SEXY MEN - Yep! this has absolutely nothing to do with books!

My friend and I were talking and rating our favorite "TV hunks" (yeah, we both need lives or, at the very least, hobbies :) Anyway, it is truly amazing to see how many gorgeous men are on TV (how come they aren't all around me?).....

Anyway, here is my TOP 5 sexiest guys (you might notice that I have a "thing" for very tall and fairly broad shoulderered guys. Amazingly, they are all around my age (I guess I am over that "young guy" thing - - ALSO, I don't normally like blond hair on guys - mainly because my very first boyfriend had blond hair and well! nuff said (although there is one blond guy who made the list). I would love to hear your comments on this list!!!!

DENIS LEARY of Rescue Me

JOHN Cusack (Say Anything, Con Air, 2012)

David Cubitt of Medium

FINALLY, my choice for the TOP two sexiest - amazingly, both appeared on the same TV show - Law & Order Criminal Intent (I love those casting people at L&O)!!!!
Chris Noth (Sex and the City, L&O)

MY NUMBER 1 - VINCENT D'ONOFRIO (L&O) God, he is sexy!!!!

REVIEW for The View from the Top

A big thank you to the author for sending me a copy of her great, great book!

TITLE: The View From the Top

AUTHOR: Hillary Frank

GENRE: YA

RATING: 4 Stars



The View From The Top was an intersting YA read. I even hesitate to say YA because, unlike many other YA books other there, the main character Annabelle is actually older than the "norm" at 18 years old. Interestingly, the author has chosen to take this character and give her some "life altering" experiences at this age - very daring choice.

This book worked for me. It is loaded with imagery - such as the entire Ferris Wheel - where our main character's life echoes the ferris wheel - going up and around - and, in many instances, looking down and realizing that you are "not in Kansas anymore". Loved it.

I thought that the main premise of having Annabelle surrounded by guys that like her or that she likes (not necessarily the same thing) was a bit much - but, it did make the point that the author was trying to get across, so it was easier to accept as part of the storyline.

This is definitely a coming of age story - which shows that there truly is no real age to start "growing up". In fact, the entire message of this book is basically that you will keep learning life lessons -all through your life - but it is how you deal with them and what you do with the lessons that are truly important.

Very well written and engrossing, I loved this book.

REVIEW for Girls in Love

Thank you Nikole! at Scholastic for sending me this book!

TITLE: Girls in Love

AUTHOR: Hailey Abbott

GENRE: YA

RATING: 4 Stars






I have actually read a few of Abbott's books and I am not sure why I don't make a point of following all of her books - especially since anytime I do end up reading one, I thoroughly enjoy it. Granted, Girls in Love is NOT high literature - rather, it is the perfect beach read. I opened this book feeling a little blah and ended up finishing it with a big smile on my face. YA is always fun to read - especially since YA always seem so incredibly melodramatic - which, of course, immediately brings me back to my own "drama" days and Girls in Love is no different.

This book is actually a sequel, but you don't have to worry as you can pretty well pick it up without having read the previous ones. Jessica, one of my favorite characters is the one that I identified the most with - with a relationship with Connor and lots of doubts - courtesy of Lily. Lara who thinks she has been dumped and is doing the "in between" dance and of course Greer who appears to have it all figured out. All of the characters bring their own brand of humor and personality to the storyline to make it a fun read.

This book is breezy, funny, cute and entertaining. Perfect.

REVIEW for The Reinvention of Moxie Roosevelt

A great big thank you to the author for sending me a copy of her book!





TITLE: The Reinvention of Moxie Roosevelt

AUTHOR: Elizabeth Cody Kimmel

GENRE: YA

RATING: 4 Stars








First, I have to comment on the cover of this book which, in my opinion, was a perfect fit for the storyline.

The Reinvention of Moxie Roosevelt is a wonderful read - I loved everything about it, from the main character Moxie who has so much to offer the world, if only she would believe in herself to the storyline itself which is an absolute delight and a mixture of "sending a positive message", blended in with humor and a little bit of sadness.

Moxie is now at boarding school and is taking advantage of it - she is going to reinvent herself and turn into that person that everyone will love and look up to. Through a series of "reinventions" that are more or less successful, Moxie learns that not everything is as it appears and that sometimes, you should just let "life" take you where it will....

