From the category archives:

Book Reviews

Rating: ★★★★★

PerfectionShort Summary:
One day, Julie hears a loud thump coming from the kitchen. When she goes to investigate, she finds her husband Henry, a gourmet food-loving, social butterfly dying from a heart attack on the kitchen floor. Henry dies, leaving Julie to raise their young daughter Liz alone.

Overcome with grief, Julie tries to keep it all together with Henry gone, but as she tries to put her life back together, she finds more and more pieces of his life that she never knew existed.

As she unravels the lies Henry told, it doesn’t take her long to discover that he was a liar and a cheat.  Betrayed not only by her husband, but also by a close friend of the family who had been sleeping with Henry for years, Julie shares the healing process she must go through in order to forgive her husband, find closure, and move on to an even better life.

My Review:
I  couldn’t put this book down! I was constantly in suspense over what was going to happen next. The writing was so visceral that I could almost feel Julie’s raw pain coming through her words.  I especially loved the parts where she described trying to date again and the many difficulties that come with trying to find someone new who fits into your life and you into theirs. And finally, the parts where she called up the “other” women to discuss their affairs were absolutely priceless.

On first glance, many people might think this book is about a man and his many affairs, but really, it’s about a woman—Julie—and how she reconciled the life she thought she had with the life she actually had.

If you’re looking for a book about recreating your life when everything has crumbled to pieces around you, this is the book for you.

Have you heard about or read Perfection? I’d love to hear what you think!

Book: Perfection
Author:
Julie Metz
ISBN:
9781401341350
Publisher:
Voice
Source:
Purchased


Giveaway:

Did you know Julie was on Oprah in January? If you missed it like I did, you might be excited to hear that Oprah is re-airing the episode this Friday July 30th. Be sure to check it out.  If you want to see notes from the episode or read an excerpt from the book, check it out on Oprah.com.

In anticipation of Oprah re-airing this episode, Stephanie from BookSparks PR has offered up a copy of this book for giveaway to one of my lucky readers! Thanks Stephanie!

Here’s how to win:

1. Show your support for this blog by following me via Google Friend Connect OR by liking my blog on Facebook. (Hint: Look in the right hand column.)

2. Subscribe to my blog’s RSS feed. (Hint: Right hand side under my blog header.) This is optional, but definitely appreciated.

3. Fill out this form: (Closes August 7, 2010)

Perfection Giveaway


Do you Tweet?
On July 30th, Julie will be on Twitter answering the question, Perfection is…?

Check out her Twitter at @juliemetzwriter and join in the discussion of what perfection is to you. (I think there will be prizes)
Sharla's Digital Signature

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Little Bee by Chris Cleave — A Review

June 8, 2010 2010
Little Bee

Rating:

Short Summary:
This book is about a teenage girl called Little Bee who is being hunted down by men who want to kill her for knowing too much about the killings of the people in her village, which rested atop rich oil deposits in Nigeria.
After enduring horrendous events on the beach at the hands [...]

Tears to Triumph — A Review

May 27, 2010 2010
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Rating:
Summary:
Tears to Triumph is a compilation of various women’s personal accounts of difficult situations they have dealt with and were able to triumph over in the end. Part stories, part encouraging commentary, Tears to Triumph offers insight on how to turn our most difficult struggles into success stories.

My Review:
I loved this book. I found [...]

An Awesome Book — An Awesome Review

May 20, 2010 2010
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About a week ago, my nephew turned seven years old. I don’t have any children of my own, so I was wondering what in the world a seven-year-old kid would want for his birthday.
A trip to DisneyLand of course!
That was a little out of my budget, so when I was surfing the Web for [...]

The Canine Condition — A Review

May 13, 2010 2010
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Summary:
The Canine Condition by Alex Vardamis is narrated by a dog named Dingus. Dingus can read and write, and he is trying to learn how to speak. He is in love with Sally, who is a silver saluki. However, Paula, a purebred pointer, also likes Dingus, and she tries to get him [...]

How to Thrive in Changing Times—A Review

May 6, 2010 2010
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Summary:
How to Thrive in Changing Times by Sandra Ingerman is a book about positive thinking. Using stories, meditations, and guided activities the author strives to help you find peace in your daily life when things change or become overwhelming. A big focus of the book is on finding things to be thankful for and [...]

Dreams of Trespass by Fatima Mernissi — A Review

April 28, 2010 2010
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Short Summary:
Dreams of Trespass is Fatima Mernissi’s account of her life growing up in a harem in Morocco in the 1940s.
Throughout the book, Fatima tries to figure out exactly what a harem is and what it is not. It is a coming of age story and also an exploration of the frontiers or boundaries [...]

Eternal on the Water—Book Tour Review

February 16, 2010 2010
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Summary:
Eternal on the Water is the love story of Mary Fury and Jonathon Cobb. Mary is a teacher at New Hampshire University and specializes in corvid or—crow—research. Jonathon is a teacher at an upscale private school.
Their paths cross while preparing to kayak down the Allagash river in Maine. Jonathon is on sabbatical doing Thoreau [...]

The Middle Place by Kelly Corrigan — A Review

February 4, 2010 2010
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Rating:
I decided to read The Middle Place after reading another review I came across on the Internet.  It sparked my interest because it is about a woman a few years older than me who found out she had breast cancer.
While I don’t have any close relatives that I know of with breast cancer, I [...]

Truly, Madly by Heather Webber — A Review

January 17, 2010 Book Reviews
Truly, Madly

Rating:

As some of you know, I came down with a bad cold the day after Christmas. During that time, all I wanted was warm soup, cough drops, a box of really soft tissues, and a good book to read. I needed a light-hearted read to distract me from my misery and to keep me [...]