Shopaholic January Book Club: Love The One You're With, Emily Giffin

Happy Tuesday!

One of my "personal but unspoken" New Years resolutions was to read at least one, and hopefully two, books each month. I've always loved to read and lately I've been molded to the computer. So I decided to get back into the habit of reading; whether it was for thirty minutes in the evenings, or settling down with an engrossing book on a rainy day and not moving until it was finished!

NOTE: Do not expect thick classic novels and the like. After school, I gave up all reading that wasn't just fun! Now I enjoy chick lit, mystery and suspense, autobiographies and the occasional romance novel. My reading is strictly for entertainment value, nothing else!

The good news for January - I've already finished my book! I found "Love The One You're With" by Emily Giffin on the bargain book table at my local Books A Million and have had it for months.

This book was very enjoyable. Official review from Publisher's Weekly:

A chance encounter with an old flame in Giffin's bittersweet, sometimes mawkish fourth novel causes Ellen Dempsey to consider anew what could have been. Shortly after marrying Andy, Ellen runs into Leo, her intense first love. Leo, a moody writer, has secretly preoccupied Ellen ever since he broke her heart, so after seeing him again, Ellen wonders if her perfect life is truly what she wants or simply what she was expected to want. This scenario is complicated by Ellen's past: the early death of her mother and subsequent disintegration of her family have left Ellen insecure and saddled with unresolved feelings of guilt. These feelings intensify when Andy's career takes the newlyweds from Ellen's beloved New York City to suburban Atlanta. As Ellen's feelings of inadequacy and resentment grow, her marriage begins to crumble. The novel is sometimes bogged down by characters so rooted in type that they, and the story line, can only move in the most obvious trajectory. However, Giffin's self-aware narrator and focus on troubled relationships will satisfy those looking for a light women's lit fix. (May)



Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Doesn't everyone have one of those relationships in their past where they wonder - what happened to this person? What would our lives be like if we were still together? Would it be better - or would it be worse? OF Course we do! I think that's what made the book such a fun read for me - thankfully I didn't have to revisit my past, Ellen revisited hers!

Have you read this book? I'm ashamed to say, until this book, I'd never read any of Emily Giffin's work. I certainly will be reading more now! And each month I'll be sharing my book with you in "Shopaholic Book Club".

Good news! ONE LUCKY READER will be receiving my copy of "Love The One You're With". If you're interested, please leave a comment with your email address. I will randomly select one reader later this week and contact you for your shipping address. Every month, my Book Club selection will be sent to a lucky reader. You'll have at least twelve opportunities to score a free book during 2011!

I can't accumulate a big pile of books around here again - my closet cleaning guru friend Lis would kill me. When she saw my pile of books in Charlotte, this is what she said:

"You know Lori, they have this place where you can get books. It's easy to find, they have lots of books. It doesn't cost you anything either". Smarty Pants huh? Like I didn't know about the library. Duh. Then again, I did have over 200 books to move or donate when we moved back south. :-) 

Enjoy your Tuesday and do yourself a favor - start reading a new book!