Tag Archives: books

It's a Holiday and I'll do what I want

In a day, it’s September. Cliche, yes, but I need to say it for the nth time in this blog: where did time go?

It’s a holiday and I’m at home, enjoying the fact that I don’t have much to do. I think I may need to work later, but no pressure for myself, because it’s a holiday and I can do anything I want to. I am supposed to fix my books and clean my room (sort of)…but guess who isn’t moving right now.

But anyway, like I said, it’s a holiday and I can do anything. Or not do anything. At least, until later.

So I’m trying to remember how I was a year before, and what I was doing at this day. I have a blog entry last year about friends ditching each other, and wow, that’s a sad entry. I guess I was really sad then. And this is like, 27 days before the flood hit, and I was still clueless then. Not that I have a clue now, but I’d like to believe I know better now. Of course I know I’ll say that next year, too (I hope!), so this small realization just tells me that I still hope to get better every year.

I was thinking of hitting the gym today, but I am feeling lazy. Who knew I would say something like that now, when I used to be at the gym all the time last year? Maybe it’s because I know I’ve lost weight, and I know that I don’t need to burn everything in the gym and I can take it easy. Right now, I’d really rather read books so I can make a dent in my reading list, but I also still like to dance, and run. (So maybe I will dance later.) I still like to sweat, because if I don’t, I won’t be able to enjoy stuff like these:

And speaking of reading books, it’s just more awesome to read books when you have friends you can discuss them in detail with. I’ve written about meeting them here, and I’ve been seeing some of them randomly for the past few weeks, and it’s fun meeting them and talking about books, what we like, what to read and everything book-related all day long. Heaven, mehn, heaven. :) Awesome, awesome.

Which reminds me, I owe a few posts about our bookish adventures. We’ve watched a movie, went to a Comicon and a book launch and hung out for so long that my vocal chords are often so tired when I get home that I don’t want to speak (big surprise). It’s a wonder no one has attempted to sell books books to us. Heh.

Ah well. Changes are good. I am honestly afraid of looking at my goal lists for this year because I know I haven’t fulfilled much of them (driving and baking to name a few), but I think…I won’t pressure myself about that too much either. I mean, yeah, important, but it doesn’t mean my life would be ruined if I don’t get them this year, right? Might be inconvenienced…but not ruined.

I may be just sugarcoating things so excuse me. Or maybe I’m just hungry. So excuse me again. It’s a holiday and I’ll write what I want. :P

I think I’ll read, then if I feel like it, I’ll go dance later. If not, I can always dance tomorrow. Everyone have a great (and sunny!) Monday holiday. :)

Green (Ted Dekker)

Rating: [rate 4.5]

Green by Ted Dekker AS FORETOLD BY ANCIENT PROPHETS, an apocalypse destroyed Earth during the twenty-first century. But two thousand years later Elyon set upon the earth a new Adam. This time, however, He gave humanity an advantage. What was once unseen became seen. It was good and it was called…Green.

But the evil Teeleh bided his time in a Black Forest.

Then, when least expected, a twenty-four year old named Thomas Hunter fell asleep in our world and woke up in that future Black Forest. A gateway was opened for Teeleh to ravage the land. Devastated by the ruin, Thomas Hunter and his Circle swore to fight the dark scourge until their dying breath.

But now The Circle has lost hope. Samuel, Thomas Hunter’s cherished son, has turned his back on his father. He gathers the dark forces to wage a final war. Thomas is crushed and desperately seeks a way back to our reality to find the one elusive hope that could save them all.

Enter an apocalyptic story like none you have read. A story with links to our own history so shocking that you will forget you are in another world at all. Welcome to GREEN. Book Zero.

FOUR NOVELS. TWO WORLDS. ONE STORY.

The last time I read the Black, Red and White by Ted Dekker was almost three years ago, and it’s been a while since I picked them up. I was planning to reread it, but because of time and all the other things life threw my way, I couldn’t get to read it. When I heard about the release of Green, I was excited because it’s Ted Dekker, and I loved the Circle Trilogy.

