Me Before You

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Me Before You
By Jojo Moyes
Publisher: Pamela Dorman Books/Viking 2012
Pages: 369

Summary: Lou Clark knows lots of things. She knows how many footsteps there are between the bus stop and home. She knows she likes working in The Buttered Bun tea shop and she knows she might not love her boyfriend Patrick.

What Lou doesn't know is she's about to lose her job or that knowing what's coming is what keeps her sane.

Will Traynor knows his motorcycle accident took away his desire to live. He knows everything feels very small and rather joyless now and he knows exactly how he's going to put a stop to that.

What Will doesn't know is that Lou is about to burst into his world in a riot of colour. And neither of them knows they're going to change the other for all time.

My Review:
This is by far my favorite book I have read this year! The movie was really good too! I read the book a couple of months before the movie came out, since I am one of those people who has to read the book before I watch the movie.

 It's impossible not to fall in love with the characters and story. The book is deep and insightful in many many ways.It tells the story of a man and women in a small British town, where one is confined there, while the other has confined herself there. Most of the story is told from the viewpoint of Lou, with a few chapters from the viewpoints of the other characters. Lou was such a fun and witty character. She has a lot on her shoulders, but still manages to be funny and charming, especially when she starts babbling. Will more of a cipher as confront major problems; such as being confined to a wheelchair, missing his old life, dealing with pain, and not knowing when his condition will deteriorate. This book was very educational, emotional, and inspirational in many ways.

With this book's relation to education there was extensive information on the life of a quadriplegic.This    included treatments, medication, pain management, deterioration of their condition , difficulties in getting out and about, the way  relationships change, and emotional states. As someone who studies health, this was all really fascinating to me. It helped me to understand what quadriplegic people go through on a day to day basis. Like having to have someone feed you, help you go to the bathroom, move you to and from your chair, bed, and car. It would be very frustrating, especially if you had done those things yourself before.

Emotionally, this book took a toll on me. My poor brother and sister-in-law had to hear me wailing in the back of the car, as I read. You can really  feel what each character is going through. You finally come to terms with their decisions and actions. You feel frustrated, sad, happy, hopeful, and every other emotion you can think of while reading. In this book, Will represented a view that life isn't worth living if you're disabled, but Lou fights hard to promote that life is always worth living no matter what. 

As for inspirational, this book teaches you to push yourself to realize your full potential, even if you are one of those people who is afraid to takes risks. To always be open to try new things. It teaches you to learn to love and support someone, even if you don't agree with his or her choices or decisions. It also inspires you to not let one bad incident define you, but to rise up and keep going. I loved that it inspires you to keep an open mind when you are dealing with someone difficult, because you never know what emotional battles they are fighting in their lives.

You think you are getting into a romance, but instead you will find yourself enmeshed in a suspenseful, emotional, and beautiful novel. It is a MUST read! So please please read it :) 

Watch Out For: Kissing, brief sex scene, drinking, Infrequent swear words (British slang), motorcycle accident, and some arguing.

Watch the Movie: 

Austenland

Austenland 
By Shannon Hale; Bloomsbury  2007


Summary: Jane Hayes is a seemingly normal young New Yorker, but she has a secret. Her obsession with Mr. Darcy, as played by Colin Firth in the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, is ruining her love life: no real man can compare. But when a wealthy relative bequeaths her a trip to an English resort catering to Austen-crazed women, Jane's fantasies of meeting the perfect Regency-era gentleman suddenly become realer than she ever could have imagined. 

Decked out in empire-waist gowns, Jane struggles to master Regency etiquette and flirts with gardeners and gentlemen;or maybe even, she suspects, with the actors who are playing them. It's all a game, Jane knows. And yet the longer she stays, the more her insecurities seem to fall away, and the more she wonders: Is she about to kick the Austen obsession for good, or could all her dreams actually culminate in a Mr. Darcy of her own?

My Review: I first read this novel when I was a sophomore in high school. I eventually receive it as a present for Christmas and after some years I decided to pick it up again.And I must it was the best decision I've made in quite some time.  As some of you may know, I am a Jane Austen addict. The society, the speech, the novels, the way of life and practically everything from that time period intrigues me. I have all of her books, the movies, and have been reading Jane Austen fan fiction for some time. Maybe it's the wit or romance that captures my attention. I will never know. All I know is that  I have been pulled into the mind set of finding Mr. Darcy.


Just like Jane in this novel, so many of us have had the fantasy of living in Elizabeth Bennet's shoes and securing a Mr. Darcy. And when given the chance, how many of us would jump at the opportunity to go on a three week vacation to an Austenland resort and have men fall all over you like Elizabeth? It would be a dream come true right? But there is something that Jane learns in this novel that has really has changed my view of living the life of Elizabeth. Jane learns the difference between reality and fantasy. We spend all this time thinking how we should of been born in the 18th century to live the life of Jane Austen, when we could be living out our reality lives. Yes sometimes it isn't as exciting, but hey this is our century so lets live it out to the best of our abilities! There was a quote in Austenland that I loved. “Figure out what is real for you. No use leaning on someone else's story all your life.”  How true is that! We need to find what is real for us and stop leaning on Jane Austen's book to find happiness. Amen and walk away. 


