Audio Book Review: The Island by Elin Hilderbrand

The Island by Elin Hilderbrand
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Published: July 2010

The Cousins family thought they knew how their summer was going to be. Spend a week at the family home in Tuckernuck and then prepare for Chess's wedding in September. But those plans would not pan out as it was supposed to. When Chess calls off her engagement and then her finance ends up dead, everyone's world is thrown into a tailspin. Birdie, decides that instead of just her and Chess spending a week at the family home, it should be both of her girls for the entire month of July. Then her sister, India decides to join them as well. These four women will grow closer as family and help Chess heal from her heartache.

I have always wanted to plan a trip with my mother and my sister. Just us girls hanging out at the beach without a care in the world. Tuckernuck sounds like the perfect place, where there is no cell service, not electric and no hot water. Having to have groceries brought in by boat every morning and the trash taken away using the same method at night.

When Chess suddenly and inexplicably calls off her wedding, Birdie is shook. At first she thinks to call off the week in Tuckernuck, but when she sees how Chess is suffering she decides to extend the trip and call in reinforcements. With the help of her younger daughter Tate and her sister India, they are determined to get Chess out of the depression she has gotten herself into and try to make her life a little more cherry.

Lots of interesting things happen on the island of Tuckernuck, most importantly, these ladies learn how to love. To love themselves and one another and a few might even find love from the opposite sex.

Elin Hilderbrand's books always make me want to take a vacation. One day I hope to visit the Northeastern beaches.

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AudioBook Review: The Identicals by Elin Hilderbrand

The Identicals by Elin Hilderbrand
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Tabitha and Harper Frost are identical twins. Their parents divorced when they were 14 years old, and the twins were split between the parents(like the Parent Trap). Tabitha goes with their mother to Nantucket and Harper goes with their father to Martha's Vineyard. Even though these 2 islands are only a few miles away, they might as well be thousands. After this separation the girls grew farther and farther apart until they stopped speaking all together. When their father, Billy, dies, will it be enough to bring Tabitha and Harper back together as the sisters they once were, or will this drive them even farther apart?

Elin Hilderbrand has put together another enjoyable novel. My travels have never brought me further north than upstate New York, but she paints a picture of the New England coastline as a place I have to visit.

I don't know what it's like to be a twin, but I do have a sister. I think it would be impossible to go years without speaking to or seeing my sister. What happened between Tabitha and Harper that they couldn't work out their differences? Will the death of their father prove to them that whatever it was can be fixed?

For me, I didn't really connect with either of these characters. The person I connected most with was Ainsley, Tabitha's 15 year old daughter. At the beginning of the book, she is struggling through life as all girls at that age do. Trying to find out who you are, who your friends should be, which cliques to be a part of. Ainsley is trying to figure out her place in her world and trying to find her way through that with a parent who is pretty much hands-off.

Harper is also struggling through some things at the start of the book. But unfortunately, this is nothing new for Harper. She always seems to find herself on the wrong side of trouble.

Tabitha as well is going through a tough situation. As the head of her mother's clothing empire, trying to keep the store afloat as well as raise a teenage daughter and have a social life, it's a lot on one person.

Will these three ladies be able to put their differences aside, pull up their big girl panties, and work everything out so that they all will be able to coexist and thrive?

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August Readin' Roundup!!

Why Readin' didn't go as planned this month!!

After finishing almost 10 books in July, I was hoping that August would be the same way.  But such is not the case.  I did manage to finish 5 books this month.  Moving to a new home played a big part in my slow reading.  Plus, I'm not sure if it was the book I was reading during the move or just the move itself that slowed me down.  Overall, the books I read this month took me to different parts of the world.  I visited Africa, Australia, and a lot of the northeastern part of the United States.  I read a memoir, started a new series, and participated in the One Book, One Maryland reading program.  I only did 2 reviews on the blog this month.  I left out Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, since I read this while I was moving and I didn't feel as though I gave it my full attention.  Also, I don't do blog posts on audio books because I'm usually listening to them over an extended period and it's hard for me to give as rich detail to my review as that of a book I have read.  I do review all books on GoodReads though.  I gave one 4 star review and four 3 star reviews.

