloat Julia's past catches up with her. Not only must she contend with the persistent Oscar (not to mention his frightful mother and her own mother's determined matchmaking), but also the arrival of her childhood enemy, the enigmatic Fergus Grindley.

This was a really nice read. Fluffy and light, amusing and very entertaining. I think i would like to read more of this authors books :)

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Visitors by Laura Ann Gilman & Josepha Sherman

(161 pages)



When a supernatural stalker starts watching Buffy's every move, she finds herself face to face with a being unlike any she's ever encountered. But can she figure out this evil entity's weakness before she is forced to participate in its dance of death?

a fairly fun a quick read with all the Buffy-ness you would expect, although the ending is more of a fizzle than a boom.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

(224 pages)



The story of a year in the life of the March family. While their father is away in the Civil War, the four March sisters, Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy, and their mother, work hard to maintain a happy and peaceful home.

So easy to see why this is a classic... I wish I had gotten round to it when I was younger! Really enjoyable.

PS I Love You by Cecelia Ahern

(503 pages)



Cecelia Ahern's debut novel, PS, I Love You, follows the engaging, witty and occasionally sappy reawakening of Holly, a young Irish widow who must put her life back together after she loses her husband Gerry to a brain tumour. Ahern, the twentysomething daughter of Ireland's Prime Minister, has discovered a clever and original twist to the Moving On After Death concept made famous by novelists and screenwriters alike--Gerry has left Holly a series of letters designed to help her face the year ahead and carry on with her life. As the novel takes readers through the seasons (and through Gerry's monthly directives), we watch as Holly finds a new job, takes a holiday to Spain with her girlfriends, and sorts through her beloved husband's belongings. Accompanying Holly throughout the healing process is a cast of friends and family members who add as much to the novel's success as Holly's own tale of survival. In fact, it is these supporting characters' mini-dramas that make PS, I Love You more than just another superficial tearjerker with the obligatory episode at a karaoke bar. Ahern shows real talent for capturing the essence of an interaction between friends and foes alike; even if Holly's circle of friends does resemble the gang from Bridget Jones a bit too neatly to ignore (her best friend is even called Sharon).

I really thoroughly enjoyed this. I felt that the style of writing made the awkward storyline of a young widow much easier to become involved with. The cast of characters was wonderful and fun (I wish I had friends like that!). Holly was adorable and going through her first year without her jusband with her was a really emotional and at times hysterical ride. I was convinced about halfway through that I knew how it was going to end, but I am pleased to say that I WAS WRONG!!!!! I just couldnt put this book down... I had to know what Gerry's next challenge was going to be... although I must admit that the Karaoke was a classic ;o)

House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III

(365 pages)



Andre Dubus III wastes no time in capturing the dark side of the immigrant experience in America at the end of the 20th century. "House of Sand and Fog" opens with a highway crew comprising several nationalities picking up litter on a hot California summer day. Massoud Amir Behrani, a former colonel in the Iranian military under the Shah, reflects on his job-search efforts since arriving in the US four years before: "I have spent hundreds of dollars copying my credentials; I have worn my French suits and my Italian shoes to hand-deliver my qualifications; I have waited and then called back after the correct waiting time; but there is nothing". A father of two, Behrani has spent most of the money he brought with him from Iran on an apartment and furnishings that are too expensive, desperately trying to keep up appearances in order to enhance his daughter's chances of making a good marriage. Now the daughter is married, he sinks his remaining funds into a house he buys at auction, thus unwittingly putting himself and his family on a trajectory with disaster. The house, it seems, once belonged to Kathy Nicolo, a self-destructive alcoholic who wants it back. What starts out as a legal tussle soon escalates into a personal confrontation--with dire results.

This was a truly fascinating and gripping story that was well told from the viewpoints of the two main characters. As I was reading it I felt as though I was on both sides and couldn't decide how I wanted it to end. However the ending that transpired was totally unexpected and emotional. It just goes to show how thiongs can spiral out of control.

The Deep End Of The Ocean by Jacquelyn Mitchard

(447 pages)



The horror of losing a child is somehow made worse when the case goes unsolved for nearly a decade, reports Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel columnist Jacquelyn Mitchard in this searing first novel. In it, 3-year-old Ben Cappadora is kidnapped from a hotel lobby where his mother is checking into her 15th high school reunion. His disappearance tears the family apart and invokes separate experiences of anguish, denial, and self-blame. Marital problems and delinquency in Ben's older brother (in charge of him the day of his kidnapping) ensue. Mitchard depicts the family's friction and torment--along with many gritty realities of family life--with the candor of a journalist and compassion of someone who has seemingly been there. International publishing and movie rights sold fast on this one: It's a blockbuster.

I was gripped by this book from the very first chapter. I was amazed by how much a family's life could be changed just by a single moment.
This was a real page turner that I would recommend to everyone!!!

Midnight In Death by JD Robb

(90 pages)



Lieutenant Eve Dallas must postpone her first Christmas with her new husband, Roarke, to hunt for an escaped serial killer.

this was a great little book. All the classic Dallas & Roarke goings on rolled up into under 100 pages. Just what i needed at the moment!!

Jane Millionaire by Janice Lynn

(356 pages)



On the set of Wolf TV's new reality show Jane Millionaire, Jill, a.k.a. Jane, finds herself totally turned off by the contestants and totally turned on by the show's producer, Rob Lancaster.

