REVIEW for Busy Woman Seeks Wife

A big thank you goes out to Miriam for sending me this great chick lit!

TITLE: Busy Woman Seeks Wife

AUTHOR: Annie Saunders

GENRE: Chick Lit

RATING; 4 Stars

I am a huge fan of chick lit and I was thrilled to find out that one of my favorite authors was releasing another book. Busy Woman Seeks Wife is "the" perfect chick lit fare. I have to say that I thought that the title was clever, very clever and I thought that was a great beginning!!! Now, here is hoping the rest of the book is as good.

I had nothing to worry about, from the opening lines where our main character Alex finds her "so-called" maid having sex in her bed (making extra $$$$ perhaps???), this book just got better and better.The central idea in this book is quite interesting. It looks at the extremely busy life of women who have too much to do, or who feel compelled, each in their own way, to doing too much - just to make sure that "they are all that they can be". As their search goes on for the "perfect" person to assist them, Saunders actually manages to make you think beyond the amusing chick lit hijinks that are found in the storyline.

I thought it was extremely interesting to compare the storyline of overachieving woman with the title....i.e. generally, men are the ones searching for "that perfect little woman". Are these woman doing too much? just to prove that they are worthy??? This, to me, was a very important component of this book.

The writing is witty and clever and although the situations, at times, are quite funny, the authors do not go into the "suspend your disbelief" land that some chick lit authors ask us to enter.I really loved this book and recommend it highly.

REVIEW for 30 Days to Finding and Keeping Sassy Sidekicks and BFFS

A thank you goes out to Knopf Delacorte Dell Young Readers Group for sending me this absolutely wonderful little book.

TITLE: 30 Days to Finding and Keeping Sassy Sidekicks and

BFFS

AUTHOR: Clea Hantman

GENRE: Young Readers

RATING: 4 Stars

I received this book and instantly fell in love with it. However, I am an adult and was not in a position to really test the recommendations in the book so I enlisted the help of my friend's 13 year old daughter. So this review is really a mixture of my comments and hers.

First of all Hailey loved the bright pink cover. It would appear that Hailey is a lover of all things pink and I think the marketing department did a great job of making this as eye catching as possible. She also loved the title, especially the BFF part - which of course stands for Best Friend Forever. She immediately started reading the book and jotting down notes.

From my point of view I was already in love with this book for the things it was not! It was not an IPOD or email, or electronic diary. Here is a book that you can actually carry around with you, read and put notes, opinions and feelings in. Nobody can have illegal access to it and it can be kept right under your bed if you want to keep it there.

I am a big fan of writing things down in my little notebook - which I carry around with me. When I write in my journal - I actually write. I do blog and do email, but if I had a choice, I would do it all my hand. This was a HUGE factor in me even considering having Hailey review this book. I thought it was a great idea to create a little book that was both informative and could double up as a diary where she could write her thoughts and feelings - away from any prying eyes!

Hailey has finished reading this book in two days (even though this book is actually suppose to be more of a page a day for the next 30 days kind of a read) and tells me that there is a lot of fun ideas in the book. She is not sure that all of them will work, especially the "how to make friends" part. Hailey is a tad on the bookishly shy side so this will be a bit of a challenge for her - but she said that she would give the suggestions a try and that she was going to keep the book and basically do the one page a day read and follow the guidelines.

I personally liked the sections - especially those that deal with the hard part of being a young girl about to enter puberty or for those who have just started puberty and are wondering what the heck is going on. I have asked Hailey if she is going to do the activity at the end of each day and she said that she has already started and that so far, they are fun!

This book is based on friendship - how to be a friend and how to find a friend and is written in a wonderfully balanced way. I did not hesitate to recommend it to my friend's daughter and I am glad that I did - its about time that we try to get our girls away from the techno world and introduce them to what things like being a best friend really mean.

Okay, I am off my soapbox now!

REVIEW for The End Overeating

A big, big thank you goes out to the wonderful Jessica at Random House Canada for sending me this book.

TITLE: The End of Overeating

AUTHOR: David A. Kessler, MD

GENRE: Non fiction

RATING: 4 Stars

http://www.booklounge.ca/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780771095535

Overeating and compulsive eating are subjects that are very, very close to my heart. There has been many, many books written on the subject and I can tell you that I have probably read at least 70% of them. I am on a constant quest to better undersand my eating disorder and although I am a firm believer in the 12 step programs as the most important foundation in my recovery from my disorder, I am also looking to better understand how we (I) got to this place in the first place.

Food, a long, long time ago was about fueling your body. Somewhere along the line, it become about everything but fueling your body and this is an aspect that I have been extremely interested in understanding better. Why is it that my brain gets captivated by a Big Mac and yet, could not be less interested in a juicy red apple???

After compulsively reading Dr. Kessler's book, The End of Overeating, I feel as though I now better understand myself and some of my compulsions.

First off, I like that Dr. Kessler firmly states that overeating is not about willpower. Unfortunately, there are still too many books out there that tell you that its all about how strong (or weak) you are! Dr. Kessler has done extensive, extensive research into the foods we eat and, more specifically, what is in the foods that we enjoy so much. One of the most interesting aspect, for me, is that he basically tells us that these great tasting foods that we so enjoy (Big Mac anyone?) is actually more of a well-thought out plan by big business to give us foods that our brains (bodies) end up craving. A well combined amount of too much of everything (salt, sugar, fat)and if we eat enough of it, eventually our bodies and our minds tell us that we can not live without these foods. Basically, big business has turned our food into a craving.

