Penelope in Retrograde; a Novel - Book Review

 

Title: Penelope In Retrograde; A Novel

Author: Brooke Abrams

Publisher: Lake Union Publishing

Publication Date: October 3, 2023

Length: 247 Pages

An Amazon Prime First Reads Selection

About the Author
Brooke Abrams lives in the Sonoran Desert with her husband, three children, three dogs, and a cat. This is the author's first novel.

A Family Thanksgiving
Romance writer Penelope Barnes travels home for Thanksgiving to make amends with her estranged family. She is shocked to discover her ex-husband on the same ride-share van traveling to his childhood home right across the street from her parent's house. She experiences hilarious (and a few serious) situations with her perfect twin sister, her match-making mother, her workaholic father, her weed-growing grandmother, and her fake boyfriend.

My Thoughts
I have always been a nonfiction book reader. I read memoirs, art, history, self-help, and Christian books. I also like to read children's picture books. I have decided to start adding some adult fiction to my reading list. I chose this book from the group of Amazon Prime First Reads in September. 

This was a delightful book to read. I think almost everyone can relate to the family drama that happens around holidays. The humor in the story was outstanding. I loved Penelope and the way she handled problems and conflicts with laughter and a positive attitude. 

Family relationships were emphasized and that made the story really come to life. Penelope eventually took responsibility for her part in the family conflicts and vowed to make things right. 

The nicest thing about this story is that the ending is just the way I was hoping it would be. Everything came together for a Thanksgiving that would be cherished and remembered for many years to come.

MY RATING: 5 STARS OUT OF 5

Book Review: Fashionably Dead by Robyn Peterman

Title:  Fashionably Dead: Book One of the Hot Damned Series (Volume 1)

Author: Robyn Peterman

Publisher: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.

Publication Date: September 2, 2013

Length: 322 Pages



This book review was written by guest blogger Cindy Phelps Thomas.

About The Author
Robyn Peterman, writes because the people inside of her head won't leave her alone until she gives them life on paper. She writes snarky, sexy, funny paranormal and snarky, sexy, funny contemporaries.

Laugh-Out-Loud
Astrid is wandering through life at 29 years old with little to show for herself, except her love of expensive clothes. She deems it time to quit smoking, as she has many times before, but, this time, goes the route of hypnotism. One minute a beautiful Amazon woman is hypnotizing her, the next she’s a Vampyre!

Her day just got a whole lot worse. Thankfully her best friend, Gemma, is still around to help (although there is something not-so-mortal about her too!)  And Astrid’s not just any Vampyre, she’s The Chosen One. Being The Chosen One comes with a lot of responsibility, and a lot of Prada.

Astrid has to be trained by a foul-mouthed Guardian Angel, a muscle building/actor look-a-like fairy with a bad sense of style, and more. She is supposed to take out the rogue Vampyres, but who are they?

Is this super-hot, hard to resist Vampyre, named Ethan, one of them?  She has a lot to learn in a short period of time, but with enough Prada, she may be up for the task!

My Thoughts
This book was laugh-out-loud funny and unlike anything I’ve ever read! Peterman takes the reader on a paranormal journey with action, adventure, comedy, and some steamy romance. When I saw the cover of this book, I knew I had to read it. I was NOT let down. From the beginning, I was drawn in and couldn’t wait to read more. I recommend this book for a mature audience. There is A LOT of foul language and several R-rated scenes.  I give it 5 stars and I look forward to book 2 in the series.

MY RATING: 5 Stars Out Of 5

FYI ~ I received a free digital copy of this book during a promotion on Amazon.com.

Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.

Book Review: Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion

Warm Bodies: A Novel

Author: Isaac Marion

Publisher: Atria Books

Date:  April 26, 2011

Length: 256 Pages


This book review was written by guest blogger Cindy Phelps Thomas.

About The Author
Isaac Marion is an American writer. He is best known as the best-selling author of the "zombie romance" novel Warm Bodies.

Favorite Quotations
“You should always be taking pictures, if not with a camera then with your mind. Memories you capture on purpose are always more vivid than the ones you pick up by accident.”  

“What wonderful thing didn't start out scary?”  

“We are where we are, however we got here. What matters is where we go next.”  