Jill Davidson is the sensible older sister, far too sensible to take part in reality TV. She is a respectable Police Officer for goodness sake! But… when her younger sister Jessie gets the leading role on Jane Millionaire, then falls in love and gets engaged to her own Prince Charming before filming begins, Jessie persuades Jill to bail her out and become Jane. The problem is Jill is not a Millionaire nor is she a Princess and she has no idea what Jessie has said to get the part!
When she arrives at the mansion to begin the show, sparks begin to fly, although they are not flying between her and one of the dozen eligible bachelors she is supposed to be pairing up with. Instead it is Rob Lancaster, one of the producers that is succeeding in getting ‘Jane’ hot under the collar. The problem is the feeling is mutual.
Rob thinks Jill is Jessie playing Jane. Jill desperately wants Rob but knows it is not allowed. Between one-on-one (literally) basketball games and fumbles in the grounds things begin to get trickier and trickier. As the couple’s attraction grows they try harder and harder not to act upon it. They both know that no good will come from it. If Rob gives in to his attraction his entire future could be in jeopardy, Jill is more than conscious of the twenty million viewers that could be watching her and voting for the bachelor they want to see he with and she doesn’t want to be exposed as a fraud. Neither of them are entirely aware of the hidden motives playing out far behind the scenes of the show, but something is about to happen…
Jane Millionaire makes a really fun and enjoyable read, getting you involved with the characters and the happenings of the show. The idea of setting this budding romance with a reality TV show as the backdrop is pure genius. It provides a fascinating and fun supporting cast whilst managing to increase the intrigue regarding the leading couple.
Although from the beginning, you a fairly clear idea of how the story will end, you certainly have lots of fun getting there! A great debut and I look forward to reading more books by Janice Lynn.

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

(149 pages)



Ebenezer Scrooge is a miserly old skinflint. He hates everyone, especially children. But at Christmas three ghosts come to visit him, scare him into mending his ways, and he finds, as he celebrates with Bob Cratchit, Tiny Tim and their family, that geniality brings its own reward.

I love this book :) Despite all the adaptations the book is definitely the best. An absolute must read at Christmas time. A true old fashioned eye-opener!!

Meet Addy: An American Girl

(69 pages)



This is another American Girls short story, this time about Addy Walker, a nine-year-old African-American girl living in the America of 1864. Addy and her family are slaves living on a plantation in North Carolina. The North appears to be winning the war, but Addy's parents are afraid that their owner will sell part of the family, splitting them up, so they decide to run away. Disaster strikes when the master sells Addy's father and brother off before they can make good their escape. Now, it is up to Addy and her mother, and Addy will have to do things much harder than she ever contemplated!

This was my favourite of the series and gave a wonderful yet uplifting insight into slavery in 19th century America.

Meet Molly: An American Girl

(59 pages)



This American Girls Short Story is about Molly McIntire, a nine-year-old girl living on the home front during World War 2. It is 1944, and Molly and her family are learning to live with wartime shortages and the absence of their Army doctor father. With Halloween right around the corner, Molly and her friends have to come up with a set of costumes that will include all of them. (Cinderella and her two stepsisters? Yeah, but who wants to be an ugly stepsister?) However, trouble is on the horizon as Molly finds herself drawn into a small war with her brother!

Really enjoyable and fun, especially seen as the subject matter could be seen as so serious.

Meet Kirsten: An American Girl

(61 pages)



This is about Kirsten Larson, a nine-year-old girl from Sweden. In it, we meet Kirsten on the Eagle, a sailing ship bringing her and her family from Sweden to America in 1854. Leaving behind the life she knew, Kirsten sails across the wide Atlantic, takes her first ever train ride, sees several big cities, and begins her new life in frontier Minnesota. It is a journey mixing joy and grief, and fear and happiness.

Again an intrigung look at the history of America, this time through the eyes of an adorable young Immigrant girl.

Meet Samantha: An American Girl

(61 pages)



This is another in the American Girls Short Stories series about Samantha Parkington, a nine-year-old orphan girl living with her wealthy grandmother in the America of 1904. In this first book of the series, Samantha begins to learn about the world outside of her opulent house; she learns of the yawning inequalities that separate race, class and sex. Through it all, Samantha works on her needlepoint sampler that bears the simple motto “Actions speak louder than words,” and Samantha puts that motto to work.

A fabulous insight into american history from a child's perspective.

Meet Felicity: An American Girl

(69 pages)



This is about Felicity Merriman, a nine-year-old girl living in the America of 1774. In this book, Felicity is bored with her constrained "girl's" world, where her time is spent wearing cumbersome dresses and making small, uniform stitches. Excitement enters, when she meets the knacker's new horse. The knacker, Jiggy Nye, is a cruel man who mistreats the horse. Here Felicity learns that sometime you must work for what you love, and sometimes you must give it up.
The final chapter is a fascinating and highly informative look into life in 1774.

I really enjoyed this as an insight into life in the past.

Quinn's Woman by Susan Mallery

(249 pages)



Self-defence instructor DJ Monroe would do anything to keep her edge. Even if that meant asking the magnetic military expert Quinn Reynolds to instruct her! DJ didn’t date, didn’t let anyone into her world. But when she found herself falling for him, could she let go of her past and embrace a future with Quinn?
Hardened military man Quinn was knocked head over heels-literally-by a stunning brunette in camouflage. One encounter with the tough-as-nails beauty, and Quinn knew he was in trouble. His high-risk career had taught him not to get too close to anyone, but DJ made Quinn long to throw caution to the wind and lay siege to her heart.

The usual Silhoette fluff, but enjoyable none the less. Both Quinn and DJ drove me crazy at times, but it was worth the read :)

The Night Before Christmas by Clement C Moore

(40 pages)



Every Christmas Eve brings with it hushed anticipation and wonder. Here is the story of this magical night, when children around the world await the arrival of the gifts that symbolise all the warmth and love of Christmas.

This was the first time I had ever read this and it was wonderful. I am sure that I will read it every year at Christmas. It took me back to being a child and put me in a really happy Christmassy mood.