If you are looking for some good ole romance, some Jane Austen, and  some humor then this is the book for you. I truly do love this book and for the turning point of a life time in the mind of Channing. Genius. Keep on reading everyone!


Watch Out For: Some kissing and minor profanity.

Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict

Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict
By Laurie Viera Rigler; A Plume Book 2009


Summary:For Jane, the modern world is not wholly disagreeable. Her apartment may be smaller than a dressing closet, but it is fitted up with lights that burn without candles, machines that wash bodies and clothes, and a glossy rectangle in which tiny people perform scenes from her favorite book, Pride and Prejudice. Granted, if she wants to travel she may have to drive a formidable metal carriage, but she may do so without a chaperone. And oh, what places she goes! Public assemblies that pulsate with pounding music. Unbound hair and unrestricted clothing. The freedom to say what she wants when she wants-even to men without a proper introduction.

Jane relishes the privacy, independence, even the power to earn her own money. But how is she to fathom her employer's incomprehensible dictates about "syncing a BlackBerry" and "rolling a call"? How can she navigate a world in which entire publications are devoted to brides but flirting and kissing and even the sexual act itself raise no matrimonial expectations? Even more bewildering are the memories that are not her own. And the friend named Wes, who is as attractive and confusing to Jane as the man who broke her heart back home. It's enough to make her wonder if she would be better off in her own time, where at least the rules are clear-that is, if returning is even an option.

My Review:   I love Jane Austen novels and Jane Austen Fan Fiction novels alike. I found this book at a Walmart sale. When I saw the word Jane Austen, I picked it up and headed for checkout.  I brought this book home and started reading it. About four hours later I finished it.


 I thought this novel to be absolutely hilarious and entertaining. Can you imagine coming from a different century and ending up in the world of today? How confusing and yet exciting would it be? How would you adjust? 


Poor Jane. She was so lost and confused and yet she learned how to deal with her situation and make the best of it. Being trapped in another persons body that isn't your own would be so hard. I laughed throughout this so many times. Jane thoughts and speech was hysterical because it was old fashioned and proper and hearing that today we would think she was a crazy person.


 I seriously loved it and I want the companion novel Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict  to see what happened to Courtney who happens to be in Jane's body. If you are a Jane Austen fan like me then I am pretty sure you will enjoy this read. 


Watch Out For: Kissing, mentioning of sex, drinking, body switching, and some profanity.

Paradise Bay

Paradise Bay

James Michael Pratt; St. Martins 2002

Summary: Jack Santos never had a father-or so he believed. All his life, he was told his father was killed in the Vietnam War. Jack was raised by his mother alone, and all his life he was searching for something he couldn't name. A twist of fate changes everything he thought he knew, however. He discovers his father isn't dead after all and that for the past decades he has been suspended between life and death; between dreaming and waking. Jack is hungry for everything he can find out about this father, Levi Harper. And the only link he has to the past is through Levi's journals. It is through these journals that Jack discovers who his father really is: from a small boy in Paradise Bay, California, to an eager young man going off to Vietnam, to a young husband who desperately wants a future for his wife, Levi Harper reveals his loves, dreams, hopes...and secrets. Can Jack discover the truth about his own life? And can he find the love that will always bring him back to Paradise Bay? For anyone who came of age in the 1950s, 60s, or 70s, Paradise Bay is a story that will show you the true meaning of love, and will take you home again

My Review:  This is such a great book.  It is a cute little romance and I enjoyed the heck out of it.  This is a classic romance that takes place during the Vietnam War.  It is a classy read because of how people acted back then. They were all so sincere and traditional. There were cute kissing scenes in this book.  I also really loved the music that was brought into it. The character Levi plays the piano and writes music and sometimes I could picture what the music sounded like.I just love it! The only thing I had a hard time reading was the war scenes. I am just not all that into them. I skipped through most of it. But if you like them then go for it. Overall it was an enjoyable read. 

Watch Out for: War, medical illness, kissing, and some language.

Something Borrowed

Something Borrowed

By Emily Giffin; St. Martin’s Griffin 2004

Summary: Meet Rachel White, a young attorney living and working in Manhattan.  Rachel has always been the consummate good girl - until her thirtieth birthday, when her best friend Darcy throws her a party.  That night, after too many drinks, Rachel ends up in bed with Darcy's fiancé.  Although she wakes up determined to put the one-night fling behind her, Rachel is horrified to discover that she has genuine feelings for the one guy she should run from.  In her wildest dreams (or worst nightmare?) this is the last thing on earth Rachel could ever have imagined happening.  As the September wedding date nears, Rachel knows she has to make a choice.  In doing so, she discovers that the lines between right and wrong can be blurry, endings aren't always neat, and sometimes you have to risk all to win true happiness.

