Review: The Wedding

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Nicholas Sparks
Format: eBook
Pages: 276
Rating: 8 out of 10

Summary (I'd marry Goodreads): After thirty years of marriage, Wilson Lewis, son-in-law of Allie and Noah Calhoun (of The Notebook), is forced to admit that the romance has gone out of his marriage. Desperate to win back his wife, Jane's, heart, he must figure out how to make her fall in love with him... again. Despite the shining example of Allie and Noah's marriage, Wilson is himself a man unable to easily express his emotions. A successful estate attorney, he has provided well for his family, but now, with his daughter's upcoming wedding, he is forced to face the fact that he and Jane have grown apart and he wonders if she even loves him anymore. Wilson is sure of one thing--his love for his wife has only deepened and intensified over the years. Now, with the memories of his in-laws' magnificent fifty-year love affair as his guide, Wilson struggles to find his way back into the heart of the woman he adores.

My Thoughts: This book gave me all kinds of happy feels. Well, the happy feels came after the angry "What are you doing, stupid?" feels. I really felt bad for the relationship that Wilson and Jane had. It definitely made me think. Mostly, it made me certain that I never want to have this problem with any future significant others. I don't want this struggle in my life ever.

When the book began I really had no idea where this book would be going. To be honest, I didn't read the blurb. I knew it was Nicholas Sparks and that was enough for me but that also meant that I didn't have the slightest clue what this novel was about. I was really starting blind. In this case, it wasn't a good thing to avoid the blurb. The beginning was rather slow. I stuck with it hoping it would get better. It really did once I figured out what was happening. I had to wade through a lot of back story first. It didn't help that not only did I not see the entire Notebook movie, I also had never read it. 

Once Wilson got into planning, I was right there with him. I started coming up with ideas. I really was frustrated that he was having such as hard time. I was impressed by the changed he did make in his life though. He made a lot of them. He really put everything he had into this. Many of the ideas I came up with to try and help him (yes, I know he's a fictional character) weren't used but I was super excited to see that some were. It's good to know that I can get into the head of an amazing writer. What was a surprise though is how everything fell together. The big surprises, for me at least, remained big surprises until revealed even if I did consider them as possibilities.

I loved the relationship that Noah and Wilson shared. They were so cute. Actually, all the characters and their relationships to one another were unique and interesting and entertaining. 

This book...I just really liked it alright? It was true to solid Nicholas Sparks form. I'm glad I took the risk of just getting it without asking any questions. Like I said, stick with it through the slow beginning because it gets better.

Footnote: I bought another Nicholas Sparks novel while on vacation. I now have two waiting for me and I'm very excited to read them.

Basically: This was a quick little piece of love. Reading this book made me very happy. I love Nicholas Sparks. If you love him too and you haven't read this novel then you should. It would be nice (though not important) to know The Notebook. 

Did you know?
The Wedding is a follow-up to The Notebook?
The Wedding was inspired by a few unnamed couples that Nicholas knows well?
The novel is set in the North Carolina town in which Nicholas now lives?

The Longest Ride

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Nicholas Sparks
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 398
Rating: 10 out of 10

Summary (GoodestReads and longest summary): Ira Levinson is in trouble. At ninety-one years old, in poor health and alone in the world, he finds himself stranded on an isolated embankment after a car crash. Suffering multiple injuries, he struggles to retain consciousness until a blurry image materializes and comes into focus beside him: his beloved wife Ruth, who passed away nine years ago. Urging him to hang on, she forces him to remain alert by recounting the stories of their lifetime together – how they met, the precious paintings they collected together, the dark days of WWII and its effect on them and their families. Ira knows that Ruth can’t possibly be in the car with him, but he clings to her words and his memories, reliving the sorrows and everyday joys that defined their marriage.

A few miles away, at a local rodeo, a Wake Forest College senior’s life is about to change. Recovering from a recent break-up, Sophia Danko meets a young cowboy named Luke, who bears little resemblance to the privileged frat boys she has encountered at school. Through Luke, Sophia is introduced to a world in which the stakes of survival and success, ruin and reward -- even life and death – loom large in everyday life. As she and Luke fall in love, Sophia finds herself imagining a future far removed from her plans -- a future that Luke has the power to rewrite . . . if the secret he’s keeping doesn’t destroy it first.

Ira and Ruth. Sophia and Luke. Two couples who have little in common, and who are separated by years and experience. Yet their lives will converge with unexpected poignancy, reminding us all that even the most difficult decisions can yield extraordinary journeys: beyond despair, beyond death, to the farthest reaches of the human heart.

My Thoughts: Guys...I love this novel. I love it. Also, I loved it. Did I happen to mention that I loved it? I'm sorry but I really, really did.

