Rating: 
Summary: Not a great book
Review: BOOKENDS by Jane GreenBOOKENDS by Jane Green is the second book by her that I have read so far, and unfortunately, this book does not come close to the first one, BABYVILLE. BOOKENDS is the name of the bookstore that the main character and a friend decide to invest in, but it isn't really the main focus of the entire book; I feel it's not the best title for this book. It doesn't really describe what the book is all about, which is more like a book about friends. BOOKENDS's main character and narrator is Catherine Warner. At the start of the book, she and her friends are in college and she writes about their friendship. Back then, their group consisted of herself, her gay friend Simon (Si), Josh, and her "best" friend Portia. In this part of the story, she relates to how Portia betrays them and because of this, the rest of them decide to shun her from their group, and they part ways. What I found almost annoying about this part of the book, was that this theme (which the back cover blurb makes the reader believe this is the main theme of the book, but it isn't) reminded me so much of Margaret Atwood's book THE ROBBER BRIDE. One friend that everyone loved, but yet at the end she betrays all of them, and once she returns into their lives, she does it again. However, there is a big difference with BOOKENDS. Once Portia is out of their lives, the story moves one and we continue with the rest of the group, including newest members Lucy who eventually becomes Josh's wife. The book goes on for quite some time, with Cath in search of that life and man that has forever alluded her, stories of Josh and Lucy's au pair Ingrid (who also reminded me of Portia), Cath's friendship with Si, and then finally Portia re-enters their lives. The author did an unsuccessful job at writing a cohesive book. She rambles on in sections, with the occasional dialogue sounding meaningless and comes across as rather too long. She also seems to be unable to keep to a single main theme. Not that all books have only one theme, but what she tries to do in this book does not work. There does not seem to be any point to the book. She has several major points in the story that I felt, for some reason, had no relationship to one another. I also felt that writing this story in the first person probably made things a lot worse. Because she didn't have a very good handle on tying the characters together, I think if she had used the third person the book would have at least felt a little bit more together. Although I loved the characters that inhabit BOOKENDS, the book itself lacked something, and for that reason I am giving it a 3/5 rating. This book pales in comparison to BABYVILLE, which is unfortunate because BOOKENDS could have been a great book.
Rating: 
Summary: Jane Green's best work
Review: I have read all of Jane Green's novels and have loved them all. However, I've always thought that the theme in her novels were a bit weak and lightly researched, that is until I read Bookends. Bookends concentrates on a group of people who have been friends since college -- Cath, the narrator; Portia, the glamazon one of the clique; Josh, the adorable and romantic one; and Si, a live-for-the-moment homosexual. The story focuses on how the lives of these people progress after Portia disintegrates from the group and how her sudden reappearance affects them. I think this is Jane Green's best work. She has delved into the characters by turning them into people everyone could relate to. However, I think the novel would have been better if Green had written it in third person -- the characters would have been better developed individually that way. Also, this novel is rather similar to Marian Keyes's Last Chance Saloon -- except that Last Chance Saloon is far better written than this one. Green's writing has improved through time, and I know that her work could only get better. Her novels are lighthearted and endearing and I recommend them, especially this one!
Rating:
Summary: Starts Slow, Finishes Fast!
Review: I had heard and read so much about Jane Green, I finally got this book, and was surprised at how long it took me to become involved in the characters and the plot. I think the problem was that I was comparing Ms. Green, who writes about very similar people, to the divine Marian Keyes, and there is really no comparison. While Green is certainly a skilled writer, Keyes is truly inspired. And so the same-old same-old stories of the travails of a group of thirty-something "Friends" in contemporary London does not seem as fresh and original as do Keyes' stories. That having been said, "Bookends" is a nice book. Yes, the characters are all too similar, including the token single person, the token gay man, the token witchy gorgeous woman out to steal everybody's boyfriends. But it turns into a good story about two dear friends, women who are disparate in character, looks and circumstances, who manage to team up and fulfill their lifes' dreams by opening a bookstore cum cafe. Along the way, there are the requisite relationships in trouble, hurts, and real pain. I cannot say there was anything truly original in this book, nor is there the wonderfully fey humor of Keyes, but nevertheless, I do want to read more Green. If, like me, you are besotted with Brit Lit, and you cannot get enough, then Jane Green is a good addition to your library, and this book is certainly worth reading. If, however, you are not particularly a fan of the genre, I'm not sure that "Bookends" is the place to start. It will be interesting to see how her other very well-received books affect this reviewer--I'll let you know!