“The past is made out of facts... I guess the future is just hope.”  

“Here it comes. My inevitable death, ignoring me all those years when I wished for it daily, arriving only after I've decided I want to live forever.”  

A Zombie Romance
R is a zombie. He lives in an abandoned airport with his fellow undead, zombies and boneys. He can’t help but think he’s different from the rest as they shuffle around all day without a thought.

R does have thoughts, but he’s not sure what they mean or why he has them since he has no recollection of his past life. He does go to town occasionally to feed with other zombies, one of which is M, his friend. While feeding, the zombies can experience memories of the human life they are taking.

On one occasion, while feeding, R experiences the memories of Perry. Perry’s memories all include Julie, his longtime friend and girlfriend. R feels something for Julie through these memories and concludes that he must save her from the other zombies that are feeding. He takes her back to the 747 plane that he lives in. She is scared and he cannot communicate well with her, but as the days pass they become friends.

Julie tells R that she needs to return home to prevent her father from looking for her and attacking the airport. R begins the journey to take her back but also feels the overwhelming desire to keep her with him to ensure that she is safe.  The boneys, the high order of the undead, have discovered that R is different and Julie is living. They are unhappy and start a fight to try to capture her and kill her.

R and Julie manage to make it away from them with a little help, but Julie escapes from R once they are further down the road.  She manages to return home safely, but R cannot be without her. R, M, and a few others who are all starting to experience thoughts and feelings that they don’t understand decide to leave and go to Julie. The boneys are angry and still looking for the group of them.

The feelings between R and Julie are growing, but will R make it out of this? Will the boneys conquer the humans and the zombies?

All they know is there are big changes in the future and the future is coming fast.
 
My Thoughts

Warm Bodies is an interesting tale of a zombie romance. The love of a zombie for a human which is normally considered hunter and prey. I enjoyed this book. It was my first experience with zombies and kept me on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next. The book does have a considerable amount of adult language so I would not suggest it for children, but if you are looking to try something new, or this is the genre you usually look for, I definitely recommend this easy read.

My Rating: 5 Stars Out Of 5

Thank you to Cindy for sharing this book review with us. Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.

Book Review: Heart of the Matter by Emily Giffin

Heart of the Matter

Author: Emily Giffin

Publisher: St. Martins Press

Date: May 6, 2010

Length: 400 Pages


This book review was written by guest reviewer Cindy Phelps Thomas.

About The Author
Emily Giffin is a graduate of Wake Forest University and the University of Virginia School of Law. After practicing litigation at a Manhattan firm for several years, she moved to London to write full time.

No Matter How Flat You Make A Pancake, It Still Has Two Sides

Nick & Tessa Russo have a wonderful relationship. Nick is a world renowned pediatric plastic surgeon and Tessa has recently made the decision to stay at home with their two young children. The couple is very involved socially and have many friends.

Valerie Anderson leads a very different life from Tessa. Valerie is a single mom working as a lawyer who depends heavily on her family for emotional support. Valerie has no real friends due to the stigma that is placed on her for being a single mom in the prestigious area that they live.

Tessa and Valerie have very little in common though they live so close to one another, until the night of the accident. Valerie’s son, Charlie, is severely burned and rushed to the hospital. This is the night Valerie and Charlie meet Nick for the first time. Nick and Tessa slowly become more and more estranged, while Valerie and Charlie are building a relationship with Nick.

Tessa finds herself wondering if quitting her job and increasing her dependence on Nick is causing him to become distant. Valerie is seeing a male figure in Nick that has been missing in their lives for so long and finds herself thinking of him all too often. Charlie is looking to Nick to finally have a dad.

Heart of the Matter takes a journey down the road of love, trust, and forgiveness.

Will Nick and Tessa make it through this obstacle in their life?

Has Valerie finally found someone worth fighting for?

One thing is certain, they will all learn a little about themselves and forgiveness.

My Thoughts
As I read Heart of the Matter, I couldn’t help feeling connected to both of the women in the novel. The character development and the subject nature felt like they could be women I would consider a friend. I liked the style of writing also. Emily Giffin lets the reader experience each story through the eyes of the two characters by alternating views every other chapter.

