To all you moms of little girls out there...

Check out my cute sister-in-law's awesome blog! She hand makes some of the most adorable little hair clips, bows, flowers, and creatures--just about anything you can think of. They are very unique, and very affordable. Can't wait to have a little girl so I can do her hair with these clips! :) 

http://www.lilcritters.blogspot.com/ 

Room

It isn't very often that a book captivates me enough that I literally find it difficult to put down. This book happened to be one of those for me. It is the story of a little boy who has spent his entire life in one room. The chilling reason is that his mother has been held captive in this room by her kidnapper since before his birth. While this may sound profoundly disturbing, the author masterfully narrates the book through the eyes of the small, innocent boy, who loves "room" and uses his imagination to transform everything they have into endless sources of entertainment. The strength and courage of his mother is incredible, as she tries to make a normal life for her son, who doesn't understand the circumstances in which they live.

As the young boy's mother realizes she cannot keep their reality hidden from him forever, she knows she must make a plan to escape to save them both. The story is captivating, touching, and will keep you on the edge of your seat. It's a must read!

--The Fiction Fairy

Laura Rider's Masterpiece

This book was pretty different. I got it off of a best sellers list--as a warning, it is a little bit scandalous at times. It is the story of a middle aged husband and wife. The wife is becoming restless and bored with her life and her marriage, so she decides to create a kind of experiment. When a celebrity she greatly admires moves into her neighborhood, she decides to orchestrate her husband and this woman falling in love, so she can write a novel about it......weird, right? She writes love emails to this woman pretending to be her husband, until a full fledged romance begins. Writing and controlling this story becomes her passion in life, as she watches the personal lives of others unravel around her. It is definitely interesting, but has a couple unnecessary scenes. Read at your own risk!

Minding Frankie

I finished this book last week. It is kind of a slow read, but has a great story. Set in Ireland, it is the story of a man who unexpectedly finds out one of his old girlfriends is having his baby--and is dying of cancer. The child is left in his care, and his life is turned upside down. He must learn how to get his own life in order, while trying to learn how to be a father at the same time. His family and the entire community rallies around him to help raise his little girl, and protect her from being taken away by a suspicious social worker. It is a story of growth and change, friendship, and love. It took me a while to get through because it is a bit slow, but overall it was a good read.

Ten Little Indians (And Then There Were None)

This is what I'm reading at the moment--it is one of my all time favorite books, and definitely my favorite Agatha Christie mystery! Love love love this one. The movie "And Then There Were None" comes from this book, often titled "Ten Little Indians." I've seen the book under both titles.

It is the spooky story of ten strangers invited to stay for a weekend on a beautiful island, each lured there by letters from people in their past. When strange things begin to happen, they find that there host "Mr. Owen" does not seem to exist. Each of them is forced to deal with the demons in their past, as they try to survive the murderous game playing out around them. Very fun and exciting! A true classic.

Lemon Tart

Jessica Harnos says:

This is the first book in Josi Kilpack’s mystery series about Sadie Hoffmiller. Sadie is a fifty-six year old woman, who lives a quiet life cooking, while keeping up with her neighbors by looking out the kitchen window. Her life is changed dramatically with the murder of her neighbor, Anne Lemmon while a lemon tart is cooking in Ann’s oven. Anne’s son is also missing and Sadie sets out to discover the murderer and find Anne’s little boy. Sadie uses a few of her best recipes to help her get the facts she needs and even shares them with the reader every few chapters.

Sadie is a very likable character, the ultimate mom and homemaker, and it is fun to hear her point of view on how she thinks life should be lived. Her story is a definite page turner but not graphic or violent. Also, the recipes Sadie shares are fun and easy to follow. I made the lemon tart (with home made crust and everything) and it was delicious! I am excited to read the other books in the series and try more of Sadie’s recipes. There are five out right now with the sixth to come out this Fall.

This book was also a finalist for the Whitney awards in 2009.


Thank you so much for your review, Jessica! --The Fiction Fairy

Unbearable Lightness

Rachel Durazzani says:


This is not normally my genre of book. In fact, I don't believe I've ever read the memoirs of a famous actor. However, this book I could not put down. Part One was a little slow, but once I got to Part Two, I think I read it in a matter of a day. I learned so much about how our perception of ourselves can affect how we treat our bodies. Yes, we can blame hollywood and fashion magazines and all outside influences for those mistaken perceptions, but in the end, it's how we view ourselves - inside and out - that the makes the difference. 

I appreciated de Rossi's complete and total honesty. I am sure it was a difficult book for her to write as she held nothing back. She laid it all out there for the whole world to see. Although she does talk a bit about her homosexuality and the role that played in her sickness, most of the book focused on the decisions that lead her down the path to an eating disorder, and then a detailed account of how that played out. I would recommend this book to any woman (or man for that matter) who has ever looked at herself in the mirror and not loved everything she sees. It's truly an eye-opener.


Thank you very much for your review, Rachel! --The Fiction Fairy