I just finished “Remember Me?”, by Sophie Kinsella this afternoon.  Well, what can I say?  Kinsella does it again.

She creates a likable main character that you cannot help but be endeared to immediately.  You want to root for her as she moves through the many obstacles in her life, and you really do not like it when someone mistreats her.

You are on her side.

Kinsella does this with all of her main characters, which for me, makes her books so darn fun.

Remember Me? is about a 25 year old woman named Lexi Smart.  She is living in London, has a great group of friends, her own flat, an ok job, and a not so ok boyfriend.

One day, Lexi wakes up in a hospital bed.  She has no idea what happened, but learns that she is currently in the year 2007, when she is 100% sure that she is in the year 2004.

She finds out that she was in a car crash and endured a severe blow to her head.  The space in her brain responsible for memory upkeep has gone haywire, and she cannot for the life of her remember anything from  the last three years of her life.

What is very peculiar though, is that she has a Louis Vitton purse, a huge diamond ring, and a business card indicating she is the Director of the company where she used to be at a much lower level.  She also finds out she is married to a multi-millionaire, Eric, and that they live in a penthouse loft in a swanky part of town.

What the heck has happened in her life during these past three years to get her to where she is now?

The process Lexi goes through in piecing back these three years in her memory is the story.  And it is a hilarious one at that.  I was gripped from the beginning, and could not put this one down until I found out how Lexi would rebuild her memory and her life.

I just loved the story.  Its such an interesting premise to think about losing your memory for a certain period of time.  Who do you trust?  Amnesia is a tricky one.  Luckily, Lexi has some good people in her life to pull her through.

I really can’t say anymore.  Read it!  You’ll love it.

I read the Confessions of a Shopaholic series, by Sophie Kinsella a few years ago, and absolutely fell in love with Kinsella’s writing style.

The characters Kinsella conjures up are filled with wit, spunk, intelligence, warmth, creativity, silliness, and incredible imaginations.  I think this is the main reason I am so drawn to her books.

As a reader, you cannot help but be on the side of the main character.  You will be rooting for her the whole way through her awkward moments, hilarious mishaps, and hijinks.  You want her to win.

In addition to having someone to root for, which is always a great feeling, I find myself laughing out loud many times throughout her stories.

The characters she creates are so endearing and likable.  They are people that you would enjoy having as friends as they are so entertaining with the choices they make in their lives.

When I was looking for a book a few months ago, I chose The Little Lady Agency, by Hester Browne, exclusively due to the fact that Sophie Kinsella had given her two thumbs up for the story.  By the way, loved this one too.

So, I went to our local library last night to check out my next book, and decided to go for a Sophie Kinsella that I had not read yet.  I checked out Twenties Girl and Remember Me?.

I arrived home and rounded up the kids for family reading time.  As I curled up in my navy blue wingback chair and wrapped myself in my cozy sage colored reading blanket, I read the first few sentences and realized that I had read Twenties Girl last year!

I LOVED this book.  I was so sad that I had already read it.  🙁  Luckily, I have Remember Me?.  I know what you’re thinking, did you read this one already too, flighty one?  The answer is no.  I definitely have not read this one, and it looks like it will be equally enjoyable as all the rest.  Phew.

But, I thought, at the very least, I could still write a review of Twenties Girl to bring attention to this hilarious story for all of you.

The main character is Lara Lington, a twenty something girl trying to make it in the big city.  She started up an executive recruiting agency with her friend recently that does not seem to be going as well as initially planned.  The relationship with her current boyfriend does not seem to be going as well as initially planned either.

Things are a bit messy for Lara at the beginning of the book, and they only get messier in a very good and completely hilarious way.

In the beginning of the story, Lara attends her great aunt Sadie’s funeral.  During the funeral, Lara is visited by Sadie’s ghost.  Sadie appears to Lara, but not to anyone else.

When Sadie finds out that only Lara can see and hear her, she will not leave Lara alone.  Sadie cannot rest until her special dragonfly necklace is returned to her.  She knows someone stole it, and she enlists Lara to help her locate it, before she can rest in peace.