When I got my copy of Green, I was excited to read it but hesitant to read it because I can hardly remember what happened to the three books. But then the book cover said that it can act as the last book or the first book, I plunged in and read.

And what a ride it was, because Green is just as awesome as the other three books. Even if my knowledge of the trilogy was rusty, the book reminded me enough of what happened in the three books. I liked how it sealed the trilogy into a complete circle. The story was solid, almost very believable. There was a time when I felt like I couldn’t read anymore because I did not want to see what will happen next. There was a time when I wanted to strangle some of the characters and tell them that they should not stop believing in Elyon, and what they were doing is silly and pointless and would make them die. Books that make readers react this way mean they actually reached their audience. :D

Reading Green makes me want to re-read the other three books again, to fully relive the story of Thomas Hunter and his romance with Elyon. Great work, Ted Dekker. :D

Book Season 2009

Day 19There’s a time every year that I call “Book Season“. It’s usually around August to September, when all book stores I frequent go on sale, and usually ends right by Manila International Book Fair. These times are practically heaven for me as I get to buy a whole lot of books (then again it’s not like I don’t buy a lot off-season too), which all get added to my growing TBR list. In fact, there are still books on my TBR list from book fair two years ago. Haha.

I’ve always had somewhat of a generous stash every year after Book Season. This year was a bit different though. Good, yeah, but kind of different.

I hit MIBF last Saturday to see if I can find anything I like and buy it. I ventured into the fair with a list of books that I don’t necessarily need to have. The past years I have a list of books that I must have but this year, it’s just…”Okay, if I find it, I’ll probably buy it.” When I got to the fair, I ended up buying some pens from the Pilot booth and then three more books in National Bookstore (which I realized that I can still buy in National Bookstore with the same discount).

And all books I bought were in hardcover. And you know how I don’t like hardcovers.

But still, I think it’s a pretty good haul. They’re all “hot” books anyway:

Book Fair Haul
Book Fair Haul

I finally gave in and bought the hardcover copy of Sarah Dessen‘s Along for the Ride. Couldn’t resist, plus I can’t wait to read it anyway (and I’m almost done reading it!). The Hunger Games and Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins were highly recommended by Blooey, so there. :)

Hm. All sales ended yesterday, I think, and I just realized…almost all books I got to buy on all sales were from the Young Adult section:

2009 Book Saeson Stash
2009 Book Season Stash

From top to bottom:

  1. My Imaginary Ex by Mina V. Esguerra (Powerbooks)
  2. Be Strong & Curvaceous by Shelley Adina (Fully Booked)
  3. Who Made You a Princess? by Shelley Adina (Fully Booked)
  4. The Miracle Girls by Anne Dayton and May Vanderbilt (Fully Booked)
  5. Breaking Up Is Hard to Do by Anne Dayton and May Vanderbilt (Fully Booked)
  6. Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen (National Bookstore)
  7. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (National Bookstore)
  8. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (National Bookstore)

Not bad, not bad. I’m just surprised it’s almost all YA. I can see a trend coming in, haha. I find myself gravitating towards that section of the bookstore ever so often. Maybe I should go back to YA for NaNoWriMo.

Right now there’s no other book I want to buy yet. I was thinking of Dan Brown’s The Lost Symbol but it’s too expensive for me, plus I figure I can borrow it somewhere. :) I also wanted to buy those cool Austen reprints at National Bookstore…but I figured I could buy it next time. Or ask for it as  a Christmas gift. Support my Classics reading challenge! Give me Classic books (preferably Jane Austen :P).

Till next year, I guess?

19/30

Retail Therapy

I didn’t have a good week last week. It wasn’t really that bad, but it was kind of depressing for reasons that I will probably discuss on another post. I couldn’t wait for the week to end and just laze around over the weekend and for the next week to start, because it’s got to be better, right?

Oh, but there was one thing that made me look forward to last week: payday. Finally.

