Slumdog Millionaire by Vikas Swarup

I was at the library the other day and saw this on the shelf. I hadn't seen the movie so I grabbed it. I always like to read the book before watching the movie. The main character is named Ram and it's start with him being arrested for winning a game show Who Wants to Be a Billionaire. The authorities claim how could someone who grew up in the slums and who is just a waiter know all the answers. Ram then goes on to describe how through different life experiences he knows the things he knows to answer each question. I really enjoyed the book, it was almost like a story within a story. I'm really curious to compare the book to the movie. I was talking to my coworker who has seen the movie and it sounds like there pretty different.

Rating: B+

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

This book was recommended to me by one of my customers at the bank. I've had it on my list for a while and am so glad I read it. This book is told by a dog Enzo, who loves his master Denny, his wife Eve and their little girl Zoe. He tells about their life, Denny's love of racing and some hard struggles in this family. Enzo does all a dog can do to help Denny and Zoe cope with the diffcult times in their life. I loved Enzo and it made me want a dog just like him. I have many friends who have dogs and it made me think of each of their dogs, wondering do they think like Enzo. I highly recommend this book. It's an easy read, full of sweet descriptions and how one should never give up hope.

Rating: A

Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman

I saw this book in the Costco magazine last year and had it on my list of books I wanted to read. It's about a twelve year old girl named CeeCee Honeycutt who has been taking care of her mother, who has some mental problems. Unfortunately her father travels a lot on business. So when tragedy strikes, it's no surprise that she ends up going to live with her great aunt, Tootie. She moves to Savannah and soon is surrounded by lots of wonderful and at times interesting woman influences. From her Great Aunt Tootie, to her housekeeper Oletta, to two neighbors Violenne Hobbs and Thelma Goodpepper. It was definitely a sweet read, you can't help but feel for CeeCee. I was so glad that she suddenly got so much love from some great woman.

Rating: B

Swimsuit by James Patterson

The thing I love most about James Patterson's books are the chapters are short and the books are always page turners. Swimsuit starts out with a swimsuit model gone missing and her parents receiving a terrifying phone call sending them to Maui to search for their daughter. Reporter Ben Hawkins, ex-cop, gets the assignment and begins the story of a lifetime. Of course lots more murders happen and it leaves you wondering what the killer Henri is really up to. I read the book in about four days. Definitely a page turner but not really satisfied with the ending. Be prepared for some pretty gruesome descriptions, more so than usual for Patterson.

Rating: C+

Brava, Valentine by Adriana Trigiani

This is the second book in a three book series about Valentine, her funny family and her shoe company. The book starts out with her grandma, Teodora getting married to her long time love Dominic who lives in Italy. Valentine is losing her business partner since Teodora is moving to Italy but finds out her new partner in the business Angelini Shoes will be her brother Alfred, someone she doesn't get along with at all. Don't forget about Gianluca, the man she started to fall for in the last book and who she starts exchanging love letters with since he too lives in Italy. Plus she uncovers a family secret. Overall, great book... enjoyed refreshing my memory with her family and the growing relationship with Gianluca. It left me wanting more. Can't wait for the third book.

Rating: A-

Two not so good reads back to back...

I'm sorry to say the last two books I've read have been not so good. For my book club we had to read Bag of Bones by Stephen King. I read this book over ten years ago and remember some of it. Needless to say it's not a book I would normally want to re-read. It's about an author Mike who's wife suddenly dies. Four years later still dealing with her loss and writers block, he decides to go back to their summer home. He gets himself involved with a custody battle and dealing with ghosts at the summer home. I just didn't enjoy it very much. At times I thought hmmm... maybe it will get better but it's just not my style of book I normally read or enjoyed. Rating: C- (Sorry Amanda, I know you love him)
As for my other book... Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. I wanted to read this book before watching the movie. I've now decided that I don't want to see the movie and couldn't even get through the book. It was just too much bouncing around for me. One day she's depressed the next she's happy in Italy then a flashback of her dealing with her divorce then back to learning Italian in Italy. I finally finish the Italy section and barely started India when I just couldn't do it anymore. It was definitely diffcult for me to decide because I really don't like giving up on a book but I found myself almost dreading picking it up when I know I have so many other great books just waiting to be read. Unfortunately I'm afraid to rate this but will be honest. Rating: D-

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows

Do you ever read a book and enjoy it so much that you actually feel like you know the characters? I felt this way while reading this. It's about a woman named Juliet in 1946 after the war who's trying to come up with her next book subject. She receives a letter from someone in Guernsey and begins a wonderful friendship not just with him but with this wonderful group of people all in The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. What I loved also about the book was it was all in letters exchanged back and forth from the different characters. It was such a neat group of characters, it made me want to be part of the society. I was so sad to finish the book because I enjoyed it so much. Also felt I learned a little too because I didn't realize the Germans had taken over this part of the Channel Islands for five years and how they treated these innocent people, who had nothing to even do with the war. Just sickens me the things that happened during the war. Definitely a sweet and easy read. Check it out!

Rating: A