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218th out of 691 books
—
1,044 voters
A Little Ray of Sunshine
by
Lani Diane Rich (Goodreads Author)
Emmy James is not the kind of girl who attracts angels. In fact, after she sent her life into a nosedive six years ago, she's tried to attract as little as possible -attention, people, or responsibility. She skips from town to town in an Airstream trailer, working odd jobs and keeping to herself until a sudden whim lets her know it's time to move again. And this works just...more
Paperback, 304 pages
Published
February 5th 2008
by NAL Trade
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A Little Ray of Sunshine by Lani Diane Rich is one of my favorite books to reread. The story starts with EJ living on the road in an Airstream constantly running away from her past and her regrets. That all changes when Jess's car breaks down at the gas station where EJ works and Jess decides this means she's supposed to help EJ. That night EJ's childhood friend shows up to tell EJ that she's expected to show up for her mother's eight wedding, this one with Digs's father as the groom. Going back...more
Rich takes a turn toward the serious in a romance where the primary focus is a mother-daughter relationship. Emmy James is a nomad, living out of her Airstream, working odd jobs until she gets the urge to move on. She's been living this way for six years when she crosses paths with Jess, a young woman who declares herself Emmy's angel, sent by the universe to help her with her problems. At the same time, Digs shows up, a childhood friend who would now be her brother-in-law if Emmy hadn't left hi...more
This novel touched me deeply, plucked the strings that still reverberate long after I finished the last page. I read it and thought about my life and my relationships with the people I love.
We all make mistakes, hurt others willingly or unwillingly. And sometimes, others hurt us. To live our lives to the full despite the damage to our hearts and souls, we all need forgiveness: to grant it and to receive it. Forgiveness, the absolution of guilt, makes our lives worth living. This story is about...more
We all make mistakes, hurt others willingly or unwillingly. And sometimes, others hurt us. To live our lives to the full despite the damage to our hearts and souls, we all need forgiveness: to grant it and to receive it. Forgiveness, the absolution of guilt, makes our lives worth living. This story is about...more
EJ is a social misfit. Her mother is an aging television star who never wanted children and EJ has spent the last 6 years of her adult life on the run, moving from place to place to avoid making attachments. That's until she meets an angel.
Jess drops into EJ's life when Jess's car stalls at the gas station where EJ works. Jess is used to inconveniences like this happening: it's a sign that the universe wants her to help someone. In this case, she's pretty sure the someone is EJ. But EJ doesn't w...more
Jess drops into EJ's life when Jess's car stalls at the gas station where EJ works. Jess is used to inconveniences like this happening: it's a sign that the universe wants her to help someone. In this case, she's pretty sure the someone is EJ. But EJ doesn't w...more
Wow! What a little gem this book was. Loved it, couldn't put it down. It's categorized as "chick-lit" which is not my favorite genre but after reading it, I'm not sure exactly how I would categorize it.
Yes, there is a love story, but the book is so much more than that. Mother/daughter relationship, redemption, forgiveness, tragedy...all wrapped up in a neatly tied-up story.
I love the humor and sarcasm of EJ, the main character. The story is told in the first person, through EJ's point of view. S...more
Yes, there is a love story, but the book is so much more than that. Mother/daughter relationship, redemption, forgiveness, tragedy...all wrapped up in a neatly tied-up story.
I love the humor and sarcasm of EJ, the main character. The story is told in the first person, through EJ's point of view. S...more
I enjoyed this book; it had fun characterizations and was a good summer read. Unfortunately, I almost didn't get far enough to find that out. I got this on Kindle and the first few pages had a handful of really basic errors and typos, so I very nearly gave it up as a self-pub by someone who didn't take the time to have it edited. (Although, note that as an editor I am super-picky bordering on neurotic, so...)
Luckily, I stuck with it. But I have to say, the whole thing really needed a good copy e...more
Luckily, I stuck with it. But I have to say, the whole thing really needed a good copy e...more
1 like · like · see review
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[This refers to the 2011 rereleased version, that may have been revised.]
The book made me cry on the bus. And then on the metro. And I'm not a big cryer So ya, it's really, really good.
The strongest storyline is the one between the protagonist and her mother, and it's when the mother enters the book that it really takes off--this story arc is flawless. It's moving without being shmooshy, and it's believable. One thing I can't stand in a lot of contemporary romance and women's fiction is too muc...more
The book made me cry on the bus. And then on the metro. And I'm not a big cryer So ya, it's really, really good.
