P.S. I Love You by Cecelia Ahern

http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=S*4/FsYOoLE&subid=&offerid=258185.1&type=10&tmpid=9309&RD_PARM1=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kobobooks.com%2Febook%2FPS-I-Love-You%2Fbook-pB-VBeGosUawT7a4VlUuzA%2Fpage1.html%3Fs%3DWGexNlszTEafO6bTH4g-KQ%2526r%3D2
#ThrowbackThursday
rating: 3stars (2.8)

From Kobo:
A wonderfully warm and heartfelt debut from a stunning new talent. Everyone needs a guardian angel! Some people wait their whole lives to find their soul mates. But not Holly and Gerry. Childhood sweethearts, they could finish each other's sentences and even when they fought, they laughed. No one could imagine Holly and Gerry without each other. Until the unthinkable happens. Gerry's death devastates Holly. But as her 30th birthday looms, Gerry comes back to her. He's left her a bundle of notes, one for each of the months after his death, gently guiding Holly into her new life without him, each note signed 'PS, I Love You'. As the notes are gradually opened, and as the year unfolds, Holly is both cheered up and challenged. The man who knows her better than anyone sets out to teach her that life goes on. With some help from her friends, and her noisy and loving family, Holly finds herself laughing, crying, singing, dancing -- and being braver than ever before. Life is for living, she realises -- but it always helps if there's an angel watching over you.

My Review:
P.S. I Love You is about love. Holly and Gerry have been together since they were teenagers. They are childhood sweethearts and soul mates. And more importantly best friends. Gerry dies and now Holly must learn to live without him.
Let me start by saying that this was perhaps not the best book to read for this game as it is long and quite emotional. I usually do not like lead female characters who are very dependent on others. Holly would seem like a character I would not like but the subject matter made me feel for her. She had the love of her life and to become a widow at such a young age would make any person more than just a little depressed. Gerry cares for her even after he is dead by leaving her a series of letters. The most important thing about these letters is that it gives her his blessing for her to keep moving forward with her life. So often when people we love leave our lives some times it may feel like you are betraying the person by having fun, falling in love, or whatever else the case may be.
This book has been sitting on my shelf for well over a year. Every time I look that it I would just say I am just not in the mood for what I thought would be a sappy book. Like I said above it may not be the best book for the relay but it is a great read. I can't say I can relate but I was in a relationship for years and when it ended I was lost for awhile. I missed our friendship most of all. And that to me is why the book is about love. If you are in a relationship and the two of you are truly friends then I think you will enjoy this book.
Note: I know that the likelihood of this ever really happening (the letters) is slim but I’m leaving this book on my boyfriend’s nightstand. I don’t want letters after he’s dead as I hope we have a long time together. But maybe it’ll spark some kind love note every now and then. LOL…a girl can hope.

Reading Challenges 2013:

2013 Book Bingo Reading Challenge
2013Book to Movie
2013 TBR Pile Challenge

Fun and Games 2013/2012

PBT's 5th Anniversary Relay (Play Book Tag)
Readers of Romance Book Challenges Winter 2013

2nd Chance by James Patterson and Andrew Gross

#throwbackthursday
hardcover (large print)
520 pgs
rating 3stars (3.4)

From Kobo:

A brutal madman sprays bullets into a crowd of children leaving a San Francisco church. Miraculously-or was it intentionally?-only one person dies. Then an elderly black woman is hung. Police homicide inspector Lindsay Boxer senses a connection and together with medical examiner Claire, assistant D. A. Jill, and Chronicle reporter Cindy, finds a link that sends a chill through the entire nation. This killer's motives are unspeakable.


My Review:

Lindsey Boxer has been promoted to lieutenant. Her first case back seems to be an apparent drive by on choir children. Soon it is discovered that the only murdered victim was not an accident. When things escalate and everyone is at a lost of whom the murderer could be the Women’s Murder Club come together once again.

Fast paced and interesting 2^nd Chance keeps you engaged from the very beginning. No moment for things to become dull in this novel. The murder is, of course, central stage but there are a couple of subplots that keep the story moving forward. The killer in the novel, who calls himself the Chimera, is quite disturbing. There is one particular scene in the book that involves pictures of several lynchings that illustrated just how sick the killer is. If you haven’t read this yet and you are a fan of detective, crime, murder mystery novels this should be added to you tbr.

 

Challenges:

13 in 13
2013 TBR Pile Challenge
2013 Book Bingo Reading Challenge

2013 TBR Pile Challenge

About:

Yahoo!  That special time of year has come around again!  It’s the time when we’re all frantically scanning the book blog-o-sphere for challenges that we might want to compete in next year.  

This is my fourth year hosting and participating in the annual “TBR Pile Challenge.”  It started after I realized I had such an issue buying books but never reading them (not because I don’t read – but because I have so many!).  So, year after year, books would sit on my shelf, untouched, and I would end up reading newer ones first.  I realized I was missing out on a lot of great books because I let them sit there gathering dust instead of reading them as I bought them.

The Goal: To finally read 12 books from your “to be read” pile (within 12 months).

Specifics:

1. Each of these 12 books must have been on your bookshelf or “To Be Read” list for AT LEAST one full year. This means the book cannot have a publication date of 1/1/2012 or later (any book published in the year 2011 or earlier qualifies, as long as it has been on your TBR pile – I WILL be checking publication dates). Caveat: Two (2) alternates are allowed, just in case one or two of the books end up in the “can’t get through” pile.

2.  To be eligible, you must sign-up with Mr. Linky below – link to your list (so create it ahead of time!) and add updated links to each book’s review.  Every listed book must be completed and must be reviewed (doesn’t have to be too fancy) in order to count as completed.

3.  The link you post in the Mr. Linky below must be to your “master list” (see mine below).  This is where you will keep track of your books completed, crossing them out and/or dating them as you go along, and updating the list with the links to each review (so there’s one easy, convenient way to find your list and all your reviews for the challenge).  See THIS LINK for an idea of what I mean.  Your list must be completed by December 31st, 2012.

4. Leave comments on this post as you go along, to update us on your status. Come back here if/when you complete this challenge and leave a comment indicating that you CONQUERED YOUR 2013 TBR LIST!  Every person who successfully reads his/her 12 books and/or alternates (and who provides a working link to their list, which has links to the review locations) will be entered to win a $50 gift card from Amazon.com or The Book Depository!

5. Crossovers from other challenges are totally acceptable, as long as you have never read the book before and it was published pre-2012!

*Note – You can read the books on your list in any order; they do not need to be read in the order you have them listed. As you complete a book – review it, and go back to your original list and turn that title into a link to the review - that will keep the comments section here from getting ridiculously cluttered.  For an example of what I mean, Click Here.

UPDATE:  I’ve decided to make a small change/addition to this year’s challenge.  On the 15th of each month, I’m going to post a “TBR Pile Check-In.”  This will allow participants to link-up their reviews from the past month and get some recognition for their progress.  There will also be small mini-challenges and giveaways to go along with these posts (Such As: Read 6 books by the June Check-in and be entered to win a book of your choice!).  I’m hoping this will help to keep us all on track and make the challenge a bit more engaging/interactive. If it goes well, maybe I’ll keep this format for future years.

1. Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown 
2. P.S. I Love You by Cecelia Ahern 
3. Northern Lights by Nora Roberts 
4. Wild Rain by Christine Feehan
5. Glass Houses by Rachel Caine
6. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
7. The Dead Girls’ Dance by Rachel Caine
8. Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris
9. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
10. 2 Chance by James Patterson
11. The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson
12. Honeymoon by James Patterson