The Time Traveler's Wife

Imagine that you could go back in time. See events replay themselves out, and you could get different viewing perspectives each time you went back. The catch is - you cannot chose when and where you go back, and you cannot stop it.

Henry DeTamble has that problem. He is a time traveler. Although his past and future are intertwined, crossed, and tangled it is not always clear where he is going, and where he has been.

He meets his future wife, Clare Abishire, when she is six in 1977. When they first meet, he is 36, and has already known Clare in the future - is already married to her. The friendship they forge will last years and Henry weaves in and out of it.

Clare though, must struggle to live a life where Henry pops in and out of it. She has to deal with peer pressure in high school - the controversy that surrounds her - is she gay? Straight? Where are her boyfriends, or girlfriends?

These two must endure both the test of time and love. Is their love strong enough to withstand those tests?

This book is amazing! We often wish we could be time travelers, but we never stop and think of the consequences. We never stop and think how horrific it could be! Henry must relive some horrible events in his past, and he cannot escape them! Imagine reliving an embarrassing moment, that you can never let fade away in the past. I enjoyed being a part of their love story! It made me think of my own relationship to my husband, and how much I cherish every second with him - how I hate when he's away and cannot wait to see him again. It is hard for me to imagine my husband popping in and out of my past and future, never knowing when he will be gone, and for how long.

I have one small issue with the book. When Ms. Niffenegger would have two dates, like November 23 1988, and July 12, 2000 she would not separate them. Hm. I'm trying to think of a better example because obviously when Henry time travels backwards the music and cloths would change. There were some dates that would run together and I wouldn't necessarily be able to tell present from past.

The Time Travelers Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. New York: A Harvest Book (c) 2003.

Queen of Babble Gets Hitched

I'm going to be doing my reviews a bit differently from here on out. Instead of trying to summarize what I've just read, I'm going to copy the inside flap and then give you my thoughts on the book. I've always felt that the inside flap does a wonderful job of summarizing the book for us, plus it's the part we all read to see if we want the book. Since I do not know who writes the inside flap bio, and therefore cannot give them just credit, I will just quote the author - even though they probably did not write it.

From the inside flap (AGAIN I DID NOT WRITE THIS!!):

"Big mouth. Big heart. Big wedding. Big problem.

It's the wedding of the century! Things are looking up at last for Lizzie Nichols. She has a career she loves in the field of her choice (wedding gown restoration), and the love of her life, Jean-Luc, has finally proposed. Life's become a dizzying whirl of wedding gown fittings - not necessarily her own - as Lizzie prepares for her dream wedding at her fiancé's chateau in the south of France.

But the dream soon becomes a nightmare as the best man - whom Lizzie might once have accidentally slept with . . . no, really, just slept - announces his total lack of support for the couple, a sentiment the maid of honor happens to second; Lizzie's Midwestern family can't understand why she doesn't want to have her wedding in the family backyard; her future, oh-so-proper French in-laws seem to be slowly trying to lure the groom away from medical school and back into investment banking; and Lizzie finder herself wondering if her Prince Charming really is as charming as she once believed.

Is Lizzie really ready to embrace her new role as wife and mistress of Chateau Mirac? Or is she destined to fall into another man's arms . . . and into the trap of becoming a Bad Girl instead?"

My thoughts:

I have read the first two books so I was eager to read the third and final book. The inside flap (which you have just read above) re-kindled my curiosity about the story. Would Lizzie end up with Luke? Would she finally start her own business? What of Chaz and Sheri? However after reading the book I feel mildly pleased. The inside flap hints about Luke's family trying to lure him away, but it didn't really feel like that. I thought there was going to be some major fighting between Lizzie and Luke's family however they weren't really mentioned (except for his uncle).

Granted - this book is supposed to be a light summer read - but I was hoping for a bit more. There were times when I wanted to slap Lizzie. I felt like her self realization moments were the same thing. Like she kept saying "and my hair was brown, not blonde, which I had always wanted" over and over and over again - and each time she is shocked at her conclusion - when she had just reached the very same conclusion not 5 pages ago. I wish Meg Cabot would've done a fourth Queen of Babble book - like her ever after, children or no children, how she deals with being a wife and running a business or not. Perhaps I could email her and suggest it? (Silly me, to think a famous writer would read an email from moi!)

All in all this book was a nice light read, perfect for the beach or as an "in-between" book (as in-between heavy reading [for school, work, whatever]) so I'd give it a B for whatever it's worth.

