bethany725 Posted April 17, 2009 Author Share Posted April 17, 2009 Mini Review of Sleeping Arrangements by Madeleine Wickham Synopsis: Chloe needs a holiday. She's sick of making wedding dresses, her partner Philip has troubles at work, and the whole family wants a break. Her wealthy friend Gerard has offered the loan of his luxury villa in Spain--perfect. Hugh is not a happy man. His immaculate wife Amanda seems more interested in her new kitchen than in him, and he works so hard to pay for it, he barely has time for his children. Maybe he'll have a chance to bond with them on holiday. His old friend Gerard has lent them a luxury villa in Spain--perfect. Both families arrive at the villa and realize the awful truth--Gerard has double-booked. What no one else realizes is that Chloe and Hugh have a history; and as tensions rise within the two families, old passions resurface. It seems that Gerard's 'accidental' double booking may not be an accident after all... This was my 3rd or 4th read of Wickham's books, and I've truly liked them all. They're a little heavier than chick lit for the most part, and don't always follow quite the same formula. I really like her writing style.. Her words seem carefully placed and thoroughly checked to make sure that the writing flows, the intended ideas are presented accurately, and the characters are well-developed in a way that doesn't just list out the characteristics, but are demonstrated by the characters' actions and words instead. This particular story opens with an introduction of the Chloe, Phillip, and their 2 sons. Soon, we meet Hugh, Amanda, and their 2 daughters. And before long, we meet Jenna, the nanny for Hugh's daughters. Chloe and Phillip are stressed out from a possible layoff in Phillip's company. Amanda and Hugh are stressed out from a house redecoration project and Hugh's long hours. Each family really needs a holiday, and they don't even make it off the plane before there's suspicion that the families have somewhat of a past. When the two families end up in the same villa, the characters' personalities and lives are further revealed, and it's not long before they discover that their lives' strings have been tangled together for some time, and the villa's owner, Hugh, has taken it upon himself to play puppeteer. Much mayhem occurs in the form of comedy, drama, heartbreak, lies, secrets, redemption, and recognition of oneself and those around oneself. By the end of the story, each character has learned a little bit (and in some cases, a lot) about him or herself, for better or worse. I enjoyed the story and while not exactly a suspense novel (nor was it created to be), I still kept wanting to turn the pages to see what would happen next. The characters really are the backbone of this novel, and they make the story what it is. I liked most of them, even the seemingly-snotty Amanda , and secondary character Jenna's quick wit, perception of people, and confident ability to see things for what they are. I had a few issues with Chloe, but nothing that made me really dislike her. I really enjoyed this book and I'd recommend it to just about anyone that likes plain old fiction. My Rating: 9/10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bethany725 Posted April 17, 2009 Author Share Posted April 17, 2009 Mini review of Grave Sight by Charlaine Harris Synopsis: I have what you might call a strange job: I can find dead people. I can sense the final location of a person who Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charm Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 So glad you liked Grave Sight bethany! Grave Surprise is even better with An Ice Cold Grave being the best of the three IMO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bethany725 Posted April 17, 2009 Author Share Posted April 17, 2009 YEY! I am REALLY looking forward to it then. My next visit to the bookstore will be to pick up "The Skin Gods" and "Grave Surprise".. I already have it all planned out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 Isn't Madeleine Wickham Sophie Kinsella? Sleeping Arrangements sounds interesting, I might give it a go if I manage to find it! Have you read any other books by Wickham? How do they compare to Kinsella's books? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bethany725 Posted April 17, 2009 Author Share Posted April 17, 2009 Yes she is! I've read "Cocktails for Three," "The Gatecrasher," "Swimming Pool Sunday," and "Sleeping Arrangements." I've really liked them all; if I had to pick a favorite I'd say "The Gatecrasher" would be it. The Wickham books are quite a bit different than the Shopaholic series.. Less fluffy for the most part. I don't think shopping is mentioned in any of them at all, outside of "Cocktails for Three".. that may have a mention of some designers or something; not sure. Anyway.. definitely lots less "chick-litty" than the Shopaholics. I love those too, but sometimes a change is good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charm Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 YEY! I am REALLY looking forward to it then. My next visit to the bookstore will be to pick up "The Skin Gods" and "Grave Surprise".. I already have it all planned out. Excellent! Though do try to get The Rosary Girls first, but if you can't don't worry, each book is great in their own right Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 Bethany, in that case I will definitely keep my eyes out for the Wickham novels Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bethany725 Posted April 24, 2009 Author Share Posted April 24, 2009 Mini Review of The Ivy Chronicles by Karen Quinn Synopsis: When she loses her high-powered job, her husband and her plush Park Avenue apartment in one afternoon, Ivy Ames emerges broken but unbowed. The newly single mother-of-two picks herself up, dusts herself down and reinvents herself as a private school admissions adviser. But Ivy has no idea what she Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bethany725 Posted April 29, 2009 Author Share Posted April 29, 2009 Mini Review of The Skin Gods by Richard MontanarySynopsis: A madman, dubbed The Actor by the homicide unit, is meticulously re-creating Hollywood Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charm Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 Mini review?? Thats an essay!! but a good one! I'm so sorry you didn't 'get' this book, especially as I recommended it! I myself wasn't confused at all and found it pretty easy to follow. Perhaps your right about not having read 'The Rosary Girls', it might have helped. What about Broken Angels, is it any better? