Read, Review, Repeat

The Attitude Girl, Interview With Author Mila Bernadkin

2011-03-16T10:13:00.000-07:00

Publishers Copy:
Everyone thinks Vicky has an attitude problem, but in her eyes, she's simply being realistic and honest about what she thinks and feels. If people can't handle it, well... it's their problem.

The novel recounts a young woman's coming of age, with a little bit of sassiness and a lot of heart. Jam-packed with emotional conflict, trials and tribulations, romance and humor, this winner of 8 literary awards follows outspoken, materialistic 17-year-old Victoria Benson on her rocky road to adulthood as she struggles with financial setbacks, bullying, first love, idealism, loss and forgiveness along the way.

Raising children has never been easy... And guiding them through adolescence in our tumultuous modern world? Maddening! Today's teens want entertainment! What they need, however, is a little bit of guidance, especially given the challenges of the current US economy. Written for young adults, ages 15 and up, and their parents, The Attitude Girl is an inspirational, award-winning timely book that gives them both...

Selected as the Best Young Adult Novel of the Year by the 2010 Premier Book Awards, The Attitude Girl also placed as a Finalist of the 2010 National Indie Excellence Awards, was named a First-place Winner in the Young Adult/Teenage category at the 2009 London Book Festival and in the Arizona Authors Association Annual Literary Awards contest (Novels), and additionally received four Honorable Mentions in 2009/2010 literary competitions.

My Review:

Well I could relate to Vicky. As a person who speaks their mind, sometimes to my own detriment, I can surely empathize with a teen who adults think have an attitude problem.

This book is touchingly real and up-front about the issues that confront teen girls today, and it will resonate with all of us who remembers our high school years.

Author Interview~
Mila, let’s start with your inspiration for The Attitude Girl, how long were the characters rumbling around in your head before you put them on paper?

I started the book when I was a student at the Institute of Children’s Literature. My assignment was to write three chapters, the beginning of the book, if I were to write one. I was inspired by my experience as an ex-teacher and the mother of an ex-teenager. I got an idea for a coming-of-age story about five teen girls, close friends. The characters were just popping up in my head. I created their personalities, imagined what they looked like, and named them. And then, I started to hear them speak. I knew what they were thinking and feeling. I lived and breathed along with them. It was like a movie playing in my head. Naturally, after the course was over, I just kept on writing. I couldn’t stop.

I think part of the reason that I loved this book so much was because of all of the real life trials and tribulations that Vicky and her friends had to go through. Was that your plan from the beginning?

I was writing a realistic contemporary story. So I tried to be as close to real life as possible. There are so many problems in the world today! My plan was to illustrate how teenagers deal with issues they have to face on the road to becoming adults such as bullying, first love, teen pregnancy, and relationships with parents. My goal was to deliver a message: life is not all black and white; it’s mostly grey, so deal with it! I wanted to make young adults and their parents understand that although it’s extremely hard to raise a child, being a teenager is not that easy, either.

Being that you are originally from Ukraine, you seemed to really have a grasp on American teens and their struggles, how did you get into their frame of mind so well?

I’ve been in the United States for many years. I watch TV and read. There are always news reports. I’ve heard stories from other parents about their kids being bullied. As I mentioned before, I infused many of my own traits into my protagonist. Some of her thoughts and questions are actually mine, and her authentic voice is often my own voice. And I’ll tell you a little secret: I’m awfully young at heart!

This book has won so many awards, which can only be attributed to your great writing, were you surprised that your first book did so well?

I’m very proud that my book won the total of 8 literary awards. Thanks! When my manuscript for The Attitude Girl won first place in the Arizona Authors Association Annual Literary Awards contest and a publishing contract with Five Star Publications as a prize, I was extremely surprised, even shocked – I couldn’t believe it! And when the novel was named a first-place winner in the Young Adult/Teenage category at the 2009 London Book Festival, I thought to myself, It must be good. They can’t be wrong twice, can they? Later, I received four Honorable Mentions in 2009/2010 literary competitions, and the book became a finalist of the 2010 National Indie Excellence Awards. And, finally, last September, The Attitude Girl was selected (I was told, unanimously) the Best Young Adult Novel of the Year at the 2010 Premier Book Awards. It’s overwhelming! But it’s a great feeling…

I didn’t feel like Vicky had such a terrible attitude problem, I could really relate to her honesty and outspokenness. Have you gotten a lot of feedback from girls who see themselves in these characters?

You are absolutely right! The problem with Vicky’s attitude is just that she doesn’t want to be or to think positive when she doesn’t feel like it. Considering Vicky’s honesty and outspokenness, it’s understandable where she’s coming from. Those are my own traits, infused into my main character. I, just like Vicky, always stand by my principals and fight for what I believe in.

Actually, I’m getting a lot of feedback from teen girls and moms. They say things like, “Finally, there’s someone who gets me!” or “It’s a book about me and many of my friends – same issues, same problems. Who doesn’t have attitude at this age? It’s like seeing myself in a mirror.” Moms identify with Vicky’s mother and start to understand young adults better. Many mothers and daughters read the novel together when they reviewed it, and they told me it was a great bonding experience. That means so much!

Is there a follow up to The Attitude Girl in the works?

I’m not planning a follow-up to The Attitude Girl. To be honest, I don’t believe in sequels – they usually are not as good as originals. But… you know… Never say never.

What new things do you have coming on the horizon?

I’ve been writing articles on parenthood and young adults. A couple of them were published in Power Women Magazine, MORE magazine, BOLD magazine, and the National Gallery of Writing. I’m a contributor to AuthorsDen.com, DivaToolBox.com and Weenc.com (Women Embracing Every New Challenge) – they publish my articles as well. I have several short stories for middle graders and young adults that need “polishing.” I started two books for kids ages 5 – 10, and I have a few ideas for books for adults that I have to develop.

Well I can't wait to see what comes next, thank you so much for taking the time to talk to me!

You are very welcome, Mimi. It’s my pleasure!

For The Attitude Girl website, click here, and to click directly over to Amazon to buy it click here!

Under The Overpass, Mike Yankoski

2011-03-14T19:11:00.000-07:00

Mike Yankoski’s Under the Overpass, which allows for an inside look at homelessness and the way they are perceived, is truly insightful. Most everyone can relate to the panhandler on the corner or the disheveled individual walking down the street or sleeping on a city bench. I, for one, am guilty of averting my gaze as I walk past or anxiously await the red light to turn green.

What is extremely eye-opening is that these individuals are shunned, even by many who consider themselves part of the Christian community. It causes one to pause and be introspective to ponder the question of whether we are following God’s command to love our neighbor as ourselves.

Yankoski gives names to the homeless so that we can see them as fellow human beings and not just a filthy person placed in our path to create annoyance or an uncomfortable feeling. By acknowledging that these individuals are NOT less than human, we are forced to reconcile if we are treating them as an equal. The fact that even the Christian community, which I count myself a part of, tends to stay as far removed from the reality that there are millions of suffering individuals whose everyday existence is comprised of finding a meal and a safe place to sleep, is sad. It’s strange that we feel satisfied when we sponsor mission trips but avoid the simple act of buying a meal for the “bum” we pass on the way to work every day.

Yes, it’s important to congregate with other Christians in fellowship to worship the Creator but we are completely missing the point if our actions don’t follow through. As I Corinthians 13 states, If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. You have the choice, take up the call and act or give lip service to the Lord!

Never Been Kissed, Melody Carlson

2011-02-09T10:38:00.000-08:00

Publishers Copy:
All Elise wants is to have her first kiss before she turns sixteen. Is that so bad? But when a friend's poor advice and the powers of electronic technology combine, Elise heads down a dangerous road. She is accused of "sexting" and gets kicked out of school. But is she really the one to blame?

This powerful and realistic story from beloved author Melody Carlson shows teen girls the impact of their choices when it comes to respecting themselves and their integrity. Honest and relevant, Never Been Kissed will make girls laugh, cry . . . and think.

My Review:
This great book was a slight departure from most Christian Young Adult books. Covering issue like "sexting" it pushes the envelope in a way that is both relevant and spot on for today's youth.

You can see where Elise is making wrong turns & want to stop her, but like the youth of today, it's often too much, too soon.

Melody Carlson stands out in a field of YA authors, nailing the language of today's youth and the struggles they face in this book. As a reader, she always leaves you wanting more.

Pick this one up for your teen or yourself today!

Chunneling Through Forty, Anne McAneny

2011-02-07T14:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome back to the few of you who might be reading Read, Review, Repeat!

I wrote a couple of months ago about how reading had become something that I couldn't do anymore, but I have crossed that hurdle, and am back to my reading self. Hooray!

Santa brought me a Kindle for Christmas and Chunneling Through Forty is the first book I downloaded. The Kindle takes some getting used to & it won't ever replace real books for me totally, but I love it.
Publisher's Copy:

A woman’s 40th birthday comes on like a tsunami, especially when life's biggest excitement means finding a wad of fudge in a half gallon of ice cream. For Susanna O’Leary, the day prompts her to set five goals. They don’t include the invention of personal jet packs or finding the cure for cancer, but for a bored mother, they might as well. As she takes a stab at each goal, she encounters hilarious and heartening complications that reap unexpected results, including an attraction to her daughter’s history teacher. An unpredictable cast of characters buoys her along the way, and in the end, her goal list remains incomplete but at least attempted. She has faced the tsunami head-on and emerged on the other side ready to chunnel through the next forty years with gusto.

