It's Chick Lit Time!

No, not Chiclet....Chick Lit. You know, the marketing-driven genre that caters towards women and is traditionally considered vapid, empty reading. To be fair, most of the genre is a little on the, shall we say, light side?

Occasionally, however, a novel pops up that has been stuffed in the Chick Lit genre undeservedly. Cutting Loose, a new novel by Nadine Dajani, is one of those novels.




Cutting Loose is a fast-paced examination of three women, each transplanted to America from a different culture, who appear to have it all: success, wealth, beauty and smarts. On the surface, the novel chronicles each of these compelling women as they re-evaluate their lives at critical junctures. Beyond that, however, Cutting Loose is a touching revelation of the importance of our culture and values, no matter where we may live in this world.

Each of the three main characters is unique and diverse both in circumstance and heritage. Yet Dajani manages to illuminate the commonalities we all share across cultural divides using subtle (and sometimes not-so-subtle) humor and heartbreak.

This would make a great book to take along on an airplane, a trip to the beach, or even just a couple of relaxing evenings in a bathtub. Very recommended.





And of course, A Reader's Respite has two copies to give away (yay!). Enter to win simply by leaving us a comment below (international peeps always welcome!) and on August 4th, we'll draw two random winners.

Philisophical musings, of a sort

A Reader's Respite is waxing a bit philosophical about books these days. Why, Kierkegaard might have wondered, are books about Tudor vampires so popular?



Immanual Kant may have wondered whether an author has a moral responsibility to refrain from writing bad historical fiction.



Or perhaps not.


Would Locke have said that each of the over 400 million people who have read Harry Potter come away with a different perception and therefore, a different reality? Or would Nietzsche have said none of it matters since we're all just going to trample over each other to get our hands on the newest Diana Gabaldron book anyway?

somehow, we're just not seeing Nietzsche as a big Outlander fan

Okay, okay, we're not really thinking too much about all of this, but Charlotte Greig's novel, A Girl's Guide to Modern European Philosophy, did get us thinking about our old university philosophy courses. (As it turns out, A Reader's Respite has forgotten most of our edu-ma-cation over the years.)




Greig's charming book recounts the story of Susannah, a young British university student majoring in philosophy during the turbulent 1970's, who plows through life's problems with a decidedly philosophical eye.

Finding herself unsure of her romantic choices and pregnant, Susannah uses her philosophical education to sort out her problems and try to make the right choices in life.

While you shouldn't expect a comprehensive education in philosophical schools of thought here, a general overview and historical perspective is woven into the story line as the reader follows Susannah's life, choices and the consequences.







Would you like to read it? Leave us a comment (all comers welcome, including international!) and on July 28th, we'll draw a random winner who will receive a copy!

Review: The Sinful Life of Lucy Burns

The Sinful Life of Lucy Burns, by Elizabeth Leiknes


Summer has arrived and around here that means beach reads and margaritas. A Reader's Respite's formula for the perfect summer day? The 3:1 ratio. That's three margaritas per great beach book.

Got the margarita mix but missing the book to go with it? Pick up a copy of The Sinful Life of Lucy Burns.

Lucy Burns is young, single, and beautiful. In fact, if it weren't for her job, she'd be carefree. You see, Lucy is a facilitator. A facilitator for Hell. It's her job to usher the damned into her basement, which is a portal direct to fire and brimstone.

How did Lucy come by this job? Well, it's one of those bargains we make in times of trouble. You know the kind. Lucy's bargain was made when she was eleven years old and her sister was in an accident. It read like this:

"To Whom it May Concern,

Make Ellen wake up and I'll be forever in your debt."

While Lucy got to keep her sister, she also had to make good on her side of the bargain.

Sound a little on the dark side? Leiknas could have gone that way with the story, but deftly manages to keep the story both light and intelligent. Cultural references pepper the story with humor and wit, and Lucy's search for redemption is compelling enough to keep a reader's avid interest to the end.

All in all, a great summer read.

Especially accompanied by a good margarita.






Who's up for a great summer read? If you'd like to read The Sinful Life of Lucy Burns, leave A Reader's Respite a comment here. International entrants are always welcome and we'll draw a random winner on June 28th.


More reviews, you say? Here you go:

Ex Libris
Dear Author
Wendy's Minding Spot
Cindy's Love of Books
Trashionista