Spring and Summer Tea

It's Chick Lit Time!!!!

Every Summer my friend and I read several books in the Chick Lit category as a "break," if you will.  This year I also am in a challenge to read 8 Chick Lit books by the end of the year and I don't believe that will be a problem. Before I start with all of my reviews on the various books in this category I wanted to share my point of view and frankly my scoring system for the Chick Lit genre.


My philosophy about Chick lit is really very simple: I expect to be entertained and I want a light read. I read a lot of reviews and always when it comes to Chick lit there's the 'there was no depth' or 'I knew what was going to happen.'  Yes, that is why we read Chick Lit!!!! It is what it is - it's a light read with fun, a villain, some quirky relationship, predictability and an ending we all hope for. Usually the story takes place in New York or a big city with a woman who wants to change something in her life, whether it be a relationship, a job or both.  Well isn't that why we read it?  We can't keep getting these books and expect it to be a literary work of art.


So as I review the Chick Lit genre I will rate it for what I think it is...did it make me laugh, did it entertain me, was it a light read that took me away from reality?  Then that to me is Chick Lit!!!!


Hope you enjoy the reviews!

To Be Perfectly Honest

Veteran author and speaker Phil Callaway is no stranger to daunting challenges. He has been laughed at—repeatedly—by large crowds of people from Halifax to Hong Kong. He fathered three children in three years, spent much of last year on airplanes built by the lowest bidder, and flipped an out-of-control ATV, which doesn’t mean he sold it for a profit. So who better than Phil Callaway to boldly accept a challenge that would make the average person run and hide?

I was excited to read this book and was so happy that it delivered! I found Calloway's humor refreshing and so on point, I enjoyed his writing and I felt like I got to get an inside look at his life.

I loved his candidness from the high school reunion to his conversations with God to the "Honest Confessions" at the end if each chapter. The author insights were heartfelt, inspiring and educational with the humor that makes a great read.

I have referred this book to many people and I am looking forward to sharing it with many others.

Called Home

Emma Benson's view of life was crafted by the death of her brother as a child, abandonment by her father and later, the man she trusted she would marry, until David Schlosser - back in town after years in New York writing best-selling novels - threatens her neatly tended life. Romance blooms. Emma and David eventually persevere in the face of tragedy, refusing to leave their dreams behind.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. Of course it helped the fact that it was set in rural Wisconsin, about a farm girl who worked in a bookstore. I also immediately identified with David and his desire for what is real and that feeling of completeness when you are home where you grew up and how that isn't always there in a big city.

The relationship between David and Emma seemed to be a little confusing at first, however, I found myself drawn to keep reading to see what Emma's story was. I thought in the beginning that the plot was a little too predictable but then I got a surprise which made me like the book all the more.

Overall I thought this was a great read and I am happy I had the opportunity to enjoy it.  Out of 5 stars I give it 4.

Happy Reading and enjoy a glass of iced tea!