Barefoot - Elin Hilderbrand

Yes, I read back to back books centering around characters living on Nantucket. It is July and I am in a summer beach book mood! I was actually very curious to read this book after reading The Beach House (see post below), as I am a huge Jane Green fan.

This book revolves around three women who pack up and head to Nantucked for the summer. Each woman is escaping her own life and hoping to deal with her problems by spending the summer at the beach. The story follows Vicki as she deals with cancer treatment, Brenda as she deals with the fallout of being fired after having an affair with one of her students, and Melanie who, after a long battle with infertility, is finally pregnant, only to find out that her husband is having an affair.

This book really kept my attention, as I read the whole book over the course of a weekend. The characters and the story were interesting and kept me wanting to read and find out what happens next. It was a light read. There is no brain surgery here. But after spending my days ad weeks at work, it's books like this that keep me going and allow my mind to relax and get swept up and away from all of the everyday mundane details of life.

The Beach House - Jane Green

I am a big fan of Jane Green. I have read all of her books to date. So, when this one was release, of course I ran right out and purchased my hardcover copy.

This book tells the story of Nan, who lives in an old house called Windermere in Nantucket by herself. In an attempt to earn some extra money, she decides to rent out the extra rooms in her home for one summer. The rest of the story revolves around Nan and the characters that fill her home with their lives.

Like most of her books, I really liked this one. It was a light and breezy read. The characters were varied and likeable, each with their own story that kept the book flowing from beginning to end. Jane Green is the epitome of chick lit. But it's not ditzy name dropping chick lit. Her stories are real and fresh and relatable. This book is a great summer beach read. I can't wait for her next one!

Cocktails for Three - Madeiline Wickham

I have really liked all of the books written by Sophie Kinsella. They are light, fun, easy reads without being too dumb and ditzy. Tell-tale chick lit. But good reads nonetheless. When I found out that Sophie has another set of books written under the name Madeiline Wickham (written before the Sophie Kinsella books), I figured it couldn't hurt to give one a try.

Cocktails follows the lives of three friends, Candice, Roxanne, and Maggie, as they live their lives in London. All three women work for a magazine, The Londoner, but are in vastly different places in their lives. Candice is trying to repair damage done by her father, Roxanne is trying to come to terms with an affair with a married man, and Maggie is dealing with new motherhood and a move to the country with her husband.

This book is a good, light read. Not as good as her work as Sophie Kinsella. The characters were a little more flat, and not quite as loveable and likeable as they could have been. But, overall, I'd still recommend this book as a good light, quick read.

Water for Elephants - Sara Gruen

Set during the 1930's, Water for Elephants tells the story of Jacob Jankowski who leaves his life as a Cornell University veterinary student for the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth after a freak accident kills both of his parents. The book tells the story of Jacob's life with the circus in a series of flashbacks as a 91 or 93 year old man in a rest home.

This book was wonderfully researched and written. Gruen illustrates the life of a circus worker in the 1930's in a manner that makes you really feel like you are there and a part of the story. It is a somber time period, and you can feel the diffuculty of life for each of these characters. As a reader, you really grow to love Jacob's character and his care and concern for the other circus workers and for the animals he works with, especially Rosie (the elephant).

This is such a good book. I loved it from the first page to the last. I can not say enough good things about this book. A definite must read.

Self Storage - Gayle Brandeis

I've been sitting here trying to figure out what to say about this book, but I am having a difficult time. This book really just rubbed me the wrong way.

Self Storage was published shortly after 9/11 and tells the story of Flannery "Flan" Parker and her family as they navigate through their lives post-9/11. The Parkers are sort of foundering through their lives, living in student housing on the UC Riverside campus with an eclectic and culturally diverse group of neighbors, including one couple from Afghanistan. Flan supports her family purchasing the contents of self storage lockers in auctions when the owner of the unit ceases to pay. Several of her self storage "finds" sends her in odd directions, ultimately requiring her to do some soul searching to find meaning in her life.

The book was poetic in its writing. I will give the author that. But Flan's character really bugged me. I just could not relate or connect with her character at all. Her husband (Shae or "Shake") bugged me even more. The way the book delt with the treatment of the couple from Afghanistan really rubbed me the wrong way. It was a good thought, but it just did not come across well in the book.