Wednesday, July 14, 2010

The Summer Reading Challenge!

Thank you to everyone who entered the giveaway for Keris Stainton's book Della Says: OMG! I'm very happy to report that the lucky winner is none other than Brigid! Brigid, I smiled when I drew your name because obviously the gods heard your plea! I hope you're feeling a bit better today.

Nothing gets me more excited than the thought of free books, so when I heard about Transworld's Summer Reading Challenge, I signed up straight away! You choose four books from Transworld's list, they send you one to read, you review it and they send you the next on your list (no, I did not choose Dan Brown!).

My choices were:
- Matters of the Heart by Danielle Steel
- If I Stay by Gayle Forman
- Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld
- Second Hand Heart by Catherine Ryan Hyde

It's been ages since I've read any Danielle Steel, and I was anxious to see if it was the same as I remembered. I spent one summer living in Texas with no telly, no radio and no furniture. But I did live close to a second-hand bookshop and Danielle Steel novels became my escape.

You know what you're getting when you read one: woman (usually living in Boston or New York) has a tragedy; woman moves to California; woman meets wrong man; woman meets right man (of course I'm generalising, but you get the idea). With fast-paced narrative and some very hunky heroes, it's a definite recipe for success.

Matter of the Heart differs slightly in that there's nothing about California. The same general formula is there, though, like a security blanket to latch onto. You just know that no matter what the heroine's been through, it will come out all right in the end. And it did! It was a great read and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Have you read any Danielle Steel? Thoughts, opinions?

37 comments:

  1. Gosh, the last DS book I read was maybe...12-15 years ago. I think it was called The Gift. It was "meh".

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  2. Yeah, I think the thing about Danielle Steel is that it's almost like a bedtime story. You know the heroine will go through loads of evil stuff, but it will all come out right in the end!

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  3. I read a DS book last year and have to say I thoroughly enjoyed it. Can't remember the name, but the heroine's father went down with the Titanic.

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  4. I don't think I've ever read a DS book, but definitely have heard much about them! I see Prep on your list, and heard it's a good story. Will be interested to hear your take on it.

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  5. I have not read Danielle Steele. I did start The Lost Symbol and am also reading 61 Hours from Lee Child at the moment.

    Stephen Tremp

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  6. Yay for Brigid I'm sure she'll be delighted when she see's she's won!!!

    I haven't read any of hers but I've always thought about. When I see too many for one author I tend to sway away because there are too many possibilities... silly huh? I think I am in the mood for love though and have an unread Susan Elizabeth Phillips novel waiting at my house to be read, I think it's time it's opened!

    Happy Wednesday Talli!

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  7. Talli, although my throat is still sore, I hate summer colds,
    my spirits have been lifted by MY WIN - Thanks so much I am so excited and going away next week in Ireland for hols so will be delighted to read
    Keris's book on a hopefully sunny beach somewhere.
    The gods are finally listening.

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  8. Ps, thanks for today's book review.

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  9. Congratulations Brigid! Danielle Steele is a good choice, I've always loved her books. Haven't ready any for ages, for like 30 years! She & I are about the same age, and she always made me feel guilty, writing with 5 kids, while I had 5 kids and wasn't writing.

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  10. I love those books where you know the endings will be okay. Comfort books. :)

    I don't think I've read any Danielle Steel - at least not in years. I'll have to try one again one of these days.

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  11. I haven't read DS in years either. Interesting to read that her formula is still the same, just a different setting. Enjoy the rest of your books... I'll look forward to reading about them.

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  12. Sorry, Talli! Not my type of book. I'd probably lose man points, too.

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  13. Reviews for free books to read sounds like a fair exchange to me.

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  14. I've never read a DS book. Can you believe it? :)

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  15. I tried two or three of Danielle Steel's books before I gave up. Her style is too much 'tell' and not enough 'show' for me. I know she has legions of fans, so she's evidently doing plenty right, but no writer can please every reader.

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  16. I like comfort books to a point, then I want something that isn't predictable. But Steele is an excellent writer, published and read which we'd all like to be!!

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  17. Thanks for the recommendations! I'll have to check out that reading challenge. I haven't read Danielle Steel, but I'm curious. And I'm trying to avoid reading the books on my dissertation reading list; it's somehow easier to procrastinate in the summer.

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  18. Hooray for Brigid!

    I don't think I've ever read a Daniel Steel book. Maybe in high school? My mom reads those books so they were lying around.

    Enjoy your free books!

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  19. I probably read one or two of them when I was in secondary school around the same time that I was reading Jackie Collins (oh dear)...

    Prep is great though, have fun with it!