And the story begins.  Even though Lara has quite a bit on her plate already, she has to help Sadie with the mysterious necklace disappearance as well, or she will never be left alone.

What Lara doesn’t realize in the beginning is how interesting the search for the necklace will become.  Lara learns a lot about Sadie and her family.  Sadie also helps Lara work through the more modern mishaps that are occurring in her life.

The relationship between Sadie and Lara is so much fun to read.  They are both strong women from different eras helping each other out by solving day to day problems and lingering mysteries.

SO, SO Fun!!  This is a must read for anyone who loves the Chick Lit genre.

Very, very well done.

I have been meaning to write my review on the Shopaholic Series as well.  Will get to that soon.  Shopaholic is where Kinsella’s masterful storytelling began, and I highly recommend checking these out as well.

I finished James Patterson’s, Suzanne’s Diary for Nicholas, last week.

The main characters of this high suspense novel are Suzanne, Matt Harrison, and Kate.  Kate is Matt’s current girlfriend of one year, and Suzanne is Matt’s wife from another time in his life, and Nicholas is the son of Matt and Suzanne.

The story is presented in a unique format.  The book begins by discussing Matt and Kate’s great relationship that is on the verge of becoming an engagement.  Everything is going well, and then Matt mysteriously cuts their relationship off, and disappears.

A few days later, Kate receives a package that contains a diary that Suzanne has written to Nicholas.  Matt asks Kate in a letter to read the diary in an attempt to explain to Kate why he has been so super secret about his past.

And, this is where the book begins to get very interesting.  Suzanne’s diary details her meeting Matt, moving to Martha’s Vineyard, getting married to Matt, delivering Nicholas etc…  Its a detailed and very emotional account of Suzanne and Matt’s life together.

The book goes back and forth from Kate reading the diary to Kate’s state of mind as she reacts to the contents of the diary.

This is a page turner, for sure.  I could not wait to find out the secret.  Patterson is an incredible storyteller.  As the reader, you are just dying to know what is going to happen next.  I finished this book in two days, creating time in my day so I could finish it.

I really can’t say anything more without divulging too much.  All I can say is, if you’re in the mood for a sweet love story, high drama, and much suspense, this is the book for you.

Its a super quick read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  You might need some tissues toward the end, so be prepared.

On another note, I’ve discussed James Patterson before in my post about his organization, Read Kiddo Read, focused on promoting the love of reading to young children.  Read Kiddo Read provides a thorough list of exciting books that hopefully will capture kids’ attention with incredibly adventurous and captivating stories.

Let me just start by saying that the science fiction genre has never been at the top of my list for reading.

The Martian Chronicles, by Ray Bradbury, piqued my curiosity after reading Bradbury’s Zen in the art of writing.

I finished The Martian Chronicles this weekend, and was pleasantly surprised to find out that yes, I do like science fiction.  Well, Bradbury science fiction at least.

Quick Summary

This book takes place between the years 1999 and 2026, when the humans or “Earth men” are trying to establish settlements on Mars.

Earth is having problems, including devastation from atomic wars.  Because of this, Earth men are looking for alternative planets to establish new colonies.

The book opens with the first explorers arriving on Mars, and details the treatment by the Martians of these “Earth men”.

Although there are references to characters from previous chapters, each chapter is a short story in itself.

The short stories build on each other to give the reader detailed accounts of the events spanning these 27 years on Mars.

With Bradbury’s detailed descriptions, I was captivated with the stories from the beginning.  The characters are so real. You really feel for these characters as they attempt to settle on a foreign planet.  It is quite a page turner, waiting to find out the fate of the humans arriving on Mars.

Its interesting to think this was written in the forties and published in 1950.  The years 1999-2026 must have seemed so far away at that point.

Bradbury and others probably thought that surely we would be have humans on Mars by the 21st century.  They also were worried about atomic war, and it makes sense that the stories discuss the atomic problems of Earth.

