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Summary: Inspiring
Review: This book was one of the most inspiring and exciting books I've read in a long time. I recomend this book to anyone!! Male and Female alike!!
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Summary: What's not to like about this book?
Review: I've been on a novel-reading blitz for the past few months and this book was definitely the best of the bunch. I took it with me on a business trip and read it everywhere--in restaurants, on the plane, in bed at night. I hardly got any work done because I brought this book along! Ignore all the nay-sayers who get their kicks out of bashing great books like this one: this book is definitely worth a read.
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Summary: Starts out slow, but gets better
Review: I got it as a gift and I started to read it, I got a little ways in and got bored, I put it down for a few monthes. Then I picked it up again, and I read it more, and halfway through the book I couldn't put it down, I found it really interesting, and I love the ending.
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Summary: Try again Ms. Banks
Review: This book was over hyped not to mention way over rated. Someone compared the author to JD Salinger. Well that ought to send him in to further reclusion! This author need to get it together. She has the potential to be a good writer but she needs to find the right story and she needs to stick to that story and not wander off. I can't imagine what people found good about this story that includes a couple of chapters unrelated to the rest of the book. I will read her next book ( I like to give all authors at least a second chance)but if it is not any better it will be my last book by this author.
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Summary: Meet You or someone You know
Review: Hello. Did anyone notice that Jane is either you or someone you know. I wrote an entire paper on this book. It is so deep if you just read a little into Jane's mind. When you read it you feel like Jane is the friend of a friend and you hear just bits and pieces. I really hope that Banks writes a sequel so we can get to know Jane better.
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Summary: A fun read . . .
Review: I had heard so many good things about this novel that I think my expectations were too high. It was enjoyable, definitely, but not as good as I had expected. Some of the chapters were outstanding, but a couple of them seemed misplaced and a bit confusing. The characters were very original and likeable, and many things about the story rang true. Her take on "The Rules" was hilarous!Bank reminds me of Elizabeth Berg in her writing--that same fresh, realistic voice. This is a fun and fast book to read, but not a good choice if you are looking for something substantial.
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Summary: Unpredictable Author
Review: "She said that her father's death had been the hardest thing in her life. 'We are all children until our fathers die.'" p.194 Melissa Bank is witty, insightful and real. I enjoyed this novel. Seven chapters, each standalone stories with wonderful messages. The novel is mostly told in the first person by the character Janie Rosenal. My single criticism is Chapter 4, "The Best Possible Light". In this chapter the author switches the first person storytelling from Janie to a new character named Nina with absolutely no transition. The chapter itself was excellent, but the way it was included was awkward. I believe Bank was unwilling to compromise her comfortable first person style of writing to make a transition possible. Instead, she wrote the chapter the way she wanted to and let the critics be damned. A confident choice, but a selfish one too. For no readily apparent reason, Bank willingly compromised the quality of her work. She seems to be an impulsive author, perhaps that is what makes her work interesting.
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Summary: It Seems Real
Review: A friend of mine suggested this to me awhile back and I finally got around to reading it. She was right. This is a fun, touching and interesting book. The main thing that I like about it is that it seems real. I felt Jane's bewilderment in her relationships and, though her relationships are not mine, it felt like the bewilderment I often have. I felt her companionship in the stuggle we all have to find that one person to be with. I love the story of her relationship with her father. Yes, the happy ending is standard fare but I am a sucker for happy endings and there is considerable tension in the last few pages as to whether she's blown it or not--tension we all feel when we've found that person we think is the one and make mistakes. The twenty pages that comprise "The Best Possible Light" is the only section that seems really out of place. It's an interesting tale but sticks out like a sore thumb since it's really unconnected to the rest of the narrative (despite the fact that Jane is Nina's upstairs neighbor). I became confused when, for these few pages, Nina became the story's "I." This is a small complaint, however. This is a good story with which to spend an afternoon. That's all it should take to enjoy this gently unfolding tale.
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Summary: The cover was better than the book
Review: I bought this book because I needed a new book and liked the cover and title. I was disappointed. Maybe I have read too many similar better-written books. Nothing happens in this book and that usually doesn't bother me but the main character was also a bit of a nothing.
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Summary: A "sweet" book...don't expect much more.
Review: I picked up this book to read over the summer and was just a little dissapointed at how I reacted to "The Girls Guide to Hunting and Fishing." At times it was touching, bringing a small smile to my face, maybe a little laugh, but nothing more. It wasn't one of those knock-you-over powerful books that make you laugh cry and scream while reading them. This is one of those books that has a different effect for each person who reads it, depending on your personal experiences, etc. So don't trust any of the reviews- if you like the idea of it while reading the summary, then I'd suggest reading it. It just might effect you differently than it did me or someone else. In short, it was a cute book, actually not a bad choice for a light, quick read around the busy holidays. And it's actually a pretty good gift idea for a sister, mother, etc. My only gripe was that the price of this book didn't match the quality. As the previous review suggests, you might want to buy it used or take it out from the library..just a couple of suggestions.
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