2008 Book 68: A Bend in the Road

Book #:	68
Book Title:	A Bend in the Road
Author:	Nicholas Sparks
Publisher:	Warner Books
Pub. Date:	2001
Pages:	368
Started:	July 29, 2008
Finished:	August 1, 2008
Time to Read:	4 Days
Back Cover / Inside Flap:	"Miles Ryan's life seemed to end the day his wife was killed in a hit-and-run accident two years ago. As deputy sheriff of New Bern, North Carolina, he not only grieves for her and worries about their young son Jonah but longs to bring the unknown driver to justice. Then Miles meets Sarah Andrews, Jonah's second-grade teacher. A young woman recovering from a difficult divorce, Sarah moved to New Bern hoping to start over. Tentatively, Miles and Sarah reach out to each other...soon they are falling in love. But what neither realizes is that they are also bound together by a shocking secret, one that will force them to reexamine everything they believe in - including their love."
Stars:	****
Review:	Sparks always goes for the fast grab of his reader's hearts and he doesn't fail in that pursuit with this book. It is easy to fall into the lives of Miles and his son, Jonah, who are struggling to survive as a family after the death of their wife and mom. As a vigilant cop, Miles is seeking not only to serve his community but also to solve his wife's hit and run death. Sarah comes into their lives at just the right time to help complete their little family...but a secret will come from her past that rocks the entire story wide open. Gripping, compelling and thoroughly interesting. Must read!

If you have read or are planning to read this book, please make sure to stop back by and leave me a comment to let me know your own thoughts!

From my library to yours,

Tiffany

2008 Book 46: At First Sight

Book #:	46
Book Title:	At First Sight
Author:	Nicholas Sparks
Publisher:	Warner Books
Pub. Date:	October 2005
Pages:	277
Started:	May 21, 2008
Finished:	May 22, 2008
Time to Read:	2 Days
Back Cover / Inside Flap:	"Ther are a few things Jeremy Marsh was sure he'd never do: he'd never leave New York City; never give his heart away after barely surviving one failed marriage; and, never become a parent. Now Jeremy is living in the tiny town of Boone Creek, North Carolina, engaged to Lexie Darnell, the love of his life, and anticipating the start of their family. But just as his life seems to be settling into a blissful pattern, a mysterious and disturbing e-mail sets off a chain of events that will change the course of this young couple's marriage. How well do we really know the ones we love? How do we handle the inevitable doubts, fears concerning parenthood, and stumbling blocks that are sometimes placed in our way? Continuing the story of the young couple introduced in Spark's bestselling True Believer, this novel captures all the heartbreak, tension, romance, and surprises of those who are newly wed. An astonishing tale about the love between a man and a woman and between a parent and a child, AT FIRST SIGHT is about endings that bring new beginnings...tragedies that lead to unexpected job...and, most of all, the magic of everlasting love."
Stars:	*****
Review:	Get your tissues ready. When I reviewed this book's predecessor twenty-five books ago, I somewhat complained that unlike typical Sparks fare, it wasn't a tearjerker. Boy...does this sequel make up for that! I'm serious when I tell you to get your tissues ready - this is the most heartwrenching story that I've read in a long time, and I don't mind telling you that I had to put the book down at one point and cry my eyes out for a good half hour. Jeremy still shows some of his selfish and callous nature that we saw in True Believer, but how he grows and deepens is a great part of this novel. Lexie is vibrant and quirky and cute and you'll love following her pregnancy. But, oh! The ending! You won't, in a million years, see it coming. Fabulous work, fabulous book. Get a copy today!

If you have read or are planning to read this book, please make sure to stop back by and leave me a comment to let me know your own thoughts!

From my library to yours,

Tiffany

2008 Book 39: Sam's Letters to Jennifer

Book #:	39
Book Title:	Sam's Letters to Jennifer
Author:	James Patterson
Publisher:	Little, Brown and Company
Pub. Date:	2004
Pages:	263
Started:	May 8, 2008
Finished:	May 10, 2008
Time to Read:	3 Days
Back Cover / Inside Flap:	"Dear Reader, Have you ever gotten a letter that changed your life completely? It happened to me once. I can still feel the urgency that overtook me as I opened the envelope and the hunger I felt for whatever that letter would say. It seemed as if my entire life hung in the balance as I read. Sam's Letters to Jennifer is a novel about that kind of drama. In it, a woman is summoned back to the town where she grew up. And in the house where she spent her most magical years she finds a series of letters addressed to her. Each of those letters is a piece of a story that will completely upend the world she thought she knew - and throw her into a love more powerful than she ever imagined could be possible. Two extraordinary love stories are entwined here, full of hope and pain and emotions that never die down. I hope you'll enjoy this novel as much as I've enjoyed writing it. It's not often that you get a letter that changes your life. But it should happen to everyone at least once. Yours, (x) James Patterson (x)
Stars:	****
Review:	Nope, I didn't accidentally leave my finger on the star key for two long - here is an example of a Patterson book I truly enjoyed! It's odd, however. With this book, as well as when I read a borrowed copy of Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas a few years ago, I feel like this isn't even Patterson writing. Not only is the style markedly different, it's as though Nicholas Sparks briefly inhabits his body and forces him to put out something that's worth reading! Jennifer is beyond shaken when a phone call demands her return to the lakeside town where she spent her childhood. Her only remaining family, her grandmother and best friend, is on death's door, and this leaves her frantic to call on the ties they've shared in the past. But her grandmother has secrets to reveal - through a series of short letters - that could turn Jennifer's world upside down. All the while, romance comes to find Jennifer, originating most unexpectedly. But when that romance encounters a hiccup that threatens to turn into a hemorrhage, Jennifer faces the prospect of losing it all, all at once. How she pushes through and pieces together her own life at the end is what makes this story magical. Definitely recommend.

