I recently found myself in Palo Alto, CA, for a job interview with a [ahem] major university. Since I'd already flown up once, I knew my way around a bit, but still was more than 2 hours early, and hungry. So I ducked into a used bookstore in search of b'fast reading. Picked this up and walked just a few doors down to a marvelous cafe whose name I've now forgotten, maybe Jeanne's Cafe?

Anyway, this is a delightful little read and kept me going during my 'down time'.

Jane Loften is a wealthy wife with a great country club and.... that's about it. she spends all her time planning plastic surgery and shopping - and selling high end real estate. In a near-fatal car crash, Jane promises God that if she lives she'll "do good".

Enter complications to life and doing good!

Think I'll send to my most beloved Antof9, who alwasy does good!

How fun! I think I remember when you were on this trip and "bookless" (what a horrible state to be in!)! Thanks for sharing the fruits of your trip :) I walked out of the house the other day without a book in my purse (I'd just finished the one that had been in there), and I almost drove back home! What if I had a flat tire? Or got stuck behind an accident, or something? I'd be furious if I did't have reading material! Fortunately, I was going to the grocery store, and there were no incidents. . .

Thanks for the book, Blue -- this looks fun :)

I'm about halfway through, but wanted to make note of two things I thought when I first started the book (before I forget):
1. "If anyone had asked that morning how my life was going, I would have told them I was doing good."

Can I just say, "AAAUUUUUGHHH!"? At the halfway point, I'm ok with it, but that almost made me put the book down.

2. At first, I thought it was going to be another Hot Flash Club, that is, chick lit for menopausal women, and I was surprised that Blue liked it. Since I had just read the other one, I wasn't all that excited about another one just like it, but I'm glad I kept reading. It's nothing like that!

I'm halfway through, so more later. Oh, and I heart Chester.

I am honestly surprised at how much I liked this book! And I really cared about Jane -- a lot -- by the time I got to the end. I really enjoyed seeing her personal growth, her depth as a person, her realization that her previous goals and aspirations to be in the country club were really worthless goals.

I was very concerned about her relationship with her daughter through the majority of the book. It was very uncomfortable, but I suppose realistic. More so than I expected in something that's masquerading as chick lit.

Thanks for sharing this with me, Blue! I'm trying to decide what to do with it now :)

Edit: I just remembered I marked a couple things I wanted to remember!

Chester's brilliant advice: . . .don't start trying to second-guess your past. It's like wrestling a pig, it doesn't do any good and it annoys the pig.

The other section I marked just convinced me who I need to send this to. It's really all of page 287, but it's one of my favorite parts of the book. This line It's surprising how close two strangers can get while working together in a kitchen has manifested itself over and over in my own life, and I'd love to work side-by-side in a kitchen with the person I'm going to send it to :) Here's the thing that so many people just don't get: Shanekwa didn't like being alone in the house. And I had no place to be. It was a small thing, but I could be there for her, I decided. This is what "doing good" is actually all about.

I was prompted by the line mentioned above, and this recent thread to send it to the East coast :)

My friend antof9 sent me this and another book as a RABCK. She's catering to my new-found and tentative openness to chick-lit!

I actually remember ant mentioning this book as something she was currently reading a while back, and I thought it sounded interesting. I'm looking forward to reading it!

Oh, and ant, dear . . . you can come cook with me ANY time!!!!

Thank you! MMmmwwwaaaaa!!!

RELEASE NOTES:


Ant, I wish I could say I loved this, but it just wasn't doing it for me; and I have all these other books calling out to me from the TBR shelf - hear them? (*very small, squeeky voices harmonize, singing zee-zeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!*)

Hope it finds a happier reader:

For hshah in India - Enjoy!

RELEASE NOTES:

Placing in hshah's M-Bag.

Hey am finally home for a few days before going on the road trip again for a fortnight!!!

Thank you so much zz-neena for sending this book and Kitten22 for organising the M-Bag! Yipeeeeeeeeeeeee am so excited about all the books i am to receive, am going crazy looking for shelf space. LOL :) my mom is driving me mad about cleaning my room. :)

I received a few books over the last fortnight whilst i have been travelling. Though a little late, here the JE.

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

Since i have loads of books just lying arund in the house, and i need room for more books ...............so a few go to charity.