Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding

My massage therapist, who told me about the dollar bookstore, also told me that she liked reading Bridget Jones’s Diary. So I found it at the aforementioned dollar bookstore and read it over the last two or three weeks. I think I’ll save the sequel for later. I’ve been itching to read The Book Thief. Lately, my nightly reading time has been curtailed by marathons of Weeds. We have watched the first 5 seasons during the last month. But this review isn’t about Weeds its about Bridget.

Review:
Bridget Jones’s Diary turned out to be a clever book. I really liked the unique diary-esque entries. I particularly enjoyed the daily weight, calorie, alcohol, cigarette, lotto ticket totals, because it is something neurotically real. Especially because I had seen both movies before reading the book, I couldn’t help but use Renee’s voice as the narrator in my head. Written with British humor, with a very British style, I really enjoyed the language of the story as something different than my usual.

The Italian Wedding by Nicky Pellegrino

This book was given to me by my friend. She got it from a girl who was couch surfing at her house in Norway.

Review:
It took me 5 or 6 chapters to really get into this book. Pieta’s father came from Italy to London many years ago to start an Italian restaurant. As the story progresses, we learn about the mother and father’s history, which to me was more interesting than the base story. One of the best parts of the book is that the author includes Italian recipes as they are used in the story. Even if the story was a bit lacking, at least I learned a few new recipes.

Elly My True Story of the Holocaust by Elly Berkovits Gross

Written as child's nonfiction, Elly tells her story in short segments. It reads like a book of memories, in short bursts. She tells her true story in an honest and open manner, exactly as it happened to her, but with language suitable for elementary students. I would suggest this book as a good introduction to WWII and the Holocaust. This book is written at a fifth grade reading level, and I wouldn’t suggest children below fourth grade reading the story because of it's nature.

Truly, Madly: A novel by Heather Webber

This book will always hold a special place in my heart as my first ARC. Fortunately, it arrived December 16th 2009, the day before we left for Christmas in Cabo.

Review:
I usually enjoy a little magic in my books or TV. Truly, Madly reminded me of the canceled ABC series called Pushing Daisies; a little magic, a little mystery, and a little romance. The main character, Lucy Valentine, discovers that her ‘special talent’ of finding lost objects is useful in solving mysteries. A member of a matchmaking family, she also has to contend with the family business while her parents are out of town. I thought the premise was cute, and the novel was a good crossover between romance and mystery. Truly, Madly has the potential to become a charming little series.