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  20. I wish i had known about the transworld challenge, sounds like fun.

    I doubt that I will be reading any more Danielle Steel. You can read my thoughts via the links below Talli, if you have time and the inclination.

    LindyLouMac's Book Reviews: Sisters by Danielle Steel
    Sep 26, 2009
    In this very weak novel from Danielle Steel we are told the story of a year of emotional tumult in the lives of the four Adam's sisters. The youngest is twenty-one year old Candace known simply as 'Candy' around the world due to her ...
    http://lindyloumacbookreviews.blogspot.com/
    hrh by danielle steel read in february 2008 over the years i have ...
    Mar 31, 2009
    over the years i have read around twenty of danielle steel's novels. a small proportion in fact considering she has written over 70! not an author that i am a huge fan of, but having said that her books are always a satisfying quick and ...
    http://lindyloumacbookreviews.blogspot.com/

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  21. Wow, I thought almost everyone had read a DS book (except for men - so Alex, you're excused!).

    Queenie - Funny you say that, because as I was reading I was thinking it was a lot of telling!

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  22. Ooh, that sounds like a good idea. Enjoy your books!

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  23. I've never read Danielle Steel but she is one of my mother's faves. :)

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  24. For some reason, despite the fact that I read hundreds of romance books a year, I've only been able to finish maybe three of her books. Something about them just didn't work for me. Looking back, I think it was the fact that I don't like a lot of description and I remember, from maybe 15 years ago, reading one and she spent forever (or at least it felt like it) describing a house. I didn't care aobut the house--I wanted the action.

    That challenge sounds pretty cool though. & Congrats to Brigid. :)

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  25. You gave away the ending!

    Sounds like a good read for escape but if it doesn't take place in California--so where does the action occur?

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  26. I have to admit to not reading any Danielle Steel but rather to watching a load of her books made into films (she has or had a special tv channel just devoted to filming her books) and me and my mum would just watch them back to back!! They were so engrossing and I loved them even if the stories kind of blurred and only the names and setting changed and they were all the same really - but such weepies!!! And a great formula!!

    A happy woman faces tragedy is forced to fight back does so with aplomb and after climbing out of a catastrophe finds true love and eternal happiness! You can't go wrong with that can you really?!?!
    :-)

    Oh YAY to Brigid for winning!!!! Good for her!!

    Take care
    x

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  27. I've read a little bit of Danielle Steele, though I can't remember which book it may have been... I'm pretty sure it had a woman in California though!

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  28. Oh my Danielle Steele - its been ages. A dear Aunt of mine used to have bookshelves full of DS. I think she had a subscription to a bookclub. And I confess to picking one out on a quiet weekend many many years ago.

    The plotlines were the same formula, and I do like a happy ending! *whispers* I would've like a little more spice though!

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  29. Never read any DS, but you lived in Texas for a Summer? Poor you. It's hot here!! :)

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  30. I don't remember ever reading a Danielle Steele novel. I should probably try one one of these days (when the TBR pile gets a little smaller!)

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  31. I haven't read any of her books in years. Back before I had my daughter I spent my summers sunbathing (my bad) reading romances...But now I'm busy reading mg, ya and picture books...

    Happy reading, Talli!

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  32. Any reading challenge that sends you the books is awesome!

    I can't remember if I've ever read Danielle Steele. My mom read tons, but hmmmm...might have to give it a whirl. She's certainly prolific enough!

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  33. Talli, I just finished and reviewed this too - I thought it was a really easy read. Never read any of hers before and like Queenie said (was it?) she does do a little too much TELL and not enough SHOW. It hasn't made me yearn to read more of hers, though. I hope you like 'If I stay' - I read that just before hearing about this challenge - get some tissues ready!

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  34. She was a staple in Jr. High for me, but it has been AGES. I like the 'tragedy heads person on life journey' piece, but somewhere along the lines grew really annoyed with 'hunky men' (I see your disbelief--really, I like them if they just shut up and dance like I like, but they are like Santa Claus--the GOOD ones don't exist... you look like that, you're a jerk, so I can't hold romantic interest or permit a heroine to) Color me jaded. It is why I don't read genre romance. Chick list is fine--the men in those are more balanced and the women know happiness is more than just great sex that completes them.

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  35. Congrat Brigid! Never read DS but maybe will pick up a copy soon

    Hope you're well Talli

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  36. I love Danielle Steel, I am never disapointed with her booksx

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  37. I JUST stumbled on the Summer Reading Challenge and asked to be included, how eerie! Love your book choices, though I have to say I'm not a Danielle Steel fan.

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