Day 177/366

What I'm Reading ATM

I clearly remember the day I was given my first story book, by a family acquaintance, as a parting/Christmas gift. When, about nine months later, I had to leave it behind at my Grandparents' home, I cried.

I must admit that at the time the beautiful illustrations were probably more appealing to me than the story line but that book has stayed in  mind's eye for over fifty years.

 As a child books were my escape.  I truly believe that there have been times in my life where they have been my saviour.  

I am no lightweight when it comes to reading.  The number of times I have left a (fictional) book unfinished can be counted on one hand.

So when I discovered the Carrie Diaries amongst a cache of books my Youngest Son's girlfriend gave me to read I didn't really believe me when I told myself: I'll see how it goes.  If I don't like it I don't have to finish reading it.

I have a habit of doing this...but most times I will persist with a book even if I don't like it and complete reading it simply because I hate leaving a book half read. 

So when I discovered that The Carrie Diaries is sort of a prequel to Sex and The City I hummed and hawed about it and considered not even opening it up to the first page. You see, I must confess that I have not watched a single episode of Sex and the City, nor a single movie.

Until I picked up that book I'd never heard of Carrie Bradshaw. I decided that one must not look a gift horse in the mouth so I read the book; from beginning to end.

This book, I found, deals with many adolescent issues: Teenage sex, loss, peer pressure, adolescent perceptions of significant adults and the desire to belong and fit in are just some.

Carrie Bradshaw is different from her peers  she has lost her father (through death). 

The experience affects all members of her family of origin in vastly different ways.

Candice Bushnell's writing aroused my emotions constantly and I found that sensitivity is a feature of her writing.  I don't know how Carrie Bradshaw is portrayed in Sex and the City, but in The Carrie Diaries she is an intelligent young girl with deep respect for her parents.

She can be insightful, knows what she wants in life (but can be swayed by her peers), and is on the brink of going out into the big wide world.

Although some might class it as "Chick Lit" I enjoyed reading about Carrie and how at times she fumbled through life and other times was decisive.  She made me laugh and she made cry.  I'm tempted to find out a bit more about her.

My second book, Belong To Me was introduced to me by an on-line book club that I've joined.  The finer details of just how this book club will be managed have yet to be ironed out so I will fill you out on that when the time comes.

In a sentence, Belong To Me can best be described, in my opinion, as an upmarket version of Desperate Housewives.

American street, post 9/11,is full of women all trying to out do each other. 

Tragedy forces these women to re-evaluate previous perceptions.  Surprising and unexpected secrets evolve to bring characters together while also revealing some shocking ulterior motives.  

Innocent people's lives are hugely impacted on by these revelations, sometimes for better, sometimes not.

Cornelia Brown does not take long to realise that a move to what she believes to be a quite town may not be as smooth as she'd expected.

The reader will take an instant dislike to Piper but she will be the most challenged of all the characters and lives up to the opportunity to grow herself personally.

Initially, I found the writing style of Marisa de los Santos beautiful and flowing, the story fast moving and compelling.

By the final third of the book the words had become grating and condescending.

The ending I'd describe as sickly sweet and the sort of ending that I find irritating because it's as if it's written because the author is in a hurry to complete the book, because a story has to have an 'end'.

Sometimes, I think, it's better to leave an ending 'up in the air' as it were, because it's so obvious that everyone is going to live happily ever after that the words don't need to be written, that the words are just a waste.

None-the-less, a good read, a story that deals, again, with loss, friendships, morality, marital relationships and adolescence.