One plus One by Jojo Noyes

Just stayed up tip 2 am to finish One plus One by Jojo Noyes - (my Jawbone up24 sleep counter isn't liking the little number on the bottom of my Kindle telling me I have 23 minutes left to finish the book - hurting my sleep stats!) - absolutely loved this book and this author!  

Jojo Noyes does a great job of drawing you into characters you probably would ignore in everyday life - like the hardworking cleaning woman Jess and her goth stepson and math prodigy daughter.  Jess's problems seem insurmountable but her good heart and incredible work ethic make you cheer for her!  Along comes the software genius Ed who has major problems of his own to deal with but somehow he's pulled into Jess's complicated life and ends up driving them to a math competition.  As nothing comes easy for Jess, opening up her heart and asking for help is nearly impossible and Ed is also very resistant to any new relationships with all his problems.  

This sweet quirky story will make a great movie - haven't checked to see if it's been optioned - the story reminds me of  "Little Miss Sunshine"?  I think book clubs across both oceans will love this - I hope mine will love it!  5 stars!!!  Great read!


Book Description from Amazon:
Suppose your life sucks. A lot. Your husband has done a vanishing act, your teenage stepson is being bullied, and your math whiz daughter has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that you can’t afford to pay for. That’s Jess’s life in a nutshell—until an unexpected knight in shining armor offers to rescue them. Only Jess’s knight turns out to be Geeky Ed, the obnoxious tech millionaire whose vacation home she happens to clean. But Ed has big problems of his own, and driving the dysfunctional family to the Math Olympiad feels like his first unselfish act in ages . . . maybe ever.
 
One Plus One is Jojo Moyes at her astounding best. You’ll laugh, you’ll weep, and when you flip the last page, you’ll want to start all over again.

The Art of Arranging Flowers by Lynne Branard

 I absolutely devoured The Art of Arranging Flowers by Lynne Branard.  I feel like this book will immediately be a hit with all book clubs as it is beautifully written, has lots of layers to the story, and will touch people's hearts.  If you loved "The Language of Flowers", you will probably love this book also!

I loved slowly getting to know our main character Ruby. We first meet Ruby in her florist shop in the small town of Creekwood helping a customer with his annual anniversary gift to his wife - yellow roses.  Ruby keeps track of her customer's anniversaries, birthdays, and other floral needs and will add special flowers or herbs to help their situations.  Not only is Ruby arranging flowers, but she is "someone so artful at arranging the hearts of others".  Flowers have been Ruby's salvation in dealing with her difficult past and her beloved sister's death.

I felt like I needed to slow down as I read this book to take in all the interesting characters - the astronaut, Cooper the floral supplier, Clementine Ruby's dog, her helper Nora, Jimmy the delivery man, the new veterinarian, the boy William, and all the different customers who come into the shop.  As we learn about how the flower's bloom, we also see Ruby's heart open and slowly become to bloom.

This is my favorite book that I've read this year and of course I highly recommend it!  5+ stars! Book clubs will love it.  I was lucky to get an advance copy of this book and was not paid to review this wonderful book!

From Amazon:

A moving and eloquent novel about love, grief, renewal—and the powerful language of flowers.

Ruby Jewell knows flowers. In her twenty years as a florist she has stood behind the counter at the Flower Shoppe with her faithful dog, Clementine, resting at her feet. A customer can walk in, and with just a glance or a few words, Ruby can throw together the perfect arrangement for any occasion.

Whether intended to rekindle a romance, mark a celebration, offer sympathy, or heal a broken heart, her expressive floral designs mark the moments and milestones in the lives of her neighbors. It’s as though she knows just what they want to say, just what they need.

Yet Ruby’s own heart’s desires have gone ignored since the death of her beloved sister. It will take an invitation from a man who’s flown to the moon, the arrival of a unique little boy, and concern from a charming veterinarian to reawaken her wounded spirit. Any life can be derailed, but the healing power of community can put it right again.

The One and Only by Emily Giffin

I will have to preface this review by telling you that I'm from Texas, am a huge college football fan and I have loved Emily Giffin's past novels!  So when I read the promotions & blurbs about this new novel, The One and Only by Emily Giffin - I couldn't wait to get my hands on it!

(I feel like Emily Giffin could be a friend so I'm going to call her Emily) Emily does a great job in developing our main character -  Shea Rigsby.  Shea is thirty-three and never married, very devoted to her best friend Lucy, obsessed with Walker football and worships Walker's head coach and Lucy's father Coach Carr.  When Lucy's mother dies, Shea starts to question the direction her life is going with her job, her loser boyfriend, and how there may be some "gray" areas in life.  Shea's beloved college program Walker becomes under the investigation of NCAA about recruiting violations.

My new best friend (in my dreams) & author Emily takes us on lots of hilarious twists and some uncomfortable turns with this story in the background of high stakes Texas college football.  I  kept checking the author page to see if Emily was from Texas as she did a great job of describing the  football atmosphere and Dallas!  (One thing I think Emily did get wrong - there is no way a Dallas Cowboy quarterback could date anybody without the press finding out - but other than that - I felt it was pretty accurate!)

