Review: Dead Until Dark

Summary: Sookie Stackhouse is a small-time cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana. She's quiet, keeps to herself, and doesn't get out much. Not because she's not pretty. She is. It's just that, well, Sookie has this sort of "disability." She can read minds. And that doesn't make her too dateable. And then along comes Bill. He's tall, dark, handsome -- and Sookie can't hear a word he's thinking. He's exactly the type of guy she's been waiting for all her life... But Bill has a disability of his own: He's a vampire with a bad reputation. He hangs with a seriously creepy crowd, all suspected of -- big surprise -- murder. And when one of Sookie's coworkers is killed, she fears she's next... -- Ace Fantasy/Mystery

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed DEAD UNTIL DARK by Charlaine Harris. I am telling you up front that I would have never picked up this book if it weren't for the Sookie Stackhouse Challenge that Beth Fish Reads is hosting. I follow her blog everyday and I totally love her and her reviews, but I still wasn't entirely sold. And then I got involved in the discussions on Twitter and decided to take the plunge. If the rest of the books are as entertaining as DEAD UNTIL DARK, I think I made a good decision by signing up for the challenge.

I read DEAD UNTIL DARK one afternoon while I was at the shore. Beth Fish Reads told me that it was an ideal beach read, and she was so right. This book is a light, quick read that held my attention throughout. I absolutely love Sookie and I was pleased with how well Ms. Harris developed her character. I think my feelings toward Sookie are the main reason that I want to read more books in this series. I guess I just like "spending time" with her!

I also really liked the secondary characters in this story, especially Bill and Sam. I have a feeling that they are both going to be appearing in future books, and I can't wait to learn more about their relationships with Sookie. Both seem to have some secrets and I am excited to learn more about both of them. Right now, I'm not entirely sure about either of them; but based on this book, I think I like both of them. And I'm pretty sure that they are going to make things interesting in Sookie's life.

Another element I really enjoyed about this book was the mystery angle. I was anxious to find out who the villain was, and I admit that I was caught off guard a little. While I enjoyed learning about vampires and their lifestyles, I think I really appreciated the book because of the mystery storyline. I thought Ms. Harris did a good job building suspense, and she definitely kept things interesting with the twists and turns.

One thing that actually surprised me a little bit about this book was how graphic it was. Not surprisingly, there was lots of gore and talk about all things vampire. However, there was also quite a bit of sex-talk. I don't consider myself a prude, but I admit that I was blushing a bit while reading some of the scenes!

I have not watched the HBO series TRUE BLOOD which is based on the Sookie books, but I have heard so many terrific things about it from my friends. After reading DEAD UNTIL DARK, I'm thinking about catching up with Season 1 on Netflix. My husband has already told me that he's not interested in watching it with me so that makes it a little more difficult; however, I'm thinking that it just might be worth it.

I definitely recommend DEAD UNTIL DARK if you are a fan of the whole vampire thing or even if you enjoy a good mystery! I am so looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

Review: Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict

The eagerly anticipated sequel to Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict

Laurie Viera Rigler’s debut novel, Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict, was a hit with fans and critics, and a BookSense and Los Angeles Times bestseller. Its open-to-interpretation ending left readers begging for more—and Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict delivers. While Confessions took twenty-first-century free spirit Courtney Stone into the social confines of Jane Austen’s era, Rude Awakenings tells the parallel story of Jane Mansfield, a gentleman’s daughter from Regency England who inexplicably awakens in Courtney’s overly wired and morally confused L.A. life.

For Jane, the modern world is not wholly disagreeable. Her apartment may be smaller than a dressing closet, but it is fitted up with lights that burn without candles, machines that wash bodies and clothes, and a glossy rectangle in which tiny people perform scenes from her favorite book, Pride and Prejudice. Granted, if she wants to travel she may have to drive a formidable metal carriage, but she may do so without a chaperone. And oh, what places she goes! Public assemblies that pulsate with pounding music. Unbound hair and unrestricted clothing. The freedom to say what she wants when she wants—even to men without a proper introduction.

Jane relishes the privacy, independence, even the power to earn her own money. But how is she to fathom her employer’s incomprehensible dictates about “syncing a BlackBerry” and “rolling a call”? How can she navigate a world in which entire publications are devoted to brides but flirting and kissing and even the sexual act itself raise no matrimonial expectations? Even more bewildering are the memories that are not her own. And the friend named Wes, who is as attractive and confusing to Jane as the man who broke her heart back home. It’s enough to make her wonder if she would be better off in her own time, where at least the rules are clear—that is, if returning is even an option. -- Dutton

Last year, I read CONFESSIONS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT by Laurie Viera Rigler. I thought it was just a great book -- you can read my review here. I knew at the time that Ms. Rigler was already working on a sequel, and I've been anxiously awaiting the book's release for months. I am so excited to say that RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT is now available and it's just a good, if not better, than the first book (in my humble opinion!)

I guess RUDE AWAKENINGS is technically a sequel, but it is really more like a story that occurs simultaneously -- now I've totally confused you because CONFESSIONS took place in 19th century England while RUDE AWAKENINGS takes place in modern day Los Angeles. Suffice it to say that there is some time travel involved. One thing that I liked about Ms. Rigler's latest novel is that the stories actually came together for me. CONFESSIONS had an ending that was purposely left open for the reader's interpretation. When I read RUDE AWAKENINGS, I felt as if some things were clarified. After reading both books, I certainly think they can stand alone; but I highly recommend reading both books. And if you can read them in order, all the better. I loved all the little references in RUDE AWAKENINGS about things that occurred in CONFESSIONS; and I just felt like I had a little bit of insider information by reading both of them.

While I most definitely enjoyed CONFESSIONS, I think one of the reasons that I liked RUDE AWAKENINGS more was because it took place in Los Angeles in the present. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing how Jane saw our modern times with her nineteenth-century eyes. There were so many very funny scenes where Jane tried to figure out computers, cell phones, dance clubs, automobiles, etc. I loved all of her dealings with our modern lifestyles, and I found a few of her comments to be rather insightful -- they actually made me assess some of what I take for granted.

RUDE AWAKENINGS is a light, fun read; however, this book does delve into some serious issues -- I wasn't really expecting to think quite so much when I picked up this novel (I mean that in an entirely good way.) I loved Jane/Courtney and everything she symbolized about young women in today's society. When Jane "arrives" in present day, she is suddenly faced with everything she had hoped for back in England -- her own house, her own job, and even her independence -- but her new life wasn't without complications. Even though Jane's adjustment was especially drastic (she was living as another woman in the future), she still faced many of the exact same issues that women do when they leave home and begin life on their own. In addition, I thought Jane/Courtney's relationship woes were similar to many women's relationship problems with men. Her ability to work through these issues and make intelligent decisions that were best for her is a lesson that almost every young woman needs to hear.

I totally think RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT would make a wonderful book club pick. In fact if your group is feeling ambitious, why not pair both CONFESSIONS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT with RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT; or read one of Ms. Rigler's books in concert with an actual Jane Austen novel. There is a reading guide available to help facilitate your discussion, and Ms. Rigler is even available to phone in to your meeting to talk about her books.

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

Review: A Circle of Souls

Summary: The sleepy town of Newbury, Connecticut, is shocked when a little girl is found brutally murdered. The town s top detective, perplexed by a complete lack of leads, calls in FBI agent Leia Bines, an expert in cases involving children.

Meanwhile, Dr. Peter Gram, a psychiatrist at Newbury's hospital, searches desperately for the cause of seven-year-old Naya Hastings devastating nightmares. Afraid that she might hurt herself in the midst of a torturous episode, Naya s parents have turned to the bright young doctor as their only hope.

The situations confronting Leia and Peter converge when Naya begins drawing chilling images of murder after being bombarded by the disturbing images in her dreams. Amazingly, her sketches are the only clues to the crime that has panicked Newbury residents. Against her better judgment, Leia explores the clues in Naya s crude drawings, only to set off an alarming chain of events.

In this stunning psychological thriller, innocence gives way to evil, and trust lies forgotten in a web of deceit, fear, and murder. -- Sweetwater Books

A few weeks after I attended Book Expo America, Preetham Grandhi contacted me asking if I would be interested in reading his new novel A CIRCLE OF SOULS. He and his wife -- both authors -- had both attended the Blogger Panel and were looking for ways to spread the word about their respective books. I read the book's description and thought it sounded like a book that I'd enjoy. It was being billed as psychological suspense, and I figured that I hadn't read a book like that for quite awhile.

I thought A CIRCLE OF SOULS was very suspenseful and entertaining book. The story was told in third person narrative and consisted of relatively brief chapters which alternated between the lives of the characters. I enjoyed the third person narrative, and it was probably a necessary element to build suspense and keep the reader guessing; however, I wonder how the book would have worked if a few of the chapters were told in first person narrative. You know, just to mix things up a little bit. It's not as if I didn't think the characters were developed well -- it's just that I kind of wanted more insight into Leia and Peter.

I thoroughly enjoyed the storyline and the characters; and I appreciated that the plot was something new to me. I especially liked how the author mixed in some psychological suspense and even some supernatural with the horrific crimes. Even though some of the concepts in this book are very different from my current beliefs, I didn't have any problems accepting them in the context of this book. However, I did sometimes wonder how the characters, especially Leia, didn't have a more difficult time believing (and accepting) some of what happened.

One of the best things about this novel was how the author did a great job of building suspense. Each chapter left off in such a way that I felt I had to keep reading. As a result, I read about two-thirds of the book in one sitting because I had to find out what happened. I have to admit that I wasn't entirely surprised by who the murderer was -- I figured it out pretty early on -- but there were a few times where I found myself questioning some of the other characters and their actions.

A CIRCLE OF SOULS is Dr. Grandhi's debut novel, and I hope it's just the beginning of his writing career because I think he can definitely weave a story. Besides writing books, he also has a private practice for children and adolescent psychiatry. It was apparent to me that his knowledge and experience of working with troubled children was useful in writing this novel. I could definitely tell that helping children is near and dear to his heart, and I felt as if I was getting an insider's look into parts of the medical profession. If you'd like to learn more about Dr. Grandhi as well as read some of the praise he's receiving for his very entertaining new novel, then you should check out this website devoted to A CIRCLE OF SOULS.

Review: Holly's Inbox

Summary: System alert: Inbox full of scandal, romance, and office hilarity!

Meet Holly Denham. It's her first day as a receptionist at a London investment bank and inexperienced Holly is struggling. How's a working girl supposed to have a love life with a demanding job, crazy friends, a dysfunctional family, and gossipy colleagues? Not to mention that Holly's been keeping a secret from everyone - and the past is about to catch up with her.

An affair with a sexy VP heats things up at the office, but when Holly's first flame (who, she thinks, left her in the lurch) gets a job at the same company, complications abound and Holly's inbox becomes a daily source of drama, laughter and scandal.

Repeatedly compared to Bridget Jones' Diary, www.hollysinbox.com became a website phenomenon, with thousands of daily visitors from all over the world. This novel tells Holly's story in full, and also includes exclusive extra material not available on the site. -- Sourcebooks Casablanca

When I opened the package containing HOLLY'S INBOX by Holly Denham, my first reaction was "This book is huge!" -- it's actually over 660 pages. My second reaction, which came pretty quickly after my first one, was "It better be good because it's a really big book." However, when I opened the book and saw that the story was written entirely in the form of e-mail messages, I realized that it wasn't that intimidating. Plus this book was already a huge hit in the U.K. and has been translated into six languages; so I knew lots of people had already enjoyed this book!

I packed up HOLLY'S INBOX to read at the shore because I figured it would be a light and funny book, and I really didn't want to concentrate too much on my vacation; however, I actually started the book on the way to the beach. It took me about 25 pages to get into the swing of things -- I had a few problems following the e-mails going back and forth and keeping track of who the characters were. But after I figured things out, I couldn't put the book down. I was shocked by how quickly the book moved and by how much I enjoyed it! I took the book with me to the beach later in the day and finished it within a few hours. It was just a perfect read for my vacation!

HOLLY'S INBOX is actually written by Bill Surie, not Holly Denham -- Holly is just the main characters in the story/e-mails. I have to admit that I was a little skeptical about a chick-lit book being written by a man. I mean...how can a 40 year old guy really "get" women and their issues? Well, it's been awhile since I was working in an office and dealing with co-workers, but I swear Mr. Surie nailed it. All the office gossip and pettiness that I remember were incorporated into this novel (but they were a lot funnier to me now that I'm removed from all of that.) I read an interview with Mr. Surie in the New York Post, and I learned that he got the idea for this book from the e-mails of a woman he had just fired. For some reason, I thought this was just hilarious!

Before there was a book, there was a very popular website devoted to "Holly's Inbox." If you are interested in this book, then you have to check it out. The site looks just like an e-mail inbox with contacts and e-mails. The site has had thousands of people from 120 countries visiting it. You can definitely learn more about Holly and her friends/co-workers/family/etc. as well as the author's writing style. I think it's a great way to preview the book before you buy it.

I thoroughly enjoyed HOLLY'S INBOX and I definitely recommend it to all of you who are fans of the chick lit genre (especially Brit Chick Lit.) It is a very funny story with lots of cute storylines and even a little romance thrown in. I think it's a perfect summer getaway book -- whether you read it while you're away on vacation or just when you want to escape from everyday life!

Thanks to the publisher and author for sending me a copy of this very entertaining book!

Review: Kellogg's Cinnabon Snack Bar

Product Description: A snack bar with a world-famous blend of rich cinnamon, delicious fresh baked flavor, and melt-in-your-mouth frosting.

I recently received a box of the new Kellogg's Cinnabon Snack Bars (Original) courtesy of Mom Central. I was anxious to try one because I love cinnamon and cinnamon rolls, but I was participating in the Game On! Diet for the past four weeks and unfortunately wasn't able to try them out right away. I did, however, pass along two of the bars for my husband and his co-worker to taste so I could gather their opinions. They both thought they were pretty tasty, but they didn't feel like the portion size was enough for a meal.

So now that my "official" diet ended yesterday, I finally got around to tasting one of these bars for myself! While the bars are ready to eat from the pouch, I decided to microwave one according to the directions on the box. I did enjoy the bar and thought it had a good cinnamon flavor, but I admit that it didn't fill me up enough for a meal. I think these Cinnabon Snack Bars are probably best for a little snack or dessert. The only issue I had was the amount of calories in the bar -- 150 calories -- not a huge amount and definitely less than a real cinnamon roll, but still.... There was also 4.5 grams of fat (although there were 0 grams of trans fat so that's a plus) and 13 grams of sugar. Check out the nutritional information for more details.

I actually think kids are going to really like these bars. They are yummy and good for on-the-go activities as well as packed lunches. I'm sorry to say that I can't attest to whether either of my kids liked them because my daughter has issues with trying new foods and my son is allergic to the bars (they contain wheat, milk, egg, and soy.)

Review: The Game On! Diet

Summary: The Game On! Diet is not a diet. It's a bold new approach to fitness that turns the latest, smartest, most successful health science into a fun, fierce, and exhilarating game. Developed by Az Ferguson, to help Grey's Anatomy writer Krista Vernoff shed forty pounds of postpregnancy weight, it is the ideal program for busy people who should be working out but have a thousand good excuses not to.

Az keeps you motivated and Krista keeps you laughing as they show you how to organize opposing teams, set goals, and compete to earn points for daily exercise, healthy meal plans, and positive lifestyle changes. With The Game On! Diet, the process of losing weight, for the first time ever, is actually fun. After all, what's better than a bikini body . . . and bragging rights?

Get out there and lose . . . to win! Game on! -- Harper

THE GAME ON! DIET: KICK YOUR FRIEND'S BUTT WHILE SHRINKING YOUR OWN by Az Ferguson and Krista Vernoff is a new diet plan that I just tested for four weeks. The idea of this diet plan definitely appealed to me because there are lots of rules. I am a major rule follower so I knew that having these rules would help ensure that I would stick with this diet -- I hate not doing things "right." In addition, there is a nifty little checklist (I get very excited about lists) where I could track my progress each and every day.

What I can most assuredly say after participating in this diet is that there is going to be something in it that appeals to everyone. If you are like me (Major Type A personality), then you might like the rules and the checklist. There is also a game element involved that will appeal to those of you who are competitive. I really liked that aspect too because I love to win! And if you are a people pleaser, then I think the team aspect will help you stick to the diet because you will be concerned about letting down your team when or if you have any lapses.

I have to admit that I'm glad to be done with this first round of The Game On! Diet. I don't regret doing it one bit, but I do need a break from all the rules. Plus, I have three family birthday celebrations coming up in the next month, and I don't think I can get through that many parties without eating any sugar! (Although I did have two mini vacations during the past four weeks that I did survive with only one lapse.)

If you'd like to learn more about my 4 week diet, you can read my prior posts:
Introduction
Week 1 Recap
Week 2 Recap
Note: I didn't do a Week 3 Recap because I was on vacation and didn't have computer access.

Here's a brief summary of the basic idea behind the program:

Rather than focus on losing weight, you get to focus on winning points. You can earn a maximum of 100 points a day for doing the following:

1) 30 Meal Points - 6 points per meal -no snacks
2) 20 Exercise Points - 20 minutes of exercise per day
3) 10 Water Points - 3 liters a day
4) 15 Sleep Points - at least 7 hours a night
5) 20 Transformation Points - 10 points for a healthy new habit and 10 points for dropping an old unhealthy one
6) 5 Communication Points - being in contact with your team members every day

You can also lose points if you:
1) 10 Points - snack between meals
2) 20 Points - if you collude with another player
3) 25 Points - alcohol penalty per portion

The diet does cut you some slack:
1) One day off a week when you don't have to follow any of the rules
2) One meal off a week when you can eat what you want and have one unit of alcohol
3) Each day you can have 100 calories of anything as a bonus treat

Overall, I think The Game On! Diet is a terrific program. And while I didn't lose as much weight as I had hoped, I think I developed some really good habits like eating smaller portions, drinking more water, eating more veggies, and doing five sun salutations every day. I do feel like I'm eating a lot healthier because everything I've consumed is fresh rather than packaged. I also like the idea of exercising six days a week, but in reality I was almost doing this anyway prior to the diet.

The thing I liked the most about the program was the team aspect. I loved being able to talk/complain about this diet and my lack of weight loss with others in the same boat. I enjoyed all the good-natured teasing that went along with the diet; and I especially liked how there were always lots of people to encourage me when I was frustrated!

And I realize that no diet is perfect, but I have to vent about the things I didn't find ideal about this plan. Keep in mind that these are my complaints and my complaints only.

- Eating five small meals a day - I understand the reasons for this rule, especially since it's supposed to increase your metabolism. On one hand, I liked that I always knew I could eat again in two to four hours; so if I was a little hungry after a meal, no problem - I knew I could make it a few hours until the next one. My main problem with this rule was when I was forcing myself to eat the fifth meal when I wasn't even hungry. My dieting mentality is one that says I shouldn't eat just to eat -- I felt like they were wasted calories. And one day last week, I binged on a lunch. I absolutely wasn't hungry and didn't "need" to eat the rest of the day, but I would have had to take not only the six point penalty for my lunch, but also another 18 penalty points if I didn't eat the rest of the day. As a result, I forced down two more mini meals so I'd only end up taking 12 penalty points for the day.

