Review: Dancing Naked in Dixie

Dancing Naked in Dixie by Lauren Clark

Format: Trade Paperback
Pages: 322
Published: May 15, 2012
Publisher: Monterey Press
Genre: Fiction

My Rating: 4/5

Summary (from amazon.com):

Travel writer Julia Sullivan lives life in fast-forward. She jet sets to Europe and the Caribbean with barely a moment to blink or sleep. But too many mishaps and missed deadlines have Julia on the verge of being fired. With a stern warning, and unemployment looming, she's offered one last chance to rescue her career. Julia embarks on an unlikely journey to the ‘Heart of Dixie’ - Eufaula, Alabama - home to magnificent mansions, sweet tea, and the annual Pilgrimage. Julia arrives, soon charmed by the lovely city and her handsome host, but her stay is marred by a shocking discovery. Can Julia's story save her career, Eufaula, and the annual Pilgrimage?

 

Review:

 

When you life is moving at a mile a minute it sometimes takes a huge change for you to realize that you are not living to your full potential. 

 

Julia Sullivan seems to be living a life that I would love... travelling all over the world with the purpose of writing about the brilliant beaches, the amazing arcitechture and the vivacious lifestyles.  In fact, if I were a singleton, this would seem like the dream job.  I loved the character of Julia.  She was well written and well developed and most of all, she wasn't perfect and to me, a character needs to have flaws in order to be relateable.  Her clumsy ways were near and dear to me because I am accident prone and I love reading about others who are like me.

 

As for the other characters in Dancing Naked in Dixie, I found most to be enjoyable with my favourite being Shug.  I have never once travelled to the Southern states so can't judge whether the characters were accurately portrayed but I do know that the stereotype that I have was bang on... LOL!  I am a huge fan of Southern fiction and have actually found myself being more drawn to this lifestyle and found this story to be just perfect!

 

As a fan of Sweet Home Alabama, I fell in love with Dancing Naked in Dixie.  It had such a wonderful mix of Southern charm and 'down home' goodness that it left me swooning at each turn of the page.  Lauren Clark has once again hit a home run with her characters, her romance and her overall ability to tell a story.

 

Overall, if you read Stay Tuned and were a fan, Dancing Naked in Dixie will be a must-read.

 

About Lauren (taken from her website):

 

Lauren Clark writes contemporary women’s fiction set in the Deep South; stories sprinkled with love, family and friendship, and the challenges that life unexpectedly throws at all of us!

“This is a very fast paced story that is often laugh out loud funny, but it also has its somber moments. The author’s storytelling ability allowed me to actually visualize the story as it unfolded.”
-Brenda C, Readers Favorite

Her characters are real women; smart and sassy, who tackle complicated issues with tenacity and intelligence. Readers will empathize and relate to her flawed yet likable heroines. A former TV anchor and journalist at WWNY and WTVY, Lauren’s stories allow us an insight into the excitement, drama and fast- paced world of media.

“Author Lauren Clark writes so well you can feel what the characters feel.”
-Lauren Davis, News Anchor WVLT-TV

Lauren is a reformed news junkie, a non-reformed coffee drinker, and an official library geek. Her big loves are family, paying it forward, eight hours of sleep a night, and homemade macaroni and cheese. She lives near the Florida Gulf Coast where she is surrounded by family and and true-blue friends that inspire her writing and keep her sane.

Cover Crazy #50

Cover Crazy was created by The Bookworms but is now hosted here at Turning the Pages. It's a great way to share a book cover that took your breath away!

To me, there is NOTHING better than a cover of a book. One of my favourite places, in the world, is a book store. I can walk around them for hours just looking at covers of books. I am well aware of the saying "You can't judge a book by its cover", I just don't believe it!

When I find a book cover that I love, I will always read the back and then make my purchasing decision, but... WOW... there is just something amazing about a gorgeous cover! So, moving forward, I am going to share those covers that just made me want to escape and read a book instantly!

Without further adieu, here is the cover I am crazy about this week:

The Beach Club by Elin Hilderbrand

What I love about this cover:

Ahhh, summer is upon us!  With the season comes my true passion of light, beachy reads and Elin Hilderbrand delivers like no other.  The cover of The Beach Club evokes the perfect feelings of carefree summer days.

I love the easy breezy feeling of the jeans rolled up and the feet splashing in the water.  It makes me think of a day walking along the waterfront and deciding to drop everything to grab and ice cream cone and watch the birds land on the water in the distance.