However (don’t you just hate howevers?), I’m not exactly in the richest mode now, regardless of the pay. August to October are usually my poorest months because of all the bills I had to pay (phone bill, credit card, pension plan, term life insurance advice…wait, I don’t have that) and expenses that suddenly come up, so I usually avoid spending so much during those months.

But again, I wasn’t feeling my best, and I couldn’t exactly go on a food trip anymore because whenever I go on a food trip, it’s bound to be unhealthy and all my efforts at the gym would be wasted. What else can a girl do to cheer herself up?

Go shopping.

Friday found me roaming around Eastwood with my officemates in search of things to buy that can cheer me up. It was also the end of season sale at Eastwood, so it was just the right time to go shopping. I’m not exactly a seasoned shopper, though, so I didn’t brave the tiangge in the Central Plaza. I was looking for something more specific that I really needed then: a new pair of rubber shoes and a gym bag.

Of course those things were expensive, and I was hoping for unrealistic prices, so I had to let go of one. Plus, Fully Booked in Eastwood Mall was on sale too, and I just can’t not go in!

So at the end of the night, here is my stash:

Retail Therapy ♥
Retail Therapy ♥
  • Pink and gray Nike rubber shoes (I’ll have to look up the exact name of the pair)
  • The Miracle Girls and Breaking Up Is Hard To Do by Anne Dayton and May Vanderbilt (long recommended by Camy!)

A little background story on the rubber shoes: The first pair of rubber shoes I wanted (the cheapest one) did not look good on my feet. The other one that I really wanted was the pink Nike Free 7.0 Trainer, which was really cute but too expensive. I almost went home defeated but after catching G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra, Grace and I went back to Nike and I found that pair of gray and pink rubber shoes that looked great on my feet and well, costs halfway between the two pairs. SOLD!

The bag I wanted was too expensive, though, so I guess that could wait. At least until it goes on sale or I get my bonus, whichever comes first (and why not both? :P). But I’m really glad to have a new pair of rubber shoes again; the last time I had rubber shoes was in college, when I owned about three pairs. When I started wearing Chucks, I hardly wore rubber shoes anymore so all of them broke. I’ve been borrowing my mom’s rubber shoes (which met an unfortunate fate last year and never recovered) and she’s been asking for them back…so there.

And you know what? It’s true. I did feel happier after going shopping. I don’t know if there’s a scientific basis on that, but my little retail therapy worked.

I can’t say the same thing for my wallet though. But oh well. :)

When it Happens (Susane Colasanti)

Rating: [rate 3.0]

When It Happens (Susane Colasanti) Sara and Tobey couldn’t be more different. She is focused on getting into her first-choice college; he wants to win Battle of the Bands. Sara’s other goal is to find true love, so when Dave, a popular jock, asks her out, she’s thrilled. But then there’s Tobey. His amazing blue eyes and quirky wit always creep into her thoughts. It just so happens that one of Tobey’s goals is also to make Sara fall in love with him. Told in alternating points of view, Sara and Tobey’s real connection will have everyone rooting for them from the minute they meet!

I’ve been wanting to read this book ever since I spotted it as a recommended read in Amazon, and it took a while before I finally got myself a copy. When I saw it at the newly opened Fully Booked in Eastwood Mall, I grabbed it (in an impulse, I might say).

It’s an interesting read. I think the last he-said/she-said novel I read was Flipped, and I loved that novel. This one is just…well, interesting. I liked the two characters fair enough, and even the supporting characters were more interesting than say, an  orange nj dentist. I did find myself rooting for Tobey and Sara, and I’m actually quite interested to watch Say Anything, the movie mentioned in the novel.

However, there’s just something in the storytelling that felt a little off for me. I don’t know if it’s the present tense format, but I felt like the story lacked a bit of description, except when Sara starts painting or drawing or something. I felt like it lacked a bit of the smooth flow that other books have. I mean, for example, during one party that the characters attended, there was a part there that says: “Going Under is playing. Evanescence rocks.” I know it may be because it’s written to make it sound like how teens probably think nowadays, and maybe it just doesn’t gel with me quite much. Maybe because I’m not so good with descriptions that I like books with long and flowing descriptions?

