•• The Book Club ••

Subject: •• The Book Club •• Fri Jul 30, 2010 5:01 am

Let us know what rating you give the book ... eg 8/10 ... whatever you feel like sharing.

Subject: Re: •• The Book Club •• Fri Jul 30, 2010 5:01 am

Paperback - published in 2007 (349 Pages)
ISBN : 9780747585664

It's 3am and Elizabeth Gilbert is sobbing on the bathroom floor. She's in her thirties, she has a husband, a house, they are trying for a baby - and she doesn't want any of it. A bitter divorce and a turbulent love affair later, she emerges battered and bewildered and realises it is time to pursue her own journey in search of three things she has been missing : pleasure, devotion and balance. So she travels to Rome, where she learns Italian from handsome, brown eyed twins and gains twenty five pounds; to an ashram in India, where she finds that enlightenment entails getting up in the middle of the night to scrub the temple floor and to Bali where a toothless medicine man of indeterminate age offers her a new path to peace : simply sit still and smile. And slowly happiness creeps up on her.

Mmmm ... where to start. I was expecting a mammoth personal journey for Elizabeth when starting this book, and we certainly experience one with her.

I did struggle through the time she spent in Italy - admit that I put the book down and walked away ... there was way too much food and travel information for me but once she moved on to India, well, the book had me. Her struggle with the 182 Sanskrit verse on a daily basis, scrubbing floors at the temple and her questioning how this meditation she is struggling with is going to ever help her bring peace to her mind and body was captivating. Slowly as the realization that she was going to have to work at releasing all the negativity to bring in the peace and positivity she was searching for is something that we should all be able to relate to. And finally Bali - a place and people that brought everything together for her including love.

I enjoyed this book, but don't pick it up expecting everything to be sugar coated and an easy read. It's about real life and real people. On a side note ... what would the reaction be I wonder, if a man had taken the journey that Elizabeth did? Would this have been a #1 best seller?

RATING - 7/10

Subject: Re: •• The Book Club •• Fri Jul 30, 2010 5:02 am

For Nora Grey, romance was not part of the plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how much her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her...until Patch comes along.
With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Nora is drawn to him against her better judgment, but after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure whom to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is, and to know more about her than her closest friends. She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is far more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel.
For Nora is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those that have fallen - and when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost her life.

I hate to say this ... but by page 72, I began to work my way back through the book to make sure that I hadn't missed anything. So I kept plodding along ... and plodding along and plodding along - waiting for something to happen. Not alot did ... every time you got the hint of something happening, it didn't. It finally took to about page 300 ... and I was keen for a huge finish to the book to make up for the lack of action throughout. Seriously, even the ending was a let down to me.

For me ... this book was a let down ... I had worked out who the bad guy was way before he was revealed, knew that Patch was in love with Nora, and that Vee was shallow and self absorbed.

I can't honestly say that I would recommend this book to anyone ...

RATING - 4/10

Subject: Re: •• The Book Club •• Fri Jul 30, 2010 5:02 am

If you thought your family was strange…

Try being Keira Kelly. A member of a powerful paranormal family, Keira elected to stay among humans in the Texas Hill Country when the rest of the clan moved (lock, stock, and grimoire) to Canada. But family duty means still having to keep an eye on cousin Marty—a genetic aberration who turned out 100% human, poor guy. And recently Keira’s been having violent dreams—or are they visions?—featuring Marty as the victim of a vicious murder. Something sinister seems to be brewing in little Rio Seco. Can Keira get to the bottom of it all while avoiding entanglement with her former lover, Sheriff Carlton Larson? And what does she plan to do about the irresistible and enigmatic Adam Walker? When this old friend shows up as the new owner of a local ranc and wants to get better acquainted, Keira is more than happy to be welcoming…until she suspects that Adam could be intimately connected to the dangerous doings in Rio Seco.

I knew nothing about this series of books ... so no idea what to expect. What I found was a great story ... not pages of describing scenery and emotions - everything moved at a great pace. Kiera is changing ... into what she doesn't know, and thankfully she is lucky enough to have a friend that she can confide in. Being alone by choice isn't easy - and throw in an ex-lover who still wants her, and things are never going to run smoothly. Oh and just to make things interesting - an old friend from London appears on the scene, and Kiera finds her attraction to him once again.

I think this book had a bit of everything - love, lust, suspense - the characters all flowed very easily. And as usual ... I think my plot solving has turned off these days ... I was surprised to find out who the murderer was! Didn't see that one coming. Also - what is Kiera changing into? And how long will the whole process take? Makes you wonder - that must be scary being faced with the unknown.

The story line never stagnates - so if you are looking for a good read ... choose this book.

RATING - 7/10

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