My opinion:

I was sick when I read this book & honestly enjoyed it except for the infidelity storyline that was just thrown in from left field to try and make the stakes feel higher, perhaps? It was like a really good song that an orchestra is playing where someone keeps hitting the wrong note, just as you start to enjoy the music again.

I'd still read it, but this one could have been so much better.

Jane In Bloom, Deborah Lytton

2011-01-26T06:44:00.000-08:00

Publishers copy:
Jane's big sister, Lizzie, has always been the center of attention. No one ever pays attention to boring, plain Jane. But Jane's twelfth birthday markd the beginning of Lizzie's final descent into a fatal eating disorder, and Jane discovers that the only thing harder than living in her big sister's shadow is living without her...

In the wak of tragedy, Jane learns to look through her camera lnes and frame life differently, embracing her broken family and understanding that every girl has her season to blossom.

My review:
This book is described as spare and vulnerable and I think that those are two very apt adjectives. This little book packs a bigger punch than the reader sees coming and the subject of losing and then finding one's family is handled masterfully.

Someone Will Be With You Shortly, Lisa Kogan

2011-01-23T06:28:00.001-08:00

Hmm, Lisa Kogan works for Oprah Winfrey, has a marriage where she & her husband live on 2 different continents and this book does not reflect this level of excitement for me.

It's the small mundane things of her everyday life, which are interesting, but I want to know how the hell her marriage works!

People have compared her favorably to David Sedaris, Nora Ephron or Erma Bombeck. Way too high of praise in my opinion.

It's worth reading, but doesn't really stay with you or leave you wanting more.

Booky Wook 2, Russell Brand

2011-01-23T06:27:00.000-08:00

Back cover quote:

"I was born to be famous, but it took decades for me to convey this entitlement to an indifferent world and suspicious job centers - both presumed me a nitwit, possibly with good reason as I was brilliantly disguised as a scruff-bag."

I love Russell Brand. Yes the former drug, alcohol and sex addicted comic from Britian with the silly hair and the swagger.

The fact is, that the man is brilliant & the only way you may ever reveal his brilliance to yourself is to read his books. I suggest you start with Booky Wook, before moving on to Booky Wook 2, you woulnd't want to find yourself lost in the story.

Christmas At Harringtons, Melody Carlson

2010-11-15T14:07:00.000-08:00

Publishers Copy:

Christmas is approaching, and Lena Markham finds herself penniless, friendless, and nearly hopeless. She is trying to restart her life after false accusations landed her in prison, but job opportunities are practically nonexistent. When a secondhand red coat unexpectedly lands her a job as Mrs. Santa at a department store, Lena finally thinks her luck is changing. But can she keep her past a secret?

My Review:

Full of the Christmas spirit, this book had me humming Christmas carols in October! This book is slim, but full of charm. Hard times are found in her small town, just as they are all over the country today, but Lena is trying to keep a secret, a big one.

Big secret, small town, yeah, you can see where this is going. What's different about Christmas at Harringtons is that it's a feel good book, that really does make you feel good. Redemption is available if you know where to look. I'm hoping Melody Carson will revisit Lena Markham in a future book.
If you're feeling a bit "bah humbug", pick up Christmas At Harringtons, you won't be sorry!

Thumbing Through Thoreau, Compiled by Kenny Luck

2010-11-08T14:52:00.000-08:00

Publishers Copy:

Author Kenny Luck has thumbed through Thoreau’s voluminous journals, correspondences and other publications to make this the most comprehensive collection of Thoreau aphorisms available.

Illustrators Jay Luke and Ren Adams lend their talents to artistically interpret Thoreau's vision. Each quote is accompanied by an original drawing.

A collaboration of three individuals breathes new life into the immortal words of Henry David Thoreau.

My Review:

This was the first time I have been sent a book to review in PDF format. Even though this wasn't a book I could hold in my hands, I can tell you that this is a beautiful book of quotes and illustrations.

Flip to any of the over 300 pages and you will find something that inspires you, moves you, or just makes you think.

This coffee table style book would make an excellent gift for any reader or thinker. Tribute Books really has a winner on it's hands with this one.

As an added bonus for Read, Review, Repeat readers, Tribute Books have offered free e-copies of this book. Please leave a comment with your e-mail address if you are interested in this offer.

I Can't Read Anymore

2010-10-31T19:20:00.000-07:00

My entire life, reading has been my refuge. As an only child I would read my summers away as we camped all over Michigan.

Reading is what I threw myslef into when my ex-husband left, how I got thru my hospital stays, and how I passed the time when I was too scared to step into the world.

Now my medications have been adjusted, helping to keep my bi-polar in check, but I can't read anymore. I can't read for more than 3 or 4 minutes before I have to jump to something else.

I'm going to talk to my Dr. tomorrow about this tomorrow morning. I need my reading back.

First Comes Love, Then Comes Malaria, Eve Brown-Waite

2010-10-27T12:49:00.000-07:00

Publishers Copy:

Eve Brown's dream is to join the Peace Corps…and maybe solve world hunger and win a Nobel Peace Prize along the way. But she secretly fears she isn't tough enough to survive the bug-infested jungle, much less live without toilet paper and decaf cappuccino. Then she falls head-over-little-black-heels in love with John – a dashing Peace Corps recruiter whose do-gooder passions outshine her own. She becomes more determined than ever to get into the Peace Corps – and to win John's heart in the process.

Assigned to Ecuador, she years for warm showers and cold beers (instead of the other way around!). And though she occasionally finds herself overwhelmed by her work reuniting homeless children with their families, she learns to delight in small successes. But a year into her service, a tragedy befalls one of her fellow volunteers, which unearths troubling memories from Eve's past and causes her to return, rather unceremoniously, to the United States. Back home, Eve attempts to settle down with John and get reacquainted with the joys of sushi and supermarkets. But faster than she can say "Pass the malaria pills," John accepts a job with CARE in a remote corner of Africa, and Eve gets a second chance to test her mettle in the Third World.

With uproarious wit and candor, Eve Brown-Waite details the (mis)adventures that ensue. From intestinal parasites and guerrilla warfare to culture clashes and unexpected friendships. FIRST COMES LOVE, THEN COMES MALARIA captures the thrills and absurdities of global humanitarian life in a story that any globetrotter - armchair or otherwise - will love.

Review:
This was the best book I've read in a long time. Brown-Waite is so honest and so relatable. She doesn't gloss over her failures or make foreign service seem like a cake walk.

What she does do is bring it to a level where you could acutally imagine yourself in her shoes. The danger of living in Africa are handled with honesty and candor. Getting used to having staff, communicating with family only rarely and living without a working telephone are the small things compared to her illness and pregnancy struggles.

This is a great book, check it out for yourself.

My Fake Wedding, Mina Ford

2010-09-16T18:40:00.000-07:00

Publisher's Copy:

When Katie Simpson discovers her boyfriend boffing "Fishpants Fraser," she vows to eat toenail clippings before getting involved again. Life as "the ginger spinster of Pelham Parish" will be lonely, but bearable as long as she shags lots of strangers and hangs tight with her friends.

Unfortunately, Katie has the unerring ability to hit on the only gay man at the party (not again!). And her pals are somewhat preoccupied. Mover-and-shaker Janice has started scoping funerals for doddering sugar daddies. George, Katie's gorgeous, flamingly gay best friend (yes, she's tried it), is madly in love with an Aussie heartbreaker (struck out there, too) who needs some speedy nuptials to stay in the country. What better opportunity to plan a fake wedding more elaborate than a ten-tier cake?

My Review:

Light & fluffy like good frosting, this is somewhat of a throwaway read - not one that you will remember too much when you finish it, but fun none the less.

A smart little book that ends up with all the pieces falling into place, you'll enjoy Katie's journey with all of her quirky friends. This is pretty close to a perfect beach read, well maybe a watch-the-leaves-fall read, so pick it up.

Clearing The Aisle, Karen Schwartz

2010-09-13T14:12:00.000-07:00

Publisher's Copy:

They're getting hitched.

When Rachel Silverstein and her longtime boyfriend Dan Gershon decide to get engaged, they hardly expect that planning a wedding will be more difficult than any life changes they've braved in the five years they've been dating. After all, they already live together. But suddenly everyone from parents to friends to cousins to caterers seems to be losing their minds completely. Surely it can't all be in Rachel's head. Can it?

My Review:

I didn't get it. This book took me nowhere. I kept waiting for it to be worth my time, but it never got there. Don't bother!

Mennonite In A Little Black Dress, Rhoda Janzen

2010-09-08T08:53:00.000-07:00

Publisher's Copy:

Not long after Rhoda Janzen turned forty, her world turned upside down. It was bad enough that her husband of fifteen years left her for Bob, a guy he met on Gay.com, but that same week a car accident left her injured. Needing a place to rest and pick up the pieces of her life, Rhoda packed her bags, crossed the country, and returned to her quirky Mennonite family's home, where she was welcomed back with open arms and offbeat advice. (Rhoda's good-natured mother suggested she get over her heartbreak by dating her first cousin—he owned a tractor, see.)

