The Quiet Concert: November 2014

Showing posts with label November 2014. Show all posts

November 2014 Recap

Nicole Read

Ashley Read

Favorites

Nicole's Pick

Ashley's Pick

November Reviews

What's New With Nicole

November was SO BUSY! The first weekend I went down to the Baltimore area to visit Ashley. She hosted a Halloween party and I was the Jasmine to her Aladdin crew. The next weekend I flew to Charleston for YALLFest! It wasn't my first time visiting - I went a lot as a kid - but it was the first time I've been back in about 8 years and I missed it! It is one of my favorite US cities and when you put a bunch of my favorite authors in it... well, it doesn't get much better than that! And then I came home to a promotion at work! But with both work and school being so demanding lately, I've basically had to say goodbye to all of my free time. So I apologize for my longer-than-usual periods of silence but I will be back in full swing soon! Just a couple more weeks until this semester ends!

What's New With Ashley

November was a crazy month! Justin and I checked out probably 30 potential new houses and everything was just alright. Then one Sunday ago we went to an open house and it was THE house! We put an offer and they accepted so hopefully all continues to go well :) We are just drowning in paperwork and home inspections now. Now that Thanksgiving is over we are getting ready to host a cookie bake off. Justin and I are going to make Snickerdoodles but still need one more recipe, so if you have an awesome cookie recipe, let me know!

Stacking the Shelves (100) Nov 29th

Stacking the Shelves - hosted by Tynga at Tynga's Reviews - features books that you bought, borrowed, rented from the library, received for review, etc.

Upcoming Reads

After I do by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Sealed with a Lie (Two Lies and a Spy #2) by Kat Carlton

What books are stacking your shelves??

Nantucket Red by Leila Howland

Title: Nantucket Red
Author: Leila Howland
Series: Nantucket #2
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Release Date: May 13, 2014

Summary from Goodreads:
Cricket Thompson's lifetime of overachieving has paid off: she's headed to Brown University in the fall, with a spot on the lacrosse team and a scholarship that covers almost everything. Who knew living in the dorm cost money? An Ivy League education seems to mean living at home for the next four years.

When Cricket is offered the chance to earn enough cash to afford a real college experience, she heads back to Nantucket for the summer. But the faraway island challenges Cricket in ways she hadn't anticipated. It's hard to focus on earning money for next year, when she finds her world opening up in entirely new ways-to art, to travel, and, most unexpectedly, to a future completely different from the one she has been working toward her whole life. A friendship blossoms with Ben, the gorgeous surfer and bartender who encourages Cricket to be free, even as she smarts at the pain of seeing Zack, her first love, falling for her worst enemy.

But one night, when Cricket finally lets herself break all her own rules, she realizes she may have ruined her carefully constructed future with one impulsive decision. Cricket must dig deep to fight for her future, discovering that success isn't just about reaching goals, but also about listening to what she's been trying to ignore-her own heart.

Review

When I first learned that Nantucket Red was Cricket's story of personal growth, and not a continuation of her romance with Zack, I lost a little enthusiasm to read it. I am not really sure why, since I enjoyed Nantucket Blue for more reasons than the romance, but that is why it took me so long to pick it up, despite all of the promising reviews. Until one fateful Saturday when I had no idea what to read next and so I wondered over to my bookshelf... and well, the rest is history.

I definitely regret waiting so long. I forgot how easy Leila Howland's narration is to read. I loved being back in Cricket's head while she faces some difficult questions about her future. Even though I am well past 18 and college is behind me, the changes and the doubts that she faces are relatable to me still. I enjoyed watching her try to navigate work, boys, friends and life in general as she tries to figure out what she wants for herself, and not what others expect of her. I also simply adore Cricket. She's as down-to-earth and honest as they get. And it was wonderful to be back on Nantucket, even as I freeze my butt off here in New Jersey. It's true that islands make you feel like anything is possible.

And I needed this book for closure. At the end of Nantucket Blue there were still quite a few things in Cricket's life that needed fixing, her relationship with Jules and her father to name a couple. And I am happy to say that this book works on those relationships, among other things. I think Cricket gets the ending that she deserves and readers get the ending that they've been waiting for.

So even though this book wasn't really a romance, and it was a difficult to see Zack with a wench, it had everything else to make for a great story. It wasn't the book I was originally looking for, but it ended up being the book I wanted. I highly recommend it!