June Books :: One on everyone's secret list and more...

It seems I am about to read some books that EVERYONE has been talking about and I have to say I hope the hype wins hahah

This month we are reading a favorite author of mine Ms. Judy Blume and one that has made me laugh on the Chelsea Lately show, Ms. Sarah Colonna but the one everyone is talking about and hiding on their kindles is Fifty Shades of Grey: Book One of the Fifty... by E L James. And finally, magic, mystery, intrigue, romance, and adventure in A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 1)By George R.R. Martin.

I hope you are able to join me and pick up one or all four of these books at the local library, book store, online at our store or join our Share A Book program and receive a FREE copy.

Keep turning those pages....
Happy Reading,
Jennifer

Life As I Blow It: Tales of Love, Life &... by Sarah Colonna $10.20	A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, ... by George R.R. Martin $10.36	Fifty Shades of Grey: Book One of the Fifty... by E L James $9.57
Summer Sisters: A Novel by Judy Blume $10.24

Book Review :: The Hunger Games - Do you love District 12?

Yup, I fell into, over and under the band wagon. I must say the movie trailers had me intrigued. I am a lover of the fame HP series, could this keep me wanting more like those books all 4100 pages. To be honest I fell in love with my HP family of characters. And I fell in love with Disctrict 12, hard working, self reliant, family oriented, strong willed, Katniss Everdeen.

I enjoyed the hunt of the games, the struggles, the love and triumph of all the characters. Once I stepped into this District and read on about the nation and the reaping, I was so intrigued to learn more about the other districts and the Capitol. I especially love the ending Ms. Collins definitely has me wanting to read BOOK TWO.

Turn the pages and let me know what you think - Bow & Arrow or Poison Berries?

Keep turning those pages....
Happy Reading,
Jennifer


Product Description (from Amazon)

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. Long ago the districts waged war on the Capitol and were defeated. As part of the surrender terms, each district agreed to send one boy and one girl to appear in an annual televised event called, "The Hunger Games," a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the Games. The terrain, rules, and level of audience participation may change but one thing is constant: kill or be killed.

Video (from YouTube) 

Click Link for Video

The official trailer for the film 'The Hunger Games'. Look forward to our The Hunger Games review when the movie is released.

Set in a future where the Capitol selects a boy and girl from the twelve districts to fight to the death on live television, Katniss Everdeen volunteers to take her younger sister's place for the latest match.

Director: Gary Ross
Writers: Suzanne Collins (novel and screenplay), Gary Ross (screenplay), and Billy Ray (screenplay)
Stars: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth

Studio: Color Force
Distributor: Lionsgate
Release Date: March 23, 2012

Book Review :: CeeCee and some Savannah Ice Tea

This statement is soooo true "Steel Magnolias meets The Help in this Southern debut novel sparkling with humor, heart, and feminine wisdom".

April Book :: Saving CeeCee Honeycutt: A Novel By Beth Hoffman

I read this and was like I have to read it! I actually think it has been on my list for a while. And thank God it made it to Bookworm Bitches group on Goodreads.

Below are a few lines that I just found perfect reminders :: 

"Life is full of change, honey. That is how we learn and grow. When we're born, the Good Lord gives each of us a Life Book. Chapter by chapter, we live and learn."

"...wired door open to remind myself how delicious freedom is - Financial and otherwise." 

"the human mind is an amazing thing. It protects us when we can't protect ourselves.'

"Oysters are a lot like women. It's how we survive the hurts in life that brings us strehgth and gives us our beauty."

It seems my quotes that caught my eye or made me bunny ear the pages were nice reminders to all when times are a bit of a struggle we can turn it around and cherish the past and move forward to the future. 

Read the book - Let me know your comments. If you like sign up for the SHARE A BOOK program and receive a FREE copy. 

Much love and Happy Reading! 

Happy Easter and Passover to all. 

