There's a small trilogy of novels floating around.  Maybe you've heard of them?  They're called Fifty Shades of Grey.

Everybody and their grandmother (really ladies??)  is talking about this book.

I guess the cat's out of the bag.  Ladies love their filthy novels.  Men have the buxom blondes of Playboy.  We have Grey. 

I have to say, this book was...interesting.  I am still confused as to whether I liked it or not.  Mainly not.  Ironically, the main reasons for this had nothing to do with the racy content.

The Good:

1.  A millionaire falls head over heals with a sweet little innocent woman.  I mean, he just cannot keep his hands eyes off her, and it helps that he is gorgeous with abs you could eat off of.  In this book, the sexy, tall blonde is not the hero.  The clumsy, intelligent brunette does.  More of this please! 

2.  The presents:  a fancy car, a publishing company, diamonds, designer clothes/shoes.  Listen, let me clear the air right now.  I do not aspire to this type of lifestyle nor do I condemn it.  I just find that it gives Mr. Moneybags too much control over your life.  As someone who hates to do what others tell her to do, it would never work for me, but on some days when I get home tired and grumpy from eating trying to bring home the bacon, I let myself escape to the fantasy, just for a minute.  Any woman who tells you otherwise is lying.  We all have a secret fairytale-rescue-princesss complex.  I blame Cinderella.

3.  Anything that girl did ignited a fire in Ryan Gosling's Grey's loins.  Is it getting hot in here??  I mean seriously...self-consciously chewing on your lip is sexy?....

The Bad:

1. I tried to read this book to my little sister as a bedtime story (19 years old, not so little anymore).  I am not allowed to bring books into the house anymore.  I will not be censored!

2.  The girl chews on her lip the whole time.  I could slap her.

3.  Grey is...messed up.  Again, I am not talking about the S&M or the red room in which it takes place...I am talking about the character.  Who knew broken came in such a pretty, kinky package?  The guy is controlling, obsessive, and damaged...I wonder if his character would have been as popular if he hadn't been rich....This does not please me.

I guess in real life a man like Grey would never change his...er...colors....but that's what fantasy is all about right?  This isn't some timeless piece of literature like Pride and Prejudice, but it's certainly a book you can giggle behind, preferably not in the presence of a family gathering to celebrate Independence Day, some of which will ask you if it's a book about home improvement and paint swatches....well, there's chains involved....

If you're in the market for a simple, entertaining book about a girl who gets literally anything in the world AND gets to tame the ultimate bad boy (which is the biggest load of....fiction), this is your book.  Until next time...

Laters, Baby.




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