Rating: 
Summary: Addicted to Green's Wit & Charm
Review: "Bookends" gives you the best of it all! You've got the sappiness we're all fond of with these 'chick novels', the strong, fabulous friendships we envy, the quick Brittish wit Jane Green is so good at delivering with her characters & even a touching (not preachy) side plot. I think overall this book was just as fun to read as Jemima J, but I could personally relate to the plot and the characters more. Once I was 30 pages into it, I could barely stand to put it down. I think the storyline flowed well and if I wasn't tearing up from the sad bits, I was in tears from laughing! It was easy to get attached to the characters in this book--so much so that I was irritated by Cath's lack of ambition and motivation in the romance department. On the other hand, I was happy that this book wasn't centered around a cheesy romance with a predictable ending. There's much more to this novel than just a single girl's troubles with finding a man. I really liked that! I think this is another fantastic Jane Green book!
Rating:
Summary: Theme of this book is Friendship
Review: Jane Green's "Bookends" deals with two best friends, Cath (Catherine) and Si (Simon)'s friendship. As they knew each other from college, their relationship was a very close and trusting one. Their life-long friends, Josh (whom they knew from college) and his wife Lucy, were very much involved in their lives. This book seems like a combination of the TV shows, "Friends" and "Will and Grace." Cath's dream of opening a bookstore was a reality when Lucy suggested that they should open one together. From there, Cath was introduced to a cute real estate agent, James. On top of that, Cath and Si were suspecting that Josh was cheating on his wife, and that created hostility among them. The test to all their friendships came when Si (who was gay) was HIV positive. One of the best things about this book is that it sort of educate its readers on the subject of AIDS and how it will affect the people around you and how there are ways in which a person can deal with the reality of having the virus and also for his/her family. Jane Green does it in a very subtle way so that it won't overwhelmed her readers. In addition, I like the storyline of the book, very simple yet interesting and the theme of this book is friendship. By friendship I mean, how to be there for your friend both in happy and sad times, how to trust each other and most of all, appreciate each other. Green did a fantasic job in illustrating this and I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a simple, fun, and yet sophisticated book.
Rating:
Summary: Yay Jane Green
Review: loved it. her most realistic novel. my favorite jane green.. loved it even more than jemima j. and thats quite a book.
Rating:
Summary: A page turner!!
Review: I loved this book, it was witty and very interesting. I could not put this book down. Jane Green is one of my favorite authors and I have read her other books and loved them too! This book will lift up your spirits!
Rating:
Summary: A Fun, quick read.
Review: I loved this book!!! The characters are so well developed you feel as though you are a part of their inner circle. The relationship between Cath, the protagonist, and Si was touching, emotional, and realistic. I laughed and cried. This was a great read. Buy this book for yourself or as a gift for a 20 to 35 year-old girlfriend and you won't be disappointed! I also highly recommend Green's other books, Jemima J. and Mr. Maybe. I own Babyville and I am going to start reading it tonight!!!
Rating:
Summary: Characters You Will Love!
Review: Bookends is a heart warming story that has some of the best character development I have ever read. The story revolves around college friends and where they are 10 years after gradation. The story focuses on changes that people have made and the sort of revolutions that have occurred in their lives. Cath, the main character, lives her life with the comfort of her group of friends. She never lets herself leave this comfort and in doing so creates walls that are so high even the nicest of men have trouble reaching her. Once she starts to follow her dream, of owning a bookshop, the walls start to fall and you find yourself praying that all the characters hold together. This is a wonderful book that I would recommend for a raining weekend read!
Rating: 
Summary: Don't waste your time...
Review: I somehow managed to make it through this book. The ending was horrible, and should have never passed the editors or publishers. I put this book down several times because of the way the characters were being developed. The one I truly liked was the one that was hurt at the end. It also made it look like no man was a decent man, yes good men are hard to find, but I don't believe everyone of them would be horrible. It looks like Jane was in a "I don't like men" mood when she wrote this. I was sad that I wasted my money on this. There are other British Books to buy, just don't buy this one!
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