Star Book Review: The Opposite of Me by Sarah Pekkanen

A truly satisfying debut...

The Opposite of Me by Sarah Pekkanen

This was an excellent debut from Sarah Pekkanen about two sisters who just might not be as opposite from each other as they think. Twins, Lindsey and Alex Rose, couldn’t be more opposite from one another. Alex, the gorgeous, fair haired twin has always been praised for her looks and continues to prosper in a successful modeling career. She has chosen to live in their hometown in Maryland, just outside Washington DC where she plans to marry Gary, a carbon copy for the Ken doll. Lindsey, the darker-haired twin realized long ago that in order to gain attention she would be far better off capitalizing on all the things that Alex “was not”, and so she focused hard on getting all A’s in school, getting into a great college and then getting hired by a leading advertising firm in New York City. Unfortunately, just when Lindsey thinks her life in Corporate America is about to really take-off, everything crumbles. After a humiliating series of events, she feels she is left with no choice but to leave the city and move home. Everything Lindsey has planned for her life has gone or is about to go awry, and soon she is in the throes of a major identity crisis and finds herself doing (and wearing) all kinds of things she never dreamed she would. Meanwhile, little does Lindsey know, but Alex is undergoing her own drama in life and before the two sisters know it, their lives begin to intersect in ways they’d never imagined. Read the entire novel to find out what happens when these two sisters outgrow the competition of their relationship and start learning from and leaning on one another.

I really loved this story because of its complexity, its unique plot line, and its diverse range of emotional drama. Just when you think the story is about to get going, it gets even better. It had all the ups and downs you could want in a women’s fiction/chick lit story. There was ample emotion, conflicting relationships and above all, two women's search for self. At times uplifting, poignant, heartbreaking and motivating, this book truly had it all. I read this book after my home group, The Chick Lit Book Club, chose it for the January book of the month and I am so grateful that it won. It makes for a great debut and addition to the chick lit genre. I can't wait to try more books from the author. I would predict she'll be around for a long time. Rating: 5 STARS

For more information on Sarah Pekkanen or her next book release, Skipping A Beat, visit her web site at http://www.sarahpekkanen.com/.

Welcome to Lip Gloss & Literature...

Welcome to Lip Gloss and Literature where I hope I can entertain and inform you with EVERYTHING CHICK LIT!!

In 2010 I started my first blog, where you wish upon a star, where I fulfilled my dream of reading,  writing and reviewing chick lit. In hopes of making my blog more easily accessible to chick lit, women’s fiction readers and writers everywhere, I’ve brought all those great posts and more over here to Lip Gloss & Literature.

Now you’ve already seen the name and background changes. Here are a few more things sure to happen at LG&L in 2011:

v    Author Interviews & Guest Posts

v    Audio Clips from various Publishers &  Narrators of Chick Lit

v    Reading Challenge Updates & Reviews:

v    Red Dress Ink Fans Ultimate Reading Challenge to read all the RDI published books from 2001 to 2008

v    Chick Lit Plus Reading Challenge 2011 to read 12 Chick Lit novels in 2011

v    Book Chick City’s 100 Books in a Year Challenge to read 100 Books in 2011

v    Quarterly Reading Challenges Hosted by Red Dress Ink Fans on Goodreads.com

v    Chick Flick Reviews for chick lit books that made it onto the big screen

v    Writing Tips, Ideas and Resources

v    And More….

v    Chick Lit Books & Reviews

v     Don’t Hex With Texas (Enchanted #4) by Shanna Swendson

v     Falling Out of Fashion by Karen Yampolskey

v     Me Vs. Me by Sarah Mlynowski

v     See Jane Date by Melissa Senate

v     The Smart One & The Pretty One by Claire LaZebnik

v     You’ll Never Nanny In This Town Again by Suzanne Hansen

v     And many more old, new and fabulous chick lit books…

v    Audio Book Reviews

v     A Vintage Affair by Isabel Wolff, Read by Violet Mathieson

v     Remember Me by Sophie Kinsella, Read by Rosalyn Landor

v     Wicked Appetite by Janet Evanovich, Read by Lorelei King

v     How I Write by Janet Evanovich Read by the Author, Ina Yalof and Alex Evanovich

v     A Desirable Residence by Madeleine Wickham, Read by Katherine Kellgren

v     And many other provocative vocalizations of your favorite chick lit novels…

v    Product Reviews on the latest and favorites in Reading, Writing, Fashion, Women’s interests and various other items

As always, if you want to check out my Audio Book Reviews at the Chicklit Club, please visit:

http://www.chicklitclub.com/audio-books.html

Or follow me on Goodreads for my latest reads, listens and past reviews:

http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/3168170

I love hearing from my followers, so please send me an email at cgraceh at gmail dot com and let me know if you like my new site; if there’s anything you’d like to see here on Lip Gloss and Literature that hasn’t shown up yet at or if there’s anything you just want to share with me! Thanks to everyone for reading.

~ Cathy

                                                          

See Jane Read: Chick Lit Plus Reading Challenge 2011

      I know it's still December 2010, but we are so close to ringing in 2011 and what better way to do so than on my blog than with the "Chick Lit Plus Reading Challenge 2011". Thanks to Samantha over at Chick Lit Plus for initiating this great challenge, and first of the year to be posted here on my Chick Lit Reading & Writing blog.

    You can see the challenge button over on the left side of my blog. Check back on my blog for updates and reviews on all the books that I read as part of the Chick Lit Plus Reading Challenge 2011. You can also check out Samantha's Challenge post for other challengers and links to their sites and updates. Once January 2011 comes, I will also post a link specific to the Chick Lit Plus Challenge on her site.

     Here is a preview of a few of the rules posted already on Chick Lit Plus:

         

          1. You can join the challenge at any time.

          2. All books can be chosen "as you go". (They do not need to be selected or posted

               beforehand.)

          3. At least 12 books in the chick lit genre must be read in the year 2011.

          4. 2 of the 12 books must be from Debut authors, released in 2011.

          3. Prizes, prizes and more prizes! It says there will be books contributed by the authors,

               themselves; monthly prizes (participants will be automatically entered after each review
               or link posted.)

     So come on! Dust off those virtual and physical To-Be-Read shelves! Call all your best gal pals! Put on your comfiest lounge wear and maybe even treat yourself to a new pair of those designer glasses you've been dying to get for all that reading you're about to do, and join us in this reading challenge. Happy New Year and Happy Reading!!