Fun Weekend Read from the Young Adult stacks!

Bon Bons to Yoga Pants by Katie Cross 

Occasionally I dip into the world of Young Adult Fiction.  This book came up in a list of recommended by the teen librarian and the title was interesting…

It is the story of Lexie, an overweight college student who lives at home with her soon to be married thin beautiful sister and widowed mom.  She misses her father dearly who was also her eating buddy.  She also has an overweight best friend who embraces the Big is Beautiful movement and doesn’t let her weight stop her from - pardon the pun - living large.  Lexie is involved in an online relationship with another college student, Bradley, she has not met in person as they communicate primarily via text and email. 

Her life crises come to head Bradley invites himself as her plus one to her sister’s wedding six months away and realizes she needs to lose weight so she does not scare him away and also looks good in her Pepto Bismo pink maid of honor dress.  

Lexie’s aunt, who is also overweight, invites her to join her at meetings of the Health and Happiness Society, a weight loss support group.  During the six months she explores her unhealthy relationship with food and learns to embrace healthy eating and exercise.  She faces her grief over the loss of father, and how she uses food to avoid dealing with problems.  In the end, as she learns to accept herself for who she is, she successfully loses weight and discovers she has had Bradley’s heart for some time as he fell in love with her inner self all along.

There is really a lot of good stuff in this book.  It’s a fun read.  As a reader who has been battling with her weight for nearly 40 years and suffers from poor body image even longer, I don’t mean to minimize her self-discovery and successes.  The plot just seems so formulatic.  However, the characters are well-written and engaging.  

This is the first in a series and I look forward to the sequels to spend more time with Lexie and Bradley and her circle of family and friends.

Another Winner!!

 

This is the 3rd in the Will Robbie series.   I love Baldacci thrillers.  I was introduced by a friend some twelve years ago when I was working my way through James Patterson’s Cross series and assorted novels by Nelson Demille. Since reading my first novel, First Family, I have been a fan.  

What I enjoy about Baldacci is the the care he takes in the portrayal of his characters. They are so well-written - through description, action, plot, and conversation, you learn about the character as you progress through the novel.  The plots are always well-researched and well-written at an enjoyable pace.  And in the end, you may find yourself, as I often do, nodding to yourself at how believable the storyline really is.

The Target is no different.  Although it is part of a series, it is easily read as a stand alone.  Two of the CIA’s top assassins are given an assignment in North Korea which leads them to Nantucket Island.  The book kept my interest until the last page. Even though the ending is predictable, there is always an element of wonder until the last chapter.

Thumbs up on another good read!  Highly recommend!

 

And moving on from the recent DNF….

 After the weekend’s DNF, I picked up this thriller from Sandra Brown.  The plot involves two sisters, one of which has returned to her abandoned home to discover discover what really happened during the robbery her long-missing and presumed dead father was allegedly involved.  There are, of course, the normal and usual plot twists because of long held secrets.  The characters are pretty standard - unhappy younger sister, devoted and caring older sister, the brooding hero type with secrets, the powerful DA who abuses his power - and of course, there’s romance.  But overall, the story is compelling and well-written.  

I didn’t really think it up to the level of Baldacci and Patterson, but it was a good afternoon read nonetheless.

DNF - The Guilt Trip by Sandie Jones

 

Apparently, I was 1/3rd of the way through the book.  It’s tedious.  The plot feels contrived.  The characters are annoying - “oh, if only I was not feeling so insecure/guilty/judgmental, I would not be feeling so suspicious of him/her.  But wait!  I keep finding all this evidence!  But I have feelings…. Is my sordid past catching up with me? Or am I just bored because I gave up my career ambitions for true love?”

One of those books I kept reading far longer than I should, hoping that at some point, the plot will pick up.  ugh