I loved that the message in this book is - go ahead and try to change yourself and twist yourself to meet this "ideal" that only seems to exist in your own head, but you will also discover that you are who you are going to be in the end - and that is just fine!

Very well written - not remotely preachy and at times, pretty funny, this YA is a great read.

REVIEW for The Bedwetter

A big thank you to Deanna at HarperCollins.ca for sending me this book.

TITLE: The Bedwetter

AUTHOR: Sarah Silverman

GENRE: Memoir/Humor

RATING: 4 Stars

Before reading this book, I really wasn't all that familiar with Sarah Silverman. It seems there is quite a large number of comedians out there that I have never heard about! go figure! I guess the reason I am so surprised that I have never really of her is because she is actually very, very funny.

Unfortunately, there are comedians who seem to be extremely popular who are, frankly, very boring to me - but this is NOT the case here. As I started reading her book, I found myself laughing like an idiot - at the most silly places. I have always admired the guts and courage it must take for comedians to get up on a stage and 'try' their acts out. It must be extremely scary. I like the style of writing in this book- Silverman pretty well writes the way she talks and I also loved the pictures (I am a big fan of pictures). The one thing that did surprise me about this book is that for all the humor - I sort of felt a little bit of sadness at times - and i am not quite sure where this came from. I once read that comedians are actually, in many instances, somewhat depressed people who hide behind the comedy - maybe this is true in this case? don't know, but overall, this book was a great read.

For more information on the book, visit : http://browseinside.harpercollins.ca/index.aspx?isbn13=9780061856433&cm_mmc=ref-_-pub-_-bookshipper-_-9780061856433

GIRL POWER

One of my favorite Canadian singers (and I LOVE, LOVE this song). For those who are wondering she is: Sarah McLachlan and the song is POSSESSION. You might have heard it on the TV show Due South and Sarah is one of the forces behind The Lillith Fair - this is true GIRL POWER!!!!!!!!

The Importance of the Perfect Bathroom Sink

I was recently looking at a renovation project at a friend's home. She has a beautiful old apartment - complete with original woodwork and built in china cabinet and we were discussing the merits of renovation and which rooms are "the most" important, when it comes to increasing the value of your home.

In fact, she is now working on renovating her bathroom - as she says "bathrooms and kitchens play a vital part" when it comes to selling a home. Apparently, these two rooms can, indeed, be deal breakers, for many people, if they are not "done up" properly.

One of the things we discussed was the importance of installing the right
bathroom sink - for both convenience and appearance, as, once again, the "look" of the bathroom should "flow" and be extremely pleasant to the eye - all the while remaining practical.

Fortunately, finding the perfect sink can be as easy and as close as your computer, especially if you are dealing with a site like http://www.justvanities.com/Bathroom-Sinks-C9043.html.

I was perusing the amazing selection of sinks they have to offer and all I can say is that if you can't find something you want here - then you might as well just "give it up".

So, for all my blogger friends who are thinking of renovating in the upcoming year - take a look at this site, you will be amazed at what you can find - I know that I was :) Here is a picture of my favorite :) :)

REVIEW for Vintage Veronica

A big thank you goes out to author Erica Perl for sending me a copy of her book.

TITLE: Vintage Veronica

AUTHOR: Erica S. Perl

GENRE: YA

RATING: 4 Stars

I know I was in deep trouble when I saw this cover - loved it! I am a huge fan of covers and I kept thinking that if the cover was any indication, this book was going to be a winner and I was right. Of course, Veronica, the main character who is shy, somewhat fat and doesn't feel as though she really fits in anywhere broke and captured my heart - being a former fat girl myself. If you have never been fat, then you can't really, truly understand just how much of your self confidence and ego gets battered by this.

So, it was with a heavy heart that I started reading this story and absolutely fell in love with Veronica and her spirit. Yes, she is shy and yes, she has issues, but the courage this girl has - to make her own statement through her clothing - representing her own sense of style (deep inside) was truly wonderful and touching. Some people find themselves through art, Veronica does it through her own sense of artistic style.

The relationship between Veronica and Nail is touching and felt honest to me - as did the relationship between the "other" girls and Veronica - although this one was alot more predictable in some ways.

The author does a great job of writing about a teenager girl who is growing mentally and emotionally each and every day - and doing it with class and dignity. I loved this book.

REVIEW for My Double Life

A big, big thank you goes out to Janette Rallison for so kindly sending me a copy of her book!