I have seen this enough times, especially when I go to the US. I remember sitting at a restaurant and looking over their menu and realizing that they had managed to take a perfectly healthy and natural food (I wish I could remember the food item now) and turning it into a potentially deadly weapon. Somehow it had been deep fried, sugared and covered with whip cream!!!

Kessler gives us an amazing amount of facts and for instances of how normal, healthy food has become anything but and we appear to be continuing in this horrible direction.

What I really liked about The End of Overeating is that Kessler shares many stories of people and their food struggles. He evens owns up to his own indiscretions with food and I really appreciated his honesty about his addictions to food. I like that this man was writing a book about this subject, but that he was, in no way, telling us that he had all the answers.

I even loved the cover which basically depicts very clearly the theories he is putting forward (and which I happen to agree with). As someone who struggles with food, I have found that I feel at my healthiest when I stay away from ANY processed food and stick to the more basic foods. Unfortunately, this also means that I have to spend more time cooking (which I HATE). But I have to say that somehow I feel much healthier after eating a boiled potatoe that after eating french fries.....

This book is a must read for anyone who struggles with food. You will never look at a Big Mac in quite the same way again.

REVIEW For It Happens Every Day

A big thank you goes out to Simon & Schuster publishing, for sending me this wonderful, wonderful read.


TITLE: Happens Every Day
AUTHOR: Isabel Gillies
GENRE: Memoir
RATING; 4 Stars









I did not know what to expect when I started reading this book, but I liked the premise so I gave it a try. I am soooo happy that I did. Who knew that Isabel Gillies was such an excellent writer. This book has it all, love, romance, betrayal and an author who lived it and is willing to write honestly and I have to say, charmingly about it all.

Reding Happens Every Day is kind of like watching, in awed fascination a car wreck. You know that the people involved are going through a horrible situation and you know that the whole thing is just blowing up, but you can't seem to NOT stare. Gillies story is really scary, sad and unfortunately all too true. She thought she married the man of her dreams, had his children and even moved out in the 'middle of nowhere' so that he could teach. After about 5 minutes of peaceful bliss - where Gillies herself admits that 'this perfect life could not continue' the other shoe finally falls. Her husband does not love her anymore - but more maddeningly, he will not admit to her that he is in love with another woman - a friend of Isabel.

Although I realize that there are two sides to every story and that Gillie's former husband has not written his version, I have to say that reading this book brought out many emotions in me. For one thing, I don't know how Gillies managed to not smack him upside the head a few hundred times. The guy just kept telling her 'I can't be with you' and looked sad - when all the while, he had a crush on another woman. I mean, this guy obviously had no guts - and I found myself yelling at the book 'you wimp'.

On the other hand, Gillies seemed to be living in some kind of alternative universe - where she seemed to go back and forth between knowing the truth and denying it. This, to me, fit in perfectly with what she was living and I have to say that I highly admire her.

Writing this book must have been so incredibly hard and yet, she managed to write a memoir about her separation and divorce that felt fair, honest and above all else - she wrote it all with dignity. I don't know if I could have done that.

This is an extremely captivating book - the author writes wonderfully and there is an irony here - she is the actress and he is the writer, yet, you would think that Gillies was the professional writer. One little sidebar - reading about how Gillies and her husband lived in the same house wayyyy after he had decided he did not leave her was beyond frustrating and I have to admit that this would be the one part that I felt Gillies should have handled differently.

For fans of Law & Order SVU, you will be disappointed - she barely mentions the show at all and when she does, its really in the briefest of passing. I loved, loved this book and I admire Gillies for having the courage to write it

REVIEW for A Wild Affair

Thank you so much Jessica. I was so thrilled to get this chick lit book!!!!

http://www.randomhouse.ca/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780345499820

TITLE: A Wild Affair

AUTHOR: Gemma Townley

GENRE: Chick Lit

RATING: 3 Stars

I am a huge fan of Gemma Townley and have read everything she has written. A Wild Affair is her newest book and it follows on the heels of The Importance of Being Married. Like old friends, we find all our favorites back again – including Max, Jessica and Helen and a few new players to add spice to the storyline.

I really liked the fact that Townley chose to write this book as a sequel – as we get to dive back into these people’s lives and find out what happens to them. At the close of The Importance of Being Married, the horrid Max Anthony sold his share of the business to the adorable Max and Jessica and Max found that they were in love with each other. As A Wild Affair opens, we come to find out that Max and Jess are getting married and that Jess has managed to snag a huge account nicknamed “Project Handbag”. But, as we will soon come to discover, a misunderstanding, which will bring with it a surprise twist in the storyline, early on in the book ,will completely spiral out of control and will seriously affect both Jess' professional life and her personal life.

As I mentioned, I love Gemma Townley and always enjoy reading her chick lit as Townley has a way of weaving a story that makes me feel as though the book is always too short. I also like that her characters are always interesting and that there are twists and turns at every opportunity.

Having said that, I found myself having very mixed feelings about A Wild Affair.
On the one hand, I thought the storyline was interesting. There were a lot of fun and devious little turns sprinkled all over that made reading this book quite an adventure. Especially intriguing is the twist that is presented to us about 1/3 into the book – that will precipitate a lot of touching scenes.

As always, Townley’s writing is wonderful and flowly. Townley uses every day dialogue and does not shy away from writing some dishy dialogue and it all works extremely well together.

Unfortunately, what bugged me throughout the storyline is how the main character Jess is written and portrayed. She comes across as incredibly whiny and immature for most of the storyline and she appears to be dazed and confused for most of the storyline. There are many instances in which I felt like screaming at her “just find a backbone or would you please get with it”. It was sooooo irritating to see just how easily manipulated she was. Everytime she had the nerve to think or feel something, she was immediately shut down by one character or the other.

