The Carrie Diaries – Candace Bushell

Synopsis – Meet Carrie Bradshaw before ‘Sex and the City!’

The Carrie Diaries is the coming-of-age story of one of the most iconic characters of our generation.

Before Sex and the City, Carrie Bradshaw was a small town girl who knew she wanted more. She’s ready for real life to start, but first she must navigate her senior year of high school. Up until now, Carrie and her friends have been inseparable. Then Sebastian Kydd comes into the picture, and a friend’s betrayal makes her question everything.
With an unforgettable cast of characters, The Carrie Diaries is the story of how a regular girl learns to think for herself, and evolves into a sharp, insightful writer. Readers will learn about her family background, how she found her writing voice, and the indelible impression her early friendships and relationships left on her. Through adventures both audacious and poignant, we’ll see what brings Carrie to her beloved New York City, where her new life begins.

My Thoughts – Sex and the City is my all time favourite TV show, ive probably seen every episode over 10 times each! However, i have never read any of the books, until now! i probably ahould have started with the actual Sex and the City Book, but i started with The Carrie Diaries. This book starts with Carrie as a teenager, in her final year of school before she goes to collage. I really enjoyed reading this book, i read it in just over a day. It read very easily, with the same sort of plot lines that every book about teenage girls has, boys, parties, friends, fallings out, cliques, etc. Although this is a young adult book, i really enjoyed reading it. even if you have no interest in Sex and the City as a TV programme, this book is definitaly one to read. There is also a sequal out, so that is definitaly going on the wishlist, along with the other sex and the city books

Rating – 4.5/5

Songs of the Humpback Whale – Jodi Picoult

Synopsis – Back in print by popular demand, national bestselling author Jodi Picoult’s acclaimed debut novel treats fans old and new to a beautiful, poignant story of family, friendship and love. Jodi Picoult’s powerful novel portrays an emotionaly charged marriage that changes course in one explosive moment. For years, Jane Jones has lived in the shadow of her husband, renowned San Diego oceanographer Oliver Jones. But during an escalating argument, Janes turns to him with an alarming volatility. In anger and fear, Jane leaves with her teenage daughter, Rebecca, for a cross-country odyssey. Charted by letters from her borther Joley, they are guided to his Massachusetts apple farm, where surprising self-discoveries await. Now Oliver, an expert at tracking humpback whales across vast oceans, will search for his wife across a continent, and find a new way to see the world, his family, and himself: through her eyes.

My Thoughts – This is not my first picoult book but I have to say its my least favourite that I have read. However, I did enjoy it, but it was quite confusing as it jumped about in parts and it was hard to follow in places. The story was good, and I did get into it at times, but not one I would read again.

Envy – Coleen Nolan

Synopsis – Television favourite Karen King loves three things: her job as presenter on a late night talk show, her gorgeous husband Jason, and her Spanx® pants, guaranteed to give the plumpest woman a waistline. She’s happy, but fate is about to turn her ordered world upside down. Surprise number one is finding Jason in bed with a young blonde. Karen’s barely over the shock when she’s hotly tipped to take over primetime’s highest-rating chat show. She wants the job – but so do some of the biggest divas in showbiz, not least the icy Julia Hill who will do absolutely anything to sabotage Karen. As the biggest catfight in town kicks off can Karen sort out her life and win television’s greatest prize? With its glamorous characters and captivating heroine, Envy is a sexy, funny, unforgettable read.

My Thoughts – for people that arent really familar with Coleen Nolan, she is a member of The Nolans and does a lot of TV presenting here in the UK, mainly known for Loose Women. This is her first book and I brought it because I’m quite a fan of hers. I didnt expect it to ne up to much, but I was wrong! it was a fantastic read. it centres on a chat show with all women speakers (very simular to loose women)and all their lives and people within it. I did find the ammount of characters confusing at the start, and did have to keep refreshing things in my mind as to who they were, but other than that I got really hooked on the book. I also thought that the character of karen could have been based a little on Coleen herself.

A brilliant summer read, perfect for laying on the beach reading. The sequal has just been released and I am definatly going to give that one a read!