Best Book of the Month:

Emma in the Night by Wendy Walker  

This is Wendy Walker's 2nd book and right now she is on my radar as an author whose books I will read without reading the description of the book.  She writes a really good psychological thriller that will have you guessing until the end.  If you haven't read either of her books yet, I suggest you do right away.  Her other book is All Is Not Forgotten.

The Other Books I Read in August:

Never Never by James Patterson  

This is a new series from James Patterson.  The main character is a female detective from Australia, Harriet "Harry" Blue.  Her back story will play a lot into future books in this series.  Her and her brother were tossed from foster home to foster home growing up. 

The Beach Club by Elin Hilderbrand  

Elin Hilderbrand writes a great summer novel.  So far I have listened to three of her books this year. She has a connection to the area I live in and the books make me want to visit Nantucket.

Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

This was this years selection for the One Maryland, One Book program where the whole state reads the same book.  I have had a few of her books on my reading list for a while, but this is the first one I have read.   To find out more about the One Maryland, One Book Program and to find out  about meeting the author click here.

Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick

I think Anna Kendrick is best known for the Pitch Perfect movies.  My favorite movie of her is The Accountant.  This is her memoir of her life so far, how she became an actress living in Maine and all the gory details in between.  This book made me want to be her friend.

Overall not too bad a month for reading.  September is going to be better I know, I've already finished a book this month.  My birthday was yesterday and I got to go to the National Book Festival which I have been dying to do for years.  In honor of those last two events, I'm hosting a giveaway. Enter  for your chance to win

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Review-Summerland by Elin Hilderbrand

Summerland by Elin Hilderbrand
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Four teenagers, from the small island of Nantucket are involved in a tragic accident the night of high school graduation.  All four were juniors at the high school and 3 of the four had very promising lives ahead of them.  Penny Alistair was killed in this accident.  Penny had a beautiful singing voice that everyone admired. Her twin brother Hobson(Hobby), who was the star of every sports team,  was so badly injured, he was in a coma and had broken 16 bones on his left side.  Jake Randolph, who was Penny's boyfriend was not injured in the crash, but his jeep which Penny was driving was totaled.  And finally, Demeter Castle, Penny's friend who wasn't as popular as the others was also unarmed during the crash.  The kids had all been enjoying graduation festivities when they made their way to the beach for the final party.  Demeter took Penny to the dunes, to use the bathroom.  When they returned, Penny was in such a rage, there was nothing no one could to to stop her.

This was my first book by Elin Hilderbrand.  I have many of her books on my TBR list and this was available so I snatched it up.  I listened to the audio book rather than reading this title.  The book is told from several different perspectives throughout.  The voice of the island of Nantucket, Jake Randolph, Zoey Alistair(Penny & Hobson's mother), Demeter, Jordan Randolph(Jake's father), Hobby, Lynn Castle(Demeter's Mother), Ava Randolph(Jake's mother).  Each one of them have a connection to each other and a connection to the accident.  Telling the story from these different perspectives,  you get a look how the accident as well as other events in their lives have shaped them and brought them to this particular point.  The story is told throughout the summer after the accident.

One of my favorite lines from the book was "Penelope has a heart made from the finest bone china."  When I heard that line, and they say it at least twice in the book, it made my heart hurt for Penny.  She was a very sensitive person.  She took other's pain as her own.   It was Demeter who had said something to Penny that made her upset, but what was it.  Hobby and Jake spend most of the summer trying to figure it out.  It could have been anything, but what could have made her so mad she would have wanted to kill herself.

One thing that I wish was included in this book was Penny's perspective.  I know she was dead, but I would have like to hear a little from her in this book.  We hear about different things that were going on with her from everyone else's point of view, but I would have liked to hear her "voice" in this book.

This was  a good book with diverse characters.  You can see the struggles and concerns of teenagers in this book and it made me think about my own children and my childhood.  All the things I kept from my parents and I wonder if they ever knew.  I hope that other mother's will read this book and will want to keep an open dialogue with their children about the trials and tribulations they are going through.  We have all been teenagers at some point and we can probably help our own children if we can talk to them about how our lives were at that time.  I know when I was a teen, I was sure my mother would never understand me, but she had been in my position once in life as well.


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