Once again, the colours in the cover are bang-on perfect for summer... a clear sky and the blue-green of the water... Swooooon!  I can't wait for a beach day!

What cover took your breath away this week?

TBR Tuesday

TBR Tuesdays was created by Dana at Let's Book It. It's a place to share books that have been on our to-be-read (TBR) list for a while and also to possibly add yet another book to the list by visiting participating blogs!

Face it, we all have lists of books that we would love to read and if you are anything like me, you likely have the pile of books to prove it. There are so many ways to track book lists, whether you choose to use an online library like Goodreads or LibraryThing or perhaps even an Excel spreadsheet or notebook in your purse, having books to buy is the biggest part of being a book lover.

Together with my Book of the Month (where I am attempting to shorten the TBR list, one book at a time), TBR Tuesdays will be a place that I am going to share one book from my list. It may be a new book, it may be an old book, it may even be a book that isn't out yet... either way, a book will be shared.

If you would like to get in on the action, please add your name to the linky below and link up your TBR Tuesday post. Also make sure you head on over to Let's Book It to see others who are also sharing this week!

Without further adieu, here is this week's book:

Summerland by Elin Hilderbrand

YAY, it's finally time for my favourite authors NEW release and I cannot wait to read it.  There is something about the light and airy beach reads and the life on Nantucket island that leaves me swooning!!

Summary (from chapters.ca):

A warm June evening, a local tradition: the students of Nantucket High have gathered for a bonfire on the beach. But what begins as a graduation night celebration ends in tragedy after a horrible car crash leaves the driver of the car, Penny Alistair, dead, and her twin brother in a coma. The other passengers, Penny's boyfriend Jake and her friend Demeter, are physically unhurt - but the emotional damage is overwhelming, and questions linger about what happened before Penny took the wheel.

As summer unfolds, startling truths are revealed about the survivors and their parents - secrets kept, promises broken, hearts betrayed.

What's on your TBR list this week?

In My Mailbox #53

In My Mailbox was created by Kristi over at The Story Siren. The general idea is to share the books that you have purchased, that you have borrowed, or that you have found.

I can't believe that I find myself saying this but with summer here, my reading levels have dropped right off and with that, my buying as well.  It also doesn't help that we are planning our first trip away in 13 years to Las Vegas in August and all my extra pennies are being squirreled away towards that!

However, do not be alarmed... while things may be slightly slower around Turning the Pages this summer, I am still up and running and will be back to normal come the fall!

Without further adieu, here is this weeks edition of 'In My Mailbox':
(click on the covers to go to Goodreads)

Review copies from HarperCollins Canada:

WIN from Random House Canada:

A special little present from Shannon @ HarperCollins Canada:

What was in YOUR mailbox this week?

Mommy Reads: The Amazing Spiderman (a 4-year olds review)

The Amazing Spiderman: A Storybook Collection by Marvel

Format: Hardcover
Pages: 312
Published: June 5, 2012
Publisher: Marvel (an imprint of Hachette Book Group)
Genre: Children, Fiction

My Rating: 5/5

Summary (from chapters.ca):

Spider-Man stars in this collection of stories in which he faces off against some of his greatest adversaries, including Doc Ock and Green Goblin.

Video Review from my 4-year old son:

Review:

**NOTE: A copy of this book was provided by the publisher.  However, no compensations were made and this review reflects my honest thoughts and feelings.**

One of my favourite superheroes is Spiderman so I was really excited when a copy of the storybook collection arrived in the mail and I was able to share so many of Spiderman's amazing adventures with my son... and as it turns out, my husband.

Each night, for about two weeks, the three of us would gather in my son's room at bedtime and read another of the short stories in the book.  Whether it was a Peter Parker story or one of Spiderman taking on the next in a line of crazy villians, we thoroughly enjoyed not only the story but the conversation that came from it.

The Illustrations were fabulous and completely age appropriate.  The stories short and to the point which works wonders for the age group in which they are intended... not too long that the mind begins to wander and yet long enough that you aren't being asked for another story.

Overall, a sure hit in our household.  I hope that Marvel makes more of these storybook collections for the other superheroes as they are definite win's in our books!

Review: Between the Lines

Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult and Samantha van Leer

Format: Trade Paperback (ARC)
Pages: 338
Published: July 26, 2012
Publisher: Simon & Schuster (Simon Pulse)
Genre: Fiction, Young Adult

My Rating: 4/5

Summary (from chapters.ca):

What happens when happily ever after…isn't?