~ Jennifer

Product Description (from Amazon)

Twelve-year-old CeeCee Honeycutt is in trouble. For years, she has been the caretaker of her psychotic mother, Camille-the tiara-toting, lipstick-smeared laughingstock of an entire town-a woman trapped in her long-ago moment of glory as the 1951 Vidalia Onion Queen. But when Camille is hit by a truck and killed, CeeCee is left to fend for herself. To the rescue comes her previously unknown great-aunt, Tootie Caldwell.

In her vintage Packard convertible, Tootie whisks CeeCee away to Savannah's perfumed world of prosperity and Southern eccentricity, a world that seems to be run entirely by women. From the exotic Miz Thelma Rae Goodpepper, who bathes in her backyard bathtub and uses garden slugs as her secret weapons, to Tootie's all- knowing housekeeper, Oletta Jones, to Violene Hobbs, who entertains a local police officer in her canary-yellow peignoir, the women of Gaston Street keep CeeCee entertained and enthralled for an entire summer.

Laugh-out-loud funny and deeply touching, Beth Hoffman's sparkling debut is, as Kristin Hannah says, "packed full of Southern charm, strong women, wacky humor, and good old-fashioned heart." It is a novel that explores the indomitable strengths of female friendship and gives us the story of a young girl who loses one mother and finds many others. 

April Titles :: Teen Idol, Loss, Southern Charm and a Paris Cafe

I have a few of these titles already on my TO READ list and I am so glad they are coming in this months reading list. I must be honest I finished one already and LOVED it! I hope you enjoy the selection.
Send me a note which is your favorite.

Much love,
Jennifer

Product Description (from Amazon)

Steel Magnolias meets The Help in this Southern debut novel sparkling with humor, heart, and feminine wisdom. Twelve-year-old CeeCee Honeycutt is in trouble. For years, she has been the caretaker of her psychotic mother, Camille-the tiara-toting, lipstick-smeared laughingstock of an entire town-a woman trapped in her long-ago moment of glory as the 1951 Vidalia Onion Queen. But when Camille is hit by a truck and killed, CeeCee is left to fend for herself. To the rescue comes her previously unknown great-aunt, Tootie Caldwell.

In her vintage Packard convertible, Tootie whisks CeeCee away to Savannah's perfumed world of prosperity and Southern eccentricity, a world that seems to be run entirely by women. From the exotic Miz Thelma Rae Goodpepper, who bathes in her backyard bathtub and uses garden slugs as her secret weapons, to Tootie's all- knowing housekeeper, Oletta Jones, to Violene Hobbs, who entertains a local police officer in her canary-yellow peignoir, the women of Gaston Street keep CeeCee entertained and enthralled for an entire summer.

Laugh-out-loud funny and deeply touching, Beth Hoffman's sparkling debut is, as Kristin Hannah says, "packed full of Southern charm, strong women, wacky humor, and good old-fashioned heart." It is a novel that explores the indomitable strengths of female friendship and gives us the story of a young girl who loses one mother and finds many others.

Product Description
A teen idol at fifteen, an international icon and founder of the Brat Pack at twenty, and one of Hollywood's top stars to this day, Rob Lowe chronicles his experiences as a painfully misunderstood child actor in Ohio uprooted to the wild counterculture of mid-seventies Malibu, where he embarked on his unrelenting pursuit of a career in Hollywood.

The Outsiders placed Lowe at the birth of the modern youth movement in the entertainment industry. During his time on The West Wing, he witnessed the surreal nexus of show business and politics both on the set and in the actual White House. And in between are deft and humorous stories of the wild excesses that marked the eighties, leading to his quest for family and sobriety.

Never mean-spirited or salacious, Lowe delivers unexpected glimpses into his successes, disappointments, relationships, and one-of-a-kind encounters with people who shaped our world over the last twenty-five years. These stories are as entertaining as they are unforgettable.


Product Description

A deeply evocative story of ambition and betrayal, The Paris Wife captures a remarkable period of time and a love affair between two unforgettable people: Ernest Hemingway and his wife Hadley.

