From the category archives:

Book Reviews

Book Review: Two Kisses for Maddy

by Megan on July 18, 2011

Title: Two Kisses for Maddy: A Memoir of Loss and Love

Author: Matt Logelin

Rating: 4 of 5 stars

From Amazon:

Matt and Liz Logelin were high school sweethearts. After years of long-distance dating, the pair finally settled together in Los Angeles, and they had it all: a perfect marriage, a gorgeous new home, and a baby girl on the way. Liz’s pregnancy was rocky, but they welcomed Madeline, beautiful and healthy, into the world on March 24, 2008.

Just twenty-seven hours later, Liz suffered a pulmonary embolism and died instantly, without ever holding the daughter whose arrival she had so eagerly awaited. Though confronted with devastating grief and the responsibilities of a new and single father, Matt did not surrender to devastation; he chose to keep moving forward– to make a life for Maddy.

In this memoir, Matt shares bittersweet and often humorous anecdotes of his courtship and marriage to Liz; of relying on his newborn daughter for the support that she unknowingly provided; and of the extraordinary online community of strangers who have become his friends. In honoring Liz’s legacy, heartache has become solace.

My review on Goodreads:

Absolutely heartbreaking story of loss and love.  I’ve read Matt’s blog in the past, so when I saw this book at Target, I immediately downloaded it to my Kindle.  In the memoir, we journey with Matt and his daughter, Madeline, in the year after his wife’s sudden death.  While the story is heartbreaking and often reduced me to tears, I found it inspiring as well.  Matt is a man that takes you through his grieving process; yet we are all able to find hope in little Madeline, the one person that is holding Matt together.  Even though the story is about his first year without his wife, Liz, it is also about his first year with Maddy, [which is a wonderful story within itself]. Just a beautiful story, and it really reminds you to appreciate the little moments in life.

I found Matt’s memoir difficult to read at times.  I think it’s supposed to be like that, though. It’s a great reminder of just how short life really is (with the death of Liz), but it’s also a reminder of how beautiful it can be as well (with the life of Maddy).

What did you think of Two Kisses for Maddy, if you’ve read it? Do you read Matt’s blog?

Please keep comments spoiler-free. I try to keep my book reviews as spoiler-free as possible so that readers can enjoy the books on their own. If you’d like to discuss the books in detail, feel free to email me.

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Book Review: Rockabye: From Wild to Child

by Megan on July 11, 2011

Title: Rockabye: From Wild to Child

Author: Rebecca Woolf

Rating: 4 of 5 stars

From Amazon:

Rockabye is the lively memoir of a spontaneous young city-girl who becomes unexpectedly pregnant. That city-girl is Rebecca Woolf, who at 23, after the “holy shit, I’m pregnant” realization, decides to keep the baby, marry the boyfriend (in Vegas no less), and figure out how to wed her rock n’ roll lifestyle and impending motherhood.

With humor, honesty, and renegade insight, Rebecca makes the transition from life as an odd-job doing commitment-phobic, chain-smoking, irresponsible party-girl to life as a work-at-home mother with a different kind of social life. Throughout, Rebecca doesn’t relinquish the token qualities of her free-spirited, pre-baby self; rebelling against both the “soccer mom,” and “young mother” stereotypes, challenging herself to grow up without outgrowing her dreams, and most importantly embracing motherhood without a map.

Rockabye explores the coming together of mother and son and their mutual coming of age. How does Rebecca adapt to motherhood? By acting on instinct and maintaining a strong sense of self, breaking rules (sometimes her own) in the process and building her own adventures out of legos and alphabet blocks.

My review on Goodreads:

I adore Rebecca Woolf. This story is beautiful.

I’ve been reading Rebecca’s blog for several years now, and I’ve fallen in love with her family. I bought this book a while ago but I never got around to reading it. I finally picked it up and I loved it. I love the way Rebecca tells her stories, and I loved her growth as a mother. If you read Rebecca’s blog, you know that she is now about to be a mother to four (she is pregnant with twins!), and she really has changed (in a good way) since becoming a mother. However, she still remains Rebecca, and I love that about her.

