Wedding Night

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Wedding Night

Sophie Kinsella

Dial Press: 2013, 464 pages

Reviewed by Jessie Park

Lottie is devastated; she's 33 and been with Richard for three years and she just knew that he was going to propose.  Except she was wrong, Richard had no intention of proposing.  Fed up with dating and excited about reconnecting with an old ex-boyfriend, Lottie jumps into a very quick marriage.  Lottie and her new husband, Ben, are off to honeymoon in Greece, where they first met each other 15 years ago.  However, Lottie's sister, Fliss, thinks this is all a huge mistake.  She has to stop Lottie from regretting her decision and realizes that annulment is the best and fastest option.  But how can she stop the blissful couple from coupling on their honeymoon?  Kinsella's Wedding Night is full of humor, wit, and entertainment, even if the situations are a bit out there.

Anna Dressed in Blood

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Anna Dressed in Blood

Kendare Blake

Tor Teen: 2011, 320 pages

Reviewed by Jessie Park

Cas Lowood is not your average teenager: he's a ghost hunter.  He is constantly traveling with his mother and his ghost-sniffing cat, putting to rest dangerous ghosts who like to kill.  Following a tip, Cas and his troupe head to Canada to find a ghost called Anna Dressed in Blood.  Anna was murdered in 1958 and still wears the dress she was killed in, except that instead of the color white, the dress drips blood red.  While Cas is efficient and has yet to meet a ghost he can't defeat, Anna is different.  She's not known to spare the life of anyone who dares to enter her house but for some reason, she spares Cas's life.  Readers should be aware that there is a hint of explicit language.  There is violence throughout the book.  It is not extremely graphic but enough to make the more squeamish uncomfortable.  There is a sequel titled Girl of Nightmares.  

Dumplin'

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Dumplin'

Julie Murphy

Balzer + Bray: 2015, 375 pages

Reviewed by Jessie Park

Willowdean Dickson (Will to her friends, Dumplin' to her mother) lives in small town Texas where football and the local beauty pageant reigns supreme.  Will knows she's fat, calls herself fat, but never really had an issue with it.  That it, until Bo Larson comes into her life.  He's attractive, mysterious, and genuinely likes Will back.  But suddenly Will sees all her flaws and her confidence is gone.  So how can she get it back?  By entering the Miss Clover City beauty pageant!  Dumplin' is funny, heartwarming, but also realistic and with some great references to the genius that is Dolly Parton.

Happily Ever Ninja

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Happily Ever Ninja (Knitting in the City #5)

Penny Reid

Caped Publishing: 2016, 376 pages

Reviewed by Jessie Park

Penny Reid's Knitting in the City series is set in present day Chicago and revolves around seven women who meet once a week to drink wine and knit.  Each book in the series focuses on a particular member of the group.  They are can be read as a stand alone but there are little novellas that are recommended, especially #4.75 Ninja at First Sight which tells the backstory of our two main characters.

Fiona and Greg have been married for fourteen years and have two young children.  Husband Greg is often away months at a time for work and Fiona manages...perhaps a little too well.  She's bogging herself down but never shows any weakness and Greg feels like he's not needed when she feels the exact opposite.  When an emergency strikes the family and pushes Fiona into a more leading role, Greg is unsure of how to handle it.  This is a story about how difficult marriage can be, even if both people are still desperately in love with one another.  While that sounds dramatic, the book is actually quite humorous and a bit action-y as well!

Goodbye Stranger

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Goodbye Stranger

Rebecca Stead

Wendy Lamb Books: 2015, 304 pages

Reviewed by Jessie Park

Goodbye Stranger is a middle-grade novel about changing friendships and relationships.  Set in present day New York City, the book follows the friendship between Bridge, Tabitha, and Em.  They're in 7th grade, still best friends forever, but things have been different lately.  Em "has curves now," is popular with the older soccer crowd, and is texting an 8th grade boy.  Tab believes most people have an ulterior motive and Bridge is still wondering what her purpose is in the world, especially after surviving a horrible accident while also thinking about what her new friendship with Sherm Russo means.  Throw in an unnamed high school girl who is dealing with betrayal on Valentine's Day and you've got the recipe for a funny and poignant novel that shows readers that no matter what age you are, it's still difficult to deal with changes in the relationships that mean the most to you.

Landline

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Landline

Rainbow Rowell

St. Martin's Press: 2014, 310 pages

Reviewed by Tori Lyons

Georgie and Neal's relationship was never easy.  While they loved each other deeply, her career as a writer for television comedies was always at odds with Neal's more reclusive nature.  But when Georgie had to forgo the family's annual Christmas visit to Neal's parents in Nebraska to focus on a new pilot she was pitching, she was devastated when Neal packed up their two daughters and went without her.  While spending the holidays at her mom's house in her childhood bedroom, Georgie discovers an unexpected way to reflect on the Christmas many years ago when Neal had proposed to her, and she wonders if maybe Neal wouldn't have been better off if it had never happened.  Landline provides an honest and genuine look at how relationships (and the people in them) change while still remaining the same.