Top Ten Tuesday: Here Comes the Bride

Top Ten Tuesday is weekly meme created by the lovely folks at The Broke and the Bookish. They created it because they're "particularly fond of lists" and since I also enjoy lists, I've decided to participate in this fun feature.

This week's Top Ten Tuesday has us listing our favourite books with a certain setting. My first thought was to do a geographical location and pick Canada but then I realized I could have a little more fun and make my list more abstract. I decided to list ten of my favourite books that feature weddings! It is wedding season, after all. (Seriously...is everyone else's Facebook timeline exploding with wedding pictures and engagement announcements right now? Or is it just me because I'm 26 and at the age where everyone is getting married?). Anywho. I picked these ten books because I've read them (there are obviously many others out there). I've reviewed almost all of them so the links lead to my reviews. Did I miss any of your favourites?

Don't forget to check out their blog for a full list of everyone participating this week!

Bride Quartet - Nora Roberts
This is probably my favourite all about weddings book. I loved loved loved this series. It was sweet and fun and I loved reading about the four friends that planned weddings. And the covers are gorgeous, too!

Wedding Season - Katie Fforde
I adored this book that features a wedding planner.

Nearlyweds - Beth Kendrick
I loved this book about three couples that weren't technically married. Talk about a paperwork screw up!

Chose the Wrong Guy, Gave Him the Wrong Finger - Beth Harbison
This is another one where the main character doesn't actually get married but she does work in a wedding dress shop and designs and creates dresses. And she does attend a wedding at the end.

When Girlfriends Chase Dreams - Savannah Page
I love the When Girlfriends... series and I liked reading about Claire and was happy she was finally getting married.

Crazy Rich Asians - Kevin Kwan
Anyone who knows this book is probably wondering why I put it on the list. The wedding isn't really the main point of the story but it is the reason Nick brings his girlfriend Rachel to Singapore. Plus the wedding (and bachelor/bachelorette parties) are so ridiculously extravagant that it's so much fun to read about. Amazing novel.

Arranged - Catherine McKenzie
One of my favourite books ever, Arranged takes a different look at a wedding as the main character ends up using an arranged marriage service. This is a fabulous novel that I highly recommend.

All At Sea - Heather Wardell
In this novel, the main characters are to marry on a cruise ship after only a few months of dating. But what happens when the bride to be has already dated the groom's brothers?

Wedding Night - Sophie Kinsella
Imagine getting married and then having anything and everything go wrong so you can't enjoy your wedding night to the full extent? I'm sure that would be quite frustrating. This novel is classic Kinsella and so much funny ridiculousness ensues.

The Wedding Beat - Devan Sipher
I'm sure you're familiar with the movie 27 Dresses, yes? So you know the character played by James Marsden, The New York Times wedding beat reporter. Turns out he's based on a real guy - Devan Sipher. This novel is loosely based on his experiences and follows a wedding reporter on his various adventures.

Author Interview: Savannah Page

Today is my third and final stop on the When Girlfriends Chase Dreams CLP Blog Tour. It's been so much fun taking part in this tour because I just love the When Girlfriends... series by Savannah Page. Today's post is a Q&A with Savannah. I hope you enjoy it!

Books Etc.: What drew you to writing a series about a group of girlfriends?

Savannah Page: I have a dear group of girlfriends from college, and even over the years, as the physical distance grows (we’re all spreading out—I’m all the way in Berlin now!), and no matter how eclectic a group we are, our friendship is really amazing and strong. I was thinking about this special friendship one day when I was drawing up the theme for my When Girlfriends… collection. I thought, How neat would it be to have a group of women, each with their own, unique story, come together throughout a collection of novels? I wanted to write about female friendship and how strong the ties that bind can be no matter the challenges, the differences, etc.

BE: What did you like about writing a series?

SP: Getting to work with the same characters over and over—really allowing myself to get to know them intimately—is the best part! Honestly, I feel like Sophie, Robin, Lara, Claire, Emily, and Jackie are all real women.

BE: Do you ever find characteristics of yourself or your friends and family creeping into your characters?

SP: Naturally, as the writer, I think characteristics of myself sneak in there. It’s unavoidable. But I always stress that while I may be inspired by actual events and experiences, my fiction is fiction. However, I can definitely say that Sophie’s need for organization, or Emily’s penchant for travel, or Claire’s sugary sweet nature, or some of my male characters’ traits or actions were definitely created with some particular people in mind.