Written with wry humor and huge personality—and tackling faith, love, family, and aging—Mennonite in a Little Black Dress is an immensely moving memoir of healing, certain to touch anyone who has ever had to look homeward in order to move ahead.

My Review:

I had trouble understanding why this woman who moved so far away from the Mennonite faith of her youth, yet put up with an abusive husband, but this memoir is worth the read.

Reading about how Janzen went back to her family, who are big-wigs in the Mennonite faith, after her life fell apart leads her to re-examine the faith she left behind. He results are surprising and I found them really interesting.

I love a good biography with a twist & this one has several. Pick it up!

This is available for Kindle for only $9.99 (I don't have a Kindle, but I figure maybe enough of you out there do!)

Honey, Baby, Sweetheart, Deb Caletti

2010-09-07T18:43:00.000-07:00

Publisher's Copy:

Ruby McQueen is a sixteen-year-old high school student with the name, she thinks, of a rodeo cowgirl porn star, or, maybe worse, a Texas beauty queen runner-up. Ruby, ordinarily dubbed the Quiet Girl, finds herself hanging out with gorgeous, rich, thrill-seeking Travis Becker. With Travis, Ruby can be someone she’s never been before: Fearless. Powerful. But Ruby is in over her head, and finds herself risking more and more…

My Review:

As usual, Deb Caletti does not dissapoint her YA readers. These are characters you can relate to with situations that seem like they could really happen.

All My Patients Have Tales, Jeff Wells, D.V.M

2010-09-05T16:11:00.000-07:00

Publisher's Copy:

All My Patients Have Tales is a charming, funny, and engaging collection of stories in the great tradition of James Herriout's All Creatures Great And Small.

Jeff Wells describes the first scary cases he takes on at the start of his career, right after graduating from the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine, and as he becomes a seasoned and beloved vet, we watch him grow and flourish over the years. Wells works in a "mixed practice," treating farm animals and house pets, with the occasional exotic thrown in.

The many life-altering, life-threatening, uplifting, and hilarious episodes Wells relates feature a turkey attack, a pregnant male cat, porcupine-quill-covered terriers, a heavy-metal Chihuahua with road burn, an ornery pygmy donkey, a giant hog, a constipated cow, and many others.

Each of these cases reveals not only Wells's wisdom and great sense of humor - without which he surely couldn't do his job - but his sensitive and caring approach to both his charges and their owners.

This perfect little gem of a book will appeal to animal lovers, "pet parents," and anyone who has ever toyed with the idea of becoming a vet.

My Review:

This book of animal stories just didn't do it for me.

Even though I'm an animal lover (my schnauzer has his own blog, for Pete's sake) I found most of these stories a little flat & just kind of boring.

My opinion is this one is only for vet-wannabes and those who really like pet stories.

See by Mary Beth Chapman, co-authored by Ellen Vaughn

2010-08-30T14:04:00.000-07:00

I was contacted by Revell books and sent a copy of the amazing book Choosing to SEE: A Journey of Struggle and Hope by Mary Beth Chapman and Ellen Vaughn.

Here's what Revell has to say about it.

Choosing to SEE: A Journey of Struggle and Hope by Mary Beth Chapman, wife of Christian music artist Steven Curtis Chapman, and co-authored by Ellen Vaughn. In this compelling book, Mary Beth shares a clear message of hope, in spite of her struggles with disappointment, tragedy and grief. Mary Beth’s first-hand story will have you alternately laughing and crying and wishing you lived next-door to the Chapmans.

This book is not an easy book to read, yet I didn't set it down until I had finished it in one setting. We have very close friends who lost their daughter 2 years ago and as a mother myself the sheer honesty about the raw pain they felt is stunning. I read most of this book through tears, but it is just an amazing book.

Not only did the Chapmans lose their daugter, but it was in an accident involving their teenage son, who was driving.

The faith the Chapman family has and the way they have loved each other & been loved by the Christian community is awe inspiring.

I really don't think I can honestly convey how moving this book is, I'm actually somewhat at a loss for words on how good it was. How much anyone who lives in God, doubts God or is unsure of God can actually see faith revealed on the pages of this book. There but for the Grace of God go I.

But this is not just a book of tragedy, it is also a book of celebration of life, family & God. Head out & pick this one up, you will not be sorry.

America's Boy: A Memoir, Wade Rouse

2010-08-26T17:04:00.000-07:00

Publisher's Copy:

Growing up in the Missouri Ozarks in the 1960s and ’70s, Wade Rouse was always a bit of an outsider. While some of his roughneck peers wore Wrangler jeans and had stylish crew cuts, Wade feathered his golden hair and sported a handmade leatherwork belt bearing his unfortunate childhood nickname, Wee-Pooh.

Taunted by his classmates, Wade finds comfort in his offbeat but lovable family, but when a tragic motorcycle accident takes his brother’s life, Wade buries his sexuality along with his brother, vowing to be the son he believes his family wants.

America’s Boy is Wade Rouse’s tale of self-denial and self-discovery, and a tender tribute to the eccentric family that carried him through it all. Wade’s battle with himself—and the long road back to self-acceptance—forms the heart of America’s Boy, an arresting and utterly moving memoir about a boy learning to live (and love) in his own skin. Told with humor, courage, and boundless joy, America’s Boy is a love letter to a singular time in America’s heartland, to family, and to the growing pains that accompany self-discovery.

My Review:

Since I read one of his later books first, At Least In The City Someone Would Hear Me Scream, this book was not quite as good, but still full of great stories.

Realizing that he is a homosexual in a small Missouri town is hard enough, but when his brother dies tragically as a teen, Rouse feels that he can't let his family down by admitting the truth about himself. He eats through his pain and avoids relationships all together until he's in his 30's. Finding true love & coming out to his family saves him.

This book is set up in small chapters of individual stories, some only a page or two long, making it an easy book to set down & pick up again later. This book of self discovery and homey memories is worth your time.

Driving Sideways, Jess Riley

2010-08-23T13:11:00.000-07:00

Publisher's Copy:

Driving Sideways tells the story of Leigh Fielding, a twenty-eight year-old kidney transplant recipient who—six years, hundreds of dialysis sessions, and a million bad poems after being diagnosed with Polycystic Kidney Disease—finally feels strong enough to pursue a few lofty goals she’s been mulling for years: find herself, her kidney donor’s family, and the mother that abandoned her over twenty years ago. And what better way to do just that than a solitary road trip across the country? Well, maybe not entirely solitary, because Leigh suspects she may have inherited more than just an organ from her deceased donor. It’s this sneaking suspicion that takes her trip down some unexpected detours—and the juvenile delinquent who blackmails Leigh into giving her a ride is only the beginning.

My Review:

Let me say unconditionally that I loved this book! Jess Riley has a great way with words and everytime I thought that this story was about to zig it zagged, and in a good way.
I find that so many times when I read a book you can telegraph what is coming a mile away, but this one kept me guessing, laughing, and entertained the whole time. One of those books that you don't want to end.
This book was published in 2008 and according to www.JessRiley.com she doesn't have anymore out yet or even on the way, which is a disappointment.
With lines like "Maybe he's roasting in hell with Goebbels, Pol Pot, and Falco, who ended up there for unleashing 'Rock Me Amadaeus' on an unsuspecting public" and "I'm playing Marco Polo with normalcy" the writing really had me.
I have several books waiting to be posted, but I loved this one so much I wanted to publish this one right away.
It's available from Kindle for $9.29 and probably can be ordered through your local library network.
Don't miss this one, it's a gem.

If Andy Warhol Had A Girlfriend, Alison Pace

2010-08-22T04:04:00.000-07:00

Publisher's Copy:

Jane Laine used to know a lot about art. But that was before she started managing a prominent gallery, and long before she met "it" artist Ian Rhys-Fitzsimmons. Jane can't seem to put a finger on what exactly is so "it" about his work. In fact, as far as she can tell, he's a big fraud and his fifteen minutes of fame should be over by now. Which could be kind of a problem --since Jane is the one who has to accompany him on a five-month international art fair tour.

To get through it all, Jane figures she'll be a good sport and keep her critiques to herself. Until, traveling with this alleged genius from London to Rome and beyond, she starts to understand the connection between art and love --and the fact that, in both, perspective is everything...

My Review:

This books was a fun diversion. The New York art world gets a little poke as Alison Pace questions what makes art amazing as opposed to just art. As her character Jane Laine follows the newest hot artist around the country she gets an opportunity to ruminate on her life and why she doesn't "get" the art of her superstar client.

The side story about her mom's miniature schnauzers is a little too far fetched for my tastes, but this book made me want to read the rest of Pace's works which all have a dog theme. I'll let you know how they are.

This ended up being another book that doesn't stick with you for too long after, but it's a fun diversion.

Orange Is The New Black, Piper Kerman

2010-08-20T16:25:00.000-07:00

Publisher's Copy:

When Piper Kerman was sent to prison for a ten-year-old crime, she barely resembled the reckless young woman she’d been when she’d committed the misdeeds that would eventually catch up with her. Happily ensconced in a New York City apartment, with a promising career and an attentive boyfriend, she was suddenly forced to reckon with the consequences of her very brief, very careless dalliance in the world of drug trafficking.

My Review:

This book should have been really great. An educated woman who ended up in a woman's prison, but it was just OK for me.

Maybe it was because Kerman had a fairly easy time of it or maybe there just wasn't enough drama for me.