Chicago, 1920: Hadley Richardson is a quiet twenty-eight-year-old who has all but given up on love and happiness—until she meets Ernest Hemingway and her life changes forever. Following a whirlwind courtship and wedding, the pair set sail for Paris, where they become the golden couple in a lively and volatile group—the fabled “Lost Generation”—that includes Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound, and F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald.

Though deeply in love, the Hemingways are ill prepared for the hard-drinking and fast-living life of Jazz Age Paris, which hardly values traditional notions of family and monogamy. Surrounded by beautiful women and competing egos, Ernest struggles to find the voice that will earn him a place in history, pouring all the richness and intensity of his life with Hadley and their circle of friends into the novel that will become The Sun Also Rises. Hadley, meanwhile, strives to hold on to her sense of self as the demands of life with Ernest grow costly and her roles as wife, friend, and muse become more challenging. Despite their extraordinary bond, they eventually find themselves facing the ultimate crisis of their marriage—a deception that will lead to the unraveling of everything they’ve fought so hard for.

A heartbreaking portrayal of love and torn loyalty, The Paris Wife is all the more poignant because we know that, in the end, Hemingway wrote that he would rather have died than fallen in love with anyone but Hadley.


Product Description

In this deeply moving and wonderfully insightful novel, acclaimed author Cathy Lamb explores what can happen when one woman decides to reclaim her past--and her future--no matter where they lead. . .

Madeline O'Shea tells people what to do with their lives. A renowned life coach, she inspires thousands of women through her thriving practice--exuding enviable confidence along with her stylish suits and sleek hair. But her confidence, just like her fashionable demeanor, is all a front.

For decades, Madeline has lived in fear of her traumatic past becoming public. Now a reporter is reinvestigating the notorious crime that put Madeline's mother behind bars, threatening to destroy her elaborate facade. Only Madeline's sister, Annie, and their frail grandparents know about her childhood--but lately Madeline has reason to wonder if her grandparents also have a history they've been keeping from her.

As the demons of the past swirl around her, a childhood friend with a gentle heart is urging Madeline to have faith in him--and in herself. And as she allows her resistance to thaw, the pain she expects pales in comparison to the surprises headed straight to her door. With one bold, unprecedented move, Madeline O Shea may just wake up out of the sadness and guilt that have kept her sleepwalking through life for so long--and discover that the worst thing that can happen is sometimes the very thing we desperately need.

The First Day of the Rest of My Life is an eloquent and triumphant tale of a fierce act of love, a family's legacy, and one woman s awakening to her own power--with no secrets....

 

Book Review :: Some pages just don't' turn...

I must confess it has been a few months and some books have just stayed on the night table. And I have decided after tossing and turning, thinking and nodding, agreeing it is time to finally say goodbye to these wonderful books. I am going to set them FREE....

But before the disappear from the night stand I must give them their place in our Simply A Reading Journal blog. I know they have been recommended and others have LOVED them but my tired mind just can't keep them on the nightstand another day. So I will send them off to friends in our SHARE A BOOK program.

Please let me know what you think and if I should just give the book another try!! Would love to have the feedback.

Much love,

Jennifer

Product Description (from Amazon)
When We Were Strangers: A NovelBy Pamela Schoenewaldt

"If you leave Opi, you'll die with strangers," Irma Vitale's mother always warned. Even after her beloved mother's passing, 20-year-old Irma longs to stay in her Abruzzo mountain village, plying her needle. But too poor and plain to marry and subject to growing danger in her own home, she risks rough passage to America and workhouse servitude to achieve her dream of making dresses for gentlewomen.

In the raw immigrant quarters and with the help of an entrepreneurial Irish serving girl, ribbon-decked Polish ragman and austere Alsatian dressmaker, Irma begins to stitch together a new life . . . until her peace and self are shattered in the charred remains of the Great Chicago Fire. Enduring a painful recovery, Irma reaches deep within to find that she has even more to offer the world than her remarkable ability with a needle and thread

Product Description (from Amazon)
At Home: A Short History of Private LifeBy Bill Bryson

From one of the most beloved authors of our time—a fascinating excursion into the history behind the place we call home. “Houses aren’t refuges from history. They are where history ends up.”