But again, the overall story is good and a pretty much enjoyable, but it’s not really going to be in my favorites list. Maybe I was just too used to Sarah Dessen type novels, hence the conclusion. I’m still looking forward to reading Colasanti’s other novels, though. :)

Deadly Intent (Camy Tang)

I know, I know, I should post more. Sorry for the delay in reviewing this book — work is eating me alive again! Anyway before we go to the review proper, the winner of my Deadly Intent giveaway contest is (drawing is care of random.org :D)…

Drawing c/o random.org
Drawing c/o random.org

Angela!

Congratulations! I’ll be sending you an email after I submit this post. :) Enjoy your new book. :D

Okay, now for the review. :D

Rating: [rate 4.0]

Deadly Intent (Camy Tang)

SCENE OF THE CRIME

The Grant family’s exclusive Sonoma spa is a place for rest and relaxation—not murder! Then Naomi Grant finds her client Jessica Ortiz bleeding to death in her massage room, and everything falls apart. The salon’s reputation is at stake…and so is Naomi’s freedom when she discovers that she is one of the main suspects! Her only solace is found with the other suspect—Dr. Devon Knightley, the victim’s ex-husband. But Devon is hiding secrets of his own. When they come to light, where can Naomi turn…and whom can she trust?

Camy comes back with a new book, this time not with sushi but with a spa, a new spa owner, a handsome doctor and a murder! It’s no secret that I love Camy’s books (see the reviews here, here and here) and having a chance to read this book is really exciting. :D

In this book, Naomi is taking over their family spa, and is not expecting it to be an easy job, but she also never expected that she would have to deal with the murder of her client! Naomi wonders what God has in store for her and if he really wanted her to be where she was. Not only that, but there’s also handsome Dr. Devon Knightley who always seems to be around ever since the murder…and it’s making Naomi not so comfortable because of her crush on Devon. I think Naomi definitely wouldn’t mind giving away  wedding invitations with their names on it, but not at this time, when they’re both accused of murder!

This is a fun and quick read — just the right amount of mystery, suspense and dead bodies and it kept me hanging until the end. I was actually quite surprised to find out who the culprit was, and kind of sad to know why she did all those things. Naomi is a strong protagonist though, and I found myself rooting for her all through out the novel. The faith aspect is nicely tied in as well, and it never felt like it was too preachy — everything felt natural.

Another great book by Camy! :D

Deadly Intent Blog Tour: Camy on her Characters

Deadly Intent (Camy Tang)

SCENE OF THE CRIME

The Grant family’s exclusive Sonoma spa is a place for rest and relaxation—not murder! Then Naomi Grant finds her client Jessica Ortiz bleeding to death in her massage room, and everything falls apart. The salon’s reputation is at stake…and so is Naomi’s freedom when she discovers that she is one of the main suspects! Her only solace is found with the other suspect—Dr. Devon Knightley, the victim’s ex-husband. But Devon is hiding secrets of his own. When they come to light, where can Naomi turn…and whom can she trust?

From her successful Sushi Series (Sushi for One?, Only Uni, and Single Sashimi), Camy is back with another sure-hit novel! This time she takes a different route from her first three chick lit novels, bringing in a world of suspense, mystery, romance and well, God, into the quiet-turned-deadly spa.

Okay, so that’s my effort at trying to make a good intro. :P But I’m seriously honored to have Camy here on my blog again. I just love her books, with all the action and the solid characters that stay in my mind long after I read them all. I’ve decided to interview Camy this time to pick her brain about her characters:

1. Today is my character Ruth’s birthday. :) Do you give your characters birthdays too, even if it’s not mentioned in the story? If so, when are they?

Um…not really, unless I want to use the birthday as a scene in the story. But I always know how old my characters are. Naomi is 27 years old and Devon is 35.

2. Was Naomi’s character based on anyone (or any people) you know? What about Devon?

Naomi isn’t based on anyone I know, but I always thought being a massage therapist would be a cool job, so I did a lot of research for Naomi’s career and for the spa.

