Have you heard about this little book and movie? You know, the one that took its author five years to write, incurred her multiple rejection letters, and then went on to spend months on end on the bestseller list – oh, and inspire a true box-office success? Yeah, I can go ahead and verify right now that it’s a good one. An excellent one, in fact. If you haven’t read the book, please do – even if you’ve seen the movie. It’s definitely worth your time and will be a story that sticks with you forever.

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Reading a good novel is always an eye-opening and boundary-expanding experience, and indeed, Shriver’s novel opened up an entire new world to me – the world of snooker. Maybe I’m not so up-to-date on my British billiard sports, but I had never heard of this pool-like competitive sport. Apparently it’s a pretty big deal over on the other side of the pond. Beyond snooker, though, the most intriguing feature of this novel is that it takes place simultaneously in two alternate, parallel universes.

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Religions and cults have always fascinated me, and the extreme sect of Mormonism that practices polygamy is no exception. I’ve read Elissa Wall’s Stolen Innocence (fascinating and poignant – a post on that later), and her astounding bravery and perseverance just about knocked me over. I’ve also read some of Carolyn Jessup’s powerful work too. All of this further piqued my interest in Ebershoff’s fictionalized account of the life of Ann Eliza Young, the 19th wife of Mormon founder Brigham.

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The fancy, dripping ice cream parfait on the cover is the perfect symbol for this novel: the promise of fun and affection that ends up impossible to deliver, both for the characters and the readers.

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Oh, Redeeming Love. I wanted to love this novel, I really did. Let’s get a few things straight: I absolutely support the message, but if I have anything less than a glowing review, I know I may be inviting some backlash…

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Several bookstore trips in a row brought this devotion to my attention, and finally I decided to purchase it. About a month into the daily readings (and an out of state move later), I managed to lose the book, and I truly missed it. I made another quick trip to the bookstore and picked up a second copy – and because I tend to purchase mostly books residing on the sale rack, I think this says a lot about my feelings toward the read!

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After reading The Nanny Diaries, I was expecting much of the same light-hearted yet surprisingly thoughtful and deep writing that defined Diaries to feature in Nanny Returns. In other words, the first novel was fun, interesting, and addicting while still not feeling like too much of a guilty pleasure (unlike certain “beach reads” I’ve read!)! Nanny Returns, however, takes a bit of the enjoyment out of Nan’s story and deals too much in serious topics that seem to jade our previously idealistic and inspiring narrator.

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There’s a reason tabloids, celebrity websites, and reality shows are so popular these days; people love getting a glimpse into the “real” lives of other people, both famous and unknown. I’ll admit that I’ve been known to watch a few shall-remain-nameless reality TV shows. Stepping into another’s shoes is a fascinating experience, and American Wife offers this very kind of people-watching to the extreme; all together, it’s an absorbing, affecting, and addicting read.

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