Review: O, Juliet

Summary: Before Juliet Capelletti lie two futures: a traditionally loveless marriage to her father's business partner, or the fulfillment of her poetic dreams, inspired by the great Dante. Unlike her beloved friend Lucrezia, who looks forward to her arranged marriage into the Medici dynasty, Juliet has a wild, romantic imagination that takes flight in the privacy of her bedchamber and on her garden balcony.

Her life and destiny are forever changed when Juliet meets Romeo Monticecco, a soulful young man seeking peace between their warring families. A dreamer himself, Romeo is unstoppable, once he determines to capture the heart of the remarkable woman foretold in his stars. -- NAL

Last year, I read a wonderful historical fiction book called SIGNORA DA VINCI by Robin Maxwell (see my review.) I thoroughly enjoyed the story as well as Ms. Maxwell's writing style, and I knew that I wanted to read more of her books. Unfortunately, I haven't had the chance yet to go back and read any of her earlier works, but I recently had the opportunity to get my hands on an advanced copy of her latest novel O, JULIET. I consider myself very lucky because I thought this book was such a pleasure to read!

I think I last read Romeo and Juliet in high school English class, but I definitely look back at the story with good memories. In class, we watched one of the movie versions and even did a comparison to West Side Story. I have never thought of myself as the romantic type, but I absolutely loved studying Romeo and Juliet. So when I learned that Ms. Maxwell was writing a re-telling of the classic love story, I was definitely sold!

The funny thing about O, JULIET is that I knew how the story was going to end (O happy dagger!); and I still couldn't put this book down. I liked that this story had the traditional passion between Romeo and Juliet, and yet there was also the good versus bad element. I definitely was intrigued by the story (and the suspense), and I really enjoyed the character of Juliet and how Ms. Maxwell developed her.

Not only did Ms. Maxwell stay pretty true to the original, but I actually think some of the liberties she took made the story more interesting on a historical level. Rather than having Romeo and Juliet live in Verona, she has the story take place Florence. This way she could include some historical information about the Medici family and especially Lucrezia Tornabuoni. In O, JULIET, Lucrezia was one of Juliet's best friends and confidantes; and the reader gets to see bits and pieces of her strong personality throughout the story. I loved Lucrezia's character and thought she was extremely interesting. I am actually hoping that someday Ms. Maxwell might decide to write a future novel about her.

Another interesting aspect of this novel was how the author incorporated verses from Dante's poems throughout the novel. I was familiar with Dante because I read THE INFERNO in high school, and I guess I knew that he and Beatrice were famous lovers; however, I had never read any of his poems about love. So much of what Dante wrote was beautiful and very pertinent to this this re-telling of the Romeo and Juliet story. Since Ms. Maxwell portrayed both Romeo and Juliet as sharing a love of Dante's poetry, their connection to his writing definitely brought them closer together.

O, JULIET would make a fabulous book club selection in my opinion. Since the book is based on Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, there are many things to compare and contrast between the two works. In addition, some other topics you might consider are true love, family obligations, parent/child relationships, friendship, and betrayal. There is a reading guide in the back of the book; however, I couldn't find the questions on-line. As soon as they become available, I will set up the link.

With Valentine's Day coming up later this week, it really is an ideal time to read O, JULIET (or even to buy a copy for someone special.) It is a beautiful book based on one of the most beloved love stories ever; and I think anyone who enjoys romance or historical fiction will appreciate Ms. Maxwell's re-telling of Romeo and Juliet.

Make sure you stop by tomorrow because Ms. Maxwell will be joining us with a special guest post for Book Club Exchange!

Thanks to the publisher for sending me a review copy of this novel.

Wondrous Words Wednesday - February 10, 2010

Wondrous Words Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Kathy aka Bermuda Onion where we share new (to us) words that we’ve encountered in our reading. Feel free to join in the fun.

THE UNNAMED by Joshua Ferris

etiolated - He remembered hearing the first time stepping out onto the lawn, etiolated, held upright on trembling legs, blinking in the awesome sun. (p. 149)

etiolated: to cause to become weakened or sickly; drain of color or vigor.

