The Sisterhood, Latte Lessons, And Striking Again

I fianlly made it back to the library and have a few reviews to share with the group. First up is The Second Summer of the Sisterhood By Ann Brashares. Its been quite awhile since I picked up the first installment of the Sisterhood of the traveling pants. I think time wasn't on my side. I had trouble telling the four girls apart and trying to remember what had happened to them the previous summer. About halfway through I was close to keeping their stories straight. Once I was past that part, I did find myself enjoying the stories that each girl had to share. I just find some of their actions to be off for young 16 year old girls. Maybe my childhood was more sheltered and I wasn't able to do as much, but... these girls did tend to get away with a lot. Overall, it was a great little story that would be best if read soon after the first.

My next book was Latte Lessons by Linda Lenhoff. I picked this one up off the shelf cold, and it could have stayed there and that would prolly have been all right. The writing style took some getting used to. The book didn't pull me in and make me want to devour it. I could tell from the beginning of the book who the main character was going to end up with and picked out even other plot "twists." The ending seemed to be a little perfect with the "bad" character just disappearing from their world. Not a horrible read, but I'm not going to rush out to reread it again.

The Hot Flash Club Strikes Again by Nancy Thayer was the next book that I finished from my library spree. Even though the main characters are menapausal women, the way the story is written, you are drawn into their world, and their problems. The come across very real and honest. This sequal branched out from the original Hot Flash Club members and included some younger women dealing with their horrible relatives. The original members arrange a meeting of these women who gain strength from each other. One can easily see where Thayer was trying to recreate the magic that her original women had and it works even if its strained at times. The one plot line discribing Polly taking care of her dying mother-in-law was quite touching. The ending was indeed the classic story book happily ever after ending, but thats one of the reasons people read- to be taken to another place where things do happen as they are supposed to. I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to reading more by Nancy Thayer.