Bill Bryson and his family live in a Victorian parsonage in a part of England where nothing of any great significance has happened since the Romans decamped. Yet one day, he began to consider how very little he knew about the ordinary things of life as he found it in that comfortable home. To remedy this, he formed the idea of journeying about his house from room to room to “write a history of the world without leaving home.” The bathroom provides the occasion for a history of hygiene; the bedroom, sex, death, and sleep; the kitchen, nutrition and the spice trade; and so on, as Bryson shows how each has fig­ured in the evolution of private life. Whatever happens in the world, he demonstrates, ends up in our house, in the paint and the pipes and the pillows and every item of furniture.

Bill Bryson has one of the liveliest, most inquisitive minds on the planet, and he is a master at turning the seemingly isolated or mundane fact into an occasion for the most diverting exposi­tion imaginable. His wit and sheer prose fluency make At Home one of the most entertaining books ever written about private life.

Product Description (from Amazon)
Poison Study (Study, Book 1)By Maria V. Snyder

About to be executed for murder, Yelena is offered an extraordinary reprieve. She'll eat the best meals, have rooms in the palace- and risk assassination by anyone trying to kill the Commander of Ixia.

And so Yelena chooses to become a food taster. But the chief of security, leaving nothing to chance, deliberately feeds her Butterfly's Dusté and only by appearing for her daily antidote will she delay an agonizing death from the poison.

As Yelena tries to escape her new dilemma, disasters keep mounting. Rebels plot to seize Ixia and Yelena develops magical powers she can't control. Her life is threatened again and choices must be made. But this time the outcomes aren't so clear—.

Book Review :: Ranting and a lot of laughing for Mama

Let's be honest no one gives us that book that really details the reality of bringing home your first child. Tales from the Pantry by Shari Owen Brown reminds us of what it is like to need that "lock" on the inside of Pantry door and snack on that bag of chips while #whoknowswhat is happening on the other side.

This book was a peek behind the scenes into a life of a mother with two young children. A simple tug at the curtains to see and listen to a mothers plea for sanity at times. No one really wants to pull the blinds all the way open and this book is a funny but yet true look at a mothers sometimes daily life.

I personally agree that there should be a peak into this life before you head down that road of motherhood. Be fully warned but PLEASE take the path it is SO worth the sleepless nights, tantrums, dirty diapers, endless crying and that unbelievable smile from your child that takes you to a place you can't describe.

I personally didn't mind all the ranting and love the twitter references #thetruthhurts and don't get me started on agreeing about the FRENCH FRIES #whatisupwiththat!

And please please send me the directions to the PARENT only park! I will be the one with the Pinot Noir Sippy cup :)

I will be sharing this book with some of my Mama's for a nice laugh!!

Happy Reading!

Jennifer


Product Description (from Amazon)

Tales From the Pantry: Random Rants & Musings of a Stay-at-Home Mom is a collection of witty, funny, and sometimes gut-wrenching stories told by a 40-something mother of two small children. Based upon the popular blog 'Don't Make Me Count to Three!', Shari Owen Brown uses humor to navigate the daily slings and arrows of motherhood. Many parents can relate to the often unspoken challenges of child rearing. And for those who have yet to have children...consider yourself warned! Shari found herself the last of her friends to have children and was then SHOCKED to discover all of the lies she had been told! Why hadn't anybody mentioned these things before?!! It was like a secret club of parents who dared not tell the truth or else none of their friends would have children, leaving them all alone in their own private nightmare! Shari blows the lid off of these unspoken challenges & discusses daily life in a funny and entertaining way that still manages to speak the truth. It is a great outlet for parents to laugh at themselves through Shari, and realize that they are not alone or crazy (well, maybe just a little!) for feeling the way that they do.

An Amazing Reminder from the 1800's

I had no idea what I was about to read. Yes, I wanted to read some classics this year. But not the usual, Hemingway, Shakespeare ect. So, I randomly selected authors in my handy dandy excel formula and the first to pick up from the Library was THE PRINCESS AND CURDIE by George MacDonald.

