Rating:  Summary: Funny - loveable - great! Review: Couldn't put this book down. The adventures and stories are hilarious. Makes me think that someone was spying on my own adventures.I never wanted this book to end. Thanks Robin for an awesome book.
Rating:  Summary: "Sisterchicks" takes you away... Review: I loved escaping with "Sisterchicks on the Loose!" so much that I now want to find my own family in Finland--create an adventure with one or more of my own sisterchicks. Robin's writing rings true about the longings of the midlife mom who wonders if she's got a special, latent gifting. Her lyrical passages help the reader see places and faces and traces of what's true in the deepest parts of our souls. I highly recommend it and look forward to reading her next in the series: "Sisterchicks Do the Hula." --Author of "Girlfriend Gatherings: Creative Ways to Stay Connected"
Rating:  Summary: Great ladies book! Review: I thoroughly enjoyed Sisterchicks on the Loose!! It was more than just a "fun" book - it brought out issues about friends, spouses, in-laws and just getting along. I so much enjoyed reading about other 40ish women and their insights. It was hard to believe that it was a work of fiction - seemed like it really could have happened! I loved it and would highly recommend it!
Rating:  Summary: A Refreshing Antidote to Many "Chick Lit" Books Review: I'll confess: I adore so-called "Chick Lit" in all of its many guises, whether that means a Bridget Jones "singleton" heroine or a Jennifer Crusie-type middle-aged woman striking out on her own for the first time. However, all too many of the "Chick Lit" characters and plots involve myriad kinds of substance abuse (from caffeine to codeine and beyond) and self-loathing (cottage-cheese thighs, wardrobes lacking glamour, nasty boyfriends). So I found Robin Jones Gunn's new novel SISTERCHICKS ON THE LOOSE! a refreshing antidote to these other books, and believe that women of various spiritual paths will relish this different take on female lives and friendships. Meet Sharon, a Washington State Christian wife and mother whose best friend Penny roared into town on the back of her husband Dave's Harley. After nearly a decade of living next door to each other, Sharon and Penny are separated when Dave takes a job in San Francisco. When Penny calls and reminds Sharon of their long-ago church-nursery vow to take off on an adventure together, Sharon is loath to leave her family --- even when Penny explains that she's paying for the jaunt to Finland to meet her dead mother's only sister. Unlike other Chick Lit heroines, however, Sharon has a steadfast and warm husband supporting her. When Jeff tells her he can handle hearth, home and three of four children (eldest son Tyler is away at college), Sharon faces her fears of flying and takes off with Penny for Helsinki. Of course, no plot would be complete without tension, and since Jones Gunn has given Sharon a good man, she cannily provides a bad mother-in-law to ratchet things up a bit. Gloria, given to calling her daughter-in-law "Sharondear" and Penny "Daveswife," is not a one-dimensional caricature, but a deeply unhappy person whose constant woe threatens to unseat Sharon's calm demeanor. Knowing that Gloria is back in Chinook Springs spreading her own little garden of bitterness makes Sharon uncomfortable, and the various travel mishaps that occur during the first leg of the friends' trip make her even more so (many readers will relate to the lost luggage, airline crowding, and hotel miscommunications that follow). Some of the scene setting seems tedious, but Gunn's portrait of two women smack in the middle of life rings true, especially when Sharon and Penny are annoyed with each other. The author's definition of a "sisterchick" is "Someone who knows the deepest wonders of your heart, loves you like a sister, and provides a reality check when you're being a brat." What's not here is all the binging and whining that mark all-too-trendy British Chick Lit titles, although they do indulge happily in chocolate. When Sharon and Penny come unglued, they don't let their relationship unravel --- they keep communicating, moving and praying. For small-town Sharon, the biggest joy and wonder of their trip may be realizing that other women of different cultures, ages and stages can be sisterchicks, too. Meanwhile, the discoveries and experiences along the road from Washington State to Helsinki to London and Liverpool help the "sisterchicks" deepen their bond and tackle some deep issues. The fact that Gunn's Epilogue shows that some of those issues took time to resolve made everything much more realistic, and sets the stage for her future books. Next stop --- Sisterchicks Do the Hula! --- Reviewed by Bethanne Kelly Patrick
Rating:  Summary: A Not-To-Be-Missed Treat Review: I've heard a lot about "Chick Lit" lately-- those books that center on our woman-to-woman, girl-to-girl relationships. I wanted to see what this new genre of literature is all about, so I picked up Sisterchicks on the Loose. What a delight. Yes, it's fun-- full of experiences like lacy underwear shopping in Helsinki and savoring chocolate on more than one continent-- but Robin Jones Gunn's delicate use of language and emotion take us much deeper. There are word images in the book I will never forget-- like touching the translucence of a fragile bone china teacup or seeing a lone star through Sharon's eyes or watching snowflakes incinerate on sauna-heated skin. The spiritual element unfolds just as inticately as the relationship elements. I wouldn't have missed this book. I'm ordering Sisterchicks Do the Hula.
