Helpful Score: 7
I found this book captured my interest and held it to well that I read it through in one day. For anyone who has a sibling they love but has chosen a different career lifestyle than thier own this will prbably hit a cord. I enjoyed all the laughs, tears and balance Anna Quindlen had to offer. Look forward to reading more of her work.
Helpful Score: 5
This is the first work by Quindlen I have read and really enjoyed it. Her wit coupled with her observations about life in New York City and the upper classes and/or famous were sarcastic, snarky and probably true. The story is about two sisters, each facing a new crossroad in their life - dealing with loss and new beginnings at the same time. There are lines that will have you laughing out loud. And the more somber moments are not that bleak that they bring the story down. A very evenly paced novel.
Helpful Score: 4
This is the first book of Ms. Quindlen's that I have read and it pulled me in immediately. Anyone who has a sister can relate to the way she shows the dramatic differences between siblings and yet the things that bind them. This is really two stories that blend just as families do. Meghan and Bridget have a deep bond as two sisters that lost their parents early and stayed close into adulthood even though their careers and personal lives took very different directions. It is the unexpected turns in our lives that try us the most as both of these sisters find out. A quick and memorable read.
Helpful Score: 3
I was intrigued by the beginning but didn't find enough meat in the rest of the story to quench my appetite. I found this to a disappointment based on the other Anna Quindlen books I've read and felt that it was gimicky, although it was a quick read and I was able to wrap it up rather quickly.
Helpful Score: 2
What happened to Anna Quindlen? I have really loved all of her other books and then I picked this up and....YUCK! There was just no substance to it. It was so predictable I thought she was writing a script for LifeTime Movies. It was basically, "My sister is really famous and she just blew her career....WHAH!" If you want an Anna Quindlen treat, buy "Blessings"!
Helpful Score: 2
The hearwarming story of two sisters orphaned at a young age. They are inseparable until one morning when the elder sister's life hits a wall. She is a star who does the unthinkable on the air and this story revolves around the repercussions of that fateful morning. Rise and Shine is a tribute to the bond of sisterhood. There are times when you will laugh out loud. This story is written with the sould of brevity and yet it says it all. I loved it!
Helpful Score: 2
Two orphaned sisters take very different career paths. The book describes their lives in New York City and their close, if not entirely earnest relationship. The book has fair character development, and gives a vivid description of NYC and its socialites. An enjoyable, quick read.
Helpful Score: 2
Anna Quindlen's story of two sisters living in New York City and of their shared lives is wonderful. Quindlen offers a loving portrait of NYC and the intertwined lives of the sisters and family. It took only the first few pages of the book to involve me in their lives and to not want to put the book down until the end. This was a very satisfying tale.
Helpful Score: 1
A warm and authentic story of two sisters living in New York City in the aftermath of a career-shattering mistake that forces them both to take new views of their lives. Beautifully written-the characters came so alive to me I can't believe I don't know them in real life. A page-turner. Unique in its lack of glorification of the rich jet-set life, while providing a realistic picture of living in the bubble of fame. I highly recommend it. I read it in two days!
Helpful Score: 1
i didn't like it as much as i thought i would.
Helpful Score: 1
Was looking forward to this book as I usually enjoy her novels, but I was disappointed. I thought she sacrificed character development and the plot to make comments about New York City, the rich vs. the poor, fame and so on.
Helpful Score: 1
Good book. Not too fluffy but has elements of popular culture (could be a beach read). I think the thing that makes this book shine is that it is apparent that Ms. Quindlen is very smart and does not write just to fill up space. She offers insights into worlds which we only think we know. I think most of us have feared making a mistake and having it have an enormous impact on our lives. The story also gives us some idea of what it must be like to be a celebrity and delves into the relationship between sisters and the roles they adopt for each other.
I kept a pen and paper handy - some of her writing contains a scattering of vocabulary words I should probably know (being a bookworm) but need to lookup. Entertaining but has some depth. What most authors try for and she actually does with this book. I will definitely read more of her work.