BE: What kind of writing schedule do you have? Do you like to write at a certain time of day or in a certain place?

SP: I write during the weekdays, and usually throughout the afternoon in my home office. I prefer writing between lunch and dinner because that’s a large swathe of quiet time I can just plot and pound away on the keys.

BE: What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

SP: Reading’s probably my number one hobby. In line at the grocery store, riding the subway, on the treadmill, before bed…I can’t read enough. I also like Pilates, watching far too much TV-on-DVD, traveling, crafting, and doing wedding flower blogging (my other day job).

BE: What’s your favourite genre to read? Is it the same as your favourite genre to write?

SP: Chick lit’s got to be the winner. It’s definitely my favorite to write. I like to read just about anything, though. Right now I’m reading a memoir, a travelogue, a chick lit, a sci-fi, and an Austen classic.

BE: What inspired you to become an author?

SP: I’ve aspired to be a writer since I was a little girl, and today, one of the things that keeps me writing is the desire to write the book I really want to read. I’ve got so many story ideas that I want to share and further explore, so many characters I want to get to know and places I want to visit. Writing’s a perfect outlet and I adore getting to share my stories with others.

Guest Post: Savannah Page

Welcome to my second stop on the CLP Blog Tour for When Girlfriends Chase Dreams! Today author Savannah Page has been kind enough to write a guest post for Books Etc. When I was reading the series I wondered what drew her to writing a series about such a dynamic group of friends so I sent along this prompt/question: Each book in the When Girlfriends… series features a different girlfriend. Did you always plan to alternate perspectives? And did you find that you had favourites? (I know that’s probably like asking a mother which child is her favourite!). I hope you enjoy Savannah's response!

In the earliest conceptualization stages of my When Girlfriends… collection I knew two things without a shadow of a doubt: 1) That I wanted a group of best friends from college to star in a friendship-themed set of novels, and 2) That each girlfriend would get her own story (and maybe, just maybe, two).

I wanted to alternate perspectives because I knew right away that each girl would grow on me and would have her own fab story to tell—they all just had to have their own novel. But I also did it as a way to flex my pen and better hone my craft. I had the main theme of friendship, and I had a solid set of characters, so with those things fixed I felt like I had a good chance to play with things that could be changed from book to book, like voice, tense, and POV. I knew before I even started that I didn’t want every single novel to have the same exact style. Similar, yes, so they can all be tied together as a family, but some differences here and there so I could show and practice versatility.

One of the toughest things, five novels in, has been to keep to my own distinct chick lit author voice, while at the same time have each character stand out as her own person and have her own way of telling her story. With each When Girlfriends… novel I want readers to feel like they’re still reading within the series/from the same author, but that they’re getting something new. Like they’re picking up a new diary.

As for a favorite girlfriend/novel? That’s a tough one! Definitely like asking a mother which child is her favorite. I really enjoyed writing When Girlfriends Chase Dreams because my day job is wedding-related (I blog for a wedding florist), and it was my NaNoWriMo baby. It was a blast to write, and Claire’s an endearing character. She’s full of so much energy and she’s just a sweetie (when she isn’t freaking out over planning her big day).

My latest release, When Girlfriends Take Chances, just might be my favorite. Emily is definitely an adventurer and free-spirited character. She inspires me and even reminds me to live each day to its fullest—take chances.

But, having said that, I still think that I’m most proud of When Girlfriends Make Choices. That novel made me push the envelope a bit and do something in both theme, style, and tense that I’ve never done. It took me longer than usual to write that one and I think the amount of time I invested, the constant rewrites, and the fact that I really wrote the book that was in my heart, make …Make Choices one of my absolute faves. Funnily, though, my favorite character just might be Sophie (When Girlfriends Break Hearts), but probably because I’ve been gathering ideas for her second book for a long while now. She’s been on my mind a lot!

Thanks for inviting me to guest post today, Kaley. I’m glad you could be a part of the tour!

Readers, don’t forget to enter the fabulous CLP When Girlfriends Chase Dreams Tour Giveaway. One lucky reader will win a 1 year subscription to the “Martha Stewart Weddings” or “Martha Stewart Living” magazine (print or digital). Details are at the CLP tour page.