Delilah is a bit of a loner who prefers spending her time in the school library with her head in a book-one book in particular. Between the Lines may be a fairy tale, but it feels real. Prince Oliver is brave, adventurous, and loving. He really speaks to Delilah.

And then one day Oliver actually speaks to her. Turns out, Oliver is more than a one-dimensional storybook prince. He's a restless teen who feels trapped by his literary existence and hates that his entire life is predetermined. He's sure there's more for him out there in the real world, and Delilah might just be his key to freedom.

Delilah and Oliver work together to attempt to get Oliver out of his book, a challenging task that forces them to examine their perceptions of fate, the world, and their places in it. And as their attraction to each other grows along the way, a romance blossoms that is anything but a fairy tale.

Trailer:

Review:

**NOTE: A copy of this book was provided by the publisher.  However, no compensations were made and this review reflects my honest thoughts and feelings.**

This may make me sounds completely crazy but I am sure there are people who will understand... especially those reading this blog.  As a book lover, there are times in my 'reading' life that I have gone through periods of mourning; felt as though I have lost a friend.  When a book ends but the story stays with you, it is hard to know that you may never again visit with the characters that you love so much.  Between the Lines changed all of that for me.

As you can tell by the tweets below, Between the Lines affected me to the very core:

‏@TTPBookReview: Between the Lines by @jodipicoult is messing with my head... refused to leave the book open while I got in my PJ's last night...

‏@TTPBookReview: Had sweet dreams about princes last night thanks to Between the Lines by @jodipicoultThis story will chance the way you think about books!

Now, I am not going to lie, Between the Lines, for me, was on the borderline between middle grade and young adult but I only feel that because of the fairy tale aspect and the fact that the story focused primarily on a world that, for some, would be hard to imagine.  That being said, I really did enjoy the overall story and felt as though anyone with an open imagination would feel the same way.  Is it a story that stays with you, regardless of age?  Absolutely.

Being a life-long, die-hard fan of Jodi Picoult's novels, I knew the moment I heard about this one that I would be adding it to my shelf.  Even though it was co-writen with her daughter, I felt that the writing style was top-notch and the character development went right along with all of Jodi's other novels.  The fact that Between the Lines was broken into three main points of view, as most of her previous novels are, really worked for me.  I loved that we were not only taken into the actual fairy tale to see what drew Delilah into it in the first place but we were also given first hand accounts of life inside the book, when it's closed, from Oliver.  << This right here is why Between the Lines has changed the way I will think about books forever. 

Overall, a wonderful 're-telling' of a fairy tale with twists and turns that will make the reader sit back and wonder if simply opening their favourite books will bring the characters back to life. 

Review: A Shore Thing (Gia & Bella #1)

A Shore Thing by Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi

Format: Hardcover
Pages: 306
Published: January 4, 2011
Publisher: Gallery Books
Genre: Fiction

My Rating: 2/5

Summary (from chapters.ca):

It's a summer to remember . . . at the Jersey Shore.

Giovanna "Gia" Spumanti and her cousin Isabella "Bella" Rizzoli are going to have the sexiest summer ever. While they couldn't be more different-pint-size Gia is a carefree, outspoken party girl and Bella is a tall, slender athlete who always holds her tongue-for the next month they're ready to pouf up their hair, put on their stilettos, and soak up all that Seaside Heights, New Jersey, has to offer: hot guidos, cool clubs, fried Oreos, and lots of tequila.

So far, Gia's summer is on fire. Between nearly burning down their rented bungalow, inventing the popular "tan-tags" at the Tantastic Salon where she works, and rescuing a shark on the beach, she becomes a local celebrity overnight. Luckily, she meets the perfect guy to help her keep the flames under control. Firefighter Frank Rossi is exactly her type: big, tan, and Italian. But is he tough enough to handle Gia when things really heat up?

Bella is more than ready for some fun in the sun. Finally free of her bonehead ex-boyfriend, she left home in Brooklyn with one goal in mind: hooking up with a sexy gorilla for a no-strings-attached summer fling. In no time, she lands a job leading "Beat Up the Beat" dance classes at a local gym, and is scooped up by Beemer-driving, preppy Bender Newberry. Only problem: Bella can't get her romantic and ripped boss Tony "Trouble" Troublino out of her head. He's relationship material. Suddenly, Bella's not sure what she wants.