I don't think this is the typical chick lit novel - the main plot line is a little uncomfortable but life can be uncomfortable sometimes, right?  This novel made me think and if my book club could get past all the football in this book (as not all my fellow readers all football fans), it could make a great discussion book.  I'd give The One & Only 4 1/2 stars - not 5 cause I don't think some fans will like all the football   references in the book.  I loved & devoured this book! Great summer beach read!


From Amazon:
Emily Giffin, the beloved author of such New York Times bestselling novels as Something Borrowed and Where We Belong, returns with an extraordinary story of love and loyalty—and an unconventional heroine struggling to reconcile both.
 
Thirty-three-year-old Shea Rigsby has spent her entire life in Walker, Texas—a small college town that lives and dies by football, a passion she unabashedly shares. Raised alongside her best friend, Lucy, the daughter of Walker’s legendary head coach, Clive Carr, Shea was too devoted to her hometown team to leave. Instead she stayed in Walker for college, even taking a job in the university athletic department after graduation, where she has remained for more than a decade.
 
But when an unexpected tragedy strikes the tight-knit Walker community, Shea’s comfortable world is upended, and she begins to wonder if the life she’s chosen is really enough for her. As she finally gives up her safety net to set out on an unexpected path, Shea discovers unsettling truths about the people and things she has always trusted most—and is forced to confront her deepest desires, fears, and secrets.
 
Thoughtful, funny, and brilliantly observed, The One & Only is a luminous novel about finding your passion, following your heart, and, most of all, believing in something bigger than yourself . . . the one and only thing that truly makes life worth living.

As Is by Rachel Michael Arends

As Is by Rachel Michael Arends is a great summer beach read!   As I absolutely love reality/decorating shows, the plot was very intriguing to me.  Gwendolyn Golden and Armand Leopold have been the lifestyle couple in "So Perfect" - giving viewers a glance at their 'perfect life' with their decorating, cooking and styling tips with a catalog of their products, tv segments, and a beautiful house in Scenic, North Carolina.  Turns out Gwen is really not a homemaking Martha Stewart diva but an insecure artist, their marriage is not real, and the whole premise is a scam.  Gwen and Armand do love each other as best friends and Armand is the styling and decorating guru.

As their lives fall apart, Gwen is made into the scapegoat and returns home in disgrace to help with her ill father.  As this book has many layers, we also meet Gwen's sister, an old boyfriend, and a fan who has decorating talent and is going through a divorce.  Not one character has the "perfect life" and they learn to deal with life "As Is" and grow together through their struggles and heartaches.

As Is would be a great beach read and a good book club discussion book - I'll be recommending it to my book club!  I'd give it 4 1/2 stars.

Publisher's description: 

As Is

by Rachel Michael Arends 

0.0 of 5 

Gwendolyn Golden and Armand Leopold have been America's go-to couple for home decorating tips, letting cameras into their So Perfect house, their So Perfect life, their So Perfect marriage.

One problem: it’s all an act.

Actually, two problems: America just found out it’s all an act.

When a picture of Armand kissing another man hits the newsstands, everyone knows the jig is up. Both are evicted from their home and eviscerated by the press. While Armand deals with his very private life becoming very public, Gwen Golden returns home to Riveredge, a quiet town where her sick father, her angry sister, and the guy who got away still live.

After years of pretending, Gwen has to rebuild her life for real. But while turning a new house into a home, and starting the next chapter of her life will be tough, reconnecting with the man she once loved may prove to be the most difficult of all.

With humor and charm to burn, Rachel Michael Arends has written a beautiful novel of rekindled romance, home improvement, and how only the truth can really set you free.

Paperback

On The Rocks by Erin Duffey

On The Rocks by Erin Duffey was a fun "beach read'!  I had a good time reading this book about kindergarden teacher Abby and her Facebook break-up with Ben .  Abby's best friend Grace convinces her to spend the summer in Newport to help her heal from the break-up.  Of course during this healing time, Abby learns a lot about herself, dating with all the new technologies, and recognizing true friendship with guys and girls.

I'd give this book 4 stars - I laughed out loud a few times!

Book Description

Publication Date: April 22, 2014

A heartwarming novel about friendship, family, and finding love in the Facebook Age—not to mention the perils, pitfalls, and dubious pleasures of being a modern young single woman—from Erin Duffy, the author of Bond Girl.
Six months ago, Abby's life fell apart for the entire world to see. Her longtime boyfriend-turned-fiancé, Ben, unceremoniously dumped her—on Facebook—while she was trying on dresses for the big day.
When the usual remedies—multiple pints of Ben & Jerry's, sweatpants, and a comfy couch—fail to work their magic, her best friend, Grace, devises a plan to get Abby back on her game. She and Abby are going to escape Boston and its reminders of Ben and head to Newport for the summer. There, in a quaint rented cottage by the sea, the girls will enjoy cool breezes, cocktails, and crowds of gorgeous men.
But no matter where they go, Abby and Grace discover that in this era of social media—when seemingly everyone is preserving every last detail of their lives online—there is no real escape. Dating has never been easy. But now that the rules are more blurred than ever, how will they find true love? And even if they do, can romance stand a chance when a girl's every word and move can go viral with a single click?