A Hundred Summers - Beatriz Williams

Title: A Hundred Summers
Author: Beatriz Williams
Pages: 357
Published: 2013
Genre: Historical Fiction
Edition: Hardcover
Source: Library

Description: Memorial Day, 1938: New York socialite Lily Dane has just returned with her family to the idyllic oceanfront community of Seaview, Rhode Island, expecting another placid summer season among the familiar traditions and friendships that sustained her after heartbreak. 

That is, until the Greenwalds decide to take up residence in Seaview.

Nick and Budgie Greenwald are an unwelcome specter from Lily’s past: her former best friend and her former fiancé, now recently married—an event that set off a wildfire of gossip among the elite of Seaview, who have summered together for generations. Budgie’s arrival to restore her family’s old house puts her once more in the center of the community’s social scene, and she insinuates herself back into Lily's friendship with an overpowering talent for seduction...and an alluring acquaintance from their college days, Yankees pitcher Graham Pendleton. But the ties that bind Lily to Nick are too strong and intricate to ignore, and the two are drawn back into long-buried dreams, despite their uneasy secrets and many emotional obligations. (via Goodreads)

Thoughts:  I had heard about this book about a couple years through some of the blogs that I follow and was intrigued with the book.  I really like how the book went between different years.  I also like how the characters were drawn up and relatable. 

Bottom line: While I felt that the books was an okay read, it may appeal to those readers that enjoy women's fiction.  Recommended, but only if you enjoy this genre.

Rating: 2.75/5

Such a Pretty Face - Cathy Lamb

Title: Such a Pretty Face
Author: Cathy Lamb
Pages: 467
Published: 2010
Genre: Fiction
Edition: Paperback
Source Personal

Description: Two years and 170 pounds ago, Stevie Barrett was wheeled into an operating room for surgery that most likely saved her life. Since that day, a new Stevie has emerged, one who walks without wheezing, plants a garden for self-therapy, and builds and paints fantastical wooden chairs. At thirty-five, Stevie is the one thing she never thought she'd be: thin.

But for everything that's changed, some things remain the same. Stevie's shyness refuses to melt away. She still can't look her neighbors' gorgeous great-nephew in the eye. The Portland law office where she works remains utterly dysfunctional, as does her family—the aunt, uncle, and cousins who took her in when she was a child. To top it off, her once supportive best friend clearly resents her weight loss.

By far the biggest challenge in Stevie's new life lies in figuring out how to define her new self. Collaborating with her cousins to plan her aunt and uncle's problematic fortieth anniversary party, Stevie starts to find some surprising answers—about who she is, who she wants to be, and how the old Stevie evolved in the first place. And with each revelation, she realizes the most important part of her transformation may not be what she's lost, but the courage and confidence she's gathering, day by day. (via Goodreads)

Thoughts: If it hadn't been for my book club, I probably wouldn't have not picked up this book due to not being aware of the author at the time.  And judging by the cover of the book, I probably wouldn't have picked it up either, but this was a time where the cover completely threw me.  It completely surprised me and possibly could be my sleeper hit for 2015.

I felt that the struggles that Stevie faced could be faced by anyone and could really empathize with what she had to deal with.  I could understand how food can become a way of coping for Stevie, as I have personally used food as a way to cope with things.

Bottom line: I would recommend the book for bookclubs, as it provides a lot of material to discuss about how we deal with things that aren't so pleasant in our lives.  Recommended.

 Rating:  4/5