The cousins soon realize that for every friend they make on the boardwalk, there are also rivals, slummers, and frenemies who will do anything to ruin their summer-and try their relationship. Before July ends, the bonds of family and friendship will be stretched to the breaking point. Will the haters prevail, or will Gia and Bella find love at the Shore?

Review:

Do you know what these mean?!?  DTF ... GTL ... Smush ...

If you do, chances are that you have seen an episode or two of MTV's Jersey Shore and are very familiar with Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi and all of the craziness that goes on down at the beaches of the Jersey shore in the summer.

When I first picked up A Shore Thing, I knew that I would have to read it with an open mind and an understanding of who the author is.  Was I expecting brilliance?  No.  Not at all.  In fact, I have to say that A Shore Thing was exactly what I was expecting... a mindless story with little to no substance.

Why Nicole Polizzi didn't just have the story as an autobiography leaves me scratching my head because, really, it's reads exactly like an episode of Jersey Shore.  Being a 'Guidette' really is a whole different way of life and one that I can't say is very flattering to anyone claiming to live that way.  In fact, it sort of paints a nasty picture of the innocent girls that go to the 'Shore' for fun and sun and nothing else... do they even exist?

While the story was mildly entertaining and short enough not to feel as though your life was wasting away, I can't say that I will be picking up the sequel... Yep, you read that correctly, there is a sequel.

Overall, if you are a fan of the way that Snooki lives her life and find her entertaining, then you will love Gia and in all liklihood, enjoy the story!  To me, it came across as a novel of opportunity... Snooki is in the spotlight and suckers, like me, will buy it!

Cover Crazy #49

Cover Crazy was created by The Bookworms but is now hosted here at Turning the Pages. It's a great way to share a book cover that took your breath away!

To me, there is NOTHING better than a cover of a book. One of my favourite places, in the world, is a book store. I can walk around them for hours just looking at covers of books. I am well aware of the saying "You can't judge a book by its cover", I just don't believe it!

When I find a book cover that I love, I will always read the back and then make my purchasing decision, but... WOW... there is just something amazing about a gorgeous cover! So, moving forward, I am going to share those covers that just made me want to escape and read a book instantly!

Without further adieu, here is the cover I am crazy about this week:

Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne

What I love about this cover:

Anyone who knows me knows that I have an intense fear of the wind... like crazy fear!  So even though I believe that the funnel like image on the cover is smoke, it looks like a tornado and it sort of freaks me out!

What I also love about this cover are the dark and mysterious colours, the greys, the blues and the blacks.  It makes the ominious nature of the story so clear just by the cover. 

One thing that I do not like about this particular image of the cover is the title and the colour of the authors name.  Sure, it should never be so big and loud that it overshadows the image but I do think you should be able to read it!  Nevertheless, I desperately want to read it!!

What cover took your breath away this week?

TBR Tuesday

TBR Tuesdays was created by Dana at Let's Book It. It's a place to share books that have been on our to-be-read (TBR) list for a while and also to possibly add yet another book to the list by visiting participating blogs!

Face it, we all have lists of books that we would love to read and if you are anything like me, you likely have the pile of books to prove it. There are so many ways to track book lists, whether you choose to use an online library like Goodreads or LibraryThing or perhaps even an Excel spreadsheet or notebook in your purse, having books to buy is the biggest part of being a book lover.

Together with my Book of the Month (where I am attempting to shorten the TBR list, one book at a time), TBR Tuesdays will be a place that I am going to share one book from my list. It may be a new book, it may be an old book, it may even be a book that isn't out yet... either way, a book will be shared.

If you would like to get in on the action, please add your name to the linky below and link up your TBR Tuesday post. Also make sure you head on over to Let's Book It to see others who are also sharing this week!

Without further adieu, here is this week's book:

The Mystery of Mercy Close by Marian Keyes

I am not going to lie... the first book in the Walsh series was one of my first reads of Marian Keyes books and I was instantly hooked.  I have read, okay... check that, devoured all four of them and when I saw that another installment was coming out, I was ecstatic!  YAY... can't wait!!

Summary (from goodreads.com):

At 34, Helen Walsh’s life has hit a speed bump. Her flat has been repossessed, her work as a private investigator has dried up and her lovely boyfriend is insisting on remaining friendly with his ex-wife. So when Helen’s dangerous-but-sexy ex Jay Parker calls with a case for her, she’s intrigued. When it turns out the case involves the disappearance of Wayne Diffney, one-fourth of Ireland’s biggest-ever boy band, she’s hooked. As the Laddz reunion tour looms, Helen is drawn into a world of big hair, big mansions and even bigger egos, where everyone has an ulterior motive. But there’s still no sign of Wayne, time is running out and clues are thin on the ground… Will she be able to crack the case and jumpstart her career? Will Jay manage to wheedle his way back into her life? And will the black dog of depression that’s been stalking her catch up with her once again?