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bethany725 Posted April 29, 2009 Author Share Posted April 29, 2009 (edited) Mini Review of Broken Angels by Richard Montanari Synopsis: When the first body is found, mutilated and strangled on the riverbanks, Philadelphia homicide detectives Kevin Byrne and Jessica Balzano suspect yet another case of random urban violence. Then it happens again. And again. Carefully dressed and posed, each victim seems to tell a story so gruesome that Byrne and Balzano struggle at first to make sense of the killer's dark and twisted imagination. But when they stumble upon a collection of old fairy tales, the fragile link between the murders suddenly becomes clear - and with it the terrifying conclusion of the killer's plan. Desperately, they try to anticipate the madman's next move, but as the body count rises, the killing spree spirals out of control... This was more like it for me... I enjoyed this book much better than "The Skin Gods." This was definitely a page-turner, and towards the last 1/4 of the book, I had to make myself read slowly and pay close attention, as I was so anxious to see the mystery unravel that I was practically speed reading. I kept wanting to sneak and read the last line of each chapter I was on! The flow of this story was much better for me.. It went in a more sequential order, and while there was another storyline running along at the same time as the primary storyline, they were both paced in a way that made it easy to follow them simultaneously without getting confused. And in the end, as I suspect is true Montanari style, they wove together nicely and provided quite a surprising twist. (I'd still venture to say that this is the one off-putting thing about his books for me.. the one storyline truly can stand alone and it would be a bit less 'convenient' and confusing without the additional storyline thrown in. The books could be a bit shorter this way, which wouldn't necessarily always be a bad thing with a book that builds so much momentum and intensity. That's just me, though. ) I also found the writing to flow better from chapter to chapter.. In "The Skin Gods," I finished a chapter and started the next, and it seemed to be such a big leap from where I'd left off at the close of the previous chapter. It was a totally different place, different person, different story, or an entirely new event/storyline that just sort of got jutted in without much flow... It kept making me want to take a break before gearing up for another storyline, event, etc. In "Broken Angels," the momentum wasn't broken as much from chapter to chapter, and I flipped the pages eagerly and didn't want to take a break... I couldn't put the book down, in fact. The general topic was much more to my liking as well: the fairy tale spin was done nicely and was really interesting, even though there were some fairy tales presented that I'd never heard of or read before. The topic tied up nicely with the mystery and the ending, and I watched the ending unfold like a train wreck -- very disturbing but couldn't take my eyes away from it. I loved it! I also felt much more comfortable with the characters this time, and that helped tremendously. Between knowing the background of story 2, the characters, and having a more personally interesting basis (fairy tales as opposed to old horror films), "Broken Angels" was a FAR better read for me than "The Skin Gods." I still need to get my hands on "The Rosary Girls".. I have a feeling I'd like it. My Rating: 9/10 Edit: Also, as Charm nicely told me yesterday, there's now a 4th book in the sequel that is titled "Badlands" or "Play Dead," depending on your location and its distribution of Montanari's books. Edited April 29, 2009 by bethany725 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bethany725 Posted April 29, 2009 Author Share Posted April 29, 2009 Mini review?? Thats an essay!! but a good one! I'm so sorry you didn't 'get' this book, especially as I recommended it! I myself wasn't confused at all and found it pretty easy to follow. Perhaps your right about not having read 'The Rosary Girls', it might have helped. What about Broken Angels, is it any better? Oh, Gawd.. I know it! I can't say anything in few words. It's not your fault I didn't get it.. and yes, I liked the next one MUCH better, as you can see from the other review I just did. I'm grateful you introduced me to Montanari.. I'm excited to read "The Rosary Girls" and "Play Dead" ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charm Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 I knew you'd like the fairytale element! I didn't want to mention those in case I spoilt things (I do tend to peek at spoilers too and for some reason thought you may do the same ) That's my fav Montanari book so far, soooo pleased you liked it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bethany725 Posted April 29, 2009 Author Share Posted April 29, 2009 Am I that predictable? Yep.. you know how I told you I picked "Broken Angels" over "The Skin Gods" when the bookseller told me they weren't part of a series?? It was totally because of the fairy tale element I read about in the blurb.. I was like "SOLD!!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charm Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 Well I'm glad you liked it, I feel redeemed now! Edit - changed smiley, didnt look right Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bethany725 Posted April 29, 2009 Author Share Posted April 29, 2009 Haha! You should never worry when you give me suggestions.. Even if I HATE the book, I'll stop halfway through it and still take your next suggestion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bethany725 Posted May 19, 2009 Author Share Posted May 19, 2009 Mini Review of Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery Synopsis: As soon as Anne Shirley arrives at the snug white farmhouse called Green Gables, she is sure she wants to stay forever Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charm Posted May 19, 2009 Share Posted May 19, 2009 Great review Bethany, it brings back so many memories of lying on my bed on a Saturday afternoon and reading this as a 10 yr old, thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bethany725 Posted May 19, 2009 Author Share Posted May 19, 2009 Thanks, Charm! I think this could be one of those books you can read over and over and over... at 10, at 20, at 30, at 50, at 70.. and still love! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peacefield Posted May 19, 2009 Share Posted May 19, 2009 Wonderful review for a truly wonderful book, Bethany! I have many good memories as well of reading this book when I was young and several summers thereafter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bethany725 Posted May 19, 2009 Author Share Posted May 19, 2009 Thank you, Peacefield! Aww yey.. I started not to do a book review on this one, and now I'm glad I did after you guys commented! Thanks!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Posted May 19, 2009 Share Posted May 19, 2009 Great review Bethany, hope the readings coming along nicely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bethany725 Posted May 20, 2009 Author Share Posted May 20, 2009 Thanks, Ben! It's coming along.. lots of time today to read Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bethany725 Posted May 22, 2009 Author Share Posted May 22, 2009 Mini Review of We Need to Talk about Kevin by Lionel Shriver Synopsis: That neither nature nor nurture bears exclusive responsibility for a child's character is self-evident. But such generalizations provide cold comfort when it's your own son who's just opened fire on his fellow students and whose class photograph Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.