My Thoughts On Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons

Source:  Goodreads

Goodreads Summary

The women of Freesia Court are convinced there is nothing good coffee, delectable desserts, and a strong shoulder can't fix.  Laughter is the glue that holds them together--the foundation of a book group they call AHEB (Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons), an unofficial club that becomes much more.  It becomes a lifeline.  Holding on through forty eventful years...

Faith, Merit, Kari, Audrey, and Slip are the unforgettable women we read about in Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons.  They are five very different women, but they have three very important things in common.  They're all wives, mothers, and book lovers which leads to a book club and a more than forty year friendship.  I read this thinking it was going to be a light, chic-lit read, but I have to say that titles can be deceiving.  This book is anything but light.  Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons covers about every social issue from the last sixty years...domestic violence, race, politics, homosexuality, religion, child abuse, addiction, promiscuity, adoption, women's rights, and war.

I really liked this book and I loved the characters.  My favorite thing about the book is how Landvik used all the women to narrate the book.  We get to hear the story from all their different points of view.  We know what's really going on with each one when the other women don't.

I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys chic-lit or women's fiction.

My Thoughts On "Wallflower In Bloom"

Source:  Goodreads

Summary from the Kindle Edition...

Deirdre Griffin has a great life; it's just not her own.  She's the around-the-clock personal assistant to her charismatic, high-maintenance, New Age guru brother, Tag.  As the family wallflower, her only worth seems to be as gatekeeper to Tag at his New England seaside compound.
Then Deirdre's sometime boyfriend informs her that he is marrying another woman, who just happens to be having the baby he told Deirdre he never wanted.  While drowning her sorrows in Tag's expensive vodka, Deirdre decides to use his massive online following to get herself voted on as a last-minute Dancing with the Stars replacement.  It'll get her back in shape, mentally and physically.  It might even get her a life of her own.  Deirdre's fifteen minutes of fame have begun.
Irresistible and offbeat, Wallflower in Bloom is an original and deeply satisfying story of having the courage to take a leap into the spotlight, not matter where you land.

I have to start out by saying that I've been looking forward to reading this one for a while.  I love the cover...it's just pretty.  And I'm happy to say the book didn't disappoint.  I really enjoyed it.

I love character driven books.  If I fall in love with the characters most likely I'll love the book.  Wallflower in Bloom is definitely character driven.  Deirdre is so funny and and easy to relate to, and I found her sarcasm hilarious.  More than that though, Deirdre is a conflicted, complicated woman who deals with (not always gracefully) a lot of the same issues many women deal with...weight, depression, men, family, work.  Who among us women hasn't had to deal with issues in at least on of these areas?  And somehow it makes us feel better knowing there are others out there who are going through what we are...even if it is a fictional character.

If you are a fan of chic-lit or women's fiction, I know you'll like this one.

My Thoughts On "Confessions of a Shopaholic"

Source:  Goodreads

Confessions of a Shopaholic is about Rebecca Bloomwood.  A young woman whose job as a finance journalist bores her to tears and even worse pays little.  Even so, she is addicted to shopping and continues to buy things that she can't afford (nor does she need) until she stumbles across a finance story that just might change her life in more ways than one.

When I think of Chic-lit, Confessions of a Shopaholic is what comes to mind.  To be honest, I didn't think I'd like this book.  I'm not very girly and I don't like shopping that much.  I'm not into jewelry or clothes or make-up.  The only things I truly like to shop for are things for my daughter and books.  But I'm happy to say that I was wrong about this book.  It was a cute, funny book, and I really liked it.  I've read a few reviews that said this book is all that's wrong with young people these days, teaching the wrong values, etc., but I think these people are taking the book too seriously.  I mean it's obvious that Rebecca has a problem.  It's obvious that her lifestyle is making her miserable, and it's obvious that she eventually realizes that and tries to do better.  If anything I see it as a cautionary tale.  I think people relate to this book because most of us have had financial trouble in our life, and we tend to do what Rebecca did...ignore it until we can't ignore it anymore.

I really liked Confessions of a Shopaholic, and I plan to read the rest of the books in the Shopaholic series.
I know most people who enjoy chic-lit have already read this, but if you aren't a huge chic-lit fan or you just missed it somehow you should give it a try.  It was a fast, funny read, and I'm glad i finally got around to reading it.

My Thoughts On "Single Girl Summer"

Source:  Goodreads

Single Girl Summer is a book about three very different but very independent women.  Meg is newly divorced and trying to find her way.  Dawn is impatiently waiting for her "perfect" boyfriend to propose, and Button is too scared to love or trust anyone.  They're all intent on facing their battles alone, but they soon discover that they just might need each other.

I liked this book, and I liked the characters.  I have to say that I didn't relate to them at all though.  They were definitely modern career women from the city, while I'm an old-fashioned,  conservative, stay at home wife and mom from the country.   My life couldn't be more different from theirs.  I didn't always agree with what they did and said, but I really enjoyed the story.  I believe that's what reading should be about.  What fun is it to always read about people just like you?

 I especially liked reading about Button's growth over the span of the book, and one of my favorite parts was reading about all their "single girl summer outings" in and around the city of Chicago.

If you are a fan of Chic-lit, I think you'll enjoy this book.