Rating:  Summary: Very LIGHT and EnTERTaininG Review: It made me laugh and the end was so touching. I would recommend this book to anyone. It's a great filler book when you want a light read. Just fun.
Rating:  Summary: Finnish Fun Review: One cold January, Penny decides it is time to head to Finland in search of her relatives. Sharon, her best friend, will be the perfect traveling companion. I knew I was going to like "Sisterchicks on the Loose" when I saw that Robin Jones Gunn was the author. Robin is gifted at making her readers laugh. Even better, there is depth to this story. Penny & Sharon grow in exciting and inspiring ways during their trip to Finland. Sharon determines to move beyond the role of facilitator and join Penny in the fun. Penny discovers defining truths about her late mother and is freed by them. Realistic details, a sprinkling of Finnish vocabulary and lots of entertaining surprises will delight those who join the adventure!
Rating:  Summary: Take a day's vacation! Review: Reading this book was like taking a relaxing and entertaining vacation for a day. That sounds like a cliche, but I can't think of any more accurate way to describe it! As a twenty-something mother of a toddler, I wondered...would I even enjoy a book about middle-aged mothers of teenagers and their friendship? However, the story carried me across the world from my daily responsibilities and gave me a 24-hour vacation! I loved it! Best friends and middle-aged mothers Sharon and Penny embark on a crazy trip to Finland to search for Penny's roots and relatives. While dealing with lost luggage and entertaining encounters with strangers (and consuming great quantities of chocolate), they each discover new sides to their identities and hidden strengths in themselves and their friendship. The hilarious chapter describing their first encounter with a Finnish sauna is worth the price of the book alone! Robin Jones Gunn has created genuine, down-to-earth, endearing, unfailingly fascinating characters. Just make sure you have plenty of time to read when you pick up this book because it will be hard to put down!
Rating:  Summary: Instant classic!!! Review: Sisterchicks on the Loose is an instant classic! Robin Jones Gunn wrote a book that really illustrates the true meaning of friendships. Sisterchicks stay together through thick and thin. It's nice to read a book when the girls get to take off and go exploring, not having to worry about the daily routine. After reading this, I made a pact with my sisterchicks so that when we're in our thirties, we'll take off on a much needed vacation!
Rating:  Summary: An adventure! Review: This book details the friendship between 2 friends and their adventures in England and Finland. This was a very interesting book, getting to read more about Finland and England, and about the people and their customs. I enjoyed the humor throughout the book. I liked reading about the customs officer teasing Penny about her name, Penny Lane. I liked the contrast between the 2 characters: the one free-spirited and assertive, and the other one, more serious and cautious. Yet, the characters were able to come together and have a lasting friendship. There were plenty of ups and downs withing the book, like Sharon losing her luggage, Penny worried that she was going to die because her mother died so young, and the discussion about Penny's past, and the cousin who was going through some worrisome times. But there was a lot of fun, like the chocolate and the visit to a Finish sauna. I highly recommend this book about a good, Christian friendship.
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