#50BookPledge Book 41 Next Best Thing

The Next Best Thing: A Novel by Jennifer Weiner from Atria Books 2012

I've read one of Ms Weiner's books before and must say this one was much different.  I enjoyed the book and character development.  The way Ruth's story is told in this novel maybe confusing for some but I liked the mini flashbacks, that were about a chapter in length each.  By working with the story which happens after Ruth moves to Hollywood and gets her dream writing job, we get glimpses into how Ruth got to that point.

I applaud Ms Weiner for working with main characters that have physical flaws and seeing those characters "win" in the end. She tries very hard to have Ruth's story, as Ruth writes it for her TV, echo parts of Ruth's real life.  Ruth's ability to stick to her guns and get what she wants in the end makes for a perfect story.

A great summer beach read.

#50BookPledge Book 24 The Taming

Random House Canada Random Reader Challenge Young Adult

So the Challenge this time around was to read one of the following Adult fiction books:

The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong
The Taming by Teresa Toten and Eric Walters
Someone Else’s Life by Katie Dale
Blood Red Road by Moira Young
The Fathomless Fire by Thomas Wharton
Flip by Martyn Bedford

For me the decision came down to which book became available first from my local library.  The first book to win the battle was The Taming by Teresa Toten and Eric Walters from DoubleDay Canada 2012. It also ended up being my 24th read for the 50 Book Pledge. 

The Taming is a book about high school students who meet and become involved while their drama class performs Shakespeare's The Taming of The Shrew.  The Taming starts off strong with an introduction to Katie and her friends Travis and Lisa.  The second chapter introduces us to Evan who becomes Katie's boyfriend.  There is a very distinct clash between different society classes.  The novel switches between Katie and Evan's POV every chapter to give a rounded account of the story.

As the book continues there are several parallels to The Taming of The Shrew, however Katie goes from being a person who disappears into the background to a strong confident young woman able to stand
up to and ultimately break up with Evan a very controlling boyfriend. This of course is the reverse of what happens in the play but it deals with a reality many teens face.

I found the turning points in the book to be when Katie's mom's boyfriend Joey tells Katie to be careful and that he suspects what is happening as well as when Katie goes to Lisa for help in "catching" Evan.  It was wonderful to see Katie stand up to Evan and I got the impression even though he was making all the promises he didn't really change but was just a smooth operator like his father used to getting women to do whatever he wanted.

The Taming is a relatively easy read that explores the issue of  controlling/abusive relationships in a subtle manner.  I enjoyed the book and recommend to any young girl in such a circumstance or
a friend who wants to know how to support a friend in such a situation.   

Date Night Part 2

So last week I wrote about the importance of date night and a dinner on the town.  This week I'm going to talk about those inexpensive or free options.  There is a lot of opportunity to connect with your significant other without having to break the bank. 

Believe it or not you probably take 15 minutes out of you day to connect without realizing it.  This is usually the time the two of you spend together in the morning before getting out of bed or those precious few minutes you have after the children are safely tucked in.  I don't consider these to be date night opportunities but they are extremely important to your family.

For us these date nights happen about once every couple of weeks and usually after our daughter goes to bed.  Sometimes we watch a movie together on the couch with all the movie snacks and our gadgets turned off.  Other times it is just coffee on the front porch or doing something that requires both our input on the computer like selecting the pictures for the respective mother's annual calendar. 

During these date nights things are very relaxed and therefore we find it easy to talk about pretty much everything.  It is surprising how quickly the night passes and we've managed to accomplsh something while having a great time together.

Tell me what do you do for date night?

Date Night Part 1

When was the last time you and your other half had a date?  This doesn't have to mean that you went out without your children, but rather just that you've spent some quality time together without your children being the focus of that time.


This can take many forms and my husband and I have tried several of them.  Regardless of whether it is a night without the kids that you blow the bank on or a quiet inexpensive night after the little ones go to bed is up to you.  The goal is to spend time together reconnecting with each other without your children present.

My husband and I recently had a night off while our daughter was with my parents.  We had a guideline of dinner on a patio somewhere with a drink and maybe dessert.  We headed to a wonderful restaurant the other side of the city and were the first couple to be seated on the patio.  Because of the style of the restaurant we had plenty of time to discuss a number of things including future plans without interruptions.  We were there for an hour and a half that was very relaxing and not something our four-year old would have tolerated. This isn't what we do every time our daughter gets a sleepover but it is worth it once in awhile.

In some recent discussions there has been mention of restaurants banning children and after this dinner I don't mind if higher end restaurants are child free.

BTW Dinner was fantastic, the staff very friendly and worth the visit to Mein Streeet.