30 by 30 Reading List

My latest book perusal was the favourite book, or rather books, of my friend Michelle from work. She chose "Something Borrowed" and "Something Blue" by Emily Giffin.

I ended up reading both of these books as they are a set. The first book, "Something Borrowed" is told from the perspective of Rachel, a plain 30-year-old law clerk who has always been in the shadow of her selfish best friend Darcy. Rachel ends up sleeping with Darcy's fiance Dex who she has liked since before he met Darcy, but didn't feel she was worthy of him so never went for it. Most of the book is about their affair and how awful they feel, but how they end up falling in love.

I really enjoyed this book, but I felt like I was on the edge of my seat the whole time, waiting for them to get caught and being tortured with the fact that I think cheating on anyone is wrong and awful, but you still feel for Rachel and want her to be with Dex. Obviously the book made me feel exactly how the writer intended.

"Something Blue" shifts the Darcy's perspective and the aftermath of her finding out about the affair, breaking up with Dex and finding out she's pregnant from a guy she was actually cheating with. She flees her home and all her shallow friends who have turned on her, moving to London where she learns the truth about herself, her attitude and the way she treated her friends. Of course, she does a lot of growing up and I finally liked her character in the end.

These two books were not exactly a stretch for my reading boundaries since I really like chick-lit and the easy reads every now and then. Aside from the scandalous nature of the story-line, there are some great lessons about life and love. Mostly, it was just a fun read and I enjoyed getting caught up in the lives of the characters.