Book Review: Early Summer

I’ve Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella-Sophie Kinsella, who authored the Shopaholic series (a favorite of mine), has written another good one.  The main character, Poppy, loses her engagement ring and cell phone shortly before her wedding day but finds a cell phone in a garbage can that she decides to call her own.  Unfortunately, the cellphone belongs to a man (Sam) who wants the phone returned, though  Poppy talks him into letting her keep it for awhile, as it’s the only way she can be contacted if her ring is found.  Some of the book is told through emails and texts, which is very fun, and unlike many chick lit books which can be very predictable, the reader really doesn’t know where this book is going:  Poppy is engaged to Magnus,  Sam is engaged to someone (can’t remember her name), and although Poppy and Sam work up quite a fun relationship, nothing seems wrong enough with Magnus for her to ditch him for Sam (in real life that can happen, but generally, in chick lit, a fiance is ditched only when  proven horrible).  Poppy is very much like Becky in the Shopaholic series (a bumbling, silly, sweet girl who makes mistake after mistake but is loved universally anyway) and although I’d say I’d like Kinsella to be more original, Poppy was very fun to read so I was okay with it.  This would be a great beach read!

Albert Nobbs by George Moore-This nice little novella was set in the late 1800’s and centered around waiter Albert Nobbs.  Early on, the reader discovers that Albert is actually a woman disguised as a man (in the late 1800’s, the only jobs available to an orphaned teenage girl would have been prostitution etc., so she disguises herself as a man so she can be a waiter).  After quite a lot of years as a man, Albert is accidentally discovered to be a woman.  Her secret is out to just one person, who suggests Albert stay a “man” and find a woman to marry:  to find a girl in trouble, “marry” her, and live together as a partnership.  Albert, who has lived a lonely life, decides to try.  The book was a little hard to follow at times, as the author doesn’t use quotation marks and doesn’t even begin a new paragraph when characters take turns speaking.  I had to reread passages often to figure out who was talking.  This is a nice, gentle, book.  You will want Albert to be happy.  The novella was recently made into a movie starring Glenn Close as Albert.  I think it was up for an Academy Award, and I’d like to see it, though I’ll admit The Hangover Part II is ahead of it on my list.

Jeneration X by Jen Lancaster-I love Jen Lancaster’s memoirs (and her blog, Jennsylvania,, which you’ll find linked over there on the right), and this book was no exception.  The only downside to this very funny read, was that I had already read much of the content in her blog!  Apparently, many other readers felt the same way, because in a recent blogpost she mentioned that her next memoir (which she is currently writing) will have all completely new material, not stories embellished from blogposts, so I am greatly looking forward to that particular book.  If you haven’t been reading Lancaster’s blog all along, I’m sure you’ll love this book.

Gone Girl by GillianFlynn-RUN TO THE LIBRARY OR THE BOOKSTORE NOW AND GET YOURSELF THIS BOOK!  I couldn’t put this baby down.  Amy and Nick have a picture perfect marriage from the outside, but on the day of their fifth anniversary, Amy turns up missing.  Nick, as the husband, is immediately under suspicion.  The book has three parts, and the first part is told in alternating chapters by Nick and then Amy.  Nick maintains his innocence and tells the reader what is happening as it unfolds on the day of the murder?/kidnapping? whereas Amy’s chapters are from her diary and describe the couple’s past, beginning with the day they met.  There are so many twists and turns in this book, there are no loose ends (the type that make you mad at an author for deliberately misleading you to make things mysterious…all is brilliantly explained and makes sense to you), and the writing is (sorry, I’m going to say it again:  BRILLIANT).  Yes, this is a suspense/murder mystery, but it’s also a chillingly psychological look at marriage, at male/female roles, and at how the media (Facebook, Twitter, CSI-like shows) influence our beliefs.  I don’t want to tell you too much more for fear of ruining any surprising plotpoints (and believe me, you will be surprised left and right).  Seriously, why are you still sitting there?  Why aren’t you in line at the bookstore with a copy of this book and a gift card for me in your hand (thank you for the great recommendation, Beth, may I offer you this gift card as a token of my heartfelt appreciation?)

The Hypnotist’s Love Story by Liane Moriarty- I read and enjoyed Moriarty’s What Alice Forgot recently and loved it.  While not quite as page-turning as her first novel, I really did enjoy The Hypnotist’s Love Story.  What I liked most is, once again, the reader will not necessarily know how the book is going to end, which, again, isn’t usually true for most lighter fiction.  Ellen, a kind, caring hypnotherapist, begins the novel single, but meets a nice man on the internet whose only (initial) fault is that he is stalked daily by his former girlfriend.  I don’t want to give too much of the plot away, but a lot happens in the 300 or so pages in this book, which is not a thriller (though I know it sounds like it could be) but is instead fun beach reading.  I definitely recommend this one to you!