Tag Archives: Brenda Janowitz

The Lonely Hearts Club

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Author:  Brenda Janowitz                  lonely                     
Publisher:  Point
Genre:  Young Adult
Source:  Purchased

 

 

 

Goodreads:   Love is all you need… or is it? Penny’s about to find out in this wonderful debut.

Penny is sick of boys and sick of dating. So she vows: no more. It’s a personal choice. . .and, of course, soon everyone wants to know about it. And a few other girls are inspired. A movement is born: The Lonely Hearts Club (named after the band from Sgt. Pepper). Penny is suddenly known for her nondating ways . . . which is too bad, because there’s this certain boy she can’t help but like. . .

Ope’s Opinion:  This is such a wonderful book for young adults to read.  There is a little bit of boy drama, but the focus is on girl friends.  I really like how the girls in this book put their friends before boys.  

The theme in this book of not changing for other people – friends or boys is awesome! They also discovered what they wanted to do as individuals – not following the crowd. It was such a good example of independent girls supporting each other  – not talking behind each others back.

I enjoyed this book and would recommend it for any young adult.

Rating:  Three ( and a half ) Chairs – I like the book enough to suggest it to a friend or two.

3 chairs

Recipe for a Happy Life

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Author:  Brenda Janowitz               recipe
Publisher:  St. Martin’s Griffin
Genre:  Women’s Fiction
Source:  Author

 

 

 

Goodreads:  There’s more than one recipe for a happy life.

Hannah Goodman doesn’t grow up like most kids on the Upper East side. Her mother, Gray, is an award-winning photojournalist with little time for the banalities of child-rearing, and when she’s not jetting off to follow the latest scoop, she’s camped out at the Hotel Chelsea. The closest thing Hannah’s got to a traditional matriarch is her grandmother—a glamorous widow six times over with a sprawling Hampton’s estate. But Gray is determined that her daughter resist the siren song of the trust fund set, and make her own way in the world. So Hannah does just that—becoming a successful lawyer in New York City, and dating a handsome musician. Hannah has it all, or so it seems, until one hot June day the carefully constructed pieces of her life break apart. When she throws it all in and seeks solace at her grandmother’s estate, she discovers that where happiness is concerned, you don’t have to stick to the recipe.

Ope’s Opinion:  If you like family relationship books – you will really like this one!  It has a very deep loving relationship between granddaughter and grandmother.  There is a difficult relationship between mother and daughter.  There are some romantic relationships as well.  

The writing sweeps you away to the Hamptons – I did not want to come back!  You can see the houses as she describes them.  You can hear the waves hit the beach.  Janowitz draws a beautiful picture with her words.

I love strong women characters.  This grandmother was so much fun to read – everyone should have someone like her in their lives.

I want to read another Brenda Janowitz book.

Rating:  Four Chairs – I like this book so much I know several friends to share it with.
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