It did shine a lot of light on the plight of women in prison. The lack of educational opportunities and the absence of ways to reform themselves is really astonishing. I understand that prisoners are there to be punished, but if we don't teach them ways to succeed on the outside the cycle will never be broken.

All in all I thought this was worth reading.

Diary Of A New Mum, Jools Oliver

2010-08-17T05:34:00.000-07:00

Publisher's Copy:

Being pregnant for the first time changed Jools Oliver’s life. Having longed for children as far back as she can remember, she was suddenly faced with an array of unfamiliar, unexpected, and sometimes downright embarrassing emotional and physical reactions. So when Poppy (and a year later, Daisy) was born, she had to learn a whole new set of skills.

From "minus nine" (her first positive pregnancy test) to "one" (Poppy’s first birthday), Jools takes you through the worries, surprises, excitement, miracles, and very hard work that she -- and all new moms in their own different ways -- had to face along the way.

Down to earth, personal, and very very funny, this is the book no aspiring mother will want to be without.

My Review:

Even though my baby-making years are long behind me, I enjoyed this look at Jools Oliver's pregnancys. Wife of celebu-chef Jamie Oliver, this book shows the stuggle many people face in conceiving, dealing with the true emotions of pregnancy, and struggling through that first year.

When she finds herself pregnant when her first daughter is only 4 months old, life truly turns upside down. Part instructional guide, part memoir, this book includes resources for new moms, recipes for feeding young children in a healthy way, and even terms and definitions for those who aren't familiar with pregnancy terms.

While obviously more helpful for those who are new moms or hope to become new moms, this is a great read.

Miracle On The Hudson, written by the Survivors of Flight 1549

2010-08-14T19:01:00.000-07:00

Publisher's Copy:

In this heart-stopping, page-turning tale of fear, heroism, and redemption, the passengers of the Hudson River crash landing tell their remarkable stories.

Millions watched the aftermath on television, while others witnessed the event actually happening from the windows of nearby skyscrapers. But only 155 people know firsthand what really happened on U.S. Airways Flight 1549 on January 15, 2009. Now, for the first time, the survivors detail their astounding, terrifying, and inspiring experiences on that freezing winter day in New York City. Written by two esteemed journalists, Miracle on the Hudson is the entire tale from takeoff to bird strike to touchdown to rescue, seen through the eyes and felt in the souls of those on board the fateful flight.

Revealing many new and compelling details, Miracle on the Hudson dramatically evokes the explosion and "smell of burning flesh" as both engines were destroyed by geese, the violent landing on the river that felt like a "huge car wreck," the gridlock in the aisles as the plane filled swiftly with freezing water, and the thrill of the passengers' rescue from the wings and from rafts—all of it recalled by the "cross section of America" on board.

Jay McDonald, a thirty-nine-year-old software developer, had survived brain-tumor surgery just two years earlier and now faced the unimaginable.

Tracey Wolsko, a nervous flier, suddenly became other people's rock: "Just pray. It's going to be all right." Jim Whitaker, a construction executive, reassured a nervous mother of two young children on board, only later admitting, "I was pathologically lying the whole time." As the plane started sinking, Lucille Palmer, eighty-five, told her daughter to save herself: "Just leave me!"

Featuring much more than what the media reported—moments of chaos in addition to stoicism and common sense, and the fortuitous mistakes and quick instincts that saved lives that otherwise would have been lost—Miracle on the Hudson is the chronicle of one of the most phenomenal feel-good stories of recent years, one that could have been a nightmare and instead became a stirring narrative of heroism and hope for our times.

My Review:

This story really put the reader in the seats with these survivors. What was really only seconds becomes riveting when relayed from so many passengers personal recollections.

Everybody in the story wasn't a saint, there was some pushing and shoving, but quick thinking and an amazingly clear headed captain made the story truly a miracle.

This short read is uplifting and life affirming. The story of strangers coming together to help one another when it really counted, is a great, true life story.

The Department Of Lost And Found, Allison Winn Scotch

2010-08-12T15:22:00.000-07:00

Publishers Copy:

It didn’t start out as the worst day of Natalie Miller’s life. At thirty, she is moving up the political ladder, driven by raw ambition and ruthless determination. As the top aide to New York’s powerful female senator, she works hard, stays late, and enjoys every bit of it, even if the bills she’s pushing through do little to improve the lives of the senator’s constituents. And if her boyfriend isn’t the sexiest guy alive, at least he’s a warm body to come home to.

Then he announces he’s leaving. But that news is barely a blip compared to what Natalie’s doctor tells her: She has breast cancer. And she can’t cure it by merely being headstrong. Now the life Natalie must change is her own.

All her energy, what little of it she has left, must go into saving herself from a merciless disease. So when she’s not lying on the sofa recovering from her treatments and indulging in a curious addiction to The Price Is Right, she realizes it’s time to take a hard look at her choices. She begins by tracking down the five loves-of-her-life to assess what went wrong. Along the way, she questions her relationships with her friends, her parents, her colleagues, the one who got away, and, most important, with herself: Why is she so busy moving through life that she never stops to embrace it?

As Natalie sleuths out the answers to these questions, her journey of self-discovery takes her down new paths and to unexplored places. And she learns that sometimes when life is at its most unexpected, it’s not what you lose that makes you who you are ... it’s what you find.

My Review:

Try finding a book that tackles breast cancer seriously while being funny and warm at the same time...not that easy.

I was blown away by this book & it's ability to keep things funny and interesting without being morose and sad. The characters are engaging and the book is really well written.

I have already read Time Of My Life, by Allison Winn Scotch & am awaiting her third book from the library. Totally worth your time.

At Least In The City Someone Would Hear Me Scream, Wade Rouse

2010-08-11T09:04:00.000-07:00

Publishers Copy:

In this rollicking and hilarious memoir, Wade and his partner, Gary, leave culture, cable, and consumerism behind and strike out for rural Michigan–a place with fewer people than in their former spinning class.

There, Wade discovers the simple life isn’t so simple. Battling blizzards, bloodthirsty critters, and nosy neighbors equipped with night-vision goggles, Wade and his spirit, sanity, relationship, and Kenneth Cole pointy-toed boots are sorely tested with humorous and humiliating frequency.

And though he never does learn where his well water actually comes from or how to survive without Kashi cereal, he does discover some things in the woods outside his knotty-pine cottage in Saugatuck, Michigan, that he always dreamed of but never imagined he’d find–happiness and a home.

My Review:

If Jen Lancaster, Augusten Burroughs & David Sedaris had a love-child, Wade Rouse would be the result. A committed gay couple moving to Sagatuck, Michigan (a widely gay area) is not a surprise. To find them making their way in the forest, previously foreign to these city slickers, is hilarious!

These short, autobiographical stories had me laughing so hard I was crying. (I may have peed my pants a little too, but let's not dwell on that!)

If you like Lancaster, Burroughs or Sedaris, you will love this book, I promise you. Pick it up today!

The Spinster Sisters, Stacey Ballis

2010-08-10T07:14:00.000-07:00

Publishers Copy:

With a radio show, speaking engagements, and two bestselling books, they've built a thriving cottage industry helping other single women find happiness and empowerment. Their futures have never been brighter. And that's when Jill turns out the lights - by announcing her engagement.

Jodi's in a tailspin. How can they be the Spinster Sisters if one of them if married? Complicating things is her own love life, involving three vastly different paramours offering three different kinds of happiness - none of which Jodi is sure she wants. And her ex-husband, backed by his nighmarish manipulative new girlfriend, may be angling for a piece of the Spinster Sisters empire.

Now Jodi must make some tough decisions, keep the buisness afloat, and get to the altar to stand by her sister - even if it means that from now on she'll be single all by herself.

My Review:

Stacey Ballis is a fiction author, with a bent towards chick-lit, but with more substance. The story of Jodi & Jill is one of the love and sacrifices we make for family, even when we don't necessarily want to.

I found the book a good read that kept me interested and guessing, even if a couple of the characters (the ex-husband & his girlfriend) are a little overblown.

Ballis is an author that I will follow & read any time I get the chance!

I'm Down, A Memoir, Mishna Wolff

2010-08-02T16:52:00.000-07:00

Publisher's Copy:

Mishna Wolff grew up in a poor black neighborhood with her single father, a white man who truly believed he was black. “He strutted around with a ...more Mishna Wolff grew up in a poor black neighborhood with her single father, a white man who truly believed he was black. “He strutted around with a short perm, a Cosby-esqe sweater, gold chains and a Kangol—telling jokes like Redd Fox, and giving advice like Jesse Jackson. You couldn’t tell my father he was white. Believe me, I tried,” writes Wolff. And so from early childhood on, her father began his crusade to make his white daughter Down.

Unfortunately, Mishna didn’t quite fit in with the neighborhood kids: she couldn’t dance, she couldn’t sing, she couldn’t double dutch and she was the worst player on her all-black basketball team. She was shy, uncool and painfully white. And yet when she was suddenly sent to a rich white school, she found she was too “black” to fit in with her white classmates.

I’m Down is a hip, hysterical and at the same time beautiful memoir that will have you howling with laughter, recommending it to friends and questioning what it means to be black and white in America.

My Review:

Although I read tons of Young Adult books, I had no idea I'm Down was classified as a YA book. I wonder if my library didn't label it wrong.