The subject is a bit controversial, but at the same time it is a work of realistic fiction.

This is the fourth Emily Giffin book that I have read and I look forward reading more. I definitely recommend this novel and all others by this author.

MY RATNG: 5 Stars Out Of 5

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Book Review: Witch Weigh by Caroline Mickelson

Witch Weigh (A Paranormal Romantic Comedy)

Author: Caroline Mickelson

Publisher: Bon Accord Press

Date: April 24, 2012

Length: 154 Pages




This book review is a guest post written by Cindy Phelps Thomas.

About The Author
Caroline Mickelson loves her family and loves to write.  She lives in the American southwest with her husband and their four children.

She Uses Her Magic To Make Sure She Gets Her Way

Contessa Von Hellengaard is a real witch living in a normal world. Tessa is selfish, rude, and if anyone or anything gets in the way of what she wants, she uses her magic to make sure she gets her way.

The other witches in her coven see her behavior as a problem that is eventually going to have them all exposed. They have tried talking to her time and again, but they see no change in her personality. At their latest meeting, the others have planned an intervention of sorts.

They introduce her to Liam Kennedy. Little does she know, her life is about to drastically change. Liam is her charming fairy godfather. He takes her on a journey to better herself and teach her a few lessons. Tessa and Liam go to a beautiful resort. When Tessa wakes in the morning, she has gained hundreds of pounds, her beloved black cat is a white dog, and her magic no longer works.

She learns that she is in a camp to lose weight.  Although enraged, Tessa has no other option but to go along with the rules. As she sheds the pounds, she also gains a few friends, learns to love herself, and may even fall in love.

Will this all be for the best, or will she end up heartbroken wishing she could go back to her less caring days?

This paranormal romance is a fun and fast novella. It was touching at times and comedic at others. If you are looking for a good, quick read, I definitely recommend Mickelson’s Witch Weigh.  

MY RATING:  4 STARS OUT Of 5

Thank you to Cindy for this YA book review. Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.

Book Review: The Short Second LIfe of Bree Tanner: An Eclipse Novella by Stephenie Meyer

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner: An Eclipse Novella (The Twilight Saga)

Author:  Stephenie Meyer

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Date: May 28, 2010




This book review was written by guest blogger Cindy Phelps Thomas

About The Author
Stephenie Meyer is an American young-adult fiction writer and film producer, best known for her vampire romance series Twilight. The Twilight novels have gained worldwide recognition and sold over 100 million copies with translations into 37 different languages.

Quotations
“Don't watch" the redheaded mind reader whispered.
I closed my eyes.”  

“Super-secret Ninja Club sounds way cooler than the whole BFF thing.”  

“I couldn‘t make sense of the mess in my head. Diego was dead, and that was the main thing, the devastating thing. Other than that, the fight was over, my coven had lost and my enemies had won. But my dead coven was full of people who would have loved to watch me burn, and my enemies were speaking to me kindly when they had no reason to.”  

Life As A Vampire
Bree Tanner is a 15 year old runaway trying to escape an abusive father, her mother left when she was young. She is barely surviving when a young man named Riley asks her if she would like to get a hamburger with him. She jumps at the chance for food. She is intrigued by Riley and thinks he is very attractive even if he won’t remove his sunglasses. Riley is nice to Bree, but in an instant strange things happen.

Bree is dragged to a house and feels a tremendous pain in her neck that seeps through her entire body. This is the first night in her life as a vampire. Bree now lives in a crowded basement with 20 other “newborn” vampires. There are often fights among them causing the coven to have to move around and sometimes causing the death of members of the coven.

Bree befriends Diego during a hunting trip to Seattle. He is a wiser and nicer vampire, the first she has felt comfortable around in her three month life. They travel together and discover that sunlight is not as lethal as they had been repeatedly told by Riley.

This gets the two discussing what else Riley may be hiding from the coven. Bree and Diego’s love story is short lived as they discover that the coven is actually intended to be soldiers in an unknown battle with the “Yellow-eyes”.  These yellow-eyes are known throughout the Twilight Saga as the Cullen coven. 

Fred, another loner Vampire, runs away and offers to wait for Bree and Diego in Canada, but first she must tell Diego the plan. Bree becomes entangled in this messy battle, Riley has fled, and Diego is nowhere to be found.