CLP Blog Tour: When Girlfriends Chase Dreams

Today is my first stop on the CLP Blog Tour for When Girlfriends Chase Dreams by Savannah Page. I was so excited to take part in this tour because I loved the previous When Girlfriends... books that I had read (see my other reviews here and here) and looked forward to reading Claire's story. I ended up not loving this one quite as much as the others but it was still a really fun read.

Here's the synopsis:

Claire Linley is finally a bride! After nearly ten years with her college freshman sweetheart, Claire is going to become Mrs. Conner Whitley. She's got her bridal magazines, is the biggest Martha Stewart fan, and subscribes to all the major wedding blogs. She's been dreaming of this moment for years! How could planning her dream wedding be anything but perfect?
The easy-going and bubbly type, Claire will obviously have a blast planning, and with her fantastic group of girlfriends-made-bridesmaids she just can't go wrong. Whether it's wedding gown shopping, makeup trials, or cake-tasting, Claire's friends are there in a pinch.
But how big does the pinch get? All Claire wants to do is get married, but at every turn something seems to go awry and she's starting to lose it. How is a girl supposed to remain cool and collected when the pricey dream wedding planner isn't turning out to be so dreamy? When DIY projects and the perfect venue are going up in smoke? How is Claire supposed to marry Conner when the special day that's supposed to join them together, forever, is slowly tearing them apart?
This is the charming story about how sometimes the biggest events in life are defined by the smallest acts of kindness and love. It's a love story about dreaming large, loving deeply, and, in the end, truly having the happiest day of your life, no matter what happens (or doesn't). About what happens when girlfriends chase dreams.

I've probably said it before but I'll say it again...wedding stories make for great chick lit novels. There's so much going on and so many elements to a wedding, and planning for one, that can really make for an entertaining story. I was thrilled that Claire was finally getting married (she had been nagging her boyfriend for awhile) and wondered what sorts of things could happen in the planning process. Little did I realize that Claire was going to have one hell of a time trying to plan her wedding. I felt so sorry for the poor girl! I swear, everything that could have went wrong, did. Disagreements with her parents (who are paying for the wedding...lucky girl), DIY disasters (oh the hilarious imagery in a scene with her dog), constant fighting with the groom, dress issues, a car that's constantly having problems (not really a wedding issue but it was a problem that came up way too often), and a wedding planner who's more interested in looking flashy than actually doing any work. And therein lies my issue with the book. There were just too many things going wrong. I understand a few hiccups here and there but I think there were just too many issues Claire had to face that really took away from the story.

Claire herself was another little nuisance for me. I couldn't understand why she was putting so much stress on herself about certain things, especially when it came to all the crafts she just had to do for the wedding. Full disclosure: I've never planned a wedding so I don't know exactly what it's like but after reading this book I'm considering eloping when it's eventually my turn (and if my boyfriend is reading this: keep breathing and focus on the word eventually!). There were also times when she seemed to be completely clueless to the needs of Conner, her fiance, and nags at him instead of trying to find ways for him to be involved. She also constantly bothered Sophie, one of her girlfriends and also her maid of honour, about Chad, Conner's best man and friend to all the girls. The two had hooked up years ago and Claire just couldn't stop pestering Sophie about whether or not they were getting back together. I mean, I do think they eventually will once the series is concluded but to always bring it up to one of your best friends who clearly doesn't want to talk about it? Irritating. Claire really is a sweetheart though and I was rooting for her even when she was annoying me - a lot like how I feel about Sophie Kinsella's characters.

One of my favourite parts of this book actually didn't have much to do with Claire. I was so happy to read that Sophie was finally opening her own cafe. The scenes that took place in The Cup in the Cake helped me feel like I was really there. What also helped was the fact that all the design elements were detailed as the decisions were being made - paint colour, china patterns, seating, and so on. Now I really want to find a little cafe like this in my city!

I know it may seem like I wasn't overly thrilled with When Girlfriends Chase Dreams but I did like reading Claire's story and getting to know all the girls a little bit more. I'm excited that Savannah Page will be writing Emily's story next because her story could take us places other than Seattle. So much potential! If you're looking for a good and fun series about a group of fabulous girlfriends, make sure you check out book one (unlike me who unknowingly read book two first), When Girlfriends Break Hearts!

Check back on Thursday for a guest post from Savannah, and Friday for the Q&A I did with her.

Happy reading :)