My Review:  This book really glamorized and justified betrayal, lies, and cheating.  I am not all that approving of it because, to me, it is just trashy and not acceptable. 

This is all based on my opinion so please don’t take it for fact. Don’t get me wrong there are some funny parts in the book, but overall I was pretty uncomfortable. I didn’t like how this book made me sway into thinking that cheating was ok. I started siding with Rachel saying it was ok to cheat on your best friend’s fiancé, when in reality it is not! I was like AAACK! I know stuff like this happens all the time, but that doesn’t make it ok. 

I did like the character Rachel. I felt bad for her because she doesn’t assert her feelings and gets push around a lot, but throughout the book I saw her change and become more comfortable with herself.  This is an adult book and I would recommend it to those who are mature enough to handle it.

Watch Out for:  A lot of language, sex, kissing, and drinking

A Bend in the Road

A Bend in the Road

By Nicholas Sparks: Warner Books 2001

Summary: Miles' life seemed to end the day his wife was killed in a hit-and-run accident. He still rises each morning to take care of his young son, and carries out his duties as deputy sheriff of New Burn, North Carolina, but it's all in a numb and hopeless haze. Then Miles meets Sarah Andrews, his son's first grade teacher, who is rebuilding her own life after a shattering divorce. Slowly, their newfound love starts to soothe the pain of the past. But when a devastating secret is revealed, they discover they have much more than love in common. Now, they are questioning everything they ever believed in—and had just begun to hope for.

My Review: Ok this has been one of my favorites by him because of the mystery! Ahhhh! I was so dang excited. I love it when I am reading a novel and trying to find who the murder is! And by golly I figured it out before it was revealed. This was such an incredible book about letting go, forgiveness, and moving on. Life is hard and throws difficult things at us, but that shouldn't stop us from being happy and seeking happiness. Love and forgiveness was definitely a main theme in this book. In this novel it is narrated by Miles, Sarah, and another mysterious person.

 The character Miles had an unsolved case about the death of his wife which was
a hit and run, but when he meets Sarah he begins to get over the case and starts to move on. Sarah is moving on from a divorce and finds comfort in helping Jonah and getting to know Miles. I thought that the relationship between Miles and Sarah was adorable. There is this Halloween scene that I found to be so romantic! Sigh…. I did not put this one down! AHH!

Watch Out for: Mild Language, Sensuality, accidents, stalking, Violence, Cop like actions, blood, and death.

The Lucky One

The Lucky One

Nicholas Sparks; Grand Central Publishing 2008

Summary: When U.S. Marine Logan Thibault finds a photograph of a smiling young woman half-buried in the dirt during his third tour of duty in Iraq, his first instinct is to toss it aside. Instead, he brings it back to the base for someone to claim, but when no one does, he finds himself always carrying the photo in his pocket. Soon Thibault experiences a sudden streak of luck—winning poker games and even surviving deadly combat that kills two of his closest buddies. Only his best friend, Victor, seems to have an explanation for his good fortune: the photograph—his lucky charm. 

Back home in Colorado, Thibault can’t seem to get the photo—and the woman in it—out of his mind. Believing that she somehow holds the key to his destiny, he sets out on a journey across the country to find her, never expecting the strong but vulnerable woman he encounters in Hampton, North Carolina—Elizabeth, a divorced mother with a young son—to be the girl he’s been waiting his whole life to meet. Caught off guard by the attraction he feels, Thibault keeps the story of the photo, and his luck, a secret. As he and Elizabeth embark upon a passionate and all-consuming love affair, the secret he is keeping will soon threaten to tear them apart—destroying not only their love, but also their lives.

My Review:  Good Heavens! I was so nervous during this whole book. For some odd reason this novel kept me on my toes. I could not put it down because I couldn’t stand the suspense. I kept wondering if Logan’s secret was going to get out or what Clayton was going to do next. I was panicking till the very last page. Can you imagine walking all the way from Colorado to North Caroline just to find a woman whose picture you’ve been carrying with you for five years? Well I certainly can’t. Rumor has it that there is going to be a movie about this and it comes out in 2012. I can’t wait! It’s going to be a great movie.  I just love Nicholas Sparks’ books even though I know his writing quite well and his typical storylines. Even though his books are pretty predictable I still love them! If you are a fan of romance and suspense then this is a book for you!

Watch Out for: Sexual content, mild violence, stalking, drinking, injuries, death, breaking into a house, and brief descriptions about war.