TITLE: My Double Life

AUTHOR: Janette Rallison

GENRE: YA

RATING: 4 Stars






I have always enjoyed all the books written by this author and My Double Life is no exception - although I will admit that it was not my favorite read. My Double Life is answers the question "what if?" - I could live the life of a superstar? How many of us have asked ourselves this question - at one point in our lives? The storyline is written in a very easy manner - cute, but with a very obvious message - life isn't necessary greener on the other side.

I found myself rooting for Alexia, of course, but I was more interested in the overall dynamics and interaction of the "poor and non celebrity" -vs- the "rich and famous".

This storyline is fun - loaded with glamour, show business and nice clothes - but it also about being happy with who you are, at any given moment. I liked it.

REVIEW for Luscious Chocolate Smoothies

Thank you to Christina at Libertary for sending me this book.

TITLE: Luscious Chocolate Smoothies

AUTHOR: Gabriel Constans

GENRE: Cookbook

RATING: 4 Stars

This book is one of the most amazing smoothie books I have ever had and believe me, I have read quite a few of these. I don't personally eat sugar - so i was more interested in doing some of the recipes that required little or no sugar, but I also had the opportunity of making quite a few of these recipes for other people in my life and I have to say that each and every recipe I tried was absolutely devoured by everyone involved. Includes a nice variety of recipes, extremely easy to read and follow and finding the ingredients is also extremely easy - so making these smoothies is not a difficult experience. The recipes (those I tried) are very, very tasty and go a long way in helping all the chocolate addicts in my life.

This book is one of the most amazing smoothie books I have ever had and believe me, I have read quite a few of these. I don't personally eat sugar - so i was more interested in doing some of the recipes that required little or no sugar, but I also had the opportunity of making quite a few of these recipes for other people in my life and I have to say that each and every recipe I tried was absolutely devoured by everyone involved. Includes a nice variety of recipes, extremely easy to read and follow and finding the ingredients is also extremely easy - so making these smoothies is not a difficult experience. The recipes (those I tried) are very, very tasty and go a long way in helping all the chocolate addicts in my life.

SURPRISE, SURPRISE - ANNE OF GREEN GABLES IN MONTREAL

As most of you know, I live in Montreal - where, basically, English books and libraries go to die. Unfortunately, while Montreal has some of the best restaurants, architecture and shopping in the world (we can rival NYC anytime on those 3 things), the reality is that, while many of us are fluent - speaking French and English easily, the city still caters to French readers alot more than English ones. As you can easily see when you walk into our main library - which has a ratio of about 80% French and 20% English books.

We do have ONE major book chain, which is ruled, with an Iron Fist by Heather Risman. In short, if she don't like it or approve of it, it ain't going to be sold in her store (can you say dictatorship much?) and you can forget about authors and book signings here. For the most part, all the exciting ones, with a few exceptions are conducted in Toronto - which, is really NOT Montreal.

Anyway, I am going through this entire spiel to explain jut how rare it truly is to actually have a literary event, in English, that excites me!

Thankfully, the Atwater Library (which, by the way is a private library and is housed in an absolutely beautiful old building dated 1828) recently hosted, as part of their Luncheon Series, the wonderful Elizabeth Waterston.




If you are a fan of Anne of Green Gables and/or LM Montgomery, then you are very familiar with this author. She has been researching the life and times of Montgomery and of Anne for many, many years and has written quite a few books on both, including the Journals of LM Montgomery, which she edited, at the request of Montgomery's son Stuart.

She was in Montreal, to speak, on June 3, 2010 about "Some Facts about Fiction: Anne of Green Gables and Afterwards" and her presentation was absolutely enchanting.




I was fascinated by some "insider information" she shared on LM Montgomery and, of course, her insights into the creation of Anne of Green Gables were simply intriguing and mesmorizing.

I am so thrilled that I was lucky enough to get to this one - and a big thank you goes out to Avis from She Reads and Reads for telling me about the lecture in the first place.

REVIEW for Swoon at Your Own Risk

Thank you so much to author Sydney Salter for so kindly sending me a copy of her book!

TITLE: Swoon at your Own Risk

AUTHOR: Sydney Salter

GENRE: YA

RATING: 4 Stars

First off, I am a huge cover freak - If I like the cover, it always, somehow, puts me in a better frame of mind to enjoy the book and Swoon at your Own Risk has a very basic, but eye catching cover that was perfect for the book. I instantly fell in love with both the plotline and the main character, Polly.

