Book #27 - Becoming Jane Eyre by Shelia Kohler

This was a book I had read about in a magazine and decided to include it as part of my challenge. The novel follows the life of Charlotte Bronte, her sisters and her writing of her most famous novel, Jane Eyre.

I don't know much about any of the Bronte sisters, other than that they were all struggling writers. This novel brings to life the hardship they faced in getting their novels published because they were women. It also uncovers the competitiveness between the sisters, albeit through Kohler's imagination and not facts. The parallels between Charlotte and her famous heroine Jane Eyre are present throughout the entire novel - her suffering, her rejection from her male companion and ultimately her success.

The story spans a period of nine years - the remarkable time during which Charlotte frees herself from obscurity and becomes one of the most celebrated writers of her day. As the reader, we follow her memories of her deadly boarding school; we see her studying and then teaching in Brussels. And we also see her home life and the tensions between her sisters. We witness the delusions of her father and the self-destructiveness of her brother. But as I was reading, I never stopped rooting for her. Despite all of the hardships that befell the Brontes, it's a satisfying moment when Charlotte eventually attains the wealth and domestic happiness she always wanted for both herself and Jane Eyre.

Book #26 - The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling

I am a HUGE Harry Potter fan. If I was allowed to re-read books for this challenge, you could bet that those would be seven of my 100. I got this book for Christmas in 2008, and started reading but never finished. Just so you know, I got the Twilight Saga that Christmas, too. Now I think you know why I never finished.

In this collection of wizarding fairy tales, if you will, Rowling entangles as many Harry Potter characters as possible into this collection. Hermione Granger is the editor of the text; notes of Albus Dumbledore's are included with every story; but strangely enough, there are no references to Harry at all.

It's interesting to see how Rowling takes the lessons learned from traditional, muggle fairy tales, and transforms them into stories that are applicable to her famous wizarding world. At first I thought this was just another avenue for her to milk all that's left of Harry Potter's popularity. But I was wrong. Like every other work of Rowling's, The Tales of Beedle the Bard are all meticulously thought out and extremely well-developed. Hopefully she'll continue to find ways to keep the Harry Potter franchise alive and well, long after the last movie has been released to DVD.

Book #25 - The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks

This is the second Sparks appearance on the blog, and I have to be honest - I had no desire to read this book. Due to my obsession with celebrity gossip, I remembered all of the hullabaloo when Nicholas Sparks said he was writing a novel with Miley Cyrus in mind for the female lead, and The Last Song was it. But, my mom happened to read it and said it was really good, so on our recent trip to northern Virginia, I hijacked her Kindle and devoured it in less than two days.

The Last Song follows Ronnie, a 17-year-old girl, and the summer she begrudgingly spends with her father in North Carolina. She hasn't spoken to him in three years and does not want to go, but is forced by her mother. Ronnie is also a piano prodigy, who was taught by her former Julliard professor father, Steve, and has refused to play since he and her mother divorced.

Ronnie goes into the summer with a bad attitude and many preconceived notions about why her father left her family. She ultimately falls in with the wrong crowd, and due to some previous indiscretions back home, lands in big trouble with the law. Between being furious with her dad and her teenage rebellion, she manages to meet Will, a handsome volleyball player from the town's richest family. They fall for each other and he helps her to realize that she needs to cut her father a little slack, especially when they receive the crushing news that Steve is terminally ill.

Ultimately, Ronnie re-establishes a relationship with her father and experiences her first love with Will. This book is another lesson in that it's never too late to make amends. It makes you think about any grudges you're holding, and how you'd feel if something happened to that person and all you've been doing is wasting precious time. Even though I wanted to boycott reading The Last Song, I'm glad I didn't. It helped to remind me how powerful young love can be and that you need to live each day as if it could be your (or someone you love's) last.

Book #24 - The Best Wedding Reception Ever by Peter Merry

As the wedding planning continues, naturally so does my desire to read book about planning weddings. I think it's only natural. This book was actually recommended to me by one of the entertainers at the DJ company we booked. He said it was the best book to read when planning a reception and that he gives it as engagement gifts to all of his family and friends. I figured if a wedding-industry professional was pushing it, it had to be worthwhile reading.