- Frustration with weight loss - Last year, I did Weight Watchers and felt like I had a little more luck losing weight. I ended up losing around six pounds with The Game On! Diet which isn't too bad, but I was hoping for a little more . While I did take my day off each week, I didn't take my extra meal off until week 4. I felt as if I ate that extra meal, I would have never reached my 1% weight loss goal each week -- I found that quite annoying! And to top it off, I was running almost three miles every day when only 20 minutes of activity was required. Upon further assessment of the meal plan, I think I might have been consuming too many calories even without that "free meal." The book does warn against this problem for some people (in fact, Ms. Vernoff herself counts calories for her meal plan.) If/when I try this diet again, I will definitely count calories or use the Weight Watcher point system.

- Punishment for not reaching goal weight - Since I had only a little weight to lose, I felt like it wasn't always realistic to lost 1% of my body weight each and every week. Next time, I think I'll set a different goal so I feel like I'm not failing! Since I am one that likes to follow rules, I only had one meal the entire four weeks where I slipped. Fortunately, I reached my goal weight the first three weeks, so I didn't have to take any of the penalties (like losing alcohol for the remainder of the diet.) I guess I was just really frustrated that even if I followed all the rules and scored a perfect 850 points, it was still a very realistic possibility that I couldn't lose 1% of my weight.

I am definitely planning on keeping with some elements of this game. I love the girls (and guy) that I competed with/against, and I hope to continue communicating with them regularly. I also plan on eating a lot healthier and especially taking in more veggies and water on a regular basis. I think everyone who participated agrees that there are some wonderful things to take away from this diet plan!

Overall, I do recommend The Game On! Diet if you are want to make some major lifestyle changes. It is a great way to eat better, increase your physical activity and implement some new habits in your life. Plus, it's a great way to get healthier along with your friends!

Thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy of THE GAME ON! DIET.

Mother Daughter Book Club Meeting #13

Summary: For as long as she can remember, twelve-year-old Emily Windsnap has lived on a boat. And, oddly enough, for just as long, her mother has seemed anxious to keep her away from the water. But when Mom finally agrees to let her take swimming lessons, Emily makes a startling discovery - about her own identity, the mysterious father she’s never met, and the thrilling possibilities and perils shimmering deep below the water’s surface. With a sure sense of suspense and richly imaginative details, first-time author Liz Kessler lures us into a glorious undersea world where mermaids study shipwrecks at school and Neptune rules with an iron trident - an enchanting fantasy about family secrets, loyal friendship, and the convention-defying power of love. -- Candlewick

Last night, our Mother Daughter book club met to discuss THE TAIL OF EMILY WINDSNAP by Liz Kessler. I have to admit that I wasn't really part of the girls' "meeting," but I have it from two sources that their discussion went very well. Apparently, all of the girls loved the book and were very excited to talk about it with each other. You can read an excerpt here.

I think the girls all agree that they want to read some more "tails" about Emily; and I can't say I blame them since I thought the book was positively adorable. I have to admit that I wanted to pick up Book 2 right away, especially after the way THE TAIL OF EMILY WINDSNAP left off. Ms. Kessler definitely leaves open the possibility for lots of fantastic (or should I say "fintastic"?) adventures for Emily and her family.

All of the girls really liked Emily and her friend Shona. One of the girls pointed out to me that she is definitely more like Shona because she's very adventurous. I thought that was so precious. I've found that the girls often try to figure out which character in a book they are most like. I guess we all do that in some form or another -- I know I enjoy reading book when I can relate to the characters.

When my daughter and I discussed the book after the meeting, I was curious to see her reaction to it. I knew she enjoyed the story, but I wanted to see if she grasped some of the deeper themes. And I wanted to see if she could make sense of those themes and apply them to her life. We began talking about the theme of friendship and what makes a good friend. We talked about how Emily and her friend Shona were both considered to be "different" and didn't really have any good friends; and we also talked about how fortunate they were to find each other. I pointed out that they were both excellent friends because they weren't selfish and competing against the other one. Their friendship was so special because they tried to put the other one first. I think she understood all of that, but I'm not entirely sure she could have articulated it to me before our little talk.

In August, we will be reading EACH LITTLE BIRD THAT SINGS by Deborah Wiles. I wasn't familiar with this author or this book, but after reading the summary, I think it looks terrific. This will be the last book that we read before heading back to school, so I'm glad that it looks like one the girls will enjoy. Next month, Booking Daughter and I get to pick the book! Decisions, decisions, decisions...

Summary: Ten-year-old Comfort Snowberger has attended 247 funerals. But that's not surprising, considering that her family runs the town funeral home. And even though Great-uncle Edisto keeled over with a heart attack and Great-great-aunt Florentine dropped dead--just like that--six months later, Comfort knows how to deal with loss, or so she thinks. She's more concerned with avoiding her crazy cousin Peach and trying to figure out why her best friend, Declaration, suddenly won't talk to her. Life is full of surprises. And the biggest one of all is learning what it takes to handle them.

Deborah Wiles has created a unique, funny, and utterly real cast of characters in this heartfelt, and quintessentially Southern coming-of-age novel. Comfort will charm young readers with her wit, her warmth, and her struggles as she learns about life, loss, and ultimately, triumph. -- Harcourt

Review: When You Lie About Your Age, The Terrorists Win

Summary: Stand-up comic and comedy writer Carol Leifer faced a critical dilemma and had only two options: either continue sharing her greatest childhood memory (seeing the Beatles at Shea Stadium in 1966) or lie about her age. But the choice soon became clear: “I see now that when you deny your age, you deny yourself, and when you lie about your age, you become your inauthentic twin. But most important, when you lie about your age, they win. (And of course by ‘they,’ I mean the terrorists).” Now, in this uproarious book, Leifer reveals all—her age, her outlook, her life philosophy—no holds barred.

• On technology: “I am overwhelmed by anything that involves a cord.”
• On motherhood: “Never put your baby’s length on a birth announcement. It’s a baby, not a marlin.”
• On collagen injections: “Your lips are not meant to be flotation devices for your face in case it capsizes.”
• On tattoos: “If you plan on having your lover’s name tattooed on your arm, always leave room before it for a possible ‘I Hate’ down the road.”
• On etiquette: “Never refer to a woman as ‘ma’am,’ even if she’s ninety years old. Nobody likes it.”

After years of stand-up and a wave of successful television shows, Carol Leifer finally (and hilariously) puts it all down on paper–the wise thoughts, witty stories, and wonderfully way-out observations guaranteed to have you nodding in agreement and laughing out loud in sheer delight. -- Villard

WHEN YOU LIE ABOUT YOUR AGE, THE TERRORISTS WIN by Carol Leifer is not a book that I would normally read; but when I read all the praise surrounding this book, I thought I'd give it a try. Ellen Degeneres, Jerry Seinfeld, Garry Shandling, Chris Rock, Larry David, and Bill Maher all have blurbs on the back cover of this book. At the very least, I figured this book would have to be somewhat funny, right?

I have to admit that I didn't absolutely love this book -- it was just alright for me. The book was made up of more than 25 short essays on a variety of topics including plastic surgery, finding love, becoming a mother, and adopting pets. I was expecting to find a lot of humor in these essays (you know more like entertaining insights into regular life), but I found this book to mainly be Ms. Leifer's opinions (and strong ones at that) about her life.

Prior to this novel, I wasn't that familiar with Ms. Leifer as a stand-up comic or as a television show writer; and I'm thinking that might have been one of the reasons I didn't appreciate this book as much as some readers will. Of course, I am a fan of some of the shows she has worked on including Seinfeld and Saturday Night Live (and I won't swear that I haven't seen her do a little stand-up on some show), but I think not really "knowing" her might have made a difference in my ability to really care about her opinions.

I don't want to make it sound like I didn't find anything of value in this book because that's definitely not true. There were some really funny things in this book. And even though I have almost nothing in common with Ms. Leifer, I did find myself agreeing with her on some issues. We might not have arrived at these opinions the same way, so I found it interesting to learn the reasons why she has her beliefs. And even on those topics where we disagree, I still thought I could learn something by getting another point of view.

Probably the stories that I enjoyed the most were at the beginning of the book. I thought the sections where Ms. Leifer talked about her father were extremely touching because it was obvious she loved him deeply. She also managed to tell a few stories about him that were quite funny. Another section I enjoyed was when Ms. Leifer discussed aging and plastic surgery. I thought she made a lot of valid points for just accepting who we are and what we have!

I recommend WHEN YOU LIE ABOUT YOUR AGE, THE TERRORISTS WIN if you enjoy memoirs that also include some humor. In addition, I think readers who enjoy short essays about life would find this book to be entertaining.

Thanks to Anna from FSB Associates for sending me a copy of this book.

Review: Wilson and Miss Lovely

Summary: Wilson had just finished his first week of school and could not wait for the next one to begin. He was very fond of his new teacher, Miss Lovely. But something was wrong that day—very wrong. There were no school buses, the school itself was empty, and something strange was approaching. Undeterred and ever-hopeful that he would see Miss Lovely soon, Wilson went through his normal school day alone—he did his math lesson alone, his science lesson alone, sent himself to the principal’s office when he was naughty, and more, but still . . . something was approaching. Stadler skillfully uses gatefold flaps to keep the suspense mounting until we find out just who—or what—was approaching. Readers will love following Wilson and his day at school right out of a Twilight Zone episode in this funny, sweet, and sometimes scary story. -- Robin Corey Books

I though it was interesting that both of my kids really enjoyed reading WILSON AND MISS LOVELY: A BACK-TO-SCHOOL MYSTERY by John Stadler. I think the almost 10 year old girl liked it for different reasons than the almost 5 year old boy, but I guess it says something about a book when they both like it. One thing they both agreed on is that this book was very funny.

Poor Wilson begins his normal school day routine only to find that he is the one one there. He does his math work, his science work and even sends himself to the principal's office when he misbehaves. Wilson is confused and also a little bit scared when he doesn't see his teacher or his friends anywhere. As I read this book, I could tell that my son was wondering where everyone was and what was going to happen to Wilson.

One thing that was very cute about this book were the illustrations. Wilson is just the cutest little rabbit with adorable facial expressions. My son in particular liked that the book had some pages which folded out -- he always likes to "help" read his books; and I think he really enjoyed seeing the "monster" that kept appearing behind the flaps. He also seemed to like that the book had a surprise or two thrown in at the end, and he thought the last page of the book was very funny. As for me, I thought the author did a terrific job of building suspense for the young readers. I had a good time seeing my son's reaction to the scary monster at the end of the book.

I think WILSON AND MISS LOVELY is the perfect book for this time of the year when we are starting to think about the end of summer and the beginning of school. I also think teachers are going to enjoy reading this book to their students come fall. WILSON AND MISS LOVELY should help ease the back-to-school anxieties that many children have because it shows that Wilson loved his first week of school so much that he couldn't wait to go back for more. Another added bonus is that this book has a character who is excited about school and learning.

The author, John Stadler, has written almost 30 children's books, including BIG AND LITTLE and HOORAY FOR SNAIL! Many of his titles have been selected by ALA Editor's Choice, the Children's Book Council's Children's Choice and Reading Rainbow. He has also been featured in the New York Times Parent's Guide to the Best Books for Children. Needless to say, he is most definitely an accomplished author of children's books.

Thanks to the publisher for sending us a copy of WILSON AND MISS LOVELY.

Review: Egg Drop

Summary: A mother hen tells her chicks about the egg that wanted to fly. “The egg was young. It didn’t know much. We tried to tell it, but of course it didn’t listen.” The egg loves looking up at the birds (yes, it has eyes). It climbs 303 steps (yes, it has legs) to the top of a very tall tower—and jumps. It feels an enormous egg rush. “Whee!” it cries. “I am flying!” But it is not flying, it is falling. Hold your tears, dear reader—there is a sunny ending for this modern-day Humpty Dumpty. Impossible to categorize, Egg Drop is Mini Grey at her zaniest. -- Knopf

EGG DROP by Mini Grey is a very cute book! My son and I both thoroughly enjoyed reading about a little egg who really wanted to fly. Of course, we both knew that the egg was asking for trouble from the start, but that only made the book all the more fun to read.

EGG DROP is an ideal book for preschoolers. The pictures are just adorable and there are only a few words on each page so even the most active youngster will be able to sit through the entire story. I thought the pictures definitely enhanced the story, and I actually think we spent more time looking at the pictures than reading the words. I also like that this story was really funny. The humor in this book will appeal not only to young children but also to the adults who have to read it!

Besides the story, I also thought the lessons in this book were cute. It's no surprise that the egg wasn't able to fly; and we also know from Humpty Dumpty that you can't fix a broken egg. But the ultimate lesson in EGG DROP was really about patience -- if only the little egg would have waited...

My son and I definitely recommend EGG DROP! Thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy of this book.

Review: Blue Boy

Summary: Meet Kiran Sharma: lover of music, dance, and all things sensual; son of immigrants, social outcast, spiritual seeker. A boy who doesn't quite understand his lot—until he realizes he's a god...

As an only son, Kiran has obligations—to excel in his studies, to honor the deities, to find a nice Indian girl, and, above all, to make his mother and father proud—standard stuff for a boy of his background. If only Kiran had anything in common with the other Indian kids besides the color of his skin. They reject him at every turn, and his cretinous public schoolmates are no better. Cincinnati in the early 1990s isn’t exactly a hotbed of cultural diversity, and Kiran’s not-so-well-kept secrets don’t endear him to any group. Playing with dolls, choosing ballet over basketball, taking the annual talent show way too seriously. . .the very things that make Kiran who he is also make him the star of his own personal freak show. . .

Surrounded by examples of upstanding Indian Americans—in his own home, in his temple, at the weekly parties given by his parents’ friends—Kiran nevertheless finds it impossible to get the knack of “normalcy.” And then one fateful day, a revelation: perhaps his desires aren’t too earthly, but too divine. Perhaps the solution to the mystery of his existence has been before him since birth. For Kiran Sharma, a long, strange trip is about to begin—a journey so sublime, so ridiculous, so painfully beautiful, that it can only lead to the truth. . . -- Kensington

When I first read the description of BLUE BOY by Rakesh Satyal, I thought it sounded like an interesting take on a coming-of-age story. Kiran is the only child of traditional Indian parents who have immigrated to the United States and started a new life in Cincinnati. As a young Indian boy in America, he knows he looks different from the other kids; but it's his other interests which really set him apart. He just happens to like ballet class, talent shows, Strawberry Shortcake, make-up, and a pink backpack; and he doesn't exactly hide his feelings from his classmates. As you can probably tell, BLUE BOY most definitely was a very unique story about a very unique boy.

One thing that I have to point out about this book is that it is extremely entertaining. Even though a lot of what happens to Kiran really isn't very funny, the author has incorporated so much humor into this story. Kiran is an extremely funny character. There are numerous scenes where I found myself laughing at Kiran's antics, and I couldn't help but smile at Kiran's insights into life.

This novel was written in first person in Kiran's voice, and I think that's what made this book so special. Getting inside of Kiran's mind and truly understanding his feelings really caused me to think. Kiran was such a lost and confused young boy, and my heart really went out to him. Poor Kiran just didn't "fit in" on so many levels. Even though his parents moved to Ohio, they were still very involved with their Indian friends and that culture. Kiran was stuck between wanting to belong with his family and their friends while also trying to fit in with the American kids at his school. In addition, there was absolutely no doubt that Kiran did not relate to the other young boys that he met. While he tried to have the same interests, it was apparent at a pretty early age that Kiran was his own unique person. He not only had his own insecurities about pleasing his parents, but he also had to deal with constant teasing at school.

Because he didn't feel quite "normal", Kiran gets the idea that he is the embodiment of the god Krishna. He even uses his mother's make-up to color his face blue so he would look more like Krishna. I actually really liked how the author incorporated this imagery into the story, and I thought it was very well done. I thought it was very telling how Kiran wanted to embrace something bigger than himself while also trying to come to terms with his differences.

As I read BLUE BOY, I had to wonder how much of this story was autobiographical. The author points out that his parents were not like Kiran's parents in BLUE BOY, but I do know there was one very funny scene where Kiran dresses up as Abraham Lincoln for a school project that was based on the author's real-life experience. So much of Kiran's confusion and pain just seemed to be so real and heartfelt that I'm guessing that the author was speaking from a lot of his own personal experiences as a young boy.

The author, Rakesh Satyal, is definitely a well-rounded individual to say the least. Besides writing this novel, Mr. Satyal is also an editor at Harper Collins. In addition, he is a musician who has performed in a cabaret show. He also is on the planning committee of the PEN World Voices Festival and speaks frequently at writers' conferences. If you'd like to learn more about Mr. Satyal, you can check out his website or read this Q&A with him.

BLUE BOY would make for an interesting book club pick if your group likes books about other cultures and life styles. I do think there is a great deal to discuss about this book especially pertaining to parent/child relationships. I think groups like mine that are made up of mothers might really appreciate discussing the challenges that Kiran and his parents faced. I also think talking about the differences in the Indian and American cultures would be very interesting. There is a reading guide available which contains ten thought-provoking questions.

Since Kiran is at the age where he is coming to terms with his emotions and his body, I have to warn you that there are parts of this book which are rather blunt about sex. I didn't have a problem with them as I thought they helped to tell Kiran's story, but I do think some of you might be offended.

A big thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy of BLUE BOY. You can read an excerpt of this novel here.

Book Alert: The Devil's Queen

Summary: From Jeanne Kalogridis, the bestselling author of I, Mona Lisa and The Borgia Bride, comes a new novel that tells the passionate story of a queen who loved not wisely . . . but all too well.

Confidante of Nostradamus, scheming mother-in-law to Mary, Queen of Scots, and architect of the bloody St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre, Catherine de Medici is one of the most maligned monarchs in history. In her latest historical fiction, Jeanne Kalogridis tells Catherine’s story—that of a tender young girl, destined to be a pawn in Machiavellian games.

Born into one of Florence’s most powerful families, Catherine was soon left a fabulously rich heiress by the early deaths of her parents. Violent conflict rent the city state and she found herself imprisoned and threatened by her family’s enemies before finally being released and married off to the handsome Prince Henry of France.

Overshadowed by her husband’s mistress, the gorgeous, conniving Diane de Poitiers, and unable to bear children, Catherine resorted to the dark arts of sorcery to win Henry’s love and enhance her fertility—for which she would pay a price. Against the lavish and decadent backdrop of the French court, and Catherine’s blood-soaked visions of the future, Kalogridis reveals the great love and desire Catherine bore for her husband, Henry, and her stark determination to keep her sons on the throne.-- St. Martin's Press

Today at BJ's Wholesale Club, I discovered a book that I'm dying to read. It's called THE DEVIL'S QUEEN; and it's the story of woman with whom I have always been interested -- Catherine de Medici. THE DEVIL'S QUEEN is written by Jeanne Kalogridis, author of I, MONA LISA and THE BORGIA BRIDE so I'm sure it's a treat. So many of my family and friends have just raved about her writing.

St. Martin's Press is so excited about the release of THE DEVIL'S QUEEN that they have created a bonus mini e-book to complement it! This e-book is filled with Catherine de Medici's "black magic" spells and dark charms. I read through the mini e-book and it has definitely piqued my interest in this exciting new novel!