What is on your TBR list this week?

Review: The Loners (Quarantine #1)

The Loners by Lex Thomas

Format: ebook (eARC)
Pages: 416
Published: July 10, 2012
Publisher: Egmont USA
Genre: Fiction, Young Adult, Thriller

My Rating: 5/5

Summary (from chapters.ca):

It was just another ordinary day at McKinley High - until a massive explosion devastated the school. When loner David Thorpe tried to help his English teacher to safety, the teacher convulsed and died right in front of him. And that was just the beginning.

A year later, McKinley has descended into chaos. All the students are infected with a virus that makes them deadly to adults. The school is under military quarantine. The teachers are gone. Violent gangs have formed based on high school social cliques. Without a gang, you're as good as dead. And David has no gang. It's just him and his little brother, Will, against the whole school.

Review:

**NOTE:  A copy of this book was provided by the publisher, via NetGalley.  However, no compensations were made and this review reflects my honest thoughts and feelings**

As a school erupts in chaos and everyone separates into gangs based on social standings, do you know where you will fit in?  What if you don't?  What happens then?

I was NOT expecting The Loners to take off as fast as it did and I definitely was not expecting such an action-packed, hard-hitting, HOLY CRAP story.  I can honestly say that I was on the edge of my seat the entire book.  It isn't often that I can say the book read like a movie but I would not be surprised to see this movie rights for this book being picked up... it was THAT good!

One of the things that stood out the most to me in the novel were the social cliques.  It was perfectly broken down into groups that every single high school kid, or even adult who has been there done that, will be able to identify with.  We all saw the jocks, the pretty-ones, the geeks, the nerds, etc.  We all know that we were apart of one, it's just whether we honestly knew which one.  I can happily say that if my high school were to have been infected and had broken off into gangs, I would be safely tucked away in the library with the rest of the nerd-herd.  Yep... happily saying this! 

What Lex Thomas (a duo writing team of Lex Hrabe and Thomas Voorhies) did for the readers was bring you inside the world of 'teenagers gone wild'.  I would almost classify this as a modern day retelling of The Lord of the Flies.  The imagry that was used throughout the novel was amazing.  I never once found myself wondering what was happening and could always mentally picture each character and each scene in which the story was taking place.

As for characters, I really admired David as a main character.  His strength really shone through and I was able to see him as an underdog that would do anything to protect, not only himself, but his younger brother.  To humble yourself into knowing that you don't belong and yet being able to survive is a huge mountain to climb and I think David did it wonderfully.

Overall, I am so excited to see where the next book in the series will take us and it really was a page-turner of a story with an unexpected cliff-hanger ending.   Fans of action packed stories will not want to miss this one.

In My Mailbox #52

In My Mailbox was created by Kristi over at The Story Siren. The general idea is to share the books that you have purchased, that you have borrowed, or that you have found.

This is my 52 In My Mailbox post which means that it has been 1-year of posts (give or take considering that I may have missed a week or two).  Who knew that I would be able to post books added to my bookshelf each week?!?!  Kind of scary when you think about it, isn't it?

Summer will likely quiet down a bit as we are planning a trip to VEGAS in August and all book money has been moved over to vacation money! :)

Without further adieu, here is this week's edition of 'In My Mailbox':
(click on the covers to go to Goodreads)

Secondhand Store finds:

iBooks Freebies:

What was in YOUR mailbox this week?

Review: The Diary of Darcy J. Rhone (an eShort story)

The Diary of Darcy J. Rhone by Emily Giffin

Format: ebook
Pages: 76 (incl. preview of Where We Belong)
Published: June 8, 2012
Published: St. Martin's Press
Genre: Fiction, Short Story

My Rating: 4/5

Summary (from amazon.com):

In anticipation of her new novel, Where We Belong, bestselling author Emily Giffin is releasing, as an all-new bonus, The Diary of Darcy J. Rhone. Filled with high school adventures of the beloved Darcy and Rachel from Something Borrowed and Something Blue, it gives readers a window into their lives before college, law school, and Dex.