I also kept wondering what it was that Jess actually did at her job? Although many of the scenes featured Jess at work, it was never particularly clear what she did, or if she did, indeed actually do any work. This would be okay if the book was not focused on her professional life, but a good chunk of this book is based on that very fact. It seemed to me as though her assistant Caroline did more work than Jess ever did.

Also, unlike Townley's other books, there was very little humour in this one and I have to say, I miss that.

Still, this was a fun read and I was sorry when it was over. I am hoping that Townley chooses to continue this series as I have come to find myself attached to these characters and I want to know more about their lives. But please, in the next one - give us back the old Jess from the first book.

REVIEW for Exposed

A big thank you goes out to author Susan Vaught for sending this book along to me. Thank you!!!








TITLE: Exposed
AUTHOR: Susan Vaught
GENRE: YA
RATING: 4 Stars

I am extremely happy that I am not a parent. I cannot even imagine how challenging and scary it must be to be someone's parent in this day and age. Reading Exposed has simply confirmed this for me. Author, Susan Vaught has written an absolutely scary and unfortunately all too realistic book about a young girl who is confused, living in a dysfunctional family and is desperate for some love and attention - desperate to be "understood" and desperate for total and unconditional acceptance - I have basically described almost every teenager out there. The difference is that Chan decides that she is going to go out into cyberspace to do this.

As the storyline develops, the author clearly shows us the denial Chan, our main character, is going through when it comes to her "online idea". Somehow, by the time she does decide to go ahead and post her profile on a dating site, she has convinced herself that this will be the solution to all her problems and getting reinforcing confirmation from her best friend simply adds to the attraction of the whole idea. Early on, we discover that Chan's family life is a mess, with an obese father who suffered a heart attack but refused to stop eating, to a controlling mother and an absolutely neurotic younger sister, who herself, seems primed for disaster.

Chan has also suffered at the hands of a former boyfriend and is now being excluded from most of her school friends. In other words, Chan was a perfect victim - and what makes Exposed so realistic is that you can actually see Chan's progression from "maybe wanting to do this" to the point where she actually starts feeling very scared about her exchanges with the "not so perfect" Paul. I gritted my teeth through so many of their exchanges - it was so spooky how easily this predator had it all figured out - as if he knew exactly what Chan needed and when she needed it.

The storyline was extremely engrossing and I found myself going through a variety of emotions while reading this book. This to me, is the sign of a good book. The only thing I found was that the storyline was a tad slow in starting up. I am glad I persisted as the plot gets very, very interesting, but the first few chapters (setting up the introduction and the set up of Chan's life) were a little long.

I WON AN AWARD

I WON ANOTHER AWARD FROM:





Yvette at:

http://truecrimebookreviews.blogspot.com/

I was thrilled to be nominated for an award and I am particularly flattered by the comment she made about my blog on her blog. Here is what she wrote:


Tina at Bookshipper: For her totally honest reviews and I don’t know how she does it but she balances the negative points with the positive aspects so well that you still want to read the book.She is brilliant at “constructive criticism”.

Thank you so much!!!!!!!!!!

REVIEW for B as in Beauty

A thank you goes out to Miriam for sending me this book to review!

TITLE: B as in Beauty
AUTHOR: Alberto Ferreras

GENRE: Chick Lit

RATING: 2 Stars

I love chick lit and I really love chick lit with a weight related storyline. This is the state of mind I eagerly started reading this book. The fact that it is written by a male also made me very curious as to how this book would turn out.

Unfortunately, I just thought it was average. I hated the way the main character seemed to be talking at me instead of simply telling me the story as it unfolds. For example: "I work in an ad agency in New York...in case you don't know it" - I found this irritating and kept wanting to say "I didn't ask - just get on with the story already". Also, "B" was kind of boring.

I just never found myself engaging into the storyline at all. I have read a few chick lits lately that seem to have extremely unengaging main characters - that have left me cold.

REVIEW for Might As Well Laugh About it Now - Marie Osmond

A huge thank you goes out to Craig and everybody at Penguin.com for making sure I got a copy of this book!!!! I really appreciate it!!!!

TITLE: Might as Well Laugh About it Now

AUTHOR: Marie Osmond

GENRE: Memoir

RATING: 4 Stars

In full disclosure mode, I have to say that I have been a fan of Marie Omsond since I was 12. That certainly does not make me unique, but I wanted to put it out there. I will start off by saying that I was thrilled to find out that Marie had finally written a 'memoir'. While this is her second book, her first one dealt mainly with Postpartum Depression and was aimed at this audience more than at a main audience.

I really enjoyed reading Might as Well Laugh.... Marie has a great way of telling a story and her humour is obvious throughout the book. I found myself laughing at some many of the stories and I have to say that Marie shared some fun, touching and never heard stories before which was a treat for any Osmond fan. She also included one black and white picture at the beginning of each chapter (most of which I had never seen printed anywhere before) so this was a double treat. Marie was also honest about some of the more difficult things she has endured throughout her life - there is even a picture of her house while on fire - which she then used as a Christmas Card!

Also, some great little tidbits about how she feels about her brothers, her she felt just before doing Dancing with the Stars and quite alot is said about how much she loves and misses her parents. The storyline is well written and it kept me interested. I finished this book in 1 day.

Now, for the things that I did not like so much. First of all the cover - It just did not grab me at all. Marie's head is cut off at the top and there is so much writing on the cover that it is distracting from the photo.