If your book club is anything like mine, then you enjoy reading and discussing good historical fiction. I can only imagine how many groups will be reading THE DEVIL'S QUEEN in the next few months; and I was excited to see that there is already a reading guide available.

I absolutely can't wait to read this book, and I have a feeling that I'm not alone. Is THE DEVIL'S QUEEN a book that you're planning on reading?

Guest Review: Ravens

Summary: The Boatwrights just won 318 million dollars in the Georgia State lottery. It's going to be the worst day of their lives.

When Shaw McBride and Romeo Zderko pull up at a convenience store off I-95 in Georgia, their only thought is to fix a leaky tire and be on their way again to Florida-away from their dull Ohio tech-support jobs. But this happens to be the store from which a 318,000,000 million dollar Jackpot ticket has just been sold -- and when a pretty clerk accidentally reveals to Shaw the identity of the winning family, he hatches a ferociously audacious scheme: He and Romeo will squeeze the family for half their prize.

That night, he visits the Boatwright home and takes the family hostage, while Romeo patrols the streets nearby, prepared to murder the Boatwrights' loved ones at any sign of resistance. At first, the family offers none. But Shaw's plot depends on maintaining constant fear-merciless, unfaltering terror-and soon, under the pressure, everyone's sanity begins to unravel . . .

At once frightening, comic, and suspenseful, RAVENS is a wholly original and utterly compelling novel from one of our most talented writers. -- Grand Central Publishing

When I saw that there was going to be a book blog tour for RAVENS by George Dawes Green, both Kathy (aka Bermuda Onion) and I immediately thought that Booking Pap Pap might be game for reading this novel. I called him and read the book description to him, and he said it sounded interesting. Here are his thoughts about RAVENS:

Writing reviews for Booking Mama has certainly exposed me to literature genres that I normally would not be inclined to read. First it was a spiritual thriller, then a horror novel, and now a psychological suspense novel. RAVENS by George Dawes Green races you through one week in the lives of the Boatwright family who has just won $318 million in the Georgia State Lottery and are being held hostage by a psychopath and his partner for half the prize.

It all begins when Shaw McBride and Romeo Zderco leave their boring techie jobs in Ohio for a fresh start in Florida and make a stop at a convenience store in Georgia. While there, a store clerk inadvertently reveals the name of the recent lottery winner to Shaw. By browsing the Internet, McBride obtains enough information about the family to develop a diabolical scheme to get half the prize. His plan is to hold the Boatwright family hostage while his friend Zderco drives around the town ready to murder the Boatwright’s family and friends at the first sign of resistance.

The most interesting aspect of the book to me is the well developed and memorable, sometimes bizarre, characters. Shaw McBride as a teenager learned of his ability to control and manipulate others. Romeo Zderco was always desperate to be accepted by others and falls under Shaw’s influence early on. Although Romeo is not a cold blooded killer and actually exhibits signs of kindness and compassion during this ordeal, he cannot say no to Shaw. Mitch Boatwright is the Christian zealot who spends significant time reading scripture and shows more anger when Shaw attributes his lottery success to faith in Jesus Christ than he shows with the threat to his family. His wife, Patsy is the family drunk and obsessive lottery player. His daughter Tara is more or less a typical twenty-one year old. You realize early on she will have an important role as this drama plays out. Other characters such as Tara’s card playing Grandmother Nell, her brother Jase, her friend Clio and Burris, the old city cop considered to be a buffoon, provide humorous and unusual elements to the story.

The author does an excellent job in showing how an unusual situation such as winning the lottery can change ordinary people. He also shows the members of the Boatwright family falling victim to the Stockholm syndrome. Interestingly, the author utilizes the imagery of Christianity throughout the novel as Patsy prays after winning the lottery, Tara tries to pray during the crisis but can’t, and Jase feels guilt after telling his friends about the lottery. Mitch’s faith is tested throughout the ordeal, and Shaw is accepted by the townspeople as a sort of messiah. Another interesting aspect of the book is the use of technologies such as text messaging and computer monitoring devices.

The novel moves along at a brisk pace building the suspense right up until the surprising conclusion. It is hard to believe that all this suspense can be crammed into just seven days. I recommend the book to anyone who enjoys psychological thrillers.

Check out these other tour stops:

July 20
http://www.iheartmonster.com/
http://mustreadfaster.blogspot.com/
http://luanne-abookwormsworld.blogspot.com/
http://abookishmom.blogspot.com/
http://www.foreigncircuslibrary.blogspot.com/
http://booksandneedlepoint.blogspot.com

July 21
http://aseaofbooks.blogspot.com/
http://stephaniesbooks.blogspot.com/
http://www.thisbookforfree.com
http://proudbookworm.blogspot.com/
http://thetometraveller.blogspot.com/

July 22
http://www.reviewfromhere.com/
http://nevernotreading.blogspot.com/
http://www.frommipov.blogspot.com/
http://bellasnovella.com/
http://mindingspot.blogspot.com/

July 23
http://booksiesblog.blogspot.com/
http://dreyslibrary.blogspot.com/
http://memybookandthecouch.blogspot.com/
http://bridget3420.blogspot.com/
http://BookSoulmates.blogspot.com
http://www.bookwormygirl.blogspot.com/
http://dreyslibrary.blogspot.com/

July 24
http://bookinwithbingo.blogspot.com/
http://bookrevues.blogspot.com/
http://www.myspace.com/darbyscloset
http://www.myfriendamysblog.com/
http://justjenniferreading.blogspot.com/
http://www.readingwithmonie.com/

A big thanks to Booking Pap Pap for his insightful review and to Miriam from Hachette for organizing this book tour.

Review: LTDchix Tees & Totes Plus Giveaway

A few months ago, I was lucky enough to win an adorable LTDchix tee-shirt from Book Room Reviews. I had a hard time choosing which tee-shirt I wanted because they are all so darn cute! I ended up selecting the Cleaning Mom design (pictured below) because it's quite appropriate, but I could have just as easily picked the Workout Mom, the Referee Mom, the Multi-Tasking Mom and probably a few more. I absolutely love these shirts! They are sure to be a conversation piece, plus they are very stylish with the two-tone trim.


I liked the tee-shirt so much that I placed another order. Just last week, LTDchix came out with a new theme -- the Happy Hour Mom! It's available in both carolina blue and key lime; and I knew I had to order one for a friend. It's just too cute!

LTDchix items are just perfect for moms. Consider one as a treat to yourself or as a gift for a friend. If you are considering ordering either a fitted tee or a tank, I have to warn you that the fitted shirts do run a size small and the tanks are rather generous -- so order appropriately!

I also ordered one of LTDchix's new shopping bags -- the natural colored one with the Yoga Mom. I was pleasantly surprised by how nice these bags are, and I loved that the images were in full color! Not only will I be carrying my stuff around in a cute bag, but I will also be doing a little for the environment.


LTDchix has graciously offered to giveaway one of their shopping bags to a lucky Booking Mama reader. If you are interested in entering this contest, visit the LTDchix site and leave a comment after this post telling me what color and style bag you would like to win. Please leave a valid e-mail so I have a way to contact you. To double or triple your chances, you can blog and/or tweet about this contest with a link back to this post. The contest will be open until August 5th at 11:59 p.m. EST, and I will notify the winner the following day. This giveaway is open to those of you with U.S. and Canada mailing addresses only. Good luck!

Review: Finding Susie

Summary: A “perfect pet” story from Justice Sandra Day O’Connor.

Sandra is growing up on a desert ranch surrounded by animals, but she wants one to have her very own pet. A tortoise isn’t really friendly, a little rabbit is too fearful, and a young coyote howls to rejoin his pack. A bobcat almost fits the bill, but soon grows too big and fierce to be a housecat. Sandra’s parents let her learn for herself that these animals are best suited to the wild, though it is often hard to let them go. Finally, a smiley little stray dog finds Sandra. Sandra names the dog Susie, and the two become wonderful friends. -- Knopf

FINDING SUSIE written by Sandra Day O'Connor and illustrated by Tom Pohrt is a beautiful picture book for youngsters. In case you are wondering: yes, it is that Sandra Day O'Connor, the former Supreme Court Justice. I was so excited to see that an amazing female role model from my childhood has turned her skills into writing a children's book that my kids can appreciate.

I read this book to my son (who is almost 5 years old) and he enjoyed it. He understood the entire story, but he did become a bit antsy towards the end of the book. Don't get me wrong, he was able to sit for the entire story; however, FINDING SUSIE is longer than our usual night-time reads. The book is probably geared for kindergartners and up based on his reaction. Although there are definitely preschoolers who will love this book (the recommended age range is 4-8.)

FINDING SUSIE tells the story of Justice O'Connor's childhood adventures with the animals that lived around her family's ranch. She absolutely adored animals of all types and kept bringing home wild animals with the hopes that she could turn them into her pet. Some examples of the animals that found their way into Sandra's heart included a tortoise, a rabbit, a coyote and a bobcat. She finally ended up with a stray dog which she named Susie.

In addition to the story, I thought the illustrations in this book were just wonderful. Mr. Pohrt's pictures have appeared on the cover of The New Yorker in addition to many other picture books. The details on both the animals as well as the people's faces are exquisite; and I found the illustrations to be a perfect compliment to the text.

I also really liked the messages in this book. I especially appreciated the overall idea that some animals are not meant to be pets -- they are better suited to living in the wild. There is also the message that it's not always easy to do the right thing. Sandra learned this lesson the hard way when she had to keep giving up the animals that she loved because they weren't happy being pets. I also liked that Sandra was persistent and never gave up throughout this story. She knew she wanted a pet more than anything and she kept on trying over and over again. I have a feeling that these same personality traits that Justice O'Connor had as a child served her well in her adult life.

Thanks to the publisher for sending me this gorgeous picture book.

Review: Dune Road

Summary: Set in Connecticut’s tony Gold Coast town of Highfield, Dune Road tells the story of Kit Hargrove, whose divorce has granted her a new lease on life. No longer a Wall Street Widow, with the requisite diamond studs and Persian rugs, Kit revels in her clapboard Cape with the sea-green shutters and sprawling impatiens. Her kids are content, her ex cooperative, her friends steadfast, and each morning she wakes up unable to believe how lucky she is to have landed the job of her dreams: assisting the blockbuster novelist Robert McClore.

A mysterious tragedy drove this famous writer into seclusion decades ago, and few besides Kit are granted access to his house at the top of Dune Road, with its breathtaking views of Long Island Sound. But all that is about to change. At a rare appearance at the local bookstore, McClore meets Kit’s new friend Tracy, whose weakness for older men rivals her powers of self-reinvention. Are the secret visits of her boss’s new muse as innocent as Kit would like to believe? When a figure from her mother’s past emerges with equally cryptic intentions, just as the bear financial market is upending her best friend’s life, Kit discovers her blissfully constructed idyll—and the gorgeous man who has walked into it with creamy white roses—isn’t as perfect as she’d thought. Ties to friends and family are farther reaching than she had realized—and more crucial than ever before.

Warm, witty and gloriously observed, Dune Road is Jane Green at her best, full of brilliant insights into challenges that come with forging a new life. -- Viking

I am a pretty big Jane Green fan, so I was really looking forward to her latest novel DUNE ROAD. I wanted to be able to write this review and say that I absolutely loved it, but I just can't. I liked the book okay, but it didn't resonate with me the way some of her earlier books did. I guess I'd have to say that it's a good summer read, but it's probably not a book that's going to stick with me for very long.

I think my biggest problem with DUNE ROAD was that I didn't really relate to any of the characters. To be totally honest, a lot of characters in the book got on my nerves at times, especially Kit. Don't get me wrong, I did feel bad for Kit because her marriage ended; however, I thought her ideas of love and marriage were very warped and she came across for most of the book as being extremely selfish. That's not to say that she wasn't a good person -- she was just very self-centered and oblivious. I was also rather annoyed by Kit's friend Charlie. When she and her husband lost their entire fortune, she totally blamed him. I guess that's kind of natural, but she didn't seem to even wonder if she was at fault as well. I guess all of her shopping expenditures were her husband's fault too.

Not all of the characters in this book were annoying -- there were actually a few characters that I did really like. One in particular was Kit's neighbor Edie. She was a wonderful mentor to Kit and provided a lot of funny moments in the story. She was supportive of Kit and acted as a mother-figure; however, she wasn't afraid to tell Kit exactly what she thought. Like many older women, she had a lot of life experiences and her advice sure seemed to make a lot of sense to me.

I know I sound like I had a lot of gripes about this book, but it really is a good story. I especially liked how the book ended. Everything pretty much worked out for all of the "main" characters; and as far as I'm concerned, that's what I want when I read these types of stories -- happy endings. I actually really appreciated the evolution of Kit's character, and she did redeem herself in my eyes. In fact, I even marked a passage towards the end of the book because it is something my husband and I wholeheartedly believe.

"Loving, she realizes is a verb. It is an act. It is not enough to say you love someone, and then forget about them, or trust a relationship will stay strong simply because you share a house or children or a life.

Loving requires acts of love. It requires thinking of your spouse, doing things for them to make them happy. It requires acting in loving ways, even when you are tired, or bogged down with work, or so stressed you are waking up every night with a sore jaw from grinding your teeth."

I'm sure that you could find lots of things to discuss if you read DUNE ROAD for your book club, and it would probably be a terrific meeting. I couldn't find any discussion questions for the book, but some topics you could discuss include: mother/daughter relationships, financial security, marriage, new beginnings, parenting, trust, and self-awareness. I actually think DUNE ROAD might be an ideal book for women in their 30s and 40s to read because I'm pretty sure that you will recognize people you know in these characters.

Jane Green is a favorite author of mine and I definitely recommend reading some of her earlier books. Ms. Green has a pretty cool website where you can learn more about all of her novels. She actively maintains a blog, and I was pleasantly surprised to see that she includes some fantastic-looking recipes. You can also check out the locations for her DUNE ROAD book tour.

As a little aside, when I was on Ms. Green's website I noticed that DUNE ROAD was released in England with a different name -- GIRL FRIDAY. I actually didn't love the title of DUNE ROAD, and I do think GIRL FRIDAY is much more interesting and meaningful! I also liked the British cover a little better too! What do you think?

Review: The Embers

Summary: A once-charmed family is forced to confront the devastating tragedy that struck it years ago in this fiercely tender tale of betrayal and reconciliation

It’s the fall of 2007, and Emily Ascher should be celebrating: she just got engaged to the man she loves, her job is moving in new and fulfilling directions, and her once-rocky relationship with her mother, Laura, has finally mellowed into an easy give-and-take. But with the promise of new love

Settling into old comes a difficult look at how her family has been torn apart in the many years since her brother died. Her parents have long since divorced, and her father, Joe, a famous actor and playwright who has been paralyzed with grief since the tragedy, carries the blame for his son’s death—but what really happened on that winter night? Why has he been unable to clear his name, or even discuss that evening with Laura and Emily?

As spring looms—and with it Emily’s wedding in the Berkshires and an unveiling of Joe’s new play—each Ascher begins to reevaluate the events of long ago, finally facing the truth of his or her own culpability in them. Moving between past and present over the course of sixteen years, The Embers is a skillfully structured debut novel of buried secrets and deep regrets that crush a family while bonding its members irrevocably. -- Henry Holt

Remember a few days ago when I said that I am always on the lookout for some good summer reads? Well, I have found another great book that is just perfect for reading by the pool or on the beach. It's called THE EMBERS (an absolutely perfect title!) and it's written by Hyatt Bass. It's an intriguing story about a family who has been dealt a horrible tragedy, and I honestly could not put this book down. I was intrigued by the story and the characters, but I think the real beauty of this novel was in how the story was told.

I am definitely not alone in thinking that this book was just fabulous. People Magazine selected THE EMBERS as a "Get Ready for Summer" Pick, and Instyle Magazine chose it as a "Top 5 Beach Read for Summer 2009." It seems like everywhere I look, someone is raving about this novel.

The Ascher's are a family who seem to have it all until tragedy strikes a member of the family. THE EMBERS explores what happens to the remaining family members and how each one responds to the loss. These characters were all flawed as well as being extremely complex; and I can't begin to tell you how real they were to me. I felt their intense pain and even understood their self-destructive behaviors which came about as a result of how they handled the tragedy. As I read their story, I became so absorbed in their lives and I wanted them to find some sort of peace. I was desperately hoping that they could forgive not only each other but also themselves. These characters are bound to remain in your thoughts long after you finish reading the book.

As I mentioned earlier, I loved the story and the character development; however, the writing is this novel was really something special. Ms. Bass did a remarkable job of telling this story through a variety of very effective methods. First, she went back and forth between the present and the past extremely well. The transitions really were seamless, and the writing was so good that it appeared almost effortless. I loved how she went back in time to give clues about the tragedy as well as providing the reader additional insight into the characters and their actions. In addition to the flashbacks, Ms. Bass also gave the perspectives of each of the family members rather than focusing on just one character's viewpoint. I found this to be extremely effective because it allowed me to understand each character; and I think I became more fully involved in each of their lives. Truly, this story just unfolded beautifully -- I was caught up in these characters from the very first page until the very last.

THE EMBERS is Hyatt Bass' first novel and I'm sure hoping it is just the start to a long career of book-writing. Prior to writing THE EMBERS, Ms. Bass wrote, directed, and produced the movie "75 Degrees in July." Since I'm not much of a movie-goer, I can't speak to it; however, I'm certainly glad that she decided to write novels -- now that I can appreciate! I think THE EMBERS is a terrific debut novel, and Ms. Bass is definitely a force to be reckoned with.

As I read THE EMBERS, I thought it would make a terrific movie; and I wouldn't at all be surprised to see it go to the big screen sometime in the near future. In fact, THE EMBERS actually started out as a screenplay before Ms. Bass felt she had more freedom to develop the characters in the form of a novel. I'm already very curious to see who would be casted as the central characters. Instyle Magazine mentioned Jack Nicholson, Angelica Huston, and Liv Tyler as their ideal cast, and I have to say that I can certainly see them in these roles.

I think THE EMBERS would make a wonderful book club discussion book. There are few things more interesting than delving into the dynamics of a troubled family. Plus, this novel really made me think. Some of the issues that kept running through my mind and that I'd love to talk about with friends include: grief, redemption, family dynamics, loss and love. There is a reading group guide available which includes some thought-provoking discussion questions, along with some praise for the book and an excellent Q&A with Hyatt Bass. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Ms. Bass' interview answers, and they definitely enhanced my enjoyment of the novel.

Check out the trailer for this book:



A huge thanks to the author and the publisher for sending me a copy of this wonderful book.

Book Blogger Appreciation Week

Announcing the Second Annual Book Blogger Appreciation Week
September 14-18, 2009

Last year over 400 blogs came together to celebrate the art of book blogging during the first ever Book Blogger Appreciation Week! My Friend Amy is at it again. The second annual Book Blogger Appreciation Week will be taking place September 14-18.

Here's the rundown straight from the official Book Blogger Appreciation Week Blog:

WHO Anyone who blogs about books is invited to participate. In fact, we want everyone who blogs about books and reading to be a part of this week!

WHAT A week where we come together, celebrate the contribution and hard work of book bloggers in promoting a culture of literacy, connecting readers to books and authors, and recogonizing the best among us with the Second Annual BBAW Awards. There will be special guest posts, daily blogging themes, and giveaways.

