The Night The Lights Went Out by Karen White

Look what comes out today:

(Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book!)

How exciting! A new book by bestselling author, Karen White.  In her latest book, The Night The Lights Went Out...

"Recently divorced, Merilee Talbot Dunlap moves with her two children to the Atlanta suburb of Sweet Apple, Georgia. It’s not her first time starting over, but her efforts at a new beginning aren’t helped by an anonymous local blog that dishes about the scandalous events that caused her marriage to fail.

Merilee finds some measure of peace in the cottage she is renting from town matriarch Sugar Prescott. Though stubborn and irascible, Sugar sees something of herself in Merilee—something that allows her to open up about her own colorful past.

Sugar’s stories give Merilee a different perspective on the town and its wealthy school moms in their tennis whites and shiny SUVs, and even on her new friendship with Heather Blackford. Merilee is charmed by the glamorous young mother’s seemingly perfect life and finds herself drawn into Heather's world.

In a town like Sweet Apple, where sins and secrets are as likely to be found behind the walls of gated mansions as in the dark woods surrounding Merilee’s house, appearance is everything. But just how dangerous that deception can be will shock all three women...."

How good does that sound!?!  Like a must-read, right? Well it is! You won't want to miss out on all the DRAMA, unforgettable characters, top notch writing, and unputdownable story lines.  This book is fantastic! I just loved getting caught up in the friendships, mystery, and suspense of it all. Such a fun read I stayed up til the wee hours finishing this story - I had to find out what happened!  I would most definitely recommend The Night The Lights Went Out by Karen White to fans of her work and anyone looking for their next great read - you will LOVE this book!!

Just Finished Reading...

I actually finished reading these two awhile ago, but never got around to posting about them, so here goes:

Friendship is the story of two best friends, Bev and Amy.  They are nearly thirty years old, struggling to make ends meet, and unsure of what they want to do with their lives.  Their friendship consists of calling each other "dude", whinging about men and work, and pretending to support/encourage one another.  Its a pretty vapid pair of characters, but for some reason I found myself hooked on their story.  I think it had to with the fact that this book reminded me of an episode of Girls (a show that I love), except it didn't have the intelligence and wit of a Lena Dunham script.  And yet, I could easily imagine these two women being a Marnie, Hannah, Jessa, or Shosh.  Why?  Well, because they just happen to be two of the laziest and most self-absorbed people I've ever read about.  Seriously!  They view dates (both friend and romantic) as a means of getting free meals, jobs as a place to socialize with friends (via Gchat), and money as something they should just be given (because why should they have to actually work for it).  They constantly make bad decisions - like sleeping with their 'friend's' husband while they are all staying under the same roof, or deciding that said 'friend' should raise Bev's baby (because she's rich and Bev's not).  How crazy is that!?  They are a bad reality show that I just couldn't stop watching.  Oh, and as for their friendship, well lets just say that it goes kaput when Amy can't seem to wrap her head around Bev's decision to become a baby mama.  Yep, Bev's keeping her baby.  Talk about a dramatic friendship, eh?  Gould really seemed keen on exploring the bad and good that go with being best friends and I absolutely loved it.  She showed Amy and Bev being unsupportive, jealous, petty, and very critical of one another; at the same time, she did share moments when their love for one another shone through and those were the moments I enjoyed reading.  I definitely enjoyed getting to know Bev and Amy, in spite of their attitudes of entitlement - they were two women figuring out what it means to finally grow up. 

As for My Salinger Year - OMG!! Love, love, love!!  This book was fantastic!  I absolutely loved getting to know Joanna Rakoff through her book about her year working at The Agency, a literary agency in NYC, in 1996.  Having just graduated, this if her first actual job and she throws herself into it with gusto.  Of course, she quickly learns that her boss isn't the kind of boss you want to show your 'gusto' off to.   As Joanna navigates the ins and outs of office life, she begins to learn more and more about her boss, Salinger, her boyfriend, her friends, the literary world, her writing, and her self.   We also get to read about NYC through Joanna's eyes - her daily trek into work via the subway, the Plath-ish style of dress favored by the literatti, the shabby apartment she shared with her writer boyfriend, the icy cold weather that blankets the streets, the hotels and restaurants she desires to eat in, and the bustle of the crowds surrounding her.    Joanna writes about her life in such a relatable manner, that you can't help but find yourself lost in her life story.  When she gets to read Judy Blume's latest work before anyone else has, you are excited for her.  When she meets Salinger and he remembers her from their phone calls, you cheer for her.  And when she finally reads Salinger's books and discovers for herself why they are so beloved - you can't help but envy her just a bit, because who doesn't love discovering a new favorite writer for the first time?  My Salinger Year is a memoir that is delightful, engaging, and unputdownable.  I loved it!

