I'm Back and just read Divergent!

I am back! I was on a little hiatus but I am now back and revved up! I actually just finished reading Veronica Roth's book Divergent to get me ready for her second book in the Divergent series titled Insurgent. I know I was a little late with reading Divergent since it came out last year, but nonetheless, I am glad that I picked it up. Goodreads gave it the choice award of favorite book and I can already see why. It is an amazing book and I have to admit that I am a huge fan of dystopian novels. I love the hard decisions that these protagonists have to make and the bonds that they create with loyal friends along the way.

Veronica Roth does a lovely job bringing to light the character of Beatrice. A 16 year old girl whose life begins in Abnegation one of the five factions of the society in which she lives. Abnegation is the faction which values selflessness above all else. Beatrice struggles with the values that her faction is so set upon and doesn't truly know if she belongs to them. How can she when she feels like she is made for something more?

At 16 Beatrice must choose whether to remain in Abnegation or another faction. Once she decides to leave she can't go back. This one decision will set her place for the rest of her life, a decision that Beatrice is hard pressed to make.

 Veronica Roth takes the reader on a whirlwind of events right along with Beatrice. She makes Beatrice face some extremely difficult situations that are so raw and real and connects you even more with her protagonist. Beatrice builds friendships which are tested as she begins initiation into her new faction: Dauntless.

I can honestly say this book was a definite page turner. It made me question myself and what I would do in situations that Beatrice was placed in. Beautifully written and imaginative Veronica Roth completely won me over with the first book of her series and I cannot wait to pick up Insurgent. I suggest you do it too!

Till the next book
Happy Reading Fellow Bloggers

xo Chellie

"The Singles" Meredith Goldstein

So I picked up Meredith Goldstein's The Singles working at BEA last month and it was a book that I instantly wanted to grab. I think the cover attracted me to it the most. Something about the way the picture was conceptualized made it alluring to me. So as I read on a couple weeks later I wasn't disappointed. The blurb didn't give me much to work with, stating:

Take an instantly recognizable social dilemma--attending a wedding alone--add a good laugh (and maybe a cry), and meet The Singles, the warm and witty debut by Boston Globe "Love Letters" columnist Meredith Goldstein.

Beth "Bee" Evans's first vow as a bride is that everyone on her list be invited to bring a guest to her lavish, Chesapeake Bay nuptials. When Hannah, Vicki, Rob, Joe, and Nancy one by one decline Bee's generous offer, the frustrated bride dubs them the "Singles" adrift on her seating chart as well as in life.

Since I didn't have much to work with when it came to the blurb, I didn't know what was going to be the my general take on the novel. I ended up being pleased with the story. Considering the fact that the day of Bee's wedding is told through different viewpoints I was able to get a view of all angle's, not just that of the bride. I was able to delve into Hannah's life which connected me to Rob and Vicki which eventually connected me to Joe. The characters are all facing different struggles in their lives amidst the happy nuptials of Beth "Bee" Evans.

I figured since Beth was the bride she'd be the most annoying of the characters, but surprisingly she wasn't. Her groom's brother Jimmy Fee was actually the one who took the cake for most annoying character in a wedding.

There were a lot of story lines in the novel but it didn't clash into each other, rather it flowed seamlessly, making me feel that nervous, excited feeling you get when attending or being part of a wedding. So if you're looking for a nice read to pass the time, maybe curled up on the porch, or stoop, grab Meredith Goldstein's book, it's sure to give some good laughs as promised and make you just as engaged in Bee's wedding as the rest of the characters.