Monday, January 23, 2012
L. Diane Wolfe's The Circle of Friends, Book 5
I've been reading like a mad fiend these past few months. I've heard that some writers stop reading fiction so their work isn't muddled by another's voice. Man, I few sorry for them. If I don't write for a while, I get the grumpies. If I don't read for a while, watch out. (I've only sworn off fiction once while I studied for a set of six graduate math exams. It was a horrible, soul-sucking two months.)
Anyhoo, one of the many books I've slurped down includes one written by an author in our blogging community: L. Diane Wolfe's fifth book in The Circle of Friends series centered on Heather Jennings. I picked this one because Diane has blogged that it's the best thing she's written and it takes place in Clemson, SC. I grew up right next door to this college town in Anderson, SC.
When we meet Heather, she's just finished her master's at Duke with a sweet prize. She has a real job! Instead of asking, "Do you want fries with that?", she's both looking forward to and nervous about becoming an assistant basketball coach of the Lady Tigers at Clemson. Cool. That's the good news.
The bad news is the love of her life is living large in Colorado with a) an incredible job as wide receiver for the Denver Broncos, b) a huge house, c) a brand new baby with his wife Sarah. Ouch. And by the way, Sarah was Heather's friend and roommate when she was an undergraduate. Double ouch!
Now this particular pain isn't something that's happened to me—oh wait. In six grade the crush of my life told my best friend he liked her—on my birthday no less. Maybe that's why I identified with Heather right off the bat. I recognized her pain.
Longing and regret are only the start. This book takes you on an emotional roller coaster—which is entirely appropriate because I know Diane loves roller coasters. Heather accepts that her feelings for Matt are a dead end. (Downturn) Then she starts an unlikely relationship with his older brother. (Possible upturn, but with twists and a dark tunnel of uncertainty—is this love or rebound?) Then Heather's father passes away. (Huge drop, even though with her dad's cancer, she knew it was coming.)
The part written after her father's death really struck a chord. I wanted to grab the phone and call my dad. And there's a second emotional tug at the ending that also got me teary, (but in a good way which I won't spoil). If you love well-developed characters, drama and emotion, check this one out.
Image courtesy: cayusa
I know from reading Diane's blog she may consider writing more fiction. My 'two-cents' recommendation would be to bring the southern setting more to the forefront, because there's something I'm just dying to know: Does Clemson still paint the main roads into campus with huge tiger prints? I loved that as a kid. My parents would drive us up there to walk through the botanical gardens, feed the ducks stale bread and then visit their superb ice-cream store. The campus dairy hosted school field trips where you could see a cow with a little round window in its belly. I can't remember what they were studying with this window-to-cow's gut, but it was awesomely gross/fascinating.
Okay, this post just jumped the track. Re-calculating. Have you read any books set in places near to your heart?
Labels:
book review,
L. Diane Wolfe,
The Circle of Friends,
writing
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Tamara, what a surprise! Thank you so much. I didn't know you grew up near Clemson and Greenville. (The latter is one of the main settings of my series.) I'm really happy you related to Heather. She was the most difficult character I've ever written.
ReplyDeleteI need to read a book about the area where I grew up, and that would do it for me.
ReplyDeleteI've always enjoyed Diane's blog but I've been a bit out of the loop these last few months! Her books sound great!
ReplyDeleteNice book review. Sounds like a great read. Congrats to Diane. Seems like the guy liking the best friend happens often in real life, especially in the tweens and teens! Tamara, I shared your parenting story in today's post. Thanks so much for your comment. My parenting story is similar to yours!
ReplyDeleteHowdy! Quick question that's completely off topic. Do you know how to make your site mobile friendly? My weblog looks weird when browsing from my apple iphone. I'm trying to
ReplyDeletefind a theme or plugin that might be able to fix this issue.
If you have any suggestions, please share. With thanks!
my web site; weightloss clinics
tory burch outlet
ReplyDeletechelsea jersey
the north face clearance
barcelona jersey
boston celtics jersey
nike huarache
burberry outlet
green bay packers jerseys
tory burch outlet
denver broncos jerseys
surpa sneakers
beats headphones
canada goose outlet
chicago bears jerseys
ralph lauren uk
gucci shoes
oakland raiders jerseys
tory burch handbags
atlanta falcons jersey
air max 2015
mbt shoes
moncler coats
bottega veneta outlet
seattle seahawks jerseys
los angeles lakers jerseys
tommy hilfiger outlet
dansko outlet
nike trainers
hermes belt
mulberry outlet
baltimore ravens jerseys
juicy couture outlet
ugg boots
san antonio spurs jerseys
nike free 5.0
cheap nike shoes
the north face uk
ugg uk
zhuweiming0618
chanel tote bag
ReplyDeleteburberry sale
chanel outlet
gucci luggage
louis vuitton travel bag
burberry shoes
burberry outlet
coach bags
gucci diaper bag
burberry crossbody bag
chanel diaper bag
michael kors bags on sale
coach purses
burberry store
coach hobo bag
mcm purses
coach outlet online
burberry bags
burberry handbag
cheap louis vuitton purses
michael kors handbags outlet
louis vuitton purses
louis vuitton eva clutch
cheap michael kors purses
prada-crossbody
prada handbags
coach factory outlet online
burberry bags
cheap michael kors handbags
gucci bag
michael kors crossbody
coach sunglasses
michael kors tote bags
coach crossbody bags
2015-11-07 zhengjx
ReplyDeletenfl jerseys
oakley sunglasses wholesale
louis vuitton purses
ugg boots outlet
timberlands
ugg sale
prada handbags
coach outlet
vans sneakers
toms shoes
air force 1
fake oakley sunglasses
lebron 12
rolex watches
michael kors outlet online sale
canada goose jackets
coach factory outlet online
ugg boots sale
supra shoes
coach outlet store online
p90x
polo ralph lauren
oakley outlet
ray ban sunglasses
louis vuitton handbags
canada goose
instyler max
uggs on sale
michael kors outlet store
michael kors outlet clearance
kevin durant shoes 2015
lebron james basketball shoes
coach outlet store online
replica watches
louis vuitton bags
oakley sunglasses
cheap air jordans
prada handbags
air max 90
cheap jordan shoes
hollister canada
ReplyDeletechicago blackhawks
prada sneakers
toms outlet
swarovski outlet
ralph lauren outlet
longchamp handbags
michael kors outlet online
cheap football shirts
ed hardy clothing
ralph lauren outlet
ralph lauren polo
ghd uk
fitflops sale
mulberry outlet
coach outlet online
coach outlet store
puma outlet
michael kors uk outlet
http://www.nikedunks.us.org
ReplyDeletenike air force 1 low
yeezy boost
adidas tubular
cheap jordan shoes
nike roshe run
adidas yeezy boost
michael kors handbags
michael kors outlet