The strongest storyline is the one between the protagonist and her mother, and it's when the mother enters the book that it really takes off--this story arc is flawless. It's moving without being shmooshy, and it's believable. One thing I can't stand in a lot of contemporary romance and women's fiction is too muc...more
This was another quick and fun read by a great chick lit author. I highly recommend this for anyone who wants a feel-good read that will make you smile, laugh out loud, and just not want to put the book down...
Oct 16, 2009
Tammy
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Sophie Kinsella fans; Jennifer Crusie fans
Emmy James has lived in an Airstream trailer for six years, taking odd jobs and keeping to herself. Things change when a childhood friend shows up to tell her that her mother - a Hollywood Diva and major drama queen - is getting married to his father. To complicate things, a very odd woman also shows up, claiming to be an angel who specializes in relationship-mending and blueberry pancakes. Emmy ultimately decides against going to the wedding and refuses to deal with the past. Imagine her surpri...more
8 likes · like · see review
I have no idea where I saw this book recommended but I put it on my list and put it out of my mind. Then I saw that it was free on Amazon and I thought I'd give it a go. It was such a pleasant surprise. I was really unsure after the first few pages but I kept going and read it all in one day. I have a read a lot of books with a lot of angst and sexy, tattooed bad boys lately and was hoping for something a little different. I picked the right book. It was clever, funny, sweet and touching. There...more
1 like · like · see review
Now, I like quirky characters, and the protagonist in this fits the bill. She works dead-end jobs while living in her Airstream travel trailer, traveling by the classic decision-making strategy of throwing a dart onto a map, and she's about to move from New Jersey to Colorado, when she's kidnapped by an angel. It's more complicated then that, and then it gets even more so, for EJ is the daughter of a beloved child actress, and a more dysfunctional childhood would be hard to imagine.
I don't writ...more
I don't writ...more
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I am on a bit of a romance bender this month, but I adored this book. In a funny way, I felt like this book was written directly for me. Excellent writing, excellent characterization. I was flat out moved to tears on multiple occasions. Really well done. I continue to enjoy how romance is just part of the package for Rich; there's a lot more going on in her books than the girl who's trying to get the guy.
I was every so slightly cranky in my review of Ex And The Single Girl because of formatting...more
I was every so slightly cranky in my review of Ex And The Single Girl because of formatting...more
I shouldn't have been surprised at the depth of emotion I felt reading A Little Ray of Sunshine by Lani Diane Rich. As a regular reader of Lani's LucyMarch.com blog (Lucy March is the name Lani is currently writing under) I have experienced Lani as a deeply connected, emotionally honest writer. What I thought would be reading was humor, what Lani delivered was so much more. I laughed and cried, but more than that this story stuck with me after I finished it. It is a masterfully written with char...more
My favorite Lani Diane Rich book. Like a darker 'Wonderfalls.' Deeply emotional, but leavened with some laugh-out-loud humor and Rich's quirky details and unique style. The romance is lovely, but this is a book about a prickly young woman getting the courage to mend her relationships - the love interest being one of those. The only book I've read that felt like it was downloaded from my own mind. Highly recommended.
"You look at [the past], and it's like this big, tangled mess of yarn you'll nev...more
"You look at [the past], and it's like this big, tangled mess of yarn you'll nev...more
I'm so glad I picked up this book a few years a go for really cheap at a library book sale. I didn't even read it until months later when I ran out of other things to read, which was a big mistake. I'm surprised how much I liked it.
EJ is the kind of character people can really connect with. At the beginning, you don't feel bad for her because she messed up her whole life and it seems to be all her fault. But then as the story unfolds, you figure out more about her past life and fall in love with...more
EJ is the kind of character people can really connect with. At the beginning, you don't feel bad for her because she messed up her whole life and it seems to be all her fault. But then as the story unfolds, you figure out more about her past life and fall in love with...more
I probably would not have read this if I had known what it was about.