O, JULIET by Robin Maxwell

harridan - His mother, Mona Ginetta, to which neither man paid the slightest attention, was a grim harridan who regarded all her guests with equal disdain. (p. 69)

harridan: a scolding, vicious woman; hag; shrew.

chasuble - "For whom is the chasuble?" I asked, by way of making polite conversation. (p. 85)

chasuble: a sleeveless outer vestment worn by the celebrant at Mass.

campanile - My nerves were so frayed that when the campanile bell tolled the first of its twelve chimes, I came nearly out of my skin. (p. 152)

campanile: a bell tower, esp. one freestanding from the body of a church.

What new words did you discover this week?

Review: Whistlin' Dixie in a Nor'easter

Summary: Leelee Satterfield seemed to have it all: a gorgeous husband, two adorable daughters, and roots in the sunny city of Memphis, Tennessee. So when her husband gets the idea to uproot the family to run a quaint Vermont inn, Leelee is devastated…and her three best friends are outraged. But she’s loved Baker Satterfield since the tenth grade, how can she not indulge his dream? Plus, the glossy photos of bright autumn trees and smiling children in ski suits push her over the edge…after all, how much trouble can it really be?

But Leelee discovers pretty fast that there’s a truckload of things nobody tells you about Vermont until you live there: such as mud season, vampire flies, and the danger of ice sheets careening off roofs. Not to mention when her beloved Yorkie decides to pick New Year’s Eve to go to doggie heaven-she encounters one more New England oddity: frozen ground means you can’t bury your dead in the winter. And that Yankee idiosyncrasy just won’t do.

The inn they’ve bought also has its host of problems: an odor that no amount of potpourri can erase, tacky décor, and a staff of peculiar Vermonters whose personalities are as unique as the hippopotamus collection gracing the fireplace mantle. The whole operation is managed by Helga, a stern German woman who takes special delight in bullying Leelee for her southern gentility. Needless to say, it doesn’t take long for Leelee to start wondering when to drag out the moving boxes again.

But when an unexpected hardship takes Leelee by surprise, she finds herself left alone with an inn to run, a mortgage to pay, and two daughters to raise. But this Southern belle won’t be run out of town so easily. Drawing on the Southern grit and inner strength she didn’t know she had, Leelee decides to turn around the Inn, her attitude and her life. In doing so, she makes friends with her neighbors, finds a little romance, and realizes there’s a lot more in common with Vermont than she first thought.

In this moving and comedic debut, Lisa Patton paints a hilarious portrait of life in Vermont as seen through the eyes of a southern belle readers won’t soon forget. A charming fish-out-of-water tale of one woman who learns to stand up for herself-in sandals and snow boots-against the odds. -- Thomas Dunne Books

Isn't the cover of this book absolutely gorgeous? -- talk about "cover attraction." When I saw WHISTLIN' DIXIE IN A NOR'EASTER by Lisa Patton, I just knew I had to read it -- probably didn't even matter what the book was about because the cover is so appealing! But then I heard that this was a very good "Southern" book, and this book because one of those must-reads for me. Even though I don't live in the South anymore, I did spend most of my childhood and part of my adulthood down there; and in many ways, I still consider myself partial to the South (especially now that I'm dealing with all this snow!)

The book is really about Leelee, a wife and mother of two, whose husband decides to uproot his family and move them from Tennessee to Vermont -- talk about culture (and weather) shock! He is tired of working in insurance and decides to buy an old inn. He wants a new start and thinks that he and Leelee can just run a bed and breakfast with little to no restaurant experience. Leelee is less than thrilled to be leaving her home, but she believes she is doing what is right for her marriage and her family. I thought her husband was acting like an immature and selfish jerk, and I could so see where this story was going!!!

I enjoyed WHISTLIN' DIXIE IN A NOR'EASTER very much. In fact, I think the book got better and better as I read it. I liked Leelee from the first few pages even though she definitely had some issues, and I was very concerned that she would leave everything behind (including her friends) just to follow her husband's whims -- I guess I'm not that kind of a wife. Even though I haven't moved much as an adult (I moved a lot as a child though), I would really relate to her attempts to acclimate to a new hometown. I thought the author did a fantastic job of detailing the differences in Tennessee and Vermont from the weather, to the people, to the clothes, etc. I found much of Leelee's efforts to fit in to be kind of pitiful but also kind of funny!

