When Jess if found dead and Jacob is accused of murdering her, the reader gets an in depth look into how law enforcement and the court system handles a person with autism. It's really quite interesting. You really feel for Jacob's plight and want to jump in and help him out. Due to his socialization issues, the court process is very frustrating for him, to say the least. A very large chunk of this book details the entire process, from Jacob's arrest through to the end of the trial.

The book is told from the viewpoints of Jacob, his mother, Emma, his brother, Theo, his lawyer, Oliver, and the police officer who arrested him, Rich. At first I thought I would get confused with all these viewpoints, but I didn't. I don't know that we needed them all, but it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the story and I didn't get confused at all while reading it.

You will grow to love Jacob, Emma, and Theo and feel for how their lives were like growing up with Jacob's autism. Emma is such a strong mother, who never gave up on Jacob (like her ex-husband did when he left shortly after Theo was born). She has fought his entire life to get the accommodations that he needs to be successful in his life. We get a glimpse of her frustrations throughout this process and it is heartbreaking.

I really liked this book and I would highly recommend it! I'd rate it 4 stars.

So, I have an entire shelf of my bookcase devoted to Jodi Picoult books.  I think there are 15 books on it!  Yikes!  So, I've decided to do a Jodi Picoult reading challenge in 2010.  My goal is to pare down this shelf by half, so I want to read at least 8 of the books.  I'll keep track here of my progress and the books I've read! 

I'm not sure if there is much interest from other readers and I've never hosted a reading challenge, so this is more of a personal challenge for me.  If anyone else is interested in participating, please post a link to your challenge post in Mr. Linky and we can connect as we read her books!  I also have no expertise or graphic design knowledge, so I'm clueless about making a fun little challenge badge.  If anyone is so inclined, I would be most appreciative!!

Come join me as we read some in-depth, thought-provoking Jodi Picoult books in 2010!  Just commit to reading at least one of her books and you can join in the challenge!  No other rules!  :)

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Hi everyone!  Sorry I disappeared this last week!  I got the stomach flu and strained my back, so I've been resting and reading this past week! 

How was your holiday?  For Christmas, my parents bought me a COOL-ER e-book reader (more on that soon, in a new post!) and I'm so excited to really dive in!  Once I get the hang of it and actually start using it, I'll be sure to post my thoughts!  So far, so good, though!  It will definitely supplement my paper books, not replace them!  Did anyone else get an e-book reader?  What brand and how do you like it so far? 

My hubby bought me a large-size Lightwedge from Barnes & Noble, which I love.  I've been using a smaller one for my MMP books, but this larger one is great for the trade-size and hardcover books I have.  I love these things!!

I also received two books from my grandma - THE HELP and the latest Oprah pick, which my mind is blanking on at the moment!  I've heard fabulous things about both, so I'm really excited to dive into them next year!

Those are the bookish things I got.  I also got The Sims 3 PC game and The Sims 3 World Adventures Expansion Pack, clothes, board games, and other little goodies.  Other than being sick, I had a wonderful Christmas!!  How was yours?  I'd love to hear what you got, so please share!!

Talk to you soon!!!
Jennifer

And what about Jack, the reason for this trip back in time? Well, suffice it to say that Jillian faces some different challenges in that relationship!

I really enjoyed this book, but I felt that the ending was a bit rushed and I would have liked to have seen it fleshed out a bit more. I want to know how the supporting characters came to be where they were at the end. I felt that I only got a glimpse and I can assume things that happened, but I really wanted the author to show me more. Yes, the ending is predictable, but it’s not so much about the ending, but more about the journey that Jillian takes. All in all, it was a compelling read that I enjoyed. This is a story of self-discovery and taking responsibility for our own happiness. It sends a positive, uplifting message. I am looking forward to reading the author’s other books.

I would rate this book with a strong 4 out of 5 stars.

So, tell me, is there a decision from your past that you wish you could go back and redo?

When Lucy arrives home from a sleepover to find her mother dead under a stack of National Geographics, she starts to dial 911 in a panic, but pauses before she can connect. She barely notices the filth and trash anymore, but she knows the paramedics will. First the fire trucks, and then news cameras that will surely follow. No longer will they be remembered as the nice oncology nurse with the lovely children—they'll turn into that garbage-hoarding freak family on Collier Avenue.

Recap of last week:

I participated in a blog tour for RAIN DANCE by Joy DeKok.  This book was phenomenal!!  I think it was even more profound due to my personal circumstances.  Definitely my best read of 2009!  I currently am sponsoring a giveaway for this book so click here to get your entry!  The contest ends January 6!