WHEN September 14-18, 2009

WHERE Here at the new Book Blogger Appreciation Week Blog! (Please note that this year there are three separate blogs and feeds—one for the main event, one for giveaways, and one for awards.)

WHY Because books matter. In a world full of options, the people talking about books pour hard work, time, energy, and money into creating a community around the written word. I, Amy, the founder of Book Blogger Appreciation Week love this community of bloggers and want to shower my appreciation on you!

WANT TO PARTICIPATE?
Please help us spread the word about Book Blogger Appreciation Week by posting about it on your blog, stumbling this post, twittering about it, and telling everyone you know that it’s time to have a party and celebrate book bloggers!

Please register by filling out the registration form! Registering ensures your inclusion in the BBAW 09 Database of Book Bloggers and enters you into the drawing for the BBAW 09 Grand Prize!

Come back often as there will be many updates! And follow us on Twitter!

AWARDS
BBAW Award Nominations will open tomorrow, July 15 on the BBAW Awards Blog.

Review: Faith, Hope, and Ivy June

Summary: When push comes to shove, two Kentucky girls find strength in each other.

Ivy June Mosely and Catherine Combs, two girls from different parts of Kentucky, are participating in the first seventh-grade student exchange program between their schools. The girls will stay at each other’s homes, attend school together, and record their experience in their journals. Catherine and her family have a beautiful home with plenty of space. Since Ivy June’s house is crowded, she lives with her grandparents. Her Pappaw works in the coal mines supporting four generations of kinfolk. Ivy June can’t wait until he leaves that mine forever and retires. As the girls get closer, they discover they’re more alike than different, especially when they face the terror of not knowing what’s happening to those they love most. -- Delacorte Press

FAITH, HOPE, AND IVY JUNE by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor is a marvelous book for middle-graders. I had high expectations for this book because Ms. Naylor has written so many fantastic books for young people including the Newberry Award winning novel SHILOH; and I am so happy to say that I wasn't disappointed. FAITH, HOPE, AND IVY JUNE is just one of those books that will stay with you for a long time after you've finished reading it. The story, the characters, and the lessons in this story are all extremely memorable.

FAITH, HOPE, AND IVY JUNE is already receiving awards -- it is the winner of the Kid's Indie Next List "Inspired Recommendations for Kids from Indie Booksellers." As far as I'm concerned, there should be many more awards coming in the next few months. This book not only told a very good story, but it also had terrific characters who learned so many important life lessons.

I think one of the reasons that I enjoyed this story so much was because I could somewhat relate to it. As a child, I never participated in an exchange program, but I did attend a lot of new schools because my family moved so often. I could understand both of the girls' fears and insecurities about entering new and very different environments. Another way that I could relate to this book was because it pertained to coal mines. My family comes from a line of coal miners who live in Western Pennsylvania. I enjoyed reading about life in the coal mines and how incredibly risky and difficult a coal miner's job is.

If I put on my "mother" hat (instead of just my "reader" hat), I have to say that the lessons in this book were wonderful. I truly think that children who read this book can't help but think about Catherine and Ivy June and all of the things they learned through their experiences with each other. I thought this book had so many valuable points about friendship. While both Catherine and Ivy Jean seemed to be nothing alike on the outside, they realized that they were actually kind of similar. Rather than focusing on how different they were, they decided to appreciate each other's differences and find the things they had in common. I also think they gained some self-confidence and learned a great deal about themselves because they realized that they could adapt to other environments and that they had certain things about their lives that made them pretty special. Another meaningful lesson that was apparent in this book (especially in the times of crisis) was that the girls discovered the importance of their families and friends.

I think FAITH, HOPE, AND IVY JUNE would make a perfect pick for our Mother Daughter book club. I also recommend it as a potential discussion book for the classroom. There is a teacher's guide available which would help facilitate the conversation; but even without it, there is a ton to talk about concerning this story. I actually would like to see my daughter and her friends read and discuss this book because I think there are so many valuable lessons about family, self-discovery and friendship. These lessons are especially important for our girls as they are in that ever-so-impressionable tween phase.

I read this book a few weeks ago, and I wanted Booking Daughter to read it and give her impressions. I had a feeling that she was going to think this book was something special. Here are Booking Daughter's thoughts:

I really liked FAITH, HOPE, AND IVY JUNE. It taught me a lot of lessons and I also got to learn more about coal mines.

Catherine and Ivy June realize that they are different on the outside but similar on the inside. I think that was a big part of the story. You can be friends with different types people. You also learn more lessons in this book about friendships and secrets.

My Great Grandfather used to work in a coal mine. I am going to ask him for more information about his job.

Phylis Reynolds Naylor is a favorite author of mine. I read SHILOH in my reading class. I also read all of the BOYS VS. GIRLS books except one. I was so excited to read FAITH, HOPE, AND IVY JUNE.

I really liked the characters and I want to know what happens to them. I hope she writes a sequel.

A big thanks to Booking Daughter for writing her review and to the publisher for sending us a copy of the book.

Review: Dial Emmy for Murder & Giveaway

Summary: Tabloids and fans are stunned when daytime soap opera star Alexis Peterson leaves her show. She’s too busy with her new job as presenter at the Daytime Emmy® Awards to even notice. But when a co-presenter goes missing on award night, Alexis is determined to find who is killing Hollywood’s biggest and brightest before another burns out... -- Obsidian

I was looking for a light, quick read to take with me to the pool the other day, and I thought DIAL EMMY FOR MURDER by Eileen Davidson and co-authored by Robert Randisi sounded like it might hit the spot. I wanted an entertaining book that would hold my interest, but I didn't want to have to concentrate too much because I still needed to be able to watch my kiddos. DIAL EMMY FOR MURDER was ideal, and I actually enjoyed it quite a bit.

When I was growing up, I was a huge fan of The Young and The Restless as well as Eileen Davidson -- I always loved Ashley Abbott. When I found out that Ms. Davidson was writing a mystery series and that it was getting some positive reviews, I knew I had to give it a try. It's a little embarrassing to admit this, but one of my main reasons for reading this book is that I wanted to learn a little bit about the world of daytime drama. DIAL EMMY FOR MURDER gave me that scoop, and it's apparent that Ms. Davidson's 25 plus years in daytime drama have made her an expert on this topic.

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed reading DIAL EMMY FOR MURDER. I used to read ton of mysteries and then I became more interested in other genres. While I don't pick up mysteries very often anymore, I still find that I like them when I do. DIAL EMMY FOR MURDER had all of the elements that make for an entertaining mystery. The story kept me guessing and was suspenseful, but it also had some likable characters. It didn't hurt that I found myself laughing a few times too.

While I enjoyed the story with its fair share of twists and turns, I think my favorite part of this book were the characters. Of course, that's probably the intention when an author sets out to write a series -- create likable characters so readers gets caught up in their story. I really liked Alex, a single mom and soap star, who also happened to be an amateur sleuth; and I found myself quite interested in her love life. I thought Ms. Davidson did a good job of keeping the book pretty clean (although there was some bad language) while also creating tension between Alex and Jakes, the investigating police officer (whom I really liked by the way.) I also thought Alex's best friend George was a hoot and added some humor to the story; and I'd actually like to see more of him in future books.

I also enjoyed the secondary storyline of Alex's ex-husband Randy. He decides to return to Southern California after years being MIA and suddenly wants a relationship with his daughter. Randy was actually kind of a mystery to Alex since he disappeared a few years ago, and she wasn't sure what his intentions were or what he was capable of. The book definitely leaves this storyline open-ended and I have a feeling that we'll be seeing more of Randy in the future --- kind of like a cliffhanger on a soap!

DIAL EMMY FOR MURDER is actually Ms. Davidson's second mystery book with these characters. The first book is called DEATH IN THE DAYTIME; and if it's anything like DIAL EMMY FOR MURDER, then I definitely want to read it too. The second book did give hints and references to the murder that occurred in the first novel; however, I definitely think it stands alone. Ms. Davidson has a third book in the series coming out DIVA, LAS VEGAS!; and there is a brief excerpt of the book in the back of DIAL EMMY FOR MURDER. I have a feeling that I'll need to get my hands on this one too based on the teaser.

If you think you'd be interested in winning a copy of DIAL EMMY FOR MURDER, just leave a comment with your e-mail address telling me your favorite daytime soap. If you don't have one, that's okay too -- just let me know. To double or triple your chances, you can blog and/or tweet about this contest with a link back to this post. This contest is open until July 31st, and I will notify the winner the following day. Open to U.S. and Canada citizens only. Good Luck!

Thanks to Authors on the Web for sending me a copy of this book.

Review: Organic and Chic & Giveaway

Summary: "When I bring one of my sweets into the room—whether at a wedding or an intimate dinner party—the expressions on people's faces turn that celebration into a memory I'll never forget. That's what baking should be."

Many people are coming to recognize the merits of eating organic ingredients, but the idea of "organic baked goods" may bring to mind food that is more boring than beautiful and delicious. But in Organic and Chic, custom cake baker Sarah Magid uses her background in jewelry and shoe design to create vibrantly colored, highly original, delicious organic cakes and other desserts that are perfect for all kinds of celebrations.

Filled with gorgeous photographs, Organic and Chic features recipes for delectable baked goods you'll be excited to re-create and serve to family and friends, from modern floral cakes and cupcakes to rustic farmer's-market sweets made with seasonal fruits:

Red Velvet Love Cake frosted with Vanilla Whipped Buttercream and garnished with edible flowers

Vanilla-Bean Butter Cake filled with Sweet Chocolate Ganache and decorated with hand-sculpted butterflies

Minty Strawberry Shortcakes, celebrating the bounty of the summer

Goldies, a tasty tribute to America's favorite cream-filled sponge cake

Whether you're preparing some simple Double Ginger Cookies for a block party or bake sale, or experimenting with a rich and luscious dark chocolate birthday cake, you can be confident that you're serving desserts that are gorgeous and flavorful without resorting to fake, chemical-laden ingredients. Magid offers detailed step-by-step decorating instructions and enough inspiration to help even the most novice baker create bold cake-decorating effects, including eye-popping flowers, hand-sculpted leaves, and metallic-painted brushstrokes.

A must for every health-minded baker, this unique cookbook balances exquisite flavors, organic ingredients, and stunning visuals to help you create your own masterpieces.-- William Morrow

ORGANIC AND CHIC: CAKES, COOKIES, AND OTHER SWEETS THAT TASTE AS GOOD AS THEY LOOK by Sarah Magid is AMAZING! It is absolutely one of the most beautiful cookbooks that I have ever seen. As you can see, the cover photo is just filled with incredible looking desserts; and all of the pictures in the book are just like this. I would actually consider placing this cookbook on my coffee table because it's that gorgeous. Plus, I'd kind of like to have it handy because I really enjoyed looking at all of the recipes and decorating ideas.

Not only is this cookbook filled with beautiful pictures, but there are just loads of yummy-looking recipes. The book starts with recipes for cakes and cupcakes (along with frosting, curds, and filling recipes), then it has a section on cookies and bars, a section on reformed junk food, and one on farmers' market sweets. There is another section that will appeal to a lot of moms titled children's goodies which has easy, cute recipes geared towards little ones. The book ends with a wonderful chapter on Ms. Magid's design techniques along with step-by-step instructions.

I was pleasantly surprised by this cookbook not because of its recipes and photos, but rather because the instructions and explanations were so detailed and clear. The recipes and instructions for decorating were extremely easy-to-follow. Now making my cakes as gorgeous as the ones in the book might be a challenge, but I think that's because of my lack of skill and definitely not the fault of the instructions. And since I am not a regular consumer of organic foods, I loved how Ms. Magid explained the benefits of going organic as well as some name brands for organic baking goods. The last few pages of the cookbook also include explanations of various baking tools and how best to use them. I actually learned a great deal just by reading Ms. Magid's advice.

I absolutely adored this cookbook, and I can't wait to try some of the recipes. Unfortunately, that won't be until after I finish THE GAME ON! DIET later this month. (Although August is the perfect time for me to make cakes, since we will be having three birthday parties over the course of three weekends!) Now that I'm eating so much better, I appreciate how all of Ms. Magid's recipes use organic and natural ingredients --at least be eating "healthier" goodies, right? There is one recipe in particular that I want to try for the "Easiest Chocolate Cake." Not only is the cake vegan, but my little guy can eat it even with all of his food allergies. Of course, there are lots of cakes and desserts that I want to try, especially the "Coco Loco" cake and the "Lovely Lemon Cake."

Sarah Magid currently has a custom cake business in New York City. In her past, she has worked for Tommy Hilfiger, J. Crew, Coach, Liz Claiborne, Frye and Henri Bendel. Her cakes have been featured in some of the most popular magazines including Domino, InStyle Weddings, Brides, and Martha Stewart's The Art of Cakes. With those credentials, it's pretty evident that she has an eye for design!

Ms. Magid has a beautiful website that you must visit. She has some photographs of her cake designs which are sure to amaze you. She also maintains a blog where she shares a lot more pictures as well as addition information about her designs. I swear I could read about her ideas for hours! If you are interested in learning more about Ms. Magid and ORGANIC AND CHIC, then check out this video of Ms. Magid discussing her book and how she gets her ideas:



I am so excited that I have some copies of ORGANIC AND CHIC to giveaway courtesy of Harper Collins! To make this contest a little more interesting, I am going to give away one copy of the book for every 15 entries I receive -- up to five copies. To enter, just leave a comment with your e-mail address telling me what is your favorite type of cake. To double or triple your chances, you can blog and/or tweet about this giveaway with a link back to this post. This contest is open until Thursday, July 30th at 11:59 p.m. EST; and I will notify the winners the following day. This giveaway is open to those of you with U.S. or Canada mailing addresses only -- no p.o. boxes please! I wish you the best of luck because this is one incredible cookbook!

Review: April and Oliver

Summary: Best friends since childhood, the sexual tension between April and Oliver has always been palpable. Years after being completely inseparable, they become strangers, but the wildly different paths of their lives cross once again with the sudden death of April's brother. Oliver, the responsible, newly engaged law student finds himself drawn more than ever to the reckless, mystifying April - and cracks begin to appear in his carefully constructed life. Even as Oliver attempts to "save" his childhood friend from her grief, her menacing boyfriend and herself, it soon becomes apparent that Oliver has some secrets of his own--secrets he hasn't shared with anyone, even his fiancé. But April knows, and her reappearance in his life derails him. Is it really April's life that is unraveling, or is it his own? The answer awaits at the end of a downward spiral...towards salvation. - Grand Central Publishing

APRIL & OLIVER by Tess Callahan is just a marvelous book written by a very gifted writer. It is basically the story of April and Oliver who meet up after many years after the sudden death of April's younger brother. As children, April and Oliver were extremely close and knew each other better than anyone; however, during their separation, they didn't stay in touch and eventually grew apart. This book is, without a doubt, a character-driven novel; and I found all of the characters to be very real as well as very complicated. The reader can't help but be touched by the pain that both April and Oliver have in their lives.

Because this novel was so beautiful, I found myself reading it slowly and appreciating each and every page. I think another reason that I wasn't able to breeze through this book was because I found the story to be just gut-wrenching. I loved both April and Oliver (even when I wanted to just shake some sense into them) but they were both so unhappy and even self-destruction in so many ways. I had a difficult time with many of their actions (especially April's); and yet, I still became caught up in their lives and kept holding out hope that they would find some happiness.

The book is just incredibly well written; and it's very hard to believe that it is Ms. Callahan's debut novel. I was a little disappointed to find this out because I wanted to go back and read her prior books and now I just have to wait for her next one. Her prose is just exquisite and her dialogue is spot on. I can't get over how well she developed the characters in this book. They were all flawed and their interactions were complicated, but I felt as if I knew them by the end of this book.

A few weeks ago, Miriam from Hachette hosted Ms. Callahan on a BlogTalk Radio show. I was actually able to listen to the show live; however, I wasn't able to call in because of all the background noise in my home -- the two kiddos were around! Nonetheless, I was happy that I could still ask a few of my questions via the chat room. Ms. Callahan is a teacher, an artist, a writer, and on top of all that, a mother of twins; so I was very curious to hear how she handles everything! In addition, I was very intrigued to learn about her writing process and how she develops her characters. I think if you listen to the interview, you will agree that Ms. Callahan is a very interesting person. If you'd like to learn more about Ms. Callahan, check out her website as well as this Q&A.

One thing about this book that made it so very special to me was the ending -- I thought it was just perfect. I don't want to give anything away, but the ending did cause me to think a great deal about April and Oliver and what potentially happened to each of them. On the BlogTalk Radio show, I actually asked the author what she thought happened after the book ended; and I absolutely loved her answer. I'm paraphrasing, but here's the gist: "I have no idea and didn't really think about it. The characters were done telling their story to me." As a non-writer, I am just amazed by that answer, but I think it's so telling about the type of writer Ms. Callahan is.

I highly recommend APRIL & OLIVER as a book club pick. As I mentioned earlier, this book is very character driven so there is naturally a great deal to discuss about April and Oliver as well as their relationships. I was so excited to find this reading guide with 25 excellent discussion questions. In addition, there is also a reading guide for APRIL & OLIVER and THE POWER OF KNOW by Eckart Tolle that has ten more questions. A lot of the questions posed allow you to discuss the characters in this novel, but you can also touch upon the themes of loss, guilt, and forgiveness. It truly is a wonderful discussion book!

Thanks to Miriam for sending me a copy of APRIL & OLIVER.

Review: The Grumpy Dump Truck

Summary: This dump truck has a bad attitude.

It's not easy being a dump truck, hauling heavy dirt from one place to the next. All that work has made Bertrand decidedly grouchy. But when he meets Tilly, a cheerful porcupine construction worker, Bertrand’s attitude begins to change. Can this grumpy dump truck learn to be nice? Brie Spangler’s hilarious new picture book is perfect for little truck lovers! -- Knopf

THE GRUMPY DUMP TRUCK by Brie Spangler is just a terrific picture book -- both my son and I agree on this. This book is the story of Bertrand the dump truck who is extremely grumpy about having to haul dirt all day -- and boy, was he grumpy! Bertrand meets Tilly the porcupine whose quill pierces his tire, and he becomes even more upset. Tilly remains calm and pulls out her quill from his tire, along with quite a few other objects. Bertrand immediately feels better and is so grateful that he says "Thank You" for the very first time. After all of that, he has a major attitude adjustment and suddenly wants to help others.

My son totally understood this book and did a great job of explaining it to me. I'm not sure that all the messages in this book were clear to him, but he did comprehend that Tilly's behavior ultimately made Bertrand happier. He thought the parts of the story where Bertrand was being mean to everyone were hilarious, but he also was excited that Bertrand finally felt better.

I think this book has so many wonderful messages. I took the opportunity to use this book to discuss a few things to my son. The most important lesson that we talked about was that there are things happening "inside" of every person that we might not know. That being the case, I explained that we should try not to be grumpy with others; however, sometime grumpy people do have a reason for their grumpiness. As compassionate people, we have to try to understand that something might be wrong and be patient with them -- just like Tilly was.

