Chicky’s Super Summer of 2013: Awesome Beach Reads
Summer is the time for lazing about and reading. Whether you’re in a hammock in the backyard, on a beach chair, or hanging at the cottage, one of the greatest things about summertime is the slower pace, and if you have the chance, some serious reading.
Just so you know, by serious reading, I mean light, easy-on-the brain (sexy) beach reads.
Over the last while, I have been reading voraciously (I know, it’s a sacrifice that I make for you) so that I can share some amazing books with you. I’m still making my way through my giant TBR (To be Read) stack, which has turned into a TBR (To Be Reviewed pile), so I will keep the reviews coming steadily all summer long.
To kick off A Month of Beach Reads, I’d like to introduce you to My Life in Black and White, by Kim Izzo. In preparation for summer, Harper Collins Canada thought I’d like to just take a breath, relax, sip a cocktail, and crack the spine on this little gem of a novel.
My Life in Black and White by Kim Izzo
Part romance, part chick lit, part mystery, part just plain good old fun, My Life in Black and White is a story of change, wide eyes, and second chances.
Picture a jilted wife named Clara Bishop, a suitcase of vintage clothing, and a partially written femme fatale script. Add in a a dry wit, an entertaining cast of characters, and a series of surprising (yet not) plot twists. Then, shake it all up in your vintage silver cocktail shaker (Sidecar, no other drink is acceptable) and turn it into a black and white movie.
The result?
A book that’s easy on the brain and heavy on the fun.
When Clara Bishop, a struggling screenwriter-turned-tabloid journalist in Hollywood, is jilted by her philandering husband, she follows him to London, determined to win him back. Armed with only a glamorous wardrobe of vintage clothing inherited from her grandmother, a former film noir actress, Clara discovers that the clothes really do make the woman. Dressed to kill, she adopts a new femme fatale persona: confident, sexy and set on revenge. But on the road to retaliation, Clara discovers an unfinished film script that sheds light on her grandmother’s mysterious death years before. Then it happens: somehow, magically, her whole life is transported back in time, into a living, breathing film noir that reveals to Clara the potential to write her own ending. (From Goodreads.com)
What I loved: The word to describe this novel is entertaining. Kim Izzo has created an interesting, fun, layered cast of characters. She has a pleasant light-hearted voice. Her heroine, Clara, is slightly and loveably pathetic, but enough so that she can be saved, and not-so-much as to be irritating. Izzo also manages to make the unlikeable characters relatable, and in fact much like entertaining caricatures (or stock characters in a Film Noir, which was probably the intent) She also keeps us guessing throughout the plot, which is pretty unexpected in this genre. Refreshingly, nobody is as they seem. Her narrative tools, such as flashforwards with the detective, keep the story moving and fill in the gaps. All-in-all, a good job for the genre, and an interesting addition to any chick lit lover’s library.
What I didn’t love: Being new to this author, the ‘fluff’ factor of the novel was a little unexpected. But, that was my own fault for not doing my research, and should have expected frivolous fun considering Izzo is the co-author of The Fabulous Girl’s Guide to Decorum. Also, I’m not that familiar with Film Noire, so some of the references may have been lost on me.
Overall, if you’re keeping one eye on your kids and the other on your book and your beer, this is the one for you.
Unputdownable Factor: 7/10
Beach Factor: 10/10
Smut Factor: 2/10 (you can read this in front of your grandma without blushing)
So, how do you feel about starting to call your friends dollface?