Continuing this week:

I started TIME OF MY LIFE by Allison Winn Scotch and I'm almost finished with it.  This is a really interesting story and I'm really enjoying it!  I can't wait to see how it ends!


I will also be starting HOUSE RULES by Jodi Picoult as soon as finish Time of My Life.

3. No need to list your books in advance. You may select books as you go. Even if you list them now, you can change the list if needed.

4. Crossovers from other reading challenges count.

5. Challenge begins January 1st thru December, 2010. Books started before the 1st do not count.

My list of books:

1. Breaking Dawn (Twilight, Bk 4) by Stephenie Meyer (January)  --  3 stars
2. Bleed by Laurie Faria Stolarz (January)  --  3.5 stars
3. Smart and Sexy by Jill Shalvis (January)  --  2.5 stars
4. Look Again by Lisa Scottoline (January)  --  3.5 stars
5. Snuff by Chuck Palahniuk (January)  --  1 star
6. No Time to Wave Goodbye by Jacquelyn Mitchard (January)  --  3 stars
7. Eternal on the Water by Joseph Monninger (January)  --   3.5 stars
8. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford (January)  --  4.5 stars
9. Cracked Up to Be by Courtney Summers (January)  --  3.5 stars
10. Shadows Still Remain by Peter de Jonge (January)  --  2.5 stars
11. The Sign for Drowning by Rachel Stolzman (January)  --  4 stars
12. Still Alice by Lisa Genova (February)  --  5 stars
13. The Red Thread by Ann Hood (February)  --  5 stars
14. The Last Surgeon by Michael Palmer  --  4 stars
15. Willow by Julia Hoban  --  4.5 stars
16. Not My Daughter by Barbara Delinsky  --  4 stars
17. Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers  --  4 stars
18. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (March)  --  5+ stars
19. Scandal Sheet by Gemma Halliday  --  3 stars
20. Shakespeare's Champion by Charlaine Harris  --  2.5 stars
21. A Note From An Old Acquaintance by Bill Walker  --  4.5 stars
22. 9th Judgment by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro  --  4 stars
23. Worse Case by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge  --  4 stars
24. In a Heartbeat by Loretta Ellsworth  --  4 stars
25. The Unwritten Rule by Elizabeth Scott  --  4 stars
26. Oblivion Road by Alex McAulay  --  4 stars
27. Alex Cross's Trial by James Patterson (April)  --  4 stars
28. Between Friends by Kristy Kiernan  --  5 stars
29. The PMS Murder by Laura Levine  --  3.5 stars
30. Death by Pantyhose by Laura Levine  --  3.5 stars
31. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver  --  4 stars
32. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins  --  5 stars
33. Cars From a Marriage by Debra Galant  --  4 stars
34. Glorious by Bernice McFadden  --  4 stars
35. My Sister's Voice by Mary Carter  --  2.5 stars
36. Secret Lives of Husbands and Wives by Josie Brown  --  4 stars
37. The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams (May)  --  5 stars
38. Dirty Little Secrets by C.J. Omololu  --  4 stars
39. Push by Sapphire  --  2 stars
40. The Tension of Opposites by Kristina McBride  --  4 stars
41. Live to Tell by Wendy Corsi Staub
42. The Wife's Tale by Lori Lansens  --  3 stars
43. The Quickie by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge  --  4 stars
44. Tangled by Carolyn Mackler  --  4 stars
45. How it Ends by Laura Wiess (June)  --  4 stars
46. Life After Yes by Aidan Donnelley Rowley  --  5 stars
47. The Postcard Killers by James Patterson and Liza Marklund  --  3 stars
48. I Heart You, You Haunt Me by Lisa Schroeder  --  4 stars
49. Chasing Brooklyn by Lisa Schroeder  --  5 stars 
50. Tell Me Something True by Leila Cobo  --  4 stars
51. Private by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro

A total of 28 books in the mail this week!!  It definitely felt like an early Christmas in my house!!  :)

Visit Joy online at: http://www.joydekok.com/, http://www.raindancebook.com/, http://www.believe4kids.com/ and http://www.gettingitwrite.net/.

