September 3, 2013

I have to start this review with a disclaimer.  I received The Bohemian Love Diaries by Slash Coleman as a free book, and am doing the review as a courtesy.    That being said, it’s one of the best books I’ve read recently.  I enjoyed it and laughed a lot while reading. The book is reminiscent of books that I’ve read by David Sedaris, and if you like Sedaris, chances are very good that you will like Slash Coleman.  However, Slash Coleman has his own story to tell and he certainly does it in his own unique style.  I did laugh a lot, but at times, I was touched or saddened by his situation and/or insights.  The Bohemian Love Diaries is a quirky memoir that I won’t soon forget.  I definitely recommend it as a good read.  As a book to keep me laughing, it certainly did the job.

Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman is a sweet, Cinderella-esque novel by Beth Hoffman.  After living for many years with a mentally ill mother, and without a seemingly alcoholic father, her mother dies leaving twelve-year-old CeeCee an orphan.  Her fairy godmother appears in the form of Great-Aunt Tootie, who whisks CeeCee off to Savannah, Georgia and a life of luxury.   Her home becomes a beautiful southern mansion with beautiful southern gardens.  Her closet is filled with more stylish clothes than she’ll ever be able to wear.  A loving aunt, a loving housekeeper and a never-ending procession of loving southern belles surround CeeCee.  There are some cute escapades and some truly frightening situations, but the story ends happily ever after.  As I was reading, I kept thinking, where was Great-Aunt Tootie when I was growing up?  I could have used a fairy godmother, too.  Saving CeeCee Honeycutt is a sweet read that I would recommend for an afternoon of escape.

I found Red Tape by Michele Lynn Seigfried through a poster at a local library where she will be soon be speaking.  Red Tape is described as a cozy mystery and I think that’s correct.  It got off to a slow start, but caught my interest when it brought Hurricane Sandy into the story.  Seigfried wrote with the empathy of someone who had actually lived through the Hurricane Sandy experience.  Having lived through the same experience, her words rang true.  For me, her descriptions were the most heart-felt and engaging part of the book.  By the time I finished the book, I understood where the slow beginning had been heading.  Red Tape was a good, cozy read and worth reading to get a feeling for what it was like at the Jersey shore during Hurricane Sandy.