To bring the lesson a little closer to home, I asked him if I was every grumpy to him. He laughed and nodded his head (a little too enthusiastically if you ask me.) I told him that sometimes I am upset about something that happened to me earlier in the day or that I'm not feeling well. My grumpiness really doesn't have anything to do with him and that his feelings shouldn't get hurt. I also pointed out that it's not okay for me to treat him poorly because of my own issues; and that I should realize what I did wrong and try harder to have a better attitude. I think he got the general gist of it!

THE GRUMPY DUMP TRUCK is available today -- July 14, 2009. Thanks to Knopf for sending me a copy of this book.

Review: I Don't Want to Go to School

Summary: A book to ease those first-day jitters!

“No way!” is Simon’s mantra when his parents tell him that tomorrow is his first day of school. After he tries to convince himself that he is not scared, Simon calls for help from Mom and Dad, who assure him that he will learn a lot, meet new friends, and have a great day at school. And they may just be right! After a day of drawing, playing, eating, resting, and making music, Mom tells Simon that it’s time to go home. His answer? “No way!” Author-illustrator Stephanie Blake has created a lovable character in Simon the Super Rabbit, whose cautious approach to something new will feel familiar for parents and children alike. -- Random House

I DON'T WANT TO GO TO SCHOOL by Stephanie Blake is just the perfect little book for the youngster in your life who is getting ready to start school. Simon the Super Rabbit is scared to go to school; however, his parents keep assuring him that everything is going to be okay. I love how the author incorporated humor into what is often times a very scary time for little kids. I think children are going to react very positively to this book.

My almost five year old son certainly enjoyed I DON'T WANT TO GO TO SCHOOL. He had a great time reading it with me and even participated when Simon kept telling his parents, "No Way!" After just a few pages, my little guy would fill in the words "No Way!" when I stopped reading. It was just too cute! And he couldn't help but giggle each and every time he said it.

Besides the story, my son really liked the illustrations. I have to side with him on this one because the pictures in this book are adorable. Simon appears as a masked super-hero on the cover of the book, and I think my son instantly felt an affinity with him. As we read the story and Simon's behavior became more extreme, the illustrations showed his very silly facial expressions. The pictures really do tell the story and show Simon's fears and insecurities.

As a mother, I really liked this book too. It was clear that it resonated with my son; however, I also appreciated the message that it sends to kids. I DON'T WANT TO GO TO SCHOOL shows that it's okay to be scared to start a new school. And while Simon's parents tried to tell him in many different ways that it would be fine, he wasn't entirely sure. It wasn't until Simon attended school for himself that he realized just how much fun it was.

I recommend this book to anyone who has a little one starting school. My son is heading back to his preschool next year, but you can bet that I'm going to be pulling this book out again before he heads to kindergarten the following year. I also think it's a wonderful book for teachers to add to their storybook collection; and it just might be perfect to read at either an orientation or even the first day of classes.

I DON'T WANT TO GO TO SCHOOL is available today -- July 14, 2009. A big thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy of the book.

Week 2 Recap for Game On Diet

I survived another week of The Game On Diet. I hesitate to use the word "survive" because it really hasn't been all that hard for me. I even went away on a mini-vacation to State College, PA for the Central PA Arts Festival and still managed to get a perfect score of 850 and lose 2.0 pounds. It wasn't too difficult to incorporate the diet into my 2 day vacation because it is somewhat flexible. I was able to take my day off for one of my vacation days and eat anything (and everything) I wanted; and the other day I just made good choices and ate wisely.

For some reason, I associate State College and Penn State with food (and drink)! It's a miracle that I didn't leave college weighing 200 pounds! I pretty much decided that this was a family vacation and I was going to enjoy it. I ended up eating a ton of food and most of it wasn't very healthy! I had homemade macaroni and cheese at the Diner, not one, but two, Creamery ice cream cones, a big bowl of Lobster Bisque from the Nittany Lion Inn, and one light beer -- and that was all on Thursday. I know you're thinking that it's no wonder I need to diet!!!

On Friday morning, we went to The Waffle Shop, another Penn State tradition for us; but I was super good. I ordered the healthy omelet that was made with egg whites, spinach, tomatoes and mushrooms. I had a small side of fruit for my carbs and only ate on little piece of dry wheat toast. Just to be on the safe side, I counted my 100 extra calories with this meal. I ate a very small salad with rotisserie chicken for lunch and had a snack of cheese sticks, almonds and an apple on the way home. I was pretty darn proud of myself!

My husband is extremely supportive of my diet; however, I have to show you what he ordered at the Waffle Shop. It's chocolate chip pancakes with loads of whipped cream in case you were wondering; and it's chock full of chocolate chips -- I'd say about a half of a bag!

He wants you to know that he usually eats very healthy and that he is not at all overweight!!

And now on to the score keeping because this diet really is a competition. Drum roll please......

Ding Dongs: 838.8 points for a total of 1633.40
Twinkies: 734.8 points for a total of 1510.40
Ho Hos: 645.0 points for a total of 1327.0

I am so proud of my Ding Dong teammates because that's the second week in a row that we had the most points (we had to recalculate last week's points because one of the Ding Dongs didn't give herself enough credit.) It also means that all five of us lost at least 1% of our weight this week and made our weight goals. Woot Woot! We really are "kicking our friends' butts while shrinking our own" (that's from the cover of the book, not just me being mean.)

I know the Twinkies and Ho Hos are going to be coming after us this week so it's important that we don't let down our guard. Until next week....Game On!

Review: Queen Takes King

Summary: Jackson Power. A name like the man himself: aggressive, ambitious, bullish. The prodigal son, heir to millions, built his own Manhattan real estate empire and revels in seeing his moniker -- Power! -- on glittering skyscrapers around the city that never sleeps. Beneath his desk in the towering Power headquarters, Jacks has a stack of newspapers and photographs of himself, shaking hands with the most famous men and women of his generation. Here's a man who's always loved to see his name in ink. Until now.

Cynthia Hunsaker Power. She is the epitome of elegance and society. The perfect foil for a man of Jacks's stature -- his first and only wife, he'd proudly tell any of his Master of the Universe (read: Gargoyle) friends. The former prima ballerina arrived in New York at eighteen, off the bus from Missouri, brimming with talent, beauty, and drive. She met a struggling painter, fell in love, and only later learned she'd won the Power lottery. Now she sits on the New York Ballet Theater board, effortlessly outdoing herself with one gala after another. But the press coverage of the Power silver anniversary party at the Waldorf takes the cake.

Jacks Power appears twice in the New York Post the next morning -- once gallantly dancing with his wife of twenty-five years, Cynthia; and once hand in hand with Lara Sizemore, morning television star, exiting her Upper West Side apartment building that very same night.

To Jackson Power, Lara is everything his wife Cynthia is not -- wild, voluptuous, mysterious, and self sustaining. A new passion has swept Jacks off his well-shod feet -- and she is Lara Sizemore. He is ready for the divorce, ready to marry his mistress, America's Sweetheart. But Cynthia isn't ready to be swept out of the picture quite so easily.

Let the Divorce Games begin.

Whether they're changing the locks on each other in their Park Avenue triplex or sabotaging each other's dinner parties, it's The People's Billionaire vs. The Ballerina, in a split-up that will trump the most scandalous divorces known to polite New York society. Cynthia's got their twenty-five-year-old artist daughter, Vivienne, in her camp; Jacks has the young bartending playwright Adrian, whom he intends to pay to seduce Cynthia into an easy split. But Cynthia might have a few tricks up her well-tailored Chanel sleeve, and she -- like Jacks -- is prepared to use every weapon in her divorce arsenal to win the game. It's a battle of wits, of charm, of two of the biggest egos -- and personalities and bank accounts -- in Manhattan, and neither side will go down without a fight.

From beloved and best selling author Gigi Levangie Grazer comes a sexy, sassy, smart new novel, Queen Takes King. -- Simon & Schuster

I seem to really be on a roll lately as far as reading entertaining books go. The latest summer read that I enjoyed was QUEEN TAKES KING by Gigi Levangie Grazer. Trust me when I say, if you like books filled with larger-than-life characters and lots of juicy scandal and gossip, then this book is for you. Plus, it's just a very, very funny story! I think this is the perfect book to take to the pool or beach with you -- when you just want to sit back, relax and be entertained.

Probably the first thing that struck me about this novel was how readable it was. Even though it was over 350 pages, I read it in just a little over a day. The pace of the book was very quick and I had a hard time putting the book down. I just couldn't wait to see what happened! There was the main story of the breaking up of the Powers' 25 year marriage which was extremely interesting, but there were also side stories about the other characters that I liked. Ms. Grazer did a great job of pulling me into the story and making me want more when it came to these characters.

I also appreciated that the story wasn't entirely predictable as is often the case with these types of books. It actually had some twists and turns and even a few surprises thrown in that made it even more entertaining to me. Besides the story surprising me a few times, I have to admit that I was also shocked by the behavior of some of the characters (although it did make for a good and scintillating story.) I was happy to see that by the end of the book, some of the characters did realize their wrong-doings and even made an attempt to change their lives.

Another thing that I thought was really cute about this book was how the author used the theme of a chess game throughout the story. Not only did the title and cover of the book refer to chess, but even the chapter headings made references to the game. I actually thought a chess game was an ideal analogy for the "game "that the characters were playing with each other as well as their constant positioning.

When I mentioned that I thought this book was quite entertaining, I think it's because the story kept my interest from the very beginning to the very end of the book. Plus, I really enjoyed reading about this wonderful cast of characters. I became very interested in these characters' lives even though I initially didn't like any of them. I found myself rooting against Jacks and wishing the worst for him. (What does that say about me that I wanted bad things to happen to a character? But in all fairness, he was a narcissistic, egotistical jerk.) However, by the end of the novel, I actually ended up really liking quite a few of the characters; and I was especially hoping that Cynthia could realize her potential.

I'm sure that many of you are familiar with Gigi Levangie Grazer; but just in case you're not, she's the author of MANEATER, RESCUE ME, and THE STARTER WIFE. THE STARTER WIFE became a mini-series on the USA network, and MANEATER was turned into a mini series on Lifetime. She also wrote the screenplay for the Julia Roberts and Susan Sarandon movie Step-Mom. It's apparent from reading QUEEN TAKES KING that she understands high society; however, I think she is also a pretty darn good storyteller. If you are interested in learning more about Ms. Grazer or her books, check out her website. There is a separate website devoted to the novel QUEEN TAKES KING where you can read an excerpt from the book and even some reviews.

I also found the video clip which shows Ms. Grazer discussing QUEEN TAKES KING and how she got the idea for her latest novel.

Review: Real Life & Liars

Summary: Sometimes you find happiness where, and when, you least expect it.

For Mirabelle Zielinski's children, happiness always seems to be just out of reach. Her polished oldest daughter, Katya, clings to a stale marriage with a workaholic husband and three spoiled children. Her son, Ivan, so creative, is a down-in-the-dumps songwriter with the worst taste in women. And the "baby," impulsive Irina, who lives life on a whim, is now reluctantly pregnant and hitched to a man who is twice her age. On the weekend of their parents' anniversary party, lies will be revealed, hearts will be broken...but love will also be found. And the biggest shock may come from Mirabelle herself, because she has a secret that will change everything. -- Avon

I have had REAL LIFE AND LIARS by Kristina Riggle on my must-read list for awhile now. I first heard about the book because the author, Ms. Riggle, is one of this year's contributors to The Debutante Ball. I am a regular follower of this grog, and I make an effort to read every one of the debut novels that are written by the "debs." So far, I have never been disappointed. If you are looking for wonderful books by new authors, then you should definitely check out this site.

I am very happy to say that REAL LIFE AND LIARS was a fantastic book. I always seem to enjoy books that are heavy on character development and deal with intense family dynamics, so it wasn't a big surprise to me how much I appreciated this novel. I became absorbed in the story and the characters from the start and had a hard time putting this book down. I was also extremely touched by this story because it pointed out to me how difficult it can be for families to just get along with each other -- an all too real situation for many families. The parts of the book that dealt with resentment and sibling rivalry were very honest looks at dysfunctional families as well as terrific material for a story about family dynamics. I think many readers will relate in some way to this story.

I absolutely love how Ms. Riggle chose to tell this story. The book consisted of many brief chapters from Mira and her children's points-of-view. For some reason, this format really kept me reading because it seemed like each short chapter left me wanting for more. I thought it was so creative how even though the chapters told each person's part of the story, only Mira's chapters were written in first person narrative. I thought this was crucial to my enjoyment of the novel because I didn't always relate to Mira. Being able to get into Mira's head and "hear" all her thoughts really helped me to not only understand Mira, but also to better understand the entire family.

I also enjoyed all of the characters in this story, and I thought Ms. Riggle developed them so well. That's not to say that I would want to be friends with all of them, but I thought each character was very real and made the book very interesting. When I was first introduced to the characters, I wasn't quite sure that I was going to "like" any of them. Every character in the family had their fair share of issues; and I often times found myself wanting to knock some sense into them. It seemed to me that each member of the Zielinkski family was extremely self-absorbed and unappreciative. However, as I read their stories and learned more about them, I realized why they were like this and I was hopeful that they could change. I was saddened that it took a family crisis to make these characters aware of what's important in life; but if that's what it took to wake them up, then I guess something good came out of the bad.

It's almost hard to believe that REAL LIFE AND LIARS is Ms. Riggles' debut novel because it is just so good. I loved her writing style and how she told this story; and I think she did a marvelous job of developing the characters. If you'd like to learn more about Ms. Riggle and her book, you can listen to the BlogTalk Radio show that was taped a few months ago. In addition, there is a great section in the back of the book called A+ Author Insights, Extra, & More which includes discussion questions and an author Q&A. I was so excited to read that Ms. Riggle is already busy at work with another book that deals with complex family relationships -- I can't wait to read it.

REAL LIFE AND LIARS would make a marvelous book club discussion book! I would find it hard to believe that anyone would not enjoy this novel, and I can only imagine how much fun it would be to discuss this family and all their mixed-up dynamics. As I mentioned earlier, there are
discussion questions located in the back of the book (if you feel like you need them.) Of course since I'm a sucker for books that deal with complicated family relationships, I appreciate the questions that focus on Mira and her dealing with her children. I also like the question that delves into what effect (if any) does birth order have on each of the three kids. Having said that, all of the questions are really very thought-provoking and sure to create a great deal of conversation.

A big thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy of this terrific novel.

Review: Neil Armstong is My Uncle

Summary: "Muscle Man McGinty is a squirrelly runt, a lying snake, and a pitiful excuse for a ten-year old......the problem is that no one knows it but me. In the entire town of Massapequa Park, only I can see him for what he really is. A phony.

It's the summer of 1969, and things are not only changing in Tamara's little Long Island town, but in the world. Perhaps Tamara could stand to take one small step toward a bit of compassion and understanding? A terrific debut novel with truly vivid characters and a wonderful voice.-- Roaring Brook

As many of you know, I just can't get enough of middle-grade fiction books! So when I saw the opportunity to receive an ARC of NEIL ARMSTRONG IS MY UNCLE & OTHER LIES MUSCLE MAN MCGINTY TOLD ME by Nan Marino on the Shelf Awareness newsletter awhile back, I jumped at the chance. And, boy am I glad I did. I was pleasantly surprised by this novel and how much I enjoyed it.

A letter from Nancy Mercado, the Executive Editor of Roaring Brook Press, came along with the ARC of this novel. She had three hopes (and I'm paraphrasing): 1) that the reader could read the book in one sitting; 2) that the book would remind you where you were on July 22, 1969 -- if you were even born; and 3) that you would share this book with a young reader. I definitely took her advice to heart. I was fortunate enough to read this book outside on a beautiful Saturday morning in one sitting, and I do think this book is meant to be read that way (at least for adults.) And, while I don't really remember where I was when Neil Armstong took the first steps on the moon, I do have pictures of me at three months old sitting in front of the television watching history be made. As far as #3 goes, I definitely intend on sharing this book -- not only with readers of this review, but with my middle grade daughter and her friends. I just thought this book was terrific!

I think NEIL ARMSTRONG IS MY UNCLE is going to appeal to a lot of people -- kids and adults. This book was incredibly entertaining to me, and I found myself laughing a great deal at the stories of Tamara and her friends. I know young kids are going to find the banter between the kids and Tamara's resentment towards Muscle Man to be hilarious; and a few kids might even relate to her insecurities and loneliness. However, I think that I enjoyed this book for some different reasons. So many of the the kids' antics brought back fond memories of my childhood; and I found that I was feeling quite nostalgic as I read this novel.

One of the very best things about this book was the narrator -- Tamara Ann Simpson. She is a 10 year old girl and just a wonderful storyteller, not to mention extremely funny. When her best friend moves away and a new boy moves into her house, Tamara isn't willing to cut him a break for anything. As she learns more about Muscle Man's past, she not only discovers things about him, but she also discovers things about herself. It is a treat just to see Tamara mature throughout this novel.

Nan Marino is a librarian, and NEIL ARMSTRONG IS MY UNCLE is her first novel. Ms. Marino grew up in the same area that this book takes place; and I have a feeling that a lot of the story is based on things that happened in her own life. I was so impressed with how she told this story -- it's hard to believe it's her first novel -- because she not only made me laugh, but she made me cry. Ms. Marino has a fantastic website which tells you more about her and her book. There is also a section which tells you what was real in this novel, like the Moon Landing and the Vietnam War; and it even gives you links where you can learn more about these events.

There are so many special things about this novel, and I really can't recommend it enough. I loved that I laughed so much at this story; however, the real beauty of this book is how it addresses the serious issues. The summer of 1969 was a time of huge change for our country, and I think this book gives the reader a glimpse of how it affected the children. This book deals with some very big issues such as the Vietnam War and the loss of family members; however, I think the author handled all of this in a wonderful way. My hope is that children (and maybe even adults) who read this book with learn some of the same lessons that Tamara did while also gaining an appreciation of the past.

Review: The Disappearance of Irene Dos Santos

Summary: Irene dos Santos disappeared at age 15. Believed to have drowned while on holiday with her best friend, Lily Martinez, her body was never found. Now, years later, she appears ghostlike in Lily's dreams, prompting a quest for the truth behind her disappearance. Mysteriously, Lily, eight-months pregnant with her first child, slips and falls on the same day that the statue of Maria Lionza, Patron Saint of their Venezuelan town, cracks in two. Confined to her bed, Lily is surrounded by her family and closest friends, who agree that a Novena to Maria Lionza will guide the baby's spirit safely into the world. Together, through their nine nights of prayer, each offers a story to entertain Lily and her baby. What emerges is a vivid picture of Venezuela during a time of revolution and uncertainty-and the unraveling of the mystery behind Irene dos Santos. -- Grand Central Publishing

I have to admit that I have been procrastinating the writing of my review for THE DISAPPEARANCE OF IRENE DOS SANTOS by Margaret Mascarenhas. It was, without a doubt, a beautiful novel that I really enjoyed reading; however, I'm a little intimidated to be writing my thoughts down. I found the story to be quite interesting and the writing was fabulous, but I have a feeling that some of the nuances were lost on me. That's not to say that I didn't understand the book (or at least I think I did) but I'm not sure that I fully appreciate the blend of myth, dreams and reality that occur in some South American literature.