Anyway, this was a book I was excited to read, it seemed right up my alley, but it just never grabbed me. It's not a bad book and Mishna's stories and situation are interesting, but something didn't click for me.

I wouldn't tell you not to pick it up, you probably need to try this one out for yourself!

A Desirable Residence, Madeleine Wickham

2010-07-22T07:29:00.000-07:00

I am thrilled to be able to review this book from Madeleine Wickham, who also writes as Sophie Kinsella and is responsible for the Shopaholic series. I also have 5 copies of the book to giveaway to my readers!

This book was originally released in 1996, and has just been re-released for the first time in hardcover.

Publishers Copy:

Liz and Jonathan Chambers were stuck with two mortgages, mounting debts, and a miserable adolescent daughter. Then Marcus Witherstone came into their lives - and it seemed he would solve all their problems.

He knew the perfect tenants from London who wold rent their old house: a glamorous PR girl, Ginny, and her almost-famous husband, Piers.

But soon Liz is lost in blissful dreams of Marcus, Jonathan is left to run their tutorial college, and neither of them has time to notice that their teenage daughter is developing a passion for the new tenants.

Everyone is entangled with everyone else, in the most awkward possible way. And as events close in, they all begin to realize that some deceptions are just a bit too close to home.

My Review:

As one of the famous chick-lit authors early works, this one lacks a bit of polish that her later works do, but is still a great read.

As life gets more complicated, Liz gets more lost in her exciting new fling, leaving her husband and daughter to fend for themselves. A large real-estate deal, a new business, a potential television star and an fun supporting cast of characters makes it a perfect summer book.

Whether writing as Kinsella or herself, Madeleine Wickham has a gift for fiction & you won't be dissapointed, especially since I have 5 copies of the book to give away to my readers.

How to enter:

1. Leave a comment on this post. 1 entry. If you don't do this entry, any others won't count.
(You must include your email address in your comment. If I can't find you, you can't win!)

2. Follow Read, Review, Repeat. 3 entries, leave 3 comments.

3. Follow my Screaming Mimi blog. 2 entries, leave 2 comments.

4. Follow Oskar's blog. 2 entries, leave 2 comments.

5. Leave a comment on an of the book reviews on this blog, Read, Review, Repeat. Any comments left after this post is up will count as one entry as long as you've left a comment on this post. One entry per comment.

6. Blog about this giveaway & leave me the link in the comments. 3 entries, leave 3 comments.

7. Add the Read, Review, Repeat button to your blog. 2 entries, leave 2 comments.

Due to shipping, this contest is only open to U.S. residents. Contest ends at 12:00 midnight, on Saturday 8/7/10.

*Since I was in the hospital for 9 days this contest has been extended until 8/7/10 at 12:oo midnight. Thanks.

Fly Away Home by Jennifer Weiner, the review.

2010-07-20T10:51:00.000-07:00

Sometimes all you can do is fly away home . . .

When Sylvie Serfer met Richard Woodruff in law school, she had wild curls, wide hips, and lots of opinions. Decades later, Sylvie has remade herself as the ideal politician's wife—her hair dyed and straightened, her hippie-chick wardrobe replaced by tailored knit suits. At fifty-seven, she ruefully acknowledges that her job is staying twenty pounds thinner than she was in her twenties and tending to her husband, the senator.

Lizzie, the Woodruffs' younger daughter, is at twenty-four a recovering addict, whose mantra HALT (Hungry? Angry? Lonely? Tired?) helps her keep her life under control. Still, trouble always seems to find her. Her older sister, Diana, an emergency room physician, has everything Lizzie failed to achieve—a husband, a young son, the perfect home—and yet she's trapped in a loveless marriage. With temptation waiting in one of the ER's exam rooms, she finds herself craving more.

After Richard's extramarital affair makes headlines, the three women are drawn into the painful glare of the national spotlight. Once the press conference is over, each is forced to reconsider her life, who she is and who she is meant to be.

Written with an irresistible blend of heartbreak and hilarity, Fly Away Home is an unforgettable story of a mother and two daughters who after a lifetime of distance finally learn to find refuge in one another.

-----------------------------------------------------------

I've been fortunate enough to read every Jennifer Weiner book published. I've yet to be disappointed! Fly Away Home is a wonderful story and such an easy read. Jennifer (who confirmed this at her book read on Friday) played into the events that we are so familiar with in the news -- the extramarital affairs of the rich and politically famous, and even some imfamous... including a certain Ex-husband of an Oscar winner.

I will say that, there is a lot more SEX in this one. None of the sex is particularly related to the point of the story, so (to me) it was fluff, but it's in there. I managed to read it in a day and a half, and save the "scenes", I'd highly recommend this!!

xoxo,

Gilding Lily, Tatiana Boncompagni

2010-07-14T13:34:00.000-07:00

OK, this doesn't happen often, but I hated this book. Lily, the main character, throws away everything to pursue what she claims to hate, being a New York socialite.

She starts her writing career by making terrible decisions like doing an in-depth review of the tennis club where her husband & his family have been members for years, costing her husband his membership. Not too terrible.

Then she writes a piece about a "wanna-be" socialite, even after finding out that this woman is unstable & unhealthy. The woman commits suicide. Lily has doubts about her choices all along, but goes ahead with them & then blames everyone else for her choices and ends up getting everything she ever wanted.

The author Boncompagni, is married to an heir to the Hoover vacuum cleaner family and is herself somewhat of a socialite, but tries to play herself as an outsider in the Q & A at the end of the book.

Just leave this one on the shelf. It really has no redeeming qualities.

Undress Me In The Temple Of Heaven, Susan Jane Gilman

2010-07-08T15:30:00.000-07:00

Publisher's Copy:

Undress Me In The Temple Of Heaven is a riveting, funny, but harrowing true story -- a modern-day heart of darkness full of Communist operatives, backpackers, and pancakes. In 1986, Gilman and a friend planned an ambitious trek across the globe starting in the People's Republic of China. At that point, China had been open to independent backpackers for roughly ten minutes. Armed only with the collected works of Nietzsche and Linda Goodman's Love Signs, the two young women plunged into the dusty streets of Shanghai. Unsurprisingly, they quickly found themselves in over their heads -- hungry, disoriented, stripped of everything familiar, under constant government surveillance, and ensnared in rural China. What began as a journey full of humor, eroticism and enlightenment grew sinister -- becoming a real-life international thriller that changed them forever. Undress Me in the Temple of Heaven is a powerful, inspiring story for our times –a tale of being thoroughly humbled and helpless, yet
surviving. It is also a flat-out page turner told with Gilman's trademark compassion, lyricism, and wit.

My Review:

The idea of two young girls backpacking through China in the mid-1980's, when tourism was limited at best and communication was very difficult once you got there, is such a stunningly bad idea, that I couldn't get past that.

I found this true story un-even and didn't come to like the 2 main people involved. As one would expect in a tale like this very, very many things went wrong and seemingly only turned out well by the kindness of strangers.

I wouldn't bother with this one. It was o.k., but not really worth the time in my humble opinion.

Cooking Dirty, Jason Sheehan

2010-07-03T11:39:00.000-07:00

Former chef and kitchen rate, Jason Sheehan owes this book & his success as a writer, in part to Anthony Bourdain. Bourdain, the original drug-riddled, swashbuckling memoir writer. While Jason's story feels really similar to Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential, it's interesting enough to be enjoyable and Sheehan is a good writer.

If you've never spent any time in the back of the house in the restaurant industry, this might not appeal to you, but my history leads me to laugh at the extreme nature of this crazy business and be relieved that while I remember it, I never got in that deep.

Insatiable, Erica Rivera

2010-07-03T11:34:00.000-07:00

In Insatiable, Erica Rivera tells her story of striving for perfection, falling, and turning to anorexia so she could feel control over something. An interesting twist is that she's a worker at a eating disorders clinic herself while all of this is happening.

Ending up a young, single mom with 2 daughters, Rivera sinks so low into her disease that she even leaves her 2 & 4 year old daughters at home, alone, in bed to run to the store & get a food fix for a binge.

Dark, but moving and real this one is a really good read.

My Fair Lazy, Jen Lancaster

2010-06-27T13:42:00.000-07:00

Jen Lancaster! Along with Augusten Burroughs & David Sedaris, Jen Lancaster is one of my favorite authors. Lancaster takes her everyday life and whips it into gut busting stories that I love and can totally relate to.

This story finds Lancaster trying to get off the couch and away from The Real Life, Rock of Love, Dancing With The Stars and the other reality programming out there and actually into putting more experience in to living her own life.

If you love reality television, theater, self-improvement, expanding your horizons and/or laughing you should read this book.

I get 99% of my books from the library, since I read so many. Lancaster is one of the few authors I actually buy for myself.

Friend Is Not A Verb, Daniel Ehrenahft

2010-06-27T13:32:00.000-07:00

I always enjoy books with a familiar theme, but with a different perspective than my own. The title of this young adult book examines the the "friending" people on that comes with todays technology like FaceBook, My Space, etc. I can relate because when I was young friend was not a verb either. It was a person, not something you do.

Daniel Ehrenhaft tells the story from the perspective of Hen, a teenage boy try to make sense of his own confusing life while his family and friends keep throwing him curveballs. Set in New York the story is warm and charming.