To be honest I wasn't that impressed by the cover (see image) Maybe it was the bright colors or not knowing anything about the story. And then on the way to work on the LIRR I started reading this book and let me tell you I didn't want to put it down.

It was a true great reminder DON'T JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER!

Some wonderful quotes from the book ::

"...whoever does not mean good is always in danger of harm."
"...it is better to perceive a hidden good then a hidden evil."
and a ALL time favorite "...Honesty is the best policy."

Parent's, Uncle's and Aunts, Grandparents get the book read this wonderful adventure and exciting journey young Curdie takes to the Kings Palace. The characters will amaze and could at times frighten you and the child. But overall the story will make you feel that you are a providing some simple life lessons we seem to forget.

I enjoyed the tale and was saddened by the ending. Is it true that true greed can destroy a entire community.
This is the sequel to THE PRINCESS AND THE GOBLIN. But you can fall right into the story if you haven't read the other story.

Share your favorite parts of the story. Send me a note jmclozano@gmail.com.

Happy Reading,

Jennifer

If we all could shine as bright as the moon....

I have to admit it I am a MOON lover. Finding this book on the list for February, The Girl Who Chased the Moon: A Novel by Sarah Addison Allen, I was so hoping I would love it and it would make me giddy.
I love the moon.... Love love La Luna.
If you know me you know it! To the MOON and BACK!!

THEN.... I picked it up and I just wasn't in love with the moon but I was more in LOVE with the delicious items coming from the kitchen of the local barbecue joint.

It wasn't so much about just one girl chasing the moon but HOW one girl led the path for other to face their true feeling, dreams and demons.

Ms. Allen introduced this small town and leads us down the main street into the front door of each character. I enjoyed the story and the magical touches brought into the story. And who isn't a sucker for True Love winning!!

Go ahead pick it up and try some of the delicious recipes like the Milky Way Cake recipe provided in the back of the book. If you try the recipe PLEASE PLEASE let me know what magic comes your way :)

Much Love and keep turning the pages,

Jennifer

The Girl Who Chased the Moon: A NovelBy Sarah Addison Allen

 Product Description (from Amazon)

Emily Benedict has come to Mullaby, North Carolina, hoping to solve at least some of the riddles surrounding her mother’s life. But the moment Emily enters the house where her mother grew up and meets the grandfather she never knew, she realizes that mysteries aren’t solved in Mullaby, they’re a way of life: Here are rooms where the wallpaper changes to suit your mood. Unexplained lights skip across the yard at midnight. And a neighbor, Julia Winterson, bakes hope in the form of cakes, not only wishing to satisfy the town’s sweet tooth but also dreaming of rekindling the love she fears might be lost forever. Can a hummingbird cake really bring back a lost love? Is there really a ghost dancing in Emily’s backyard? The answers are never what you expect. But in this town of lovable misfits, the unexpected fits right in.

Milky Way Cake
8 Milky Way candy bars (regular size)
2 sticks butter or margarine
2 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs, well beaten
½ teaspoon baking soda
2½ cups flour
1¼ cups buttermilk
1 cup pecans, chopped

Melt candy bars in one stick of butter or margarine. Cream sugar and the other stick of butter or margarine together. Add eggs, baking soda, and flour alternately with buttermilk. Add melted candy mixture and pecans. Bake in 3 (9-inch) pans, greased, at 325 degrees for 30–40 minutes or until done. Cool for 5 minutes, remove from the pans, and cool on racks.

CHOCOLATE ICING
2½ cups sugar
1 cup evaporated milk
1 stick butter or margarine
1 6-ounce package chocolate chips
1 cup marshmallow creme

Mix over low heat. Combine sugar and milk. Cook until it reaches a soft ball stage. Add other ingredients. Stir until chocolate chips melt, then remove from heat. Beat until cool.

