Will Grayson, Will Grayson

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green, David Levithan
Published by Dutton Books on April 6, 2010
Pages: 310
Format: Paperback
Goodreads
two-half-stars

Will Grayson meets Will Grayson. One cold night, in a most unlikely corner of Chicago, two strangers are about to cross paths. From that moment on, their world will collide and lives intertwine.

It's not that far from Evanston to Naperville, but Chicago suburbanites Will Grayson and Will Grayson might as well live on different planets. When fate delivers them both to the same surprising crossroads, the Will Graysons find their lives overlapping and hurtling in new and unexpected directions. With a push from friends new and old - including the massive, and massively fabulous, Tiny Cooper, offensive lineman and musical theater auteur extraordinaire - Will and Will begin building toward respective romantic turns-of-heart and the epic production of history's most awesome high school musical.

This review should have been posted sooner, since it has been almost a month since I finished the book. I will talk more about the crazy busyness that is my life in another post, but for now I’ll stick to the book review.

While Will Grayson, will grayson is an interesting novel that is geared toward young adults. I did not feel that it was a strong enough novel to stand on its own. At times it felt as if the novel dragged on for longer than necessary and was sometimes a bit confusing to keep the Will Grayson and will grayson straight. I’m once again going to have to say that I am disappointed by yet another John Green novel and am going to have to put some of the other novels I am considering reading by him on hold because of this.

Mr. John Green, if you are reading this I’m sorry. Other readers you have been warned about the novel.

Stupid and Contagious

12 / 31 / 1111 / 13 / 19

Stupid and Contagious by Caprice Crane
Published by 5 Spot on May 12, 2006
Pages: 317
Format: Paperback
Goodreads
five-stars

In this hilarious, romantic comedy, two twenty-something neighbors embark on a zany mission to meet the founder of Starbucks, and in doing so, find each other.

I recently re- read Caprice Crane’s first novel Stupid and Contagious. It was well worth the second read though, I don’t necessarily have the same feelings the first time I read it. Does this even count for reading a book a month?!? I guess I could count it and I actually have two more reviews to post for you by tomorrow along with some other wonderful goodies 🙂

Stupid and Contagious is about the meeting and crazy courtship of Heaven Albright and Brady Gilbert. Wait! Before you get turned off on this book, let’s say that this is not your typical romance novel at all. It is written from in the voice of both characters at once, well not really at once but both characters tell their side of the story on what’s happening. Heaven Albright is a recently fired PR executive turned mediocre waitress who lives life by the whim and is overly superstitious that she will be dead at 27 because all the fabulous rocker people do that. Brady Gilbert on the other hand is a the owner of his own record company Sleestak Records and is also going in search of his other great dream, to be the owner of the next big thing Cinnamilk or possibly the CatchitCone. Brady moves into the apartment next to Heaven after breaking up with his crazy girlfriend. I won’t completely giveaway the ending, but it is definitely a good one involving a dog named Strummer 🙂

As previously mentioned this book was a re-read and I’ll admit that I enjoyed it more when it was published in 2006 the pop culture references were less dated then, Sorry! The jokes are still relevant, but there are a select few that should be kept in that year. In case you did not catch the reference in the title it is a lyric from a Nirvana song which is a nice touch that Caprice Crane has maintained throughout her career as an author. This book is definitely one of my favorites that I’ve read and I was excited to hear that it had been optioned for TV rights. You can read more about the option here.

I hope that you’ll get the chance to read the book before the TV show comes out and although I’m excited for the potential TV show I’m a little worried how it will turn out. READ the book though!

Hollywood is like High school with money

9 / 2 / 1111 / 5 / 19

Hollywood is Like High School With Money by Zoey Dean
Published by Grand Central Publishing on July 23, 2009
Pages: 288
Format: Paperback
Goodreads
three-stars

Twenty-four-year old Taylor Henning has just landed her dream job as an assistant at a major movie studio. But when her catty coworkers trick her into almost getting fired, she realizes that the old saying "Hollywood is like school with money" just may be true. The thing is, Taylor wasn't exactly a social butterfly in high school-how is she supposed to do any better the second time around?

That's when she meets her boss's popular sixteen-year-old daughter Quinn, and has an epiphany: maybe this teenager can teach her how to use her queen bee tactics to succeed in the Hollywood popularity contest. Quinn comes up with a plan to teach Taylor one lesson a week-everything from "Fake it 'til you make it" to "It's *never* your fault"--and soon Taylor finds herself winning the war against rival assistant Kylie. Until, that is, she's directed to steal Kylie's boyfriend, and something happens that's not in the game plan: Taylor falls for the guy. Now she must do the impossible-- harness her inner mean girl while staying true to herself.

Taylor Henning landed her dream job as an assistant at Ingenuity, a major movie studio. Immediately her catty co-workers undermine her and she begins to realize the saying “Hollywood is like high school with money” is absolutely true. Taylor was not exactly a social butterfly in high school so, how is she suppose to do better now? Taylor meets her boss’s popular daughter, Quinn , and decides to strike a deal with her. Quinn takes Taylor under her wing and soon she is racking up victories against her co-workers. In the end, Taylor has to harness her inner mean, while finding a way to stay true to herself.