The storyline features Polly - completely fed up with guys and relationships (been there) who decides to swear off for a while (done that). However, as with most "well crafted plans" something always comes in and ruins the best of intentions. This book is funny, funny, funny, but it is also touching - focusing on how difficult relationships can truly be, without ever hitting you over the head with the message.

I also loved the way the author features, very prominently, all of Polly's friends - making it clear that while Polly might be struggling with the guys in her life, she also has a strong back up system in her friends. Polly is also written very sharply and smartly - in all, there is absolutely nothing I disliked about this one - a great, great read.

RANDOM THOUGHTS on New York City

I was taking a look at some pictures I took, while in NYC and wondering why I did not take more??? It somehow seems as though there was so much going on that taking the camera out of my bag (which is always a challenge in itself) never seemed to enter my mind.

I did, however, find these pictures and thought I would load them on here as my final posting on my NYC trip (at least for a while).

Walking along Lexington Street and looked up and there is was! - I had to take a picture!

I like this picture and it is thanks to Cindy who took the picture! This is on the ferry, heading to Ellis Island. It was actually FREEZING on the ferry and I, of course, did not think to bring a sweater!!! The trip was a little nutty as the ferry was completely packed with people - this shot is after we dropped off a ton of them that were heading to the Statue of Liberty, which we chose not to visit. The line to get onto the ferry was about 2.5 hours long - had it not been for Cindy, I would have walked away and missed the occasion of visiting Ellis Island which I loved.

The hallowed halls of the Rgistration Hall at Ellis Island...

I think my Friday, visiting Ellis Island and Battery Park (near the site of the Twin Towers) was probably my favorite sightseeing day. Cindy and I had a nice, relaxing day and stumbled across a group of brothers, performing a great stunt at Battery Park - exactly the type of thing you read about in New York City and it was wonderful! Here is a video I found on YOUTUBE if you are interested http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9lH3klSVN8. My favorite line: "Please don't hesitate to donate as much as you can to our show because if you do, it will keep us out of two houses - The Poor House and YOUR HOUSE! It was hysterical and, in fact, Cindy even caught the eye of one of the performers (nuff! said)....

The impressive Statue of Liberty. Interestingly, I did not think I would be moved by the sight, but I was.

My favorite place in the world!!!












CELEBRITY SIGHTINGS AT BEA

RICK SPRINGFIELD (Dr. Noah Drake- General Hospital) looking sexy.


KRISTIAN ALFONSO (Hope Williams Brady - Days of our Lives) looking skinny as hell. Despite the fact that I have lost over 100lbs, I took one look at her and felt like a big, fat pig, all over again *sigh*.

I can't believe I have already been back, from New York City, for almost 3 weeks. In some ways, the time has simply flown by and in others - not so much!

Some of my fellow Montreal bloggers are already talking about BEA and NYC next year, but since I don't know what is going on, career wise, with me right now, I am going to have to put THAT ON on ice for now :)

REVIEW for It's Not Summer Without You

Thank you to Simon & Schuster for sending along a copy of this book for me to read and review.

TITLE: It's Not Summer Without You

AUTHOR: Jenny Han

GENRE: YA

RATING: 3 Stars






It's Not Summer Without You is the type of book that I love. Each character is written with various levels - just when you think you have one figured out, they do something that makes you rethink your entire opinion of both the character and the storyline.

This story is about friendship and about growing up - discovering just how odd and tortured some people can be. It is about discovering that people are not always as they seem and that, for the most part, nothing is always absolutely white or black - but rather somewhere in the middle. I found myself engaged in these characters and, more specifically, their own distinct personality traits - which for me, was really the attraction of this book.

Although the plotline was interesting, for the most part, the story dragged and dragged way too much for me - the author took way too much time setting up the various events and, although it gave me more time to focus on the characters, it also made the book feel boring at times - hence the 3 stars. I would have rated this one 4 stars if the pacing had been better.

The author knows how to create great characters, now please work on the "tone" of the book a little bit more.

GREAT GIVEAWAY

Two of my favorite chick lit authors LISA and LIZA :) are hosting a great giveaway -check out their site for more information....and don't forget to become a follower - tell them I sent you!!! :)

Visit their site: http://chicklitisnotdead.com/

REVIEW for Spent

Thank you to the people at Hachette for sending this one along to me!