If you have read or are planning to read this book, please make sure to stop back by and leave me a comment to let me know your own thoughts!

From my library to yours,

Tiffany

2008 Book 20: True Believer

Book #:	20
Book Title:	True Believer
Author:	Nicholas Sparks
Publisher:	Warner Books
Pub. Date:	2005
Pages:	322
Started:	March 12, 2008
Finished:	March 15, 2008
Time to Read:	4 Days
Back Cover / Inside Flap:	"Jeremy Marsh is the ultimate young New Yorker: handsome, almost always dressed in black, and part of the media elite. An expert on debunking the supernatural with a regular column in Scientific American, he's just made his first appearance on national TV. When he receives a letter from the tiny town of Boone Creek, North Carolina, about ghostly lights that appear in a legend-shrouded cemetery, he can't resist driving down to investigate. Here, in this tightly knit community, Lexie Darnell runs the town's library, just as her mother did before the accident that left Lexie an orphan. Disappointed by past relationships, including one that lured her away from home, she is sure of one thing: her future is in Boone Creek, close to her grandmother and all the other people she loves. Jeremy expects to spend a quick week in "the sticks" before speeding back to the city. But from the moment he sets eyes on Lexie, he is intrigued and attracted to this beautiful woman who speaks with a soft drawl and confounding honesty. And Lexie, while hesitating to trust this outsider, finds herself thinking of Jeremy more than she cares to admit. Now, if they are to be together, Jeremy Marsh must make a difficult choice: return to the life he knows, or do something he's never done before - take a giant leap of faith. A story about taking chances and following your heart, TRUE BELIEVER will make you, too, believe in the miracle of love."
Stars:	***
Review:	No one dies. Not a single darn person. No one even has a terrible illness. And death mentioned occurred years and years ago. I read an entire Nicholas Sparks book AND DIDN'T CRY! What the heck! Despite the lack of a sob story, this was an enjoyable novel - quite a bit longer than his typical length - and is a great study on fast-paced modern city life clashing with relaxed and old(er)-fashioned rural life. I honestly thought it a bit impractical at times, but it was enjoyable and the characters, as Sparks's always are, were loveable and seemed like the guy next door. Give it a try.

If you have read or are planning to read this book, please make sure to stop back by and leave me a comment to let me know your own thoughts!

From my library to yours,

Tiffany

2008 Book 16: The Choice

Book #:	16
Book Title:	The Choice
Author:	Nicholas Sparks
Publisher:	Grand Central Publishing
Pub. Date:	2007
Pages:	272
Started:	February 28, 2008
Finished:	March 2, 2008
Time to Read:	4 Days
Back Cover / Inside Flap:	"Travis Parker has everything a man could want: a good job, loyal friends, even a waterfront home in small-town North Carolina. In full pursuit of the good life - boating, swimming, and regular barbecues with his close buddies - he holds the vague conviction that a serious relationship with a woman would only cramp his style. That is until Gabby Holland moves next door. Despite his attempts to be neighborly, the attractive redhead seems to have a grudge against him...and the presence of her longtime boyfriend doesn't help. Still, Travis can't stop trying to ingratiate himself with his new neighbor, and his persistent efforts lead them both to the doorstep of a journey that neither could have foreseen. Spanning the eventful years of young love, marriage and family, THE CHOICE ultimately confronts us with the most heart-wrenching question of all: How far should you go to keep the hope of love alive?"
Stars:	****
Review:	This book was actually at the center of my Christmas gift-giving this year. I found the hardcover, on sale, at the bookstore near my eye doctor while collecting stuff for Chris. And since he and I both love Nicholas Sparks, I scooped it right up, even though it was a month before Christmas and shopping that early violates my principle of waiting until the weekend before Christmas to rush through my gift list. On Christmas Day, with my father-in-law and step-mother-in-law visiting, we began opening presents early before the rest o' the family showed up for brunch at our house. Chris opened his copy...and was delighted. Imagine my surprise when, a present or two later, I also tore open a copy of the very same book! Our mutual interest in authors defeated us! We briefly toyed with returning one copy, but decided it was a cute story to keep both. Getting back to the story...this is typical Nicholas Sparks...but not really. In this book, I kept waiting for the catch...for the twist...for the other shoe to drop. The entire first half of the book was entirely too happy to be from the pen of Sparks - surely, a pesky boyfriend wasn't enough angst to break up a burgeoning romance. But then...the second half. And WHAMMO. Dear Hubby reads slower than I do, and I really enjoyed watching him making his way through this book after I finished. When he got to that big turn...his reaction was priceless. I'd always recommend Nicholas Sparks. Run out for this one soon!

If you have read or are planning to read this book, please make sure to stop back by and leave me a comment to let me know your own thoughts!

From my library to yours,

Tiffany