Nicholas Sparks...

I have been reading like crazy(per usual), but I either haven't finished the books before they had to go back to the library or it's been so long since I've read them that I can't remember what they were about. I know I'm sad but that's how it goes.

I do want to share a couple of books that stood out over the last...3 months. (Seriously, 3 months, man that IS sad.) Both of them happen to be by Nicholas Sparks.

Now, I haven't read a Nicholas Sparks book since my senior year of high school. In one of my senior English classes(yes, I took more than one, but we've already established that I really like to read) we had to read 18 books over the course of a semester. The first 10 had to cover each of the ten genres. Don't ask me what they are now, I have no idea. This meant I had to read a romance novel...I'd never read a romance novel. I was morally opposed to romance novels. Ah, the ignorance of youth.

Anyway, the book I chose was Message In A Bottle by Nicholas Sparks. I'd seen the movie and figured it was harmless. Oh how wrong I was. My poor virgin eyes were scarred for all eternity. My little brain nearly exploded and my face was bright red. Needless to say, it was a VERY long time before I read another romance novel.

Since then I've gotten over my fear. I even read one Danielle Steele novel. *GASP!* Notice I said ONE. I've haven't read her since and I don't plan on doing it again.

Now, let's get down to business.

First up we have The Guardian.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Summary: Julie Barenson's young husband left her two unexpected gifts before he died-a Great Dane puppy named Singer and the promise that he would always be watching over her. Now, four years have passed. Still living in the small town of Swansboro, North Carolina, twenty-nine-year-old Julie is emotionally ready to make a commitment to someone again. But who? Should it be Richard Franklin, the handsome, sophisticated engineer who treats her like a queen? Or Mike Harris, the down-to-earth nice guy who was her husband's best friend? Choosing one of them should bring her more happiness than she's had in years. Instead, Julie is soon fighting for her life in a nightmare spawned by a chilling deception and jealousy so poisonous that it has become a murderous desire....

My thoughts: SO GOOD! I cried so much while reading this book! The relationship Julie has with her dog, Singer, is really funny. And watching Mike trying to work up the nerve to ask her out was so cute! You knew how it was going to work out way before the end, but there were some unexpected bumps in the road in the form of Richard Franklin. What a creep! My creep-o-meter was going like crazy when he first shows up in the book. He is one scary dude.

I docked this book half a point because of premarital relations. I know, I know, it's a romance novel and they're consenting adults, but really. If I want to read about that stuff I can get a Harlequin novel. The next book I wanted to talk about is The Last Song.

Rating: 5 out of 5. Summary: Seventeen year old Veronica "Ronnie" Miller's life was turned upside-down when her parents divorced and her father moved from New York City to Wilmington, North Carolina. Three years later, she remains angry and alientated from her parents, especially her father...until her mother decides it would be in everyone's best interest if she spent the summer in Wilmington with him. Ronnie's father, a former concert pianist and teacher, is living a quiet life in the beach town, immersed in creating a work of art that will become the centerpiece of a local church. The tale that unfolds is an unforgettable story of love on many levels--first love, love between parents and children -- that demonstrates, as only a Nicholas Sparks novel can, the many ways that love can break our hearts...and heal them. My thoughts: I really enjoyed this book. In fact, I went out and bought a copy. Nicholas Sparks knows how to tug on one's heartstrings. This was a bawler. I think I cried for the last 150 pages. There were times where I wanted to smack Ronnie, but if you don't want to smack the main character at least once, then the book isn't worth reading. I was thrilled with how the story resolved itself in the end. No, I won't tell you what happens, that would be cheating. Anyway, I highly recommend this book for the next time you need to scratch that romantic itch that we all get. As always, keep reading!