TITLE: Spent

AUTHOR: Avis Cardella

GENRE: Memoir

RATING: 3 stars







I always admire people who are brave enough to write a story about their misfortunes and I have to give author Avis Cardella her due.

However, I have to say that Spent is not really what I thought it would be. Cardella details her own financial problems in a very honest and down to earth manner but two glaring things occured to me. Firstly, her book is kind of slow moving. The pace of this one could certainly have used some improving. I found the detail way too involved and it made me feel completely disconnected from the author.

The second issue was the course of her life - yes, i do realize that a memoir is about someone else's life - but I found that some of her "experiences" were so far removed from my day to day life that I just could not identify with them or with her.

The author deserves points for writing such a personal story - but to be completely honest, this book just did not engage me all that much

REVIEW for White Cat

Thank you to Simon & Schuster for sending along a copy of this book to review!

TITLE: White Cat

AUTHOR: Holly Black

GENRE: YA

RATING: 3 Stars




White Cat is not my usual type of book, but I have to say that I heard so much about it, that I wanted to give it a try - and I ended up actually thinking the storyline was interesting and compelling, which is why I gave it 3 stars.

White Cat is obviously aimed at very specific YA audience, one that has grown up on the Harry Potter books and that enjoys reading novels about mystical changes and living in alternative universes where things are different and yet, somehow, the same.

I thought the author did a good job of engaging me in the storyline - one where nothing is what I was use to and, more importantly, a universe that, I myself, would certainly not have ever created in my own mind. I think this is the problem for me, when it comes to reading this type of novel - I just don't seem to have the imagination to create and build these worlds and so, when I read about them, I have a harder time imagining them in my head, although I have to say that I found myself engaged enough to read to the end.

The author also has a very entertaining and crisp writing style - which added alot to the book. Overall, a good read for me and, I am sure, an excellent one for those who can truly appreciate this author's skill.

REVIEW for She's So Dead to Us

Thank you to the wonderful Michelle at Simon & Schuster Canada for sending me this book!

TITLE: She's So Dead To Us

AUTHOR: Kieran Scott

GENRE: YA

RATING: 3 Stars

I enjoyed She's So Dead to Us - mainly because I am a fan of this author. However, having said that - the first thought that came to mind, as I was reading, was "wow, there is alot of stuff going on in this book, at the same time". Told in alternative voices through Ally and Jake (a method that I am not overly fond of by the way) it is interesting to read the very different perspectives these two YA have on the same situations. Kind of a she said/he said.

The main plotline is interesting - Ally is no longer part of the "in" crowd - thanks to her dad and his poor investments. The book is obviously geared towards life lessons such as what true friendship really is, the fleeting importance of money, as well as trying to find your way through relationships. However, what was missing, for me, was the cute whimsical side that this author usually includes in her books - including the Cheerleader series.

The writing is fine, as always and the story was engaging - but, somehow, it missed the mark a little bit for me.

REVIEW for Secrets of a Soap Opera Diva

Thank you! thank you to Anneliese at Simon & Schuster Canada.

TITLE: Secrets of a Soap Opera Diva

AUTHOR: Victoria Rowell

GENRE: Fiction

RATING: 4 Stars

The biggest compliment I can give a book is to say that it was a fun ride - and this one falls directly into this category. I am a fan of soap operas - especially when they are over the top (which is most of the time :) and frankly, Secrets of a Soap Opera Diva is ALSO over the top and highly, highly entertaining.

From the opening chapter - where we meet Calysta and her high hopes of winning the Sudsy - to the very second where you know - just know what is going to happen at those award presentations - the set up of the storyline is incredibly perfect and makes the entire rest of the book one of the most fun reads I have had in a long time. Calysta is as crazy and nutty as the character she plays in her role and her life sounds just like a soap opera - at times, I can't figure out if we are dealing with her "real" life or her "fiction" life - crazy, crazy ride and it is fun! fun! fun!

Make sure you pack this one up for your beach read - you will be thrilled you did.

Bring on book number 2.

COMPLETELY DIFFERENT GIVEAWAY for US and Canada

Okay, this is going to be a little bit of a different giveaway in that it more or less relates to books.

I love reading and writing book reviews while I sip some of my delicious teas. I sometimes hit my favorite tea room (where the Montreal book bloggers meet each month) or, I sit at home, boil some water and make myself my own pot.