I have a theory about anyone writing a memoir. If they are writing a memoir, I am assuming that they are willing to "tell it like it is". I mean, it is their choice to actually write a memoir about their lives. What I found extremely frustrating about this book is that Marie would start telling us something touching and personal and then, poof! after a few sentences - all of a sudden she sees the "positive" side of the situation and ends up saying a variation of "its going to be okay and I see the way now". I found this sooooo annoying. Not, that she sees the bright side of the situation, but more that she always gives me the impression that she will tell us something, but only a tiny little bit, she gives us a few sentences then that's it.

I ALWAYS get the feeling when listening to Marie or reading this book that there is so much more going on inside of her - but she is so busy showing us that she is fine, that her world is fine that she comes across a little fake. Two obvious examples in this book are about her house fire and her separation from her husband.

Again, Marie if you make the choice of writing a memoir, then you need to be a little more forthcoming with the information.

The other thing that bothered me about this book, and I have to say that I felt the same when I read Donny's book, is the almost over the top adoration she has for her parents. Marie and Donny both kept repeating the same things in their books...."our parents were strict, but..."

Everytime I read about the Osmond parents, I get a creepy feeling in the back of my neck!!!!! Obviously, I did not know them, but I have to say, some of the stuff written in both books was kind of scary to me. Yet, Marie must have stated at least 10 times how much she loved her parents and that they were "the best". I kept thinking "Marie, I think you protest too much!!!"

Still, I rated this book a 4, because it is very well written, Marie gets her point across well - whatever happens to you, keep smiling. I like Marie's humour and it was obvious that this book was written with love for all her fans.

REVIEW for Ex Mrs. Hedgefund

A big thank you goes out to Amanda at Penguin Group for sending me this great chick lit

TITLE: The Ex Mrs. Hedgefund

AUTHOR: Jill Kargman

GENRE: Chick Lit

RATING: 4 Stars

I had been waiting for this book for a long time. Kargman tends to do deliciously wicked chick lit - she loves to skewer the ultra rich and she does not disappoint in the Ex-Mrs. Hedgefund. We find our main character Holly living a happy life - she is a hedgefund wife who actually loves and believes in her husband, but she is not one of "those". She is more J. Crew than anything else and is, for the most part, okay with that. She still finds herself in the crazy world of ridiculous wealth but manages to find her center, for the most part, and is happy with her man...until she discovers that he has been cheating on her.

All bets are off as Holly and Kiki, Holly's best friend decide that these hedgefund babes and spoiled brats need to learn a lesson they will never forget. This book is great, great fun. I actually did not see the whole "husband sucks" aspect coming as I purposely did not read any book description, so it was a nice little twist that certainly sped the story along at a great pace. I hated Holly's mother in law instantly and was so thrilled when Holly no longer has to be the dutiful daughter in law. There is alot of stock market information in this book, which, frankly, I could have done without (its enough that I have to read about it when I try my hand at investing - I don't need it in my chick lit) but this happens more towards the front of the storyline and once you get passed it - it gets better.

I think that what worked for this book was the aura of revenge that surrounds the whole storyline. I found myself rooting for Holly to get some kind of satisfaction out of this jerk of a husband of hers. I also thought the author did a get job of describing the arc in which Holly finds herself from happy housewife, to cheated upon wife, to divorced woman and then trying her hand at dating.

This is a delicious little storyline and I loved it.

REVIEW for Farley Follows His Nose

A HUGE thank you goes out to Deanna at Harpercollins for sending me this great, great book

http://www.harpercollins.ca/books/9781554685189/Farley_Follows_His_Nose/index.aspx

TITLE: Farley Follows His Nose

AUTHOR: Lynn Johnston

GENRE: Comic Strip

RATING: 5 Stars

I only read a handful of comic strips on a regular basis and Lynn Johnston, who happens to be Canadian, is one of the ones I never miss - her For Better for Worse series is wonderful. At the beginning of the series, Lynn created a character by the name of Farley - who was prominent in most of the series. He actually grew older as the characters did. Eventually Lynn had to kill Farley as he was getting to be an old dog in the series and she wanted to keep the strip realistic. Let me just say that this caused a major stir among lovers of her strip.

Although I understood the reasoning, I could not get myself to read the strip in which Farley dies as a hero - saving the youngest daughter April from drowning. It is only after several months that I could manage to read that particular strip and I have to say that everytime I read it, I cry, actually, I have tears in my eyes right now just writing this.

I have read all of the "Treasury" books in this series and Johnston actually does bring back the memory of Farley occasionally in her current strips. She created three strips called "Farley's Spirit" which can be found here: http://www.fbofw.com/features/farley/ and I thought these were so beautifully made.

Needless to say, I jump on any book that looks at Farley and Farley Follows his Nose is an absolutely beautiful story of a very lively, young and vibrant Farley. He loves people, but he loves food more - so one day Farley's nose tells him its time to stroll around the neighborhood in search of good smells and good food.

Along the way, he meets up with a little boy who is all by himself at a party. Farley makes friends with him but must leave him in order to keep tracking the wonderful smells. Soon, Farley is lost - and walking around wishing he was home. He bumps into the little boy who is also lost and together they make their way safely home.

This book is a hardcover with colorful and beautiful drawings - the storyline, while quite short, delivers a sweet message and I love the way Johnston can take a cute little story like Farley and his nose and turn it into a touching book.

I loved, loved this book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

REVIEW for Enlightenment for Idiots

A big, big thank you goes out to author Anne Cushman for so kindly sending this book along to me!!!

TITLE: Enlightenment for Idiots

AUTHOR: Anne Cushman

GENRE; Novel

RATING; 4 Stars

I am on a quest to read all things yoga and pilates. What I particularly like are novels that feature yoga and the inner workings of this spiritual journey. I found this in the absolutely delightful and perfectly titled book 'Enlightenment for Idiots' written by Anne Cushman.