I've previously read and reviewed this author's book Dirty Laundry here.

I'd pick this one up.

Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys, Maupin, De La Cruz, Dolby

2010-06-27T13:22:00.000-07:00

Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys is one of the books that I picked up after I found out that contributor Stacey Ballis is real life best friends with Jen Lancaster.

Different authors comment on the relationship between straight women and the gay men who are big parts of their lives.

I enjoy collections like this as a way to find new authors who I want to read more of and eliminate some who I don't. I really liked this book and it's compassionate take on what society is still asking questions about today.

I'd pick this one up, it's worth it!

The Circus In Winter, Cathy Day

2010-06-27T13:08:00.000-07:00

The Circus in Winter is an anthology of interconnected short stories by Cathy Day. Spanning three generations of circus people as they make their winter home in Indiana.

Some of this is based on stories of the author's real family and life experiences growing up in Indiana with circus folk letting their stories do the talking and weaving one story gracefully into the other.

This isn't feel good fluff like chick lit style summer reads, but totally worth checking out.

The New Sisters & Zeta or Omega, Kate Harmon

2010-06-27T13:00:00.000-07:00

The first two books of the Sorority 101 YA series, The New Sisters and Zeta or Omega, by Kate Harmon are fun YA appropriate read. Harmon who is a real life sorority girl knows how these things work and made the process fun for me to read about since I didn't have that type of college experience.

I don't know that I will pick up the next in the series when it comes out, unless I'm out of things to read or I just happen to see it, but these are good young adult fiction for any age.

Room For Improvement, Stacey Ballis

2010-06-27T12:48:00.000-07:00

When I found out that Stacey Ballis was Jen Lancaster's real life BFF and fellow author, I had to check out all of her books. I read Inappropriate Men when it came out in 2004 and loved it.

Room For Improvement is a chick lit story with enough behind it to keep if fun and interesting. Set in Chicago, it makes me long for time in what I believe what may be the best city. I've never been to LA or New York, but believe Lancaster & Ballis when they suggest Chicago is the best of them. Small enough, and real enough to be a blast.

If your a Jen Lancaster fanatic like I am, check this one out.

I have read Jen's latest My Fair Lazy and will be reviewing that book on this site soon.

The Dirt, Motley Crue

2010-06-27T12:30:00.000-07:00

The Dirt, by Motley Crue is exactly that, dirt. Good, juicy, over-the-top dirt. A must for Crue fans, of which I am not one. This book gave enough of a back ground of the players in the story to keep it auto-biographical enough for me while still skeeving me out with many of the details.

Vince Neil, Tommy Lee, Nikki Sixx and Mick Mars each tell their side of the story, making for interesting different views on various topics.

Like the Jack Daniels cover styled cover shot, I'll let you decide if you want to pick this one up.

Getting Rid Of Matthew, Jane Fallon

2010-06-27T12:24:00.000-07:00

Purchased by Jennifer Aniston's production company in 2008 as a future vehicle for her, this book tells the story of women with questionable characters finally getting what they wish for. The phrase "be careful what you wish for" is taken to it's logical and funny end.

Set in London, this chick lit romp is perfect for curling up on a picnic blanket with.

Gotham Diaries, Tonya Lewis Lee and Crystal McCrary Anthony

2010-06-27T11:53:00.000-07:00

This book about Manhattan's most elite socialites, those who want to be socialites and those who are trying to hold on to socialite status is told from by totally African American characters. The wife of Spike Lee and her best friend know certainly know of which they speak.

The money grubbers, the wanna be's, the users and those who are already there mix it up in the fun read that offers us a different perspective on the usual New York story. I'd grab this one for summer reading.

The Body of Jonah Boyd, David Leavitt

2010-06-27T11:42:00.000-07:00

The Body of Jonah Boyd is a fiction book that's a little bit different than what I'm used to reading. A boy who's troubles begin and end at home, Ben's life gets wrapped up in that of his unorthodox family and their friends and hangers-on. His professor father's secretary, Denny not only becomes part of their life, but is having an affair with said professor.

There are no clear lines between who's good and who's bad, but are there really clear lines in real life?

Family Affair, Caprice Crane

2010-06-27T11:34:00.000-07:00

Family Affair is the second book I've read Caprice Crane, daughter of Gilligan's Island star Tina Louise. I also read and enjoyed her book Stupid & Contagious, though it doesn't look like I reviewed it for this site.

In Family Affair, Layla finally gets the family she never had when she marries her high school sweetheart, Brett and gets his family too. But, if Layla and Brett divorce, not only is she losing her husband, but also the rest of the people she see's as her only family.

Things work out well in the end, but not wrapped up in a neat bow in a way that makes me pull my hair out. Perfect summer beach read.

Secrets of My Hollywood Life On Location, Jen Calonita

2010-06-10T05:36:00.000-07:00

The second in Calonita's Hollywood Life YA series this is a fun follow up. Television star Kaitlin Burke has her new boyfriend & her dream movie role, but can she keep her leading man ex and her viper female costar from ruining everything?

While it's somewhat predictable for me as an adult, I think any tween or teen would love this series. Especially if they're sick of vampires!

The Oracle of Dating, Allison Van Diepen

2010-06-08T17:50:00.000-07:00

This is the first book I have read under the Harlequin Teen label and I was really pleased with it. Kayla and her friends try to navigate boys & life with an internet love help line thrown in for fun.

My only complaint is that Kayla's circle of friends look pointedly like a Benneton ad, with an Indian girl, an African American girl, & a possibly gay boy thrown in the mix.

Van Diepen tackles high school in a realistic way and a responsible for your tweens & teens to read. While the girls drink it's not to excess and the message behind the book is for young girls to remain true to yourselves and not get swept away by boys, lust & jealousy.

I'll be looking for the second in this series that comes out in November.

Tainted, Brooke Morgan

2010-06-08T17:29:00.000-07:00

Well I have to say this book totally kept me guessing. What seems on the surface to be a chick-lit romp is actually a murdery mystery, suspense type novel disguised as chick-lit.

The smart characters kept me reading even when things seemed to go completely off the rails of reality.

I wouldn't warn away from this unless what you're looking for is fun summer fluff.

Skinny, Ibi Kaslik

2010-06-08T17:22:00.000-07:00

This YA book had no redeeming values that I could find. I try not to stop reading a book once I've started it hoping for something good to come out of it, but I was dissapointed this time.

Dark, over-melodramatic and just plain ugly are the only things I can say about this.

Busted, Phil Bildner

2010-06-08T06:24:00.000-07:00

This YA tale of high school life weaves 4 stories into one. This slice of life story leaves no group untouched.

I have to tell you that I remeber nothing else about this. I guess that's the most honest review I can give, lol!

The Six Rules Of Maybe, Deb Caletti

2010-05-27T17:54:00.000-07:00

Teenaged Scarlett's life turns upside down when her needy sister comes home pregnant and with a new husband. This tale of getting what you need and giving too much is filled with the meaning of true love.

Scarlett avoids her life by trying to orchestrate the lives of those around her. Her sister sucks the air out of any room with her neediness and Scarlett's carefully orchestrated life blows up in her face.

I didn't care the the wrapped-up-with-a-bow ending, but this is a great YA read.

Fall To Pieces, Mary Forsberg Weiland

2010-05-27T17:19:00.000-07:00

Mary Forsberg Weiland is the longtime girlfriend and wife of troubled Stone Temple Pilots front man Scott Weiland is a typical tale of rock star meeting model and one leading the other out of control.

While she recounts her story candidly, it just didn't seem shocking or terrible to me. Maybe it's just because stories like this are unfortunately, a dime a dozen. Forsberg Weiland at times seems to be name dropping just for sport.

It's truly a harrowing tale, but somehow this one didn't grab me.

The Exile Of Gigi Lane, by Adrienne Maria Vrettos

2010-05-27T16:48:00.000-07:00

If you're ready to suspend all disbelief to read a YA book than this one might be for you, but it was too much of a stretch for me, even though I'm an ardent YA fan.

While I finished this book, I can't really reccomend it.

The Fortunes Of Indigo Skye, Deb Caletti

2010-05-27T16:36:00.000-07:00

Indigo Skye is a small town girl who's life changes in an instant when left a life changing amount of money as a tip.

What could be a predictable story is handled well by Caletti, who has a whole string of YA novels. The characters are real and honest and this is a great summer read.

Secrets Of My Hollywood Life, Jen Calonita

2010-05-27T16:27:00.000-07:00

TV soap star & teen sensation Kaitlin Burke needs a break from her over-managed, over-scheduled life. During her hiatus she hatches a plan to attend a local high school.

Employing her hair & make-up artists, and relying on an english accent learned for a movie, she does just that. Her frenemy and co-star decides to turn the tables and tries to ruin her career.

The first in a series of 4 books about the teen is fun, light summer fluff.

What I Thought I Knew, Alice Eve Cohen

2010-05-27T16:12:00.000-07:00

This is a searingly honest tale of a 40-something woman confronting a surprise pregnancy. She struggles even further when it seems apparent that her baby is going to be born handicapped in one way or another due to a case of medical malpractice.

Cohen unflinchingly recounts her feelings of wanting a late term abortion and even her indecision months after the baby is born as to whether or not to give the baby up for adoption.

This isn't a happy book, but the love triumphs message is a good one.

