Paper & Glam Book Club | Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes

Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes

Publisher: Simon & Schuster, September 2016

Genre: Non-Fiction, Lifestyle

Pages: Paperback, 352 pages

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Summary (chapters.indigo.ca):

She’s the creator and producer of some of the most groundbreaking and audacious shows on television today. Her iconic characters live boldly and speak their minds. So who would suspect that Shonda Rhimes is an introvert? That she hired a publicist so she could public appearances? That she suffered panic attacks before media interviews?

With three children at home and three hit television shows, it was easy for Shonda to say she was simply too busy. But in truth, she was also afraid. And then, over Thanksgiving dinner, her sister muttered something that was both a wake up and a call to arms Shonda knew she had to embrace the challenge: for one year, she would say YES to everything that scared her.

Review:

Let me start this review by saying that I am a die-hard 'Grey's Anatomy' fan and have seen every show at least twice so when I saw that Shonda Rhimes book was up first for my book club, I was excited to pick it up.

At first, this book was everything I was hoping it would be... funny, interesting and very easy to read. Turns out that pre- "Year of Yes" Shonda is very similar to myself and I was able to easily identify with many of the situations she found herself in, and dreading. I loved reading along as she worked her way around her fears and tackled many of them head-on and proved that, even when it seems hard and/or scary, putting yourself out there is worth it in the long run.

Where I feel the book fell short and, for me, moved from 5-star territory down to 3.5-star, was after that year was up. Whether it was that the book was too long or the chapters feeling like they belonged in another book, I can't for sure say why my feelings started to change. The voice of Shonda just seemed to go from a relatable person to someone that I found myself not really liking... she came across a little obnoxious and a little to entitled (yes, I know she's the Queen of Tv, but you know what I mean). I'm overjoyed that she found her happy but... I just had a bitter taste in my mouth as I finished reading.

Overall, it was definitely a worthwhile read but just fell a little flat at the end and I honestly feel like it could have been so much more.

The Best of Enemies by Jen Lancaster

The Best of Enemies by Jen Lancaster

Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group, August 2015

Genre: Fiction

Pages: Hardcover, 320 pages

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Summary (from chapters.indigo.ca):

Jacqueline Jordan knows conflict. A fearless journalist, she’s spent the past decade embedded in the world’s hot spots, writing about the fall of nations and the rise of despots. But if you were to inquire about who topped Jack’s enemy list, she’d not hesitate to answer: Kitty Carricoe.

Kitty reigns supreme over the world of carpools and minivans. A SAHM, she spends her days caring for her dentist husband and three towheaded children, running the PTA, and hiding vegetables in deceptively delicious packed lunches.

Kitty and Jack haven’t a single thing in common—except for Sarabeth Chandler, their mutual bestie. Sarabeth and Jack can be tomboys with the best of them, while Sarabeth can get her girly-girl on with Kitty. In fact, the three of them were college friends until the notorious incident when Jack accidentally hooked up with Kitty’s boyfriend…

Yet both women drop everything and rush to Sarabeth’s side when they get the call that her fabulously wealthy husband has perished in a suspicious plane crash. To solve the mystery surrounding his death, Jack and Kitty must bury the hatchet and hit the road for a trip that just may bring them together—if it doesn’t kill them first.

Review:

This is my second time reading this book but I didn't have it marked as 'read' in my Goodreads so... GRRRR... and I didn't remember reading it but parts of it were super familiar.

I am sad to say that I didn't love this book. The characters were unlovable and overly annoying and the whole premise of the book was a little to 'out there' for me. Yes, it's fiction, but I still like a story that has a little bit of fact behind it. While I found the relationship of Jack and Kitty to be enjoyable and funny at times, their personalities were a little too much for me and once they kind of figure each other out and stop pretending, they turn into much nicer characters and I really wish that they had been written that way from the get-go.

Overall I think that this was a good book... not the usual Jen Lancaster funny that I have come to expect but it was enjoyable enough that I will continue to read her fictional stories.

Make Me by Lee Child

Make Me by Lee Child

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group

Genre: Fiction, Action

Pages: eBook, 416 pages

Rating: 3.5/5

Summary (from chapters.indigo.ca):

“Why is this town called Mother’s Rest?”

That’s all Reacher wants to know. But no one will tell him. It’s a tiny place hidden in a thousand square miles of wheat fields, with a railroad stop, and sullen and watchful people, and a worried woman named Michelle Chang, who mistakes him for someone else: her missing partner in a private investigation she thinks must have started small and then turned lethal.