The minute that I finished this novel, I wanted to discuss it with someone. I wasn't sure that I totally "got it" and I had a few questions. I immediately started tweeting with Kathy (aka Bermudaonion) about her impressions, and I admit that I felt a little better after "talking" with her. Some parts of the book were very ambiguous to me, and I had my own ideas of what happened and why -- I was a little worried that I just wasn't smart enough to understand this book. After reflecting on this book for a few weeks, I realize that I did "get it" in my own way, and this book was actually written for a great deal of interpretation on the reader's part. I found myself thinking about this book for a very long time and I really do recommend it as an ideal book for discussion!

I always like it when I'm able to learn something about a book, and THE DISAPPEARANCE OF IRENE DOS SANTOS introduced a lot of new things to me. I do not have a strong background on South American history or literature, so please keep that in mind. I was not at all familiar with the icon of Maria Lionza and her cult-like status with some people in Venezuela. Maria Lionza is a mythogical Indian princess/goddess who has hundreds of thousands of followers. She is a symbol of national identity and her cult has been officially recognized by the democratic governments of Venezuela. She usually is depicted in two forms: Yara, a naked woman who is riding a tapir and holding a human pelvis or Maria, a Virgin Mary type character. I found the entire myth surrounding her and all the conflicting things she represents to be fascinating; and I thought the author did an amazing job of incorporating her as a recurring symbol throughout the novel.

I also really enjoyed learning more about the culture of Venezuela including the radio and television novellas that are so popular there. I found it very interesting that they use these basically soap operas as ways to educate and inform the viewers on topics such as health issues and social change. Again, I thought the author did a wonderful job of working these novellas into the novel; and I loved how she was able to blur the lines between reality and these stories.

If your book club enjoys reading literary fiction or South American literature, then you might want to consider choosing THE DISAPPEARANCE OF IRENE DOS SANTOS for a future meeting. One thing is for sure -- there will be a great deal to discuss; and I can pretty much promise that you are going to want to talk about this book with someone after you finish reading it! There is are some interesting features in the back of the book, including some essays as well as a reader's guide (both in English and Spanish), that will definitely enhance your discussion. (Note: I couldn't find a link to the reader's guide at this time.) Some examples of topics to discuss are: the symbolism of Maria Lionza in the novel, whether or not the characters in this novel are real or fictionalized, dreams versus reality, and the themes of revolution and resistance. It is a very deep and thought-provoking novel to say the least.

Miriam from Hachette hosted a BlogTalk Radio show with Ms. Mascarenhas a few weeks ago. I was fortunate enough to ask Ms. Mascarenhas a few questions about her novel (albeit through the chat room because I had both kids home with me.) I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the author discuss her inspiration for this novel and how she went about writing this book. She definitely has a unique writing process! If you'd like to learn more about the book, you can listen to the entire interview here.

A huge thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy of this beautifully written novel.

Review: The Stay-At-Home Survival Guide

Summary: The Stay-at-Home Survival Guide is for every woman who is doing the 24/7 work of raising children by being a full-time Stay-at-Home mom -- and who, despite her great love for her children, sometimes struggles with the challenges that can come with this kind of in-the-trenches parenting. Inside, readers will find insightful, creative tips and tricks to help navigate issues that are unique to the Stay-at-Home experience, including:

Sex and marriage
The transition from workplace to home
Money matters
Creating time for yourself
Housework
Combatting loneliness
Returning to the workforce -- or not
Friendships

A loyal and devoted Support-Group-in-a-Book. The Stay-at-Home Survival Guide is the perfect antidote to motherhood burnout -- and a joyful reminder that staying home to raise children is an experience of a lifetime. -- Seal

When I first received THE STAY-AT-HOME SURVIVAL GUIDE: Field-tested Strategies for Staying Smart, Sane, and Connected While Caring for Your Kids by Melissa Stanton, I glanced through it and thought it looked like a terrific resource for any mother who is lucky enough to stay at home with her children. I actually passed the book along to my sister, otherwise known as Booking Aunt, because she recently had a little guy and decided to quit her job; and I thought she could benefit from reading it. Like any woman who was once in the workforce knows, staying-at-home with your children is definitely one of the most rewarding jobs but also one of the hardest. I thought my sister might bring a unique perspective to this book as a new stay-at-home mother. So without further ado, here's are Booking Aunt's thoughts about THE STAY-AT-HOME SURVIVAL GUIDE:

When I saw this book on Booking Mama’s Mailbox Monday list, I volunteered to review it for her. As a new (and stay-at-home) mom of a 10 month-old boy, I know I need any advice I can get about making this a positive and rewarding experience.

The Stay-At-Home Survival Guide is a must read for stay-at-home moms. While new moms and “working moms” who are considering the option of staying at home will get the most benefit out of this book, there is valuable information for any mother.

Although I read this book straight through in a few sittings, I think the book would be best used as a resource. In fact, the layout of the book makes it perfect for just that. The book is divided into chapters that address very relevant topics such as time management, finding your identity, money management, sex, and returning to the work force. The book also discusses more sensitive subjects such as divorce and depression. I found the survival tip sections in most chapters to be a quick way to get great suggestions from real stay-at-home moms. I was definitely able to relate to and chuckle at much of their advice.

I also appreciated that the author did her own research to lay the foundation for the book. While I recognize that the research content is necessary to support certain arguments, I found it to be redundant at times for someone who has little time to read.

Overall I found this book to be an excellent resource for new and seasoned stay-at-home mothers as well as a women who is considering this option. In fact, this would make a great gift for any new mom.

A big thanks to Booking Aunt for this great review and to Jenny for sending me a copy of this very helpful book! If you'd like to learn more, please check out this website devoted to THE STAY-AT-HOME SURVIVAL GUIDE as well as the blog Real Life Support for Moms which is penned by the author Melissa Stanton.

July 2009 Book Club Meeting

Summary: In 1996, Hanna Heath, an Australian rare-book expert, is offered the job of a lifetime: analysis and conservation of the famed Sarajevo Haggadah, which has been rescued from Serb shelling during the Bosnian war. Priceless and beautiful, the book is one of the earliest Jewish volumes ever to be illuminated with images. When Hanna, a caustic loner with a passion for her work, discovers a series of tiny artifacts in its ancient binding—an insect wing fragment, wine stains, salt crystals, a white hair—she begins to unlock the book's mysteries. The reader is ushered into an exquisitely detailed and atmospheric past, tracing the book's journey from its salvation back to its creation.

In Bosnia during World War II, a Muslim risks his life to protect it from the Nazis. In the hedonistic salons of fin-de-siele Vienna, the book becomes a pawn in the struggle against the city's rising anti-Semitism. In inquisition- era Venice, a Catholic priest saves it from burning. In Barcelona in 1492, the scribe who wrote the text sees his family destroyed by the agonies of enforced exile. And in Seville in 1480, the reason for the Haggadah's extraordinary illuminations is finally disclosed. Hanna's investigation unexpectedly plunges her into the intrigues of fine art forgers and ultra- nationalist fanatics. Her experiences will test her belief in herself and the man she has come to love. -- Penguin

Last night, the Preschool Moms Book Club met to discuss PEOPLE OF THE BOOK by Geraldine Brooks. We only had four of our nine members, but it was still a fun evening. The hostess made a ton of yummy looking food, and I'm proud of myself that I didn't even have a bite because I'm still participating in the Game On Diet. In keeping with the idea of the Jewish history in the book, she even made a little dessert with chocolate and matzo.

I had actually read PEOPLE OF THE BOOK awhile back and didn't have time to re-read it, so I felt like I wasn't able to contribute a whole lot to the conversation. I have to admit that we didn't spend a whole of time even talking about this book last night. We all liked the writing and the story, but we weren't sure it was the best book for a discussion. We ended up talking about a variety of things like the Game On Diet, the upcoming 3 Day Breast Cancer Walk and our kids!

There is a discussion guide available in the back of the book and on the book's website that aided a little in our conversation. I recommend reading PEOPLE OF THE BOOK, but I'm just not sure that I can wholeheartedly recommend it for a book club pick. It might have been our overall mood, but I just didn't think it provoked a lot of in-depth analysis.

For July, we will be reading STAND THE STORM by Breena Clarke. Valerie from Hachette graciously provided all of us copies of the book, and we are actually working with her to set up having Ms. Clarke call into our meeting to talk about her book. We all agreed that this book sounded really good, and I think it's safe to say that we're all pretty excited to read it.

Summary: Even though former slaves Annie Coats and her son Gabriel have managed to buy their freedom, their lives are still marked by constant struggle and sacrifice--to the extent that Annie secretly recalls her days on the plantation with fondness. Washington's Georgetown neighborhood, where the Coatses are seeking to build their new lives--with Gabriel, a tailor, producing uniforms for soldiers and fine suits for pompous politicians, and Annie, a seamstress and laundress, catering to the nearby brothels and stately homes--is supposed to be a safe haven, a "promised land" for former slaves, but is effectively a frontier town, gritty and dangerous, with no laws protecting black people. In fact, the city's own emancipation efforts in 1862 serve only to compromise the Coats family's status, putting Gabriel's three young daughters (each of them born free of free parents) at risk of becoming the property of the Coatses' former master. The remarkable emotional energy with which the Coatses rise their daily battles--as they negotiate with their former owner, as they assist other former slaves en route to freedom, as they prepare for the encroaching war, and as they struggle to love each other enough--is what fuels this novel and makes its tragic denoument so devastating. -- Back Bay Books

Review: Home Repair

Summary: Can lighting really strike twice? Just ask Eve, whose husband walks out on her in the middle of a garage sale.

Eve's beloved Ivan died thirteen years ago in an automobile accident. Her charming, boyish Chuck has taken a different exit out of her life: hopping into his car in the middle of a garage sale with no forewarning and departing their formerly happy upstate New York home for points unknown. Now Eve's a boat adrift, subsisting on a heartbreak diet of rue, disappointment, and woe-left alone to care for Ivan's brilliant teen aged son, Marcus, and Chuck's precocious, pragmatic nine-year-old daughter, Noni, while contending with Charlotte, Eve's acerbic mother, who's come north to "help" but hinders instead.

But life ultimately must go on, with its highs and lows, its traumas and holidays, and well-meaning, if eccentric, friends. A house and a heart in disrepair are painful burdens for a passionate woman who's still in her prime. And while learning to cope with the large and small tragedies that each passing day brings, Eve might end up discovering that she's gained much more than she's lost.

A poignant, lovely, funny, and ultimately uplifting story of love, family, and survival, Liz Rosenberg's Home Repair is an unforgettable introduction to a lyrical, wise, and wonderfully vibrant new literary voice.-- Avon

In preparation for Book Club Girl's BlogTalk Radio show tonight, I read HOME REPAIR by Liz Rosenberg. This novel is about a woman's attempts to deal with her life after her husband unexpectedly deserts her and her children. As if dealing with the loss of a husband for the second time isn't enough (her first husband was in a fatal car accident), she also has to deal with an aging mother, problems with her job, her love life, her children and even money matters. As I read this novel, I kept wondering how much more poor Eve could handle.

My heart definitely went out to Eve, and she really was just a trooper despite all the "bad" things that happened to her along the way. I really liked her (and her family), but for some reason, I just didn't feel a connection with the characters in this story. I was very much bothered by my reaction to this book because I felt like I should felt something more. As I reflected on this novel, I think my problem is that I have led a very blessed life -- I guess that's not really a problem, is it? This book reflected some painful life experiences that I just couldn't relate to (thank goodness), and I think I was unable to make that connection to the characters. I have a feeling that I'm going to be in the minority with these feelings -- many readers are going to love Eve and see pieces of themselves in her character.

I did like Eve and think she was a remarkably strong woman. I can't imagine losing a husband and being left with a small child; however, my sympathy kind of dried up when her second husband left her because he was such an immature and selfish man. I know that women make bad relationship choices all the time, but I felt like she and her kids were better off on their own. I also felt bad about Eve having to deal with her mother's aging all by herself. My grandmother recently broke some bones in a fall and had to be admitted to a nursing home so I realize how difficult that can be for everyone involved.

What I really liked about this book were the messages that I could take away from it. To me, this book was really about life -- both the good and the bad, and the ups and the downs (although there seemed to be a lot of "bad" and "downs" for poor Eve.) I think Ms. Rosenberg showed the readers that change does occur in each of our lives whether we want it to or not -- stuff happens, people die, and life must go on. What happened to Eve in HOME REPAIR and how she handled it shows that life is full of both joys and sadness, and we can only control how we can deal with these things.

This book would make a very interesting book club discussion book. I wasn't able to find a reader's guide, but I think you could easily come up with some fantastic questions on your own. There are just so many universal themes about life that most everyone will relate to. I would love to spend an evening with my friends talking about the changes that occur in our lives and how we all cope with them. I also think there are some other interesting themes such as grief, friendships, parent/child relationships, guilt, and self confidence that will make for an exciting meeting.

I am really looking forward to tonight's show because I am very anxious to hear Ms. Rosenberg discuss HOME REPAIR. I absolutely love hearing authors discuss their books, and I also appreciate getting further insight into their characters and novels. If you want to learn more about Ms. Rosenberg before tonight's show, check out this video or this "fun stuff section." You can find more about the book as well as read an interesting little Q&A with the author.

Review: How Perfect is That

Summary: WHEN YOU'RE PERFECT, YOU CAN'T FALTER... Because if you do, the piranhas will get you. Blythe Young, Austin socialite, has two secrets she can't allow to escape: she's actually high-flying trailer trash, and her divorce left her penniless. Before becoming Mrs. Henry "Trey" Biggs-Dix III, Blythe owned the exclusive catering company Wretched Xcess, and for the second time she's determined to fake it 'til she makes it -- passing off warehouse club taquitos as Petites Tournedos Béarnaise à la Mexicaine and relying on her own private concoction of Stoli and pharmaceuticals as a substitute for sleep.

But then a blabber-mouthed accountant puts the IRS on Blythe's trail at a most unfortunate moment -- just when her catering staff turns vicious about missing pay, and a garden party of Austin belles sniffs out the Crisco in the pâté. There's no option except to cut and run. Blythe's been ducking calls from her friend Millie for over a decade, but now Millie is the only person with a heart big enough to take her in. So, just one step ahead of the law, Blythe sputters in on fumes of gas to the fleabag co-op boarding house at the University of Texas where the two met and that Millie still runs.

What do you do when you hit bottom? Sharing a bathroom again with anyone -- let alone computer geeks and white Rasta wannabes -- wasn't in Blythe's game plan. But in a time when both new and old money can turn into no money before you can say Jimmy Choo, Blythe's story is a morality tale for the new millennium as, with the help of her reluctant housemates, she faces down the crème de la crème of Austin society one last time, and by doing so finds the way out of her own ethical quagmire. -- Pocket Books

I decided that I wanted to read HOW PERFECT IS THAT by Sarah Bird because it sounded like a good book to read during the summer. Based on the description, I thought it would be a light, entertaining book with a cute little message in the end -- you know...normal chick lit fare. However, after reading this novel, I hesitate to call this book chick lit because of some of the negative connotations associated with that word (don't get upset with me, I happen to love good chick lit.)

The first half or so of this book definitely had "chick lit" elements; however, I actually found the messages in this book to be quite deep -- surprisingly so. As I was reading the last few pages of this book, I was actually tearing up -- real tears of joy. I found HOW PERFECT IS THAT to be almost an inspirational book for me, and it had with some wonderful words of wisdom about love and the value of friendship. This book made me think of all the things in my life that I'm grateful for (as well as those things that I should really work on); and I just wanted to call all my good girlfriends and tell them what they mean to me. (I didn't do that because they'd think I'm nuts, but I hope they are reading this review now and realize what they mean to me!)

Now, I know this review might sound like it's going overboard; and I think some people who read this novel might find it "corny" and feel that the story is tied up entirely too nicely. However, I have to say that I really appreciated this book. That's not to say that HOW PERFECT IS THAT is by any means the "perfect" book or even my favorite book of the year -- I just like that this book made me evaluate my own feelings and actions.

I have to admit that I wasn't always this crazy about this book. I didn't exactly love the first half of it because I found the character of Blythe to be so terribly annoying. After reading the entire book, I understand that that was the author's intent; however, Blythe really was despicable! I got more than a little tired of all her snide comments and how she treated everyone she encountered. Having said that, I did think that the writing was extremely smart and witty; and I found myself laughing at her social commentaries about the Texas wealthy crowd as well as Texas politics.

What I definitely liked about this book is that it shows that even the most unlikeable character (i.e. Blythe) can redeem herself. Trust me when I say that Blythe did a full 180! So ultimately, this book is about redemption. Yet, it's also about forgiveness -- forgiving others as well as ourselves. And, there are lots of other messages too like realizing what's important in our lives and doing things to actually make a difference (like helping those less fortunate than us.) I also loved that HOW PERFECT IS THAT featured the strength and importance of female friendships!

One of my absolutely favorite scenes in this novel is when all the richy-rich (and shallow) women are sharing their feelings at a retreat. It really jumped out at me:

"Friends. Our friends exasperate us. They annoy us. They compete with us. They gossip about us. We gossip about them. But we wouldn't be who we are without them. Millie told me that each friend God gives us is sent for a reason. Maybe she was sent to comfort you. Maybe you were sent to comfort her. Maybe she was put in your life to prod you to become more than you think you can be. Maybe she is the aggravation in the oyster that makes you form a pearl. Maybe she was sent to make you laugh or talk or think."

If you want some more opinions about HOW PERFECT IS THAT, then check out these other tour stops:

Jenn’s Bookshelf
All About {n}
A Journey of Books
Readaholic
Book Soulmates
Bookin’ with “BINGO”
My Guilty Pleasures
Just Jennifer Reading
Wendy’s Minding Spot
Bella’s Novella
Living Life and Reading Books
Book N Around
The Eclectic Book Hoarder
Pick of the Literate
Drey’s Library
The Epic Rat
A Book Bloggers Diary
Horror and Fantasy Book Review
Find The Time To Read
Gaijin Mama
Blog Business World
Carolina Gal’s Literary Café
My Book Views
Me, My Book and the Couch
Joanne Huspek's Blog
Power in the Blog
Marta’s Meanderings

A big thanks to Sarah from Pocket Books for organizing this tour.

Also reviewed at:
Breaking the Spine

Week 1 Recap for Game On Diet

Well....Week 1 of The Game On Diet is a wrap (get it? a wrap -- yes, my mind is always on food.) For those of you who don't know, I have been participating in the Game On Diet based on the book THE GAME ON! DIET: KICK YOUR FRIEND'S BUTT WHILE SHRINKING YOUR OWN by Az Ferguson and Krista Vernoff -- you can read more about it here. I am a member of the team Ding Dongs, and we are competing against the Ho Hos and the Twinkies. Here are the week one results:

Ding Dongs: 794.6 pts.
Twinkies: 775.6 pts.
Ho Hos: 682 pts.

I actually had a perfect score of 850, and I really felt like I got the hang of the diet after just a few days. I had to make some major changes to my diet -- mainly eating on the every two to four hour schedule and drinking three liters of water a day, but it really wasn't too bad (after I got used to going to the bathroom every 15 minutes the first day.) I think the most difficult thing for me was giving up the computer for two hours every night -- what does that tell you about me? And as far as the exercise goes, I was already pretty much doing the twenty required minutes of exercise everyday; and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoy doing five sun salutations every morning.