Publisher:  St. Martin’s
Genres:  Cozy Mystery with some Romance
Publication Date:  February 2, 2010
1st in the Lucy Valentine series
ISBN:  978-0312946135
305 pages Read the first chapter! Visit the author’s website, blog, and Facebook Fan PageCheck out the “You’ll Love Lucy Countdown Giveaway”! Book Description:



My Thoughts: I have nothing but glowing praise for this book!  I absolutely LOVED it!  TRULY, MADLY is a fast-paced, fun, mystery with a dash of romance thrown in.  I would classify this book as a cozy mystery that is suitable for teens on up.  The author has a very engaging and conversational writing style that will keep you immersed in the story for hours on end!   The plot is well developed with an amazing cast of characters, including Lucy’s eccentric parents, matchmaking grandmother, and two best friends with their own set of issues.  Lucy Valentine is a fresh, fun character who has the unique psychic ability of being able to find lost objects.  If you read my Tuesday Teaser, you will see what I mean! I am definitely looking forward to reading more in this series!  According to the back cover, there will be at least two additional books in the series.  DEEPLY, DESPERATELY will be out in August 2010 and ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY soon after. All in all, this is one of my favorite cozy mystery books!  I highly recommend it for a quick, fun, and enjoyable read!  If you like the “Abby Cooper, Psychic Eye” series by Victoria Laurie, then you will definitely like this book!   Note:  I received this book as part of the Barnes & Noble Sneak Peek program.  This is no way influenced my review of the book.

Chasing Brooklyn by Lisa Schroeder
Publication Date:  January 5, 2010 I would like to thank Jenny from TakeMeAway who informed me about this upcoming book!  Here’s a synopsis:
Restless souls and empty hearts
Brooklyn can't sleep. Her boyfriend, Lucca, died only a year ago, and now her friend Gabe has just died of an overdose. Every time she closes her eyes, Gabe's ghost is there waiting for her. She has no idea what he wants or why it isn't Lucca visiting her dreams.
Nico can't stop. He's always running, trying to escape the pain of losing his brother, Lucca. But when Lucca's ghost begins leaving messages, telling Nico to help Brooklyn, emotions come crashing to the surface.
As the nightmares escalate and the messages become relentless, Nico reaches out to Brooklyn. But neither of them can admit that they're being haunted. Until they learn to let each other in, not one soul will be able to rest.
This books sounds so intriguing!  I can’t wait to read it!  And I just love the cover of this book!
What’s your “Waiting On” pick this week?

I wonder what it would be like to do high school things. To go out on the weekends. To kiss a guy. To have a normal life. A real one.
Everyone thinks their parents are embarrassing, but Hannah knows she's got them all beat. Her dad made a fortune showcasing photos of pretty girls and his party lifestyle all over the Internet, and her mom was once one of her dad's girlfriends and is now the star of her own website. After getting the wrong kind of attention for way too long, Hannah has mastered the art of staying under the radar...and that's just how she likes it.
Of course, that doesn't help her get noticed by her crush. Hannah's sure that gorgeous, sensitive Josh is her soul mate. But trying to get him to notice her; wondering why she suddenly can't stop thinking about another guy, Finn; and dealing with her parents make Hannah feel like she's going crazy. Yet she's determined to make things work out the way she wants -- only what she wants may not be what she needs....
Although I am 30+, I have really started getting into the YA genre lately!  This is a quick, enjoyable book and the first that I’ve read of Elizabeth Scott.  I will definitely be looking for more of her books in the future!  It is fun, laugh-out-loud funny at times, and relatable.  I think teens will definitely be able to relate to the romantic plight that the main character, Hannah, finds herself in.  It’s an easy book to read and you will become immersed in Hannah’s life and that of her quirky family.  Definitely a positive, upbeat story that I would recommend.

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.  Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!

From Truly, Madly by Heather Webber

Publication Date:  February 2, 2010

I’m going to post a bit more than a couple of lines, because this paragraph just grabbed me when I read it!

“As I watched him walk down the hall, I felt sick to my stomach.  I’d seen a vision of an engagement ring when my palm touched his.  An old-fashioned band of platinum with delicate filigree and a two-carat square-cut diamond.  An heirloom type of ring.

It had been on the finger of a skeleton.”

Wow!!  This book is fantastic so far!  What is your teaser today?

Marcia at The Printed Page sponsors Mailbox Mondays and Kristi of The Story Siren sponsors In My Mailbox (on Sundays) in which bloggers share what books they've received in their mailboxes the previous week.

I didn’t post an In My Mailbox last week, so this week I will cover the books I’ve received in the last 2 weeks!

 

 Rain Dance by Joy DeKok (blog tour)

The Third Angel by Alice Hoffman

Match Point by Erynn Mangum

Girls of Tender Age by Mary-Ann Tirone Smith

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford (blog tour)

Not Without my Sister by Kristina Jones, Celeste Jones, and Juliana Bugring

Deadly Little Secret by Laurie Faria Stolarz

Look Again by Lisa Scottoline

The Pretend Wife by Bridget Asher

 

Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger (won from Facebook contest)

What is in your mailbox this week?