What will come of Bree Tanner in this messy second life of hers?

Readers of Eclipse (Twilight, Book 3) will remember the battle scene in which Bree Tanner debutes. This is the details of the life of the young, desperate newborn vampire, Bree.

RATING:  5 Stars Out Of 5

Thank you for reading this book review. Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.

Book Review: From Notting Hill With Love...Actually by Ali McNamara

From Notting Hill with Love...Actually

Author: Ali McNamara

Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark

Date: October 1, 2012

Guest Reviewer: Cindy Phelps Thomas



About the Author
Ali McNamara lives in Cambridge with her family and two Labrador dogs. This is her first novel.

Real Life or Movie?

Scarlett O’Brien has an average life; a good job, good friends, and is engaged to a good man. There is very little excitement though. Scarlett has a love for the cinema; this is the only excitement in her life. She constantly quotes and imagines movies, specifically romantic comedies and compares them to her dull life.

As her wedding date nears, it is apparent that she needs to have some time to herself. Her best friend arranges for her to house sit in Notting Hill, the set of one of her favorite movies. Scarlet sets out on a mission. She wants to prove to everyone that real life can resemble movies. She plans to do this by taking note every time she lives out a scene she has seen in a movie.

The first day that she is in Notting Hill she meets an exciting new friend and lives out more than one scene from a movie. She is happy with the start. As she continues on with her month long stay, she starts to search for her mother who abandoned her as a baby. She realizes this is a part of her life that she has been longing to find.  

She begins this adventure with her irritating but attractive next door neighbor, Sean. As the time moves on, she is not sure if her life is the real life movie that she is currently living out with Sean and her new friends; or if real life consists of the boring but stable life she has back home with her father and fiance.

My Thoughts
I adore this book!  I am a huge fan of romantic comedy movies and this is the perfect book for such a fan. The characters are lovable and the scenes are wonderful (especially if you have seen movies such as Notting Hill). There are even cameos of a few famous actors and actresses.

This is one of the best “Chick Lit” books I have read. I did not want to put it down, but unfortunately I  had to. I just finished the book and now have a long list of movies (mentioned in the book) that I will be watching as soon as time allows. I highly recommend this book!

My Rating: 5 Stars Out Of 5

Cindy Phelps Thomas is a U.S. Navy Veteran (2001-2005). She earned her BS in Psychology/Criminal Justice from the University of Houston at Clear Lake. She received an elementary teaching certification and is a former kindergarten teacher in the La Porte, TX School District. She is currently a stay-at-home mom and is working on her MBA degree at the University of Houston.

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Book Review: The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks

The Last Song

Author: Nicholas Sparks

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

March 1, 2010

Book review by Cindy Phelps Thomas




About The Author
Nicholas Sparks is an American bestselling author and screenwriter. He has 16 published novels and seven have been adapted to films.

A Summer To Remember

Ronnie, short for Veronica, is a rebellious teenage girl. She and her brother are sent to stay with their Dad for the summer in South Carolina.  Ronnie fights going and tries her best to stay in New York with her Mom and all of her friends. She has not spoken to her father since the divorce.  Her father shares the same love of music that she had as a child.  She was an up and coming star, but when her parents divorced she vowed to never play the piano again. Every time her father plays the piano it upsets her giving her more reason to push him away.

As the summer progresses, her father and little brother share the project of fixing the stained glass window for the church in town that was destroyed in a fire. Ronnie starts to run with the wrong crowd, but then she meets Will. Will is unlike anyone she’s ever known. As they get to know each other, they find that even though they are from different worlds, they may have just what the other needs.  

By the end of the summer, the small town living and beach air has helped to mend the tattered relationship between Ronnie and her Dad. The stained glass window is almost finished and Will is soon to return to school for the fall semester. Then she finds out that her parents had an ulterior motive in bringing them to South Carolina. Her world is about to be turned upside down.

Favorite Quotes From "The Last Song"
“Sometimes you have to be apart from people you love, but that doesn't make you love them any less. Sometimes you love them more.” 

“I mean, if the relationship can't survive the long term, why on earth would it be worth my time and energy for the short term?” 