Huge, Sasha Paley

2010-05-27T15:57:00.000-07:00

In Paley's YA book two very different and somewhat one dimensional girls head off to fat camp. Wil, short for Wilhelmina, is the overweight daughter of two health club guru's and an embarassment to her parents. They send to her fat camp against her will where she meets April. April's a poor girl who saved money for a year to attend. (Far-fetched given that the camp is $7,000 and April is from a poor family.)

Paired up as roommates the inevitable hating each other relationship slowly (and predictably) evolves into friendship. The book rolls along pretty well until the ending, where everything is wrapped up in a neat bow that doesn't ring true to the book.

Too many cliches and predictable outcomes fuel this fat camp tale.

Finding Grace, Alyssa Brugman

2010-05-23T17:20:00.000-07:00

Starting college Rachel is hired to care for Grace, a brain-damaged woman. Rachel first tackles her job with her typical perfectionist style, but learns to love Grace and her story as the book goes on.

I found this book to be moving and real. I cared about the characters and the story was really engrossing. Highly recommended!

The Notebook Girls, Julia Baskin, Lindsey Newman, Sophie Pollitt--Cohen & Courtney Toombs

2010-05-23T17:08:00.000-07:00

This real life notebook kept by 4 freshmen at Manhattan's Stuyvesant High School is a great look into their lives, as they experienced it. The book is mostly un-edited and produced in the girls actual handwriting with drawings and whatever else they saw fit to put in it at the time.

Ending in their junior year the girls show all aspects of themselves from whiny to giving, likeable and not, the way we all really are in high school. It's a great summer read & one that's hard to put down.

Prairie Tale, Melissa Gilbert

2010-05-23T17:03:00.000-07:00

Prairie Tale is a sometimes self serving, sometimes unflinching look at the life of Melissa Gilbert, or Half Pint from the show Little House On The Prairie. Not bad, not great.

The Sisters Anitpodes, Jane Alison

2010-05-23T16:45:00.000-07:00

This story of 2 families who become close and then end up switching husbands and mixing up the families, seems crazy until you realize that it's a true story. I think had this book been a work of fiction there would be more details, more depth to part of the story, but I think Alison did the best she could to peel back the layers of her crazy, confusing life.

This story is so compelling, it's really worth the read.

Grosse Pointe Girl, Sarah Grace McCandless

2010-05-23T16:34:00.000-07:00

Grosse Pointe is one of the most affluent parts of Michigan. McCandless portrays perfectly the teenaged Emma, too self-absorbed in her own teen drama to even pay attention to her own parents divorce.

Us children of the 80's will recognize all of the cultural references with fondness. I didn't think the illustrations went with the book. It's a bit choppy in parts, but this was a fun trip back in time through the eyes of a spoiled girl that I never got to be.

The Importance Of Being Famous, Maureen Orth

2010-05-23T16:27:00.000-07:00

Orth shines the light on celebrities who will do anything to be famous and even more to stay famous. This is an unflinching look at what makes a celebrity and those of us who make them who they are.

The Sweetheart Of Prosper Country, Jill S. Alexander

2010-05-23T16:13:00.000-07:00

Austin Gray is a teen girl who's kept too close by her mother, afraid of life after losing her husband in a car accident one rainy Christmas Eve. Sick of her sheltered life and sick of being bullied, Austin sets out to change her life, learning the truth in the process.

This book is filled with great characters that will keep you reading & cheering for Austin.

Positively, Courtney Sheinmel

2010-05-23T16:07:00.000-07:00

This tale of a girl infected with HIV is moving and heartfelt. With her mother dies of AIDS, Emmy is forced to go live with her father and step-mother, adults she is not close to and does not feel at home with.

Her frustration at being sent away to summer camp for kids with HIV and AIDS gives way when she finds herself feeling at home with these kids who share her situation and understand her feelings.

Please Stop Laughin At Me, Jodee Blanco

2010-05-23T16:01:00.000-07:00

This tale of childhood bullying will hit a chord with anyone who has been hurt by bullies. Blanco takes an unflinching look back at her life and how the pain of being bullied shaped the woman she is today and the journey it took to get her there.

Raising Jake, Charlie Carillo

2010-05-23T15:56:00.000-07:00

This book is great. I loved it. A father and son, both lose their way and find a new one, together. An awesome story of family and the meaning of love and forgiveness.

The Amazing Adventures Of Dietgirl, Shauna Reid

2010-05-23T15:47:00.000-07:00

I fell in love with Shauna Reid & I think you will too. Her battle with her weight take her from her home in Australia to Scotland (or was it Ireland?) Read this one!

John Lennon The Life, Philip Norman

2010-05-23T15:28:00.000-07:00

At 684 pages, this is not for the faint of heart, but I love biographies. The Life has tons of Lennon information I hadn't heard before and it seems to be really well researched. Not light summer reading, but for me it was worth the time.

You Better Not Cry, Augusten Burroughs

2010-05-23T15:24:00.000-07:00

I'm a long-time fan of Augusten Burroughs, but this one seemed a little more forced, like little bits and pieces just patched together. It's not his best, but if you're a fan of Burroughs, it's worth the read.

Sleepwalking In Daylight, by Elizabeth Flock

2010-03-14T18:56:00.000-07:00

To read my review for this great book click on over to Girls With Books.

I'm So Happy For You, by Lucinda Rosenfeld

2010-01-29T07:41:00.000-08:00

As one friend starts to finally get her act together, the other's life takes a turn for the worst. This book is about pasting on the smile and being happy for someone while your grinding your teeth inside your mouth!

*again a book I read while under the influence so details of few. I would recommend it.

Beverly Hills Adjacent, by Jennifer Steinhauer and Jessica Hendra

2010-01-28T05:31:00.000-08:00

Hollywood with a little of the shine taken off. I can only say that I remember enjoying this book, but do not remember details as I read it while quite high on drugs in the hospital!

The Fixer Upper, by Mary Kay Andrews

2010-01-27T06:22:00.000-08:00

While cliches run rampant in this book full of Southern sweetness, this book is just good enough to pull it off without being smarmy. If you're lookin' to get lost in a small town full of kind-hearted & quirky people this book will be right up your alley.

My Booky Wook, by Russell Brand

2010-01-26T17:16:00.000-08:00

I would not consider myself a fan of this British export, but I love a good biography. Brand's past exploits are enough to make you do a double take on many occasions.

The sheer, total level of honesty is amazing. If you like a good life story this book is worth picking up.

Queen Takes King, by Gigi Levangie Grazer

2009-11-30T19:08:00.000-08:00

A story about a high power divorce by the author of The Starter Wife.

There lesbian daughter storyline seemed out of left field and didn't really mesh that well with the rest of the plot, but this book has an ending you don't see coming.

This story has a little more meat to it than I expected and I thought it was a great weekend read.

Twenties Girl, by Sophie Kinsella

2009-11-30T18:53:00.001-08:00

Kinsella is best know for her popular Shopaholic series.

This story is a little different, as our heroine is suddenly accosted by the ghost of a great aunt Sadie at a funeral for the woman.

Sadie comes through loud and clear from here on out in every aspect of Lara's life whether Lara wants here there or not.

Kinsella stretches the bounds of our imagination on this one, and not always in a good way.

Not a favorite of mine, but not terrible either, kind of middle of the road.

Why Is My Mother Getting A Tattoo, by Jancee Dunn

2009-11-30T18:43:00.000-08:00

This is a great collection of essays about realizing that you really are a grown up at some point & letting your parents move on with their new lives.

Dunn is a great comical writer who lets her sentimenality show through, as well as some great insight.

A terrific short read with lots of laughs.

The Black Girl Next Door, by Jennifer Baszile

2009-11-25T19:35:00.000-08:00

Jennifer Baszile and her sister grew up in wealthy suburbs of California, where they were generally the only black family in the neighborhood.

Tormented in school and having the outside of their house painted with racial slurs seem like standart protocol in the racially charged 70's, but the story is uneven.

Her father who is made to be a hero in the beginning of the book turns into a cheating abuser suddenly later in the book.

The story deals with bad dating situations, her feelings of ugliness next to her sister, "the pretty one", and eventually her escape from her overbearing home situation when she leaves for college.

I wouldn't call this book a waste of time, but I wouldn't go out of your way to find it either

Best Friends Forever, by Jennifer Weiner

2009-11-14T18:18:00.000-08:00

I love Jennifer Weiner and this book is another great one.

Addie and Valerie were childhood best friends from very different backgrounds. Addie's family provides stability that Valerie doesn't have and Valerie and her mom provide excitement that Addie isn't used to. A terrible break in the friendship occurs during high school.

Fifteen years later Valerie shows up on Addie's door bloody and in trouble.

The books weaves current day with flashbacks beautifully, showing that sometimes years don't matter and hurts can heal.

This is one of those books that you don't want to end. I highly recommend it.

Addition, by Toni Jordan

2009-10-13T10:57:00.000-07:00

This quirkly little book is a lot of fun. Grace suffers from OCD. She has to count everything. Steps to her coffee shop, number of bananas she buys, and even her silverware.

One day at her coffee shop her regular table isn't available. Her orange cake that she eats everyday with her coffee if not available. What is available is a man named Seamus. The same Seamus who she stole a banana from in the check out line at the grocery store, because she only had 9 & she has to buy 10.

