Book Reviews and Gift Ideas

Today I have a review of our final two book club selections of the year and they would both make great gift ideas!

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion can best be described as a romantic comedy and it is totally adorable!

*Don Tillman, professor of genetics, has never been on a second date. He is a man who can count his friends on the fingers of one hand. Conceding to the statistical probability that there is a significant someone for everyone, he embarks upon The Wife Project. In the orderly, evidence-based manner that he approaches all things, Don sets out to find the perfect partner. She will be punctual and logical - most definitely not a barmaid, a smoker, a drinker or a late-arriver. Yet Rosie Jarman is all these things. She is also beguiling, fiery, intelligent - and on a quest of her own. As an unlikely relationship blooms, the scientifically minded geneticist confronts the realization that love is not always what looks good on paper.

Thoughts ... My book club absolutely loved this book. It is fun, quirky and light-hearted. Don is certainly socially challenged, but absolutely charming at the same time. We were rooting for him from page one and we appreciated that it was his quirkiness that made him so endearing. And clearly the whirlwind Rosie was exactly who he needed in his life! ... This is definitely a book that you finish and want to pass along to your mother, sister or friend to read - a great gift idea!

Dear Carolina by Kristy Woodson Harvey is a love letter to one baby girl written from her two mothers - one by birth and one by adoption.

*Frances “Khaki” Mason has it all: a thriving interior design career, a loving husband and son, homes in North Carolina and Manhattan—everything except the second child she has always wanted. Jodi, her husband’s nineteen-year-old cousin, is fresh out of rehab, pregnant, and alone. Although the two women couldn’t seem more different, they forge a lifelong connection as Khaki reaches out to Jodi, encouraging her to have her baby. But as Jodi struggles to be the mother she knows her daughter deserves, she will ask Khaki the ultimate favor…

Thoughts ... We thoroughly enjoyed this touching story of one baby girl, told in alternating chapters from the perspective of her two mothers. Khaki and Jodi really were about as different as two woman could be, but they shared the love of one little girl named Carolina and redefined the meaning of family. We enjoyed Kristy's soft, sweet writing style and the way the lives of the characters were distinctly written, yet tightly woven together. ... And as a added bonus, we scheduled a video chat with the author during our book club gathering and found Kristy to be absolutely delightful. She shared her background, the writing process and the heart and soul of Dear Carolina. It was such a treat to have her join us, like sitting down with an old friend and catching up on life. We were prepared with a long list of question and she so graciously answered each and every one. We are already looking forward to her next book and another book club chat with Kristy. ... Dear Carolina would also make a wonderful gift idea. Read the book with a group of friends, co-workers or family members and schedule a chat with Kristy!

Happy Reading!

*The synopsis of each book was taken directly from the author's website.