How to be an American Housewife

Book Review:

When Shoko decided to marry an American GI and leave Japan, she had her parents blessing, her brothers scorn and a gift from her betrothed-a book titled How to be an american housewife. As she crossed the ocean to America, Shoko also carried a secret she wanted to keep her entire life.

Half a century later, Shoko's plans to finally return to Japan and reconcile with her brother are derailed by illness. Instead, she sends her grown American daughter, Sue, a divorced single mother with a teenage daughter of her own. As Sue and Helena take in Japan, with all its beauty and contradictions, they also discover another  side of Shoko, and return to America irrevocably touched, irrevocably changed. 

My review:

This was a simple, enjoyable book to read. I didn't read the whole thing in one sitting, it took me about a week to finish. But I enjoyed it. I really love learning about Japan and japanese people and customs, and even how different they parent than americans do.  This isn't a book that is going to suck you in, but it is interesting and a book I would recommend.

3.5 out of 5 rating.

Rainshadow Road

Book Description:

Lucy Marinn is a glass artist living in mystical, beautiful Friday Harbor Washington, with a boyfriend, Kevin, who she believes is her soul mate. She has always had a magical side-a gift that finds its way into the breathtaking glasswork she creates-and she struggles to keep it contained. But when Lucy is blindsided by the most bitter kind of betrayal, she questions many of her choices. Her boyfriend leaves her and his new lover is none other than Lucys own sister. Lucys bitterness over this devastation is multiplied by the fact that she has constantly made the wrong choices in her romantic life.

Meanwhile, facing the sever disapproval of Lucys family, Kevin asks his friend Sam Nolan, a local vineyard owner on San Juan Island, to "romance" Lucky so that she can more easily move on. But when Sam and Lucy begin to feel real sparks between them, Lucy must ask her self if she can easily risk her heart again.

As Lucy questions her beliefs about love, loyalty, old patterns, mistakes, and new beginnings, she explores the possibility that some things in life-even after being broken-can be re-made into something beautiful. And that it is only by discovering who you really are that you can find the one who truly deserves you.

My review:

So, I started reading this book while in the middle of reading another book ( The Madea Complex), for no other reason then because I wanted to read in the bath and I don't dare take my kindle in the bath with me. :) To tell you the difference, I finished this book in less than a day, compared with the other one. I really enjoyed learning a little bit about glasswork and also vineyarding. I liked the story and the characters, they added a little bit of magic into the story which I liked, as they did it in a way that wasn't too unbelievable. Her sister and ex-boyfriend made me dang mad. I don't know if I could get over something like that. I love a good love story, it doesn't take much to suck me in and keep me entertained. A word of caution, this is an adult book, with a few "F" words and a few sex scenes. But other than that it was a entertaining, easy read and I really enjoyed it.

My rating:

4 out of 5

The Madea Complex

Book Description:

1885. Anne Stanbury. Committed to a lunatic asylum, having been deemed insane and therefore unfit to stand trial for the crime of which she is indicted. But is all as it seems? Edgar Stanbury. The grieving husband and father who is torn between helping his confined wife recover her sanity and seeking revenge on the woman who ruined his life. 
Dr George Savage. The well-respected psychiatrist and chief medical officer of Bethlem Royal Hospital. Ultimately, he holds Anne’s future wholly in his hands. 

I can't believe it has been this long between books. After I finished that last book, I didn't read for FOUR days!!! That never, ever, ever happens. I read every day. I mean, really. But for some reason I couldn't bring myself to pick up a new book. I had bought this one on my kindle for .99 because it had such a high review! BLAH on peoples reviews!!! Oh my gosh, it took me a week to read this book.  So slow, so boring, so complicated and hard to follow and understand. I am still not sure what really happened in this book.  I think I know, but I would have to read parts again to make sure, and there is no way I am doing that!!! I mean, from the description it sounds pretty interesting, but, man did it fall short for me.  Every chapter was a different person telling the story, and I had such a hard time keeping them all strait.  I was so glad when I finally finished this book, confused as I was.