This novel made me feel all kinds of crazy emotions. It made me cry, laugh, and, worst of all, this novel made me smile. I mean, it really made me smile. I smiled like an idiot while I was reading this novel. I'm sure people were judging me while I read at school. Then there was the crying, urg the crying...

As much as I feel like this novel was perfect (exaggeration), I feel like we didn't learn all that much about Sophia. Looking back, I guess we did but compared to what we learned about Luke, it was nothing. We learned so much more about Luke. We were told what drove him, why he made choices, what he cared about. In this way, it was almost as if he was more of a main character. It was told from three(ish) perspectives. It was complicated though because Ira's point of view was told first person but Sophia's and Luke's parts were both told third person. It's didn't really bother me; I only noticed in passing. 

Also...I'm in love with Luke but he could be really stupid sometimes. I don't understand why he would be so crazy. Didn't he realize that he was hurting his mom more than anything else would have? urg! Boys are so stupid!

Ira and Ruth were like the couple from Up. Cry some more there.

I loved how it all came together in the end. I sort of figured out what was going to happen in the end before it came but I still really enjoyed it when the time came. I was impressed with the planning that must have gone into making this novel. I mean, I'm sure it didn't require more planning than any other novel I've read but, while reading it, it felt like it did. It all tied together perfectly and amazingly and I was so pleased with it all.

This novel was a quick, easy, interesting read. I didn't put it down until I was finished. I already have plans to read it again.

This is definitely one of my favourite novels and, for certain, it is my favourite Nicholas Sparks novel. I think this book was interesting in both the story that was told and the way it was told. 

To whom would I recommend this novel? Everyone. Read it.

The Rescue

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Nicholas Sparks
Format: Paperback
Pages: 352
Rating: 9 out of 10

Summary (lots of love to Goodreads): When confronted by raging fires or deadly accidents, volunteer fireman Taylor McAden feels compelled to take terrifying risks to save lives. But there is one leap of faith Taylor can't bring himself to make: he can't fall in love. For all his adult years, Taylor has sought out women who need to be rescued, women he leaves as soon as their crisis is over and the relationship starts to become truly intimate. When a raging storm hits his small Southern town, single mother Denise Holton’s car skids off the road. The young mom is with her four-year-old son Kyle, a boy with severe learning disabilities and for whom she has sacrificed everything. Taylor McAden finds her unconscious and bleeding, but does not find Kyle. When Denise wakes, the chilling truth becomes clear to both of them: Kyle is gone. During the search for Kyle, the connection between Taylor and Denise takes root. Taylor doesn't know that this rescue will be different from all the others, demanding far more than raw physical courage. It will lead him to the possibility of his own rescue from a life lived without love and will require him to open doors to his past that were slammed shut by pain. This rescue will dare him to live life to the fullest by daring to love.

My Thoughts: How better to start a book than by jumping right into the action and adventure? Is there any other way to write a novel than to make the reader fall in love with your characters right away? Two of the best things about this book were that you get thrown into the action and that after the characters "get together" (no spoilers, I mean, it's a Nicholas Sparks book, I know you saw this coming) the book still has more to say. The story doesn't end because the characters seem happy thought, sometimes, I think that maybe my emotions would have appreciated it. 

Another plus was that the characters had depth. I despise characters that are flat or one-sided. Yes, characters are allowed to have a sad past or hate themselves or go through hardships that the book doesn't live through. Characters are allowed to keep secrets. They are complex, just like real people. I think that more author's should embrace the back story. 

Unlike some of Sparks' other novels, I felt that this one constantly had something happening. I always had to turn the page and find out what was happening. I couldn't help but to be pulled into the story. It helps that Taylor is a firefighter but it was more than just that. Also, I was glad that Kyle was a big part of this story. He was adorable and I totally understood what Denise was feeling and why Kyle's problem was just that...a problem. My cousin had the same problem growing up and it does affect a great deal of their lives. It's a lot of work. It was a good thing to add. There was, however, a part that I didn't think was necessary. I think Sparks used one part simply to make people cry and it worked. I think he could have done what he did another way but then again, that's a risk you take when you pick up a book. Sometimes author's just feel the need to do certain things, I understand. I won't hold it against him, as much as I really want to. 

In Conclusion: This may be my favourite book by Nicholas Sparks. I thought that it had just enough action, romance, and drama to keep it exciting. This novel doesn't have chapters that are a "waste of time" or that you could live without. Every part of this book works together to build something incredible. If you like any other Sparks' books, you'll definitely like this one too. I will be rereading this book for sure.

Fun Facts:
The Rescue was the first novel by Nicholas Sparks to debut at # 1 on the New York Times bestseller List?
In the process of writing this novel, Nicholas struggled with severe writer's block?
The main character was named for the producer of the film versions of Message in a Bottle and A Walk to Remember?