First off, it is obvious that Cushman has extremely good firsthand knowledge of the subject matter. She has created, in her main character, Amanda - a funny, flawed and perfect heroine. As the book opens, we find Amanda sitting in as a 'sub'. The descriptions of Amanda's thoughts as well as the yoga studio (both are entertwined) immediately made me love this novel. I particularly loved that Amanda is not one of those perfectly, perky, sage yogis....she is an average person, who happens to enjoy yoga, but al the while trying to find some serenity and a level of calm in a very chaotic world.

As the book progresses, we find out that Amanda is a writer and has, by pure chance, happened upon the opportunity of visiting India and writing about 'all that spiritual stuff' before its too late (according to Amanda's editor who is clearly clueless about what yoga, India and inner peace is all about. The book details Amanda's arrival in India and then goes on to wonderfully describe Amanda's spiritual and emotional growth (two steps front, one step back). We can actually see the progression Amanda is making - particularly when she will get hit by a major surprise that will make her question everything around her.

I really enjoyed the writing style - the author uses humor and dry wit and it works very well. You will want to go out and discover India or, at the very least, try downward dog at least once. I highly suggest this great read.

The only little thing I hated was that this book was hardcover - this book should have been published in trade paperback - much easier to tote around. But I see through www.amazon.com that this book will be coming out in trade paperback this summer!!!

REVIEW for If I stay

A huge thank you goes out to author Gayle Foreman for sending me a copy of her book for review!

TITLE: If I Stay

AUTHOR: Gayle Foreman

GENRE: YA
RATING: 4 Stars

I have to start off by saying that If I Stay was a very, very difficult book for me to read. Having lost my dad, when I was 11, in a car accident, this book brought back alot of that emotion.

If I Stay is the story of Mia - she is seventeen and has her whole life ahead of her. Yet, she has to make a very adult decision - go to Juilliard or stick around and hang out with Adam - who has an up and coming band and barely has time to spend with her. But, none of this has to be decided right away!

Mia and her family decide to go for a drive and while on the outing, there is a horrible car accident and all the members of her family are killed. Yet, Mia can see herself lying next to the car, she can see the first responders trying to save her, she can see herself in the hospital bed, but she can also see the people who are visiting her in the hospital, especially Kim and Adam.

What follows is an absolutely sad, sad and touching story of one little girl's hard choices - between life and death - but if she comes back to life what is there to come back to?

This book is not an easy read. I had to put it down quite a few times and swallow back my tears. I loved the way the author writes and she makes sure to show the best and not so "best" sides of human nature.

I found myself totally engrossed in this book and honestly would not know what I do if I ever found myself in this very, very difficult place.

I highly recommend this book - with a box of kleenex.

I WON ANOTHER AWARD

I won another award!!!! Thank you so very much to

www.merryweather.blogspot.com for nominating me!!!!!

REVIEW for My Parents are Sex Maniacs

A big thank you goes out to Annick Press - www.annickpress.com

TITLE: My Parents are Sex Maniacs

AUTHOR: Robyn Harding

GENRE: YA

RATING: 4 Stars

I love YA and My Parents are Sex Maniacs is perfect in so many ways. First of all, it made me remember how I felt in high school. It seems as though I was , somehow, always mortified by something my parents did (regarldess of what they ACTUALLY did) and reading this book made me go down memory lane.Louise and Sienna are best friends and they both get a nasty surprise, Louise's Dad and Sienna's mom are caught cheating together.

As you can imagine, not only does this have a huge impact emotionally on both girls, it also serves as gossip for those around them and in particular, their peers in school.I loved this storyline, Louise was so incredibly melodramatic at every turn - I mean, yes, she had every reason to be confused and hurt, but she went overboard on the drama and, in many ways, milked this for everything she could. Yet, author Harding wrote the character of Louise in such a way, that throughout, I never stopped loving her as a character. She was at times annoying, funny and sad.One of the strongest points of this book is its humour - despite the very serious topic - and it worked well.

There is a message here - one about wanting to fit in when you are a teenager - and that parents are NOT always right in their own life choices.

I liked this book alot and recommend it .

REVIEW for New Rules of Retirement

A big thank you goes out to author Warren MacKenzie for sending me this great little resource book.

TITLE: New Rules of Retirement

AUTHOR: Warren MacKenzie

GENRE: Personal Finance

RATING: 4 Stars

I am not quite a baby boomer, but I am not far from it and, of course, what is mainly on my mind these days is the economy but more specifically, my retirement.

Unfortunately, we were not, in my opinion, a generation that was encouraged to save at a young age. We did not have all of the information at our disposal that the younger generation has at theirs when it comes to retirement and saving money. Therefore, I find myself scrambling a little bit to catch up.

I like reading book like the New Rules for Retirement, because I do believe, indeed, that the retirement picture has seriously changed from when my grandparents or even my parents retired.Author MacKenzie gives us a great overview of what this picture now looks like. He also goes into great detail about how to achieve the best retirement possible and does some numbers crunching for us. I also found myself thinking "that's a good idea" on more than one occasion.

Fortunately, Mackenzie has taken the emotion out of looking at what retirement is and encourages us to look at it honestly and calmly. He also argues that there is more than just 1 way to retire and takes a look at some other options.

I found myself feeling better after having read this book - I also found a few good ideas that I am implementing.This is a great read and best of all, it is directed at the Canadian retirement picture.

REVIEW for The 12 Step Buddhist

A big thank you goes out to author Darren Littlejohn for sending me this wonderful book on recovery!!!