I kept a pen and paper handy - some of her writing contains a scattering of vocabulary words I should probably know (being a bookworm) but need to lookup. Entertaining but has some depth. What most authors try for and she actually does with this book. I will definitely read more of her work.
Helpful Score: 1
Enjoyable reading. Interesting people and situations however the loss of a marriage is universal. It took my breathe away to have Leo hurt.
Helpful Score: 1
Anna Quindlen has developed an enormously likable writing voice, and by telling her tale through the humble voice of an unassuming naif, she allows her readers the illusion that we all might live securely within the velvety pink confines of the New York maw, safely out of the way of those silver teeth. She makes the city accessible and downright neighborly.
Helpful Score: 1
Great summer beach read or during a flight
Helpful Score: 1
Intriguing story of a network news star whose career and seemingly her life is blown apart by a mike that was not switched off. But the story is actually told from the point of view of the social worker sister - an unexpected twist. The story is less about glamour and glitz, and more about family and belief in self and love. This book is worthhwhile.
Helpful Score: 1
I actually really liked it. It started out slow but then it picked up fast.
Helpful Score: 1
Don't let the book jacket deceive you about this one! It sounded like an interesting enough story-- sisters working their way through life, careers, love in the wake of one sister's epic live TV blunder. Unfortunately, the story is told through the voice of the sister who has absolutely nothing interesting happen to her. Rise and Shine is almost completely about the "other" sister who is not telling the story, and she is far and away more fascinating than the book's narrator. It is very frustrating in that way. I didn't care at all about the narrator! The writing was lovely, though, but not enough to warrant a more favorable review.
I listened to "Rise and Shine" by Anna Quindlen as an audio book. It was well read by a woman who always made clear who was speaking so I was never confused. The book had plot, characters and essay-like opinions on social problems of our age, peoples' opinions about the problems of our age, and good descriptions of people, places, and situations. However, I felt the book "read" like a soap opera and I never developed much empathy for most of the characters. The two characters I did feel "attached to" were Leo, the narrator's young adult nephew, and Tequila, the office manager at the social work agency that the narrator, Bridget Fitzmaurice, worked for.
Though my book discussion group of women in their 60s - 80s has selected this for May 2011 (yes, we plan ahead), I am concerned that we will have little to discuss.
I'd classify this book as a beach read or an airplane read or similar.
Though my book discussion group of women in their 60s - 80s has selected this for May 2011 (yes, we plan ahead), I am concerned that we will have little to discuss.
I'd classify this book as a beach read or an airplane read or similar.
Interesting characters, Anna Quindlen is a favorite author and I haven't read a book of her's I wouldn't recommend.
Set in the world of television broadcasting. Easy read.
Rise and Shine was a quick and easy read for me, and while I enjoyed it, I did not love it. At times the writing did not appeal to me as the author interjects long descriptive segments into conversations or interactions between characters. While the author has an obvious gift for painting the picture of her characters and setting, this detracts from the story for me.
As far as the plot, it held my interest throughout the book. I enjoyed the obvious bond between sisters in this book, even though at times I disliked how both sisters acted; which overall made the book seem more real. However, some pieces of the story felt unrealistic to me, most poignantly the idea that a news anchor would have been persecuted to the extent that Meghan was considering the circumstances. I also didn't find any of the characters to be particularly likable, with the exception of Leo.
Having said all that, I would recommend the book, but wouldn't list it as a favorite. I enjoyed the story even if I didn't love it.
As far as the plot, it held my interest throughout the book. I enjoyed the obvious bond between sisters in this book, even though at times I disliked how both sisters acted; which overall made the book seem more real. However, some pieces of the story felt unrealistic to me, most poignantly the idea that a news anchor would have been persecuted to the extent that Meghan was considering the circumstances. I also didn't find any of the characters to be particularly likable, with the exception of Leo.