REVIEWER’S OPINION OF GENRE:
The first Lani Rich book I read was "Wish You Were Here" which was a romantic mystery. I gave it 4.5 stars. I wanted more. I bought this book thinking it would be another romance novel, but it was not. I wish genres were clearly labeled on the outside of books. I'm having trouble defining the genre for this book, but the best I've come up with is "single women reconciliation fiction" (taken from the...more
REVIEWER’S OPINION OF GENRE:
The first Lani Rich book I read was "Wish You Were Here" which was a romantic mystery. I gave it 4.5 stars. I wanted more. I bought this book thinking it would be another romance novel, but it was not. I wish genres were clearly labeled on the outside of books. I'm having trouble defining the genre for this book, but the best I've come up with is "single women reconciliation fiction" (taken from the...more
It's been a while since I read a good chick lit book and this one fit the bill. I almost set this one aside because I thought it was a little too cutesy, but I am glad I stuck with it because I really ended up enjoying it!
I love books that explore relationships between people, whether it is family relationships, friendships, couples, etc. This book had a lot of relationship problems that needed to be worked out. I liked the story behind EJ's bad relationship with her mother. And of course, I lov...more
I love books that explore relationships between people, whether it is family relationships, friendships, couples, etc. This book had a lot of relationship problems that needed to be worked out. I liked the story behind EJ's bad relationship with her mother. And of course, I lov...more
This is one of Lani Diane Rich's women's fiction book, as opposed to one of her frothy romantic comedies. And although I enjoy her frothy romantic comedies, I *really* enjoy her women's fiction novels, with their complex characters with richly fractured psyches and unreliable world views. Emmy James starts out sassy and funny, and everything she says, thinks, and does, every person she interacts with, uncovers another layer of a complex, flawed human being. I loved Emmy (or EJ, as she prefers to...more
I first saw this book at Target eight months ago and thought about buying and then put it back. I finally bought it about a week ago at Barnes and Noble.
I loved this story. I loved the characters and their struggles. It made me laugh out loud, it made me cry a little and overall just a touching story. It is a beach read, so don't expect to make any life changing self discoveries but definetly a fun book!
I loved this story. I loved the characters and their struggles. It made me laugh out loud, it made me cry a little and overall just a touching story. It is a beach read, so don't expect to make any life changing self discoveries but definetly a fun book!
What family doesn't have issues, to some degree? There is always something that could be a little better, or different, we should have things we don't, etc. it's this crazy thing we call Life and this books really demonstrates that through the very real characters. I loved them all! I could really relate to both the mom (Lilly) and the Daughter (EJ) from being a mother and having a mother. I loved the way that Lani Diane Rich makes it "real" - I love how she is more of a story teller than an aut...more
I got this on an Amazon recommendation. I wasn't sure it was my type of book at first but the story was entertaining and I laughed out loud more than a few times. Then, surprisingly, I liked the characters and found that I really wanted to know what happened to them. A slightly predictable ending, but overall, enjoyable.
It actually kind of surprised me how much I enjoyed this book. I'd say it wasn't my typical fare in that it's targeted to the much maligned 'chick-lit' market but it's a great story about growing up, dealing with your issues and managing the fallout. It was a quick, fun and heartfelt read.
Maybe more like 3 1/2. It was a fun book, definitely, but I think it was written as a romance, and I didn't get anything romance-like out of it. The couple barely interacted! I'd call it more a book about a woman re-finding her life, with a romantic subplot. In any case, enjoyable.
Apr 21, 2009
Kristina
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Those having difficulty with past mistakes
I found this book in a bargin bin and liked the premise and writing style at first glance. When I began reading it I almost put it down, not sure I would like it. But now that I am half way through I have trouble putting it down. It has a really great message and the characters are so endearing.
I am really enjoying this book so far. I like how she is learning and kinda "coming of age". The humor is cute and the progression seems very well put together so far. I have to keep putting it down, however, for my studies but I really really enjoy it so far
Probably more of a three and a half stars. It seemed like all of the characters were messed up but I liked them anyway. Plus, they got themselves figured out by the end. I also thought the process of how the mother and daughter became friends again was believable.
Interesting ok story.
EJ has been moving around for the last 6 years of her life living in a "airstream" and taking odds jobs here and there.
One evening while she was working at local gas station her "angel" appears telling her that she is there to help her...
EJ has been moving around for the last 6 years of her life living in a "airstream" and taking odds jobs here and there.
One evening while she was working at local gas station her "angel" appears telling her that she is there to help her...
I was looking for pink-spined books that looked readable and was pleasantly surprised. Not only is it readable, it turned out to be an actual book with people I cared about! Now I'm looking for other things she's written.
Ehhh...Read Lucy Sullivan is Getting MArried instead. This one does have some powerful mother daughter stuff but it still reads like a rainy afternoon beach read. Worth to read if bored but not so much to keep...
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