Rating – 4/5

The Lost Symbol – Dan Brown

Synopsis – WHAT WAS LOST WILL BE FOUND…

Washington DC: Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is summoned at the last minute to deliver an evening lecture in the Capitol Building. Within moments of his arrival, however, a disturbing object – gruesomely encoded with five symbols – is discovered at the epicentre of the Rotunda. It is, he recognises, an ancient invitation, meant to beckon its recipient towards a long-lost world of hidden esoteric wisdom.

When Langdon’s revered mentor, Peter Solomon – philanthropist and prominent mason – is brutally kidnapped, Langdon realizes that his only hope of saving his friend’s life is to accept this mysterious summons and follow wherever it leads him.

Langdon finds himself quickly swept behind the facade of America’s most historic city into the unseen chambers, temples and tunnels which exist there. All that was familiar is transformed into a shadowy, clandestine world of an artfully concealed past in which Masonic secrets and never-before-seen revelations seem to be leading him to a single impossible and inconceivable truth.

A brilliantly composed tapestry of veiled histories, arcane icons and enigmatic codes, The Lost Symbol is an intelligent, lightning-paced thriller that offers surprises at every turn. For, as Robert Langdon will discover, there is nothing more extraordinary or shocking than the secret which hides in plain sight…

My thoughts – to start with I was a bit weary about picking up this book, mainly because I had found Angels and Demons the same as The Da Vinci Code. While some of the themes in the books were the same, I found this book much more enjoyable. I found it very difficult to put down at times and would highly recommend it! I found the plot very interesting and also liked how the story changed perspective all the time, its a very fast paced book! A very enjoyable read, and anyone considering reading this do

Rating – 4/5

Musing Mondays 25th April

Do the members of your family read? Do you think it was passed down to you? ((or, if you want you can answer this: Who do you think influenced you as a reader?))
some members of my family read, but nobody in my family reads as much as i do.

My mum reads a book about a month or so, but normally the same ones over and over. however, at the moment she keeps seeing the books im reading and borrowing them!

My dad reads occassionally but not all that much, and normally they are crime books.

My boyfriend never really read either, but he is slowly reading now too!

www wednesdays

What did you recently finish reading?

Dan Brown – The lost symbol

What are you currently reading?

Envy – Coleen Nolan

What do you think you will read next?

Songs of the humpback whale – Jodi Picoult

 

JLS: Our Private Diary

Synopsis – With a triple platinum no. 1 album, two no. 1 singles, two Brits, two MOBO awards, a sell-out UK tour and a no. 1 bestselling book, it has been quite a year for JLS! Follow them backstage in this private diary and discover what life is like as the UK’s hottest boy band!

By far the most successful band ever to come out of the X Factor, JLS went from strength to strength in 2009 and are set to become one of the biggest boy bands the UK has ever seen. With their loyal legion of screaming fans, JLS are a true pop sensation.

Since finishing X Factor – as the first band ever to make the finals – the boys have achieved things that did not seem possible 12 months ago. Two no. 1 singles, a no. 1 bestselling book, a no.1 album, two Brits and two MOBO Awards are just a few of the amazing list of achievements that JLS have notched up in 2009.

Just Between Us: Our Private Diary is an exclusive peek inside their phenomenal world. Join Aston, Ortisé, Marvin and JB as they hang out with their famous friends, appear on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, team up with Alexandra Burke on their triumphant return to X Factor, create mass hysteria by switching on the Christmas lights in Manchester and much much more.

Jam packed full of unseen photos shot especially for the book, plus behind-the-scenes gossip and never-before-seen video footage of the band, the awesome story of JLS’s year is a must-have for any true fan.

Synopsis – I think this may be a book that I have never seen discussed here, and is probably not to everyones tastes! JLS is most difitaly my favourite band, hence my avatar! I watched their first x factor auditon and thought that they would be good from that! Anyway, this is there second book, its a brilliant read for any JLS fan. it follows them for almost a year, taking it from the recording of their first single, covering awards, albums and everything in between. also some of the photographs are absolutly stunning! A must have for any JLS fan!

Its monday what are you reading?

Busy busy busy again, i wissh i had more time for reading sometimes!

since last taking part in this i have read

Wicked – Gregory Maguire

JLS: Our Private Diary

im currently reading The Lost Symbol – Dan Brown and really cant get enough of it!

Ive also brought a couple more books, Room by Emma Donaghue and The Ghost writer!