I found myself really becoming absorbed in WHISTLIN' DIXIE IN A NOR'EASTER when Leelee ends up running the inn by herself because of a huge surprise. In fact, I didn't even set the book down from this point on because I had to see if Leelee would go back home or decide to stay in Vermont.

I really loved how Leelee's character matured and blossomed once she realized how much she could handle on her own. For her entire life, she had always depended on her husband and father (and really always obeyed them); and I think Leelee represented the strength and resilience of all women. I also really appreciated how the author showed the value of good female friends and how much women can accomplish when they work together.

I think WHISTLIN' DIXIE IN A NOR'EASTER would make a fantastic discussion book because first and foremost, it is a fun book. There is no doubt that Leelee and her situation will appeal to a wide variety of female readers. In addition, there are quite a few topics for discussion within the pages of this book, and I even found a wonderful discussion guide. Some of the things your group might find themselves talking about include marital obligations, self-discovery, motherhood, friendship, happiness, and independence. Ms. Patton is also available for speakerphone author chats, so head over to her gorgeous website to learn more.

If you are like me and love Southern fiction, then you will definitely not want to miss WHISTLIN' DIXIE IN A NOR'EASTER. It is a very entertaining book about the strength of women and their friendships -- plus it's just filled with Southern charm.

Thanks to the publisher for sending me a review copy of this book.

Book Report: Deenie

Summary: When Deenie finds out that she has scoliosis, she’s scared. When she sees the brace for the first time, she wants to scream. But the words won’t come out. And Deenie, beautiful Deenie, who everyone says should be a model, is stuck wearing a brace from her neck to her hips. For four years—or longer. She never worried about how she looked before—how will she ever face the hard times ahead? -- Laurel Leaf Books

As many of you know, I am a huge Judy Blume fan. I loved her books as a child, but now that I'm re-reading many of them for the Shelf Discovery Challenge, I realize just how amazing she truly is. I am on a big Judy Blume kick right now because my good friend Kathy (aka Bermuda Onion) is hosting a Shelf Discovery/Judy Blume Mini Challenge this month. Please check out her announcement post because she is giving away some awesome prizes -- plus it's JUDY BLUME!

So a few days ago, I requested from the library all of the Judy Blume books mentioned in SHELF DISCOVERY that I don't already own. The first one that I dug into was DEENIE, a book that I read numerous times as a pre-teen. I remember devouring this book and feeling so much pain for Deenie. Deenie is the story of a beautiful young girl whose mother has her sights set on a modeling career for Deenie. When Deenie is diagnosed with scoliosis and has to wear a brace for four years, she is absolutely devastated -- what girl wouldn't be? It's how Deenie manages to deal with her diagnosis that makes this book so very, very special to me.

DEENIE was a book that affected me deeply -- so deeply that I didn't want to be tested for scoliosis in middle school. In fact, I didn't tell my parents the reason why, but I cried so hard the night before the exam that they ended up not signing the permission form. I was absolutely terrified that I might end up like Deenie and have to wear a brace. (I realize I wasn't exactly rational about it, but I was a pre-teen!)

When I think about it now, I realize that as a child, I probably liked this book because of Deenie's character. I think many of the finer points of this story were way over my head, but I liked it nonetheless. Now that I'm a mother myself (and more mature), I see how wonderful this book is on so many levels; however, I still think that the reason I loved this book so much now is because of Deenie and how much she evolved in just 140 pages!

Of course my heart went out to Deenie because of her diagnosis, but I think I actually felt bad for her much earlier in the story this time around. As a child, I missed out on Deenie's mother and the pressure she put on Deenie and her sister -- Deenie was the beauty and her older sister Helen had the brains. She labeled each of her girls and put them in a box -- how I hope I never do this to my kids! When Deenie believed she could no longer be a model because of her scoliosis, she not only had to deal with the news of her diagnosis, but she also had to deal with not living up to her mother's expectations. Thank goodness, Deenie was able to realize that she had much more to offer than just a pretty face -- she began to think that maybe she could someday be a doctor.

