Today I want to talk about anything but my health so I am going to tell you about a book I just finished. It is called Quentins by Maeve Binchy. I found this book in our local dollar store on a book-finding mission one Saturday afternoon. I don’t normally read anything remotely romantic, but I must say the cover caught my eye. It was green, my favorite color and it had picture of buildings like those you find in England, well in this case it was Ireland.  The story begins with the main character Ella, reminiscing about going to the fancy restaurant called Quentins as a child, thus the title of the book and how it was the first time she was treated as an adult. Ella is an only child and has doting parents but is not spoiled or selfish the way you would imagine her to be.  The book twists and turns with Ella going off to college, having an affair with a married man only to have her heart broken and eventually returns to her parents and the restaurant of her youth. In between you meet the patrons of the restaurant as well as the owners and each of them are connected in some way and of course in the end love finds a way.  The only thing I didn’t like was the affair, but it was necessary to continue the plot and connect the dots of the characters.  The book was well written and a much welcome change from the murder mayhem I usually read. I am now searching for more of Mrs. Binchy’s books and will definitely pay more than a dollar for them! Of course…a bargain may come my way at another dollar store…lol!!  So that’s my little review on Tuesday…Happy Reading!!

I finished the last book in the Twilight series. My first thought is that if Bella was as mature in the first three as this one, I might have liked her a little more.  But yes, I did find that she earned my respect in this last installment. As a wife and a mother I can appreciate the desire to protect the ones we love and the lengths that we go to for that protection. She finally lost her self-centeredness. I guess she grew up, as we all do.  So what is the verdict? Do I love this series as my friends do? Do I want to recommend it with the same excitement that I did Harry Potter? No. I stand by my previous review. Although this last book was more enjoyable, it did not have the magical appeal of Harry Potter, even if in the end good overcame evil. I still prefer magic!

Okay, I finished the third book. I am still disgusted with Bella’s behavior and her selfishness. I don’t like her at all.  The worst part of all of this is that now I have three books in a series and I don’t want to waste my money on the last book. But I have ordered it and am waiting for its arrival. I’ve had some time to think about this and I realize that it is written for a younger, inexperienced audience. With this in mind I can understand the fairytale “I’m never going to grow old, live with him forever mentality.” Which is not necessarily a bad thing.  I believe that if Bella could combine Edward and Jacob into one person then she might be believable in her declarations of love. I will wait for the final judgment when I have finished the last book. Who knows, maybe I will become a fan yet!