Eight Hundred Grapes: a novel by Laura Dave

I laughed out loud as I read about the escapades and calamities faced by Georgia Ford in Eight Hundred Grapes: a novel by Laura Dave. This work is pure entertainment and made me think of other titles such as One Plus One by JoJo Moyes or The Rosie Project books by Graeme Simsion.  I enjoyed author Dave’s style of writing – short, crisp sentences and definitely tongue in cheek with plenty of opportunity for the reader to suspend belief.

Rather than outline the story and spoil the fun, I’d encourage you to look for Eight Hundred Grapes if you like reading about: vineyards, secrets, marriage, romance, and complicated family relationships. It is a very quick read – perfect for a summer day! Enjoy!  

This title – along with several others I will be reviewing this month -- is on the list of recommendations for June 2015 from Library Reads.

One Plus One by JoJo Moyes

I have been actively promoting One Plus One by JoJo Moyes because I know that faculty and staff  have greatly enjoyed (and recommended to me) several other titles by her. This novel, set in England and Scotland, was so much fun that it had me laughing out loud.  The antics of a large, drooling dog, 2 children (an adolescent boy who chooses to wear mascara and his younger sister, the math genius), plus their single Mum and her employer were hilarious, yet heart-wrenching at times. Tales of their travels across the countryside are worth the read alone. 

But I also very much liked how JoJo Moyes developed each character and used each one’s situation to examine how we are often misunderstood. She stressed how cruel youth can be to anyone who is different, and how those insecurities sometimes transfer to adult situations and the poor choices that are then made. Moyes interwove questions about ethics, adult relationships, and the possibility of romance while also exploring class differences and the many difficulties faced by a family living from one paycheck to the next. Not all of the issues were resolved, but most were; and that contributed to the warmth and enjoyment of this story.  I am certainly looking forward to reading more (starting with Me Before You) by this highly entertaining author. Comparisons to Irish author Maeve Binchy are often made so look for titles by her, too!