I also was absolutely amazed with how Deenie's mother handled her scoliosis -- thank goodness for Deenie's father whom I absolutely loved. He was compassionate yet firm when Deenie didn't want to face her peers with her new brace. Deenie's mother, on the other hand, couldn't handle her diagnosis. She was, in almost every way, more immature than Deenie. She put her dreams for Deenie ahead of Deenie's welfare, and she wasn't strong and supportive when Deenie needed her the most. I guess she could only handle so much; but as a mother, I was mortified by her behavior.

Another thing I really liked about Deenie was how her attitude towards others changed after she was diagnosed with scoliosis. I don't think Deenie was ever mean towards others, but she did shy away from Barbara, a schoolmate who had eczema and Old Lady Murray, a storekeeper who had a hunched back -- pretty normal adolescence behavior, right? She realized that she now had something in common with these people, and she became much more compassionate towards other. She even wondered if her neighbor who had a disability was just "a regular girl like me." I absolutely melted at the end of the book when she let Barbara help tie her shoes, and then grabbed her hands (eczema and all) to be partners in gym class.

Needless to say, I loved this book both as a child and an adult. I highly recommend it!!! If you haven't seen Lizzie Skurnick's essay on DEENIE in SHELF DISCOVERY, it's a must-read. She summed this book up perfectly, and I almost feel as if anything I say is either unoriginal or redundant. Her words are so eloquent about Deenie and her actions!

Note: There are a few different covers for DEENIE, but I actually read the version of the book that is pictured above.

Review: VeggieTales Silly Little Thing Called Love

Summary: Join Bob, Larry and all your VeggieTales pals for a "Silly Little Thing Called Love!" Featuring 3 classic stories of "true" love - with lessons in Loving Your Neighbor (The Story of Flibber-O-Loo), Loving Your Family (Duke and the Great Pie War) and Loving God (Madame Blueberry)! Plus...funny and touching thoughts from the "Veggie Kids" (as voiced by real children)! sharing their perspective on love as only kids can!

Also includes FOUR Great Silly Love Songs! Endangered Love, His Cheeseburger, Love My Lips, and The Bunny Song.

Additional Info: Running Time 80 min, 5.1 Surround, NTSC Region 1 -- Big Idea

My kids and I were very excited for the opportunity to review the new VeggieTales DVD SILLY LITTLE THING CALLED LOVE. Since Valentine's Day is approaching, we thought it was great timing to watch some shows about the true meaning of love! This sweet DVD was filled with not only three episodes about love, but it also included four silly songs and some very cute thoughts from the "Veggie Kids."

When my five year old son sat down to watch this DVD, he told me that he had already seen the first episode The Story of Flibber-O-Loo at his Sunday school. I told him that I didn't think that was possible since this DVD just came out a few days ago, but he insisted. When I realized that we had another VeggieTales DVD with one of the other stories on it, I realized he was right. This DVD has some original material, but the three stories were re-released on this collection and they are considered VeggieTales "classics."

My daughter, who at 10 is a little old for VeggieTales, still agreed to watch the DVD with me and her brother. When I asked her what her favorite part was, she told me the second episode -- Duke and the Great Pie War. This story was about Sweet Petunia, a young princess who has to flee her home and live in a tree stump in a foreign land. Larry the Cucumber finds out about the princess's situation and comes to her rescue. The message of this story is that true love means putting others' needs before your own. My son also liked this story the best too!

My favorite part of the DVD was the last episode -- Madame Blueberry. Madame Blueberry loves to shop (sound familiar?) and she keeps on buying things. She eventually realizes that stuff can't make you happy -- only God's love can. I loved the message of this story! The song at the end of the show summed it up so well -- A Happy Heart is a Thankful Heart. I think I even learned a thing or two from this show.

One thing I like about VeggieTales DVDS are that they are designed to appeal to the entire family. Of course, the messages are wonderful for kids of any age, but I really appreciated some of the humor in the stories. I love that some of the funny parts are geared towards adults, and I found myself laughing at parts of the story even when my kids weren't.