Now for my rant! I actually had to wait awhile to calm down before writing this post. As of Saturday morning, I was down 4.5 pounds. I was ecstatic!!! Then I had my day off and ate a few things that aren't exactly good for me; however, I really didn't overdo it (but I did eat a lot of salt.) When I got on the scale on Sunday, my weight loss was down to 2.8 pounds; so I got right back on the diet, drank the water and didn't even take my meal off option on Sunday. So I thought when I got on the scale this morning, I'd make up some of my weight loss. HAHAHA! I actually gained another .6 pounds -- I was absolutely hysterical! That means I had a 2.2 pound weight loss for the entire week which isn't bad, except that I was hoping for something like a 4.5 pound one.

I was very much down in the dumps this morning, but my fellow Ding Dongs and even my competitors gave me some terrific pep talks. My husband also reminded me that I get this way and say the exact same things every time I diet. I'm just hoping to lose at least 2.2 pounds next week since many people tend not to lose as much per week after week 1. I should also warn my team members that I most likely will not be perfect this week because my family is taking a mini-vacation to the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts. I am going to do my best and take my day off and meal off accordingly, but I still might not be able to eat exactly in accordance with the rules.

More to come next week.....

Review: The Castaways & Giveaway

Summary: Greg and Tess MacAvoy are one of four prominent Nantucket couples who count each other as best friends. As pillars of their close-knit community, the MacAvoys, Kapenashes, Drakes, and Wheelers are important to their friends and neighbors, and especially to each other. But just before the beginning of another idyllic summer, Greg and Tess are killed when their boat capsizes during an anniversary sail. As the warm weather approaches and the island mourns their loss, nothing can prepare the MacAvoy's closest friends for what will be revealed.

Once again, Hilderbrand masterfully weaves an intense tale of love and loyalty set against the backdrop of endless summer island life. -- Little, Brown & Co.

Every summer, I like to find books that allow me to escape from my normal day-to-day life. You know what I mean -- books that take me somewhere else. Whether it's a story that takes place in a new-to-me location or even if it's just a story that I can get caught up in, I love summer reading when I can just get away from it all. Well, I think I've found another ideal summer book. It's by an author with whom I'm starting to associate summer-time reading -- Elin Hilderbrand, and her latest book is THE CASTAWAYS.

Last summer, I read Ms. Hilderbrand's A SUMMER AFFAIR (click here to read my review and enter my three book giveaway) and I really liked it. I felt the same way about THE CASTAWAYS, although I think I might have enjoyed this book even more. One thing that really drew me into this book was the mystery aspect. And while the mystery angle definitely wasn't the heart of this novel (it was really a story about the remaining "Castaways" and how they were dealing with the death of their friends), I thought the author did a terrific job of incorporating it into this story. As I read this book, I kept wondering if the sailing accident wasn't really an accident at all , and I found myself developing suspicions about a few of the characters.

Another thing I really enjoyed about this novel was the fashion in which the book was told. Each of the six characters had their own separate chapters (written in third person) where the reader could learn their individual story. Naturally there were chapters that I enjoyed more just because I was more interested in certain characters' lives. I also liked how the author incorporated flashback scenes into the book as a way to give the reader the background on all of the characters. It definitely helped me to understand the actions and behavior of all of the characters, and I admit it probably gave me more compassion towards the ones that I didn't initially like at all. I thought the transitions between the present and the past were very smooth, and I had no problems following the story.

As I mentioned above, I thought the focus of this novel was really on how the death of Tess and Greg affected their family and friends. The characters is this book were so interesting to me -- probably because they were so complex; however, I found myself not really liking quite a few of them. As I type that, I'm not sure it came out quite right. All of the characters had redeeming traits, but they were also very human and thus very flawed. What I found so interesting was how Ms. Hilderbrand made these characters so incredibly real to me. I felt their pain and I rooted for them to find some contentment and happiness. (Having said that, I also wanted to just shake quite a few of them.) I guess what I'm trying to say is that these characters made me have strong feelings -- both good and bad -- and not all books have characters that can invoke those emotions in me.

Ms. Hilderbrand certainly has a way with bringing the island of Nantucket to life. In fact, I think Nantucket almost becomes another character in this story. Her descriptions of the island make me visualize it so clearly, and it really feels as if she has a true understanding of this area. Of course, it probably helps that she lives on Nantucket with her family. Besides her beautiful descriptions, Ms. Hilderbrand also has a terrific ability to tell a story. I was surprised by how quickly I became caught up in the lives of these characters; and I was extremely anxious to get to the end of the book -- not because I wanted to finish the book, but rather because I was dying to find some answers!

There is a fantastic website devoted to Elin Hilderbrand and Nantucket. It's a fun-filled community where you can learn more about Ms. Hilderbrand, discuss her books, talk about your summer plans, and lots of other things! There's even a special place for book clubs with discussion questions coming soon! You should definitely consider this novel for a summer book club read. Besides playing amateur psychologist and analyzing all the characters and their actions (or just gossiping about them!), there are also many serious themes in this book that are ripe for discussion such as addiction, adultery, depression, troubled marriages, guilt, redemption, and new beginnings. With this list of juicy topics, you can clearly see that this novel really is ideal for reading by a pool or at the beach!

And just in case you want to have a cocktail (or two) while reading THE CASTAWAYS, here's a link to a very book appropriate drink called a Surfsider. You could even make them for your next book club meeting!

The tour for THE CASTAWAYS is huge and will be running all week! Check out these other tour stops:

July 6
http://www.writeforareader.blogspot.com/
http://cafeofdreams.blogspot.com/
http://mustreadfaster.blogspot.com/
http://www.foreigncircuslibrary.blogspot.com/
http://www.bookwormygirl.blogspot.com/
http://aseaofbooks.blogspot.com/
http://ajourneyofbooks.blogspot.com/
http://thetometraveller.blogspot.com/
http://www.brimfulcuriosities.com/
http://carolsnotebook.wordpress.com/

July 7
http://booknaround.blogspot.com/
http://www.sheistoofondofbooks.com/
http://peekingbetweenthepages.blogspot.com/
http://bfishreads.blogspot.com/
http://hiddenplace.wordpress.com/
http://www.bellasnovella.com/
http://www.acircleofbooks.blogspot.com/
http://booksandneedlepoint.blogspot.com/
http://bridget3420.blogspot.com/
http://abookishmom.blogspot.com/
http://bermudaonion.wordpress.com/

July 8
http://debbiesworldofbooks.com/
http://www.reviewfromhere.com/
http://martasmeanderings.blogspot.com
http://www.chickwithbooks.blogspot.com/
http://frommipov.blogspot.com/
http://luanne-abookwormsworld.blogspot.com/
http://booksiesblog.blogspot.com/
http://dreyslibrary.blogspot.com/
http://cindyloveofbooks.blogspot.com/
http://jennsbookshelf.blogspot.com/
http://books-movies-chinesefood.blogspot.com/

July 9
http://bookinwithbingo.blogspot.com/
http://thisbookforfree.com/
http://www.ultimatebookhound.blogspot.com/
http://redladysreadingroom-redlady.blogspot.com/
http://bookfoolery.blogspot.com/
http://www.linussblanket.com/
http://abookbloggersdiary.blogspot.com/
http://purplg8r-somanybooks.blogspot.com/
http://brainlair.blogspot.com/
http://danys-san.blogspot.com
http://www.myfriendamysblog.com/

July 10
http://www.myspace.com/darbyscloset
http://kayespenguinposts.blogspot.com/
http://imbookingit.wordpress.com/
http://booksoulmates.blogspot.com/
http://www.morbid-romantic.net/
http://nisefunpages.blogspot.com/
http://tvandbookaddict.blogspot.com/
http://allisonsatticblog.blogspot.com/
http://wrightysreads.blogspot.com/
http://frugalplus.com/
http://www.mgpblog.com/

Thanks to Miriam from Hachette for organizing this book blog tour.

I just happen to have an extra copy of THE CASTAWAYS. If you'd like to enter this giveaway, please leave a comment with a valid e-mail address telling me why you want to read this book. To double or even triple your chances, you can blog and/or tweet about this contest with a link back to this post. This contest will be open until July 20th at 11:59 p.m. EST, and I will notify the winner the following day. This giveaway is open to those of you with U.S. or Canada mailing addresses only. Good luck!

Review: Every Last Cuckoo

Summary: Sarah Lucas imagined the rest of her days would be spent living peacefully in her rural Vermont home in the steadfast company of her husband. But now, with Charles's sudden passing, seventy-five-year-old Sarah is left inconsolably alone.

As grief settles in, Sarah's mind lingers on her past: her imperfect but devoted fifty-year marriage to Charles; the years they spent raising their three very different children; and her childhood during the Great Depression, when her parents opened their home to countless relatives and neighbors. So, when a variety of wayward souls come seeking shelter in Sarah's own big, empty home, her past comes full circle. As this unruly flock forms a family of sorts, they—with Sarah—nurture and protect one another, all the while discovering their unsuspected strengths and courage.

In the tradition of Jane Smiley and Sue Miller, Kate Maloy has crafted a wise and gratifying novel about a woman who gracefully accepts a surprising new role just when she though her best years were behind her. -- Algonquin

This month, my on-line book group decided to read EVERY LAST CUCKOO by Kate Maloy. I remember receiving this book a few months ago and just loving the cover -- all the bright colors of dishes and mugs with bird patterns. I know it's a little bit shallow but I really wanted to read this book just based on that alone. And then when I read the description, I really, really wanted to read it. It just sounded so good to me and I thought it had the potential to be a very powerful novel. After reading it, I can now say that I was right (oh how I love saying that!) -- this book really caused me to think about my life and what's important.

I want to say right upfront that I thought this title was perfect for this novel! Not having any knowledge of cuckoos (or any birds for that matter), the title didn't make a lot of sense to me when I first started reading this novel. It wasn't until the book explained that cuckoo birds lay their eggs in other birds' nests did I truly appreciate what a terrific title it is. After Sarah's husband's death, she begins taking in a strange hodge podge of family and friends to live with her in her house. One of these people is her granddaughter, but there are also other teenagers, an elderly friend, a mother and son who have no where else to turn, and an abused woman and her baby. These people are in essence the "cuckoos" because they are "nesting" in another "bird's" place.

I think EVERY LAST CUCKOO is just a wonderful debut novel for Ms. Maloy; and it's apparent that I'm not alone. This book has already won awards including the ALA Reading List Award for Women's Fiction and it was a top five Book Sense Picks for January 2008. I thought EVERY LAST CUCKOO was such a good book on so many different levels. One of things that I will remember the most from this novel is Ms. Maloy's writing. I certainly appreciated her descriptions of the Vermont country; however, I was blown away at times by her ability to express the thoughts and feelings of the characters. Many times, I felt as if I were inside the characters' minds and actually feeling their fears, insecurities, and even their joy!

Another thing that I enjoyed about this book was that it delved into topics and issues that can be very complex and sometimes even uncomfortable. Through the character of Sarah, the reader gets an idea of what it's like to grow older and lose your loved ones. Not only do we get insight into Sarah's loss and her grief (which, by the way, is so real), but we also get to see how Sarah feels about the changes that are happening to both her mind and body. The author also did an excellent job of showing that older people are still very human -- they have the same needs and desires as they did when they were young. I think all too often society doesn't think of older men and women as being as vital as they are.

This book also addressed a lot of family dynamics -- both the good and the bad. Through the various characters, the reader experiences love and loss; but they also get insight into some more complex issues such as the ups and downs of marriage, father/son relationships, mother/daughter relationships, the effects of depression on loved ones, and even spousal abuse. To me, the relationships in this story are a microcosm of all the complex relationships in today's society. This book also explores some basic ideas about human nature. A few of the characters experienced war and other violent actions, and this book really asks: are humans inherently destined to fight with other and commit acts of violence against each other?

There are a few really powerful themes in this book that I can't stop thinking about. The first one is about the seasons of our life and how we change with each one. The author did a wonderful job of juxtaposing the various seasons in Vermont with the various seasons in the characters' lives. I really appreciated seeing how all of the characters changed throughout the novel; and I liked that almost all the characters showed some sort of growth and maturity. In addition, there was the theme that "things aren't always what they seem"; and that one also had a major impact on me. The idea was most obvious through the photographs that Sarah began taking of strange things that appear in nature -- it was sometimes very difficult to tell what objects were in the picture. However, this theme also crossed over into the lives of the characters. I think it's pretty safe to say that even those people we feel the closest to can still surprise us. And I also think it's an important lesson to see things through others' eyes and not just our own. As a little subset from this theme, I also got the message that life isn't always clear cut -- things that happen aren't black and white. Rather, life is filled with lots of shades of grey (and different people can see those greys differently.)

As you can see, I definitely appreciated EVERY LAST CUCKOO, and I can't wait to discuss it later today with my friends. I think this novel is an excellent book club pick because I found it to be very insightful and I'm pretty sure that we'll have a lot to talk about. This book really caused me to think about life in general and especially evaluate my own; and I'll be anxious to see if anyone else had the same reactions that I did. There is a reading guide available on the author's website which has some terrific questions so our discussion should be a lot of fun!

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

Guest Review: In the Sanctuary of Outcasts

Summary: Daddy is going to camp. That's what I told my children. A child psychologist suggested it. “Words like prison and jail conjure up dangerous images for children,” she explained. But it wasn't camp . . .

Neil White, a journalist and magazine publisher, wanted the best for those he loved—nice cars, beautiful homes, luxurious clothes. He loaned money to family and friends, gave generously to his church, and invested in his community—but his bank account couldn't keep up. Soon White began moving money from one account to another to avoid bouncing checks. His world fell apart when the FBI discovered his scheme and a judge sentenced him to serve eighteen months in a federal prison.

But it was no ordinary prison. The beautiful, isolated colony in Carville, Louisiana, was also home to the last people in the continental United States disfigured by leprosy. Hidden away for decades, this small circle of outcasts had forged a tenacious, clandestine community, a fortress to repel the cruelty of the outside world. It is here, in a place rich with history, where the Mississippi River briefly runs north, amid an unlikely mix of leprosy patients, nuns, and criminals, that White's strange and compelling journey begins. He finds a new best friend in Ella Bounds, an eighty-year-old African American double amputee who had contracted leprosy as a child. She and the other secret people, along with a wacky troop of inmates, help White rediscover the value of simplicity, friendship, and gratitude.

Funny and poignant, In the Sanctuary of Outcasts is an uplifting memoir that reminds us all what matters most. -- William Morrow

When I read the description of IN THE SANCTUARY OF OUTCASTS by Neil White, I thought it looked like it had the potential to be a very powerful book. Then, I saw the video and knew it was an amazing story. I immediately thought my father might enjoy this book so I passed it along to him. Here are Booking Pap Pap's thoughts about IN THE SANCTUARY OF OUTCASTS:

Neil White was found guilty of check kiting in 1993 and sentenced to serve his time in a federal prison in Carville, Louisiana. To White’s surprise the prison also served as a home for patients of Hansen’s Disease, also know as leprosy. IN THE SANCTUARY OF OUTCASTS, Neil White chronicles his 12 months in federal prison.

White describes his time in prison through a series of stories about his relationships with the odd assortment of prisoners and the Hansen’s Disease patients. He also takes us back to various experiences throughout his life that give us a better understanding of who he is. White also discusses the history of Carville and sprinkles throughout the book interesting information about Hansen’s Disease.

When he enters prison he considers himself different than the other prisoners and wants no contact with the “lepers”. He tries to justify this attitude by making a point early in the book that he did not directly benefit from the bank fraud but used it as a way to keep his publishing business afloat. At this point White was neglecting the facts that his kiting schemes collapsed two businesses, loss investment money from families and friends and destroyed his marriage. A critical change occurs in White’s attitude when his wife informs him that she is dissolving the marriage and taking the children back to Oxford, Mississippi, the scene of his crime. He then begins to see himself as an outcast just like the other prisoners and the Hansen’s Disease patients.

White gradually builds a relationship with the other prisoners and finds a true friend in Emma, one of the Hansen’s patients. These relationships and the thought that he may lose his children give White the courage to look at his life more honestly and transform it.

White tells his story with humor and compassion, while maintaining the dignity of his fellow prisoners and the Hansen’s patients. The book is well written and is easy to read.

The reader must keep in mind that the book, written 15 years after his release from prison, is entirely written from Neil White’s perspective and it is difficult to determine whether he has truly reformed his life or not. Even so, the book is a meaningful, feel-good story about forgiveness and inspiration.

I think this book sounds incredible and it would probably make a great book club discussion book. I was happy to see that there is already a reading guide available. There is also a website devoted to the author and his book where I found a very interesting interview with the author. Make sure you check out this video too:



Thanks to Folio Literary Management for sending me a copy of this book and to Booking Pap Pap for reviewing it.

Guest Blogger: Donna Woolfolk Cross & Giveaway

I am very excited that Donna Woolfolk Cross, author of the historical fiction novel POPE JOAN, is stopping by today with a guest post. Knowing that I'm also a mother, she tailored her essay to fit my blog and many of my readers! I think she does a fantastic job of describing Pope Joan and giving us some insight into her world.

Make sure you check out yesterday's post and learn how you can walk down the red carpet at the Pope Joan movie premiere!

I'm so glad to be writing for "Booking Mama," for the mother-daughter relationship is one dear to my heart. I wrote "Pope Joan" with my own daughter Emily (an only child) very much in mind. During the time I was writing the novel, Emily grew from a promising 14-year old to an accomplished college graduate.

For those of you who just did the math--yes, "Pope Joan" was over seven years in creation. This novel was so long in the making--with all of my friends asking "When will the book be done?--that I began to call it my "posthumous" work, for I began to wonder if I might end before the book did!

As I see her, Pope Joan is an inspirational woman--a shining example of female empowerment through learning. She lived in the ninth century, a time when it was widely believed that women could not learn, that it was unnatural, even dangerous, to educate us. One theory of the day was that the size of a woman's brain and of her uterus was inversely proportional--in other words, the more a woman learned, the less likely she would ever bear children. This concept actually has a quirky appeal, for if it were only true, then birth control would be no problem: if you don't want to get pregnant, read a book! Read 5 books! Become a follower of bookingmama and you'll never have to worry about having an unwanted pregnancy!

Alas, Joan's story, while very ancient, is strangely new, and deeply relevant to the world we live in today. Women all over the world are still fighting for the right to education--and being opposed by some of the very same arguments that Joan faced over a millennium ago. You may have recently read about the brave young Afgani girls who, on the way to school, were sprayed with acid for the "crime" of wanting to learn. What better way to deprive women--or for that matter, any social group-- of power than to take away the right to education? As our own president James Madison said, "Knowledge will forever govern ignorance. So those who seek to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power of knowledge."

This is what Joan did. She armed herself with the power of knowledge, and in so doing, became one of the most influential women who ever lived. Her story proves that no matter how great the obstacles, there are always opportunities for women with the strength, the courage, and the imagination to dream.

This is why I had my daughter Emily in mind as I wrote this book. My heartfelt wish is that she--and all those of her generation (and future ones)--realizes her dreams through the full and unrestricted exercise of mind, heart, and spirit.

