Book Review: Veil of Roses

Author: Laura Fitzgerald

Published: December 2006

Publisher: Bantam

Genre: YA Fiction

ISBN-10: 0553383884

ISBN-13: 978-0553383881

7.5/10

Tamila Soroush wanted it all. But in the Islamic Republic of Iran, dreams are a dangerous thing for a girl. Knowing they can never come true, Tami abandons them. . . . Until her twenty-fifth birthday, when her parents give her a one-way ticket to America, hoping she will “go and wake up her luck.” If they have their way, Tami will never return to Iran . . . which means she has three months to find a husband in America. Three months before she’s sent back for good.
From her first Victoria’s Secret bra to her first ride on a motor scooter to her first country line-dance, Tami drinks in the freedom of an American girl. Inspired to pursue her passion for photography, she even captures her adventures on film. But looming over her is the fact that she must find an Iranian-born husband before her visa expires. To complicate matters, her friendship with Ike, a young American man, has grown stronger. And it is becoming harder for Tami to ignore the forbidden feelings she has for him.
It’s in her English as a second language classes that Tami finds a support system. With the encouragement of headstrong Eva, loyal Nadia, and Agata and Josef, who are carving out a love story of their own, perhaps Tami can keep dreaming–and find a way to stay in America.

Now for MY take on it:

This is such a heart-warming story of a woman who now has the freedom to do as she pleases in America but still has fears due to her life in Iran. It is also heart-breaking because we learn about her life in Iran. You’re not sure if it’s true or not so you research more about the lives of Iranian woman. You learn of a culture that the media has ripped to shreds but also rings true in some way or another. As Tami tries to find the perfect suitor so she can remain in America, you secretly wish she ends up with the first American man she meets. You wish you were more like her- adamant to spread your wings, tough, and ready to try something new. The only problem I had with it was that some characters weren’t fully drawn and I didn’t get a sense of who Ike truly was. Sure he wanted Tami, but who was he as a person? I never felt like I could relate to him or knew him.

Book Review: Made in the U.S.A.

Author: Billie Letts

Published: June 2009

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Genre: Fiction

ISBN-10: 044652901X

ISBN-13: 978-0446529013

9.5/10

Luttie McFee’s history has taught her to avoid attachments…to people, to places, and to almost everything. With her mother long dead and her father long gone to find his fortune in Las Vegas, 15-year-old Luttie lives in the god-forsaken town of Yankton, South Dakota with her nine-year-old brother, Fate, and Floy Satterfield, the 300-pound ex-girlfriend of her father. While Lutie shoplifts for kicks, Fate spends most of his time reading, watching weird TV shows and worrying about global warming and the endangerment of pandas. As if their life is not dismal enough, one day, while shopping in their local Wal-Mart, Floy keels over and the two motherless kids are suddenly faced with the choice of becoming wards of the state or hightailing it out of town in Floy’s old Pontiac. Choosing the latter, they head off to Las Vegas in search of a father who has no known address, no phone number and, clearly, no interest in the kids he left behind.

Now MY take on it:

From the author of “Where The Heart Is”, Letts doesn’t let us down again. Made in the U.S.A. is another heart-warming tale of tragedy, life, and lessons. As a sibling, I know how Lutie felt, wanting to take care of her little brother. We all want to take care of our siblings, even if they are annoying at times. You feel sympathy for them because they think they have no other way of making their lives better. You want to jump in and rescue them from the horrible things they have to endure. I know it’s not based on a true story, but after much research, I found that what Lutie and Fate were going through happens every day. You learn so much from this novel, even if it isn’t from the main characters. I read it in 2 or 3 days because I wanted to see what would happen. I would read it for hours, look at the clock, and realize I hadn’t eaten in 6 hours. I even learned some personal lessons from it that I won’t tell you because every reader is different and will take something different from it. If you enjoyed “Where The Heart Is”, you’ll enjoy this book of family, life, trouble, tragedy, and triumph.

Book Review: Gabriel’s Angel

Author: Nora Robers

Published: October 2005

Publisher: Silhouette

Genre: Romance/Fiction

ISBN-10: 0373285442

ISBN-13: 978-0373285440

6.5/10

Pregnant, alone and on the run to protect her unborn child, Laura Malone found herself stranded on a snowy Colorado road, at the mercy of a stranger. Fortunately, Gabriel Bradley’s only intention that fateful night was to provide her shelter.

She was an angel with midnight blue eyes and a shock of blond hair, and Gabe might have thought she had come out of the snowy night to save him — if he were the kind of man to believe in such things. But ever since he had lost his beloved brother, he had lost hope. Now the only solace Gabe took was in his solitude.

Together they weathered the storm, sharing their intimate secrets and soon powerful passion. By the time the roads had cleared, a promise had been made. For Gabe understood Laura needed protection if she hoped to keep custody of her child through the coming court battle.

For her sake, he was prepared to offer marriage. But his motives weren’t nearly so pure. Truthfully, this beautiful, vulnerable stranger had given him an invaluable gift. Life with Laura had given Gabe a reason for being — courage to hope, and the power to dream that he could have the future and the family he had once dreamed of . . .

Now MY take on it:

The cover makes you think it is going to be a Christmas story, considering the snowglobe and holly on the cover. That couldn’t be any further from the truth! It actually isn’t about Christmas or anything dealing with Christmas except for one thing- snow. Before the ending of the book, I knew what was going to happen.Of course, they fall in love. Roberts is famous for her romantic novels, this one included. But it kind of gives the ending away half-way through the book. It’s a pretty simple story of love, losing love, and fighing for what you believe. With this book, you also learn something new about yourself. Never live in the past, even if it’s a terrible one for you are stronger because of you. Learn from your past. Stand up for what you want, even if you stand alone. But Roberts paints pictures with every page and you can just see everything unfolding as if you were truly there. A lot of Moms might be able to sympathize with Laura Malone and a few husbands might sympathize with Gabriel Bradley. But I didn’t find it as enjoyable as I thought. Maybe it’s because I prefer something that makes me think or suspensful of what is to come. It’s a good read, especially if you love romance.

Welcome!

I just want to welcome everyone to Texas Banter Book Reviews. My name is Angela and I will be your book reviewer for the moment. I guess I should tell you a bit about myself:

I am 24 year old from the heart of Texas. If you may notice, I am a twin. I have a twin sister who I called Manders on Texas Banter. She is the owner of Confetti Dreams, her blog. I am the owner of Texas Banter, my personal blog. I’ve been blogging for about a year or so and enjoy it. I also enjoy reading, this Texas Banter Book Reviews. Every time I finish a book, I automatically pick up another one to read. It keeps my mind fresh and actually helps me think different ways to solve different situations. I also have 3 crazy cats and 1 psycho puppy. They are sure trying at times. I am studying to go to college for Animal Science/Behavior while Manders is going for Psychology.

I hope you enjoy Texas Banter Book Reviews and the books I review. I tend to lean towards the Paranormal/Fantasy section of books but I also enjoy other books like Mystery/Suspsense or “feel good” books like The Way It Is by author Patrick Sanchez. If you have any suggestions on books to read or want me to review your book, please refer to “Book Review Info” for more information.