Having said all that, I would recommend the book, but wouldn't list it as a favorite. I enjoyed the story even if I didn't love it.
Her writing is easy to get into. I found that I was not satisfied at the end. The story just did not get "fleshed out" enough for me.
Was disappointed in this book. It dragged along so slowly that I could not finish it. I wanted to see what the outcome was going to be,but because it was such a tedious read, discovering the ending became unimportant. I liked the characters but I felt that what could have been said with a single page of text took three or four pages. Liked a couple of her other books but definitely not Rise and Shine.
Quindlen not in typical good form. Worth quoting: "Sisters tend to get stuck in their roles and they don't always know how to get out of them Sometimes we just wind up doing the things of which we're capable, whether we like them or not."
A good book that pulls you in and wonders how will these sisters cope with life's misfortunes. A lttle slow but a good book that shows how to overcome life's mishaps
This is by far Anna Quindlen's best book. Both subtle at one point and "in-your-face" in another, anyone who has had a relationship (not even just a sister relationship) where one feels insecure in the presence of the other yet loves them dearly will truly appreciate this book. It is sensitive, introspective, interesting, and humorous. I have not found a combination like this in a book in a VERY long time.
Such a sweet story about the bond between sisters. I would read it again.
Loved the New York-ness of it, and the characters. A fun and memorable read.
Great read. Well written and engrossing, couldn't wait to read what would happen next.
Read 133 pgs, and still not interested. Don't like the main character, and it's the uninteresting sister who is telling the story. Blah, blah, blah...
Enjoyable, somewhat predictable, but a good read.
Quindlen is a talented writer, it is her writing, more than the story, that stays with you.
Just finished reading this. A great book and a great read. A wonderful book about relationships.
A great read from a great author. Not my favorite of her's( That would be BlACK AND BLUE), but well worth the read.
a story of two orphaned girls who go different directions in life, and their relationship over the years. It was interesting, but I did not enjoy it as much as her other books I have read.
Good family drama about sisters!
Good Quindlen drama!
Good Quindlen drama!
A rich story of relationships. Story line moves right along. Great book.
I love Anna Quindlen. I know that whenever I pick up one of her books, I am in for a major treat of humanity, sharp writing, and comfort for my soul.
This story of two sisters could be over the top, but it is not. I loved it.
This story of two sisters could be over the top, but it is not. I loved it.
Probably one of the most boring books I've ever read. D.
Anns Quindlen "rises and shines" again.
Excellent, one of her best, but all of Quindlen's novels are good.
Quindlen can be counted on for a good yarn, full of heart and embellished by superior writing, and this one is no exception. Two sisters, one a nationally-known television personality and one a social worker, orbit around one another in paths fixed in their childhood, until one unguarded moment tilts everything onto a new and uncertain plane.
Wonderful! The characters spring to life - the dialogue is true. I didn't want it to end.
Not exactly what I expected, but I still wanted to know how it ended.
It's an otherwise ordinary Monday when Mehgan Fitzmaurice's perfect life hits a wall. A household name as the host of the country's highest rated morning television talk show, "Rise and Shine" Meghan cuts to a break - but not before she does something that, in an instant, marks the end of an era, not only for Mehgan who is unaccustaomed to dealng with adversity, but also for her younger sister, Bridget. A social worker in the Bronx, Bridget has always lived in Mehgan's long shadow. The impact of Mehgan's on-air truth telling reverberates through both their lives affecting Mehgan's son, husband, friends and fans as well as Bridget's perception of her sister, their complex childhood and herself.
It's an otherwise perfect day when Meghan FitzMaurice's life hits the wall. A household name as the host of TV's Rise and Shine morning program, Meghan cuts to a commercial break--butnot before she has done something that, in an instant, changes her career and her life. This also impacts her sister, Bridget, as well. Bridget, a social worker in the Bronx, and Meghan must comes to terms with how they can adapt, survive and maintian the complicated relationship two sisters have.
Good story.