Book 4 in the Maddie Springer, Shoe Designer Cozy Mystery Series

Book Description from Amazon:

"Baguettes, bodies, and haute couture galore! Shoe designer turned amateur sleuth Maddie Springer is at it again--this time in fabulously fashionable Paris.

When Europe's designer du jour, Jean Luc LeCroix, invites Maddie to show her creations at Paris Fashion Week, Maddie's sure she's died and gone to heaven. That is, until Jean Luc's top model is found dead on the runway, stabbed with a familiar stiletto heel. Sure someone is trying to frame her, Maddie enlists the help of her friends, including the sexy Detective Jack Ramirez, to uncover a daring jewel heist, a devious blackmailer, and even a few skeletons lurking in the closets of those closest to her.

But as the evidence mounts, Maddie becomes the prime suspect and Ramirez is stuck between a badge and a cute blonde with a tendency for trouble. With her love life on the rocks and a murderer on the loose, if Maddie doesn't uncover the real killer soon, she might be saying her final adieu."

My Thoughts:

Another cute installment to the Maddie Springer series.  Maddie is in Paris, preparing for her very first fashion show, with her shoe designs on the models!  Needless to say, Maddie is super-excited, but things come to a crashing halt when a prominent model is found dead, one of Maddie's stiletto designs stabbed right in her neck.  Of course, Maddie become a prime suspect.  In an effort to clear her name, she gets herself in MORE trouble, especially with her hunky boyfriend, Jack Ramirez.  I enjoyed this light cozy and was thrilled with the ending!  I have the final Maddie Springer book, Mayhem in High Heels, in my TBR and can't wait to see how this series ends!

Note:  Ms. Halliday has started a new series, starring, in part, Maddie's "friend", Felix Dunn, of the LA Informer.  The first book is entitled SCANDAL SHEET is out now!  I can't wait to get it!  Has anyone else read it yet?

Til next time,
Happy Reading!

Happy Saturday everyone!!  Today I will be cleaning my house from top to bottom, getting the rest of my Christmas decorations up, and, hopefully, fitting in some reading time later! 

Just a quick reminder that my giveaway for THE SECRET OF JOY ends tomorrow night, so go get your entry!

I hope you all have a very enjoyable weekend!

April Showers Blog Design is having a HUGE giveaway and celebrating her OPEN waiting list that starts January 1st! April not only does blogs - but also invitations, announcements, calendars, cards, business cards, custom illustrations, and so much more! Just by pasting this paragraph on my blog I'm a winner! http://www.aprilshowersblogdesign.com/.

So, what do you think?!  I just love the cute holiday layout that I won from Adori Graphics!  I'd love your thoughts!  With the 3 columns, is the blog too cluttered, too hard to navigate, or anything else?  Please let me know!!  :)

Happy Friday!

I won an awesome Christmas-themed blog design from Adori Graphics!!  I am so excited!!  I am converting my blog to 3 columns and the new design will be installed by tomorrow, so I apologize if it looks a bit weird around here!  Can't wait to see it up and running!!

Jennifer

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

My pre-publication, "can't wait to read" selection for this week is:

The Red Thread by Ann Hood

Publication Date:  May 3, 2010

Book Description from Amazon:

From the best-selling author of The Knitting Circle, a mother’s powerful journey from loss to love.

“In China there is a belief that people who are destined to be together are connected by an invisible red thread. Who is at the end of your red thread?”

After losing her infant daughter in a freak accident, Maya Lange opens The Red Thread, an adoption agency that specializes in placing baby girls from China with American families. Maya finds some comfort in her work, until a group of six couples share their personal stories of their desire for a child. Their painful and courageous journey toward adoption forces her to confront the lost daughter of her past. Brilliantly braiding together the stories of Chinese birth mothers who give up their daughters, Ann Hood writes a moving and beautifully told novel of fate and the red thread that binds these characters’ lives. Heartrending and wise, The Red Thread is a stirring portrait of unforgettable love and yearning for a baby. .

1. Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer  --  4.5/5
2. Wifey by Judy Blume  --  3.5/5
3. All But My Life by Gerda Weissmann Klein  --  5/5
4. Coppola:  A Pediatric Surgeon in Iraq by Dr. Chris Coppola  --  5/5
5. Lessons From A Dead Girl by Jo Knowles  --  4.5/5
6. If I Stay by Gayle Forman  --  5/5
7. A Three Dog Life by Abigail Thomas  --  3/5
8. The Secret of Joy by Melissa Senate  --  5/5
9. Tricks by Ellen Hopkins  --  5/5