TITLE: The 12-Step Buddhist
AUTHOR: Darren Littlejohn
GENRE: Addiction and Recovery
RATING: 4 Stars





I believe that an addiction is in part, about loosing your way spiritually. I am also a huge believer in the 12 step programs and in the voice of the buddha. I was therefore thrilled to discover this book which, in essence, incorporates two of the most powerful tools against addiction - the 12 steps and the Buddha way of life.

What I liked, for the beginning of this book is that the author does not trash either forms of belief - rather he constructed his book on the fact that one belief ties in and compliments the other one beautifully.

This book is loaded with personal experiences - those of the author and how he has looked to both 12 step and the Buddha to help him find his way. This book is definitely about belief in a more spiritual way of living and it is about understanding your limitations as a human being.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and found it to be encouraging and supportive.

REVIEW for Plea of Insanity

A big thank you goes out to Georgina at Perseus Books for sending me this great legal thriller.

TITLE: Plea of Insanity

AUTHOR: Jilliane Hoffman

GENRE: Legal Thriller

RATING; 4 Stars

I use to be a big fan of legal thrillers, but found myself "getting off them" because the quality of many of them was not there anymore. However, lately, I am happy to report that some of the best authors managed to keep re-surfacing with wonderful books and storylines despite my being so cranky about getting good legal thrillers.

Plea of Insanity definitely falls right into the category of "great legal thrillers".

First off, I love reading about strong, leading female characters and Hoffman has definitely created one in the likes of Julia Vacanti. She is a tad on the young side (only 28) and I like my heroines to be a little older, but no matter, Hoffman has made sure that her character, while young, has lived a lifetime in her young life.

Indeed, Vacanti is a Miami Assistant States attorney, but in no way was she born with the proverbial "silver spoon" in her mouth. Actually, she has had enough drama in her own personal life - in the likes of her brother who was convicted of stabbing their parents when he was only 13. So, Julia has life experience and uses this to prosecute her cases in court. I loved this main character very much and, for me, she added alot to the book.

Vacanti finds herself having to prosecute the case of David Marquette who is a "an all around good guy", a doctor who is accused of murdering his family. The defense are arguing insanity but Vacanti isn't buying it and sets out to get as much information as she can in order to prosecute him to the full extent of the law.

I will not go into too much detail about this particular aspect of the book as I do not want to give anything away - but let me just say that I was blown away by how the author manages to put Vacanti squarely in between her new case and her old life.

There are many twists and turns in this page turner an I could not put it down once I started reading it. I love this type of book - "just one more page" turns into "3 chapters later".

The only thing that did not work as well for me is the romance that Julia is living in this book. I kind of groaned when we learn, early on, who she is sleeping with. It felt to me as though that had been done before and I never found myself getting particularly invested in the romance, although I do see the need for it, in some ways, for the progression of the book.

Overall though, I can't wait for a (hopefully) sequel to this book and I can't wait to find out what happens to Julia.

REVIEW for Feed Me

A great big thank you goes out to Jess at Random House for sending me this wonderful book!

http://www.randomhouse.ca/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780345500885

TITLE: Feed Me

AUTHOR: Harriet Brown
GENRE: Non fiction

RATING; 4 Stars

I wasn't really sure about this book when I first heard of it. Eating issues are a big thing for me and I am extremely picky about the types of book on this topic. However, Feed Me by author Harriet Brown took a very delicate subject and explored it in a touching, realistic and respectful way.

Food and weight are such a big deal in today's society and I am absolutely in love with the way Brown explored the fact that not everybody will be a size 5 and that is okay. I fell instantly in love with this book on the first story where the first writer describes how her boyfriend innocently told her that he thought he was maturing because it did not even bother him that she was not skinny. At first, that got my back up, but when I read the rest of the story, I adored the way Brown took his back-handed compliment and used it to explore her own unresolved issues about her weight.

This book is loaded with these types of inspiring and honest stories about body image and how we and other people look at us. It was wonderful, wonderful and I am going to re-read it a second time - I felt very good after reading this book. I feel as though its actually okay NOT TO BE a size 5 - for today at least anyway!

CONTEST TIME --- Celebrating Spring

HI everyone!

Its CONTEST TIME again. I haven't given away any books lately, because, to be honest, Canada Post has increased their postage rates and slowed their delivery time even more (if THAT is even possible!!!) so I have had to cut down on the contests.

However, SPRING is here (they tell me, cauz as I look out my window, all I see is the leftover few snowflakes and a grey day!). Never mind! Its SPRING in my head so, I thought I would give away a book. (by the way, the picture on the top right hand side is actually a flower box in bloom on a street of Montreal).

The book is IF I STAY, by Gayle Forman. It is an ARC. I haven't posted my review yet of it yet, so come back on the 19th of April to read the review, but in the meantime you can sign up to win the book!!!!!

How to enter:

1) If you leave me a comment on this post - you get 1 entry;

2) If you link back to your site - you get 4 additional entries;

The contest ends on April 30th. Because of the high cost of postage, I can only mail to Canada and the USA (Sorry!).

REVIEW for Yoga Inc.

A big thank you goes out to author John Philp for sending me this book to read!

TITLE: Yoga Inc.

AUTHOR: John Philp

GENRE: Business

RATING: 4 Stars

I am a huge fan of Yoga and was absolutely dying to read this book. Yoga Inc. is a highly comprehensive look at the history of yoga – or rather the commercial side of the practice.

From the estimated beginnings of Yoga right up to today’s ‘hip and with it’ attitude about yoga, author Philp covers absolutely every aspect of the practice.I was fascinated by a lot of what he writes. I thought particularly interesting was a look at the “different schools” of yoga and how various people, it seems, just lay claim to them as their own invention or "twist" on yoga.