I have about 10 different teapots (all of them original and very cool) (see pictures) that I actually use - depending on my mood and which tea I am drinking. These teapots are called "memory teapots" which means that you can only serve one type of tea per teapot. I am, for some reason, fascinated with teapots - but I digress.

Anyway, I had been using an old kettle to boil my water and then, I was offered the opportunity of reviewing a tea kettle by the wonderful people at CSNstores.com. I was thrilled and I have to say that this kettle is truly a little gem. For my complete review, please stay tuned as I will be creating another blog post right after this one.


HOWEVER, the great news is that the kind people at CSNstores.com have offered me the opportunity of putting this great kettle up as a giveaway (obviously you will get a new one :)

Here is a picture of the item (the official shot):

Farberware Classic Accessories Stainless Steel 2.5 Quart Sonoma Whistling Tea Kettle - 50122
SKU #: FBR1203


So, if you are interested in perhaps winning this wonderful item, here are the rules (very simple:)

1. Only open to Canadian and US residents;


2. If you are already a follower (thank you!) just leave me a message at the bottom of this blog post. Don't forget to put your email address so I can contact you. Because you are already a follower, I will automatically give you 5 entries :)


3. If you "refer" someone to my blog and they become a follower, I will add 3 entries for you and will give them 2 entries, again, I will need an email address;


4. If you simply want to post your name (without becoming a follower) you will get 1 entry.


5. Just a side note. This item will be shipped by the company directly, which means I will have to give them your complete contact information. If this makes you uncomfortable, please do not leave your name.


6. FINALLY :) contest ends on June 30, 2010 at midnight.

Thanks! and spread the word!

This is what it looks like on my stove top:

GIVEAWAY - GIVEAWAY

DON't FORGET TO VISIT



http://bookshipper.blogspot.com/2010/06/completely-different-giveaway-for-us.html to enter my great giveaway.......

OPEN TO all Canadian and US residents!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I LOVE THIS KETTLE

NAME:

Farberware Classic Accessories Stainless Steel 2.5 Quart Sonoma Whistling Tea Kettle - 50122SKU #: FBR1203

RATING: 5 stars

For more information: http://www.csnstores.com/

I was recently asked to review a tea kettle. Yes, I know, that is a bit far removed from my usual book reviews, but really, it is not that much of a strech since I DO easily associate having a nice pot of tea, while sitting down and reading (not to mention) reviewing my favorite books.

Thanks to the wonderful Jason and http://www.csnstores.com/, I discovered a great little (not so little actually) tea kettle that I have fallen in love with. In fact, the Farberware Classic Accessories Stainless Steel 2.5 Quart Sonoma Whistling Tea Kettle - 50122
SKU #: FBR1203 is perfect for boiling water - be it for one cup of tea or for up to 6cups which is the most I have attempted (I was making iced tea).

The kettle is quite heavy and made of sturdy material. It whistles when the water is ready and looks extremely sleek on the stove top.

The kettle boils very quickly and I really enjoy using it as a kitchen tool. It is perfect, perfect, perfect.

REVIEW for Moonlight

Thank you to author Keith Knapp for sending me a copy of his book to read and review.

TITLE: Moonlight

AUTHOR: Keith Knapp

GENRE: Thriller

RATING: 3 Stars

When the author asked me to review his book, I hesitated - as I am not a great target audience - considering i don't like zombie books - however, the story actually sounded intersting and I do like to encourage authors - so I gave it a chance.

The book is actually scary and, I did enjoy the writing, which is why I am giving it a 3 star rating. The author knows how to move the storyline along at a good clip and makes it fairly engaging. I also found some of the premise kinda creepy - which was nice. But, zombies! and more zombies are not that interesting regardless of the premise of the storyline.

I know that many people truly enjoy reading these types of books, but really, in my case, I probably am not the greatest judge. However, having said that, I did find this story sufficiently creepy to finish it.

IT'S CONTEST TIME AGAIN!!!!

IT IS YUMMY CONTEST TIME AGAIN! (check out these book covers!!!)

The wonderful people at Simon & Schuster Canada are offering a brand new contest called SUMMER ROMANCE and I am happy to be able to post all the information on this blog.

Please note THE CONTEST IS ONLY OPEN TO CANADIAN RESIDENTS and CLOSES JULY 1, 2010.

Please visit this link to enter the contest and GOOD LUCK!!!

http://simonsaysblog.ca/2010/06/03/win-a-man-chesters-library/

REVIEW for 15 Minute Everyday Pilates

A big thank you goes out to DK Publishing for sending this book along to me!