Does POPE JOAN sound like a book that you'd like to read? Ms. Cross has graciously agreed to giveaway an autographed copy to one very lucky reader. It's easy to enter: all you have to do is leave a comment with your e-mail address nming a female historical figure that you'd like to learn more about. To double or even triple your chances, you can blog and/or tweet about this contest with a link back to this site. The giveaway is open until July 17th at 11:59 p.m. EST, and I will contact the winner the following day. This contest is open to those of you with U.S. or Canada mailing addresses only. Good luck!

Review: Lost Boy

Summary: In the polygamous Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (FLDS), girls can become valuable property as plural wives, but boys are expendable, even a liability. In this powerful and heartbreaking account, former FLDS member Brent Jeffs reveals both the terror and the love he experienced growing up on his prophet’s compound—and the harsh exile existence that so many boys face once they have been expelled by the sect.

Brent Jeffs is the nephew of Warren Jeffs, the imprisoned leader of the FLDS. The son of a prominent family in the church, Brent could have grown up to have multiple wives of his own and significant power in the 10,000-strong community. But he knew that behind the group’s pious public image—women in chaste dresses carrying babies on their hips—lay a much darker reality. So he walked away, and was the first to file a sexual-abuse lawsuit against his uncle. Now Brent shares his courageous story and that of many other young men who have become “lost boys” when they leave the FLDS, either by choice or by expulsion.

Brent experienced firsthand the absolute power that church leaders wield—the kind of power that corrupts and perverts those who will do anything to maintain it. Once young men no longer belong to the church, they are cast out into a world for which they are utterly unprepared. More often than not, they succumb to the temptations of alcohol and other drugs.

Tragically, Brent lost two of his brothers in this struggle, one to suicide, the other to overdose. In this book he shows that lost boys can triumph and that abuse and trauma can be overcome, and he hopes that readers will be inspired to help former FLDS members find their way in the world. -- Broadway

I was pretty happy when I found out that I was being sent a copy of LOST BOY by Brent W. Jeffs with Maia Szalavitz as part of the Library Thing Early Reviewer Program. I am a regular viewer of the HBO series Big Love, and I'm strangely fascinated with the beliefs of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (FLDS.) I knew this book was going to be one of those tell-all books, but I had no idea just how amazing Brent Jeffs' story is.

It's difficult to say that I could actually enjoy a book like this, so I'll say that I found it very interesting and almost unbelievable. When I use the term "unbelievable," I don't mean that I didn't find the book truthful; rather I am just blown away by Brent Jeffs' story. As I read this book, I was utterly disgusted by how much damage Warren Jeffs did to so many people. I almost hate to admit this, but one of the main reasons I wanted to read this book was to get details about Warren Jeffs. I'm not going to go into specifics here because I don't want to give away too much of Jeffs' story; however, suffice it to say, that the mental and physical abuse that took place in this church is horrific.

I guess what amazed me most about this book was that ultimately, it wasn't just a sensationalized account of Warren Jeffs and the FLDS. As sad as this book was (and it is very, very sad), I actually found this book to be uplifting. I have so much respect for Brent Jeffs. I am amazed by how he was able to work through his problems (unlike so many members of his family) and eventually find love and happiness. I can't imagine even surviving what Brent Jeffs went though, but that he was able to open up and share his story with so many others is remarkably brave to me. Even when he decided to go after Warren Jeffs, his motives were about saving others -- he didn't do it for financial gain.

I also thought it was very interesting how the author portrayed his parents. Despite their questionable parenting skills, he shows them as loving parents who were caught up in a bad situation. It was clear that he has a good relationship with both of his parents and loves them despite their lack of support when he was young. He also showed how difficult the FLDS rules were for his parents to follow, and I eventually found myself feeling sorry for them (once I got over my anger for certain aspects of their behavior.) I think the love of his family and his respect for his parents helped him work through his abuse and start a new life.

I was a little bit surprised that Brent Jeffs wrote this book with another author because at times, I didn't really think the writing was polished. I thought the first part of the book was much rougher than the second. I'm not sure if the writing detracted from my appreciation of the book because it read like Brent Jeffs was telling his story to me -- maybe that was the authors' and editors' intent. All I'm saying is that I was surprised to find that someone helped him write it.

Check out the LOST BOY book trailer:



Just seeing the places that Brent Jeffs talked about in this book is very interesting to me. I can't imagine how difficult it was for him to go back and re-visit that place. I don't know what I was expecting, but seeing it on video really made it real for me. It's so hard to imagine how devastating this lifestyle was to so many young men and women.

If your book club enjoys reading non-fiction or memoirs, then LOST BOY might be a good fit for your group. I was slightly surprised that there is a reading guide available for this book, but the more I think about it, the more I can see the value in discussing this book. I thought the discussion questions were very thought-provoking, and I think it would be very interesting to hear my friends' opinions on Brent Jeffs and his family. In fact, as I was reading this book, I kept telling my family and friends things that happened in this book because I so wanted to talk about it with someone!

Walk the Red Carpet at Pope Joan Movie Premiere

Summary: Soon to be a major motion picture from the company that brought you The Name of the Rose

"Pope Joan has all the elements one wants in a historical drama–love, sex, violence, duplicity, and long-buried secrets. Cross has written an engaging book."–Los Angeles Times Book Review

For a thousand years her existence has been denied. She is the legend that will not die–Pope Joan, the ninth-century woman who disguised herself as a man and rose to become the only female ever to sit on the throne of St. Peter. Now in this riveting novel, Donna Woolfolk Cross paints a sweeping portrait of an unforgettable heroine who struggles against restrictions her soul cannot accept.

Brilliant and talented, young Joan rebels against medieval social strictures forbidding women to learn. When her brother is brutally killed during a Viking attack, Joan takes up his cloak–and his identity–and enters the monastery of Fulda. As Brother John Anglicus, Joan distinguishes herself as a great scholar and healer. Eventually, she is drawn to Rome, where she becomes enmeshed in a dangerous web of love, passion, and politics. Triumphing over appalling odds, she finally attains the highest office in Christendom–wielding a power greater than any woman before or since. But such power always comes at a price . . .

In this international bestseller, Cross brings the Dark Ages to life in all their brutal splendor and shares the dramatic story of a woman whose strength of vision led her to defy the social restrictions of her day. -- Three Rivers Press

A lot of exciting things happened to me when I was at BEA, but I can definitely say that meeting authors was a huge highlight. After I finished the Blogger Panel on Saturday afternoon, I had the honor of meeting Donna Woolfolk Cross. She came up to our group and mentioned that she enjoyed our panel. She also said that she had written a historical fiction novel awhile back called POPE JOAN and that it was being re-released in concert with the release of a movie based on the book. I was so excited to hear that because I remember reading POPE JOAN awhile back and thinking it was just a fantastic novel. In fact, I actually ran across the book a few years ago and bought it for my sister and mother to read -- they both enjoyed it too in case you were wondering.

I just want to share with you a really neat contest that is going on right now surrounding the book and film release. Here's the scoop straight from Ms. Cross' website:

Join me and my family as we walk the red carpet on the night of the Pope Joan movie premiere!

... Includes two tickets to the movie premiere, plus round trip airfare for two from any location in the continental United States or Canada,and one night hotel accommodation for you to share with your guest.

Simply buy a new, Three Rivers Press/Crown Publishing paperback edition of Pope Joan during the months of June or July 2009 and send me the original receipt. In August, I'll pick randomly from the pile of receipts to select someone and their guest to join me at the U.S. movie premiere in the fall (exact date still to be determined).

Amazon.com

Random House

BookSense.com

Borders

Barnes and Noble

Additional Online Sellers

Here is how to submit your entry:

Buy a new copy of Pope Joan online (see above)or at a bookstore in June or July 2009. Make sure your receipt lists the title and date clearly.

Enclose the receipt with:
your name
your location
your phone number
email address

(Don't forget the contact information, or I won't be able to reach you if you are selected!) Mail your dated receipt with the title of the book, and your contact information to:

POPE JOAN RED CARPET
c/o Jean V.Naggar Literary Agency
216 East 75th Street
New York, New York 10021

Want more than one chance to win?

Multiple book purchases will each count as an entry (i.e, five books count as five entries, for I'll duplicate your receipt five times).

Remember, only receipts for purchase of new copies of the Three Rivers Press/Crown Publishing paperback edition of Pope Joan will be entered.

Receipts must be received by August 15th. We're sorry, but we cannot be responsible for delays by the post office. The drawing will take place on Monday, August 17th and the winner will be notified right away.

I'll announce the winner in my August 2009 Email Update and also on book blogs. Whoever the winner is, I look forward to meeting you and your guest at the premiere!

I think this sounds like an incredible opportunity, and I encourage everyone to go out and buy this book! In fact, why not make POPE JOAN a future selection for your book club? There is a very thought-provoking discussion guide available; and Ms. Cross loves to join in on the conversation -- you can read all about how to make a request here.

Review: The Fixer Upper

Summary: The delightful New York Times bestselling author returns with a hilarious novel about one woman's quest to redo an old house . . . and her life.

After her boss in a high-powered Washington public relations firm is caught in a political scandal, fledgling lobbyist Dempsey Jo Killebrew is left almost broke, unemployed, and homeless. Out of options, she reluctantly accepts her father's offer to help refurbish Birdsong, the old family place he recently inherited in Guthrie, Georgia. All it will take, he tells her, is a little paint and some TLC to turn the fading Victorian mansion into a real-estate cash cow.

But, oh, is Dempsey in for a surprise when she arrives in Guthrie. "Bird Droppings" would more aptly describe the moldering Pepto Bismol–pink dump with duct-taped windows and a driveway full of junk. There's also a murderously grumpy old lady, one of Dempsey's distant relations, who has claimed squatter's rights and isn't moving out. Ever.

Furthermore, everyone in Guthrie seems to know Dempsey's business, from a smooth-talking real-estate agent to a cute lawyer who owns the local newspaper. It wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for the pesky FBI agents who show up on Dempsey's doorstep, hoping to pry information about her ex-boss from her.

All Dempsey can do is roll up her sleeves and get to work. And before long, what started as a job of necessity somehow becomes a labor of love and, ultimately, a journey that takes her to a place she never expected—back home again.-- Harper

A few months ago, I read and reviewed DEEP DISH by Mary Kay Andrews and I thought it was a very cute novel. So I was so excited to see that she has another book coming out called THE FIXER UPPER. I couldn't wait to read it, and I am very happy to say that I really enjoyed it. In fact, I actually think I liked it even more than DEEP DISH!

Like a few of Ms. Andrews books, THE FIXER UPPER is the story of a woman who finds herself in a little trouble! Dempsey is a lobbyist who discovers that her boss (on whom she has a slight crush) has sold her down the river to save himself when it is discovered that they are involved in a political scandal. Dempsey ends up broke and unemployed, and her father decides to send her to Georgia to help him renovate and sell an old family house. They figure that by the time she turns over the house, all of the controversy will go away and she can return to Washington. Once Dempsey gets to Georgia and sees the house, she finds that the house is in terrible condition and she has more work on her hands than she ever imagined. She also discovers that a distant relative is already living there and won't leave.

I just adored this book, and I had such a wonderful time reading about Dempsey's adventures. Of course, I pretty much knew where this book was headed but it still was so much fun! I absolutely love how Dempsey not only ended up renovating the decrepit house, but she also ended up renovating her entire life. I enjoyed seeing Dempsey become empowered as she learned how to fix and repair the house; and I loved how it translated into Dempsey discovering her true self. (And it almost goes without saying that I had a huge amount of respect for her because I so could not imagine getting through anything like that!)

THE FIXER UPPER was definitely a very funny book, and I had to really laugh as Dempsey kept discovering how much was wrong with the house. I also thought her interactions with Ella Kate, her mysterious squatter, were hilarious. However, there were also some very touching and serious side stories. My heart went out to Dempsey for her naivete and I thought so much of her innocence came as a result of her relationship with her father -- she was such a daddy's girl. In addition, I knew there were reasons for Ella Kate's bitterness; and I actually felt sorry for her despite her mean treatment towards Dempsey.

It's natural that a Mary Kay Andrews book would have a little romance thrown in, and THE FIXER UPPER was no exception. I absolutely adored Dempsey's romantic interest Tee, and I found myself rooting for the success of their relationship. I also really liked how much he supported her despite her many idiosyncrasies and insecurities.

Last week, I participated in a BlogTalk Radio show with Ms. Andrews which was hosted by Virginia Stanley, Director of Library Marketing at Harper Collins. It was a fantastic interview and I thought it definitely enhanced my enjoyment of THE FIXER UPPER. I was very interested to learn that Ms. Andrews has a few things in common with the character of Dempsey in that she has actually fixed up a house and she enjoys reading decorating magazines. I also liked hearing about how much Ms. Andrews enjoys talking with book clubs about her novels.

At first I wasn't sure if I would recommend THE FIXER UPPER as a book club pick, but the more I think about it, I actually do believe it would be a great book to discuss. It's definitely a very fun book to read and perfect for the summer; and I think that many women would just love to read this and talk about it with friends. Most of the book is rather light and entertaining, but I did find that there were certainly some deeper issues such as illness and parental/child relationships that are sure to touch everyone who reads this novel. I also think a lot of Dempsey's actions could be analyzed and dissected! Since many of Ms. Andrews books have discussion guides, I'm sure there will be one availablefor THE FIXER UPPER shortly.

Check out this video of Ms. Andrews talking about THE FIXER UPPER:

I Got to Meet Susan Gregg Gilmore

I realize this post is delayed by a few days, but my life has been so hectic this week (and it doesn't look like it's going to calm down in the near future.) On Monday evening, I had the opportunity to meet one of my favorite new authors Susan Gregg Gilmore. She was at Aaron's Books in Lititz, PA, doing a book reading and book signing for the paperback release of LOOKING FOR SALVATION AT THE DAIRY QUEEN. I reviewed this book last week and absolutely adored it! In fact, I'm having a giveaway for five copies of it so be sure to check that out.

Some of you might already know this, but I live in Central PA -- right outside of Harrisburg. It's not exactly a booming metropolis (but it is a great place to bring up a family.) My point is that we almost never have author signings. So last week, after I posted my review of DAIRY QUEEN, Susan's outside publicist sent me an e-mail saying that she didn't know where I lived in Pennsylvania, but Susan was going to be doing some tour stops in the state. Of course, I figured she'd be hitting the big cities but I thought I'd take a look anyway. Much to my surprise, Susan was going to be at Aaron's Books in Lititz on Monday night. Lititz is about an hour away from me and only a few minutes from my mother and sister. I was so excited (maybe even doing the happy dance) and I immediately called my family and asked them to join me. Neither my mom or sister had read the book yet, but I knew it was the type of book that they were going to love.

I have to say that Susan Gregg Gilmore is just a very special woman. I absolutely loved hearing her talk about her life before being a novelist -- she was a journalist and a mother of three girls. She also told us how DAIRY QUEEN came to be and gave us a little "insider information" about her second and third novels. I was particularly interested in hearing about her writing process as well as how she eventually became published. I thought it was especially interesting to hear what inspired some of her characters. One my most memorable parts of the evening was when Susan read a few pages from her novel. She turned on the most adorable southern accent (she grew up in Tennessee and lives there now) and actually became the characters. She should so record an audio version of DAIRY QUEEN!

After the signing, we posed for some pictures. As you can see, Susan is just beautiful and so tiny.


Once the bookstore cleared out, Susan, Susan's daughter, her daughter's friend, my mom, and I headed out for a little bite to eat. The key word for me is "little" since it was Day 1 of my Game On! Diet. Lititz is a quaint little town but not exactly a hot spot for entertainment on a Monday night. We eventually ended up at a little pizza joint, but I didn't really care where we ate. I just wanted to spend some more time getting to know Susan. She truly is a wonderful and entertaining woman, and I'm so glad to call her a friend!

Susan also gave me a little gift which was so sweet of her! As my mom and I were heading back to the car, we heard someone yelling and running towards us -- it was Susan. She had something for me back in her room. She gave me a box of milk chocolate almond toffee from the Nashville Toffee Company. I was dying to try some, but I'll have to wait until the day off portion of my diet!

On a little aside, I was so excited to find out about Aaron's Books. It is the cutest little bookstore right in downtown Lititz. They are an independent bookstore that sells both new and used books. The owners are the nicest people and their little son was even there helping them set up. I have been tweeting with Sam (@aaronsbooks) for a few days, and I'm hoping to work with them (somehow) in the future! I really love their store and want to support them!!! They are also hosting author Maryann McFadden on August 18th so I'm going to do my best to get over then. What I found so incredibly cool is that Sam has arranged both of these author signing via Twitter! Who says that Twitter isn't useful?

Review: Finger Linkin' Fifteen

Summary: Unbuckle your belt and pull up a chair. It's the spiciest, sauciest, most rib-sticking Plum yet.

Recipe for disaster: Celebrity chef Stanley Chipotle comes to Trenton to participate in a barbecue cook-off and loses his head -- literally.

Throw in some spice: Bail bonds office worker Lula is witness to the crime, and the only one she'll talk to is Trenton cop Joe Morelli.

Pump up the heat: Chipotle's sponsor is offering a million-dollar reward to anyone who can provide information leading to the capture of the killers.

Stir the pot: Lula recruits bounty hunger Stephanie Plum to help her find the killers and collect the moolah.

Add a secret ingredient: Stephanie Plum's Grandma Mazur. Enough said.

Bring to a boil: Stephanie Plum is working overtime tracking felons for the bonds office at night and snooping for security expert Carlos Manoso, aka Ranger, during the day. Can Stephanie hunt down two killers, a traitor, and five skips, keep her grandmother out of the sauce, and solve Ranger's problems and not jump his bones?

Warning: Habanero hot. So good you'll want seconds. -- Book Jacket

It wouldn't feel like summer for me if I didn't read a Stephanie Plum book by Janet Evanovich. That's probably because I've been reading one a year for the past 15 years. I can definitely say that I am a huge fan of this series; and I just love reading about the adventures of all the quirky characters. This year, Stephanie and Lula team up in FINGER LICKIN' FIFTEEN.

I liked FINGER LICKIN' FIFTEEN very much, but I always enjoy these books. I consider Ms. Evanovich's books to be like "book candy" for me -- a guilty pleasure (but without all the calories!) This book was a fun, light story with a little mystery thrown in that only took me a few hours to read. I have to say that it really hit the spot for me after the depressing weekend I had. One things for sure about Stephanie Plum books, they will always make you laugh (or at least smile.)

If you are already a fan of this series, you should appreciate FINGER LICKIN' FIFTEEN too. There are many of the same types of scenes and characters that appear in the other 14 books, but that doesn't bother me at all because it's what I've grown to expect and love from these books. Why mess with something that works?

Of course, all the same characters are back in this book. I love Stephanie and Morelli together, but I was a little disappointed to see that Ranger had a bigger part in this book. (That just means that the next one will have more Morelli, right?) I also think Lula is a hoot; and since she had a huge part in this book, there was ample opportunity for a lot of humor -- get it? -- "huge" and "ample?" Usually when I read this series, I find myself laughing out loud at least once at something Grandma Mazur does. In this book, my laugh out loud moment was a scene involving Lula. I'm still chuckling as I write about it!

There is a great website devoted to this book; and I think fans of the series are really going to appreciate the map and tour of "The Burg." I had a fun time clicking through all the locations mentioned in the books. You can even read some excerpts of the novel.

Thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy of FINGER LICKIN' FIFTEEN.