Devon’s personality isn’t anyone I know, but his job is borrowed from the orthopedic surgeon who repaired my ACL (twice). Dr. King is the official orthopedic surgeon for the Oakland Raiders. He’s totally nice.

3. You mentioned in your previous blog posts about which archetypes your previous characters (Lex, Trish, Venus and Jen) fall into. What archetype did you use for Naomi?

Naomi’s a maiden or Persephone archetype. They tend to be easygoing and carefree, but Naomi has been thrust into a more responsible role by her father, who just had a stroke. Worried about the future of his spa, he puts Naomi in charge as acting manager and is grooming her to eventually take over the spa when he retires. Naomi does it to please him, but she doesn’t really want to take over the spa—she’s happy as head massage therapist, because she likes giving massages, not managing a business.

4. All of your novels give us both the point of view of the hero and heroine. I often have a hard time getting into my male character’s heads. How do you do it?

I usually talk to my husband to get his perspective on things. And when I’m writing, I think to myself, Would Captain Caffeine use this word or phrase? How would he say this?

5. If Naomi were to meet any of the Sushi cousins, who do you think will she be friends with?

I think she’d get along with Trish the best. The two of them would know how to have fun, but at the same time, both of them know what it’s like to have responsibility thrust upon them.

6. Who is your favorite female character outside of your books? How about your favorite male character?

My favorite female character is Anne Elliot from Persuasion by Jane Austen. Anne is intelligent, calm, and organized. She withstands her horrendous family with strength and insight, yet compassion—all of which I lack. I think a part of me wants to be Anne.

My favorite male character is Sir Percy Blakeney from the Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy. He’s just always so clever, and yet he has such a passionate love for his wife, which makes him terribly romantic.

7. Who is the next heroine that you are writing about? What can we expect from her?

My next heroine is December (isn’t that a cool name? I borrowed it from a woman who was taking one of my online classes). She will be my toughest heroine to write so far, because her struggles will be so close to home. I’ve always struggled with my weight, and recently I completed the Couch to 5K running training program. I’m going to have December do the Couch to 5K, too!

Thanks for having me here, Tina!
Camy

Camy Tang writes romance with a kick of wasabi. She used to be a biologist, but now she is a staff worker for her church youth group and leads a worship team for Sunday service. She also runs the Story Sensei fiction critique service. On her blog, she gives away Christian novels every week, and she ponders frivolous things like dumb dogs (namely, hers), coffee-geek husbands (no resemblance to her own…), the writing journey, Asiana, and anything else that comes to mind. Visit her website at http://www.camytang.com/ for a huge website contest going on right now, giving away fourteen boxes of books and 30 copies of her latest release, DEADLY INTENT.

* * *

OH AND BEFORE I FORGET!

I’m giving away a copy of Camy’s new book! Just leave a comment on this entry with your name and email address so you’ll be a part of the raffle. :) Deadline of entries is Monday, July 27, 2009. I’ll be announcing the winner by Tuesday, July 28, 2009. :D

Belong to Me

I’m writing this down on TextEdit because my Internet connection refuses to cooperate (of course by the time I post this online, my Internet is obviously better), and I just need to let these thoughts out or else I wouldn’t be able to sleep thinking of all the things related to this.

Belong to Me So I just finished reading Belong to Me by Marisa de los Santos, her follow up novel from Love Walked In. I loved Love Walked In, for all its seemingly old-fashioned scenes and the lovely characters. I especially loved the fact that Teo Sandoval was half-Filipino, somehow making it feel closer to my heart.

Belong to Me is a different story from its prequel. More characters, more conflict, more stories. I saw a couple of reviews that it wasn’t as good as the prequel, but because I can’t stand not reading all books in a series and because I was curious to what happened to Cornelia and Teo and Clare, I got the book.

