Since I last posted, I finally finished reading How To Be Cool by Johanna Edwards. It was a cute book and it only took me forever to finish since I read it in Florida and didn’t read as much as I do when I’m home! “After shedding over seventy pounds and hiding her nerdy side, Kylie Chase has reinvented herself as a savvy trendsetter. Her classes on How to Be Cool— which promise to transform students from geek to chic—have become Chicago’s hottest ticket. But things start to unravel when Kylie’s apartment burns downs and she’s forced to move back in with her parents. With a sexy journalist shadowing her every move, Kylie fears her private embarrassment may become public knowledge. The stress is driving Kylie nuts—and the weight she fought so hard to lose is starting to creep back on. But with the help of her best friend Ruby, a confident plus-sized model, Kylie’s starting to learn that appearances aren’t everything. And that morphing from an “ugly duckling” into the queen of cool isn’t all it’s cracked up to be…” In the book, Kylie attends her high school reunion. She wants to show her classmates how cool she is. You can imagine how that turns out! I guess some of the story line was a bit predictable, but this is definitely a good, mindless summer read.
Next, I was thrilled to get my hands on Fly Away by Kristin Hannah. “Tully Hart has always been larger than life, a woman fueled by big dreams and driven by memories of a painful past. She thinks she can overcome anything until her best friend, Kate Ryan, dies. Tully tries to fulfill her deathbed promise to Kate—to be there for Kate’s children—but Tully knows nothing about family or motherhood or taking care of people. Sixteen-year-old Marah Ryan is devastated by her mother’s death. Her father, Johnny, strives to hold the family together, but even with his best efforts, Marah becomes unreachable in her grief. Nothing and no one seems to matter to her . . . until she falls in love with a young man who makes her smile again and leads her into his dangerous, shadowy world. Dorothy Hart—the woman who once called herself Cloud—is at the center of Tully’s tragic past. She repeatedly abandoned her daughter, Tully, as a child, but now she comes back, drawn to her daughter’s side at a time when Tully is most alone. At long last, Dorothy must face her darkest fear: Only by revealing the ugly secrets of her past can she hope to become the mother her daughter needs. A single, tragic choice and a middle-of-the-night phone call will bring these women together and set them on a poignant, powerful journey of redemption. Each has lost her way, and they will need each one another—and maybe a miracle—to transform their lives.” This book brought me right back to the emotions of Firefly Lane. It is told partially in flashbacks and addresses how the characters continued after Kate’s funeral. It has been four years, but no one has even begun to heal. I just love Johnny – someone mentioned they could see him played by Paul Rudd, so I kept picturing him when I read about Johnny! It is amazing to see the characters realize their mistakes and flaws and begin to change as the book goes on.
Have a great weekend everyone!