Jennifer

May 22, 2013 | Published in Fiction, Jennifer

The Love Wars #SRC2013

Given the subject of this novel, Molly Grant, divorce lawyer to the rich and ruthless, I am surprised how much I loved it. Divorce happens — it’s happened to friends of mine, it happened to my parents — so I’m not just living in perfect-marriage blissworld. That said, it’s a difficult topic to approach in a genuine way. I wouldn’t want to read a jokey lighthearted fictional approach to marriage, but truly plumbing the depths of the devastation isn’t really “entertainment” either.

The Love Wars isn’t really a story about divorce. It’s a story about a divorce firm, and specifically attorney Molly Grant’s move from corporate to civil law. This is a true “workplace drama” setting. This was one of the most charming elements of this novel, getting a true look at the arrogant partners, the associates’ long hours that they work as they try to make partner, the relationships that are formed between associates, the involvement in clients’ cases, and sometimes — especially in Molly’s case — in their lives.

I think that because the clients are profiled are the uber-rich and spoiled, there wasn’t as much of an emotional attachment for me. I ended up with a vague feeling that those who were wronged were better off without the rich jerks, though those aren’t my true values in regards to marriage. Divorce isn’t really good for anyone, save the few abused spouses, and even then it’s not easy. And this side is apparent as well, as children are dragged through custody battles etc etc.

There’s an interesting twist to the corporate angle with one of Molly’s particular cases, and of course a little romantic tension. L. Alison Heller used her real-life experience in law to give The Love Wars a fantastic setting that made for a great read.

This book is included in the BookSparks Summer Reading Challenge, and I agree that it has the right elements for a light but totally absorbing summer read.

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What a Mother Knows {Review and Giveaway}

I enjoyed What a Mother Knows for the plot, but I felt that the pacing or the writing was off in places. That said, for me, sometimes all I want is a book that will just carry me away to a different place, and I definitely got this from this book. In the suspense genre, that’s what is expected — a great plot with some twists and turns.

Michelle Mason is returning home after two years. She’s been in a medically induced coma and then in rehab recovering from her numerous injuries. Because everyone thought she needed to stay calm and not worry, they’ve kept secrets from her — secrets about her daughter, who she thinks is being an exchange student in Australia, but is really missing; secrets about the accident, in which a passenger was killed; secrets about her husband, who has been working on the other side of the country.

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When in Doubt, Read it Yourself
{On Reading}

As parents, we try to screen our children from media that we find unacceptable for their age, and it’s no different from books. We try to give an idea of content that might be objectionable for the age in our children’s book reviews, but since content varies from person to person, what seems okay to me for an upper middle-grade reader might not be okay for you (you can always leave a comment asking the reviewer about the specifics).

I remember when there was a lot of furor over the Harry Potter books. Some conservative Christians protested their inclusion in school libraries and classroom curriculum.

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And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini, a 5-Star Read

Last month I did a reread of The Kite Runner (linked to my review) in anticipation of the review copy of Khaled Hosseini’s new novel And the Mountains Echoed that I knew was on its way. I was pretty much wowed all over again, but let me tell you that if you are worried about his latest novel living up to his first or to A Thousand Splendid Suns — don’t. I think that his latest novel is the best of the three. It combines the great plot of The Kite Runner with the emotional character development of A Thousand Splendid Suns.

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Because I’m Your Dad {Review and Giveaway}

Dads are different from moms. In fact, each parent is different from every other. I like the way this book highlights that, as Ahmet Zappa pays tribute to his father Frank, and yet doesn’t fully bow to all the stereotypes of fun dad versus taking-care-of-business mom.

Please click over to 5 Minutes for Mom to read my full review of Because I’m Your Dad, where you can enter to win the book and the fun monster bowling set pictured below.

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One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully

You can’t be a Christian mom blogger or anyone who is familiar with any Christian mom bloggers online, and not know of Ann Voskamp. Or maybe you aren’t familiar with her online, but you’ve certainly heard someone sing praises — or maybe express reservations — about her book One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are.

I was sent an email last week asking if I wanted to do a last minute Mother’s Day review and/or giveaway of the book, and I knew I wanted to. I bought the book on my Kindle a while ago, but had never gotten around to reading it, so I decided that I’d try to get through some of it, so I could do some sort of review as well.

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Paperboy, a 5-Star Read

A strong setting takes a run of the mill novel and raises it up. This novel is aptly titled, because in reading it, one truly gets what it’s like to be a Paperboy. The boy (unnamed throughout most of the novel) is taking over his friend’s paper route while he’s away for the summer, so as he learns the ropes, so does the reader. However, this paperboy has to struggle with something that others probably do not — his stutter. So talking to the customers and asking for payment is a challenge.

However, at 11, he’s at the time in his life when he’s going from being a little boy to entering into adolescence which brings more awkwardness, but also more determination and pride.

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Hand Me Down

Hand Me Down by Melanie Thorne was a hard novel to read. It is the story of fourteen-year-old Liz, who is moved around from home to home, put second after a man in her mother’s eyes, and second to booze and money in her father’s eyes. She worries. She worries that no one will want her. She worries for the safety of her younger sister. She worries that she won’t be able to keep it together through high school enough to gain entry into college, which she knows is her way out.

When her mother’s new husband gets out of prison, she asks Liz to move out, because his parole officer won’t let him live in a house with a female minor.

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My Planet: Finding Humor in the Oddest Places by Mary Roach

I’ve been meaning to read Mary Roach for a while. I’ve heard that she can tackle a subject (space, sex, death) in a way as to provide information in an entertaining, and even funny, way, so when I was given the opportunity to receive a review copy of this collection, I jumped at it with no hesitation.

Please click over to read my full review of My Planet on 5 Minutes for Mom. You can find out exactly why I enjoyed reading this funny book of essays, and then you can enter to win your own copy.

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The Lost Husband by Katherine Center

Libby and her two school-aged children have been living with her mother — with whom she has a somewhat strained relationship — for two years, since she lost her home after her husband died suddenly. She gets a letter out of the blue from her aunt Jean inviting them to come live on her goat farm in the country, because she needs help.

Libby has only known her as “crazy Aunt Jean,” as characterized by her mother, who is completely estranged from her. But Libby is ready for a change, so she packs up the family and heads to Atwater, Texas.

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A Heart Like Mine

I like audiobooks, but had been in a bit of a slump. This was a good audiobook rendition, so that helped get me excited about listening, but it was also an excellent novel by Amy Hatvany, no matter what the format.

I was first introduced to Hatvany’s work when I read and reviewed The Language of Sisters. It was sort of chick-lit-ish, but it was also a little more emotionally resonant than I expect from that genre. However, Heart Like Mine was exactly what I love in my women’s fiction: real issues tackled in a deep way. It reminded me a lot of Jodi Picoult’s work which deals with women’s issues, even as far as telling the story in alternating points of view (which is probably one of my favorite types of narrative).

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Scaredy Squirrel Goes Camping

Scaredy Squirrel Goes Camping is the latest offering from Melanie Watt and Kids Can Press. I love Scaredy Squirrel (linked to some our past coverage). But until a book showed up on my doorstep, I didn’t even realize that there was a new one out this month. I left it out on the coffee table to be discovered, and sure enough both of my Scaredy Squirrel fans, 9 and 14, dug right in.

Their mom (that’s me) was a little less enthusiastic. I was excited to know it existed in general, but as far as real excitement about the story itself?

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