In Cornelia’s words: I was slammed. Hard. Belong to Me is probably one of the best books I’ve read this year. It’s a different tone from the first book, but it was simply (and very) charming. The chapters were long, the stories were complicated but never did I feel bored with the entire story. I devoured every page, with all its lyrical prose and smart characters. My heart burst in sadness at the particular part of the story where all things came undone, and I celebrated victory with them when I got to the end.

I think it’s a given for any reader to love Cornelia, but what I really loved about the book was (and still), Teo. I could easily imagine how Cornelia could call him her sun and moon and stars. I tried hard to find a flaw in him, and I know there was something but it’s became a part of his character as a whole that you’d end up forgiving it because you know it won’t be the same without it.

And maybe the reason why I love Teo so much because I want someone like him. Not exactly a half Filipino hunk of a man with golden brown skin and bottle green eyes type (but hey, that sounds really handsome, haha), but someone who treats me the way Teo treats Cornelia. Like how he had an almost secret and sacred nickname for Cornelia that meant “heart” in Latin (Cor), or how his face changes whenever he talks about his wife (as observed by Piper). I want someone like that, someone who I’d think of as my sun and moon and stars but would also think of me the same way too. Someone whose heart could expand with love for all the people that matter to me, and teach me to make my heart be like that too, for people he cares for and people I have a hard time liking or loving. Someone like Teo, who stuck with Cornelia for fifty-six hours to try to fix the mess that exploded in their faces and not lose patience but remind her that love is not “I” or “you” but “we”.

*sigh* It’s got me smitten, really, and I don’t think I’ll ever forget about this book too easily. I love every single bit of it, and I kind of feel sad that it’s the last book on them. I really feel like I’m saying goodbye to good friends, people who have kept me company over the weekend. But it’s comforting to know that I could always visit them, and draw strength from them, and maybe, someday, talk about them to someone who will be my own Teo someday.

Oookay, and that last line is really cheesy. Enough cheese here, or else you may be better off reading mdclearreviews.com. :P It’s time for me to go to bed. :P

Kapitan Sino (Bob Ong)

Rating: [rate 3.5]

Kapitan Sino (Bob Ong)THERE IS SOMETHING STRANGE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

Naunahan na naman ang mga pulis sa pagtugis sa mga holdaper ng isang jewelry shop. Bago noon, may iba na ring nakahuli sa isang carnaper; sumaklolo sa mga taong nasa itaas ng nasusunog na building; nagligtas sa sanggol na hinostage ng ama; tumulong para makatawid sa kalsada ang isnag matanda; tumiklo sa mga miyembro ng Akyat Bahay; sumagip sa mga mag-anak na tinagay ng tubig-baha; nag-landing ng maayos sa isang Boeing 747 na nasiraan ng engine; at nagpasabog s aisang iganteng robot. Pero sino ang taong ‘yon? Maliligtas nya ba sila Aling Baby? At ano nga ba talaga ang sabon ng mga artista?

Bob Ong is known for his funny yet thought provoking books about the life of a Filipino. I’m sure you’ve heard of him at one point, or have received a forwarded email regarding his little thoughts on life and love (ex. “Kung maghihintay ka nang lalandi sayo, walang mangyayari sa buhay mo. Dapat lumandi ka din.” Don’t wait for someone to flirt with you. Learn to flirt as well.) and I know that most people have certainly agreed with a lot of what he has written.

Kapitan Sino is Ong’s 7th book, and it takes us in an adventure in the town of Pelaez. There we find Rogelio, an ordinary man who makes a living by fixing different appliances in their shop named “Hasmin’s Sari-Sari Store” that they’ve planned to change but never got around to. He lives his life one day at at time, enjoying his little jokes with the kids who insist on buying candies at their sari-sari store turned electronic repair shop, listening to his neighbors Aling Precious and Aling Baby best each other and sing to the different songs he hears on the radio. All this changes one day when his friend Bok-Bok visits his place and they both find out Rogelio has super powers.