Books in this series :

1) Queen of Babble

2) Queen of Babble: In The Big City

3) Queen of Babble: Gets Hitched

Queen of Babble Hitched by Meg Cabot (c) 2008 Meg Cabot LLC

Kitty and Dead Man's Hand

The only problem facing Kitty is how to tell her mother that she does not want a fancy wedding. No frilly dresses, no expensive photographers, no bridesmaids . . . you get the point. One night while talking to Ben Kitty gets the idea to go to Vegas. It's the quick wedding capitol of the world. But how to tell her mother? Well just inviter her along for the ride. She'll understand right?

Kitty tells her boss that she's getting married in Vegas and he comes up with the bright idea for her to have a live show in Vegas. Finally she'd have a TV show on her own terms and it won't be broadcasting her shapeshifting. With a sort-of wedding to plan and a TV show to plan Kitty's Vegas trip is looking pretty busy.

When they arrive at the hotel a problem already arises. The hotel they are staying in is also hosting a gun show and you can bet the people that are attending the show also hunt Kitty's kind. To make matters worse Ben's former friends have spotted him and don't necessarily like the fact that he's associating himself with the enemy or Kitty.

Everything is going well: Kitty's show went off without a hitch and Ben's even won at a poker game. Her parents have arrived but are doing their own thing until the "wedding" - it's easy street until the wedding. Well almost. Ben tells Kitty the night before their wedding that he's gotten into to a bigger poker game and it's at the same time as their wedding. Kitty and Ben decide to push it back. As the time draws near for the wedding Kitty get a call . . . Ben's gone missing and she knows it's not because he has cold feet. Now instead of getting married she has to find her fiance. But who kidnaped him?

This was a nice break from her power struggle books. It was fun to see Kitty doing more "human" activities :)

My only problem was trying to guess how the title of the book correlated to the plot of the story.

Books in this series :

1) Kitty and the Midnight Hour

2) Kitty Goes to Washington

3) Kitty Takes A Holiday

4) Kitty And the Silver Bullet

5) Kitty and the Dead Man's Hand

6) Kitty Raises Hell

Kitty and the Dead Man's Hand by Carrie Vaughn. New York (c) 2009

Queen of Babble: In the Big City

She's baaaaaaaack!!!

Did that make you think of that really scary movie that, now after writing this I can't remember? Good.

We catch up with Lizzie and Shari in a dive bar called Honey's - in Manhattan! They have officially moved to New York!!! Yeah!!! Well, almost. The apartments are so tiny you need a magnifying glass to look at them - and the prices usually accompanied with the apartments are such an exorbitant amount! Chaz already has a place and wants Shari to move in with him - and she doesn't want to. She wants to live with Lizzie.

Well, Lizzie already has a place to live! With Luke!! On Fifth Ave!!!! *Freak out session!!* Now she just has to find a job - riiight.

With the help of Chaz, Lizzie gets a job as a receptionist at Chaz's dad's firm. Yes, she has a big mouth, but she seems to be able to keep it under warps. Lizzie also gets her dream job - but with NO pay. She begins working with Monsieur Henri at his bridal restoration shop - and she loves every minute of it. Well, almost. Monsieur Henri is constantly making her prove that she knows how to work with a needle and thread.

Change is on the horizon for everyone. Shari hasn't stopped working at her new job, and doesn't want to speak to Chaz anymore (can we say t-r-o-u-b-l-e?) Lizzie has met the infamous Jill ( a zoo worker who happens to be marrying the wealthiest bachelor in Manhattan) and has decided to work on her dress. As Christmas rolls around, Lizzie is certain that Luke will propose to her - he even bought her an investment for the future!

On Christmas Eve Luke tells Lizzie to open her gift - and when she does she . . .

I say this was a pretty good book. It picked up right were the 1st book left off. I guess what's still bugging me is Lizzie!! She seriously still can't be that dumb . . . I mean she loves Luke because "he'll be a doctor and save little kids' lives someday" - right. Like that is the reason to love someone and marry them. I will say in this book she does learn to be more of a human and less of a ditz. There were a couple of curve balls in the book - and I'm not sure how happy I am with the ending - it seems too cookie cutter for my taste. But overall I loved the new characters the Henri's and I love that just like the first book, you get samples of Lizzie's advice.

Books in this series :

1) Queen of Babble

2) Queen of Babble: In The Big City

3) Queen of Babble: Gets Hitched

Queen of Babble: In The Big City by Meg Cabbot. New York (c) 2007

Queen of Babble

Lizzie Nichols seems to have just a slight problem, well maybe it's not so slight. She has a problem 1)keeping secrets and 2)knowing when to keep her mouth shut. She has just graduated from college with a BA in the history of fashion and can't wait to visit her British boyfriend Andrew :) Her graduation party is going on without a hitch. Everyone is congratulating her on her weight-loss and her graduation. When Lizzie is greeted by her teacher she is thrilled to see her there! But when Lizzie is pulled aside and told that she actually didn't graduate - Lizzie is shocked! How could this happen?

