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.

View all my reviews

To learn more about this book or to learn more, click the book cover below:

Review: 96 Words for Love by Rachel Roy & Ava Dash

96 Words for Love by Rachel Roy and Ava Dash
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Published: January 2019


Raya Liston is at a turning point in her life. She has just graduated high school and college is the next step. She thinks she knows what she wants to do, but not exactly sure. When her grandmother, Daadee, passes away Raya feels more confused than ever. Together with her cousin Anandi, she travels to an ashram where her grandmother had visited as a youth and then again a few years before she died. She told the girls that she had left something for them there and they were determined to find it. What else would Raya find there? Most than she ever expected.

I decided to get this book after hearing about it on a morning talk show. I'm not really familiar with Rachel Roy as a designer except for seeing her on Project Runway a few years ago. I like reading about different cultures and learning things I may never discover because I doubt I will ever visit. I don't know anything about Indian culture or Hinduism. I didn't know that there were 96 words for love in Sanskrit. I wish that they would have given all of the words since that was the title of the book.  Here they are:(image fromhttp://www.gnaana.com/blog/2017/02/the-very-many-sanskrit-words-for-love/)

96 Words for Love is a YA novel that gave me all kinds of emotions. There are multiple love stories spanning generations. And not just physical love, but love of religion, love of music, love of teaching, love of family and friendships. Dealing with that strange adjustment period after high school, and the feeling of knowing you have found the things you were searching for even those you didn't intend to find.


View all my reviews


To learn more about this book or to order a copy, click the book cover below:

Review--Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Eat, Pray, Love is the story of one woman's journey through Italy , India , and Indonesia in a quest to find peace, harmony, and to become a better person.  She takes a year to make this journey.  Starting in Italy  to eat amazing food and to learn to speak Italian.  In India she visited an ashram and met her guru.  In Bali, Indonesia, she is returning to see Katut, a medicine man she had met before an had told her that she would return to Bali and teach him English.

Elizabeth Gilbert is one brave lady.  First, to be able to dedicate a year of your life to traveling the world.  Making stops in places where you don't know anyone or even speak the language.. It sounds like an amazing time.

I had seen the movie when it was first released, but didn't know there was a book as well.  I try to read the book before the movie as much as possible.  This has been on my library wish list for a while.  When it finally became available I couldn't wait to listen to it.  Having it being read by the author herself made it that much more enjoyable.  It made me feel as though I was there with her.  Tasting food in Italy, doing hours of meditation in India, and even more in Indonesia.


View all my reviews