The main focus of this book is how to create an exciting, well-planned reception that runs smoothly. What I liked most about his advice was that Merry didn't offer up just one formula for a successful wedding. Instead, he provides a number of different scenarios to complement the type of wedding you're throwing, making it easy and natural to incorporate some of his unforgettable ideas into your special day.

Although Merry thinks that keeping guests engaged during the reception is key, I'm not so sure I agree. I don't think the guests attending my wedding reception will really want to spend the evening playing games and answering bride and groom trivia as if they were at a birthday party.
But don't get me wrong - that's not to say I didn't get any good ideas from reading. Sorry though; I can't give them away now, especially if I want to have the best wedding reception ever. Everything is under lock and key until 5.28.2011.

Book #23 - Dear John by Nicholas Sparks

Although I haven't blogged about a Nicholas Sparks book yet, he is one of my favorite authors. I love his books (although they often have a sad ending) and every time I finish one, I want to move to North Carolina. I also have seen enough Sparks movie adaptations to know that the books are always much better and they need to be read prior to viewing. So I knew before I watched Dear John I needed to tackle the novel first.

This isn't your typical summer love story. It begins with John, an Army soldier home on leave, and Savannah, a college student on a mission trip, and the beginning of their brief courtship. They only have a short time to get to know each other before John heads back to where he is stationed in Europe. But during that time, they fall hard for each other and their relationship blossoms. They sustain their connection by writing letters and looking forward to John's next two-week leave and ultimately when he will be finished with his enlistment. But then, September 11th happens, and John feels compelled to re-enlist for his country, and their relationship changes.

As we follow their relationship over the years and how it evolves, it makes the reader realize that sometimes love just isn't enough. Life and things much bigger than ourselves get in the way - love of country, love of family and unforeseen elements like illness - which can throw us off our intended path. John and Savannah must navigate through all of these road blocks throughout the novel, and it's heartbreaking to experience.

In all of his novels, Sparks is able to create characters that you root for and that you can relate to. He makes it easy to love reading his books and Dear John is no exception.

Book #22 - That Extra Half an Inch by Victoria Beckham

I am obsessed with celebrity gossip. I check people.com everyday to stay on top of what's happening in the celebrity world. Needless to say, my interest in Victoria Beckham peaked when she and her family moved to the U.S. a few years ago. Now, don't get me wrong, I have liked her since the Spice Girls - Posh Spice was indeed my favorite. So I knew I would read her book as part of this challenge.

It's not a true "autobiography" but It still tells the tale of her life, just through a different medium - fashion. In addition to providing fashion tips, we get insight into her fashion choices for some of her biggest life moments, including her wedding.

I would recommend knowing someone who is British or keeping google handy while reading - thank goodness for my friend Roxanne. She was able to explain what Beckham meant by "vests" and "jumpers" because it's not what you would usually think of as an American. But she had a lot more practical advice than I would have thought. At the end of the day, behind the stilettos, the make up and the fame, she is just a mom who needs to dress practically for her day, just like the rest of us.

And that's what I like most about following the lives of celebrities: discovering that they are, in fact, just like the rest of us.

Book #21 - For One More Day by Mitch Albom

Like most of America, I've been reading Mitch Albom's books since he wrote Tuesdays with Morrie. This story of his was recommended to me by my friend Jamie, and as I'm a little behind on my 100 books, she said it was a good, quick read. Which is exactly what I need right now.

This book follows the story of a man who's looking to commit suicide after his life has essentially fallen apart, thanks mostly to his alcoholism and failed professional baseball career. He decides to travel back to his childhood home to kill himself, and on his way, gets into a terrible car accident.

The main character, Chick, then sees his mother, who's since passed away. He spends one more day with her, learning from her and discovering how to turn his life around. Once he recovers from the accident, he begins to slowly repair his life and mend his relationships with his family.

This is a good story in teaching us that it's never too late to make amends. Chick is able to have one more day with his mother - to find peace with her passing and to forgive himself for not being there when she died. Albom is good at showcasing through others' experiences that we always have one more opportunity to make things right, and we should never let it pass.