Struggles and Triumphs, Wisdom and Beauty, Real and Hilarious and NY Social Scene

We found the books for March. Check out our Reading Page for a complete listing. Check out the PRODUCT DESCRIPTIONS from Amazon. I am so excited about these books and in my mind I think I know my favorite. But I am truly hoping for a surprise! Join me in our next Months books.

Much Love,

Jennifer

When We Were Strangers: A Novel
by Pamela Schoenewaldt

Product Description
"If you leave Opi, you'll die with strangers," Irma Vitale's mother always warned. Even after her beloved mother's passing, 20-year-old Irma longs to stay in her Abruzzo mountain village, plying her needle. But too poor and plain to marry and subject to growing danger in her own home, she risks rough passage to America and workhouse servitude to achieve her dream of making dresses for gentlewomen.
In the raw immigrant quarters and with the help of an entrepreneurial Irish serving girl, ribbon-decked Polish ragman and austere Alsatian dressmaker, Irma begins to stitch together a new life . . . until her peace and self are shattered in the charred remains of the Great Chicago Fire. Enduring a painful recovery, Irma reaches deep within to find that she has even more to offer the world than her remarkable ability with a needle and thread

The Tiger's Wife: A Novel
by Téa Obreht

Product Description
In a Balkan country mending from war, Natalia, a young doctor, is compelled to unravel the mysterious circumstances surrounding her beloved grandfather’s recent death. Searching for clues, she turns to his worn copy of The Jungle Book and the stories he told her of his encounters over the years with “the deathless man.” But most extraordinary of all is the story her grandfather never told her—the legend of the tiger’s wife.
Look for special features inside. Join the Circle for author chats and more.

Tales From the Pantry: Random Rants & M...
by Shari Owen Brown

Product DescriptionTales From the Pantry: Random Rants & Musings of a Stay-at-Home Mom is a collection of witty, funny, and sometimes gut-wrenching stories told by a 40-something mother of two small children. Based upon the popular blog 'Don't Make Me Count to Three!', Shari Owen Brown uses humor to navigate the daily slings and arrows of motherhood. Many parents can relate to the often unspoken challenges of child rearing. And for those who have yet to have children...consider yourself warned! Shari found herself the last of her friends to have children and was then SHOCKED to discover all of the lies she had been told! Why hadn't anybody mentioned these things before?!! It was like a secret club of parents who dared not tell the truth or else none of their friends would have children, leaving them all alone in their own private nightmare! Shari blows the lid off of these unspoken challenges & discusses daily life in a funny and entertaining way that still manages to speak the truth. It is a great outlet for parents to laugh at themselves through Shari, and realize that they are not alone or crazy (well, maybe just a little!) for feeling the way that they do.

Rules of Civility: A Novel
by Amor Towles

Product Description
WHAT THEY SAID about RULES OF CIVILITY: 'Everything about this novel, set in 1930s New York, is achingly stylish - from the author's name to the slinky jacket design. Katey Kontent, daughter of Russian immigrants, and Evie Ross, from the sleepy midwest, are an ambitious, wisecracking pair who, despite lack of money and connections, aim to set the city alight. A fortuitous meeting with the apparently wealthy Tinker Grey on New Year's Eve, 1937, will change the course of both their lives.' - Guardian 'If you want shopping at Bendel's, gin martinis at a debutante's mansion and jazz bands playing until 3am, RULES OF CIVILITY has it all and more ...While you're lost in the whirl of silk stockings, furs and hip flasks, all you care about is what Katey Kontent does next. Another one bartender, please.' - Observer 'Irresistible ...A cross between Dorothy Parker and Holly Golightly, Katey Kontent is a priceless narrator in her own right - the brains of a bluestocking with the legs of a flapper and the mores of Carrie Bradshaw.' - Telegraph 'Towles creates a narrative that sparkles with sentences so beautiful you'll stop and re-read them. A delicious and memorable novel that will leave you wistful ...and desperate for a martini.' - Stylist 'My book of the year. If the unthinkable happened and I could never read another new work of fiction in 2011, I'd simply re-read this sparkling, stylish book, with yet another round of martinis as dry as the author's wit.' - Herald