“This expensive, glossy world is where I’ve been headed all along. Limos and flowers; waxed eyebrows and designer clothes from Barneys. These are my people; this is where I’m meant to be.”

But then an unexpected disaster threatens her career prospects, her relationship with Luke, and her available credit line! Shopaholic Takes Manhattan-but will she have to return it?

I needed a little pick me up after reading My Sister’s keeper. It was a fantastic book but a little bit of a downer. So naturally Shopaholic takes Manhattan seemed to be the right book to fill that bill.

New York Times bestselling author Jodi Picoult is widely acclaimed for her keen insights into the hearts and minds of real people. Now she tells the emotionally riveting story of a family torn apart by conflicting needs and a passionate love that triumphs over human weakness.

My Sister’s Keeper examines what it means to be a good parent, a good sister, a good person. Is it morally correct to do whatever it takes to save a child’s life, even if that means infringing upon the rights of another? Is it worth trying to discover who you really are, if that quest makes you like yourself less? Should you follow your own heart, or let others lead you? Once again, in My Sister’s Keeper, Jodi Picoult tackles a controversial real-life subject with grace, wisdom, and sensitivity.

Have you ever had tears streaming down your face when you have finished a book? You will if you read My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult this is the second book I have read by this author, and it has to be by far the most emotional book I have read this year, maybe ever.

In July of 1776, the American colonies are ablaze with passion. In the streets, those who would be free boldly read aloud the newly written Declaration of Independence. It is a cry of freedom, but it is also a time of critical confrontation, both on the battlefield and off as the people of a new nation choose between their king and an uncertain future.

Told with historical accuracy and incredible attention to period detail, Shadow Patriots recreates America at its youngest and describes with vivid intensity the men and women who bravely did their part to deliver it from tyranny.

I had high hopes for this book. It is from one of my favorite Era’s in history, and the description looked good. Sadly my hopes for this one fell as flat as a dull thud when one drops a book on the floor. The first Chapter was good, and fun it showed us a look between Alexander Hamilton and George Washington, which is something I don’t think anyone can muck up. But sadly the tone did not stick.

I also take offense to some of the points used that were considered historical, they had way to much license taken with them. For the most part the historical body of this book was on point, but it took some very serious and sudden sweeping points that were also not on point at all. If I was asked if I would recommend this book, I have to say sadly that I would not.

The war against Voldemort is not going well; even the Muggles have been affected. Dumbledore is absent from Hogwarts for long stretches of time, and the Order of the Phoenix has already suffered losses. And yet . . . As with all wars, life goes on. Sixth-year students learn to Apparate. Teenagers flirt and fight and fall in love. Harry receives some extraordinary help in Potions from the mysterious Half-Blood Prince. And with Dumbledore’s guidance, he seeks out the full, complex story of the boy who became Lord Voldemort — and thus finds what may be his only vulnerability.

“How can you weave a life from fairy tales?” Set in the Minneapolis and Saint Paul during the First World War, Mary Sharratt’s debut novel is the story of a young German immigrant, experiencing her spiritual and sexual awakening.
When Kathrin’s mother dies, Kathrin immigrate to America where she is reunited with her cousin Lotte and begins work at a mill sewing flour bags. Soon Kathrin meets the Jeliniks, the owners of a small bookstore. While Jan, a compassionate elderly man, loves his bookstore, his nephew John would rather see it reopened as something more profitable, a testament to the American dream of prosperity for which he so desperately hungers. Jan introduces Kathrin to Violet Waverly, who offers Kathrin a job typing and translating a book of fairy tales that her husband was compiling before he died. Violet invites Kathrin to live with her in her mansion on Summit Avenue, the richest neighborhood in Saint Paul. Both women, left wounded and alone in different circumstances, find increasing solace and warmth in each other.

From the woods of old world Germany to the north woods of Minnesota, Kathrin’s journey is one of discovery.

Well this is not a book I would have ever picked for myself naturally. Even though it’s a Minnesota book Yay. I wouldn’t have. And well honestly I don’t think I learned anything from reading it. I picked it for the historical challenge. To finish the challenge and I was having a hard time finding books set in my area. This one came up in a search and I chose it.

But onto the heart of the review. I did not really care for this book. I couldn’t get into the characters; I couldn’t really get into the plot. It rambled on without any true big purpose. So that’s all I can really say about it. I don’t recommend it. I almost didn’t publish this review, but part of my challenge is reviewing all my books I read. But this one won’t be published on any of my other publishing sites. Save your time find another book.

What if the hottest guy in the world was hiding a nameless evil, and all he wanted was you? At the start of this heart-pounding new installment of the bestselling House of Night series, Zoey’s friends have her back again and Stevie Rae and the red fledglings aren’t Neferet’s secrets any longer. But an unexpected danger has emerged. Neferet guards her powerful new consort, Kalona, and no one at the House of Night seems to understand the threat he poses. Kalona looks gorgeous, and he has the House of Night under his spell. A past life holds the key to breaking his rapidly spreading influence, but what if this past life shows Zoey secrets she doesn’t want to hear and truths she can’t face?

On the run and holed up in Tulsa’s Prohibition-era tunnels, Zoey and her gang must discover a way to deal with something that might bring them all down. Meanwhile, Zoey has a few other little problems. The red fledglings have cleaned up well–they’ve even managed to make the dark, creepy tunnels feel more like home–but are they really as friendly as they seem? On the boyfriend front, Zoey has a chance to make things right with super-hot ex-, Erik, but she can’t stop thinking about Stark, the archer who died in her arms after one unforgettable night, and she is driven to try to save him from Neferet’s sinister influence at all costs. Will anyone believe the power evil has to hide among us?

