The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh

I was so sad to finish The Language of Flowers as I enjoyed it from start to finish.  This was a compelling read that had great detail and life to it.  It is the story of Victoria Jones and her life full of struggles.  Victoria was passed through the foster system and at 18 is emancipated and must find a way to survive.  This is where the real story begins as she meets people from her past and works towards a new and fresh future.  We get to know Victoria as a young girl through her memories and also as a young woman as she tries to make something for herself.  Victoria’s most comfortable way of communicating with people is through flowers and the symbolism that they have.  She uses this skill as she tries to survive and also make connections with the people she meets.  This book is difficult to describe but I would highly recommend it.  There wasn’t a thing I didn’t like about this book!  If you need more reassurance check out the reviews on Amazon.com, they will sell you for sure!

 

352 Pages

The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd

I finished up The Mermaid Chair while travelling for work and overall I found this book enjoyable.  First off, you may recognize the name of the author.  Sue Monk Kidd also wrote The Secret Life of Bees which I just happened to love.  Unfortunately, I did not love The Mermaid Chair as much as her first work.  The story follows Jessie Sullivan, a woman who is in what I would describe a mid-life crisis.  Her mother is ill so she escapes her monotonous and vanilla life to go and take care of her.  While visiting her mother (who lives on a small island with few inhabits besides the monks that run the monastery on the island) she falls for a monk that is just months away from taking his final vows.  The story winds together issues Jessie has with her mom and their past together, Jessie’s relationship with her husband back on the mainland and her new fling with the monk from the island.  I thought the book was a little slow but it kept me reading so there is always something to be said for that.  The last ¼ of the book was when it got more interesting.  I especially liked a few twists that I did not see coming at the end.  I think that some of the situations were a little unreal and I had a hard time believing that there would not be more consequences for some of the things that went on.  I think many would find this book enjoyable and I would most likely recommend it to others.  I borrowed it from the library and was glad as it is one that I don’t think I will read again but sure enjoyed it the first time.

368 Pages

Some Girls; My Life in a Harem by Jillian Lauren

“Some Girls; My Life in a Harem” by Jillian Lauren

I borrowed this book from Mom (Cindy) and she has already reviewed it so I don’t feel as if I need to bore you with more about the storyline of the book as she has already described it.  This book fell into my “just ok” category.  I thought the storyline was interesting and something different however I did not click very well with the author’s style of writing.  She wrote well, it just wasn’t my style.  The details and points that she focused on left me wanting more/different information from her experience.  With that being said I believe that this book would be appealing to others and would be enjoyed by most.  It was a fairly quick read and if you are interested in a different storyline that may be about a new subject to you then I would recommend it.