That Just Happened!

Halpern, Adena.  29.  Touchstone (2010).

What if you closed your eyes, blew out the candles and your wish came true?

Ellie Jerome is a young-at-heart 75-year old who relates more to her 25-year old granddaughter Lucy than to her 55-year old daughter Barbara.  Ellie’s done everything she can to stay young, and the last thing she wants is to celebrate another birthday. So when she finds herself confronted with a cake full of candles, Ellie wishes more than anything that she could be twenty-nine again, just for one day.  But who expects a wish like that to come true?

From the Author’s Website

When I read the review by Jen @ Devourer of Books, I was excited, because this seemed like just the kind of book I was looking for.  Light, fluffy, all in all a nice summer read.  I totally agree with her assessment of the book.  I also liked the author’s ability to write the character as though she were a 75 year old in a 29 year old’s body and kept it consistent through out the novel.  I was totally surprised by the last part of the book, though.  I know Jen mentioned that it was deeper than she thought, but I wasn’t expecting it to be quite so sad.  I ultimately came to like the ending, so that made up for it.  I found that I really could empathize with the characters and the book did evoke some verbal reactions from me.  Some, “oh, come on!“‘s and “Oh, for pete’s sake!”‘s definitely came out of my mouth, especially when reading scenes involving Ellie’s daughter. 

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a nice (end of…boo!)  summer read, anyone who likes reading books from a different perspective, and anyone who enjoys the story line of Freaky Friday and all variations thereof.  Put it on Your TBR list.  You can read Jen’s review of the book here.

Jacobs, A.J. The Guinea Pig Diaries: My Life as an Experiment.  (Simon & Schuster (2010).

On a mission to understand the mysteries of modern life – from love to work to fame – I became a human guinea pig. I immersed myself in a series of radical lifestyle experiments. I changed the way I thought, talked and looked. I followed old wisdom and new science. I saw the world from the eyes of a woman. I followed the wisdom of George Washington. I outsourced my life. I engaged, I’m afraid to say, in public nudity. (Not all at the same time).

These experiments wreaked havoc on my life, and drove both my wife and me to the brink of insanity, but also gave me fascinating insights.

From the Author’s Website

I really enjoyed The Year of Living Biblically    and really looked forward to reading this one.  I think Jacobs has such a great sense of humour (although his wife surpasses him…she has to put up with it, after all) and it really lends itself to these crazy experiments.  This book sees Jacobs; discovering what George Washington would do, trying to uni-task, practicing Radical Honesty, standing in for a celebrity, outsourcing his life, trying to be more rational, experiencing life as a beautiful woman, being naked, and finally doing something for his wife and becoming her slave for a whole month.  In each experiment Jacobs learns some things, both good and bad, and talks about how they changed his life (in a small or big way). 

I always feel like I could live vicariously through him and I often think to myself, “thank goodness he did that, so I can learn the lesson without actually having to doit”.  For example, perhaps it’s the unadventurous side of me, or maybe it’s the pathological liar in me, but I don’t think I would ever want to practice Radical Honesty.  Yes, it is exactly what it sounds like, and my life is just easier when I can tell little white lies.  I have strived to tell the truth at all times, but after reading about Jacobs’ experience with it, I realize sometimes it’s just better not to.

His writing is funny and honest and I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who ever wondered what it would be like to live according to George Washington’s code.  I’ll also tell you there was one really glaring spelling mistake I had difficulty reading past.  I would say this was a Put on Your TBR List.

Addison Allen, Sarah.  Garden Spells  & The Girl Who Chased the Moon.  Bantam Books (2007, 2010).

 These books were recommended to me by Blond Duck over at A Duck in Her Pond.  Of course, I had to request them from my library ASAP because Blond Duck is one cool chick.  I highly recommend you check out her site.  Not only do I share her love of mustard, but she writes the most fun stories about fanciful places.  In fact, she has a few serials that she posts on this blog. 

Most of all, I really appreciate the time she takes to comment on my blog, even if it is just to say “Hope you had a great weekend.”  So, thanks Blond Duck!  And a double  thank you for recommending these novels!  I finished The Girl Who Chased the Moon  in one night.  They are both fantastic stories about the relationships between people and reconciling your past with your present.  Each character is so well-written, the Reader really feels like they know them by the end of the book.  I was happy and sad and giddy and curious as the stories developed.   Also, I liked the magical element to the books as it never seemed cheesy or over-done to me.

The one thing that I can really compare them to is that movie Practical Magic with Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman, especially for Garden Spells.  The characters were similar and there is a similar feel to the stories.  Very woman-identified and follows the characters on the path to self-discovery by looking at the past.  I read The Girl Who Chased the Moon  and enjoyed that one slightly more (probably because of the other’s similarity to the movie).

I would definitely recommend this author to anyone who saw Practical Magic  and loved it, anyone who likes reading  books with a magical element to it, or anyone who likes feel-good romantic books.

I would say these should both be Put On Your TBR List.

Thanks again, Blond Duck!