While the silly songs weren't my favorite, my kids seemed to enjoy them and thought they were really funny! But I think we all agreed that the scenes with the "VeggieTale Kids" were absolutely adorable. The little kids were asked questions about love, and their answers were voiced by real children. Check out how cute this one is:



SILLY LITTLE THING CALLED LOVE is currently available for an SRP $14.99. My kids certainly enjoyed it and I loved all of the messages about love! It really is an ideal Valentine’s Day gift for the entire family.

Thanks to Big Idea for providing us a copy of VEGGIETALES: SILLY LITTLE THING CALLED LOVE.

Review: Top Secret Recipes Unlocked

Summary: The kitchen clone recipe king is back with a new Top bestselling Top Secret Restaurant Recipes collection—the first book since his bestselling Top Secret Restaurant Recipes 2. Wilbur takes readers behind the scenes, revealing the key ingredients in some of our favorite foods such as Starbucks’ Peppermint Brownie, Krispy Kreme’s original glazed donuts, Panera Bread’s cranberry walnut bagel and Wendy’s Garden Sensations Mandarin Chicken Salad. The book will feature 115 new recipes, including 40 previously unpublished recipes such as:

•Panera Bread French Onion Soup
•Burger King Onion Rings
•Chick-Fil-A Honey Roasted BBQ Sauce
•McDonald’s Cinnamon Melts
•Stouffer’s Macaroni & Cheese
•Chipotle Mexican Grill Chipotle-Honey Vinaigrette
•Popeye’s Buttermilk Biscuits.

Forget takeout—with these fun recipes and blueprints, all using ingredients you can buy at your local supermarket, you can re-create your favorite restaurant signature dishes right in your own kitchen for a lot less! -- Plume

With over 4 million copies of Todd Wilbur's Top Secret Recipes Cookbooks sold, I am obviously not alone in my curiosity about these books. I actually bought two of these cookbooks and gave them to my husband as gifts a few years ago. The latest Top Secret Recipe collection is TOP SECRET RECIPES UNLOCKED: ALL NEW HOME CLONES OF AMERICA'S FAVORITE BRAND-NAME FOODS. I was very excited about checking out this one because I knew it featured some Starbucks' recipes -- namely their Lemon Loaf.

I enjoyed looking through this cookbook and there were a few recipes that I definitely marked to try. While I usually try to make healthy recipes, this cookbook probably isn't the healthiest; but every once in awhile you have to make an exception! The first recipe I made was the Orange Julius Banana Julius -- which actually was a fairly healthy one. I haven't had the real deal for a long time, but I will say that this version was very good. My fussy-nut daughter even drank one, and that's really saying something.

The next recipe I tried was the Stouffer's Macaroni and Cheese. I love their frozen macaroni and cheese plus it's so convenient, so I couldn't wait to try this one. I was surprised how easy the recipe was! There were only a six ingredients needed and ones I usually have on hand. I like that this recipe didn't make a lot and that I can just freeze it and pull it out when I need it. It was really good and did taste a lot like Stouffer's!

Finally, I made the Starbucks' Lemon Loaf. It wasn't hard and it did taste good (a lot like Starbucks'), but I definitely couldn't have served it to company -- my husband wouldn't even take it into work. (Needless to say -- no photo of this one!) The center of the loaf fell while it was cooking so it was really ugly! It also crumbled a teensy bit when I cut it, but I think I might have done something wrong. I would be willing to try the recipe again to see if I had better luck!

The only thing that disappointed me about this cookbook was how many condiment-type recipes are included. Our family doesn't eat condiments so I kind of just skipped through those pages, but others might like them. In addition, most of the condiments are free at restaurants -- right?; so I can't see actually going to the effort to make them. But that's just me!

When I sat down to write this review, I decided to look at the Top Secret Recipes website. Oh my! There are a lot of free clone recipes on this site. While I couldn't find the three recipes that I tried, there were some recipes from TOP SECRET RECIPES UNLOCKED. The closest I could find to anything that I made was the recipe for an Orange Julius Orange Julius. There are also a few free Starbucks' recipes, but sadly not the Lemon Loaf. While you are there, you can sign up for new weekly recipe reminders.

If you enjoy "knock-off" style cookbooks, then you might want to check out TOP SECRET RECIPES UNLOCKED. Thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy of this cookbook.


Weekend Cooking is hosted by Beth Fish Reads and is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, fabulous quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page. For more information, see the welcome post.