I saw the cover of the novel on a random jaunt through the bookstore and decided to pick it up. I had not read any of the author’s previous books, but was intrigued by the title. Zoey Dean is also the writer of Privileged and A-list had no trouble weaving together a story of the perils of living in Hollywood and the pitfalls of high school seamlessly together. Even the ending where Taylor manages to find a balance in her life and find happiness in Hollywood seem like the perfect ending. I recommend this book as a fun read. You’ll definitely be turning pages and relating to the story as it goes along.

Chasing Harry Winston

8 / 3 / 1111 / 13 / 19

Chasing Harry Winston by Lauren Weisberger
Published by Simon & Schuster on May 27, 2008
Pages: 288
Goodreads
two-half-stars

The bestselling author of The Devil Wears Prada and Everyone Worth Knowing returns with the story of three best friends who vow to change their entire lives...and change them fast. Emmy is newly single, and not by choice. She was this close to the ring and the baby she's wanted her whole life when her boyfriend left her for his twenty-three-year-old personal trainer - whose fees are paid by Emmy. With her plans for the perfect white wedding in the trash, Emmy is now ordering takeout for one. Her friends insist an around-the-world sex-fueled adventure will solve all her problems - could they be right?

Leigh, a young star in the publishing business, is within striking distance of landing her dream job as senior editor and marrying her dream guy. And to top it all off, she has just purchased her dream apartment. Only when Leigh begins to edit the enfant terrible of the literary world, the brilliant and brooding Jesse Chapman, does she start to notice some cracks in her perfect life...

Adriana is the drop-dead-gorgeous daughter of a famous supermodel. She possesses the kind of feminine wiles made only in Brazil, and she never hesitates to use them. But she's about to turn thirty and - as her mother keeps reminding her - she won't have her pick of the men forever. Everyone knows beauty is ephemeral and there's always someone younger and prettier right around the corner. Suddenly she's wondering...does Mother know best?

These three very different girls have been best friends for a decade in the greatest city on earth. As they near thirty, they're looking toward their future...but despite all they've earned - first-class travel, career promotions, invites to all the right parties, and luxuries small and large - they're not quite sure they like what they see...

One Saturday night at the Waverly Inn, Adriana and Emmy make a pact: within a single year, each will drastically change her life. Leigh watches from the sidelines, not making any promises, but she'll soon discover she has the most to lose. Their friendship is forever, but everything else is on the table. Three best friends. Two resolutions. One year to pull it off.

Chasing Harry Winston is a novel written by Lauren Weisberger. She is the author of The Devil wears Prada and Everyone worth knowing both of which were incredible novels in my opinion. Somehow in this novel the story and realism of the novel gets lost in between the pages and I was left wondering if it was ever going to end. Believe me when I say I almost put the novel down and contemplated not finishing at all.

The book is convoluted with thoughts of marriage constantly on the women’s mind and is only more convoluted by each woman having their own story within each of the chapters. None of the stories were blended together except through the phone calls and meeting of the women. The book appeared to jump from woman to woman at random. As much as I loved Lauren Weisberger’s first two novels I was highly disappointed in this showing for her.

Under a Maui Moon

7 / 6 / 1111 / 13 / 19

Under a Maui Moon (Hideaway, #1) by Robin Jones Gunn
Published by Howard Books on July 6, 2010
Pages: 276
Format: Paperback
Goodreads
three-stars

Carissa doesn’t know who she is anymore. She and her husband, Richard, are recent empty nesters; Richard is spending more and more time at work counseling his volatile clients and less time at home with his wife; his clients are starting to show up at the house at night causing Carissa to feel scared in her own home; and to top it all off, Carissa’s boss informs her that she’s been “let go.” She wonders where God is in all of this since He doesn’t seem to be around to protect her—and she’s already stopped trusting her husband.

In the midst of her world tilting off center, she’s offered time at a hideaway on Maui. Hiding seems like the best way to respond to life’s overload, and the thought of being alone sounds like just the right balm to soothe her wounded heart.

The languid Hawaiian sun, white beaches, and warm-hearted people bring respite, but meeting handsome Kai causes Carissa to toy with the idea of being romantically involved with him. Then, under a Maui moon, she looks to God for guidance and hope for the future. That’s when she discovers His hand still is on her life, and that love is closer than she ever realized.

I had to do a quick island hop the other weekend for work and family business and decided that instead of taking the usual book I was reading which I still fully intending on finishing, I would grab a new book out of my stack. I intended on packing more than one book, but I was rushing to pack and ended up only packing one. I read Robin Jones Gunn’s Under a Maui Moon in less than a day. I’ve mentioned Robin Jones Gunn on this blog before being that she is the author of the Sisterchicks series.

This book was not a Sisterchicks novel, but a complete new adventure to Hawaii. The main character Carissa at the beginning of the novel is going through a complete upheaval in her life with losing her job to restructuring in the company, to being an empty nester, to noticing that after particular scary incident at her own home that she no longer feels that her husband protects her. When Carissa is offered a chance to go to Hawaii, she immediately leaps at it not knowing what will happen next.

I will continue to love Robin Jones Gunn’s imagery style of writing which brings even the slightest details to life. While she isn’t overly eloquent in her words, her wording of the imagery takes you right into the story and lets you almost experience what the character is experiencing through their senses. (I really should work on the Star Trek technology). I recommend that you read any of Robin Jones Gunn’s book so that you will be able to have the same experience for yourself as least in a book for now.

What are you reading lately?