Well it happened quite easily - Lizzie didn't read each and every line of graduation requirements - she just skimmed it. What's preventing her from graduating you ask? - just a simply thesis on her major. You get snippets of it throughout the book, and it's quite charming!

The only problem is Lizzie is going to London the day after the party to visit with her boyfriend of only a couple of months. How can she possibly write a thesis while galavanting throughout England?! Maybe Andrew can take her to Jane Austen's home as well as the famous Top Shop store!

When Lizzie arrives at Heathrow Airport she sees a man in the most hideous jacket in her life - and he can't stop looking at her! She begins to think that he is a killer going to take tourist women and kill them. Yes, I too thought that that was a bit far fetched, still one can never be too cautious. She goes to a kiosk that allows for people just landing to find their party - and when she tells the man to page Andrew she is shocked to find that the man in the ugly jacket is him!!

Andrew takes her out and introduces her to his dad - and Lizzie thinks how odd that is! I mean who takes their dad with them to meet their girlfriend? Soon Lizzie finds out that they will be staying at Andy's parent's house! She starts to realize that Andy isn't quite the prince charming she made him out to be. She realizes that Andy has turned out to be a totally jerk and can't be with him anymore and breaks up with him. Her only recourse is to go to France and be with her best friend Sheri at the Chateau Mirac and help cater the wedding.

When she jumps the train to France, she has a hard time finding a seat, it seems all the French people hate her because she's American. She finally finds a seat (in the 1st class non-smoking section) next to a complete and total hottie! She asks if the seat is taken and when she finds that its not she gladly sits down. She begins to cry and apologizes to the man - and then the word vomit begins. She tells the complete stranger about how she broke up with Andrew and her reasons why! He smiles throughout it and adds encouraging words here and there.

When the train finally lands both her and the stranger get out. She is bewildered, why is he getting out too? He introduces him self as Luke - Chaz's friend. Lizzie becomes instantly mortified! She makes Luke swear not to tell a living soul about what she had told him. Things get interesting when Lizzie can't help but start to fall in love with him. She's told him the one secret she hasn't even told her best friend Sheri! When Sheri storms in one night demanding to know why she hasn't graduated yet - Lizzie can only think that Luke has spilled the beans! It doesn't help that Andy shows up at the wedding to talk to her.

This was actually a really really good book! (and I do say that about most of them :P) Lizzie was at times a little too obnoxious for me. She claimed to be a feminist, yet you wouldn't know of it. Andy completely walks over her (and even in asking for $$ to repay his debuts) in fact as I was reading this passage and it really irritated me

"I know this is all my fault, Andy. I'm really am sorry. I hope I didn't get you into trouble with Mr. Williams.

"Well, I won't lie to you, Liz," Andy says. "It was a close. Very close." (p130)

You see Andy was trying to cheat the government by getting un-employment checks (and he has a job!) She came across as a weak, blubbering, woman - not the feminist she portrayed to be! It was a good thing too she came to her sense otherwise I would have jumped into the story and smacked her and told her to wake up! I am looking forward to reading the other books in this series :)

Books In this series:

1) Queen of Babble

2) Queen of Babble in the Big City

3) Queen of Babble Gets Hitched

Queen of Babble by Meg Cabbot. New York (c) 2006

Something Great!

This book was picked up by me on a whim. I thought it would be a boring book, like the Shopaholic books. But it put me to shame..yes I did judge a book by its cover and for that I am sorry!

This book was funny, witty, sad, and downright a page turner!

Rachel has a best friend named Darcy. They have been together since the third grade and have grown up connected at the hip! Darcy was always the one with all the luck growing up....flawless looks, always a trend setter, and always got the guys. While Rach was more of a wall flower comparatively. While in law school Rach meets Dex, but thinks that he will never EVER like her so introduced him to Darcy. 7 yrs later is where the story picks up!

On Rach 30's birthday night her and Dex had sex. And did I mention that Dex is Darcy's fiance? Oh yes...this is a very good book! So as to not give the ending away I will tell you this.......Dex has loved Rach ever since they meet and She too as love Dex. But what about Darcy? Rach has been her best friend for YEARS! and Dex and Darcy have been an item for 7 years. So what do Dex and Rach do now that they know they can't live without eachother?

Books also in this series...

1) Something Borrowed
2) Something Blue
3) Baby Proof
4) Love the One Your With


Something Borrowed by Emily Griffin. St Martin's Griffin. NY. (c) 2004