Bradbury’s Writing Style

In Art in the Zen of Writing, Bradbury discusses how he lets his characters tell the story.  He does not sit down with an outline and a precise direction before writing.

He talks about how he is always excited writing his short stories, because he has no idea what is going to happen next, since he is merely following the character’s lead.

This manner of writing is evident in this classic.  I just loved it.  So unique and so engaging.

I just finished “Zen in the Art of Writing”, by Ray Bradbury.

What an absolute delight of a book.

Bradbury makes you feel like you’re sitting at the kitchen table with him as he details the specifics of his writing style.  He discusses where he finds his inspiration, and how you too can find inspiration to create magical stories.

I was drawn to this book due to my addiction to blogging.  My blogging career began in March of this year, and I can’t tell you enough how therapeutic the act of writing down my thoughts has been for me in these past seven months.

Along the way, as I mentioned in my Writing Down the Bones Post, I have noticed that I really enjoy the sites I visit that were founded by great writers and storytellers.  I find myself bookmarking those sites, and checking them out at least once per week.

In my quest to improve my writing skills, I wanted to find a well regarded book on creative writing.  Bradbury’s books always popped up at the top of the recommended list, and now I know why.

How have I come this far in my life without reading a Ray Bradbury book?

I am so embarrassed and disappointed in myself.  He is a magnificent storyteller, and if this book, “Zen in the Art of Writing” is any indication, I think I’m going to be his newest fan.

He writes with such eloquence and childlike wonder and excitement, its contagious.

Where to Look for Inspiration

One of my main takeaways is that there are fascinating stories to be found in every day events.

He documents one situation where he and his wife, Marguerite, are walking along Venice Beach and they noticed the “bones of the Venice Pier and the struts, tracks, and ties of the ancient roller coaster collapsed on the sand, and being eaten by the sea.”  Bradbury looks at the pieces of wood laid out and sees a dinosaur.  He asks his wife, “What’s that dinosaur doing lying here on the beach?”

The encounter with the pier prompted Bradbury to write the short story, “The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms”, the next night.  He sent the story to the Saturday Evening Post, who published it the next week.  This is one example of many that Bradbury shares with his readers in “Zen in the Art of Writing”.  Truly captivating stories about how every day events have the ability to inspire magical tales.

Characters Lead the Way in Creating Your Story

I love the way Bradbury lets his characters tell the story.  He does not sit down with an outline, a main point, a chapter list, etc…  He just sits down and writes, letting his characters lead his writing hand.

He explains how he can’t wait to see where the characters take him.  His characters lead the way towards great adventures, and Bradbury is the intermediary between the character’s minds and the paper he utilizes for documenting the stories.  In other words, he really understands and trusts his characters.  He knows them so well that he has the ability to get into their heads, and allow them to dictate the story.

We all have access to unique story material

There is a quote from the book that I love.  The quote centers around the fact that each of us is a complete individual.

“The one person irreplaceable to the world, of which there is no duplicate.  You.  As there was only one Shakespeare, Moliere, Dr. Johnson, so you are that precious commodity, the individual man, the man we all democratically proclaim, but who, so often, gets lost, or loses himself, in the shuffle.” Ray Bradbury

There is no one else in the world with exactly the same experiences that we each have in our own individual life.  No one.  With that in mind, everyone has the ability to pull from their personal lives the most exquisitely interesting, and unique stories.  The options are wide open.

Needless to say, I LOVED this book.  Mountain Man and I just donated a bunch of books to the library in an effort to de-clutter our home.  I have to say, this book is worth buying and keeping with you forever.  I checked it out from the library, but am considering purchasing it so that it can become a fixture on my shelves.  This is saying a lot, since I’ve been in purge mode. 🙂

My next Bradbury book is “The Martian Chronicles”, which I will begin tonight.  Bradbury mentions “The Martian Chronicles” in “Zen in the Art of Writing”, so I already have an inside look as to how this idea popped into his head. 🙂

Post Update:  I read The Martian Chronicles and thoroughly enjoyed.  My review for the Martian Chronicles is here.