My rating:

1 out of 5

The Lake and Troubled Waters(book 2)

Book Review: The Lake

At 17, Layla Weston is already starting over. Having lost both her parents and grandparents, and with nowhere else to go, Layla is moving from Florida to a small town in North Carolina to live with the only family she has left: her estranged uncle and aunt. 

The last five years of Layla’s life were spent appeasing her lessthan-loving grandmother, followed by being her grandfather’s caretaker. Growing old before her time, Layla lost her identity. Now she must learn how to allow herself to be the one cared for and loved. 

Life takes an unexpected turn when Layla meets Will Meyer. His breathtaking good looks are enough to catch her eye, but his sincerity and passion are everything she needs to find the strength and confidence she lost — and lead her into love. 

When tragedy once again strikes Layla’s life, her hope is all but completely crushed. Through it all, Layla learns what it means to truly love and be loved.

Troubled Waters:(Book 2):

College life for Layla Weston isn’t starting the way she’d intended. She’s revisiting the plans she once had to be the reclusive girl she wanted to be at Heyward Prep, and Layla is more than confident in her ability to succeed this time. After all, she’s got a whole new bag of secrets to keep. 

Still reeling from Will’s disappearance, Layla is doing her best to adjust to life back in Florida. She continues to hold out hope, confident she was meant to find Will’s ring for a reason. 

Just as Layla is starting to accept that she must keep moving forward, secrets from the past threaten Layla and her family. As Luke and Claire join with Layla to protect their family, Layla discovers that her uncle may not be the man she thought he was – and that there’s more to Will’s disappearance than she ever could have imagined.

My Review:

Ok, so this book was recommended to me by one of my Young Woman. I read lots of young adult books, and I usually love them all. Well, I guess I liked this book enough to buy the second one at 2.99, and there is a 3rd one but I can't bring myself to buy it...yet. Yes, overall, a good story. Layla lost her parents at 12, lived with her grandparents for 5 years, her grandmother blamed her for their deaths and wasn't very nice, took care of grandpa for 3 years after grandma died. Then grandpa dies and she goes to live with her aunt and uncle.  So, she moves, meets some new friends, and meets Will. And then the "there is no where in this book that is part of reality" part starts. The cheesiness between Layla and Will is so over the top and unrealistic, and I LIKE cheesiness, but it was just too much. And then her relationship with her aunt and uncle is just so AWESOME and PERFECT and AMAZING and its just too much!!! She makes instant great besties for life, even though she's spent the last 5 years having no social life at all, and then Will, the hottest, most sought after guy in town instantly falls in love with her, even though she has hardly ever even talked to a boy. Ok, so, it was a little cheesy. But the story intrigued me enough to buy the 2nd book,  but not the 3rd. Too unrealistic, too over the top cheesy, just not my kind of love story.

 Maybe someday I'll read the 3rd and final book. 

3 out of 5 rating.

The Language of Flowers

The Victorian language of flowers was used to convey romantic expressions: honeysuckle for devotion, asters for patience, and red roses for love. But for Victoria Jones, its been more useful in communicating grief, mistrust and solitude. After a childhood spent in the foster care system, she is unable to get close to anybody, and her only connection to the world is through flowers and their meanings.  Now eighteen and emancipated from the system, Victoria has nowhere to go and sleeps in a public park, where she plants a small garden of her own. Soon a local florist discovers her talents, and Victoria realizes she has a gift for helping others through the flowers she chooses for them. But a mysterious vendor at the flower market has her questioning what's been missing in her life, and when she's forced to confront a painful secret from her past, she must decide whether it's worth risking everything for a second chance of happiness.

My review:

 I loved this book. It was beautiful.  To learn so much about flowers and what each one means, I really wanted to become a florist and know about flowers. Victorias life has been so sad, moved from foster home to foster home her whole life. She has closed herself off from everyone. But she finally starts to open up, and it was great to see her growing and changing. She goes through some really hard things, confronts really hard things from her past, it makes your heart ache for her. I highly recommend this book, I picked it up on saturday morning, and finished it saturday night. It was interesting, engaging, I loved all the characters in it and the story line. It was great.

4.5 out of 5 rating.