And another installment of the House of Night series does not fail to bring you further into the story. Just when you think Zoey Redbirds life can not possibly get any more dramatic it does. But the way it is written does not seem to over the top.

If you enjoy the series you will Love Hunted and be eager to get to the next book. If you have not yet started this series, I once again recommend it. The blend of Vampyres and school make for a fantastic setting. And while I have said before its Harry Potter meets Twilight, I do say it with the best of love.

Born into affluence, Mia Stanley is a winsome socialite with a knack for matchmaking. She’s also a writer for Godey’s Lady’s Book magazine, much to the disdain of her family–and their society friends. A proper young lady of her social standing isn’t meant to labor in such a way, but Mia has always had a way with words.

When her writing draws her into the world of downtrodden seamen’s wives on Philadelphia’s docks, Mia uncovers a scheme that puts her in harm’s way. But her heart ends up on the line as well…. Has her determination to always make a match driven away the one man whose esteem she covets?

Life sucks when your friends are pissed at you. Just ask Zoey Redbird — she’s become an expert on suckiness. In one week she has gone from having three boyfriends to having none, and from having a close group of friends who trusted and supported her, to being an outcast. Speaking of friends, the only two Zoey has left are undead and unMarked. And Neferet has declared war on humans, which Zoey knows in her heart is wrong. But will anyone listen to her? Zoey’s adventures at vampyre finishing school take a wild and dangerous turn as loyalties are tested, shocking true intentions come to light, and an ancient evil is awakened.

Once again the Cast’s have found a way to pull us into a world of Vampires and Humans and to make it believable that they co exist and do so without much trouble. There are some conflicts of course especially with the religious zealots the People of Faith. But the parallels aren’t so far away with some things in the real world. So I can do nothing but once again recommend this book series for anyone who likes the genre. So if you haven’t started the series yet do so now, and make sure you get to this one fast. It is a great read.

Dark forces are at work at the House of Night and fledgling vampyre Zoey Redbird’s adventures at the school take a mysterious turn. Those who appear to be friends are turning out to be enemies. And oddly enough, sworn enemies are also turning into friends.

So begins the gripping third installment of this “highly addictive series” (Romantic Times), in which Zoey’s mettle will be tested like never before. Her best friend, Stevie Rae, is undead and struggling to maintain a grip on her humanity. Zoey doesn’t have a clue how to help her, but she does know that anything she and Stevie Rae discover must be kept secret from everyone else at the House of Night, where trust has become a rare commodity.

Speaking of rare: Zoey finds herself in the very unexpected and rare position of having three boyfriends. Mix a little bloodlust into the equation and the situation has the potential to spell social disaster.

Just when it seems things couldn’t get any tougher, vampyres start turning up dead. Really dead. It looks like the People of Faith, and Zoey’s horrid step-father in particular, are tired of living side-by-side with vampyres. But, as Zoey and her friends so often find out, how things appear rarely reflects the truth…

Here is another one I read months ago, and didn’t get the review written for it. So here we go.

With boyfriends coming out of her ears, who would have thought? Zoey does find herself in a large bit of drama. As well as finding she is being used. The book all in all is much darker, and sadder than the others. But it is still fantastically written. I truly enjoy how these books are being put together. The writing team of P.C and Kristin Cast is amazing. They continue to put new but believable twists on the myth of the Vampire. And while I often joke and tell my friends its Harry Potter meets Twilight, it truly is much more than that and I look forward to continue reading this series.

Jemima Jones is overweight. About one hundred pounds overweight. Treated like a maid by her thin and social-climbing roommates, and lorded over by the beautiful Geraldine (less talented but better paid) at the Kilburn Herald, Jemima finds that her only consolation is food. Add to this her passion for her charming, sexy, and unobtainable colleague Ben, and Jemima knows her life is in need of a serious change. When she meets Brad, an eligible California hunk, over the Internet, she has the perfect opportunity to reinvent herself-as JJ, the slim, beautiful, gym-obsessed glamour girl. But when her long-distance Romeo demands that they meet, she must conquer her food addiction to become the bone-thin model of her e-mails-no small feat.

With a fast-paced plot that never quits and a surprise ending no reader will see coming, Jemima J is the chronicle of one woman’s quest to become the woman she’s always wanted to be, learning along the way a host of lessons about attraction, addiction, the meaning of true love, and, ultimately, who she really is.


The first thing I am going to say about Jemima J is that I am sorry I waited over a year to read it! It’s been on my to read pile for close to two years now and I am so happy I read it. This story is a fantastic one of self preservation, self learning and a little bit of love thrown into the mix for good measure. This honestly is a book that looks at the human condition. How women see themselves. How there is an ideal that really when you think about it, is not so ideal.

The story of Jemima Jones the little miss from London could be the story of any of us who feel that we need a little push. Who feel we are a little frumpy, or stuck in a job that just doesn’t appreciate us. Oh I know I have been in that kind of job more than once. Haven’t you? I know I have my moments of self doubt of feeling like a frump. Even when I was a tiny size 4 (which I am not any longer) I had those worries. And that’s the thing being skinny does not automatically guarantee you happiness. And Jemima finds that out. True to all of her books that I have read so far Jane green does it again. She keeps you entertained, and you do not see the plot twists coming that arrive. If you like Chic Lit I highly recommend this one.