What did you think of Rockabye, if you’ve read it? Do you read Rebecca’s blog?

Please keep comments spoiler-free. I try to keep my book reviews as spoiler-free as possible so that readers can enjoy the books on their own. If you’d like to discuss the books in detail, feel free to email me.

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Book Review: Mockingjay

by Megan on June 27, 2011

Title: Mockingjay

Author: Suzanne Collins

Rating: 5 of 5 stars

From Amazon:

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she’s made it out of the bloody arena alive, she’s still not safe. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge. Who do they think should pay for the unrest? Katniss. And what’s worse, President Snow has made it clear that no one else is safe either. Not Katniss’s family, not her friends, not the people of District 12. Powerful and haunting, this thrilling final installment of Suzanne Collins’s groundbreaking The Hunger Games trilogy promises to be one of the most talked about books of the year.

My review on Goodreads:

Bittersweet. That is the first word that popped into my head when I finished Mockingjay. More bitter than sweet, probably. This book was hard to read because there was so much devastation. I cried throughout various parts of the last chapters, and while the ending was a “happy ending,” it was still filled with sadness. This was a great series, though, and I’m glad I decided to read it.

I loved this series. I was sad when it ended  (because it ended, and because the last book was filled with sadness). Since writing my goodreads review, I realized the ending wasn’t so happy at all, but that’s because it wasn’t supposed to be. How can a “happily ever after…” come after so much devastation? It can’t, in reality. Since it was such an easy series to read, I’m sure I’ll read it again someday, and I definitely recommend it. EVEN if you think it’s not something you’d read after seeing the plots, read it. I read the plots and thought I would never be able to get into these books, but I truly loved them.

What did you think of Mockingjay, if you’ve read it? How did you like The Hunger Games trilogy as a whole?

I found a great review of Mockingjay on Amazon, and if you finished the book with a negative opinion, I suggest you read it. It may change your outlook on the book. (The review make contain spoilers!)

Please keep comments spoiler-free. I try to keep my book reviews as spoiler-free as possible so that readers can enjoy the books on their own. If you’d like to discuss the books in detail, feel free to email me.

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Book Review: Catching Fire

by Megan on June 20, 2011

Title: Catching Fire

Author: Suzanne Collins

Rating: 4 of 5 stars

From Amazon:

Every year in Panem, the dystopic nation that exists where the U.S. used to be, the Capitol holds a televised tournament in which two teen “tributes” from each of the surrounding districts fight a gruesome battle to the death. In The Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark, the tributes from impoverished District Twelve, thwarted the Gamemakers, forcing them to let both teens survive. In this rabidly anticipated sequel, Katniss, again the narrator, returns home to find herself more the center of attention than ever. The sinister President Snow surprises her with a visit, and Katniss’s fear when Snow meets with her alone is both palpable and justified. Catching Fire is divided into three parts: Katniss and Peeta’s mandatory Victory Tour through the districts, preparations for the 75th Annual Hunger Games, and a truncated version of the Games themselves. Slower paced than its predecessor, this sequel explores the nation of Panem: its power structure, rumors of a secret district, and a spreading rebellion, ignited by Katniss and Peeta’s subversive victory. Katniss also deepens as a character. Though initially bewildered by the attention paid to her, she comes almost to embrace her status as the rebels’ symbolic leader. Though more of the story takes place outside the arena than within, this sequel has enough action to please Hunger Games fans and leaves enough questions tantalizingly unanswered for readers to be desperate for the next installment.

My review on Goodreads:

I would give this book a five if the plot wasn’t so much like the first book. Regardless of the plot, though, this was an AMAZING book. A lot of twists and turns, and things happened that I did not expect. I felt as if the book ended a bit abruptly, but I supposed it was meant to be that way with the huge cliffhanger at the end. I’ve already downloaded the third book to my Kindle!

I finished this book on June 11th, and I already started and finished the third book (review will be up next week). Like I said, this plot was very similar to the first book, but it was still a good book. The review from Amazon said this book was slower-going than the first, and I have to agree with that. I found the book enjoyable, regardless, and I liked the new characters (and the roles they unexpectedly played).

What did you think of Catching Fire, if you’ve read it?

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