I wish to challenge the author’s point of view that yoga, in our day and age, is anything BUT a spiritual journey. On some level, I absolutely agree with this view – if we rely on the well researched information provided by Philp, Yoga has, indeed, become quite a business, in which we, the public, looking for some kind of comfort are ready to spend thousands on "all things" yoga. However, for those of us who have found value in the benefits (both physically and spiritually) of yoga, I would argue that the commercialization of yoga (basically what is going on out there) will not affect my view of a practice that has only managed to make my life better.

However, I will absolutely admit that I would like to see more “spiritual” inclinations towards yoga and less “commercial” crap about it and the author does make some extremely valid statements in his book.It does seem to me that every time we turn around, someone, somewhere has managed to make another buck out of the practice of yoga.

A fine example is of simply picking up a yoga magazine – the ads almost outweigh the articles. Yes, I have to buy into the commercialization somewhat, but for me, it is worth it because, in the end, Yoga is something that I choose to do regardless of its ever increasing commercial aspects.

Still, this book makes for fascinating reading.

REVIEW for The Funeral Planner Goes to the White House

Thank you, thank you Adam at Harlequin for sending this along to me!!!

TITLE: The Funeral Planner Goes to the White House

AUTHOR: Lynn Isenberg

GENRE: Chick Lit

RATING: 4 Stars

Yeah!!! A chick lit book from the now defunct Red Dress Ink series. I had read, a while back, The Funeral Planner and enjoyed it, but somehow managed to miss the second book in the series - until now. The Funeral Planner Goes to the White House is the sequel to the first book and re-introduces us to Maddie. She has been asked by the big guy himself, the President of the US, to be her "top funeral planner and advisor".

Now, first off, this plotline sounds silly and really, it is, but this is CHICK LIT and I don't care - it made for a great storyline and although improbable, was fun, fun to read. I also loved the book's beginning - Oppssss! Forgot to say the Serenity Prayer. Anything with that sentence in it has definitely got my attention.

Take this book, read it and enjoy it!! All with a grain of salt. This is a feelgood type of book and that is why I love this author so much.

This book is funny, a tad over the top and I loved it.

REVIEW FOR It Sucked and then I Cried

Another big thank you goes out to Simon & Shuster for sending me this book!!

TITLE: It Sucked and then I Cried

AUTHOR: Heather Armstrong

GENRE: Memoir (humor)

RATING: 4 Stars

I am not a mother myself, but for some reason, I like reading about what it is like to be a mother. I am also a huge fan of covers and titles and I thought that this book was very well titled (clever) - the cover - not so much....

However, the book is about the storyline and I have to say that Heather was certainly extremely honest about her depiction of motherhood. I think that she was quite witty and I enjoyed the fact that she could mention her love for her child, her resentment for the same child and her deep need for alcohol to make it all better.

Of course, most of this is said in a totally funny way and that is the strength in this book. Well, that and the honesty factor. I always wonder why some people get so offended when a mother writes that being a mother is wonderful and stressful and beautiful and hard. I, personally, admire Heather for being able to put it all down on paper so well - and most of all, to have the courage to have a baby and still have kept her humour about her.

This book is a good read, it kept me interested and entertained.

REVIEW for Take Charge Living

A big thank you goes out to Paula of Author Marketing Experts, Inc. for sending me this book!

TITLE: Take Charge Living

AUTHOR: Marion Krame Jacobs

GENRE: Self-Help
RATING: 3 Stars

Take-Charge Living: How to Recast your Role in Life...One Scene At a Time has an interesting message - if you wait to feel "absolutely ready" for change in your life - you might be waiting a very long time. This book basically tells you to "fake it until you make it" which is a premise that we are often told in 12 step groups. I was a little surprised to read this as the authors basically argue that by consciously changing something (even if it goes against the grain) your body and your spirit will eventually buy into it and will go with the flow - that the faking will actually become reality. I have mixed opinions about this - on some level, I do agree that it is a good idea to be more open to change - more willing to do something different, on the other hand, I find it incredibly challenging to do this. This book takes a detailed look at why we resist change - and why it is so hard for human beings to actually change. Interestingly enough, the comparisons of life are made against a backdrop of a play - which I thought worked very well to convey the messages. I did enjoy reading this book and it certainly brings another point of view to the subject of change and how to deal with it.

REVIEW for First Daughter

I was lucky enough to get this book directly from INDIGO bookstores for review.

TITLE: First Daugther

AUTHOR: Eric Van Lustbader

GENRE: Thriller

RATING: 4 Stars

For some reason, I like thrillers that have to do with the President of the US - not sure why. Unfortunately, they are not always "thrilling".

This was NOT the case with First Daughter. From the very first moments of the opening chapter, where you just know that its wayyyyy to quiet, I was on the edge of my seat expecting the worse - and getting it.

Van Lustbader writes a thriller the way it should be - the old fashion, sit on the edge of your seat and dread turning the page, but at the same time, you can't wait to do it.In Jack McClure, the author has also found a great hero. Deeply flawed and lacking confidence in himself, at the same time, becoming someone else's hero and protector.

I don't want to give away too much of this story, but suffice it to say that this thriller will keep you breathless. Great, great read.

REVIEW for In Ecstasy

A huge thank you goes out to www.annickpress.com for sending this book out to me.

TITLE: In Ecstasy

AUTHOR: Kate McCaffrey

GENRE: YA

RATING; 4 Stars

Reading In Ecstasy brought out all types of emotions in me. Although it is billed as a novel, this story could very well be the story of many, many teenage girls out there today.As the book titled indicates this is a story of two good kids - both teen age girls who are each, in their own way, running away from something (or if you listen to them they would tell you that they are running towards something).