Also in this e-exclusive is a sneak peek into the most anticipated novel of the summer, Where We Belong—an unforgettable story of one powerful secret, its effect on two families, and the life-altering journey that follows.

Review:

I am going to start off this review saying that I LOVED Something Borrowed and Somthing Blue and was so happy to have yet another little peak into the lives of Darcy and Rachel.  I really wish that it was longer and actually in anticipation of a third book in the series, but nevertheless, I will take what I can get.

One of the first things I noticed while reading through the diary entries were the fashions that Darcy talked about.  Neon colours and leggings.  Ummm... this was a diary from 1988 and yet these HORRIFYING fashions have made there way back into our lives and neon (day-glo) colours are the top fashion trend of summer 2012.  WHAT?!?! 

Overall, I really enjoyed the witty humour and the trip down memory lane.  The late 1980's were a very memorable time in my life and visiting them, through Darcy's eyes, was a lot of fun!

Review: Swim (an eShort Story)

Swim by Jennifer Weiner

Format: ebook
Pages: 68 (incl. first chapter of The Next Best Thing)
Published: May 8, 2012
Publisher: Atria
Genre: Fiction, Short story

My Rating: 4/5

Summary (from amazon.com):

The short story that inspired Jennifer Weiner’s forthcoming novel The Next Best Thing.

Ruth has left her job writing for a hit television show for reasons she’d rather not discuss and is supplementing her increasingly dwindling savings with freelance writing projects - namely, helping anxious high school students craft a perfect college essay and lonely souls craft captivating online dating profiles. When she’s not working, she’s swimming - lap after lap at the local indoor pool, in a desperate attempt to wash away the sting of professional failure and heartbreak that she can’t seem to shake. It takes an unexpected client to show her that appearances can be deceiving, and that sometimes the bravest thing you can do is simply dive back in.

Review:

I am a huge fan of short stories and Swim was just that... SHORT!  It felt like I was watching a TV show and the cable went off and now I have missed the climatic ending.  However, it was a good enough taste that I am now looking forward to The Next Best Thing. 

Being given just a small taste of the main character, Ruth, it was easy to see that she has a very tough exterior but inside, her demons are struggling to get out.  I am looking forward to seeing what it takes to get Ruth to comes to terms with her insecurities.

Overall, Swim was a great taste at what is to come in early July.

Review: The Time of My Life

The Time of My Life by Cecelia Ahern

Format: Trade Paperback
Pages: 391
Published: October 31, 2011
Publisher: HarperCollins UK
Genre: Fiction

My Rating: 5/5

Summary (from chapters.ca):

Dear Lucy Silchester,

You have an appointment for Monday 27th July 2011.

Yours sincerely,
Life..

Lucy Silchester has received an appointment card. Actually, she's been invited along a few times to this appointment, but she keeps brushing the gold embossed envelope under the shag pile carpet. She's taken her eye off the ball and has busied herself with work (a job she doesn't love), helping out friends, fixing her car, feeding her cat, seeing her family and devoting her time to their life dramas.

But Lucy is about to find out that this is one appointment that she can't miss. And she can't escape it either. Her Life is about to catch up with her in the most surreal of ways...

Review:

You know when a book sits on your bookshelf for a while and when you pick it up and read it you wonder why it took you so long?  That is the feeling I got when I read The Time of My Life.  It was amazing... wonderful... fantastic.

I am going to start off by saying that I was confused by Life.  Who was this person... did he have a life of his own apart from Lucy's?  What does he do when not with her?  Where does he get his information from?  Who pays him?  Now, this may seem like Cecelia Ahern held back a lot of information in the story but the mystery of Life was part of the overall appeal.  It makes you really think about the relationship YOU have with your own life.

Lucy Silchester has to be one of my favourite 'chick lit' characters in a long time.  She embodies everything that makes for a great, memorable character and yet she has enough of the 'down-to-earth' qualities that she comes across as very real.  The story of her life before, during and after she meets her Life is so entertaining that I found myself reading way past bedtime and was able to get the entire 400 pages into a one-day read. 

So many of the situations outlined in The Time of My Life were those that any of the female readers could easily find themselves in and I thought that was genius on the part of Cecelia Ahern.  She made this a personal journey for each of the readers.  Each of the supporting characters were people that we all have in our lives and while the names and faces may be different, certain situations touch home.

Overall, a stunning read from an author that I have now put on the top of the chick lit pile!  A must-read for all fans of good chick lit reads!