The Choice

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Nicholas Sparks
Format: Paperback
Pages: 336
Rating: 8½ out of 10

Summary (love you Goodreads): Travis Parker has everything a man could want: a good job, loyal friends, even a waterfront home in small-town North Carolina. In full pursuit of the good life -- boating, swimming, and regular barbecues with his good-natured buddies -- he holds the vague conviction that a serious relationship with a woman would only cramp his style. That is, until Gabby Holland moves in next door. Despite his attempts to be neighborly, the appealing redhead seems to have a chip on her shoulder about him...and the presence of her longtime boyfriend doesn't help. Despite himself, Travis can't stop trying to ingratiate himself with his new neighbor, and his persistent efforts lead them both to the doorstep of a journey that neither could have foreseen. Spanning the eventful years of young love, marriage and family, The Choice ultimately confronts us with the most heart-wrenching question of all: how far would you go to keep the hope of love alive?

My Thoughts: We will start with the sad truth that while flying home from Florida, reading this book on the plane, I cried. Do you have any idea how embarrassing that is? Only Nicholas Sparks would be this cruel to his audience. 

I was unhappy to find out that the novel is set in 2007 only to then to shot the reader back to 1996. Finding out, later, that it was just a flashback and meant to explain the relationship of the main characters made me feel better about the whole thing. It is also fairly original so you can't let the flashback be the reason that you hate this book. 

I love animals so Travis loving animals made me love him right away. He was also hilarious and adorable and perfect. I'm sorry. I'll stop. 

I hate the name Gabby but she was pretty awesome too so I'll over look the awful choice of name. 

The Choice is a perfect name for this book. Both main characters have huge choices that they need to make. This is a great example on how life gets complicated. I think it's only fair for books to show the world as it is. I understood right away what choice Gabby was going to have to make but I really didn't see what Travis was going to have to go through or what choice he was going to have to make. That's the choice that killed me and I'm not going to spoil it for you! So ha! Suffer like I did.

Final Thoughts: This book was quick, witty, entertaining, full of romance and animals, and was "practically perfect in every way" as Mary Poppins would say. If was are looking for a quick love story that will force you to choke on every emotion in the book from anger to happiness or from causing you to laugh then cry than this book is for you. Classic Sparks for you! He's the best, what can I say.

P.S. I've heard people mention that all of Sparks' novels are the same but, after reading a few, I can't believe this. Yes, they all share elements like love and heart break but don't most good novels? I think that each of his books is different. So far, I think they are all worth a read through at least once. I've enjoyed his novels and I think that you should give them a chance too.

True Believer

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Nicholas Sparks
Format: Paperback (others available) 
Pages: 336
Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Summary (Thank you Goodreads): As a science journalist with a regular column in Scientific American, Jeremy Marsh specializes in debunking the supernatural and has a real nose for the strange and unusual. A born skeptic, he travels to the small town of Boone Creek, North Carolina, determined to find the real cause behind the ghostly apparitions that appear in the town cemetery. What he doesn't plan on, however, is meeting and falling hopelessly in love with Lexie Darnell, granddaughter of the town psychic. Now, if the young lovers are to have any kind of future at all, Jeremy must make a difficult choice: return to the life he knows, or do something he could never do before-take a giant leap of faith.

My Thoughts: It took me much longer than I expected to fall in love with Jeremy. I couldn't get a handle on him for some reason. I often found myself questioning his motives even though most of the story is told from his perspective. I thought that was bizarre. To be honest, Lexie bothered me in the beginning too. Half way through the story I started to wonder if it was all in my head and if another recently read book was destroying my thoughts about this one. (Can someone read this and let me know if I'm losing my mind or not?) I got with it eventually and started to really enjoy this novel. I found myself excited to see how it would end. I wished that I could jump into the story and kick Jeremy and shake Lexie and ask why they were doing some of what they were doing. Also, Alvin was a fun character just because he stood out. He was both strange and intelligent which I enjoyed. Also, I love the grandmother figure that Sparks' uses often. They always no what to say to help and always have a witty comment. I love a good chuckle every once and awhile too. This was, however, not close to being one of my favourites by Nicholas Sparks, hence the lowish rating.

Final (Yet long) Thoughts: It was a fast read, less than a day, but it was worth it. I really enjoy Sparks' novels. This is the fourth one I've read and I have more on order. Someone once told me that they were all the same and therefore a waste of my time but I disagree. Of course, they are a lot alike; they have the same author and are the same genre but I believe that each offers the reader something different. These books have the ability to be read over and over again, each time letting the reader learn something new. I love that about books. I definitely believe that everyone should give one of Nicholas Sparks' novels a try. Start with one you haven't seen a movie for. I bet that you will fall in love!

P.S. I think I died a little at the end. Good call on that one, author.