“Strange, what being forced to slow down could do to a person.” 

“It hadn't been so long ago, yet sometimes she felt that she'd been an altogether different person back then.” 

“If pinpointing God's presence were really that simple, then he supposed the beaches would be more crowded in the mornings. They would be filled with people on their own quests, instead of people jogging or walking their dogs or fishing in the surf.”

My Thoughts

This was a wonderful story about the love between a father and his children as well as a story of first love. The two combined make for a must-read that is hard to set down. I read all 400+ pages of this book in one day! I highly recommend this book to teens and adults.  

RATING: 5 Stars Out Of 5

I want to welcome Cindy Phleps Thomas to the book review team on JanetteFuller.Com. Cindy is a U.S. Navy Veteran (2001-2005). She earned her BS in Psychology/Criminal Justice from the University of Houston at Clear Lake. She received an elementary teaching certification and is a former kindergarten teacher in the La Porte, TX School District. She is currently a stay-at-home mom and is working on her MBA degree at the University of Houston.

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Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.

Post Grad - A Movie Review

I recently saw the movie Post Grad and would like to share my thoughts about it. This is a romantic comedy that takes place during the economic recession that we are dealing with right now. Many people should be able to relate to the frustration, anger and even desperation that plagues Ryden Malby, the main character in this movie.

Ryden has done everything right in planning a successful future. She graduates from college with excellent grades and has her heart set on a job as an editor at a big publishing company. She doesn't get her dream job and she soon realizes that she will have to move back home with her eccentric family until she can afford to get a place of her own.

The Malby family is a real hoot. Her father, Walter Malby, is always getting into some kind of hilarious situation. Walter backs over a neighbor's cat and presides over the cat funeral and burial. He also spends a night in jail for buying "hot" belt buckles on eBay and trying to sell them. Ryden's paternal grandmother, Maureen Malby, is a real delight. Maureen is played by Carol Burnett and I have been a Carol Burnett fan for a long, long time.

Ryden goes through several terrible jobs before she is finally hired at the large publishing company that she had her heart set on. She loves her job and finds herself working long hours. The problem is, she also has a guy friend who has been in love with her for years. Ryden does not realize how much she cares about Adam until she loses him. When Adam moves across the country to attend law school at Columbia, Ryden has a decision to make.

Does love trump career? Does Ryden leave her dream job and move to New York to be with Adam? What would you do?

This was an enjoyable movie that has some good laughs and some job searching situations that many people (young and older) can relate to . There are some slow parts during the show where I found myself snoozing off (I do that sometimes when I am sitting in a dark, quiet room.) I was kind of hoping for a different ending for Ryden, but it appears that young women are still willing to give up everything to keep a man. Been there, none that.

MOVIE RATING: 2.5 Stars (Out Of Four Stars)

The Time Traveler's Wife - A Movie Review

The Time Traveler's Wife was adapted from the 2003 novel by Audrey Niffeneger. I was interested in this movie because the main character in the story is a librarian. Since I spent many years working as a librarian, I seem to be drawn to stories about libraries and librarians.

Henry DeTamble and Clare Abshire experience a kind of love that is not limited by time. The movie is both a love story and a science fiction fantasy. I found the beginning of the movie difficult to follow because it jumped from one period of time to another in Henry's life. I think I finally engaged in the story when Clare met Henry in the library and they got married.

Clare's love is put to the test many times because of Henry's disappearing acts. Henry had a disorder that was labeled "chrono-impairment" and he would randomly travel back or forward in time. Clare was bitterly disappointed when she wanted to be a mother but was unable to carry a baby to term. She eventually gives birth to a little girl named Alba, who is also a time traveler.

I thought the interactions between Henry and Alba were especially heart wrenching. The way that Henry died was extremely ironic - I am NOT a hunting enthusiast. A happy family reunion at the end of the movie emphasized the theme that true love never ends.

I have to admit that I started reading the book when it first came out but lost interest and never finished it. The same thing almost happened during the movie. The action jumped around from one period of time to another so much that my head was spinning. It all kind of came together at the end for me. I would like to re-read the book to find the details that the movie left out.

MOVIE RATING: THREE STARS (out of four).