Reacher has no particular place to go, and all the time in the world to get there, and there’s something about Chang . . . so he teams up with her and starts to ask around. He thinks: How bad can this thing be? But before long he’s plunged into a desperate race through LA, Chicago, Phoenix, and San Francisco, and through the hidden parts of the internet, up against thugs and assassins every step of the way—right back to where he started, in Mother’s Rest, where he must confront the worst nightmare he could imagine.

Walking away would have been easier. But as always, Reacher’s rule is: If you want me to stop, you’re going to have to make me.

Review:

It's been a hot minute since I've read one of Lee Child's 'Jack Reacher' stories and being in the midst of all things Christmas, it took me a couple of chapters before I was able to fully digest what was happening.

Nothing screams action and adventure like a good ole Jack Reacher book. When I think of Jack, I don't see Tom Cruise (as cast in the movie), I see someone more like The Rock. A GIANT, full of muscle and as bad ass as pretty much anyone else on Earth. He's awesome.

What I really appreciate about the way that Lee Child writes this series is that you don't have to read them in order. There isn't really any carry-over from book to book and while there may be the odd detail that comes up from another book, it's not something that would create confusion or take away from the overall story. With 'Make Me' being the 20th book in the series, it's nice to know that you can pick it up and not worry about needing all the back details (even though I've read most of previous books).

Make Me follows the typical pattern of Jack Reacher... he shows up in some random location and stumbles into a crazy situation and from there, chaos ensues. I did find that the story dragged at certain parts with maybe a little bit more detail than necessary but, when the action started... WOAH, what an edge of the seat feeling.

Overall, a decent edition to the series and I will, of course, continue with reading the books as they become available. Always good for a quick read!

Holiday Reads | Twelve Days of Christmas by Debbie Macomber

Twelve Days of Christmas by Debbie Macomber

Publisher: Random House, October 2016

Pages: Hardcover, 240 pages

Genre: Fiction, Christmas

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Summary (from chapters.indigo.ca):

Friendly and bubbly, Julia Padden likes nearly everyone, but her standoffish neighbor, Cain Maddox, presents a particular challenge. No matter how hard she’s tried to be nice, Cain rudely rebuffs her at every turn, preferring to keep to himself. But when Julia catches Cain stealing her newspaper from the lobby of their apartment building, that’s the last straw. She’s going to break through Cain’s Scrooge-like exterior the only way she knows how: by killing him with kindness.

To track her progress, Julia starts a blog called The Twelve Days of Christmas. Her first attempts to humanize Cain are far from successful. Julia brings him homemade Christmas treats and the disagreeable Grinch won’t even accept them. Meanwhile, Julie’s blog becomes an online sensation, as an astonishing number of people start following her adventures. Julia continues to find ways to express kindness and, little by little, chips away at Cain’s gruff façade to reveal the caring man underneath. Unbelievably, Julia feels herself falling for Cain - and she suspects that he may be falling for her as well. But as the popularity of her blog continues to grow, Julia must decide if telling Cain the truth about having chronicled their relationship to the rest of the world is worth risking their chance at love.

Review:

Short and sweet story that follows the typical pattern of books that are centered around the Christmas season. Have you ever watched the shows 'Extreme Couponing' or 'House MD' and can pretty much say how the episodes will break down? Well, I find that Christmas stories are the same way. Two unlikely people find themselves together and quickly and unexpectedly fall in love, only to be torn apart by some random/horrible situation. Then, either on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, they come to their senses and end up realizing that they are destined for happiness together. However, knowing that, I still reach for all things holiday novel in the month of December EVERY SINGLE YEAR!

Twelve Days of Christmas is just that... your typical Christmas story but when you remove the anticipated story-line it breaks down to some pretty annoying characters who I found myself in a love/hate relationship with. Julia was so sweet she made my teeth hurt and yet, I found her somewhat charming and perhaps even a girl after my own heart. Cain, on the other hand, was a jerk... through and through and I found myself disliking him, and his bi-polar personality, more as the book went on. Honestly, the only character that I truly liked was Bernie, the kinda-creepy, grandfather... and he was barely in the story so not sure what that's saying.

 As a lifetime blogger/vlogger, I found some of Julia's super-stardom to be a little too much for my liking but knowing that it was the purpose of the whole story, I was able to forgive it... to a point. 

Overall, I found the story fun and enjoyable, even with the dodgy characters and crazy blog stats, and it still brought a smile to my face as I read the last page. Basically, it did as I would like any December Christmas novel want... got me in the holiday spirit.