Start Spreading the News..... BEA 2010

I know you've seen tons of posts the last week for BEA 2010 and Blogger Con. They've all been terrific in their own way, and I'm not sure I can really add much to what has already been said. There has been loads of great advice; and every time I read a post, I said to myself, "That's exactly what I wanted to say!"

Last May, I was fortunate enough to attend BEA 2009 and I had the time of my life. There were so many highlights I don't even know where to start -- I got to meet some terrific book bloggers and some awesome authors! And, I was even fortunate enough to participate on a panel of fellow bloggers. My entire experience was really just one amazing moment after another. I tried to document everything so I would always remember just how much fun I had and share it with those of you who couldn't attend. If you are interested in seeing my day-in-the-life posts from BEA 2009, you can read them here and here and here.

I initially thought I'd write some words of advice, but I really don't think there's much else to say. I want to reiterate a few things though:

Wear comfortable shoes. I know you've seen this one everywhere, but it really is important. I have always been one of those fashion over comfort girls (I could also give you a warning about winter white pants in rainy New York City, but I won't.) Since I dressed up for the show, I ended up wearing heels two of the three days I was there. They were really good heels, but still... I had no idea how much walking I would do. The Javits Center is HUGE!!!!! I bet I walked at least 5 plus miles a day and I didn't sit down much at all! You will literally be on your feet all day!

Bring a comfortable tote bag. You're probably saying comfortable tote bag? Let me tell you that my shoulders and collar bones were sorer than my feet. I even had bruises on my shoulders after the first day. You will get a lot of books (unless you have great restraint) and you will probably be carrying multiple bags of books at any one time. I recommend a sturdy bag with a wide shoulder strap -- preferably one that you can wear across your body to help distribute the weight. A backpack is probably a good idea too (although mine isn't near as cute as my messenger bag!) Also, don't be afraid to make multiple trips to the postage center where you can drop off your books in a box with your name on it.

Stay at a hotel on the bus route (if possible). I know that not all of you will be able to do this (or even want to do this) but I found that it was so nice to stay at a hotel that had a shuttle bus to the Javits Center. It was extremely convenient -- all I had to do was cross the street to catch the bus; and best of all, it was free!

Attend an author breakfast or lunch. Last year, I attended both the Children's Book and Author Breakfast and the Book and Author Breakfast. They were both wonderful experiences because I got to hear many authors speak including Julie Andrews, Meg Cabot, and Jeannette Walls. I also received some of their soon-to-be released books. The meals aren't cheap (each breakfast is $37 and the lunch is $48), but I like that BEA gives you the option of no meal with theater seating at a lower price -$20. I chose not to have the meal last year, and it worked out fine for me. This year, I'm planning on doing the same thing.

Bring water and snacks. This is another piece of advice that you've seen everywhere, but it's an important one. Bottled water and snack are very expensive at the Javits Center. You can quickly spend another $10 to $20 a day for a few dollars worth of food. Last year, I left the Javits Center for lunch on one of the days. Right outside, there were hot dog and pretzel vendors with much more affordable options. Plus, you don't have to go far and miss out on all of the action!

Bring a camera. I didn't use mine all that much, but I am glad I brought it with me. I did manage to capture some great photos of my friends. In addition, I had a few pictures taken with some authors that I absolutely adore (like Adriana Trigiani.) I still treasure these mementos!

Experience New York City. As much fun as BEA is, New York City is one of the greatest cities in the world. If you don't make it to New York City very often, use this trip as a way to experience some of the other fun things going on in the city. Get tickets to a Broadway show, do some shopping, eat at a great restaurant, etc.

And last but not least -- Book Blogger Con 2010! The first annual Book Blogger Convention is now officially affiliated with Book Expo America -- you can read about all of the details here. This sounds like it's going to be a fantastic event and a great way to get to know your fellow book bloggers!

For a full schedule of BEA 2010 Blogger Advice Posts , see this post at the Book Blogger Convention blog.

I am so excited to attend BEA this year. I can't wait to see those of you who I met last year, and I am looking forward to meeting many of you for the first time. It's going to be so much fun!

If you have any questions, just ask. I am more than willing to help you in any way I can!