Kapitan Sino was born, and from there, Rogelio started saving other people’s lives, disguised in a silver costume and helmet that his blind friend and childhood love Tessa made. Pretty soon, Kapitan Sino was everywhere — on the children that play along the streets pretending to be the hero and the villains, on snacks, gums, newspaper, radio, TV. Everyone was thankful for Kapitan Sino’s heroism, and Rogelio was just happy that he was able to help. This was up until his encounter with the town’s monster, which he defeats but then fails to save someone that mattered to him.

Kapitan Sino is a lot like his previous book MacArthur, but a bit more fun. The thing I did not like about MacArthur was how depressing it was, and I didn’t want to read it afterwards. Kapitan Sino is funny in the sense that it brings in a lot of late 80’s to 90’s Filipino culture, such as snacks like Rinbee, Bazooka Bubble Gum and TV shows like Pinoy Thriller or  Batibot — things that Generation X and Y will surely understand and remember. However, Kapitan Sino is kind of sad too, because it shows us just how our nation is, reflected in the small town of Pelaez: from the corrupt government officials to the people who spend time trying to best each other with their riches, spending more time gossiping than doing something productive and even blaming other people for things that are not their fault. It’s a startlingly accurate picture, and it’s kind of sad to realize the reality of what Bob Ong has written.

But do we really need superheroes to be able to fix our situation? Do we have to have super powers to be heroes? Or can we be heroes on our own?

I’ll leave that up to you to answer.

A Little Ray of Sunshine (Lani Diane Rich)

Rating: [rate 4.5]

A Little Ray of Sunshine (Lani Diane Rich)Emmy James is not the kind of girl who attracts angels. In fact, after she sent her life into a nosedive six years ago, she’s tried to attract as little as possible -attention, people, or responsibility. She skips from town to town in an Airstream trailer, working odd jobs and keeping to herself until a sudden whim lets her know it’s time to move again.

And this works just fine, until the day two unexpected visitors show up at the New Jersey trailer park she calls home. One is a childhood friend with news: her mother and his father are getting married, and they want EJ to be there. The other is a sweet but odd woman named Jess, who says she’s an angel specializing in cosmic relationship mending…and blueberry pancakes. Jess doesn’t think it’s any coincidence that this is all happening at once, but EJ would rather run herself over with her own Airstream before reconnecting with her neglectful, self-absorbed mother. When she wakes up to find her trailer cruising down the highway with a determined angel at the wheel, however, EJ realizes that sometimes what you want and what the Universe intends for you can be two very different things…

I am really starting to love Lani Diane Rich‘s works. There’s something about what she writes and the people she writes about that really piques my interests, and this one is no different. (Plus, don’t you just love that cover? :P)

EJ is a girl who’s been around for the past six years, going from one place to another, taking jobs as a cashier, using a receipt printer and just living on her own. What people don’t know about her is that she’s the daughter of Lilly Lorraine, a famous actress, and it’s something she doesn’t really want people to know. Frankly, she’d rather bury her past and just live the way she lives now — it’s less painful that way.

But one day brings her two unexpected surprises: one is a visit from an old friend telling her that her mother is getting married yet again to his father and probably the closest and most real parent he’d ever had. And she gets a visit from an angel — or someone who thinks she is. Jess, the angel, is convinced that the Universe wants her to help EJ, and would stop at nothing in doing so — even going as far as “kidnapping” EJ.

After much reluctance, EJ finally decides to go home just for the wedding, but what she saw when she got back was something she never expected. Oh, and her old friend and ex-fiancee was there too — with a lot of old hurts that she never thought she’d have to deal with all over again.

A Little Ray of Sunshine is exactly what the title says — it’s a little ray of sunshine in a book. It’s a really entertaining story, with a wacky cast of characters. EJ, with all her rudeness to her mother and the people around her and her need to go to be alone, is still very endearing. Jess is such a darling, and I almost thought she was a real angel until her own secrets were revealed. Lilly was annoying and lovable at the same time. The tension between the characters was the kind of thing that you’d see in real life, and the resolution was realistic enough that you know it’s just the right way for the story to go to.

It’s a really good book, and I’m sure I’d want to read more of Lani Diane Rich’s work. :)