"29" by Adena Halpern
Since I turned 29 in early January, I wasn't too surprised that this was a birthday gift from my husband. 29 follows Ellie Jerome, a 75-year-old woman who has regrets about the choices she has made in her life, on her birthday. Ellie has a strained at best relationship with her over-controlling daughter, Barbara, but has a fantastic relationship with her grand-daughter, Lucy. The book takes place in Philadelphia (hooray for reading something not set in New York City), and Lucy is a trendy dress designer (who actually names her most popular dress after her grandma). For her birthday wish, Ellie wants to relive her youth for one day. When she wakes up the day after her birthday, she is a beautiful woman with not a care in the world. She decides to spend time with Lucy and do young people things like getting her hair done, going shopping, and finding a random one night stand. Seriously.
This book is complete fluff, and I was a bit disturbed reading about an old lady getting it on with a young guy. My favorite character of the book was Ellie's best friend, Frida, who is a widow with very little confidence. Ellie is the main narrator, but there are parts where Frida and Barbara speak as they search for Ellie. Overall, it was an easy and predictable read, but I would save it for the beach.
Jen Rating: **
Books To Go: 5/25