TITLE: 15 Minute Everyday Pilates

AUTHOR: Alycia Ungran

GENRE: Sports/Health

RATING: 4 Stars

15 Minute Everyday Pilates is THE perfect solution for those who want to get in a quick workout but don't have alot of time or alot of patience. This book is concise, informative and it works! I love Pilates, but I don't always have the time I need to spend on doing a full session. This book is the perfect solution - very well explained poses, a nice sequence that covers off all the major areas and doable almost anywhere at any time. I loved that this book is created for anyone who is "on the go".

Now, we can get in a few minutes of Pilates each and every day without jeopordazing the other important aspects of our lives. I now am carrying this book around with me - so that I can get in as much exercise as I can when I can. You have to purchase this book if you have been using the "I don't have time" excuse.

FOR ME - it was NYC first and BEA second

Wow! I have been completely blown away by the posts written by other bloggers about their BEA experiences.

I have to start off by saying that I am a bit of a loner. I LOVE travelling alone and, for the most part, always have done so. I have also worked in the corporate world for over 25 years, many of these spent in Convention halls such as the Javitz in New York City - which is probably one of the big reasons that I made the conscious decision to "do" more New York City stuff than Book Expo America stuff.

Sure, I was going to NYC to attend BEA and I was quite keen on seeing just what the "big deal about BEA" truly was, but the lure of New York City was just too strong - visiting one of my favorite bookstores in the world The Strand, as well as walking around this vibrant city, visiting Ellis Island (this is the first time I have ever done that - despite visiting NYC a few times).

Enjoying Indian foods and just generally soaking up the NYC experience seriously won out over my love of BEA.

This is why my blog posts are probably not going to be as BEA detailed as others were/are. From reading their blogs, I just now learned about a ton of events planned around BEA and at BEA that I wasn't even aware of - tours of publishing houses, dinners with authors, etc. and, of course, meeting with other bloggers.

Which brings me back to my original comment - I am a loner at heart. I don't think I am anti-social, but I am good at being alone and doing things by myself. This is one of the reasons I did not really want to meet up with any other bloggers (except for the ones I went to NYC with - Donna, Avis, Cindy and Linda). Unlike many other bloggers, I don't seem to share a burning desire to get together and discuss all things blogs. Having said this, I love the Montreal Blogger meetings we have each month - but I have noticed that these meetings have become less about books and more about stuff in general - which is fine with me.

I sometimes think that bloggers take themselves wayyyyy too seriously. I mean, there were a lot of blogger events outside of BEA and I frankly wonder why???? I also feel as though, in many cases, the same 10 or 20 bloggers are usually singled out as being "the representatives" for all other bloggers - which I have a problem with. So, as I have told my "Montreal Blogger friends" "its probably a good thing that I don't attend these blogger conventions - cauz with my big mouth - I would NO DOUBT get in trouble :)".

Having said that, I love the bloggers on my blog roll. I don't follow a ton of bloggers, but I do follow some and I love reading their blogs. I guess I am just very selective about the blogs/bloggers I read and I am quite happy with this.

But I digress. I did enjoy my BEA experience - I decided to attend both days - but do only half days as I have to admit that all the walking we did on the Tuesday kind of killed me for the BEA walking on Wednesday and Thursday. I got to meet a few interesting people - among them the rep for Publishers Weekly who talked about wanting to visit Montreal. He was very sweet and gave me two beautiful posters.

I also enjoyed meeting Adam, the publicist I work with from Harlequin Books. Although he was quite busy, he took the time to say "hi" and we talked for a few minutes.

Other random events. I met a very nice author, on the shuttle to BEA - she is planning on writing a novel about healthcare in the US.

Literally bumped into Lou Gossett JR (An Officer and a Gentlemen) who was there to sign copies of his book - he was rounding a corner and so was I and I somehow ended up with my head in his chest :) (I am 5 feet 4 - and he isn't).

Also talked with one of the security guards at the Javitz who was telling me, in French, how much he hates living in the US and is planning on going back home to South Africa at the end of the year. He was quite interesting!

Oh the books - I picked up quite a few books to read and some great swag - see the pictures below.

Oh! almost forgot!!! thanks to Cindy - I also brought back a cold - so, today I am feeling sniffy and miserable!!!