Seamus gradually leads Grace towards a normal life, but when that backfires everything is in danger.

Definitely worth the read!

It Sucked And Then I Cried, by Heather B. Armstrong

2009-10-11T09:03:00.000-07:00

Check out me review of this book by blogging legend Dooce, over at Girls With Books.

Hope In A Jar, by Beth Harbison

2009-10-11T08:54:00.000-07:00

I wanted to like this book, I really did! There's just not much here to like except for the catchy flashback advertising references.

Ally encounters her boyfriend in bed with another woman & takes Sephora by storm to mend her broken heart. Former best friend Olivia is the beauty editor at a fancy fashion magazine. Ally used to be the hot one, but has gone down hill a bit, and mousy Olivia is now a knock out. Stop me if you've heard this one before.

They meet ackwardly at a class reunion and both learn that they must fight to keep an old friend from making a terrible mistake. I can keep you from making a terrible mistake, don't read this book!

The Wedding Girl, by Madeleine Wickham

2009-09-26T09:55:00.000-07:00

Anyone who has read the Shopaholic series by Sophie Kinsella, will enjoy this book, by her nom de plume, Madeleine Wickham.

This book about a "good deed" wedding long forgotten about is charming, light and fun. The characters are all well rounded out (with the notable exception of the Godmother), and while there are many different plot lines whirling about in this book, they come together nicely in a way which didn't leave me rolling my eyes, or yelling at the characters.

This is a great read for a rainy day, curled under a quilt with a cup of tea or cocoa.

Fabulous Terrible, by Sophie Talbot

2009-09-19T12:22:00.000-07:00

This book is written in 2nd person and the main character is never named. The use of second person was off-putting for me, but I mustered on. A foster child gets a free ride to a super exclusive boarding school. She has visions, or shimmers as she calls them and doesn't understand whether this is a gift of a curse.

Mayhem enuses when a theif starts to frame our narrator and her friends. This whole book in actually a long introduction to a series and the last pages make that clear. I prefer books in a series that are able to stand on their own, but this book has virtually no ending. The Fabulous Terrible leaves you with more questions than answers, and if I had it to do again, I wouldn't waste my time with this book.

All We Ever Wanted Was Everything, by Janelle Brown

2009-09-18T12:07:00.000-07:00

When Janice's husband Paul walks out on her and their 14 year old daughter, Lizzie, fter making millions in the stock market their lives go haywire. Oldest daughter Margaret comes home to lend support, but is really there to hide her failures. Lizzie starts to equate sex with love & mom Janice starts doing something so crazy that lesser writers wouldn't be able to pull it off.

Honest, shocking and real, this book is one that I couldn't stop reding until I finished it.

M Or F?, by Lisa Papademetriou & Chris Tebbetts

2009-09-17T11:59:00.000-07:00

Marcus & Frannie are best of high school friends. Marcus is gay, Frannie is straight and neither of them are having any luck in love. A modern twist on Cyrano Debergerac, Frannie has Marcus be her voice in a chat room with the guy she has a crush on.

When Marcus takes it further than expected, these "brain twins" are at a loss as to how to restore their friendship.

Surprising and fun to read, you really don't see the ending coming and that's one of my favorite things to say about a book.

Diary Of An Exercise Addict

2009-09-16T16:55:00.000-07:00

This thin book is an inside look at bulimia and exercise addiction. Triggered by an emotional breakup, Peach copes with her pain by not allowing her body the food it needs and exercising until she is literally exhausted.

I had trouble deciding if her family was too enabling, but I guess one can't judge if you're not in those shoes.

Good, bad & lots of ugly, Friedman puts it all out there on the table in a moving account of her road to recovery.

Summer Blowout, by Claire Cook

2009-09-15T19:57:00.000-07:00

This was a fun & breezy book. Was it over the top at times? Yes. Did the theme of Lucky Shaughnessy, the Irishman who embraces EVERYTHING as if he was Italian grow old? Yes, it did. Is this a very light fluffy concoction? Yes, it is.

But for a short end of summer read, I was able to get away with it. If you're looking for substance, don't look here, but a fun story is here to be found.

Identical strangers, Elyse Schein, Paula Bernstein

2009-09-15T10:36:00.000-07:00

Subtitled "A Memoir of Twins Separated and eunited", this book follows the journey of identical twins who were separated at birth and met for the first time at age Thirty-five. Originally part of a secret study on separated twins, the memoir is written turns by the sisters.

While interesting and at time wrenchingly honest the book focused more on trying to figure out information on the nature of the secret study than the sisters actual journey. It just never gave me any warm fuzzies.

Pretty In Plaid, by Jen Lancaster

2009-09-14T16:42:00.000-07:00

To see my review of this awesome book, click here.

Conversations With The Fat Girl, by Liza Palmer

2009-09-14T10:12:00.000-07:00

Let me just say I loved this book. Ms. Palmer truly understands how overweight women feel. Now that Maggie’s best friend Olivia has had gastric bypass surgery, she has left Maggie and their shared history behind.

Forced by a shrewish landlady to move out of her home, jumpstarts Maggie’s motivation. This book does, however, hit one of my pet peeves with everything tied up neatly in a bow in the last few pages; Maggie’s journey is a fun one to read about.

Technical Hitch, by Jane Sigaloff

2009-09-12T10:21:00.000-07:00

This book is different and fun. I love finding books that aren’t cookie cutter chick lit books. I really liked these characters and this book just seemed to fly by.

When wedding planner Jess flakes out on her big day, people think she’s crazy. Add in a cute secretary with a marriage of convenience to England’s poster boy wild child & a marriage that may not really be a marriage and you’ve got a recipe for a great book.

The Ivy Chronicles, by Karen Quinn

2009-09-10T09:50:00.000-07:00

When Park Avenue mom, Ivy gets a pink slip, she struggles to keep her head above waters. Transferring her two daughters to public school was the last straw.
Ivy takes her marketing talent and sets up an exclusive business designed to coach the little darlings of the rich and famous into the most elite New York kindergartens.

Written from experience, Quinn too lost her job and started a company to help get kids into Ivy League schools; this book is a fun peek behind the scenes of a life that most of us can only imagine, thank goodness!

The Wife of Reilly, by Jennifer Coburn

2009-09-08T09:46:00.000-07:00

Get ready to suspend all disbelief and common sense if you want to finish this one.

Prudence is not so happily married when she meets up with her college love & becomes engaged to him (not mentioning her husband at home). Prudence then involves her friends in finding a new wife for her husband, Reilly so she can leave him with a clear conscience.

I made it through this book, but it’s not one that I would recommend.

Mafia Chic, Erica Orloff

2009-09-07T10:25:00.000-07:00

Mafia princess Teddi Gallo is tied to her familia tightly. Whether she wants it or not. The only girl among 17 grandsons, they weren’t about to let her out of their sight.

Things get somewhat complicated when handsome FBI detective Mark jumps into the mix sniffing around both the Mafioso family & Teddi herself.

Big on Italian hoopla with a sweet story line, this book is great summer fluff.

The Lost Recipe For Happiness, by Barbara O'Neal

2009-09-06T11:55:00.000-07:00

Click here to read my review for this book at Girls With Books.

Farewell to Manzanar, Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston and James D. Houston

2009-09-06T10:28:00.000-07:00

This slim book is an eye opening look at the Japanese internment camps during WWII. Interned at age 7 this Wakatsuki Houston and her husband tell a story all too often forgotten in today’s history books.

From her childish point of view things didn’t seem that bad, but looking back through the lens of time Wakatsuki Houston can see the steep price her family paid for a nation’s hysteria.

Starting from Square two, by Caren Lissner

2009-09-06T09:21:00.000-07:00

If you were lucky enough to read lissner’s first book, Carrie Pilby, you’ll know that in your in for a fun time.

At 29 Gert was done with dating, that is of course until her husband was killed.

Torn between bridging the gap between with her party loving, man crazy girlfriends and her settled down wife role she had gotten so used to, Gert struggles to start anew.

This book was fun, fresh & not too predictable. Thumbs up!

Microthrills: True Stories From A Life Of Small Highs

2009-08-03T16:17:00.000-07:00

Microthrills: True Stories From A Life Of Small Highs, by Wendy Spero

From the picture of the procreating ladybugs on the cover I thought his book of short stories would be fun & I was totally right.

The stories of her sex therapist mother and hairy funny grandfather are well written and hilarious. Some things I wouldn't have believed if there weren't pictures, really wait until you see her grandpa, you'll laugh out loud.

Perfect for beach or vacation because it's short stories, this book is for any lovers of David Sedaris, Laurie Notaro, or Jen Lancaster.

The Finishing Touches

2009-07-23T16:29:00.000-07:00

The Finising Touches, by Hester Browne

Hester Browne, of The Little Lady Agency series gets my vote with this book.

Betsy was left on the doorstep of the Phillimore Academy for Young Ladies finishing school as an infant and is raised with the best manners possible. Skip to the current time & the school is outdated & out of shape.

Betsy is asked to use her considerable business acumen (which she doesn't really have), to turn things around, but is this a project her heart is really in?

Hester Browne avoids cliches and keeps the books fun and interesting. An added bonus are all of the tips in the book that really are helpful in real life. I even wrote some down, if only I had a lilac leather notbook.

Great summertime reading!