Blog Posts by Pam I am

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Pam I Am lives in Arlington Heights with her husband, two children, and golden retriever. On any given day she can be found juggling work, dirty laundry, reading literature, or devouring a People magazine.




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by Sara Gruen

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04/20/11
Water For Elephants isn't a typical "Chick Lit" book but with movie stars Robert Pattinson and Reese Witherspoon playing the main characters in the movie it fits the bill!  With the movie coming out you may want to read the book before seeing the film.  In Water For Elephants Gruen transports the reader to post-depression era where Jacob joins the circus and finds a bizarre world filled with beauty, cruelty, love, hatred and more.  It will be interesting to see how the movie compares to the book.  For a sneak peak, here is the movie trailer . . .
04/14/11
As my blog posts generally feature books that are "Chick Lit" books I thought I would clarify just what the genre of Chick Lit really is.  I think most people think of books like Bridget Jones Diary or the movies like Sex in the City when they think of Chick Lit.  But, for a thorough definition, I turned to http://www.chicklitbooks.com website.  Here is their great definition of Chicklit:

"Chick lit is a genre comprised of books that are mainly written by women for women. The books range from having main characters in their early 20’s to their late 60’s. There is usually a personal, light, and humorous tone to the books. Sometimes they are written in first-person narrative; other time they are written from multiple viewpoints. The plots usually consist of women experiencing usual life issues, such as love, marriage, dating, relationships, friendships, roommates, corporate environments, weight issues, addiction, and much more.

So how does that differ from regular woman’s fiction, you might be wondering? Well, it’s all in the tone. Chick lit is told in a more confiding, personal tone. It’s like having a best friend tell you about her life. Or watching various characters go through things that you have gone through yourself, or witnessed others going through."

So, why not give a Chick Lit book a try next time you are looking for something to read?

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by Holly McQueen

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04/13/11
 All you have to do is turn on the television and you hear about the upcoming Royal Wedding!  So, why not read a book about weddings?  The heroine, Isabel Bookbinder is trading her floundering career in fashion in for a career in wedding planning.  She attempts to take on a celebrity client, her best friend and even move her own relationship forward toward marriage.  Many mishaps and stumbles happen and this reads like Bridget Jones!  This is a fun read!
by Julie Klam

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04/07/11
The cover picture was enough to get me to pick up this book and the title says it all.  For anyone who loves dogs or has loved a dog in their past this is a must-read! Julie Klam documents how she learned life's most important lessons from her dogs -- the secrets of love, health and happiness.  This book is funny and touching.  Plus, look at that great cover!
by Erin McKean

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03/30/11
This is an inspiring book about finding your way and figuring out who you are!  Dora is struggling in a dead end job at a coffee house when she is called home as her grandmother has suffered a stroke.  It is then she takes over the vintage clothing shop and begins to find her true self.  There is a bit of romance as well.  Worth the read!
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by Sally Koslow

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03/27/11
At the beginning of the book, Molly Marx  dies unexpectedly in a mysterious biking accident at the age of 35.      The chapters switch back and forth between Molly in the "duration" as heaven is called looking down on the present day and the months that led up to her death.  Although it sounds like it could be depressing, this is actually a funny and touching story with a light mystery.  She looks down on her 4 year old daughter, her philandering husband, her lover, her twin sister, her mother and father, her difficult mother in law, and her best friend as they all try to solve the mystery of her death.  Even though she is dead, she has not lost her humor, and her zest!  This is a clever book with an interesting perspective and I thought was a fun read!
by Carl Hiaasen

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03/16/11
Fans of Carl Hiaasen will enjoy this witty and humorous novel.  Star Island takes a satyrical look at celebrity and pop culture in typical Hiaasen style! 
Tags:  humor
by Allison Pearson

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03/09/11
Back in 1974, Petra had a crazy teenage crush on superstar David Cassidy . She and her best friend, Sharon, devoured every photo and tidbit contained in The Essential David Cassidy Magazine.  The second half of the book finds Petra 25 years later and comes full circle when she meets up with some of the characters from her teenage life.  This is a fun book that proves that inside of every woman a teenage girl still lives!
 
by Sally Koslow

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02/24/11
This well-written, fast paced  book explores friendships between women and what it means to be a loyal friend.  The four women in this book meet in the early nineties and become fast friends.  Fast forward a decade later and they are each facing their own triumphs and tragedies in life.  Amidst this there are bitter dissapointments, jealousies, motherhood, marriages and such.   Koslow explores the complicated lives of women and what it means to be a friend.
by Jennifer Crusie

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02/17/11
Maybe This Time is a modern day twist on a familiar ghost story -- Turn of the Screw.  Andie is persuaded by her ex-husband, North Archer, to serve as a nanny for his niece and nephew for one month as they were recently  orphaned when their aunt died. They have been left alone with just a housekeeper in an enormous old mansion.  Andie arrives to find the old house inhabited by haunted spirits and an extremely creepy and inept housekeeper.
 
Also arriving at the mansion are a journalist reporting on the hauntings, Andie's ex-brother-in law, a ghost investigator, a woman leading a seance, and North Acher, her ex-husband.  That is when Andie begins to question her feelings for North and thinks maybe they could work this time!  This book was a fun, lively (pun intended) read.  Especially around Valentines Day!