Sophie and Mia are best friends and are now teenagers - exploring their way through adolescence and making some extremely, extremely bad choices.As I was reading, I was trying to go back to when I was a teenager and tried to remember my thinking pattern. Of course, the generation was different, but still.....I do remember the horrible feeling or that need to "fit in". I also remember how important my best friend was to me. What I don't remember is the almost casual view of drugs that both Mia and Sophie seem to have. Indeed, in this story both girls seem to have absolutely no second thoughts about trying the drug E. This, somehow, scared me the most here. There were no thoughts of "could this be bad" or at the very least "my mother would kill me if I did this". The girls just casually started using the drugs and actually were sort of proud of this (like it was some kind of rite of passage).

As an adult, I was absolutely horrified as I was reading this book. I could not believe that these girls were left to their own devices so much. The parental influence was minimal at best in this novel and I wanted to scream at the parents "wake up, wake up".

As you can see, I had lots of emotion while reading this scary but all important story that takes a very honest look at our youth of today and the huge pressures (in their own minds?) that they face in fitting it. This storyline also very clearly depicts a lack of fundamental grounding from everybody involved - from the parents right down to the kids.

What I also liked was the interesting relationship between the two main characters - who are best friends, but yet, on many levels, do not seem to "get" each other where it counts.

This book is extremely well written and will definitely bring out all kinds of feelings.

For the teenagers out there - pick this book up and read it, then read it again.

REVIEW for Perpetual Check

A big thank you goes out to Random House Children's Books for sending this book along.

TITLE: Perpetual Check
AUTHOR: Rich Wallace

GENRE: YA

RATING: 4 Stars

I am not a big fan of chess, however, I am a bit in awe of anyone who can play - especially if they elevate the playing to championship level. This is the basis of the new YA book Perpetual Check, written by Rich Wallace.

I immediately liked the premise of this book. Two young boys, who happen to be brothers, share one big thing in common - they are both natural chess players. As with most brothers, there is a "popular" one and a least popular one and when they will find themselves competing against each other - we will get to discover just how far both brothers are willing to go to win. I have to say that I thought the characters of Zeke and Randy were very interesting and, in many ways, completely opposite of one another - yet, I still felt as though they had many things in common, despite the fact that neither would agree with this comment.

As I mentioned, the characters were interesting, if not likeable all the time. However, I think this worked for the storyline - as it helped the reader discover the personality and the unknown sides of each brother - helping us make an obvious distinction between them, but also helping us to find the commonality between them. I also liked the plotline of the competition of chess. Of course, this book lacked the high intensity of sports competitions and did not have car chases, romances or high octane fights, but the author managed to set a scene of intense rivalry, stress and competition that worked very well. I found myself compulsively turning pages wanting to read more - wanting to find out how and who would win here.

REVIEW for I'll Have Who She is Having

A great big thank you goes out to Liz and Lisa for sending me a copy of their great book!

http://www.chicklitisnotdead.com/

TITLE: I'll Have Who She is Having

AUTHORS: Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke

GENRE: Chick Lit

RATING: 4 Stars

I am a chick lit maniac and have been deploring the sorry state of chick lit for a while now - until I bumpbed into the website: Chicklitisnotdead.com. I was thrilled to discover that not only was there a website, but the authors of this site had actually written a chick lit book - which I immediately got my hot little hands on. I am thrilled to have discovered such a hidden treasure.

I'll Have Who She's Having is written by Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke and details the life of two sisters who love each other, but are worlds apart (or so it seems at the beginning of the book) from each other. I don't normally like my books to be told from different point of views, but in this case, I was glad to make an exception as it was extremely interesting and fun to read the sisters different view point.

One sister is happily (?) married while the other one is struggling to find a good relationship. Both characters are written smartly and in an interesting way. I liked that the authors did not make the single one "desperate" and the married one "smug and boring".

There are some interesting twists in this book and the clear message is that you should not judge what you see as being the entire truth in life. The grass may NOT always be greener on the other side.

I liked the open, honest and funny writing style the authors have and I found this book completely engaging.

REVIEW for Purge

I was lucky enough to get a copy of this book directly from the author: Sarah Darer Littman! Thank you so much - we need to hear your story!!!!

TITLE: PURGE

AUTHOR: Sarah Darer Littman

GENRE: Memoir - Recovery

DATE: April 2009

RATING: 5 Stars

This subject is so close to my heart! When I was a teen, Eating Disorders were not discussed (I doubt they were really ever recognized) and yet, this disease is so prevalent in people of EVERY age. This is one of the reasons I am so grateful for books such as Purge, written by Sarah Darer Littman.There are a few things that make Purge different from the other ED books.

First off, this is written as a novel, with the voice of Janie basically taking us through her stay at an ED clinic. The second thing that I thought was quite different is that Littman puts Anorexia, Bulimia and binge eating into the same novel - it is extremely fascinating to see how all three groups (although the binge eaters are less represented) interact, but also how they each view so differently the almost same situation (i.e. mealtime).

I loved, loved this book. It is obvious that Littman has gotten some firsthand knowledge of this disease - this book is extremely difficult to read and I found that I could not read more than 5 or so pages at a time.The voice of Janie who is in complete denial as she enters the clinic - is clear, scared and a joy to read about. It is fascinating to see her slowly come to understand that 'maybe she does belong here'.

This book treats ED with the sensitivity and seriousness it deserves. Never talks down to the reader and yet, manages to educate and inform.I thought this book was heartwarming, tough, honest and beautiful.I recommend this book for ALL adults and for the YA adult out there