Now, I'm off to read more of It.  I'm at the part where Ritchie's reminiscing about his first encounter with It, so I'm eager to find out where his memories take him.  Hope everyone's enjoying a good book as well.  Happy reading!

The Lost Girls by Jennifer Baggett, Holly C. Corbett and Amanda Pressner

From back of book:

three friends.  four continents.  one unconventional detour around the world.

With their thirtieth birthdays looming, Jen, Holly, and Amanda are feeling the pressure to hit certain milestones - score the big promotion, find a soul mate, have 2.2 kids.  Instead, they make a pact to quit their jobs, leave behind everything familiar, and embark on a yearlong round-the-world search for inspiration and direction.

Traveling 60,000 miles across four continents, Jen, Holly, and Amanda push themselves far outside their comfort zones to embrace every adventure.  Ultimately, theirs is a story of true friendship - a bond forged by sharing beds and backpacks, enduring exotic illnesses, trekking across the mountains, and standing by one another through heartaches, whirlwind romances, and everything in the world in between.

My thoughts:

This book is just what I needed to inspire me to make my 40 before 40 list ( a list of 40 things I want to do before I turn 40 ).  Its a book about friendship, travel, inspiration, and discovering who you are.

Three friends (Jennifer, Holly and Amanda) are on vacation in Brazil talking about all the dreaded work that they have to face once they return to NYC and they are most definitely not looking forward to any of it. Jokingly, they discuss what it would be like to take off for one whole year and just travel around the world. 

They would finally be able to really see the world and all it has to offer, whilst searching for the inspiration needed in helping them to decide what it is they truly want to be doing with their lives - such as, figuring out if they are on the right career path.  Plus, they would be able to achieve some of their dreams, like hiking the Inca Trail, volunteering in Kenya, training to become a yoga teacher and hanging out with the Maasai.  One whole year of travel could really change their lives.

Of course, talking about it is one thing.  Could these three successful and career-driven women really choose to give up their jobs and lives in NYC for one whole year?  Would they be willing to risk what they had worked so hard for in order to take time out for themselves?  Yes, they could and yes, they would. 

Not long after their vacation in Brazil, Jennifer, Amanda and Holly meet up to discuss turning their year long dream trip into a reality - ASAP!  Soon they are sketching out an itinerary of all the places they want to visit and how long they want to spend at each place, along with figuring out how much money it will take to make this trip come to fruition.  They also begin to realize just how much this trip will cost them with regards to their careers and personal relationships.  Filled with excitement and fear, they book their tickets and are soon packing their bags and headed to their first stop - Peru!

Talk about a fun, interesting and inspiring read.  Not only do we get to know Jennifer, Amanda and Holly as they take us along their year long journey, but we also get to learn about all of these new and exciting places they get to visit.  Its as if we are right alongside them on this journey of self-discovery - we get to hear about all the yucky roaches, their restroom rating system and the language barriers that cropped up from time to time.  We also get to read about their adventures as they trek through jungles, meditate at a yoga retreat, dance til dawn at nightclubs, and sleep on grungy beds in hostels.  From the people they meet to the way a sunset makes them feel, we begin to notice the changes slowly taking place within these women and the fact that they are starting to realize just how lucky they are in their lives already.  Of course, along the way there are arguments, hugs, lots of laughter and an overall appreciation for one another. 

A true testament to friendship, this book really does provide a genuine feel of what these three women mean to each other and what this year means to them; which makes me glad that they decided to chronicle their year of travel.  I found this book to be interesting, fun and inspirational.  Its made me take stock of what I have in my life and also what it is that I want to get out of life.  Of course, its made me want to travel, too. All in all, this is definitely a book I would recommend to anyone interested in reading about friendship, travel and self-discovery. 

Thanks to  TLC Book Tours for letting me be a part of this book's tour.