A Shore Thing

A Shore Thing
by Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi

It’s a summer to remember . . . at the Jersey Shore.

Giovanna “Gia” Spumanti and her cousin Isabella “Bella” Rizzoli are going to have the sexiest summer ever. While they couldn’t be more different—pint-size Gia is a carefree, outspoken party girl and Bella is a tall, slender athlete who always holds her tongue—for the next month they’re ready to pouf up their hair, put on their stilettos, and soak up all that Seaside Heights, New Jersey, has to offer: hot guidos, cool clubs, fried Oreos, and lots of tequila.

So far, Gia’s summer is on fire. Between nearly burning down their rented bungalow, inventing the popular “tan-tags” at the Tantastic Salon where she works, and rescuing a shark on the beach, she becomes a local celebrity overnight. Luckily, she meets the perfect guy to help her keep the flames under control. Firefighter Frank Rossi is exactly her type: big, tan, and Italian. But is he tough enough to handle Gia when things really heat up?

Bella is more than ready for some fun in the sun. Finally free of her bonehead ex-boyfriend, she left home in Brooklyn with one goal in mind: hooking up with a sexy gorilla for a no-strings-attached summer fling. In no time, she lands a job leading “Beat Up the Beat” dance classes at a local gym, and is scooped up by Beemer-driving, preppy Bender Newberry. Only problem: Bella can’t get her romantic and ripped boss Tony “Trouble” Troublino out of her head. He’s relationship material. Suddenly, Bella’s not sure what she wants.

The cousins soon realize that for every friend they make on the boardwalk, there are also rivals, slummers, and frenemies who will do anything to ruin their summer—and try their relationship. Before July ends, the bonds of family and friendship will be stretched to the breaking point. Will the haters prevail, or will Gia and Bella find love at the Shore?
(description from Amazon.com)

I can hear you all now...why on Earth did you bother to read that book??
I have to admit something somewhat shameful...I am an unabashed, full on, Jersey Shore addict. Yes, I said it! I love that show. It's soooo ridiculous, but I can't not watch it whenever it's on.

So, that being said. I have not yet read any of the "how-to" books by The Situation or JWoww, but when I saw that my beloved, god awful, hilarious Snooki had "penned" a novel. I knew I had to check it out. Call this my ultimate guilty pleasure.

...and I loved it. This book is exactly what I would read if I went to the beach. It was so over the top, out there ridiculous that I literally laughed my way through it. I read parts out loud to my husband...I quoted funny lines to friends...

You know those dog breeds that are so ugly they become cute again? That's what this book is...it's literally so BAD that it becomes great. This book was written so that it read as if you were reading a script for one of the Jersey Shore episodes. OMG. Funny. It was literally SNOOKTASTIC.

Would I recommend this? Eh. Unless you actually like the Jersey Shore or are looking for something to read that requires absolutely no thought whatsoever...no. Did I love it. Yes. It is a "special" book for certain readers. Whatever you do, though, don't spend money on it!! :P

The Summer I Turned Pretty

The Summer I Turned Pretty
by Jenny Han

Belly measures her life in summers. Everything good, everything magical happens between the months of June and August. Winters are simply a time to count the weeks until the next summer, a place away from the beach house, away from Susannah, and most importantly, away from Jeremiah and Conrad. They are the boys that Belly has known since her very first summer -- they have been her brother figures, her crushes, and everything in between. But one summer, one wonderful and terrible summer, the more everything changes, the more it all ends up just the way it should have been all along.

This is my first Jenny Han book, though I've heard great things about Shug and I keep meaning to go and read it. This book was wonderful. Belly is a very realistic character...you feel her awkwardness, her earnestness, her yearning for love, her "brattiness." She is what I think I was as a fifteen year old. Han has a beautiful way of drawing the reader in. You know, or at least have an inkling of what's really happening, but still she surprises and tells each scene with such delicacy that it is truly wonderful storytelling.

Having had the experience of finding out that someone in your family has cancer and then having to live with the fallout...realizing that life never will be the same, and yet, needing to continue on in life as much as possible, this book really spoke to me personally. I was pulling for everyone in the book with all my heart. It was realistic and yet, left me filled with wonder and hope. Highly recommended.